Pirates in Teepees

Leveling Pad by Hand for a Greenhouse

2020-02-08T09:01:00.001-08:00

Going Off Grid: Episode 3 - Escape the Mud With Free Wood Chips

2018-12-27T18:56:00.001-08:00

Travel Hacking!

2016-05-07T09:39:00.002-07:00

I have been so caught up in building my homestead that I haven't traveled in a while. I mean really traveled. Sure, I have been to Costa Rica and Hawaii recently but those trips were far enough apart that my frequent flier miles expired.

Well, I have the bug again and need some serious adventure in my life. I read a great book called Big Travel, Small Budget which has me truly inspired. Not only does he discuss how to travel for cheaper than it is to live stationary, he gives some great tips on how to make money traveling or to travel for almost free!

Currently I am playing with what is called travel hacking. It's basically using both your travel and standard expenses to earn frequent flier miles that can get you all sorts of stuff for free.

I have a United Mileage Plus Account and am getting miles from the following places:

Chase United Explorer Card: I just got approved for this card. If you aren't the type that pays your entire card bill at the end of the month, this part of travel hacking is not for you. However I do pay my whole balance so I will use this card where I would normally use my check card from my bank, which is for most of my purchases. This card offers bonus miles for signing up, 2 miles for every dollar spent on tickets from United, 1 mile for all others. Couple this card to your united dining membership for massive miles scored when you dine out.

United Affiliates page has links to all sorts of programs from dining to online shopping.

FTD Florist: You can link to FTD from the United Affiliates page and get miles there. Just earned 1700 miles for getting my mom some Mother's Day flowers. Probably sending some to Grandma too!

Opinion Miles Club Earn miles for taking surveys. I had to start like 10 different surveys before I got to one that actually let me finish. Time to try for another. I have been at this like an hour and have written this post and earned 300 miles.The miles were posted instantly! Much better than the FTD ones ( though not as many! )

E-Miles Earn miles for completing offers and surveys. Similar to above but likely more simple. Also has as some good join bonuses. No affiliate link I could find so far. Posts miles quickly to your account but only in multiples of 250. If you already donate to non-profits ( like me ) then you can earn some extra miles here for doing so.

The key is to earn miles on things you do anyway. Miles lead to free air travel, upgrades and all sorts of other travel related expenses.

View at Pirates in Teepees

Using BUTT (Broadcast Using This Tool) with Rhythmbox 3

2014-12-07T22:39:00.001-08:00

I put together a tutorial for setting up BUTT to broadcast from Rhythmbox.

Using BUTT (Broadcast Using This Tool) with Rhythmbox 3

Jayadeva Jai Raja - the Barefoot DJ - Live Online NOW!

2014-12-06T20:49:00.000-08:00

I have set up an online radio station!

Live set starts now!

View the stream directly:

Pirate Radio Server - Direct Link

or check out the new Pirates in Teepees website:

Pirates in Teepees - Website

Or just listen here :)
Your browser does not support the audio element.

Wormsign

2014-12-01T14:58:00.000-08:00

Where did my motivation go? Swallowed whole by some unseen vampire, sucking away my desires in small sips. So slowly I didn't even know they were being depleted. Then I wake up in the hospital, confused, little memory of how I got there. "You had a seizure." They tell me. The doctor of course wants to put me on meds of some sort. You have epilepsy. Really? And is normal to have no signs until one is 38 years old? No, it is not.b

In 2008 I was traveling Mexico with a friend. The next day after eating ceviche, said friend started experiencing facial swelling similar to an allergic reaction. We went to the doctor, and though my street Spanish is fairly decent, I had little understanding what the doctor was talking about or what he gave my friend. I had no symptoms and thought nothing of it. We travel on and then return home.

From 2009 to 2010 I took on a stressful job and began drinking too much and started smoking tobacco again. I get sick of the job and quit to go traveling in Costa Rica. Three months later (2011) I return to Long Beach, take the job back and start saving all my money to go to live at the Sivananda Ashram. Living at the ashram I was eating well with no booze, bud or tobacco. Bowel Movements are excellent, no cough, I am radiant. After finishing teacher training and work study I move into the guest house at my Mother and step-fathers' house. They are drinking themselves to death, the energy there is heavy. "It's ok," I tell myself, "you have much prana from your training, you can handle this."

