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Vivamus consectetuer hendrerit lacus. Vivamus quis mi. Nulla porta dolor. 

Flower Town

A story about a small village on the outskirts of Chengdu that faces down developers, earthquakes, and me.

this space shall change

I have been working on a re-design for this site for some time, so that is why the site looked very strange for a few

It’s April Again

Today I smoked a joint and walked around the Gulou area, and thought about many things. People everywhere, great clumps of pollen swirling in a

Del drops a Soundcloud album

Del tha Funky Homosapien aka Zartan Dreadnought Cobra drops new ish “Iller than Most” Check it out:

Telling my kids about Winter

I think I may have missed the chance to do so this year, because I was too busy to spend the proper amount of time

Chongqing’s Cheating Heart

Ok now I am going to get into some hater shit. I watched an old Katt Williams special last night and he was talking about

Juvenile

A long long time ago, a girl told me to keep my voice. That was back in January of 2008, when I was writing this.

Flashlights in the Dark

I have to admit, I haven’t read a single story about foreign journalists with China visa problems. I found them all to smack of the

Stay the course

I recently wrote a post about my Chengdu Compound, and the comments on the post, and on Reddit, reflect two things, in general: 1) Good

Tumblr Aint Just for Porn

Got this slick new Tumblr Blog that is fun to play with and fun to post on. It’s actually much easier than this blog, because

I wanna move to Cheung Chau Island

This happened a while ago, but I have to write chronologically, or things that get lost in the ether become floating, flailing spectres and I

Free

My boy heard me singing this at 6:30am as I prepared for work. He woke up and padded out and hung out by the door

Last time I was in Shanghai

… was back in April to visit Chen Jia and her Taiji studio, as well as catch up with a few old friends. Here is

Sticky Post: About this Blog

I’ve kept this blog since 2008 and it was and still is a source of great catharsis for me. It is not a CV and

The Pensioners are back

Retired doctors, nurses, and health workers converged on Chengdu’s government offices today for the third time in a month. The first time I was able

We be sharing poetry about Chengdu.

Check it out here on the Chengdu Forum. Or below. Now I know where all the recycling goes down a funk street in hongpailou past the rows

Sinocentrism

I keep reading stuff in the news that reminds me of stuff I wrote a long time ago. My ego demands I put it here

Li Cheng Peng Book Signing in Chengdu

Li Cheng Peng, an outspoken ex-sports journalist turned censorship-slayer and social media darling has a new book out: “全世界人民都知道:SmILENCE” (The Whole World Knows: SmILENCE) He

Nothing to See Here

Nobody at my office, in the city’s government building, seems to care much about what happened to the deputy sec. of the whole Province last

Same Work, Same Pay

About 200 pensioners are camped outside of the Chengdu municipal government office building to protest imbalances in benefits offered to private and public sector employees.

like a chicken grease chord

Doing research for this project brought a picture to my mind of me in a field of yellow flowers with a long butterfly net chasing

Was the Wen Jiabao Story a Leak?

The NYT story on the Wen Family finances that came out in October, Billions in Hidden Riches for Family of Chinese Leader, is lauded by mainstream media

Anren Jianchuan Museum Cluster

I made a visit to the Jianchuan Museum Cluster a few months ago and then wrote a post for Chengduliving on the museum and Fan

KTVs and Ketamine

Every time I hear the China version of this song, Nana’s Lonely, I think of Huang Shan dancing in front of the speaker in a

Insomnia

Sometimes I can’t sleep at night, I toss and turn, alarm bells and laughter going off in the street. Honking cars in my dreams. I

An Excellent Argument for Re-election

“Obama succeeded George W. Bush, a two-term President whose misbegotten legacy, measured in the money it squandered and the misery it inflicted, has become only

Do you remember?

It is never too late to send love out to your people. It is never too late to reply to a letter. It is never

Adrift during the Holiday

I find myself sleeping, tweeting, taking notes. Talking to people I don’t know. Coffee and cigarettes. And carrying my son around on my shoulders so

Resist the Worst

“When you think about the worst that could happen, you should resist this temptation to make yourself the centre of the world. Turn away from

Gibbering again

My vision of myself rarely coincides with the vision others have of me. When people think highly of me, I hear the sniveling thief gibber

These are my last words

the things I’ve seen in life will make you gasp in surprise like a pod of dolphins dancing in the ocean at sunrise preventing my demise a

The Struggle for Hong Kong

Here in Chengdu, people have been asking me: “Hey, did you hear what they did in Hong Kong? They stood up to the government.” There

Before I die

Factories will have no workers, just a few people making sure the machines are well-oiled Doctors will never touch a knife, only input the data

The Dreamer and the Rebel

When I look at my sons, I feel as if the complexities of my soul have been sundered into two separate facets and placed within

Sovereignty

Recently we’ve been treated to a few events that have brought out the reactions of Chinese netizens across the spectrum of opinion, from the reform-minded

Pragmatic above all things

I know a girl named Color who stopped me on the street one day and said, I am different from every other Chinese girl out

Chen Guang Cheng in Limbo …

Chen Guang Cheng’s great escape from house arrest, oppression and beatings has taken an awkward twist, with the activist in the custody of the Chinese

Foreign Men, Represent

If I were single and still in the Game, I would hold myself and all others to an oath of silence on the sociological phenomenon

The sins of the father …

I was struck today by John Garnaut’s profile of General Liu Yuan, embedded in an investigation into PLA corruption. What moved me and stopped me

Bo Xilai’s Dream

Something is happening across China, something impossible to stop and with consequences difficult to foresee. It began with the death of Deng Xiaoping, continued with

China watchers are high

Whenever I open Twitter to see what the people are saying, I end up feeling like the kid who showed up late to the meth

Foreign Tax not about Foreigners

Perhaps this issue is old hat and considering the fact that much of the implementation and enforcement of China’s Social Security Law is, shall we

Silk Roads and Great Walls

What we today call the Chongqing Model and the Guangdong Model are just new names for an ancient struggle. Since the first brick was laid

The Empire Strikes Back

China-based hacks into commercial and political networks across the planet have made the news again, with the Trend Micro report on an attack called LuckyCat

Don’t wink at me

I am a stranger in a strange land. I need connections or I will wither and die. And the connections I need are not just

Speaking of rumors …

The Bo Xilai Incident will not die a quiet death. The plodding censors in the Chinese government are stirring up the rumor pot, and no

A different take on the Wang-Bo Scandal

I didn’t have the confidence to step into the Wang-Bo scandal that has raged across the mainstream Western media (and parts of the Weibosphere) because

Mother’s milk under attack!

