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United States, California, San Francisco, The Mission, English, Spanish, Casey, Male, 31-35.

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Thursday, October 31, 2002

Don't Copy That Floppy!

I was pleasant today to the woman at the bank.

I was courteous to the sales clerk who snarled and said nothing throughout the transaction.

I might have slammed the door after the woman dumped my wet clothes (which were waiting for a dryer) out of the washer to put hers in. But I didn't piss in the washer like I fantasized about doing.

But tonight, should any'ne show me disrespect, ye should be prepared t'meet yer maker! Arrr!

06:53 PM PST (link)

Nothing You Don't Already Know.

The worst part about taking time off of work is that the day (or week) before is, in accordance with Murphy's Law, a nightmare. The scheduled day always ends up being the worst possible day you could be absent. Passing work on to coworkers is an inconvenience, and projects which you'd carefully managed until now end up changed irreparably. While trying to wrap up and get out, there's always five days worth of work stuffed into two or three.

The best part is that...well, duh...you're not at work.

With that said, I have to put the Internet down and get some sleep. I have a whole lot of nothing to do ~~tomorrow~~ today.

01:22 AM PST (link)

Wednesday, October 30, 2002

Bonsai Brain.

Bonsai Examples Sunday we went down to the Yamato Bonsai Club's 31st Annual show. We arrived in the middle of the demonstration by Sensei John Uchida. Impressive, seeing him clipping and bending and wiring a young tree into a shape that looked like it had been bent by the wind for years in just an hour. I do wish we'd have seen how the tree started, but given the extra heavy-gauge copper wire holding the trunk in place, I'd assume it began the demonstration fairly upright. We bought raffle tickets for the tree, but even with a ton of consolation and door prizes given away, we didn't leave with anything but pictures.

Of course, there were some amazing plants there—the ones that fascinate me most are the fruit trees, miniature versions of these plants which still bear enormous quinces or pomegranates. The miniature forests are amazing too, knowing that they started out as merely branches on a trunk.

It's enough to make me think about trying one of my own, but I'm hesitant. While my mother and grandmother are both extremely knowledgeable about plants, I wish it was something they could pass on to me genetically rather than having to earn it working at a nursery for years or studying. I mean, the Cast-Iron plant in my room is doing pretty well, but there's a reason they call it that. And frankly, I'm not that keen on dirt, either.

I was joking around beforehand, wondering if we'd see any Bonsai Mountains. Of course, there is really such a thing. I think nearly anything which we can see or touch has at some time been made into a smaller version that's better for contemplation than in the larger world. And why stop at nature? We can miniaturize everything. Bonsai computers, sure. Bonsai Houses. Maybe someday we'll be able to take Bonsai Cities out of computer simulation and into the "real world." When we're better able to control local gravity, will we have Bonsai Planets with their own night and day and tides and moons?

Why stop at the tangible? Maybe that's what this strange, small Web life, this thing behind the glass which seems so real, which has tiny roots that barely connect us yet seem enormous and ancient, really is: a Bonsai World, one we can hold in our hands and contemplate. Too high-falutin'? Maybe it's just the perspective from within my Bonsai Life, where everything is crafted to look just like the real thing—only on a much smaller scale.

I don't know. You'll have to come to your own conclusions. I've got email to write and endive to stuff.

02:44 AM PST (link)

Monday, October 28, 2002

They Found Us.

We didn't go to the peace march looking for any group in particular. We worked our way though the crowd just far enough to barely hear the speakers at Justin Herman Plaza over a bunch of drummers and megaphones. I looked around and saw we were nearly surrounded by Green party signs; and while I like the Greens and what they stand for, I'm not one. We stood there for a little while in limbo, trying to avoid getting beaned by people's signs. (Newbie Activist tip: Don't rest a sign on your shoulder and then turn around in a crowd. Thanks. Ow.) We seemed to be starting to move, so people were facing Market street, getting ready to walk. Suddenly I looked over and someone had a pride flag, and four guys were unrolling a huge sign that read Queers United Against War. I laughed and told the Boyfriend, "Looks like we're in the right place."

Then a woman and man in front of me opened another sign for QUIT. I peered up trying to read backwards and figure out what it stood for, thinking I ought to know whose banner I was marching under. (In fact, it wasn't until today that I realized these are the same people who claimed a Starbucks in Berkeley as our queer "homeland," which I think was hilarious and brilliant.) We walked along next to the queer contingents for a while, sometimes getting ahead or (usually) behind as people joined the march from the sidewalks. We couldn't stay long at the rally at Civic Center, but I'm glad we made it.

08:29 AM PST (link)