dia-tribe....

the new and improved twibb er... follow me.

bellboy — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 02:31:32 GMT

we're off to see SF mime troops Ed Holms in "the tip of the ice berg". i need another dose of poiniant sillyness. plus it's just across the bridge and we can walk.. sorry we're not going to m'pyre in monteray but bman art projects call and i need to practice more before playing with real fire. have fun lunina and bobzilla et al. thanks for thinking of me. and we're off bB~~

i'm back ... sorry, but it's such an easy place to make fun of.... .

bellboy — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 20:21:58 GMT

i was at the book store in the Newark airport (EWR) there were 2 Zaget guides the large one was the NYC restraurant guide the skinny one was the New Jersery restraurant guide. I guess Zaget doesn't rate diners. i knew that i was in a good part of the state cause the diners had table cloths and all their neon worked. while driving around (there's not really anything else to do) i noticed that a new trend (not that paving over all the gardens in the "Garden State" was a trend) is a move to build those big box houses like they built here on the tiny lots; but there they're building them in the middle of the cow pastures and calling them estates, guess what ... now there's room for a garden.

CCFLs grrrrrrrr.....

bellboy — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 20:27:10 GMT

CCFL or cold cathode fluorescent lamp these puppies are very neat little devices .... except when it's the one in your laptop display and it starts turning off all by itself. it faked me into thinking that the power save software was attacking my screen saver or that a very clever virus was some how turning off the backlight .... being an elect. tech. i always try to blame the software and not the hardware that way the kids in IT have to look at it first. so for a week or so i used my old color CRT that has virtually no hours on it. it's from around the time when most computers had VGA connectors instead of XGA ..... and 286s were screaming fast..... anyway i found a place in San Francisco that sells CCFLs and the inverters and had them in my hot little hands in no time ... disassembled my hp pavilion and left it sit till the parts arrived and i was sober enough one night to solder the wires and try to put it all back together. it amazed brigit that i would even consider taking it apart but for me it's really not very complex compared with the stuff at work. although the mr. hewlett and mr packard really made it hard to get the lamp and the wires and the reflector and the LCD all back in the little metal frame. at least after i broke the lamp i found out that the company had counter sales and i wouldn't have to pay another 20 dollars for shipping and handling for the next $11.99 CCFL. i buzzed over the brige on my bike after work in time for carpool lane fought the traffic out to Noriega St and was back in oakland before Brigit was home from work. good news the old laptop still has another few years the bad news i cracked the display at the upper left corner ..... oh well i just got 2 free flat screens from work..... for my next trick i get to go to a service school in New Jersey tomorrow and i'll get back in time to go to the next round of fund raisers and birthday parties next weekend. i wonder if the screen will keep working .... in the land of traffic circles, liquor stores and diners.

good bye dearst friend

bellboy — Mon, 05 May 2008 13:47:19 GMT

It was a cool hazy morning as we approached the bay bridge to meet friends in SF for a pre-howierd brunch. In the back carefully packed were all the ingredients for the bacon bloody marys. The cell phone rang and a familiar voice said hello, someone who hasn’t spoken to me since my divorce. A friend who I lost in the fifty percent sale. She told me there was bad news. My mind raced making connections to the ex wife and the other members of the group of friends that had become a slightly faded collection of associations rarely remembered. Still driving looking for the least busy fast trak lane, she told me that one of the two people from that group, one who I still hold close in my heart, had died. One of the two people I could have called best friend and known that she would have said the same of me had died. Now I’ve stopped crying for a time; and Brigit and I lit candles and remembered her, I told stories about some of the times we’d spent together. There are flashes of the last phone calls and the missed plans. The knowledge that I’ll never here that funny Bostonian accent and listen to her innocent humor, ever again. It doesn’t seem real or logical. No one else has called; I don’t know what happened, or who is doing all those things that are required of the friends and family. It’s strange the only other contact that’s left is the other remaining friend. I think he is still on holiday in England. It isn’t true. The phone really didn’t say that. If she were who she said she was, it would have had her name on the display not just the number. Where is the person that doesn’t answer my calls.

