SWEET DANGO

#155…been four days since I last got to this…have been sleeping a lot when I wasn’t buying music
and making cassette compilations of songs.
And drinking a lot of wine. And reading in various texts.
And fantasizing, sexually, and somewhat otherwise. And…what else.
Have seen a friend or three or so.
There’s some envelope-related and roster-related work
at the Odd Fellows Hall I’ve also not attended to…tho’ that isn’t, I gather, urgent.
Been meaning to get out to South City to see the mother of a friend of mine…been putting that off. And was planning to see my aunt today, but put that off as well.
Haven’t been taking the detailed notes that I had been for some months…
a friend suggested that I work this without notes…might just do that.

But…now…back to notes that I’ve already taken…

But…first…responding to e-mails…items waiting for me at the library:
one of Julia Cameron’s “Artist’s Way” books
(good suggestions for those creatively-endeavouring),
an audio book by her as well, and an audio book old old-time radio programs.

And I’ve got to get back three items: a collection of plays by Mae West (didn’t read it),
the novel of To Sir With Love,
and an audio book on improving memory.

And…e-mail from a guy I know in the Mission, Thom, who has, apparently,
a really serious drug habit…I know him from his comic book that he puts out…
not one to look on the sunny side – I think he stays in his furniture-less room a whole lot,
does his drug (plus coffee and cigarettes), and listens to harsh music.

And mail from…well, not really feeling this today…
besides, again at the same below-average keyboard I was at before…just been…slacking.

But…keyboard inadequacy or not, gotta get to these notes…

…back to the Odd Fellows event a week ago for Lola…interesting gathering of folks –
over twice as many as Brother Pete expected, over seventy strong…was mingling about in the crowd, who were mostly seated and eating the Chinese food Pete had arranged, and having plenty of liquor. Music provided by one Brother Dennis, who was at the piano
and regaling us with classic songs from five decades past and more.
He came up to me as I was helping at the bar and sang a song, a capella, for me:
“I Left My Heart in San Francisco”. Good voice.

And also played some pool with friend Annie Moll, and Brother Harvey (I think he’s a member of the lodge) and Linda, the teen daughter of Sister Wendy. There are two fine tables in the Club Room of the lodge, where this event happened, and I’ve played a few games on them, and intend to in the future.

And met Brother Harry, who had a pin with the number “75” on it. Turns out it means he’s been in the Odd Fellows for that many years – he’s ninety years old and more…he could’ve joined when he was 15 years old…anyway, he’s up there, and seems like a very sweet man. He told me he joined as an associate of Yerba Buena Lodge #15 (my lodge) back in 1945, when he came down to San Francisco from Stockton.

Then about four that afternoon, at the library…left friend Annie Moll near Ananda Fuara, one of her favorite places to eat…told her something about needing focus – me needing to focus. Vision thing. (Which might be a song that my white powder addicted friend I mentioned earlier might like…generally, I think our musical tastes don’t intersect at all – I mean, I’m grooving to Neil Diamond, and he likes Nordic death metal…I am speaking about “Vision Thing” by the Sisters of Mercy…got turned on to that song a few years ago and just bought a CD by the band…and am putting it onto my tape compilations…reference to the Senior Bush, a comment he made in the late Eighties.)

And at the library, reserved a computer, and requested a conscious breathing text by Gay Hendricks. There is always that to do, even when lying flat on one’s back in the quietude of one’s room – that is, meditative breathing, focusing on one’s breathing, “following” one’s breath. Calming, centering, balancing.

Then at four p.m.-ish, at Fiesta Taco for something…probably huevos rancheros…feeling off balance…Annie Moll might call that an aspect of “post-modernism”. There was soccer happening on the screen there, and the eyes of many of the guys there were glued to that sports action. My eyes were somewhat glued to the prominent breasts of a woman featured in one of the Fiesta Taco murals.

And I thought back to Lucky’s good vibe there at the luncheon for Lola, his comments.

And back at the hotel, someone had put a postcard in my mail slot for a show at the Art Rock gallery…linkage there into the psychedelic poster scene of the Sixties in San Francisco, and to TRPS – that is, The Rock Poster Society, which recently put on a show in Golden Gate Park that I didn’t attend.

And spoke with neighbor Tokay about this and that in the lobby…he had issues with the spelling of the word “asbestos”…and from the downstairs library, took a copy of a book about music by Sufi Inayat Khan…spiritual music…

And got a call from Brother Pete – he wanted to take me over to a house at Shotwell and 24th and have me go through it for stuff I might need as secretary of the lodge. The place was the home of a deceased member…Pete is left a lot of stuff like that due to passings away. He mentioned a waffle maker that I could have, but that’s one of the last things I might have a use for.

And then, 8:34pm, up after a nap…been sleeping a lot lately – probably due to the wine, all the wine I’ve been drinking of late…on KQED, short stories being read at the Getty Museum down in Los Angeles. Had yerba mate tea, and maca from Peru…and Nature’s First Food…and on a radio, a Joni Mitchell impersonator – a man whose act is actually to sing like Joni. And sounded quite like her, I must say.

So that’s about it…like I said, not quite feeling this today…
and hello to Sami at the lodge,who says he reads this loyally.

posted by Velcro # 4:30 PM

Tuesday, October 19, 2004

#154…”Village Ghetto Land” – that’s right, y’all – 1976 – Stevie – his songs in the key of his life…paid over 30 bucks for that at the Virgin Megastore not long ago…and got my money’s worth as well, of that you can be sure.

And at about half past ten one recent evening, there I was, gobblin’ down that “Country BBQ” bag o’ chips, plus a Tsing Tao beer – bought 2 of those Chinese puppies…wanted some beverage that coincided with the “Stevie” vibe, and that was the closest.

Now – that album, Stevie’s, is from 1976 – classic is all over that one, to be quite assured…even, like, Ice-T would probably agree…”Pastime Paradise” is on that one…and “Love’s in Need of Love Today”…and…and…” – you fill in the blanks – I been there.

Now…”Contusion” is an instrumental track from that one, that Stevie classic work…remembering, I did, a restaurant I worked at in Berkeley in the late Seventies…fellow worker mentioned that track…Google on that name…it’s passing out of history.

Passing out of history, like, I must say, Neil Diamond…was at the Virgin Megastore there on Market near Stockton, in San Francisco, and there was, frankly, no Neil…yikes! Whatever…good stuff, on juke boxes in this city, anyway, still.

So, this 4 line mentation continues…at 11:32am one recent Frisco morning, done with Stevie, recording a side of his, then into Phil Hendrie, courtesy of Lodge Brother Pete Sellars…this is the Yerba Buena #15 Lodge…Google, you all, yeah…

And continued the drinking of that Tsing Tao, from the New Princess Market, there at Eddy and Hyde…go there, and buy…and…Pete suggested that I go to a former Lodge brother location at 24th and Shotwell to get supplies – I declined.

And then, brushing what’s left of my teeth…listened to KQED radio on the FM band…shaved…at 11:54am that same recent morning – Lola’s lunch, regional player in the Odd Fellows universe…naval references by one of the IOOF old-timers.

Justice is being served, in case you have not noticed, you all…and discussed topics with Lodge brother Tony…his brother was on the piano, there at the Lodge meeting in honor of Lola…Tony’s brother could, as they say, tickle the ivories.

And Stan from San Rafael, him I met…I have met, from the same lodge, Howard Hughes (actual name), and Jesse Dalton…gotta get up there to San Rafael again…third week in the month, I believe, is when they have their fantastic street festival.

And noticed, at the Lola honoring event, blue hat on a very old lady…I had a hat as well…only 2 of us wore that sort of headgear…and Koichi was manning the elevator…cheekbones on him, and on dancers entering as well.