There are daily examples all across the world of the media mis-reporting the news and influencing public opinion. Some of them we just let go

Escaping the China Winter

It’s amazing how winter in most Chinese cities cancels out the sun. The skies seem to turn gray across the board, from Jiangxi to Sichuan and

That cess in yer chest

Tell me how to keep the smile on my face when I start every morning hacking like an old revolutionary until lung butter splatters the

A many headed troll at the helm

Imagine a four-headed know it all troll with a broad streak of arrogance at the helm of the Gray Pearl in the midst of the

A True Belief

Tom from Seeing Red in China pointed out some China Quarterly essays and one of them is the inspiration for this essay … Few of

Merry Christmas from the Family

Here are some recent pics of my two boys, Stinky and Plumpy. For family and friends 😉 Love, Sascha Yushi Dorian Damian  

Dying Cultures

I often wondered if generations before us have felt this same sense of impending doom that our epoch currently feels. I don’t wonder about it

Ode to Third Ring Road

You can catch me on the Third Ring Road, zipping down the sideline on my Bad. Moduh. Scooduh. I’m on there enough to have found

Blinded by the Web

I’m going to switch gears and talk about my own country for a second here. Hitting out at China is actually too easy. There are

Buddhism in China

Several years back I was in a taxi cab headed somewhere and the guy sitting in the front seat was a Fullbright Scholar here in

Imprisoned

Liao Yiwu is a Chengdu native and he recently escaped over to Berlin via the Horse and Tea Trade Route pathways of southern China. Reading

Excerpts from an Interview with Luo Fahui

This is a companion piece to ChengduLiving’s Portrait of a Chengdu Artist: Luo Fa Hui. Here I put together some excerpts from an interview back

Agents of Conformity

Today I read Murong Xuecun’s speech given in Oslo. The things he described in his speech are clearly happening all around us and I have

Ai Wei Wei, prepare for martyrdom

It’s hard to watch a good man go down, but that is exactly what I find myself doing everyday now since Ai Wei Wei’s battle

There might still be blood ….

I am deeply ashamed that I linked that NYT article. If you read it (Hi Mom!) then you noticed how the voice was decidedly not

There will be blood

There are basically two camps in the world “battling it out” while the rest of the masses shift and moan and watch it all go

Many faces

I went to Carrefour aka Roundabout aka 家乐福 to buy a razor and shaving cream and it took me almost an hour. Carrefour is a

Up for Grabs

I spent a full year under the harsh lights of Ctrip’s corporate glare and I wrote a lot of stuff for them. It seemed like

Support Broke Writers

Raglitmag is a webzine of short stories that you can check out on your E-reader as a pdf. They pay pretty well for a rag

For those of you with lil ones:

The Little Mole is a super cute cartoon for kids up to around 2yrs of age. You can show it to older kids, but these

Daddy bought gold o.O

“my sword crashes through your breastplate splashes the blood across your scared face drops leave a trail in the snow showing a clear trace…” I

The Future is now

While avoiding the drudge work at Ctrip, I stumbled across the theory of neoteny in evolution. Neoteny is when infant features appear in adults ie

A question of existence

I came across some interesting thoughts the least couple of days. Although I don’t write about current affairs nearly as much as I used to,

Scattered Fam

So we’re on the eternal search for “the Spot” that will allow me to sip tea and write best sellers while bean makes big big

Raihan was right

When my man Raihan heard I was having  baby, he wrote me a message that went basically: “When you feel the rage and are about

Giving notice

I worry about my writing a lot. Its the only thing i can claim as my own and its probably my only legit ticket out

Poo issues

All last night i pooped out water and wandered between dream states with these lines from J-Dilla’s Jungle Love going through my head over and

Recent news and other tidbits

Once again, i have neglected my own personal blog in favor of other “cooler” spots that either pay me or raise my exposure level up

Laoba and Dorian

My father in law left last night and I have a feeling it will be a very long time until we see each other again.

Another Son

Two boys now, depending on me to show them the way. For at least half their lives willingly and then for another 1/4 or so

Syed Saleem Shazad

I read Shazad’s writings on Pakistan and the Taliban for years. Every single story of his informed me as to the real, on the ground

A few days in Sanya

For years I avoided Hainan because as far as I had heard, it was a dirty, rude knock-off of nicer islands farther south and west

Pros and Cons

I’m headed to Sanya this weekend to write up some travel stories about the island .. the beaches and some of the luxury hotels. I’ve

Into a groove

When it comes to blogging and just writing in general, its important to get your groove on. For a while there I was writing wak

Why I came to China …

I walked into the Minneapolis Institute of Arts one day way back in 1998 and saw this massive hunk of jade. It had been commissioned

I should be armchair travelin’

but i’m surfin instead. The other day my man Charlie got the China Blues, you know, when it dawns on you that all of the

My wrist hurts

And when I was in Chengdu a few weeks a go I told my shifu Li Cuan about it and he made me pound on

/facepalm

Man everywhere i look the oppression is just getting deeper and deeper — at least when I peep the news. there is China doing all

Horse & Tea Trade Route

I’ve been up and down this road and written a few things about it — the road that links India and Southeast Asia with southwest

Dorian’s First Birthday

Lil Dorian turned one on February 8th and we went to our old stomping gronds in San Sheng Xiang to celebrate with good friends. The

Chinese Winters Suck

These past days I feel like I am just holding on … waiting for this miserable winter to end. Winters in China are exceptionally difficult

Visa Issues

I made a very big mistake and assumed that I could re-new Dorian’s visa in Germany. His visa expired while we were in Germany for

Access Divine

Access Divine Access Divine Access Divine God is Everywhere Just have to open your eyes Look Inside You’ll be so surprised Love is Everywhere Little

Christmas in Heidelberg

This Christmas Bean Stinky and I are spending time i Heidelberg with my family. Heidelberg is a tidy, historic old city on the Neckar River

The Beijing Consensus

Let’s take a look at the countries that refused to attend the Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony: Afghanistan, Algeria, Cuba, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Russia, Kazakhstan,

The Assassination of Julian Assange

I want a show of hands: How many people have kept doing it after the condom broke? How many people out there believe that Julian

Holy Shit I miss Sichuan

Man I found myself teary eyed listening to the Ya Jian Bang sing about Sichuan food. I was thinking about what it would feel like

One Second Encounters

I can only remember a few, but my mind swims with them in the hours before i rise and after the alarm has already been

Horses and Tea and all manner of Roads

I’ve been up and down the “horse and tea trade route” a few times. basically the road from Chengdu south to Bangkok, as far as

China Travel Articles

I have been working for ChinaTravel.net for a couple months now and I am beginning to develop a sense of loyalty to the place. I

Being a Rock Star in China

I have tried to write about this a few times from a few different angles … here is a story on the Rock Music scene

Mixed Blood Prince

I wrote another small essay about raising children in China, specifically about mixed-blood babies and how they are treated here and what they can expect.