it’s my 20 year anniversary !!

bellboy — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 03:46:15 GMT

Oh my gaaawwwwdddd….. it’s my 20 year anniversary here at the big white house on the hill…. I’d like to thank all the little women that made this possible … 2 ex wives and the countless girl friends one night stands and the few lunch time trysts…. Nothing in my life before this prepared me to work for the Germans … well, there was that Monty Python faulty towers episode, “and whatever you do Basil, Don’t mention the war.” Thankfully, the Kruats have all retired, and left in their place a hopelessly complex and oblique management structure. I wish I had read more Kafka. “As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a monstrous vermin.” That just leaves my retirement which is tentatively set for sometime after my 55 th birthday. 4 years or so …. So I guess it is time … ... to get back to work. ~DING

i'm a turkey day spectator

bellboy — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 18:07:52 GMT

the 1st time in 24 years i didn't make help make a turkey. it felt so strange going to the shop to buy karo syurp and seeing all those turkeys sitting there waiting for someone's weber or oven. knowng that out there one of brigit's brothers was making a bird for the obligatory famdamly feast sort of made me think about spectating verses participating. it turned out to be an exceptional meal and the pumpkin icecreme i made was a big hit. and i left the driving to ..... my lovely brigit. yawn, now it's the morning after and i i hear the sizzle of bacon! where's my bloody mary yeaaaah... happy t-day +1 bB~

still there last time i checked

bellboy — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 03:59:31 GMT

1985 Toyota 4runner with 182,000 miles, slightly dented. i can't believe someone would spend so much energy trying to steal it. i mean so much energy and be unsuccessful. the person bent my steering wheel enough to get the truck club detached; but managed to smash the windshield. they then tried to turn the ignition switch with a narrow key. It broke off in the switch; since their original plan of taking the whole truck failed abysmally, the thief cut the exhaust pipe in two places and stole the catalytic converter. Imagine my surprise to slowly discover the damage. First I get some screwdrivers pliers and a dental pick and remove the broken bit of key, then try to turn the switch. It was jammed which happens frequently I just have to jiggle the key a certain way to make it work. This time I had to get some graphite but eventually it started. Only to jolt me into shock when the engine sounded like a top fuel funny car. I got out and saw the missing section of header pipe looked back and saw the muffler, and went I guess I’ll be a bit late for work. Then I tried to turn the steering wheel wondering if the steering lock had been broken and found its newly acquired elliptical three dimensional shape. Hmmm while having a new cat welded into place for $180.00 I ask if they got money for them and the owner said about $25.00 or $50.00 core charge which is why it was 180 and not 130.00. apparently there’s some interesting alloys in these devices. Now I’m sitting here wondering when they’ll be back for the new one; or if now that the ignition switch works freely if the rest of the truck will be there in the morning. 22 year old truck, new catalytic converter, red with rust and dents, front tires almost gone, brakes pull to the right, since being rolled and hitting the hydrant, down on bay street, the roof leaks on the passenger side, which makes it smell a bit musty in the winter, air conditioner needs a freon recharge, broken windscreen, stereo display not working. Maybe someone would want the pitted and corroded aluminum wheels. Of course, someone did and that’s why I use the steering wheel club; but what saved it was the lack of maintenance to the ignition lock. maybe i'll paint it flat black and leave the windows open.

DeContamination party

bellboy — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 01:33:07 GMT

Ok I don’t care if there’s still dust everywhere and the dodgemahall is in the same state as it was when we got back. The decontamination party is happening on Saturday 22nd of September. Starting at 7p or so, barring any dust storms, and if this one is like the last two it’ll be breakfast before we’re done. Bacon bloodymarys! Let me know if you have food or booze to decon so we don’t end up with five kinds of chicken curry and 10 cases of tecate. Hope to see a bunch of you in dusty playa wear. Bellboybob~~ ding