Then comes Burning Man, new friends, and back into partying. I am collecting unemployment and have no rent or responsibilities. I am growing a garden. Then it starts again, too much drugs, too much drinking. Tobacco again?!?!? Damnit, she is a wicked mistress.

I must get back on path. I just don't feel like myself. Somewhere in 2010 I started experiencing the random facial swelling. Allergies to the crap food I have been eating. Too much raiding of my Mothers' pantry. Back to natural foods and the swelling doesn't return. Feeling pretty good but something is off. I know I need to cleanse. In fact an Ayurvedic practitioner friend even suggested the idea of parasites. I put off the cleanse and eat some ice cream.

2012 and I know I need to get back on track. What is wrong with me? It's so subtle I manage to ignore it. I do some more Yoga Teacher training and some art for our Burning Man camp. Still too much partying. That is why I am off. In hindsight, I am now sure there was even more to it. The poor lifestyle choices allowing the parasites to take hold.

Now queue the most insane year of my life, 2013. In February my mom's husband finally drinks himself to death. I take over his company and now the family is my responsibility. At first I like it. Motivation, new adventures... GO GO GO! However I burn out after about a year. I don't like working around industrial equipment and high voltage. I am miserable. I don't want this responsibility. I don't care enough about money to motivate anymore. Then to top it off on August 2nd, my best friend since we were 6 years old kills himself. End of September I have my first seizure.

Nothing shows up in the CAT Scan. I go in for an EEG. There is an "unusual spike", possibly epileptic, though not definitive. The whole thing could have been stress. I am advised to quit alcohol, tobacco and coffee. I cut down on all three, though didn't quit. I did cut out all "party drugs" and kept my drinking in check when I went to Envision Festival. I get and still feel fine, though about a week later I have another episode. I am calling them episodes instead of just seizures as they begin with a few hours of me (according to reports) being in a fugue state and going crazy over what ever it is that is stressing me out at the moment ( in this case I was running through my house with a broom hitting things screaming "Where are the corners of my property?!?!?" then vomiting and a seizure. I insist not to be taken to the hospital.

I slowly recover over the next few days. My memory is foggy and I can't remember anyone's name save for my immediate family and oldest friends. I completely cut out any alcohol consumption. This makes me feel so much better I know I am on the track back to being healthy. I am still suffering from frustration and lack of motivation. I rest a lot and am lazy. Not like me at all. I hate leaving the house. Luckily my sister has moved home and is running the business. Things are OK, I am working hard to motivate myself and find the cause of all of this.

And then three months after the last episode, I have another. This one the worst of them all. I poop all over the place and somehow fall on something sharp and impale myself in the arm. My mom finds me coughing up blood and screaming her name. From the stories I hear I go crazy and am 5150ed buy the cops and life-flighted to the hospital. I awake tied to the bed with no memory of what happened. Eventually I am released and return home where I sleep for days. My apprentice in his worry begins researching. He tells me he found a story about a woman in New York having the same problems as me. Turns out she had a huge tapeworm. The book Back to Eden says many seizures are attributed to worms. I begin fervently researching parasite infection.

My findings are staggering. Numerous symptoms of parasite infection mirror the issues I have been having for the last few years. Headaches, facial swelling, unhealthy cravings, fatigue, personality changes, seizures, rashes and athlete's foot/jock itch were some of the random symptoms that I have been experiencing off and on for the last several years. Not only that, a common time for the life cycle of parasitic worms is three months. So far the three episodes I have had have been at three month intervals. Maybe I am not just getting old after all.