Dancers, I say, at the San Francisco Dance Center, there in the Odd Fellows Building, at 7th and Market…and noticed, did I, the pen in Lucky’s shirt – meaning, Richard Perri, a fine, fine artist…and I had a pen in my pocket as well.

And…”Asian Cultural Luncheon” was the name Brother Pete and advisors bestowed upon this event…tho’, frankly, not enough Asians attended…more Asian women wanted in the lodge, okay…so go for it, you all…

And a Kama Sutra lady was there at the Lola honoring event…married to another man, Indian fellow – Bombay, not Cheyenne, if you follow my shifting drift…and I was behind the counter in the beautiful Club Room, being of service.

And, and…much more forthcoming, you all…there was a nice candy bowl designed in the Halloween spirit, with a freaky hand, joking and speaking when any candy was taken…trip, y’all…nice touch, courtesy of Brother Pete.

And, courtesy of me and Bro’ Pete, Korean ginseng…and…something else, tho’ it slips my mind…and…iambic and in pentameter:

“…intensity’s not what it used to be,/because the lawyers, all in love, now see…”

posted by Velcro # 7:19 PM

#153…about an hour ago, this is what was happening – please Google on terms
relevant to you and yours: Earth, Wind & Fire, a live in Rio disc purchased last night
at the Virgin Megastore…Chardonnay from Oakville in California purchased at the New Princess Market at Eddy and Hyde…Aramis – purchased at the Macy’s (men’s division) at Union Square in San Francisco…push-ups (purchased with physical effort)…yerba mate tea brewing (the way I cook)…incense from India, and a North Hollywood candle lit. A regular scene out of “Super Freak” by Rick James – the line about the “incense, wine, and candles”, as you may recall, or will.

And it was a rainy day this morning – had to close my hotel room window to keep out the wetness. And night desk man Keith had made me up, had given me recently, two tapes, one with songs featuring a rain theme in all of them – haven’t gotten to it yet…but he said there wasn’t included the Madonna “Rain” from the mid-90s…or that Al Green song about rain on the window pane…and speaking of Madonna…

…was over at the Tower in the Castro the other night, and friend Annie Moll brought to my attention the CD single of a new Madonna – “Profusion of Love” is the title, I believe…sounds good, but didn’t get it…might later. Played some of her early material, so to speak, on the Sparky’s box recently.

And also in my mix currently: the Paul Bowles Tangier diary from the 90s called Days, “Serpentine Fire” and “Boogie Wonderland” and “In the Stone” live from Rio circa 2002 by EWF…

And, like, this current computer keyboard just doesn’t cut my Grey Poupon – hard to tap on it, bad “action”, to use guitar payer and player terminology. Have a lot of notes to put down, but this is not a happy set of technologies here and now, so this will be short.

Well, didn’t get up early to get to one-seventy Otis, where the keyboards are all fine and dandy…

So what to do…gonna see Brother Pete Sellars at the Odd Fellows Hall at about 4pm…got the latest issue of Rolling Stone for him…and from here at the Computer Training Center, picked up for free a Harlan Ellison paperback, The Glass Teat – a criticism of television at the time of writing – sometime in the Sixties, I believe…can you say “acerbic”?

…and…got an Osho – formerly Rajneesh – book to get back to the library, one on intuition…

And just getting here, talked with Jefferson Hotel General Manager Brian Samuel – he was outside having a smoke…asked what he was gonna program for tomorrow’s movie night…

And otherwise on my mind: gonna find and print the lyrics to three songs by Earth, Wind & Fire – namely: “In the Stone”, “Serpentine Fire”, and “Boogie Wonderland”…alphabetically:

BOOGIE WONDERLAND Jon Lind & Allee Willis
Dance boogie wonderlanddance boogie wonderlandMidnight creeps so slowly into hearts,of men who need more than they getdaylight deals a bad hand,to a woman that has laid to many betsThe mirror stares you in the face and says"baby, uh uh it don't work"you say your prayers through you don't careyou dance and shake the hurtdance boogie wonderlanddance boogie wonderlandSound fly through the nightI chase my vinyl drams to boogie wonderlandI find romance when I start to dance in boogie wonderlandI find romance when I start to dance in boogie wonderlandAll the love in the world can't be goneall the need to be loved can't be wrongAll the records are playingand my heart keeps saying"boogie wonderland, wonderland"dance boogie wonderlanddance boogie wonderlandAll the love in the world can't be goneall the need to be loved can't be wrongAll the records are playingand my heart keeps saying"boogie wonderland, wonderland"dance boogie wonderlanddance boogie wonderland
SERPENTINE FIRE Maurice White, Verdine White & Sonny Burke
When I see you're face like the mornin sun you spark me to shineTell all the world, my need is fulfilled and that's a new designAs long as you're near, there is no fear of a victoryBut when I'm away, influences stray my mind to disagreeI wanna see your face in the morning sun ignite my energyThe cause and effect of you has brought new meaning in my life to meGonna tell a story morning glory all about the serpentine fireGonna tell a story morning glory all about the serpentine fireoh yeah oh yeah oh yeah, oh yeah oh yeah oh yeahI need to see your face like the morning sun ignite my energyThe cause and effect of you has brought new meaning in my life to meThe moments I find when I'm inclined to do my bestNegative wins when I give in and then I lose the test (not many times)Gonna tell a story morning glory all about the serpentine fireSurely as life begun, you will as one battle with the serpentine fireoh yeah oh yeah oh yeah, oh yeah oh yeah oh yeahSurely as life begun, you will as one battle with the serpentine fireSurely as life begun, you will as one battle with the serpentine fireGonna tell a story morning glory all about the serpentine fire

IN THE STONE Maurice White, David Foster & Allee Willis
I found that love, providesThe key-unlocks, the heart and souls, of you and me-Love will love, to sing your song,Love is written in the stoneEvery man, I meet is walking time-Free to wander, past his conscious mind,Love will come, and take you home-Love is written, in the stoneDo you believe, my friend, in what you claim, people of the world,All doubt the same-bringing questionsOf their own-truth is written,In the stoneIn the stone, you'll find the meaningWhy you're not standing tallIn the stoneThe light is shining, forever touching all-Life experience a passing dayTime will witness, what the oleFolks say-getting stronger every day-Strenght is written in the stone-Deep inside, our hearts for usTo keep-lies a spark of light thatNever sleepsThe greatest, you've ever known-Yea is written-In the stoneIn the stone, you'll find the meaningWhy you're not standing tallIn the stoneThe light is shining, forever touching all-Never, never my darling, never you'llBe alone-Forever, ever my darlingTrue love is written in the stone.
So…about it for now – gonna drink more wine – got some in a plastic bottle that fits on my bicycle…and gotta get that Osho book back to the library…and see Brother Pete, give him that magazine…and check into my secretarial duties as Secretary of the Yerba Buena #15 Odd Fellows Lodge…more later, when I can get to a more agreeable keyboards, ladies and lords…

posted by Velcro # 2:43 PM

Monday, October 18, 2004

#152…was gonna do this in the second person, I think it’s called…the voice of a woman…but thought better of it – maybe another time. It was gonna start: “She said:” But back to the…

Twenty-five after four one recent day…doing this at the Kinko’s on Mission…sixty cents already used…but: wanna get to transcribing the notes…leaving one-seventy Otis after blogging…paused for a red light on my bicycle at South Van Ness and 13th, under the freeway…for those inclined to the visual, a good place, eyeball-wise…glad I don’t have a whole lot of time to do this, else I would just go on and on…on the way to Rainbow Grocery…

And thinking about a phrase that has been going on in my mind of late: “Is everything under control?” Useful for any number of situations…thanks to Robert Anton Wilson for this. Fire up Google…

And to Rainbow – yerba mate tea, rejuvelac, kombucha…and considering Pete Sellars, Brother Pete, at the Odd Fellows Lodge here in San Francisco…over to see him, actually, then, after Rainbow…gave him a package of the yerba mate tea, and he gave me a lot of coffee packages that he had gotten free…gave ‘em eventually, the coffee, to buddy Joe in the Jefferson Hotel.