the mundane the default ... this sucks

bellboy — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 01:02:50 GMT

did we leave this place only to return again? i don't remember it being this hard .... ever. people are sure unfriendly here, i wanna go home. everything makes me feel dirty and everything looks so clean i wanna cry, please take me home it's 75 degrees and i'm wearing fleece there's a wind but no dust this is not my beautiful home, you're not my beautiful wife how did i end up here. just waiting for next year american dream, it's broken

almost home in blackrock

bellboy — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 02:41:28 GMT

Friday afternoon the last outpost and supply stop before we get home. we're at the dessert rose Inn Reno .... we got it for 40.00 with an internet coupon that isn't good on fridays. 4th Street off keystone exit which is right next to the Albersons that has the H2O in the parking lot and the water store purified for.40 / gal.... texico gas for 2.79 /gal we're off to the greeters early in the morning .... this place has HBO and WiFi and a shower !!!! the first time i've been on schedule to the playa... just 3 more hours tomorrow morining and we'll be there. we bumped into Russ the project manager for the temple the last 5 years he'll only be there till monday but i could already see the dust in his eyes. he's also working on burninator so watch out for that project too. oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy !!!!! see you out there and don't forget Brigit at 3 and desset bring something to wear in White for our white out parties on tue. night and thurs. afternoon bigg playa huggs bellboy~~

art life and the rest.

bellboy — Tue, 01 May 2007 01:42:31 GMT

a couple of weeks ago i was contacted by a "perfect stranger" wondering if i was someone she'd known about 17 years ago. she wanted to correct the misconception that he had. he said she'd be 23 till she was 40 and now that she was 40 she wanted to show him that he was wrong that she now has the emotional maturity of a 26 year old. after we made sure that i wasn't the person she sought we had a few question and answer sessions. i thought that this one was inspired and shouldn't sit in a message folder to eventually become once again free electrons when the servers finally all crash. first her question: Do you ever feel like the artist lifestyle is contrived? Why must artists be poor and bohemian and tempestuous and dark? me: a quote from steve jobs “stay hungry stay foolish” without hardship there is no basis no starting point for one to build. creating beauty without knowing the repulsive will be at best a show of one's skill to work with whatever material. there can be little feeling when life continues easily, one numbly sliding through it with out a tear or a happy moment. why do people put themselves into situations that expose them to danger and put themselves into worlds that are inhospitable, basically unlivable. Exploration, lust for gold, really isn't it to feel pain and pleasure so one can know that they are still living. to see the world from a different space where all is not tinted by mirrored windows and fluorescent lighting. because living is not what we do to further the human race or raise our children or honour our gods. living is touching the dirt,wading in freezing water, standing on a mountain top in a freezing blizzard for no reason other than to know, to gain the knowledge of experience. so that when you sit down to a fine meal or view an amazing piece of art the power of the work the beautiful flavor of the food does not seem average, normal, or common place. the disparity of experience between the hardships of your life and it's most exalted moments must be great enough to give space for all the adjectives that exist to describe what is between those things when you go on vacation would you rather sit on the beach and stay in a nice hotel or go trekking through rain forest staying in shacks with barely enough mosquito netting to keep you from getting malaria? hardship gives scale to the beautiful, insight into quality, and enables one to know truth.

sunday after ...

bellboy — Sun, 22 Apr 2007 18:14:39 GMT

sunshine. after the night rain water washed sunrise morning’s twilight colors the memories colors indelibly stained acts muted by darkness illuminated by morning sweet sweet night subconscious wakening conscious flashes touch caress holding thought holding each

birthdays, the world, et. al.

bellboy — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 05:49:29 GMT

Happy birthday CTP by now you should be 40.00000 years old! i too figured out how old i am to the 5th lest significant digit (LSD) and it didn't make the fact that 5 broke up with me yesterday any easier to take. I did prove to myself that i still have a firm gasp of lower math. But, looking at my, linear differential calculus in one and several variables” notes, reminds me that i am too old to do that crap anymore. Then it also reminded me that I’m too old to be looking for a new girlfriend, too. But, that’s where i now find myself. SWM 50 into whatever, looking for an equal to support antagonize empathize critique love cherish befriend shadow lead follow champion. I am a male, homo sapiens, in search of a female of similar species’ to share a common dream. The woman I desire, I long for, would have a likeminded emotional psyche, with a supportive emotional focus to further the mutual goal of total domination over the remaining populous of the planet. Thank you for your support. Join us or be assimilated. Whatever. bB~ human