Time-Lapse Video in China

Here is a post for ChinaTravel.net about a group of (actually an individual named Joe) filmmakers who are doing some interesting work with time-lapse and

Anti-Japan Protests Rock Chengdu

The conflict between the Chinese and Japanese is getting heated. First Chinese “fishing boats” enter “disputed territory” and snoop around.. Japan sends in destroyers to

Dreamin bout Portland

I remember Portland sometimes and kick myself in the balls for not experiencing more of that town. But hey, grass is always greener right? I

Big Bosses

I got a new story up, a lil something about a big boss I met back in the day called: Boss Sung’s Wife. I met

Better Axe Somebody

I been listening to Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings for some time now and if you don’t know, you better axe somebody. Or click

Just in Case My Baby Calls

Bean made homemade hotpot two days ago and the last of it just got slurped up … I won’t tell you what’s happening now in

New ish has come to Light

If you have not noticed, I have a few Fiction tales up. I won’t be posting a bunch of tales there, just a couple to

Can’t Truss It ..

No No No No! I try not to get sucked into these discussions anymore, but part of my daily routine is to open sites like

Commando Style

Here is a post I wrote about the Big Bus Tour in Shanghai. The interview kinda goes into the exciting way things can get done

Chinese Baby Products Pose a Danger

Last night I spent about an hour putting together a baby bed for Dorian. It was a pretty shoddy little bed and a very shoddy

WOW FTW: Gamers Can Save the World

This has popped up three times in the past 5 days, so I have to drop it. I watched this speech here by Jane McGonigal

Class Lines Apparent

I went on a little Man on the Street interview stroll yesterday, asking people what they had planned for the October Holiday. I pretty much

You might wanna ask Somebody

One my oldest brain patnas in the world, Tshisuaka aka aka aka has got some ish going on at CitizenMinneapolis.com This brother is a poet

New Gig

Hi Everybody, welcome to my new site. Its a little stark compared to my fluffy old Chachin Aint Easy, but hey. things change don’t they.

Ain’t got no Game

Sascha ain’t got no game. Today is a beautiful day. the tree in my backyard is drooping leaves down into my face and the sun

They’re catching on …

In this NYT story, the benfit of mushrooms is being researched by scientists and medical practitioners, one of which called it, “existential medicine.”

Whatcha Learn

You know my family always used to make fun of my dad cuz he had like one or two homies. and even those guys he

Dream within a dream

Last night for the first time that I can remember, someone asked me what I was dreaming about in my dream. I was so taken

Little Man

Today has been a good day. above is a pic of lil man and his brother — the other boy was born in the same

A Full Month: Smooches and Poo

I have absolutely no time to write anything. Little Man turned one month today and here is what’s been happenin: He empties breasts like they

From Now On

Dorian turns two weeks in a little less than an hour. The following is an altered message I wrote to a friend and is the

Beginning to feel the 安

安 means peace and is represented by a woman under a roof. I always figured this character was a bit patriarchal … but now that

My man Fu Qiang

Has just opened up a shop selling his CDs (compilations of music he digs) and art. He takes pictures and uses software to make his

redemption is just one way of saying

my job is to pull you back from the brink of darknessprotect you from the prince of shadowsshow you the flower in all seasonskeep you

So, what now?

I find myself asking this question after reading stories like this one by the late Michael Kreca. This information is not new to me —

The Du

Here is a little list of cool spots in Chengdu. This is actually a VERY incomplete list, but its a good start. holla.

Pig Fat

I’ve been using a lot of pig fat in my cooking recently. Yushi’s dad dropped by and left two big bowls of lard, a pile

Haiti

here is a short essay on Haiti and Chengdu and some of the similarities and differences in the disasters that struck here and there.

The Ancients said:

“And I wish that I were not any partof the fifth generationof men, but had died before it cameor had been born afterward.For here now

Thinking about my brothers

The army drums cut off human travel,A lone goose sounds on the borderland in autumn.Tonight we start the season of White Dew,The moon is just

Google unlocks the vault!!!!

Everything the Chinese government has blocked is now available via Google, including pictures of Tiananmen, articles on Free Tibet and the Dalai Lama and everything

Google fed up with China

You can check out the full article on Google and China here at Chengdu Living. Check it out and leave a comment. PeaceS

China reacts to Avatar the Movie

Avatar the movie opened up in China on January 4th, 2010. Lines stretched for blocks outside of most every theater in the nation for the

Crib finalized

Contract signed. The crib is real nice, we is happy. I wish I could show you pics, but i have to wait till those greasy

Chengdu Living

Spent all day yesterday cooking up various meals and eating them on the spot. I’ve been brewing the soup for two days (into the third)

A new leaf

As you can see, I have changed a few colors on the blog. let me know what you think. I have been writing for Antiwar.com

No surprises anymore

Almost a year ago today, I posted a link to China’s Charter 08 and mused about a possible “transition” led by China to a more

The American Dream and the Written Word

So I am reading Daniel Boorstin, The Seekers, which is the third in a series that begins with The Creators and continues with The Discoverers.

Good Morning

Whatchyallknowbout Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings? Just finished Natural Born Lover and moving on to Stranded in yo’ Love And this album makes me

Free to Post

I wrote an essay a while back about censorship in China, for Antiwar.com, and I basically said that within the parameters of black and white,

to all the beauty in your life

back in Shanghai, listening to Christmas music. i had a small panic attack in the vancouver airport as i watched asian people be asian and

GUA

Ni zai kan ma?? Ni GUADEBUDELIAO! dajia dou xiaode.

Farts in the wind

I like to categorize my friends, even if those categories only last till the end of my breath and the beginning of an action on

They roundin up Hobos!

Bout to watch the Return of the King. Again. And the only reason I want to do it now is to get the full account

this could have been anyone of us

In this story right here, I find a very familiar young man: went to evergreen and became slightly radicalized. got a girlfriend and did what

i got brothers

i have been many things in my life, some good, some bad and some ugly. i have seen my brothers be those as well. what

This shit really happens

In the Sanctuary in Oakland with my main men Big Scott and Johnny Frizzle. Today we tore the house up to try and find my

Sigh

Headed back Here And just to make it even more lovely, i read more about Chinese products ONCE AGAIN making consumers sick and otherwise doing

My Rainy Poem

Zhang Yushi — Yu means rain, Shi mean poem or poetry or poet … depending. i met her for the first time back in the

Well well well

What Providence, What Divine Intelligence … so i am leaving the Wagon today and headed to a different brighter spot up the road a bit.