Then after the visit with Pete, on to Market…fellow was selling five buck cassette tapes he’d made himself, there on the sidewalk – somewhat old school, the music chosen – he had some song playing as an example – “You Are My Starship”…by…Norman Connors? Later thought I shoulda bought one of his tapes, but I’m into CDs right now since I have got a few bucks in my pocket.

Then over to the library…none of my requests in…saw friend Robert Swift there…he asked about the spelling of “Lehrer”, as in Tom…and renewed items: two about Steve McQueen, one from Brion Gysin…please Google.

Then: checked into the music discs at the library – picked a Wings collection, a “Dick’s Pick’s” Grateful Dead one, and a Tower of Power…but then thought better of it – gotta get new material.

Then to Walgreen’s, there on Van Ness at Eddy…needed a new ink pen…thought of that song title: “I Want a New (Pen)”…Huey, News.

And on the packaging for the new pen, this: “Semi-translucent barrel to monitor ink supply.” Worker Ulysses there at Walgreen’s – hello to him, knew him from before – surprised, he was, that I recalled him name.

Then to the Wherehouse on Van Ness…looking for music – handled a Jessica Simpson calendar…and looked and looked for pretty nearly an hour, nothing to buy…the new Green Day, American Idiot, is high on the charts, #1 on the Rolling Stone chart, but I didn’t go for it…woulda gone before that for the new Jimmy Buffett, with the cover of the Dead’s “Scarlet Begonias”, but didn’t go for that, either.

Then met friend Joe leaving the hotel, invited him for Chinese food on the corner – so we waited for the shrimp and egg plate and potstickers…went across Eddy to the Cadillac Market for two Tecates. Okayed this with the Chinese restaurant guy – they didn’t have a liquor license, but it was okay with him if I brought the beers back in brown paper bags.

And there at the Chinese place, a great ass that kept drawing my attention, and Joe’s…tribulational efforts to keep my orbs off that rear end of that girl.

Then a call to my aunt, living nearby…and Joe and I in the restaurant, commenting on the police activity thereabouts in the Tenderloin.

And Joe mentioned the blue progression he’d programmed into his keyboard…and thought to get a copy of The Blues Brothers on video…

Then after the meal, and the Mexican beer, up to Joe’s room – listened to the blues progression…and he had a documentary about Bruce Lee on tape that a neighbor had loaned him – the reconstructed version of The Game of Death…Kareem, student, involved…discussion on the tape of the significance of that yellow track suit – apparently, to signify that he belonged to no particular school or style.

And between the Bruce Lee tape, Gomer Pyle reruns…and The Beverly Hillbillies…then some flick about Ma Barker and her criminal family – Joe liked that a lot, for some reason. I left his room about that point.

So I guess that’s about enough of that for now, the mind stuff of my life – more where that came from…and as for the here and the now: gonna pick up friend Annie Moll in less than an hour an a half at the U.C. Berkeley Extension campus a few blocks from this Kinko’s…

…then to get a drink somewhere…been drinking corked wine the past few hours, taping onto cassette some good music – Stevie Wonder from the mid-70s, like…got a few bucks in my pocket of late, and that is pretty much a good thing – thanks to the State of California, and the United States of America.

And…got, like I said, about 90 minutes to resurrect before seeing Annie Moll, so me after this to the Virgin Megastore – got my eye on the latest from the fine, superlative Donnas – a disc called Gold Medal. And perhaps some live Z.Z. Top or live Neil Diamond or live Tower of Power if they’ve got any of that.

And perhaps that new Pink, the latest from her, Try This – on the strength of a single track, even, called “Tonight’s the Night” – not the Rod Stewart song…and maybe get a live Guess Who disc I loaned to Annie Moll…

And tomorrow, maybe get to the library at 9am to view the DVD of Autumn in New York…and in e-mail news: waiting for me at the library, text of Gay Hendricks’ Conscious Breathing…and a special notice from the raw food Nature’s First Law people – Peruvian olives available…and – gotta return the Osho (formerly Rajneesh) book on intuition…and gotta get that Winona Ryder DVD back since I’ve renewed it too often – gotta watch it tomorrow morning, drink wine, enjoy all that…
So this has been very nearly a half hour of work, or play, or love, or whatever…so here’s looking at you all…we’ll always have San Francisco, or Bohemia, or whatever or whenever you wanna call it…

posted by Velcro # 8:11 PM

Friday, October 15, 2004

#151…back to yesterday: was at the Computer Training Center in the Tenderloin –

done with the blog…#150…a French guy named Jan (rhymes with “dawn”) was supervising –

really nice guy, sweet…has to deal with a lot of, well, somewhat over-the-top folks sometimes, including me. Yesterday, Odd Fellow Brother Pete called me during my session,

I go out to take the call, and a woman waiting starts berating me for talking on a phone

when I should be on the computer…so I get into her face just a little over this –

should’ve just not bothered…and after some words I just go back to my terminal –

Jan is coming out of his office at that time to calm the situation down –

he tells me not to even bother with her like that. Right.

And then after blogging, I’m in the market for Evian water –

don’t quite trust the San Francisco tap water – the pipes concern me…

so I’m crossing Eddy and a guy in the passenger seat of a car making a turn in front of me

says “Getcher b*tch *ss off…” – didn’t hear the whole thing – “off the street”, I guess it was.

He was a truly mean-looking customer. I didn’t pursue this – had I done so,

I am sure he woulda gotten his big, mean black *ss outta that cheap *ss car of his and shown me what it was all about. Thought about this short incident for much of the afternoon –

bad vibes, for sure. Probably was missing his 3:30pm crack feeding.

Life in the Tenderloin streets, lovely.

So got my French water, back to the hotel – my T-Mobile bill had just come in,

and a letter from my aunt…gave her a call – said her body wasn’t feeling quite right –

mention of a polyp in her stomach…gonna get out to see her soon.

The doctor told her it wasn’t serious, but still - she needs to eat better.

And a call to the mother of a friend of mine – her older son answered

and said she was sleeping since she’s been tending to an ailing sister.

So it wasn’t a good time to plan a time to see her.

Talked with the older son, older brother of my friend…he’s got family of his own to care for.

He sometimes plays in a musical combo, the Gomer Hendrix Band, but he doesn’t have a lot of time for that these days, which is a shame, since he’s a talented musician.

Then alone in the hotel room – finished the trance channeled book by Barbara Marciniak about the Pleiadians, and the book on the Tao by Osho (formerly Rajneesh)…and was still thinking about that rough comment from the passing car. The guy had absolutely no concept of pedestrian rights…maybe he thought I was dissing him by walking in front of his vehicle…that was probably it. Law of the jungle, and he’s the sheriff.

Then turned on the Earth, Wind & Fire disc I’ve been enjoying lately – mostly live performances, with applause from the audience…and did some side bends – my body is getting back into better shape lately, more streamlined…and then more push-ups…there was a gong sound, a series of them, to begin that EW&F disc…Egyptian motif on the cover – the band was into that ancient Egypt thing.