religion, ooooh there's a topic

bellboy — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 20:08:59 GMT

Having lost spiritualism a very long time ago, the time seemed appropriate look into this concept. Actually, yesterday while was driving home from a ski trip in Tahoe there was a vanload of Canadians on the freeway who chose to write on there windows in two foot letters HONK IF YOU LOVE GOD. Maybe it was the traffic, dehydration, the sun in my eyes, the feelings that this blatant show generated seemed mildly should we say, over the top. Possibly the fact that these, “lovers of god” had given no option to express feelings other than love towards their deity, gave rise to the reaction. Resisting the temptation to force them off the freeway and send them back to their bastion of religious homogeneity called the great white north, I opened the window, donned my neon blue cowboy hat (the one with the zebra stripes), and cranked up the 200 bpm hard core techno that happened to be playing on the CD at the time. I gave them one of the most disgusted looks in my repertoire while bouncing wilding to the beats and gnashing my teeth. (I’m not sure what gnashing of the teeth really entails; but it’s something they do in old religious texts and it sounds cool) The results were a very amusing as they slowed abruptly and changed lanes away from the spectacle that I presented them not 5 miles from the city they had come to save. Did they reconsider paying the 4-dollar toll to cross the bridge; the bridge to the unknown conclusion of their journey, the bridge to The City. This was the turning point. Moreover, after a night of quiet reflection while the rest of the city was in a wild state of reverie, in celebration of a Saint from a different sort of place, the path is now illuminated. The Bellboy is starting his own religion. That’s right friends, Bellboy, the keeper of the Bell is about to embark on another one of those lame excuses for a blogpost, his own religion. Just so the date will stand out the birth of this new cult will coincide with the celebration of St. Patrick. Not that Bell will have intolerance towards snakes in fact the little buggers are kind of cute and it is good to admire them from a safe distance. I’ve started a tribe (how novel) and invite all those who have the time, inclination, and tolerance to join or watch in mild amusement from the gallery. Praise the Bell. http://tribes.tribe.net/xbells I suppose I now have to start on some kind of book or story or journey or maybe I’m quick enough to just fake it as I go. Only history will show. Oh and there’s free cookies to the first three members.

happy New Year

bellboy — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 03:53:08 GMT

thank you everyone who was around for christmas eve, christmas, and the NYE renegade beach burn. i almost forgot SantaCon. i guess it got a little hectic since i've been sick since new years day. missed breakfast of champions, and lost a perfectly good flame thro@#$ at the beach. but.... it's been a holiday where i feel so much more connected to many of my friends; and i'm gonna try to maintain this momentum through the new year. the Note below about posting photos on your blog that reads, Tribe is a respectful and considerate community. all of a sudden jumped out at me. there's a real community here whether your, on a mission, a burner, a raver or a spectator, eeek .... there's something special we have through this connection. i feel that it's especially strong his holiday. huggs and much love. ~bB

so it took awhile

bellboy — Fri, 15 Sep 2006 04:44:01 GMT

hey, i didn't have a flicker thinghy before. http://www.flickr.com/photos/bellboybob

after burn report from the playa

bellboy — Mon, 04 Sep 2006 22:06:39 GMT

did i tell you i love my life, today? exodus today is a real reality check, sitting in the van now for 4 hours and still they are saying 3 hours to the road. At least i'm still on the playa. my 2 virgins both are coming back; Ken aka Poly Geezer went from wanting to leave immediately to already making plans to come back. Susan aka 5 (future ex-wife number) loves this place and we had a most excellent burn. My new camp mates were wonderful and being a music camp was a new and interesting experience, the DJ's we had were great and the sound system lights, laser and lcd projector all worked through it all. there was a monster dust storm that took out my parachute on wed, it was back up on thursday and the flying pig got day night and flame effects permits all great and positive comments. i need to move the van foward a few feet and 5 is in the back making ham sandwiches. another great burn bellboy~

