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simple. brilliant.
piercing.
penetrating.

deep within
down inside
you never know
what you might find.

when you look
into your mind.

beat bips
beat bops.

beat down
beat up … on.

beat inside out.
and around and ever down.

be proud, and be mad.
and be the be you know you can be.

hold your own and
own your mind.

and never stop looking
until you find.

I feel lucky today that our country would rather let you live and make a fool of yourself than kill you.

Some men in China were executed for stealing about $30,000.

That’s harsh.

I hung out with some more relatives yesterday. I hadn’t seen them for 13 years. They commented on how tall I was. They didn’t remark on my facial piercings.

They are probably a bit old-fashioned, but they took things in stride. They’re sort of old, but not decrepit in the least. I expected them to be much less able to converse. I have a lot to learn about old people.

People in Ohio are not nearly as interested in preserving themselves forever as people in LA. I think people here might actually be a bit more well-adjusted to their situation. They know that they’re about as pretty as they’re ever going to be. They take life along with its shortcomings and they enjoy their coffee and their cigarettes and their country music.

They also all drive American cars. Well, about 90% anyway. Serious.

I’m glad people are nice to each other or at least spend a lot of money on each other once a year. If all the businesses in the country didn’t have at least one good quarter every year, I don’t know what would become of our economy.

Today was nice. I’m starting to get used to the family. They’re not all bad. Just different.

I got some mocassin-like slipper-type things. I think I’m gonna get pretty used to having them. I might not wear shoes much at all anymore.

Viva la vie!

Life is simpler in downhome Ohio. I didn’t grow up here so I don’t have any friends to catch up with while I’m here. All I have to do is listen to my parents tell bad jokes or watch TV (I saw Telletubbies today!) or fiddle with their lame old computer.

It is a bit relaxing, if I could figure out how to forget about everything else going on in my life.

Being back with my parents is a special kind of fun. Here’s an example conversation:

Mom: So, with your vegatarian thing, do you eat any meat at all?
Me: Nope. No meat.
Mom: No chicken?
Me: Nope.
Mom: No Fish?
Me: (chuckling) No animals at all.
Mom: A fish isn’t an animal.
Me: Yes it is, Mom. It’s not a plant, right? It’s an animal.

And then I went on to explain my views on overfishing and killing ecosystems and all that. I even used the phrase “gluttonous American demand.” Also note that this conversation occurs every time I visit.