Chirp Out Day

Chirp Out is the day of freedom and joy for my Tribe. Its the day when we hit the road again after a season of

The Wagon Part Deux

in darkness and in light even as alli said in the last post is true, so is the sweetness of the old lady and the

The Wagon

I have a day off today so i am in a cafe catching up on things and trying to get into contact with people. somehow

A new day rising?

chillin with my patna 10z taking care of a money crop bumping Nas’s new album, which if you haven’t heard is another classic. check it

The Weed Game

I watched the CNBC documentary on weed in Cali, Marijuana, INC. and it was a straight War on Drugs propagan(ja) piece. Trish Regan interviewd weed

Bumpin Raekwon & Drinking Dew

My sister is in Paris alone … hoping that my old friend will visit and show her around, listen to her and give her a

now that thats out of the way

I went to kauai with my man Q in January and it was one of the highlights of 2009. A great way to begin the

last night with a frozen bottle

after all that lonely lashing out ended, i dreamt of a castle i was in, under attack from buffoons shooting dynamite into the air. it

My Oasis

A brown hen named Gary gives a flapping sqawk and makes a dash for the cherry tree in my backyard. Her two speckled girlfriends shoot

Wine

The past two nights i have been drinking Yellow Tail Shiraz with my old high school buddy Maximillian. He was one of my first and

off work early

i am better in group situations, then one on one cuz in one on one I am too eager to revealI like to pass around

Workin at Pok Pok

So for the past few weeks I have been working in the shack at the famous Thai spot called Pok Pok in Portland, on 32nd

She was my affair with Portland

and even though the morning afternoon and evening held sunshine sweet sunshineoh lord the nights were demons in my bellyand i walked on creaky wooden

Obama in Africa

A lil sumpin sumpin here from another blog i post on: Obama’s sayz: Get your poo together!

Rape is the Consort of War

That just kind of came to me earlier today while reading this story here about Somalis in Minneapolis becoming “radicalized” and then heading back to

Moses in the NYT

Dr. Russell Leigh, that is. My old Professor at the U of M was on CNN last year during the Olympics and now he has

Xinjiang protests continue

Here is the BBC on the protests … there is some decent video here showing a large group of Han thugs headed to the Uigher

Violence in Xinjiang

Uighers in Urumqi rioted over the past 24 hours, destroying property, killing people and fighting the police. The immediate cause for the riots was a

What it is

Drinking my favorite Honey Dew tea in the dungeon thinking about home births and bike rides. yesterday i biked aimlessly and ended up near Powell

US Soldiers Dissenting

Read this and tell me what ya think about US soldiers and President “I’ma bring ’em home ya’ll” Obama.

Tea Tasting last Sunday

Last Sunday I invited a group of friends over to Paul Rosenberg’s tea temple for a tasting. Paul runs Sacred Teas, a service for those

Politics and asteroids

Yesterday i was talking with a geology student and she said her last big paper was about an asteroid that is scheduled to hit the

What sammy said last night

I need to record this fool, kinda like my Native-Black-Polack-Commie homeboy Charlie. Last night Sammy came back from the mini mart and said: “dude, mini-marts

I like that “feelin it” style

thats what my boy grant said to me a long time ago while we were in his dj dungeon listening to a little known dj

Tea with Amy

My sensesjostle for pole position in my brainvarious species of dewbrimstone, lilacs and porcelaini look up at a sunny Portland skyand it smells like raini

Two books that I urge you to read:

The first deals with IslamNo god but God, the origins, evolution and future of Islam This book (FINALLY) traces the roots of Islam back to

Summer in Portland

is almost perfect. its not too hot and when it does get hot the rains come politely like butlers in the morning to dress up

Chillin at the Shiraz in Shanghai

My Persian homie Amir took me and Said to Ali Baba’s spot in Shanghai. Ali Baba is a true Perisan Pimp and he got us

Mengding Mountain Tea

I took a trip last month while i was in china to my main homegirl’s tea spot. here are some pics: From Left to Right:

Three Mountain Teas

I went to Mengding Mountain yesterday and took a LONG trek to find my Honey Dew Green supplier Bai Ting Ting (Xiao Bai) just so

Work is the Enemy of Doubt

Fortuitous fortuitous this is the word of the day. I spent the last two days meeting my old tea suppliers Bai Ting Ting who provides

The Du

MM-MM something about the Du makes me feel all homey. its easy as pie out here. the sky looks like dishwater and i aint seen

Chinese girls are silly

My man told me earlier i the week that he would never marry a Chinese girl, even though he has been here for several years

Shanghai

I miss the quiet of my dungeon and the wind through Oregon’s trees. Its sunny here and i am about to be in the Du

Back in China

Shanghai is a sea of skyscrapers as far as my eye can see. There are pockets of two-story blocks of old school homes with laundry

Vision of a Man

I wish i had a better keyboard cuz there is something i need to work out and for me keyboards are … key. I notice

Happy Easter ya’ll

Thanks to all my peeps who commented on that digital vagabond proposal. Here is a piece I wrote about the Mexican War on Drugs about

Reconciliation

So let me try and explain whats going on here: My main woman Nicole went through several years of servitude and now, finally, the work

CALLING OUT TO ALL MY PEOPLE

You know i don’t ask much of you all, but i need anyone who peeps this blog to go here: Chachie’s Proposal! read my proposal

If Babylon falls in my lifetime

Nicole be twitterin with Questlove these days cuz he is in P-town freezin his ass off … i mean it aint that cold up here

the Cali sun

is hard to locate not because the clouds are there, but because they’re absent. I haven’t seen a sky like this one in I don’t

I know why women trip

Motherhood. Its motherhood ya’ll. Before being a mother, girls trip on the intense biological forces that take over all thought and emotion and drive girls

throw a stone or move

Sigh. How many times do we read something like this over coffee/tea in the mornring, imagine charging or throwing a stone at a rich man’s

The Sack of Long Beach

I am working on this chapter right now and i am finding it quite difficult. i want to convey the deep desire of the pirates

watch out now

funny funny, i talk about the beatnuts, pop open Itunes and my song’s on. howz that yo?its hard for you to swallawhatcha gonna do? you

me and the devil sluggin it out

so yo, I have been dwelling daily on a tea business. I started out thinking that I was going to get a van, pimp it

whats goin down

this is what i’m reading and i am thankful for a bucket of blessed mobility. because this is why i aint been writing on here

I got emeralds in my cup

When o when will the weather cease to drive me down into my dungeon? Its hailing outside right now. And its got that dank and

I take my music whereever I go

because I’m just so in love with it. I beatbox walkin down the block a lot and sing in easy soul rhymes. My gait loses

I remember playin BB guns

My man Riz. I remember when his goofy big toothed ass showed up in Chengdu and immediately girls were following him around like he was

Originality

Courtesy of my man Charles “Himmler” Moseley:

Speaking of holograms

I play World of Warcraft. But since i understand that massive multi player role playing games can be detrimental to your health, i try and

The Universe is a Hologram

I was tipped off to this article this morning by meeks shuckafunka and about four paragraphs down is the word “eidolon.” I wrote a story

Remember the Neocons!