July 1, 2014 I start the parasite cleanse "ParaGone" purchased from Sunrise Foods, the local health food store. Reports from users state that I may feel flu like symptoms for a few days. I follow the low alkali diet recommended by the cleanse an take the capsules as directed. First day I feel a bit off. For the next seven days I feel awful. Just like the flu: fever, aches, fatigue, etc. This must be the die off reaction as I continue to follow the diet and take the herbs. On day two I pooped out a bunch of something that looked like rice. I have been told those were pinworms. Somewhere around day eight, a poop came out with about 3 inches of a white worm hanging out of it. The next day a started feeling better. By the end of the first round of deworming, I was starting to feel like my old self again.

Per the instructions I waited 5 days and did another cleanse. I changed brands to Para-Cleanse by Nature's Sunshine. This time I had no ill reactions to the herbs. On day 7 of 10 of this phase I did pass something that could have been more pinworms. At this point I am fairly convinced that my problems are attributed to parasites (which were able to take hold due to stress and an unhealthy lifestyle). I am sure my battle with these little demons is far from over. Today I started the Arise & Shine 28 day cleanse in hopes to get my body back to full potential.

Commotion Pi: Build an RPi MESH Node

2014-05-24T23:05:00.000-07:00

We'll begin with assuming you have a Raspberry Pi up and running with Raspbian installed, latest firmware (rpi-update), a working understanding of the command line and an internet connection. I am installing on a headless RPi Rev.A and all configuration will be done from the command line via a console cable. I also like to run all my processes using the application "screen" so I can (re)connect to it from elsewhere if needed. SSH will work until you mesh, then you can only ssh from within the mesh.

Also, you will need a compatible wifi interface. I used the panda usb dongle with antenna:

Panda Mid-Range 150Mbps 802.11B/G/N 2.4GHz WiFi USB adapter

List of devices here:

https://wiki.commotionwireless.net/doku.php?id=development_resources:router:hardware_compatibility_list

Also might be a good idea to come hang out with us on freenode IRC, channel #commotion. I go by shamanon.

Step 1: Update the RPi to Jessie

Per a post I found the Jessie distro is required to install commotion wireless. First we will make sure the existing install in updated then we will upgrade to Jessie. You can copy and paste, leave out the $ of course ;).

$ sudo aptitude update && sudo aptitude dist-upgrade

This takes a bit....

$ sudo rpi-update

This too... do-do-dodo...

Once that's done edit /etc/apt/sources.list

$ sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list

To look like this:

deb http://mirrordirector.raspbian.org/raspbian/ jessie main contrib non-free rpi
deb http://archive.raspbian.org/raspbian jessie main contrib non-free rpi
deb-src http://archive.raspbian.org/raspbian jessie main contrib non-free rpi

Now update/upgrade again:

$ sudo aptitude update && sudo aptitude dist-upgrade

This time consuming process affords us some time to do some homework and review the posts that got me started:

http://commotionwireless.net

http://www.raspberrypi.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=66&t=47944
https://jumoke021.wordpress.com/category/commotion-on-raspberry-pi/

Step 2: Install Dependencies

A myriad of dependencies will need to be installed to get commotion to work. Here is a good starting list, hopefully this will enable you to compile commotiond in the next step.

$ sudo apt-get install git-buildpackage bison flex python-gtk2-dev liblua50-dev \
libldns-dev libavahi-core-dev libavahi-common-dev \
lua5.1 liblua5.1-0-dev subversion libsqlite3-dev \
python-all autoconf cmake

Step 3: Install serval goodies

You will need to have serval-dna and serval-crypto installed for commotiond (next step) to compile. So let's download the package of deb files from my repo. Let's make a commotion folder and go there if we haven't already:

$ cd ~
$ mkdir Commotion
$ cd Commotion

You have a few options:

Get the files from my server and unzip:

$ wget http://artofconfusion.com/commotion-pi/commotion-pi.tar.bz2
$ tar -xvf commotion-pi.tar.bz2
$ cd commotion-pi

Or you can checkout/download the files from google code

svn checkout http://commotion-wireless-raspberry-pi.googlecode.com/svn/ commotion-wireless-raspberry-pi-read-only

or

https://code.google.com/p/commotion-wireless-raspberry-pi/source/browse/

$ sudo dpkg -i serval*.deb

if this fails on dependencies, do this

$ sudo apt-get install -f
$ sudo dpkg -i serval*.deb

Step 4: Install commotiond

The package commotiond needs to be installed from source manually.