And read in a recent Chronicle Datebook about a new comic book based on a Middle Eastern heroine named Jalila – plutonium theft theme, timely; and the “Litquake” event, news about that recent literary festival, in the Leah Garchik column…could’ve been in the same room with Lawrence Ferlinghetti at a related Edinburgh Castle event, but passed on that; and news also in the Datebook of Mayor Gavin Newsom climbing on a fire truck ladder until his handler had him come down – can’t take risks with the mayoral body.

And at 4:51 yesterday – about 23 hours ago as of this blogging…reading the last part of the Richard Polsky book on his long, long search to buy the Andy Warhol canvas of his dreams…turned off the music to concentrate on this…very interesting and recommended book if you are into the art world at all, or Warhol…and I made up a new cup of yerba mate tea and got into reading.

5:41pm – turned on the Earth, Wind & Fire again, had some Korean ginseng, Peruvian maca, French Evian…and about that time, called a friend who was audioning for some commercial on Tennessee down there in the Potrero area. She was skipping the getting of bookings for jobs to check into this – it would pay a lot, lot more than her regular work.

Then out the door with my bicycle, on the way to the Odd Fellows Hall for the bi-weekly meeting…met hotel neighbor Barbara in the hallway…she commented on the movies that hotel general manager Brian Samuel had selected for the evening – all-black ménage-a-trois movies, I think they were. Barbara said: “Too many women, not enough men,” and I laughed. “Brian’s picks,” I said.

And on the way out, neighbor Steve had a guest, Charles, door open, movie on…it was a black and white John Wayne movie, which surprised me. Steve is pretty particular about what he watches, and this seemed like a rather unlikely pick. I mentioned this to Steve and he says, yes, he doesn’t care for it at all, but it was the choice of his guest, so that was that.

Then the ride down to United Nations Plaza to see if my bookselling friend Stephen Henel was there – nope…but the Food Not Bombs folks were out doing their duty, giving away that free soup. Been to that offering many a time.

And I was glad to be out in the cool air of the late afternoon – my room can get a bit stuffy…and I checked in the SF Weekly for what Rob Brezsny had to say in his “Free Will Astrology” column.

Then across Market to the lodge building – some guy outside was acting peculiar – a young woman was going in at the same time and I did the circular movement with my index finger near the side of my head and said, like, “Whacko…”

And up in the building, the members of the lodge were gathering – Sisters Wendy and Kim were there, and Pete, Tony…and Jerry, Richard…and Chris…and…the other Pete? And two women from another lodge who were being inducted into ours, Yerba Buena #15. And me…which made eleven.

After some food and drink, courtesy of the lodge, got into the meeting…am learning the secretarial function, keeping accurate records of the transactions…friend of mine, absent this time, was accepted in with the proper procedure…and I filled out the minutes, sweated and got embarrassed at a point due to my unfamiliarity with the process…Brother Pete was at my side to help me out…flashed back to junior high and high schools days when I had to do any sort of talking out loud and had the same feelings.

And then there was the post-meeting socializing, had some orange juice – no alcohol…and the meeting was disbanded…getting the hang of the procedure…good potential there at the Odd Fellows for the “diffusion of benevolence”, as it says in the book of ritual that guides the course of meetings.

Then back to the Jefferson Hotel…someone had left a lot of good books in the lobby – I picked Edward de Bono’s New Think, a dictionary of art terms for a friend, one called Writing on Drugs (a study of how many authors have done their thing under the influence of various substances)…and one called Dharma Art by one of those Tibetan “trungpas”. I took that one mainly because someone had taken the time and effort to photocopy the original, fold it all together, punch holes in it, and assembly it into a book…there were sections of magic and art that appealed to me.

Then back into the room, thinking of the Odd Fellows meeting…the new books of ritual are now “gender friendly” – I think this is the term Brother Pete used – meaning, instead of referring only to “Brothers”, now “Brothers/Sisters” and “Members” are the terms used – doesn’t exclude women.

And remembered how “Grand Noble” Richard Perri – basically functioning as the president of the meeting – mentioned that he figures it’s good if more art happened at the lodge – he’s quite a fine artist himself – Google on him for more information. He turned to me at one point and thought I’d be one to organize, like, poetry events, but I think not. Not into poetry that much, Grand Noble. Guess again.

Then, about 9:37pm last night – back in the room, as I said…more yerba mate tea, plus more of the Earth, Wind & Fire, reading the Polsky book on Warhol…call from friend a little after ten – she was at Thai Ginger up on Post near Taylor…so, down the stairs with my bicycle – felt sorry for assistant manager Steve, who had to deal with the trash cans without the elevator being in service to help with the lugging…so out onto the street, and uphill to the Thai place, near the good Owl Tree bar on the corner…surprised to see the place closed on a night it should’ve been open.

So there my friend and I were…just shared a bowl of shrimp soup with a side of white rice, and a bottle of Bangkok beer…she said she had a bottle of California honey wine in her room, but I didn’t want to go all the way over to the Mission to partake…and we chatted a bit…took note of her observation that the current model coordinator at one of her work sites, the Academy of Art University, was on some sort of power trip…and I mentioned the Odd Fellows meeting, and drew her a map of how the gathering was set up – precise seating for the attendees. And mentioned the concept of “diffusion of benevolence”.

And after we decided to go, wanted to put the meal on my plastic, but the place only takes cash, so she paid…

We walked down to Market then…at the Powell Street BART station she figured she’d walk over to the Civic Center Station, and there I went with her, riding my bicycle slowly…and must admit that my thoughts were circling back to an attractive woman’s body I’d seen after leaving the Thai place, just kept going back to that. Oh well…so down my friend goes into the BART station, not particularly happy…and I got back on my ride and headed to an ATM on Van Ness to get twenty, there at Opera Plaza.

Then down Eddy to a liquor store near the Phoenix Hotel, for a large bottle of Newcastle Brown Ale. The Bambuddha Lounge at the Phoenix was happening a bit…pretty hip location…then back to the hotel.

Got a call from the friend I’d had dinner with – she didn’t like a comment from one of the lodge brothers that I’d told her about – at the meeting we had used white and black marbles to vote on her acceptance, and one of the brothers had said to me, discreetly, that he planned to “black ball” her – meaning, not vote her in. Not sure if he was just joking…probably just a joke. But I mentioned this to my friend, and she had been thinking about this in the interval, and told me on the phone she didn’t want to join anymore if there was that sort of attitude there, that didn’t welcome women into the ranks. Okay, fine, her choice.

And at twenty to midnight last night, back to the Richard Polsky book on collecting Warhol – lit a candle, then this and that and whatever, until noon today, four hours ago – had KQED radio on, listening to the smart people talking – did my exercising, studied myself in the mirror…doing good with eating less.

Then to a hotel toilet – embarrassed that it didn’t flush all the way…and there was wetness around the seat of the one that worked better – someone had bad toilet habits…and this and that…called my aunt to change the day I’d see her – figured I’d see her tomorrow, Saturday, but there’s an Odd Fellows lunch then in honor of Sister Lola, a District General Manager…

And back into the room…didn’t drink even half of that English ale – didn’t feel too good after the drinking of even that much…am changing my habits.

2:01pm today, two hours ago…the usual, still in my room…awake and listening to the Earth, Wind & Fire, drinking yerba mate tea…decided to get out on the bicycle…in the lobby, Bobby was at the front desk, Kay was in her office – she’s a tenant representative of some sort, I think…can’t just remember her exact title – she called me “sweetie” when I knocked on her door and said hello…and manager Brian was on the phone and I waved to him.

Then down to UN Plaza to check if my man Stephen was there selling – no…had selected a paperback science fiction book for him as a gift – still carrying it…then to the video seller to check on his wares…there was a Brandon Lee flick, and a suspect video that had Bruce Lee on the cover…suspect because I was pretty sure there was little or no actual Bruce Lee contained on the tape. So that purchase I skipped.