Because now they want you to believe they never existed. The WSJ talks about it and here in the Washington Sketch is a funny little

In Defense of Piracy

Today’s NYT has a story about the Beijing Silk Market and the struggles between big names brands and the pirates that knock-em off and slang

Tell it like it is

Losar is underway and the NYT and Atimes marked the Tibetan New Year with stories about the seething people of Tibet, pinned down by the

I can’t help it

So i watched and listened to President Obama’s speech last night here on NYT and when he mentioned Ty’Sheoma Bethea I got all teary. I

Dai Shi Men gong fu will never die

Here is a story i wrote about Dai Shi Men gong fu school for the South China Morning Post. I can’t link the story because

The 72 down 82nd

I got all dressed up for a meeting downtown. walked in the drizzle two blocks to the mini mart and ran across 82nd in front

Crisis of Credit

An excellent project by Jonathan Jarvis of the Design School breaking down the Credit Crisis for fools like me:

leaving Mipples

so its bout time to go and i had a good time in the Twins. I saw several old school homies like Tshisuaka and Jake

I got out of the house

My brother was sworn in yesterday and is now considered by the Supreme Court of Minnesota to be legit. Bonafide. Hey … here are some

Every step of the way

I realized something very profound this morning and i am going to try and explain as best i can. it began when i thought about

i hear voices

So after a few days in the Twins aka Manyasspolice aka Mipples aka Minneapolis … I have the following to say: 1) It aint even

balance in the force

Does anyone find it strange that all the Jedi never considered their own purge as the means with which the force would achieve balance? i

what a pleasant morning

Those who do not use the hours before dawn are fools. i woke up dreaming of a fine fine situation, then flipped on the computer

me and my cat gimpy

Gimpy got his first taste of pussy last week. I can imagine the look on his face, that shocked yet determined screwed up expression. A

my achin back

So i have to admit. Last night i put 15 pages down, but when i was done i logged in to World of Warcraft and

i might as well drop it

So i been working on this epic novel and such and as the days go on the story gets more fun to mess with. I

now its really on

The downturn just hit my household. The main breadwinner int he house stands to lose her job come April. Her bosses are pretty unimaginative when

its on

Yesterday was MLK’s birthday. me and nicole and ashley and deb marched from Sister’s of the Road to St. Mary’s Academy with a few hundred

Some travel stories for that ass

Matador is jumping off the chains and the hook and the fence and cliffs and all that. here are some stories posted recently, check em

So whats been goin on

I got back two days ago from a trip to Kauai with my man Q the Happy Buddha. We camped all over the island and

China’s Charter 08

“China, as a major nation of the world, as one of five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, and as a member of

the devil strikes back

right after that last post, i went through all the times i felt i was betrayed or hurt or wronged by my best friends and

I have memories of a Golden Age

when empathy ruled and misunderstanding had not yet been conceived. Isn’t it amazing how women and men revolve around each other like lightning struck ions

how my people do

this is my brother Mike Jones. this is how he do. bend knee and pay tribute.

Peep This

Here are some stories coming out of Matador.com … They are doing a great job with their articles and site and I am on board

Laffs

I knew something would come up to brighten my day …

The Whipping Boy

I sent a mass email out the other day to get people to sign a petition to have 1 million given to every citizen in

Democracy in China

Does anyone remember the Give a Hoot, Don’t Pollute campaign and the Crying Indian as kids? How we were taught to throw stuff away. I

The Bailout …

YO: Read this Wikipedia entry about the “Emergency Economic Stabilization Act” then go here and read through this article about where the cheddar is going

to my Chinese peoples

I just had a dream of China in 2028 and it was a beautiful vision. I thought of a metaphor: an old man who has

Where does all the TARP go?

This sentence here at the end of the NYT story about the failure of the auto industry bailout is probably one of the most important

Broke Fat White People

Last night I was minding my own business at my man Q’s house in the Pearl District when I get drunk-dialed by Sammy’s ass. He

Strippers

Strippers wanna be watched, stared at, lusted over and dreamt about. Strippers watch themselves in the mirror and wish they could throw some ones at

The Phantom Menace

The only good thing to come out of Lucas’ last three stabs at glory is the phrase Phantom Menace, used to describe a diversion that

Big Business in the Prison System

Hey Ya’ll here is a story I wrote for Matador.com about the privatization of the prison system in the US. It is filled with links

One Second Encounters

I left the Council of the Monkey in Pai and headed north through Laos to China. The other council members headed south to bangkok for

Irvine, CA

I had a very fine Thanksgiving Holiday with my family in SoCal (southern California) and it is about to end in a few hours. I

El Lay

Chillin in El Lay and I must say the women here are so fly and so cute and wearing clothes that i got to get

PEEP THIS!!

Julia Zimmermann came to Chengdu and stayed with me for several days chronicling the earthquake there for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung — my favorite German-language

Peep This

Here are a couple stories I have been writing for Matador.com: This is my list of cities for singles and here is the “companion piece”

to the twang of a slow guitar

Chillin with my main menwe found some new friendsa million voices to heara million lips to reada million eyes to look into me and my

Pirates with no Boat

I hereby claim “Pirates with no Boat” as my intellectual property. It does not matter if you read this post or not, the title now

its my birfday

and me and sammy have just taken our sweet time dealing with a heaping plate of biscuits and gravy at this spot down the road

We love the Bills

Here are some pics and a video from the last week. We had a Halloween Party and went to watch the Bills get beaten by

Universal Health Care?

So my wounded brother is home in Minneapolis now and my living room has never smelled better. Love the kid, but when he spends a

What is this really about

Now that Obama has won, the focus shifts to expectations for dramatic change and improvement across the board and the historic importance of the first

God Bless America

finally. we have a leader we can be proud of and a country we can believe in. It is now time to get up in

Digital Silk Road

Digital Silk Road From: plus8star, 1 week ago Digital Silk Road View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own. (tags: japan korea) Presentation done at OpenWebAsia

A message from Progress

You are Progress. Speaking of progressive, i remember when Obama first started moving toward the center, i said he was a coward and a sellout

They Still Don’t Get It

Last Christmas I went to visit my parents in Germany and I told them then that Obama would win the White House. My Dad said

A Perfect Majority

Yep. The Republicans are trying to win some seats in the Senate by saying: A one Party majority can’t be good for the country. They’re

Bumpin it in China

So here is a lil blurb about the music scene in China and below is my man Himmler’s response: the article is pretty accurate. one

Asia-Europe Meeting

A while back I was sitting in my friend Zhuang Jian’s villa outside of Chengdu, drinking some rare pu’er, smoking herb and chatting with a

Hipsters vs. Superdorks

My man Himmler and me have this ongoing discussion about Macs and Pcs and which computer is doper. Now the arguments are getting a bit

I reiterate

its transition time and i am getting my room painted, my workshop set up and my routine established. dreams of off the grid cribs become

The Last Debate

I listened to McCain very closely this debate, just as I listened to Sarah Palin very closely during the celebrated VP debate. I did this

China vs. Portland

In Portland, cars will stop on a busy street and let pedestrians cross. Even with a whole line of cars behind them. The pedestrian then

Ma Shan acts like a Child!