$ unzip commotiond-master.zip
$ cd commotiond-master
$ mkdir build
$ cd build
$ cmake ..
$ make
$ sudo make install

$ Step 5: Install Rest of Packages

$ cd ../../
$ sudo dpkg -i *.deb

This will probably fail but setup a list of dependencies for apt-get so:

$ sudo apt-get install -f

All dependencies will be installed. On a fresh Pi, this is a lot. Pi goes will with coffee. When it's done, do the install again:

$ sudo dpkg -i *.deb

Step 6: Configure Node

You will need to make sure network manager can control your wifi for it to work. Edit /etc/network/interfaces and comment out (add a # at the beginning of the line) all the lines pertaining to any wlan device.

$ sudo nano /etc/network/interfaces

It should look something like this:

Save and shutdown. If you already have unencyrpted mesh nodes set up with default settings it might just connect on reboot, not sure yet.

This is the kind of bummer part, you will need to hook up a monitor and keyboard as I have not figure out how to do everything from the command line yet. ( good news is that once you are done, the Pi can be booted headless and it will auto connect to your mesh )

Once your stuff is connected, boot the pi and log in. I got things to work by starting up to the command line, and executing this command ( I know you shouldn't run X as root, but just this once, K? )

$ sudo startx

You should now have a mesh applet running in your toolbar next to your network manager applet.

Right click on the network manager icon and select edit connections. If it's just going to be a mesh node delete all connections except the commotionwireless.net and then edit the connection, making sure that encryption is set to none in the security tab. Save and close.

Click the commotion applet and a menu will appear, select commotionwireless.net, and if all went well you should connect to the mesh.

I have found that I can now shutdown the pi and remove all peripherals save for the wifi adapter and when I boot up it connects to the mesh automatically. I am able to ssh in over the mesh from my laptop
so I am indeed connected!

Next step, I will set up a RPi B to be a web access point.

Commotion Wireless: The journey continues

2014-05-22T08:07:00.002-07:00

In my effort to set up a commotion MESH here at the lab, I have learned much. I was easily able to get a node set up on my newer laptop (64bit) running Ubuntu 14.04 by downloading and installing all the .deb packages located here:

http://downloads.commotionwireless.net/linux/

Make a folder in your home folder called Commotion and download the packages there, then from the command line:

$ cd ~/Commotion
$ sudo dpkg -i *.deb

(this fails on dependencies, so..)

$ sudo apt-get install -f

( this will download and install all needed dependencies, when it's done... )

$ sudo dpkg -i *.deb

Once this is done, logout and back in or reboot and you should have a commotion wireless applet next to your networking applet. use this to connect/start the default commotionwireless.net network. I only have one node, but it seems to be working, I can veiw the local apps page in my browser (localhost:8080). There is a connection status applet I can open, however as there are no other nodes just yet, I don't see anything.

Now I am working on building deb packages from source via github for my 32 bit laptop and Raspberry Pi. Running wheezy I had to add the testing branch for the latest version of libc6-devel and wpa_supplicant. Hopefully I will have some deb packages for i386 and RPi (armf) available soon. Fingers crossed!

Commotion Pi: Preliminary Investiagion

2014-05-17T19:00:00.000-07:00

My obsession for living an "off-grid" lifestyle has brought my thoughts to my reliance on the internet. Knowledge being the key to a convergent vision, a web without infrastructure is pertinent. Why pay for a service we can create ourselves? Buy the physical hardware and the rest is free, as in beer.

Off grid power is fairly simple, especially with the constantly improving solar and battery technologies. Almost everyone owns a wireless communication devices, yet we rely on an outside service to provide the communication platform. A service that is costly, unreliable and restricted. Could we make our own internet?

Have you ever noticed the Ad-Hoc setting when configuring a wireless device? In this case we will use definition #2:

"fashioned from whatever is immediately available"

There are definitely a number of wireless devices "immediately available" on my desk here alone.