And then into the here and now…gonna proofread this and get outta here. Have a good one…

E-mails, I just noted, from the Build art facility on Guerrero near 16^th in the Mission…nice line from it: “Empathy and Humanity join forces with the Arts THIS season – ENJOY BY PARTICIPATING in San Francisco Arts Culture – today!”

And event at The Lab in the same general area – both these notices from one Elliott Lessing…never met him, but glad he’s keeping me informed…

And Scott Mitchell from the Artist X-Change notified me of an art sale in the same general area as well.

Gotta make sure to have an Odd Fellows presence up in there in the Mission…

and up in North Beach as well…

lived in both of those areas for about three years each…

So I’ve got less than ten minutes to get a few more lines out…

got a call from Brother Pete to visit him at the lodge hall after this –

he’s got envelopes to stuff…

And I’ve got lines to fill to complete these four pages…

got money in my pocket…what to do?

Am cutting back on food…my animal instincts are not being particularly attended do…

but that is nothing special,

in my life…so that’s about it for now…

gonna get on my machine and ride.

posted by Velcro # 4:20 PM

Thursday, October 14, 2004

#150…back to less than twenty-four hours ago – done with the last blog, leaving the library –
it was already dark in San Francisco, and just seven in the evening.

Leaving the library, was attracted to a discarded Chronicle I’d already looked through –
the Datebook section had an article about the well-off real estate-oriented man
who has a popular Rolling Stone cover band (he’s Mick).
He’s opening a new club somewhere nearby to the Tenderloin.

And searched through the library’s selection of videos but found nothing of interest…
and in the music disc section, was almost gonna take a Tower of Power compilation
but refrained…wouldn’t mind hearing a live version of “This Time It’s Real”, though.

And there were two Sufi books by Idries Shah that I’d ordered that were waiting for me,
but didn’t take those either, but headed over to Rainbow on my bicycle for some items.

Once there, got some rejuvelac, kombucha, maca (a Peruvian root, said to be highly beneficial), and a new bottle of Cellfood. And a guy was outside sparechanging…didn’t give him money, but went around to the other Rainbow entrance to get him a milk carton to sit on – apparently, the other guy sparechanging there would’ve taken his place if he’d left his location unattended. Glad enough to help the fellow out, give him a place to sit.

Then back to the library – decided to get those two Sufi books by Idries Shah – Oriental Magic, and Tales of the Dervishes…made note of some cute chick thereabouts and thenabouts…not seeing a whole lot of them lately.

And cruised back up into the Tenderloin – saw neighbor Thomas on the street, me zipping by on my bike with two books in hand, other hand on the handlebars…and two CHP officers on Eddy there nearby, dealing with some lawbreaker.

Went into the Chinese place on the corner of Eddy and Leavenworth, took my bike in, and got my usual, shrimp and scrambled eggs over white rice. Shania Twain was on the music box, the one about how, man, she feels like a woman. Like her music – positive message.

Then up to the room…put on one of the Phil Hendrie discs Brother Pete Sellars of the Odd Fellows loaned me. Set about eating my Chinese food – felt a bit bad about not sharing some of it with neighbor Joe, who could stand to put on some weight…a bit greedy, me. But, like, I am my brother’s keeper to a certain extent…he’s got money to buy food for himself.

But, well, I ate the eggs and shrimp up too fast – it was hot, the weather was still warm,
and I was overheated, felt uncomfortable – shoulda shared, really, and felt better.

Then at 8:38pm, turned off the Phil Hendrie – funny material…and turned on KQED radio…
then no notes until three hours later – radio still on –
they were rebroadcasting the Bush and Kerry debate,
the third and final one for this go-round…Godzilla versus King Kong.

Then to sleep, radio on all night…didn’t get up until after noon…showered…
left tea water boiling with a coil during the shower – didn’t want to do that –
yerba mate should be steeped in warm water, not boiling…
saw neighbors Thomas and Steve on the way back from the shower.

So had a mix of yerba mate tea and maca and Cellfood
and Korean ginseng and Vitamineral Green…no desire for alcohol.
Then the usual and the whatever…more KQED radio – always intelligent talking broadcast –
and, getting into the Halloween mood, there was a segment about haunted locations around the country. One woman said she wanted to write a ghost story and to that end visited many supposedly haunted houses but never had anything even close to a supernatural experience that she could work into a novel. Someone called in and said she needed a ghost writer, and I laughed a lot at that.

And I did my usual – Aramis and push-ups and reading in various books – the Barbara Marciniak channeled text on the Pleiadians, Osho on “the Tao”, Colin Wilson’s The Outsider, Hakim Bey on “the Temporary Autonomous Zone”…had more yerba mate tea…and looked at a 1999 Playboy someone had left in my mail box – found one Stacy from Tacoma to my liking – the pictorial featured her, a very pretty blonde, in and out of ice skating garb.

And that about brings it up to the present…there’s the bi-weekly of the Odd Fellows tonight at the lodge hall – that’s in less than four hours. Will be doing the secretary function there.

Been good about not eating – that shrimp and egg dish last night made me feel way too uncomfortable…

Just got a call from Pete – wanted to know what kind of sandwich I wanted for the meeting tonight – free food and drink provided by the lodge…told him a vegetarian one…cutting back on the meat…and told him not to get me any alcohol – they’ve got Guinness there in the club room, tho’…

And: doing a little Google research on maca – these qualities reported for the Peruvian root:
useful to enhance energy, increase stamina…said to be physiologically-balancing…source of mood elevation, mental clarity.

And on yerba mate: energizing for the body,
a stimulator for mental alertness, accelerator of healing processes.

And rejuvelac and kombucha can also be inquired into, at your discretion.

And no e-mails received today to report on…

So I’ve got three hours until the Odd Fellows meeting…back to the room, I guess…
could go to Rainbow for more rejuvelac and kombucha…need to stock up on the yerba mate tea…
on the way back to the room, gotta pick up more Evian water…then upstairs for push-ups,
more Aramis…maybe light a stick of incense…read my spiritual books, open up that copy of Playboy and read what is on the mind of Stacy from Tacoma…have some more yerba mate tea…
also, play that Earth, Wind & Fire CD I just bought used for seven bucks at the Wherehouse on Van Ness…uplifting music, most of it live…am missing that live Steppenwolf I recently bought and lost on a drunken bicycle ride…and that is just the way it was and is…

posted by Velcro # 2:46 PM

Wednesday, October 13, 2004

#149…been pretty good with the ol’ alcohol these past coupla three days…paused for a few minutes downstairs outside the metal detector here at the library to drink my Guinness in a plastic bottle, disguised thereby, since the guard wouldn’t let me in the building proper with it – he didn’t think it was alcoholic, I suppose, but no drinks of any kind are allowed in…

anyway – am supplementing myself more with yerba mate tea (beneficial in a variety of ways) and Korean ginseng and Cellfood…should access that good energy instead of the inebriated kind, at least more than I have been…

But, now, to what I considered noteworthy: yesterday was walking past the Chinese restaurant on the corner of Eddy and Leavenworth, paused to consider if I should get my usual (shrimp and egg on white rice) – took out my cell phone to check the time until closing, then walked on. Got a bit up the block and up comes a woman, a bit upset, thinking I’d taken a photo of her – she said I was rude for doing that. She turned heel and went back down Eddy before I could explain that my cell didn’t have a photo capability like some of them do. Whatever. Felt a bit bad about this…didn’t want her to get some dumb boyfriend to punish me for no wrongdoing whatsoever. Maybe she was a crackhead, misinterpreting things – plenty in the neighborhood.

