no borders; looking for fruit trees

I’m getting ready to go to something called the No Border Camp. It’s happening along the Mexican/U.S. border near Calexico and Mexicali. It’s going to be pretty interesting, I think, and very educational. I’m at the university right now, waiting to use a scanner. I’m just finishing up a page to a zine that myself and another have been working on. It’s called “free your food” and is about finding edible plants in the city. It started with bike rides and mapping food (greens, plums, apples, apricots, berries) and now we are putting together the actual zine. The idea is to share the zine (with maps of the food) with folks around town, so that others can find and eat locally grown, fair labor, free food.

The scanner is open now.

words from emma

when we can't dream any longer we die

--emma goldman

denver and minneapolis

For more information check out:

http://www.unconventionalaction.org/
and
http://www.recreate68.org/

an old poem from an old book

A World Apart

The Lady Moon is my lover,
My friends are the oceans four,
The heavens have roofed me over,
And the dawn is my golden door.
I would liefer follow the condor
Or the seagull, soaring from ken,
Than bury my godhead yonder
In the dust of the whirl of men.

Chang Chi Ho

lying in bed, rising, and looking out a window at the night

i've been reading most of the evening, some out in the living room and then lying in bed. i've been going to bed pretty dang early--it is very nice. i got up and started making a pot of oats with some cut up apples in it. i feel really good. i feel myself, in a rhythm of some internal importance.

this afternoon i went to a special place that i like to go. it's along this drainage ditch where cottonwoods grow up and over moving water. i haven't been there in awhile. in fact, i haven't been getting outside much since i got back from the steamboat area. the effect being in this space had on me was incredible. my mood changed, my thoughts changed. there was some connection reached; something that has been there and was again reached for and found.

the profits of war

Lockheed Martin, the largest military contractor (ie: weapons manufacturer and war profiteer) in the world, has stated a 22% increase in third quarter profits. Revenue for the corporation has risen 11% to $11.1 billion this year, up from $9.61 billion last year. Here is a link to the Associated Press article:

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/10/23/ap4249646.html?partner=alerts

In capitalism, war equals profit.

efny

I just learned that yesterday is officially Escape From New York Day! I am pretty excited about this. Had I known in time, I would have rented Escape From New York and watched it last night. But at least I know about it for the future. And that's what the movie is about, isn't it--the future! Thanks to a certain Kidpurple, I'll be thinking about Snake Plissken and his adventures every October 18th from here on out.

steamboat morning

Just looking back on the last couple posts, all I can say is 'wow, it seems I can be pretty melodramatic.'

I got up a bit earlier than usual this morning and walked over to a bagel shop that opens early here in Steamboat Springs. There is a computer here, so I am taking a few minutes to check email and write a quick thing here.

I'm in Steamboat for a survey project. I really like this time of year! The chilly weather, the colors of the leaves, all that goes along with the season. I brought some comic books along, too, and I've been enjoying reading them. I'm also reading Emma Goldman's autobiography--it is really engaging and good to be reading.

This last weekend the U.S. celebrated Columbus Day. The way I see it, celebrating that holiday is celebrating imperialism and reinforcing its values. It was imperialism that brough Columbus to the Americas. It was imperialism that carved its wake through the indigineous people in the Americas. It was imperialism and its partner colonialism that spread murder and slavery through the Americas. And 515 years later, it's imperialism that is the driving paradigm behind the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq. So, this is a very relevant thing. It is not some piece of ancient, dead history. What is celebrated through the federal and state recognition of Columbus day is alive and well and still wreaking havoc on the lives of people around the world.

I wanted to say something about that. The sun is up and I'm gonna get going.

at the library again

After reading the comment on the previous post, I realized that I hadn't mentioned why I am in Craig--I'm working on an archaeological project in the area. I tried responding with another comment but this library computer won't allow it for some reason.

It's a very beautiful area. This morning was wonderful--cool but with a warm sun and very quiet. When I stood still and listened I could hear the calls of small birds. Often there are larger birds, sometimes hanging steadily in air currents, sometimes soaring high above, sometimes perched on sage or fence posts.

dark clouds and the wind blowing

I am in a small library in the town of Craig in northwest Colorado. I remember sitting at this row of computers writing a post for this blog two winters ago. I just went back and looked up the post--it was from November 1, 2005. And here I am again. This time, though, it's a different hotel.

For some reason, it usually takes me a little while to get adjusted to living in a hotel. It usually begins with getting depressed. I don't know why it works that way for me but it almost always seems to happen. And I get to feeling like I don't know myself.

I am past that part now, I think. And there are many aspects of staying in hotels that I do enjoy. Like reading and sometimes writing and drinking coffee and sometimes beer.

Once I get past the crappy part, I usually have a pretty good time. I definitely enjoy the time that I get to myself in the evenings and even in the morning if I get up early enough.

This time around, I feel a bit further away from the job part of it. I feel kind of like I am far away from some of these things. Worldviews are different even in a setting that I once felt a little closer to.

And so here I am typing this and wondering about things. And getting kind of sad because of certain conversations and, of course, the 'news'. When I am walking around and there is all this dirt and hills and sage, I'll see something small and momentary (or maybe almost the opposite of momentary) and it makes me very happy inside and I even smile without quite meaning to.