I heard this a lot when i was in China (and sometimes here as well) and i always wanted to put across my response: Thank

What some people find solace in

This story is getting passed around the elderly, all-white, businesspeople circle that i have a toe in. I think they may be smug about the

droppin the hammer on McCain

Obama dropped it during the debate and this story in the Rolling Stone lays it all out … pass it on. Update: Jesus. I know

Opportunities

I trust myself now more than ever. I thought to myself the death of Wall Street could only be a boon for me and mine.

A nation of loners

Here is a interesting story about China’s One Child Policy … Update: This link actually goes to the column of the day for the Jakarta

What Germans are saying

My homie Himmler from the 19th Step sent me this long article in Der Spiegel. Its in English. Most people i know will be nodding

What we deserve

I went to watch the Vp debate at Nicole’s friend’s house. A lot of very liberal women were there and we basically laughed a lot

Live and Let Die?

Imagine you are at a Texas Hold-Em table and a very rich banker steps up with a collection of cash from all corners of his

Its all bad; its all good

My landlord Nikki V is doing a piece for KBOO Radio about austerity measures people (may or may not have learned from their parents/grandparents) are

Village People in the Twilight Zone

On the night of the Fall Equinox, in the hills of northern California, beneath an ancient oak tree, surrounded by leaves, herbs and Tribe: I

If you’re going to San Francisco

Get yourself a Mission Burrito. Have an Izze soda — my favorite is Sparkling Blueberry. Head to ChaChaCha and drink some Sangria. Put on a

Back in the US of A

The first thing i noticed was the sun. i got off the plane, gathered my stuff and waited for Sammy B to roll through and

Go Longhair!

I was in Hong Kong during the WTO Ministerial in 2005 — here is part one of a four part series I wrote while i

The Coming Storm in Xinjiang

  A Muslim pilgrim near Hotan This post here (with accompanying IHT article) tells of the latest heavy-handed policies used by the Chinese government to

Picture me Laughin

Political ads … why am i headed back to the US again? the McCain girls are great for a morning pick-me-up …

Old News and Forgiving Old Friends

Although we may already know that Bush’s policies on pretty much everything have been resounding failures, this in depth analysis of the incompetence and duplicity

Serendipity

I have been talkin about getting portland and china together for a long time on this blog, and look what Mayor Adams is up to

peep this

Yo: I urge you all to check out this video by the Hanyuan B-Boys … they put it down for their town and have all

The Aftermath

This will be my last post with Olympic connotations. The Western AND Chinese media are starting to evaluate for themselves what the meaning of this

Back in the Du part Du

So I am back in the Du and it feels all right. As soon as I get here and start meshing with my real people

A Few China Stories

I am in Qingdao now, chillin with my man Li Du and a large group of artists and musicians for the “Twin City Art Show”

The Security Establishment

Now that I have finished my stint in a semi-corporate setting in a security company, i can let you know a little bit about how

Dont Believe the Hype

So the Games are over and the Western media is tapping into the fear the American nation has for China’s rise. Its all smoke and

Penultimate Day: A couple pics

I will have a few pics here … i lost my camera and never really bought a new one. I know thats the main thing

Day 15 – Ending with a Bang

Today was quite a day. I watched Cuba whup up on the US in the baseball semifinal and then headed to a spa to wash

Day ?? – Big Day for team finals

The last two days have been pretty fun, but i have not been able to watch anything. The women’s beach volleyball, men’s volleyball, water polo,

We Need Your Help

I was thinking about young Chinese this morning. Last night i was chillin with Li Du, Zachary Mexico and Liang Kegang in a KTV establishment.

Patriotism and Nationalism

I know China is being held up as the petri dish for this discussion, but i urge all peeps to check their surroundings and see

Rage against the dying of the light

or just post some love on yer blog and send it through the underground. i remember telling some young Chinese friends about the Tank Man

And of course: Dashed Hopes

Liu Xiang is injured and will not compete. He has been injured since at least May, when he had his last competition. In China, an

And of course: the Man Fish

I bet this dude puffs mad herb. Now, if we find out that he does, will he be stripped for doping? “Once you reach the

Dirty Spaniards

This didnt even make the rumor rounds in China until today … doesnt seem to bother anyone that much yet … i think people here

Day 6 – The Calm Before the Storm

The second week is just around the corner and I felt the lull today. Indeed, the preliminaries and qualifying rounds are almost over. The Chinese

Day 5 – I Love China

What a difference a day makes. Today I went and watched the China-Spain B-Ball game and it was off the chains. The big difference between

Day 4 – Chaos and Order

Welcome to China ya’ll. Today started off fine, I woke up and went and did some gong fu with my man Shifu Li Chuan cuz

Day 2 – The Hustleman

Yeah its always the same wherever I go. i become Red from the Shawshank Redemption. I am now in the ticket business and it is

Yo

I think i really dropped it on this one … peep it and holla back! (Do i need to translate any American slang for you

Trolls.

Anyone who has written or who reads about China issues has encountered the ChiCom Troll. I didn’t realize there was such a distinct term for

Some ill from the Du

My man Chengduxi, who put up my Auryn tattoo back in the day — had to get it recolored by Poh in Pai, but so

Hu Jintao Steps Up

It is a beautiful morning here in Beijing. The sun is blinding white, reminding me of a graveyard shift I pulled in Alaska once. We

Moral Authority?

Its not hard to imagine how China manages to get away with being one of the more brazenly oppressive nations to hold the Olympics in

What did you think was gonna happen?