Then up into the hotel room – tried to turn on the audio version of Girl, Interrupted, but turns out the sound quality is unlistenable. Sounded interesting, tho’ – just saw the movie…and, I still had some Carlo Rossi five-buck-a-liter-and-a-half Rhine wine and Pacifico beer from Mazatlan – both tasted bad.

And then there was a knock at the door about that time…been friendly with a couple of the other hotel residents lately – one I didn’t want to see at the time, and I didn’t answer.

And about quarter to ten last night, reading in the trance-channeled book by Barbara Marciniak, Earth…reading all the way through, I’m that intrigued by it. And did push-ups on milk cartons, listened to BBC news on KQED radio, read the new Rolling Stone – the John Fogerty disc I bought has charted somewhere in the 20s – and drank some of the tomato juice that neighbor Ed gave me. Exciting stuff, I know you are thrilled to hear of it.

About 11pm, paid a visit to neighbor Joe…he had the Channel 5 news on, and there was Dana King broadcasting – monitored the news for pay for seven years in L.A., I did, and three up here in San Francisco – monitored plenty of Dana King – really telegenic, really sharp…and so we pretty much just chit-chatted a little, Joe and I, and watched the news…noted an electric guitar that was pretty much all taken apart – a lot of Bruce Lee stickers on it, funnily. Joe didn’t figure it was worth putting back together.

Then downstairs to get a drink from the soda machine in the lobby…got a Minute Maid lemonade, just like grandma makes, with the requisite Yellow #5 and 3% fruit juice and sodium hexametaphosphate.

Then the morning…usual and whatever through the night…haven’t been getting up very early these days – probably the excessive alcohol I’ve been drinking has made me unenergized, plus not the most elevated thinking – but my changing dietary habits and bicycling should help…

Front desk man Walter called about ten a.m. to remind me of the Wednesday coffee free in the lobby, but I didn’t partake…just kept lying in bed, drifting in and out of sleep – had the radio on all night, the talk on KQED, and it was affecting my dreams.

And about noon today, call from friend – she was working at the Art Institute, then going down to Palo Alto for more work…me still in bed, lethargic. But, like I said, been not drinking much alcohol lately, and doing ginseng and yerba mate tea and Cellfood, and being altogether more physically active, so that should help. Was accumulating excess weight around my waist, and that’s pretty much dissolving.

And on the radio, one Peter Warfield – critical of plans by the library in San Francisco to use the dreaded RFIDs – that is, Radio Frequency Identification tags – privacy violation, he says…Google on his name – he’s called “a long-laboring activist”…believe I saw him in person in front of the Main Library not long ago making known this issue…TV trucks there and all…took some literature from him but haven’t given it much thought.

Then more push-ups, spraying of Aramis, Howard Dean on Fresh Air talking about Bush and Kerry…more yerba mate tea, conscious breathing (look for a good work on this by Gay Hendricks)…and more Korean ginseng, Evian water…and thinking that I had to get to the Odd Fellows lodge and take care of some secretarial work.

And also, listened to some of the fourteen hours of Phil Hendrie loaned me by Brother Pete of the Odd Fellows…believe I heard him during my L.A. years – sort of a parody and criticism of talk radio…took me a few minutes to get a sense of what was happening with it…enjoyed it…just got through fifteen minutes of what Pete gave me…guess I’ll get through the entire set in days and nights to come.

Then, 1:42pm today – not five hours ago as of this blogging…I keep track of time and numbers well enough…said hello to neighbor Joe in his room – said he was just “kicking back”, and that he was…also listened to more of Fresh Air, with Pat Buchanan waxing, of course, political. Gave Joe a granola bar Ed had given me, plus an apple, plus two bucks in quarters to get whatever.

And before I left I listened to more of the Earth, Wind & Fire CD I’d just bought used at the Wherehouse there on Van Ness – good selection of used discs there…the “Live Bonus Medley” is decent – includes “Serpentine Fire”…serpents and dragons are mentioned by Barbara Marciniak…in a David Icke context.

Then to the library to return items, including the Sonny Barger book and the Keith Richards biography…and checked my patron record – two Sufi books awaited me, by Idries Shah…then down Market…called Pete, said he’d be free to see me in 15 minutes…looked for quite a while for a mail box – had to return some money via money order to Social Security for an overpayment…then to the Bank of America ATM near Powell Street to withdraw a bit of cash…and, also, it was a hot day.

Then back west along Market, the usual circus there, the urban scene…down 6th Street to Stevenson, pausing for the two-way traffic…and upstairs with my bicycle, there Pete was with, apparently, an Odd Fellow, perhaps from another lodge…paused at the Gyrotonics place and took note of their technology and philosophy, designed to increase “fluidity, relaxation and power.”

And then I was with Pete – he has music downloaded into his computer, and he played me some old school classics – Led Zeppelin, Dramarama. He offered me a Dramarama disc but I didn’t take it – he seemed disappointed that I didn’t. Sheesh…wanna stay a bit current, okay? Perhaps I should turn him on to the likes of, perhaps, Pink. Or that Boogie Pimps rendering of “Somebody to Love”.

Pete fielded some calls, I went downstairs for some orange juice at Travelers liquor store – didn’t have Tropicana, my preference, made from whole oranges and not from concentrate…and got some egg drop soup with an egg roll at the Ho King Grill – a buck, good deal.

Then back up, more time with Pete…then up to the Odd Fellows office on the 6th floor to do the secretary thing – open envelopes, file papers…some checks from mutual funds were there…and assembled nine new copies of the “Ritual” book used at meetings.

Then back down, more time with Pete…then no note until an hour and 15 minutes ago – me back in the hotel, out to the corner to get Evian, candles, a Guinness…

Then the here and now…e-mail: notice that the library has my requested copy of Tales of the Dervishes – been lately reading Hakim Bey’s T.A.Z. which mentions Sufis…e-mail about a science fiction movie called Primer which is opening at the Lumiere there on California near Polk – read about this one in one of the local freebies – sounds good, but I won’t go…and e-mail from Creativity Explored about an upcoming art show – so much art in San Francisco…and a pro-pot e-mail – don’t know how I got on that list…and also a notice from that 826 Valencia site – “the pirate store”, since it’s all done up in a fanciful, intensive pirate motif – fall calendar of events – interesting location to check out – good literary work being done there…and an e-mail for “an Interactive Magick Ritual” by Koyote – was present at one of his events in the Lower Haight – puts on an amazing situation – the title of this one is “Sacred Sex and the Goddess of Death”…

And all that from my junk mail file…nothing in my regular in box – the way I like it…don’t wanna deal with that much e-mail…

So that’s about it for this evening…got about 15 minutes left on this terminal…gonna head over to Rainbow Grocery to get some more Cellfood, I guess, maybe more yerba mate tea…still got some Guinness disguised in a plastic bottle downstairs here at the library…can pick up those Sufi books waiting downstairs as well…maybe select a video to watch with neighbor Joe…maybe get something to eat, but I’ve been curtailing my food intake – wanna reduce my weight a bit more…and no hot dates for me…at least not this night.

posted by Velcro # 6:35 PM

Tuesday, October 12, 2004

#148...back to the notes I hastily wrote out these last few days - minutiae a-plenty...perhaps in my role as secretary with the Odd Fellows I'll have more of interest to relate...and am cutting back on the alcohol, the wine and beer - tho' I just bought a bottle of Newcastle Brown Ale - so perhaps the biochemical change will do this blog good...