Enter Commotion Wireless ( http://www.commotionwireless.net )...

I have been searching to see if anyone has used a raspberry pi to create a Commotion node. All I have found is this blog post so far:

https://jumoke021.wordpress.com/category/commotion-on-raspberry-pi/

NOT a whole lot of information, BUT enough to get me started. I already have a RPi Rev. A with raspbian on it. I am going with the Rev. A as I shouldn't need an enormous amount rescources to accomplish my task (single usb port for wifi card) and the RPi A uses less power making it more suited to something solar/battery powered. First step is upgrade to Raspbian Jesse per this post:

http://www.raspberrypi.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=66&t=47944

I will blog as I go, and if all works out will finish with a how-to.

The end of the internet as we know it.

2014-01-16T19:01:00.000-08:00

It started with a conversation with a fellow hardware hacker a couple weeks back. We are both looking into moving our lives off grid and generally getting released from the hold the infrastructure of convenience has on us.

I am working on getting some property, where I will be building an off grid steel structure using shipping containers. Pallets, culled lumber, recycled and upcycled materials will be my primary supplies. Of course I will need things like batteries, solar panels, water tanks and other things that will need to be purchased new, but I will keep it to a minimum. I am planning to have a well that is pumped into a water tower via a windmill and to also collect rainwater. Reclaimed grey-water and composting toilet for the "black".

Ok, so far so good. I think I have touched my bases and should be able to live with a fair amount of modern convenience. What is left? Communication. This is our bottleneck, as this convenience is the one most sought after, most controlled and most reliant on infrastructure.

More Pi Please

2013-08-05T10:15:00.004-07:00

I have uploaded the ultra alpha version of my pi-graphing script:

https://code.google.com/p/pi-graph/

Here are some shots of the output of xgraph:

Patterns of PI

2013-08-04T20:57:00.001-07:00

I am fascinated with Pi. I wanted to make a fractal type graph of pi, so I wrote a script that generated x,y coordinates based on each digit:

start with the x,y coords as 0,0

now, take every digit of Pi, and convert it into an operator. even
numbers operate the X axis, odd numbers Y as follows

0 : x-2
1 : y-2
2 : x-1
3 : y-1

( 4 and 5 are midpoints and do nothing )

6 : x+1
7 : y+1
8 : x+2
9 : y+2

for example:
the first digit is 3 so, subtract 1 from y and now the x,y coords are 0,-1
the next digit is 1 so, subtract 2 from y and now the x,y coords are 0,-3
and so on through each digit of pi

I then graphed the output via xgraph... and here you go, I got up to 400,000 digits of pi

http://artofconfusion.org/pi/

if you want to see raw output of xy coordinates, look here

http://artofconfusion.org/pi/pi.php?size=1000

I am most familiar with php, so I made the initial script in php and it could only handle parsing up to 400,000 digits. Once I figure out how to do this with a shell script I hope to graph a million or more points.

It's only a fleeting glimpse...

2013-02-05T16:35:00.002-08:00

I have been reminded many times in this last year that life is anything but infallible, permanent or otherwise granted. Tangled in the web of perceived entitlement, instilled from a life of Americanized images, blasted through ears and eyes to wash the mind and create an ignorance we called bliss. A dream within a dream. A poem about a painting of a photograph, crying with dry eyes.

So much less is my perspective, inaudible whispers my only chance at reflection, redemption and/or introspection. My mothers soon to be late husband lays in wait for my arrival. Likely suffering, wanting only to say his last goodbyes. Mom was crying when I called her today. Two more flights and I will be home. Almost 2000 miles to go. I feel the overpriced airport beer lulling me closer to slumber. Begging to escape, just one last time before I must watch a loved one die.

He will be three, this is not something I am used to. Fanciful and carefree, so much so simple, but now what? I can't find an answer. I can't find an outlet. Everything is collapsing everywhere I go. There is no way to contain anything anymore. The cup is too small, its seams far too weak. I fancy myself blind though I see clearer all the time. Where do I go from here? I can't say. Though I never could, until now it never really mattered.

Don't worry mama, I will be home soon.