almost there

bellboy — Fri, 25 Aug 2006 07:48:29 GMT

David Best said, " the minute you leave your door for the playa you're at Burningman. " I'll be leaving in the morning; but my hands feel like i've been there for a day or two already. The dust is already eating them. i love it. the van looks great my neighbor laser cut a bunch of petroglyphs out of vinyl for the sides and my trailer is together and everything is ready to be loaded it's a great feeling to be much more organized this year. it's all good. i'll be back after the neo-pagen alternative hippy art festival in the desert lets me. i'm off to wash my hands in vinagar. playa hugs bellboy

burning stress?!

bellboy — Thu, 10 Aug 2006 01:05:16 GMT

24 days 3 hours 27 minutes until the Man burns. i won't let it happen i'm going to be ready this year. so, i think i'll go back down to the first floor where the playa pig is residing and start working on it some more.... not going to waste my time on tribe talking about bagels or beagles or what color my fur covered unicycle is going to be..... how much bacon are you guys taking?? burning man OMG list: tires van dump tank wiring trailer sides water containers 3 5 gal and 4 2.5 gas containers propane 2 cases of water bB

i should be painting or printing or ... anything but this

bellboy — Tue, 22 Nov 2005 09:38:55 GMT

not productive, stealing from time time slips, in internet internal loss flat on the sofa, memories of television gone still awake dream nightdream eyes fixed worthless thoughts empty fingers pushing stabbing the darkness fumbling missing the qwerty replacing thoughts placed thoughts lost thoughts stored achived arknived converted filed tucked away blanket warm lap seeing red seething burning eyes stop stop wait fear crazy fear lost memorys non events missing action spontainous action, action acting on impulse, don't leave! i want to go home empty lonely abyss bottomless whole hole wholey within. in the darkness you don't see, see feelings, see the hole, alone ponder the darkness embrace the sea of emptyness succumb wash over the feelings and sleep.

wishing wanting hoping yearning

bellboy — Fri, 08 Jul 2005 07:56:30 GMT

longing, is it over rolling over taking over over the clouds desire falls downward spiral grounding loosing height and loss of stature envy the others direction uniform coherent directionless lost abandon release nothing left empty peace cold wet sleep pushes tears the hunger for solace again alone abandoned miniscule movement emptys desire rejoin take back our mind leave the hysteria look, there's freshly minted holes in the belly polk your fingers stick them in and twist wiggle red blood black holes wiggle holes in the ground holes in the wall holes in the memories holes in the bucket dripping pouring floodiing empty holes let them stop don't steal the rights just let it stop

eloquent

battlesysadmin — Wed, 29 Jun 2005 17:50:49 GMT

walking, waking, the light blinding, listening to the music the noises in my head, all the senses hyperfocused, waiting. anticipating the download of realistic banter. hoping for more but finding only the lowest common denominatior. the familar contempitable refrain rings once again in my head. the unthinking machine like detractor repeating over and over. Machine like beats the tiresome message; unable to buffer the senses from the onslaught, the deluge, the bleak cry for attention. my only recourse the one solstaice left is turning off, shuting down, disengaging. the loss in my heart weighs heavily; it sucks my energy. i have relinquished; but still i feel the losses mounting. sadness and grief overshadow the hurt of loss. pity and deep sadness become my cause, the urge to console. one friend, one lover, one connection lost.

bellboy — Wed, 22 Jun 2005 04:01:07 GMT

i made it downstairs before the adhd got me. i had a idea to make a wire sculpture in a vase. one that Fly gave me with real flowers .... flowers dead. the wire looks ok ... kind of like wire manzineta, hmmm almost sunset

the obligitory first blog

bellboy — Wed, 22 Jun 2005 03:06:51 GMT

so does this thing have spell cheque? tonight is solstice and full moon and there's something about Mars being closer than it's been in 18 years. closer to what? i think there's something about scorpios and mars so tonight could be interesting. maybe get over to the city for a draft with the pubtribe at thebeach but it's after carpool. nice night right then i'm outta here.