Recent material I've been ingesting: a Three Dog Night best of CD, the most recent issue of Playboy, yerba mate tea, Aramis cologne (absorbed through the skin and through the nostrils), Cellfood, Carlo Rossi wine (Rhine style), The Black Prince pimping manual, Vitamineral Green...

So back to Saturday, three days ago - before noon, before 10am, bicycled to Starwash to meet a friend who was doing her laundry there...over to Bi-Rite to get some food - I spent nearly nine bucks on a piece of wild salmon, she had the same, plus some mojadarah...started eating it right there in Bi-Rite...back to Starwash, hung out with my friend for a while, then left, pedaling away.

On the way to Rainbow Grocery to get rejuvelac and yerba mate...stopped at Wilde Oscar's to get a pint of Guinness, but it was too early for them. Good jukebox there, and pub grub. And interesting Wilde quotes printed right on the walls.

Then to Rainbow...then to the main branch of the San Francisco Public Library - paid two bucks and twenty cents in fines, picked up the DVD of Autumn in New York and a finely illustrated book by Sufi Idries Shah - it was too big to take away so I just glanced through the book - really good illustrations done especially for the book.

Then back to the room...some Earth, Wind & Fire...then to the Kimmy Fashion Cafe on Leavenworth...believe I got a five buck copy of a film that turned out to be a disappointment - Tart, with Dominique Swain - drama about teen school girls in New York...good cover on the box, but the movie pretty much, well, sucked...unless it is the type of thing you were looking for. Really wanted Billy Jack, but Kimmy has pretty much only more recent movies. Shoulda gotten the second Die Hard instead.

Then over to Fields to meet with a friend...she wasn't there when I got there...she got there eventually - went to the Barcelona market on the corner of Pine and Polk and got Guinness...shared it with friend...then to Fields to check out the metaphysics...bought a used copy of a Barbara Marciniak trance channel book - channeled, apparently, from the Pleiadians...

Then a few hours later, after this and that - haven't been taking especially detailed notes lately...this on the 9th of October, nearly 8 in the evening - met with friend and a friend of hers from Berkeley at Andalu - splurged on 20-year-old port, a glass for each of us - friend of friend, named Pete, said he knew Ken Kesey back in the Sixties...he lives in a cottage somewhere in south Berkeley now, paints - he's one of the 55 artists who took part in the recent Odd Fellows art show, I believe. So he told tales of those times, which I find interesting.

Then over to Macondo with Pete and my friend for a quieter place to talk...I went over to Adobe Books to get a three-dollar Alan Watts paperback, then to the Smokes Etc. - got incense, one for each of us. And notes made by me about the I Ching, Philip K. Dick, nitrous oxide (I think Pete said they did this a lot)...and on the Macondo music system, Neil Diamond's cover of "I'm a Believer"...wrote "priestesses" for some reason...can't make sense of these notes sometimes.

Then yet another interaction with the San Francisco Police Department, in front of the Brown Jug - talked mostly with an Officer O'Leary, tho' several other officers were all around - guess it was a slow night and they needed to make their presence felt against a dangerous bicycle rider. Yet another "Notice to Appear" - another, maybe, hundred bucks and more down at the Hall of Justice. Sheesh. Also, Officer O'Leary told me I needed a rear reflector on my bike.

Then up into the room...note about Steppenwolf - figured to get some of them, live, on disc...did this recently, lost the disc due to falling off my bicycle on the way back from drinking wine...then, I think, up to see neighbor Joe - he mentioned AC/DC - perhaps because of the shirt I've been recently wearing all the time...he doesn't care for the band at all - too Satanic...he doesn't like most of their lyrics - he said Richard "The Night Stalker" Ramirez liked the band, so that's a bad sign.

And Joe and I watched a flick I bought at the library for two bucks, the 1967 classic How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying - Robert Morse is fantastic in it, great Bob Fosse choreography, altogether fine from first to last..."pure awesome cinema" was my note on it.

Then the next day, Sunday - out with friend...she suggested the Haight, and there we went - met on the way a guy I knew from the Martin's free soup place, Casey, and we chatted a bit - he had a copy of a book of the Romantic poets - Shelley, Wordsworth, those ones...and on my mind, honey wine, up there at the Cafe International in the Lower Haight.

Then it was about quarter to three in the afternoon, the 10th...geez, can't recall the exact details...guess friend and I went up to the Haight and we got back...we were sitting at the Victor's Italian place on Polk, near the Field's metaphysical place, where I scored that Marciniak cheap - been really getting into that book much - amazing information about the history of the planet and of the human race...

And while we had more wine there at Victor's - a decent "blush"...called up my buddy JCB - was his birthday, wished him very well...quoted the obvious Beatles birthday song to him briefly...and good music there at Victor's, including Bette Midler's "From a Distance".

Really, got to get a better sense of things and get it down in a more interesting manner - don't think this cuts the Grey Poupon, frankly...then it was about 11pm later that day, Sunday, two days ago, at Sparky's...presence of mind enough, despite the intoxicating fluids I'd been drinking, to note all the songs I played on the box there, as follows:

01. SUPERFLY - CURTIS MAYFIELD

02. GIRLS, GIRLS, GIRLS - MOTLEY CRUE

03. I LOVE ROCK AND ROLL - JOAN JETT

04. CRACKLIN' ROSE - NEIL DIAMOND

05. DRESS YOU UP - MADONNA

06. BEATLES - TOMORROW NEVER KNOWS

07. YOUNG AMERICANS - DAVID BOWIE

08. WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE - GUNS 'N' ROSES

09. SWEET CHILD O' MINE - GUNS 'N' ROSES

10. CHANGES - DAVID BOWIE

11. ANGEL - MADONNA

12. HOUSE OF THE RISING SUN - THE ANIMALS

13. SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL - ROLLING STONES

14. OPEN YOUR HEART - MADONNA

15. SUFFRAGETTE CITY - DAVID BOWIE

16. SOUL KITCHEN - X

17. MY WAY - FRANK SINATRA

And at this point, friend and I there at Sparky's, chatting - or not, since I was over at the jukebox really sorta sweating to make good picks, and she was over at our table by herself - at this point took down lyrics for a character I think would be interesting - or a bunch of characters - their thing would be talking only in song lyrics, like: "I'll create a look that's made for you." (from "Dress You Up) - and "Head down to your toes." (same song) - and "Surrender to the void." ("Tomorrow Never Knows") - and "Strange fascination." ("Changes")...and noted flaw in the jukebox - no Pink.

Then back to the song list:

18. OVER AND OVER - MADONNA

19. INTO THE GROOVE - MADONNA

20. HAVE A DRINK ON ME - AC/DC

21. AERODYNAMIC - DAFT PUNK

22. I'M NOT YOUR STEPPING STONE - THE MONKEES

23. ROCK THE CASBAH - THE CLASH

24. DR. FEELGOOD - MOTLEY CRUE

25. THE METRO - BERLIN

26. JUSTIFY MY LOVE - MADONNA

27. YOU CAN'T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT - THE STONES

28. SOUL LOVE - DAVID BOWIE

29. YOUNG AMERICANS - DAVID BOWIE

30. GOT TO GET YOU INTO MY LIFE - THE BEATLES

31. GIMME SHELTER - THE STONES

32. I'M NOT YOUR STEPPING STONE - THE MONKEES

33. YOU SHOOK ME ALL NIGHT LONG - AC/DC

34. YOUNG AMERICANS - DAVID BOWIE

35. WAKE ME UP BEFORE YOU GO-GO - WHAM

Musta been really drunk if I was repeating songs - usually don't do that - geez...made a note: "This music totally sucks." - but it was what was on the box there at Sparky's...would make different choices in some cases if it was me who was choosing the discs for the machine, okay? And also noted to myself, a phrase I'd heard somewhere: "Weapons of Mass Distraction".