The fools of the world who believed Chairman Rogge and the Chinese BOCOG are to blame for their foolishness. There are several stories out there:

One Last Roast

Indeed, I wrote a lot about how perfect my “Leaving” is, as it comes almost to the day when i arrived 8 years ago. I

Down in Kokomo

Will the damn Games just start already … All day I got BBC hollerin about censorship, human rights and nationalism in one ear and CCTV

The good news is

That the Chinese are ready to do this. Just Imagine: Your dad grew up smilin if he got some pork in his rice bowl.Your granddad

busy day

In this small blurb about a photo that made it into a tabloid about the Tiananmen protests in 1989, we see another example of the

caterpillar fever

Oh, about 5-6 years ago i saw my first pile of cordyceps in Kangding, Tagong and throughout the Kham area of western Sichuan. Tibetans were

Friedmann has found his issue

He is just hammering away, hammering away at the alternative, renewable energy grid that would bring the US out of its doldrums. No mercy. I

Feelin for Liu Xiang and Obama

Yeah I been criticizing Obama a lot here, I guess its cuz I was so excited and inspired by his nomination run and then to

Chicken Grease

Played cards with the boys last night and it was good “craic.” I think that’s how you spell the Irish version — the lone Irishman

We exist

Last night was great fun. I met up with Zachary Mexico and Li Du of Kunming Paper Tiger fame. I took along a couple of

Hey Ya’ll

… my people will hear me though…

A Smoggy day in Beijing

There is a situation going on right now at east gate in Beijing. About 100 people and are in the area. The issues is with

Picture me Laughing

china gives peeps designated “arrest me” zones to do their thing. “Chinese people know better than to go demonstrate in a {issue} zone during the

Aint Nothing Changed

Things is hectic in this piece … for real. after the K’ming bombings the government made a few changes to security that are putting a

When things die

I was in Chengdu for the past two days taking care of some business and I went to check out my old home in Three

Clean Energy

Friedmann has been hammering away at this issue for the past few weeks. I think the nation is ready for a Kennedy-style mission to develop

Bombs in Kunming

Reports came in this morning that at least two bombs destroyed two buses in Kunming, capital of Yunnan Province. Although unconfirmed, the word is that

propagandja

My man Mike the B. and some info on the Freddie Mac thing, which i said was sinister a few days ago …

like i said, communicate

Here is a story that is pretty interesting, in that it shows the polarized views of this country that people have. I am sure that

No Fun Olympics

Check out my no-fun dork shoes: China’s “top-down” approach to security in the Olympics guarantees that there will be very little mirthful exchanges between the

Beijing 2008

I am finally in Beijing. After several months of talking about it and changes to the plan on a weekly basis, I am now officially

Impeach Bush

This was posted as a comment, I am re-posting it so everyone can take a look.

It can’t happen here, can it?

Engdahl drops some more knowledge … check out his site i have it listed under digable (to the right and down)

Sucked in

Every week or so i find a new web tool for this blog. I am trying out the “share me” button, even though I myself

Indocrination II

My good friend and patna Fraggle Beanmilk has just been hired by a large daily newspaper here in the Du. They signed ol’ Beanmilk to

Laughs

(snicker snicker) (cackle cackle)

The death of traditions

It is so hot and humid in Chengdu right now that my brain is bathing in its own liquid, humming strange tunes to itself and

My Neighbors

Here are some pics by photographer Andreas Mueller of the village i live in and some of my neighbors:

Patterns of Development in China

Francesco Cisci is the Asia editor for La Stampa and a frequent contributor to Asia Times. Here is an essay of his that does a

Hakka in Sichuan

Hey. I am doing research on the Hakka people in Sichuan. The Hakka are sometimes referred to as the “Jews of China.” They reportedly originated

The elephant in my bathroom

how silly we humans be. Sports are and have been one of the ultimate political experiences for societies since the dawn of the ball. A

perhaps … perhaps …

This here is an interesting article on Obama, if only for the defense of his rejection of public financing. Dowd here says that going after

2008 Olympics: For Chinese only!

The visa situation in China is getting more and more frustrating for foreigners trying to do anything here. How to extend or wiggle one’s way

Read This

My MAN Rindy dropped it on this piece right here. I urge everybody to read it and pass it around. Send it to Obama’s braintrust.

Blogger up in China!

Well i’ll be damned. After all this time, China has decided(?) to let blogger do its thing. So i am visible in China. This is

it just keeps gettin thicker

ya’ll don’t even know. I went to Hanyuan the other day and just got back in the Du. I was planning on staying a month

The Gov’s Side of the Story

So the meeting between the local government officials of Three God’s Village and the villagers took place today at 10am. The meeting was held in

Might as well face it

“Everything is proceeding as I have foreseen it …” I always loved that line. So much power and confidence. A calm declaration laced with pride.

China has no orphans

Today i sloshed through the rain to Du Fu’s Cottage in Chengdu to attend a meeting of poets and lyricists. About a dozen read their

She’s just a young girl …

I met a woman a few months back in the city of Yaan, renowned for rain, fish and beauties. She’s a young music teacher at

Wandering Blind

I can’t read my blog right now, but that might end. It has been a common occurrence since I started this thing. Sometimes my proxy

Will Autumn Ever Come?

“Young Fool, only now, at the end, do you understand …” Yesterday I arrived back home from Dujiangyan and there was a small crowd of

The Min River

The Min flows down from the Tibetan Plateau, through Dujiangyan where a 2000 year old irrigation project splits the river into two parts: one headed

Some mo’ Sichuan Hua

So i will try and put a few good Sichuan Hua phrases up here from time to time … such as this fine one right

Mainstream

For the past week I have been a scab for USAToday. I haven’t actually written anything for them, but just in case the Tangjiashan quake

I’ve changed my mind

Well. It seems as if Hillary has finally decided to do the right thing and get behind the one candidate 100%. Of course its late

War is Pure Sin

this here is one of the best articles about war i have seen in recent times, written by a contemporary … I imagine the book

The Case of Wang Shi

The Chinese government has decided to clamp down on the schoolchildren issue to ensure social harmony and stability. All protests are dealt with by black-clad

....

here are some pics that are circling the chinese blogosphere. The police and government officials in China haven’t changed one iota. They are doing their

serendipity

i just got back from Beichuan a few minutes ago. Beichuan was near the epicenter of the earthquake, so most of the villages in that

what does it take

Today i rolled through Dujiangyan and took a look at the field hospital set up by the German and Sichuan Red Cross. The field hospital

aftershocks

today … bout three minutes ago, a large aftershock shook chengdu. the largest in a long time, maybe since the original quake. and it lasted

some pics

kitties peep dude in the background. it was a good day. for badass motorcycle love, hit up Carl

Luo Shui

We went to Luo Shui today, about 20 of us in several cars and trucks loaded with toys, paints, candy and other goodies for the

It aint funny

I can’t comment back because blogger is blocked in China … it isn’t funny, what happened to Falun Gong followers in China. The brainwashing campaign

Kids Day

Tomorrow is kids day in China so a group of us are headed north to Shifang to play drums and be funny guys for the

my people

I was brought into a new community recently, Matador Travel Community and i must say i really dig it. i usually hate forums and communities

Addendum

This is my house — the farm. About 10km southeast of Chengdu in Three Gods Flower Village, where farmers grow roses and tulips and offer

Test Runs for the Big Show

Wass happenin ya’ll? Its been an easy few days recently. My cats are in heat again so the dirty toms are serenading us all from

Pictures of Qing Cheng Mountain

I posted some pics here of Qing Cheng after the quake. If anyone has any information or people they would like me to contact, please

False Alarms and Party Poopers

Yesterday Chengdu went crazy as every man, woman and child rushed to the streets to throw up tents (again) or jump in cars to head