Equatorial Aspirations

2013-01-22T04:16:00.000-08:00

My heart is still beating. A miracle, considering the current collection of escapades that have conspired to form my reality. I am far from family yet close to home. Facebook disabled and forests await. I survived the onslaught of fear mongering that is TSA, avoided the "worst flu season" in years, all the while skirting the nurse that is trying to convince me that vaccines are a good idea.

The veil of verisimilitude that is the American Dream has lost all semblance of opacity. It no longer casts so much as the slightest shade upon the playing field of my reality. Cleanse, purge, redirect. Capitalism, consumerism and patriarchy are the childish things which I have put away. Elemental building blocks, once a construction of cages, have collapsed upon themselves under the pressure of their own gravity. Through the sludge of their licentiousness, they gurgle and try to scream that its mine.

Today I write, waiting for the sun to come and burn away the morning haze. Orosi is its own alarm clock, five AM and time to rise. Out my window lies the forest slope, a deep green mountain calling me away from even this small town. I have a motorcycle now, my personal escape pod, my chariot, waiting to carry me to the mountainside. Registration, headlight and a new back tire and she'll be as good as new.

It's another beautiful day in Costa Rica.

There is nothing left for Black Rock

2012-12-29T20:58:00.003-08:00

My life of 2012 had been completely taken over by Camp Occuplaya N:OW and the promise of dust filled everything. Who would have thought helping put a theme camp together could be so much work?

My main contribution was a small art installation for our camp, the N:OW Clock. The clock was 4 by 8 foot digital timeless-piece, illuminated by green LEDs that attempted to tell us everything but the time. Most often it just said N:OW.

Each clock digit is made from seven "bits" that are powered by a 12v car battery charger and actuated via an Arduino MEGA 2560 Board. The clock requires 28 outputs of the controller to automate the entirety of the clock, each output actuating a TIP-120 transistor ( these act like a relay ) and sending power to the individual bits. I am able to write all the numbers and most letters of the alphabet.

Power consumption was the main issue, but was solved by running the entire piece off of a small Colman generator.

It all seemed so important at the time. Although I had a great time, there is a thorn stuck somewhere in these kings robes. Friends were made and lost. Tempers tested and characters cultivated culminated only in an all purveying disdain for the burner community.

Last year I was the most jaded virgin, this year the crustiest customer. Looking around all I saw were sparkle ponies and frat boys. There was MOOP everywhere. A wise friend told me that if we spent half the time and money improving our communities that we spend on Burning Man we wouldn't need Burning Man. How true that is.

Burning Man is dead, it has become The Man, cloaked in a phony shell of the idealism that it once was. Burning things away does not "leave no trace", we learned that long ago. Don't get me wrong, I love fire as much as the next guy, I just see through the bullshit that is Burning Man. It has gone from a community outpost to corporate entity. From a gathering to a frat party.

Good by Black Rock city. Good by dust induced chemical pneumonia. Good by and good riddance.

Though don't be too surprised if you find me back on the Playa one day ;)

Season of the Spider

2012-08-13T13:26:00.000-07:00

As very few things scare me, I find many of my interests gravitate towards the exciting, dangerous, and downright stupid. I have always been enticed by heights and claws and creepy crawlies, fangs and legs, eyes and wings more...

Article accepted for Vision Magazine August issue

2012-03-13T16:43:00.002-07:00

Keep an eye out for my article "The season of the Spider" in the August 2012 edition of Vision Magazine in the Café section.

Five weeks, not enough

2012-03-08T06:38:00.001-08:00

As could have been expected, five weeks just wasn't enough. I came down the mountain on Tuesday, planning on getting my flight back to the US. I decided, by way of coin toss, to stay for another week or two. I still need to call the airline and see when they can reschedule my ticket for.

Things are coming along quite well even though it has been raining quite a bit. I am hoping to get more of my house's foundation done before I leave, so we will see how that ends up working out. The farm is such an amazing place, it's really hard to leave it. I haven't even missed surfing.

Ah, Costa Rica... I will be living here full time one day... but not yet. Back to Cali soon for some intensive gardening and money saving. Life is good <3

Coming down the mountain...

