Below is my list of pit stops and other such places between the Bay Area and Eugene, Oregon. Note that most of the places are Espresso-centric mainly because decent coffee has been traditionally hard to find along the route (but it’s getting better). Also, my fam are fairly hardcore road trippers, so they are used …
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The Strange Tale of “Ethnic Artist” Sarah Jenkins
RACE? This story started when a friend of mine, I’ll call them C.B., shared the above image with a group of friends. It is a painting by an artist friend of theirs, Scott Siedman, which C.B. thought had a valuable message about race, and C.B. suggested it be shared. The painting sparked a discussion among …
A remembrance of being young, Black, and almost getting shot.
Originally posted to Facebook March 23, 2012 The story of Trayvon Martin that has been in the headlines the last few weeks has brought back one of the vivid memories of my youth. It reminded me of the day I was almost shot by a Police officer in Berkeley, California. Before I relate the story …
Things from my Mother’s House. Episode 1
This past year I’ve been splitting time between my home in Eugene, Oregon and my Mom’s house in El Sobrante, California. Getting to spend time with my Mom (Bergie) and my Stepdad (Steve) has been great and it’s also allowed me to appreciate some of the wonderful trappings that come with 80+ years of two …
A Prank is Born
The story of a semi-epic shenanigan feud in Black Rock City As most of my friends and colleagues know, I’ve been attending the annual Burning Man event for the last 25 years. A week long arts event that takes place in the middle of a Nevada desert in “Black Rock City”, a temporary city of …
An Introduction to REAL Barbecue
Contents The Definition of The Word BarbecueThe Primary ClarificationThe Secondary ClarificationHistory of BarbecueThe Native Americans & The SpaniardsRegional TraditionsThe SoutheastThe CarolinasMemphisKansas CityTexasThe Magic & Science of BarbecueWhy not grill?Why Barbecue?The Magic NumberMORE INFORMATION The Definition of The Word Barbecue The dictionary will tell you that the noun “barbecue” has at least four meanings: A framework …
Thoughts on the future of Burning Man and the transient nature of things (circa 1996)
2019 Introduction In light of the recent announcement by Burning Man regarding their intended “Cultural Course Correction” (an endeavor I wholeheartedly support), I decided to dust off and repost a somewhat related message which I wrote to the now-defunct Burning Man email list way back in 1996 after my 3rd Burning Man. It is interesting …
Sparkling
As I turned the key in the lock and closed the deadbolt on the door to our little Emeryville bungalow, I paused. This would be the last time we would be leaving our house as “just” a couple. Just us two. If all went well, when we returned, it would be as a family…three of …
The best hamburger I ever had
The following piece I wrote about 20 years ago after a discussion began at my work about the best hamburgers in town. I’m reposting here along with a few other older writings that used to be posted to my web page. I’ve added a few corrections including the name of the proprietor of the hamburger …
Remembering Ken
It’s been 10 years today since my friend Ken Kesey passed away. It is unfathomable to me that is has been so long. So many things have happened…. and so many conversations that haven’t since then because he wasn’t around to discuss and/or pontificate about them. I often find myself thinking about a current event …