Category Archives: Personal

“I’m Back” Again! – And Hometown Bagdad

I know I do this every year or so, but I’ve been going through a lot of incredible changes and realizations in my life lately, and one of them was *yet another* realization of the piece of me that is missing when I’m not blogging on a regular basis.
I’ve been getting caught up in a lot of crap lately that ultimately, in the larger scheme of things, doesn’t matter, and forgetting the important things in life, like getting the word out to people about important issues that affect their lives — or, hey, are just plain cool to watch and talk about.
So with that…I bring you the latest episode of
Hometown Baghdad — in incredible video blog coming out of Iraq that the creators have been nice enough to remind me about every so often.
Here’s a brief description:

It shows the aftermath of the US troops killing the innocent uncle of one of our subjects. In the video you can see a cheery, largely US-friendly family turn fully against America and the troops. It is chilling. And perhaps the most moving entry into our series.

Love you all and thanks for waiting around for me to start paying attention again!
Every time I post, the response is so gratifying. You’ve all become a very important part of my life, and it feels like an old friend I’ve been neglecting or something…
Let’s see if I can keep it going this time. So much going on. So much to learn and share!

No Halloween In the Castro This Year? Don’t Stand For It!

I’ve been to the Castro on Halloween several times, and even on years that I don’t decide to go, it’s important to me that I know it’s there, happening. Just over there, being cultural, historical, and wonderful. And I always get to hear interesting and exciting anecdotes from my friends that make it.
Now we’re told the party’s over because, it would appear, of some gang incident that happened last year that didn’t have anything to do with the festivities.
Merchants are being asked to close early. I hope they don’t. They make a lot of money on Halloween. Why should they have to suffer too?

here’s the article in the chronicle about it.
How can we save it guys? I dunno. Seems like we should go straight to Gavin Newsome about it. This is a good issue to see where he’s at on over-reaching blanket bans on public congregation…
It’s like telling the German’s “hey, no Oktoberfest this year.”
Here’s the best quote of the article:

“People are still going to go to the Castro,” said Ted Strawser, founder of the San Francisco Party Party, a group that opposes the move. “Without services, they’re just going to pee in the street, and without entertainment, mischief will occur.”

Updated to provide easy links to The San Francisco Party Party’s website on this issue and its party platform statement.

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Man, Velvet Revolver Has Some Good Songs

I know they’re a man-made superband and all, but hell, some of these songs kick some serious ass.
Here’s
some weird version of Slither…. It will get the point across. (Actually you can’t hear alot of the cool vocals in it, is some mostly-instrumental version at the end, sorry…)
OK WAIT Here’s a BETTER VERSION.
Anyway it’s like to good parts of GnR with Stone Pilot’s sprinkled on top. I must admit they’ve got a few ringers 🙂
I just love scott‘s lyrics ….
Anyway I’m up too late in the middle of the night again, but this time I can’t blame Second Life, just First Life…
I have a ton of stuff about to go up at the Mefeedia blog…and lots of interesting news to tell you about this week!
Stay tuned 🙂

Hooked On Second Life

Friend me in SL – I’m Haley Bailey
– and I’ll send you a

Mefeedia T-shirt you can wear in
Second Life.

So I’m learning how to program and build
objects and buildings in Second Life,
and I can tell that I’ve found a new
obsession for sure.

As I mentioned above, my SL name is “Haley Bailey.” I extend the usual offer to “friend me.”

I’m still hanging out for the most part at my friend Ryce Broderick’s place. He’s
David Meade in meatspace — Teleport Now – http://slurl.com/secondlife/Gyeongju/106/166/73

I met a lot of other ethnographers and researchers at
CHI 2007 last week. We’re all going to share data! Yippie!

I don’t understand the whole “wasting time in SL” thing though, because I am definitely learning technical and cultural skills while I’m in there.
There’s so much culture and social intrigue in world. And it’s not necessarily a substitution for meatspace.
I’m getting more into meatspace too! There’s a new vlog on the way!
But my point is that it’s really the instances of the virtual world’s bleeding over into meatspace that fascinate the hell out of me. Why I decided to start writing up tutorials and tours of SL. (Tour index on the way.)

Come See Me and My Sister Perform at the Kensington Farmer’s Market on Mother’s Day – May 20th!

Update! This show has been moved to May 20th!
Hey I just landed another gig next weekend from 10am-2pm on SUNDAY, May 13th at the Kensington Farmer’s Market.
Since I’ve just got oodles of time, I’ll probably be going through my whole set. (25+songs)
I’m bringing my sister up from LA to keep things jamming in-between my sets.
We might even perform a few songs together. We definitely will since we get an extra week to prepare!
Anyway come by and say hi, if you’re in the neighborhood.
If you can find your way up to the stores along the Arlington, you’ve found it.
If you take Bart, take the 7 bus from either Berkeley or North Berkeley Bart.

Time For A New Cell Phone

Update 5/7/07 – ok too hard to find a phone that meets everything? or just who cares?
Haven’t heard from anyone 🙂
Peeps!
My phone from 2003 is literally falling apart now and the time has come to move into the modern age for me.
My cell phone can’t take pix or vids and can receive text messages, but can’t even send them!
I need to know quickly which phones are best and why, so I can make a good decision.
I don’t really want to spend a lot…but I’ll spend what I have to to get something decent.
Now I want:
-video capabilities
-video upload capabilities (don’t want the vids “trapped” in my phone)
-digi pic (always comes with vid anyway)
-pic upload
-texting…
anything else I need to include?
Thanks in advance for your usual great advice.

Kurt Vonnegut Dies

washington post on kurt vonnegut’s death…

Vonnegut died on Wednesday after suffering brain injuries following a
fall weeks ago, said Donald Farber, Vonnegut’s friend, lawyer, agent
and manager.

Here’s a transcript of one of his last interviews, with David Brancaccio on PBS, NOW.
Lately, he considered himself a man without a country, as I think many of us have felt lately.
Consistenly now, for many decades, without meaning to, Kurt has spoken for a lot of Americans. (As he rattles on, weaving his way through his fantasy-driven storytelling journals…)
I miss him already.

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It’s A New Year

And if we’re not careful, 2007 will be the equivalent of a “same shit different day” kinda year for this country.
So let’s make sure we do a couple important things:
We need to put pressure on the Dems to BRING THE TROOPS HOME NOW!
We need to CODIFY NET NEUTRALITY INTO LAW.
And, if you can believe it, I think we all need to have MORE FUN,
and get MORE SLEEP.
Those are the equivalent of my new year’s resolutions.
Thanks in advance for your help in accomplishing any of them 🙂
p.s. “play more music” was in there too – but I already started that one in december…lots going up soon on that front soon, promise! 🙂