2012-02-20T12:18:00.001-08:00

Back in the valley after a full week at the farm. Holy smokes life is all kinds of good after 5 full days of beautiful weather. Melisa, Paul and myself have dubbed ourselves the Trinamic Trio in honor of our synergistic bond that really gets things done on the farm.

When I got back up there, the place was pretty thrashed. Evidently we have had some less than desirable volunteers up there taking things apart and giving birth to a general disarray. A few days of raking and filling earth bricks eliminated a considerable amount of trash. Greenhouse has been rebuilt and seeds have been planted. It's really starting to look nice again.

Melissa and I built a tee-pee for her to live in that turned out to be a free, dry and easy to build structure. From there we have been flip flopping back and forth between mine and Paul's Earthships with an average of eight tires per day being pounded. At that rate I should be able to have all of my foundation done before heading back state-side. A dry place to stay during the rainy season would be absolutely wonderful.

I will be posting to Eco Sanctuary Blog in the near future, so keep an eye out for updates there. As for now, the day is flying by and errands have been run, I best get back to the farm.

Party prep and goblygook sandwitches

2012-02-08T14:38:00.000-08:00

The jungle is more my home than any city I have ever called so. Melanin rising, resistance to insect bites strengthening. Haven't been back to my earthship yet, but I have been working on my friends property, making all sorts of connections with other prospective ex-patriots. Ones that have capital to invest in all sorts of ideas. I am manifesting everything I need through positive intention. Denying urge to invest into the slave traders: Tobacco, Alcohol, Petrochemical.

No more drinking or smoking. Ride the bus or carpool. Well, I am working on it anyway. Got drunk at the party on the farm last night, woke up brutally hung over. My body is definitely telling me something. Not smoking is actually surprisingly easy, I tried to take a drag of a rollie cig last night and it was just awful. Don't get wrong, I did have a blast last night, but I would have had just as much fun if I was sober, and I wouldn't have to pay the consequences. Alcohol is strange that way, as much as I loathe it, I still drink it. Stupid slave habit that must be broken.

My new buddy Chris is taking off back to FEMArica today. Been having a great time hanging out with him. He has been coming to Costa Rica for over 7 years and has never ridden the bus. We went via busline to Cahuita, a little beach town on the east coast close to Panama. He had a blast and it gave me some ideas for maybe taking people on tours of the country. That could work out really well as I could charge the tourists as well as get kickbacks from hotels.

We took a nature walk through the hot and humid jungle. I love this weather, my skin and hair feel so good from it. We encountered all sorts of wildlife in our short 8km hike (4km each way) from the deadly poisonous side striped palm viper to the cuddly cute Costa Rican raccoon. I was looking into the forest and noticed a little blue crab hanging out by his hole in the ground, and once I saw one, I saw them all, literally hundreds of them once you know what to look for. And monkeys! I love monkeys, first we saw some mother howler monkeys climbing through the canopy and feeding with their little baby monkeys clinging to their backs. I am fairly certain that if you looked up "cute" in the dictionary.... Capuchin Monkeys are great too, a bit smaller and their heads are white, hence the name, cappuccino monkey.

I will be heading back to the farm soon, really excited to get some work done. So much has changed since I was there last I spent a rather large portion of time standing in awe. There is a community kitchen by the A-frame and a new improved version in the works on the "playa" area. Someone built a really nice lean-to and can dome by my earthship, so I have a dry place to stay and I am going to finish the can dome and use it for ceremonies an maybe make it into a sweat lodge.

My earthship is just how I left it, I only need to do a little bit of machete work to get everything going again. Things are really coming together here, I am getting hooked up with work through Chris ( he is building a house ) and the guys at the mechanic shop said they might have some part time work for me. Hopefully be teaching Yoga as well in the near future. Manifest reality!

Costa Rica bound

2012-01-12T13:20:00.000-08:00

I will be returning to Costa Rica at the end of this month for 5 weeks or so. There is a lot going on down there and I can't wait to get back.