Then the usual and whatever...told you, am getting a bit lackadaisical on these notations...gotta get more worthwhile stuff to write about...getting to the Odd Fellows lodge for an hour tomorrow to check the mail - gotta make good connections into that whole facility...really has interesting potential...then a note from today, the 12th, about 1:30pm, 5 hours ago as of this writing at the Computer Training Center...at the Odd Fellows building - Brother Pete Sellars had called me - guess he's a bit concerned about my drinking...hello to Sami there - gonna see him at the bi-weekly meeting in two days - he says he is reading this blog, and I appreciate that - hope there's something of interest...

So I was in downstairs at the Odd Fellows building - musta been just before a big class, because there was a gaggle of teen girls waiting for the ride up - I'm talking a good dozen and more - good energy...and Jim was manning the elevator - waited about three trips for an elevator empty enough to ride.

And up to see Brother Pete in his office...playing Stones on his computer. He seemed pretty happy with the songs but I told him that these were the same songs on the album - he needed to get some live Stones, or their Stripped album, to get the same songs but played differently. Then he played a Keith Richards solo song I hadn't heard before, and that was interesting. And speaking of Keith, got the Victor Bockris biography of him out that is needing to get back...and also the Sonny Barger autobiography...lot of good information in those two.

And Pete gave me some CDs of a radio program that he recorded...never heard of the host - gonna check on it. Plus he gave me a pair of glasses. Gave him packets of Korean ginseng.

And about this time friend Ani Ma shows up and we are in Pete's office for a while, chatting...then out and into the street, the two of us...she wanted to get back to the Mission to put down her heavy backpack, and perhaps we'd meet later...she was meeting her son later as well.

Then me over to Fiesta Taco for my usual huevos rancheros - shoulda not eaten - still feeling a bit out of it, a bit, due to the excess of wine I'd had the other night, capping it off with two or three glasses at Sparky's...made it back in one piece on the bicycle, despite losing that live Steppenwolf disc on the way...and no problems with the police that night, tho' I had a very high blood alcohol level, very. I tell you, when I got back that night, thought someone had put a drug into my drink at Sparky's - that's how altered I was feeling. And not a good drug, either.

Then back to the Jefferson - in my mail box, the latest Rolling Stone - finally got the address change I requested in effect - it had been going to my old hotel in the Mission, where it was disappearing...and had some iced tea from the machine downstairs - it was hot in San Francisco today...and sprayed Aramis, did push-ups...got a call from Ani Ma...and hotel friend Edward stopped by with some groceries - he gave me an apple juice, tomato juice, crackers, an apple...and I shared Carlo Rossi wine with him, tho' I hadn't touched any since the evening and day I drank way too much...just had some of it a couple of hours ago and it tasted, frankly, bad...and Edward, who tends to get on a bit of an ego trip role, kept talking and talking about himself, what he's done...had to excuse myself nicely or he woulda gone on and on...interesting enough, but, like...

So that's it for the notes...said it before, gotta get this more relevant, more...influential...the minutiae of my life - how interesting can it be? Going in tomorrow to the lodge, like I said, and begin more in earnest to perform my role as Odd Fellows secretary. More money could be transacted through that place...plus provide value to the community in general, to the city.

posted by Velcro # 6:06 PM

#147...had recently bought a liter of Jack Daniel's but didn't get through it - through with whiskey, basically - gave much of it to hotel mate Dino, who was appreciative, very - doubtless no one had ever given him a gift of so much whiskey, and of okay quality...then later that evening, with another guy in the hotel, Joe - watched some tape (part of That Thing You Do! with Liv Tyler, part of an episode of The Simpsons)...and had wine to share that evening...been easing off the alcohol after a very toxic experience with wine a couple of days ago - trying to get to sleep that day, really felt like someone had slipped a drug into my wine at Sparky's, the 24-hour place on Church near Market - guess it was just way too much wine...haven't had a drink since then...am doing Cellfood and yerba mate tea with the occasional rejuvelac and kombucha, so I am counteracting the alcoholic tendency...

And I thought of titles for a trilogy of some kind: Hard to Find, Hard to Get, and Hard to Know.

And one night was in Joe's room, watching a movie called The Prime Gig, starring Vince Vaughn - not one I would've picked but Joe doesn't have the biggest selection of flicks to pick from...and Joe's friend Thomas stopped by as well - his girlfriend had apparently kicked him out - this was about one in the morning - and he came over to see Joe. Various dialogue ensued - Thomas dislikes alcohol but he saw me drinking and quoted Three Dog Night: "Jeremiah was a bullfrog/was a good friend of mine/I never understood a single word he said/but I helped him drink his wine..."

Then back to my room, more wine, and music, including a recent remake of "Somebody to Love" by Boogie Pimps, and "Joy to the World", the original (couldn't find a live Three Dog Night with this track). The Boogie Pimps song features a sample of Hunter S. Thompson from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, from the beginning, his litany of all the drugs he has with him...interesting song - it's from a CD called Work This! 2005, available at the Virgin Megastore.

And related Websites to check: acdcrocks.com, and ublmusic.com for that Jefferson Airplace cover.

And been putting "Me and My Uncle" by the Dead and "Neal's Fandango" by the Doobie Brothers onto cassette compilations I've made recently...plus I just got an Earth, Wind & Fire CD that I've been getting good songs from.

And one recent night I set off the fire alarm on my floor by mistake - big mistake. The firemen came, the alarm was ringing for about twenty minutes. Could've been fined five hundred dollars, but Jefferson Hotel general manager Brian Samuel managed to avoid that. Never did that before...saw Brian the next morning and it was okay between us - he knows I'm not a troublemaker like that.

And it was out onto the street with my bicycle then - the San Francisco morning air seemed to clean and cool...about noon, bought some Guinness, poured it into a plastic bottle to disguise it.

Went to the bank and took out cash to pay a traffic violation...down to the Hall of Justice - lunch time crowd out in front...inside, had to pay a hundred-and-ten and 97 cents - this for a violation involving public drinking of alcohol - expensive can of beer, that one was.

Then back to United Nations Plaza - bought a copy of a James Bond movie, The World is Not Enough, for five bucks...there was also a double cassette set of the Trinity movies with Terence Hill, but I skipped that. And then went over to see buddy Stephen Henel at his paperback sales booth at the Heart of the City artisan and antiques event - paid a lot for a copy of The Black Prince, written by a pimp - trade secrets revealed. Very unique style of writing.

And there also, guy comes up to me in front of Stephen's space and starts talking to me. I somewhat recognized him, but I sure didn't know where I knew him from. He knew my name, and we chatted for a while - guess he picked up on the fact that I couldn't place him. Hopefully he wasn't too offended. Gave him my number...felt bad about not recognizing him.

Then this and that...to Fiesta Taco for some food...then to the room - about 7 in the evening, the Bush and Kerry debate, the second one, on the radio.

Then a couple of hours later, done with the Bond film at Joe's...went out to get Joe something to eat.

Then...dream deals...listening to Three Dog Night, looking at the most recent issue of Playboy featuring nude coeds from the Atlantic Coast Conference...had some Cellfood - it is a powerful enzymatic substance - an undiluted drop ate a hole in my AC/DC tank top, even.

Then a knock at my door - sounded like a neighbor I didnt' want to see then...Joe and I get along well, but this particular one tends to be a bit...domineering is perhaps a word. Or boastful. Nice enough fellow, but he has a pretty big ego.

[Got to close this out - the Computer Training Center is closing now - thought I'd have another hour - it'll be back open in a couple of hours - more then.]

posted by Velcro # 3:28 PM