I have a full itinerary already. Getting more work done on my Earthship, the goal being to have the foundation dug and the bottom room dug out. There is a full moon party at the farm, Eco-Sanctuary and the Envision Festival. On top of all that I am hoping to squeeze in some surfing somewhere. We will see if five weeks is long enough.

And now the last year before the planet explodes

2012-01-02T13:51:00.000-08:00

We are all aware that the planet will likely explode this year. Who am I to argue with the Mayans and their extensive research into the nuances of time. If time and reality are mere constructs of the mind perhaps the Mayans performed some ancient spell to create the illusion of solidity. But the spell was only temporary and so will the end be. The rapture has come and gone a few times now. Everything falls down eventually. It is no coincidence that the cosmic illusion itself is known as Maya.

I have decided to take the leap and dedicate my life to writing. Really though, what other choice do I have? I am currently writing a "fiction" account of the last two years of my life leading up to the Burning Man adventure. I am also finally compiling a first book of poetry. It beats writing code.

I am now required, by profession, to travel, read, be unemployed and live with my parents or anyone else that will let me hide in the corner with my laptop, fervorously typing the memories of my life and calling it fiction. The names have been changed to protect the guilty. The innocent can fend for themselves.

The blessings of 11

2011-05-04T15:35:00.000-07:00

We are all so blessed. This is a year of awakening. Time to listen to I, the deep I, the I untainted by all this so called "convenience".

An awareness has returned to me. This time more polished and true, able, hopefully, to hone the ego into a positive force. To be free from the boundaries imposed by society, culture and self. To see through to the truth that hides behind the truth, behind the lie, behind the THE.

The truth lies not in a single direction, but many. It is a puzzle whose pieces have been scattered and misused. Bent into cages, that which should have set us free.

The pieces remain, however. Tarnished, encrusted with lies and fears, they beg to be set free. Waiting for the time to once again become whole.

We are those pieces. The time is now.

Taking a break at mom's

2011-04-08T08:39:00.000-07:00

I have taken a small break from the ashram... been at my mom's house for about 10 days now. It's pretty nice here, I have set up a tent down the hill from there house. It's like having my own private place. I have run an extension cord down the hill so I have power and a heater. I even have internet :)

I have been helping mom get her garden started and have been practicing the cooking skills I acquired at the ashram. Also have been reading a great book Tom Brown's Science and Art of Tracking. It's pretty chill here but I do miss the ashram a bit. Definitely want to visit for the 40th anniversary celebration.

I purchased a plane ticket for the Shaman Conference in Peru. Very excited about this. This year has been and will be so filled with adventure.

If you are reading this and you have a second, click on some of the ad links below to help support further adventures!

No Long Beach in April

2011-03-24T12:00:00.000-07:00

It has turned out that Jesse won't be needing my help in April after all. I am going to tough it out here at the ashram till around April 15th or so, then spend some time with my mom before teacher training. The same issue I am having here is the same issue I have everywhere in life. It is my inability to tolerate people that don't live up to my expectations. In my social life that may work out best for the most part, but when it comes to a work environment it is not necessarily positive.

For the most part things are really good here. I spend most of my day on self study and self improvement. So maybe I have to put up with some of the people in charge not really knowing what they are doing, but if I can learn to overcome that I can overcome anything. I always pride myself on how few things bother me; what if I let nothing bother me at all? When I learn to control my mind in the most difficult of situations, I will be able to control it always.

This year is proving to be a truly growth filled year for me. I am learning more about cooking healthy food everyday, as I can usually manage to get a kitchen assistance shift at least once a day. This I owe to the rain as when the sun is out they have me on maintenance all day. It's nice to know I won't have to worry about keeping myself fed with healthy food from now on.

On an even more exciting note, I will be gong to Peru for the 2011 Soga Del Alma Shaman Conference. I purchased a ticket last year and was unable to make it there, so I am using the ticket this year instead. From what I have heard this totally turned out for the best as this year is going to be one of the best years bet. A friend of only one degree of separation ( friends of mine know her directly ) the Teafarie of Flow Temple will be speaking there this year. Yay! Can't wait!