Woe unto the Enemies of the State

Patriotism at the expense of another nation is as wicked as racism at the expense of another race…Let us resolve to be patriots always, nationalists

gotta ease back

Tomorrow is chill out time with my kitties. Ima ride my bike around and beat Tenzin in chess. mad love

mom i can’t see your hand

A Poem by an anonymous Chinese circling the web(translated): Children quickquickHold fast to Mother’s handThe Road to HeavenIs so darkMom is afraidyou’ll hit your headQuickHold

A Theory of Relativity

First off: Blogger is blocked in China, so people cannot see it here, I cannot comment back to any of you and i do use

Around Qing Cheng …

Yesterday i climbed as far as it is possible to climb right and Qing Cheng mtn is def. devastated near the top. Past the Tai

China handles business

President Hu Jintao made it to Dujiangyan today and shook hands with Prime Minister Wen Jiabao… Today I took a ride with a civil engineer

To Mianyang

Tomorrow we will try and head up to see if we can help. THe local authorities and Red Cross have designated the Bookworm and Cafe

I’ll make ya famous

Well Chengdu is basically back to normal. My friend Charlie’s harrowing experience is all over the web now — here is the AP story, which

Chillin in Flower Village

Well the tremors have picked up now and rumors are rife about another large earthquake. But rumors have been flying all day about no water,

Chengdu Earthquake day after

Here is a story I wrote that didn’t find space … its a time-pegged story which means I can probably not publish it anywhere else.

Spent last night with my People

I want to first reply to those who have commented about Qing Cheng Mountain: If anyone has ever been there you may remember the very

We felt it comin …

My friend Rachel wrote the day before the quake: “I feel like the world is shifting” if ya’ll check the first few lines of my

A shaky night

There is a tremor going on as i write — has been shaking my building for the past three minutes. still shaking. had tremors all

No Sleep tonight

Well now that i feel i have done my part cross-referencing links and straining at Chinese characters its time to write lil something for my

Chengdu TV on earthquake

The tv news just reported 107 deaths and 648 injuries. They also say that gas is tough to come by — some people have been

rumors of more earthquakes coming

Rumors are spreading fast throughout the city that there will be another large earthquake this evening at 830pm … this has not been confirmed by

More Updates for Chengdu Earthquake

The death toll is rising — so far it is up to 107 and the schoolchildren in Dujiangyan are not completely accounted for. The countryside

chengdu earthquake gets worse

Dujiangyan has been hit with tragedy. 900 schoolchildren are believed to be buried under their schoolhouse when it collapsed. DJY is 56km north of chengdu,

updates on Chengdu earthquake

we just experienced another tremor at 710pm. the locals are trying to drive out of the city, but most of the roads out are jammed-packed

yo

for those confused about the time of my posts, i had it on pacific time.

earthquake hits the DU!

i was in the middle of a shave when an earthquake hit and the whole neighborhood spilled out onto the street. here is a pic

love atcha

here are some pics of my kitties. there are three surviving kitties and the two sisters take turns licking and caressing the lil kitty-cats. i

Chinese activism

this is about Migrant Workers jumping from buildings to protest corrupt ass developers who refuse to pay salaries. its a spoof in Sichuan Dialect.

Ba bu Ba Si

I am down with Sichuan Hua.

holla at me

does anyone out there work with alternative fuels/renewable energy on a large scale — research, investment, development, promotion over breakfast at the sunny side up

Xenophobia

China is really making it hard for the foreigners these days. All visas are a big pain in the ass — my main man in

The Illusion of Coincidence…

A great many strange things have happened in the past few days … perhaps not as many as may be transmitted by the feeling that

Tell that b*tch to chill!

Its time to concede Hillary. I like to believe that the universe works according to my whim. My decision to stay here in China until

The Word

I have tried to emphasize the need for us to turn back to home and see what we can do there instead of sticking our

On Brainwashing

In China, indoctrination of the youth begins very early. At age 6, young kids are given their first Chinese Reader to learn the vast collection

HK Torch Relay

here is a column i wrote for Antiwar.com that will not get published: On Friday the torch arrives in Hong Kong. Demonstrators from around the

Sleeveless Tendencies

First off … looks like the fervor might be dying down. we shall see. Does anyone else see the parallels between the Games and the

Doublespeak and Bullscat

Politicians truly are amazing. In China it is fitting that the government spokesperson is a woman, Jiang Yu. In Chinese (and every other) society it

noone can f*ck with my tribe

just got off the horn with a one of my tribe’s elders (hahaha) and it feels damn good. crazy shit is in the mix …

good news

sites that have been blocked since i have lived here, wikipedia and bbc, are now accessible to the average wang and yours truly.

Chillin in the Sultan

I convince myself I am Turkish by wolfing down doener kebabs and smoking shisha. I have spent the past few days running every day and

God loves the Funk

I know some of these pics are sideways .. i apologize but there is nothing i can do about it. these kids are worried about

Rationalism is Bleak

Today has been another magnificent day in Chengdu. I am sitting in the Bookworm, a fine place to ease back and read/write be smart with

crackers

be they American from Pennsyltucky or Chinese from Hunan, they make life difficult. Because their lives are difficult. Cracker ass crackers. I am working on

Anger

so the inevitable has happened. i was talking with some friends (chinese) aboutthe possibility of a cultural revolution style environment here in china and we

who is the more foolish?

my people are busy lamenting, yet also enjoying, the brainwashing others have endured. it feels good to consider oneself free and to have a target

Its goin down

it has struck me — and perhaps not only me — how intense things are becoming this year. The race in the US between the

Chongqing: Luan jiu Luan!

So aside from the young people running around China in support of their country and the Pennsylvania race goin down to the wire, i feel

Benedict Wang?

Its hard work being a thinker in China. I spoke with a young Chinese friend of mine the other day about the indoctrination of students

i’m so slick

not just cuz my insides are covered in hot pot goo, but because twice now i managed to slip through the cracks in the chinese

in case you aint heard II

After spending some quality time with large numbers of the youth of this nation last weekend, I have a few thoughts i must convey: if

all too short, the distance mist travels …

glimpses of my other worldmemories become feelingsi am caught in mid-thoughtbreathless as they whisperthe feeling is strongestwhen they’ve already floated away like grinning urchins tugging

the sad truth for tibetans and uighers

is that unless China falls apart, freedom will be a dream fulfilled only far from home. we Westerners should consider what exactly drives our support

Kun Shan

The western media feels guilty for spearing the Chinese. At least some of them do. After jumping all over the Tibet story from the Tibetan

Superboy

my man on the road.

what are they thinkin?

I wrote a column a ways back about the “real China” and how the world would get a glimpse of it this summer during the

i must say

today was a good day. didn’t even have to yell or scream. no violent threats, no mean muggin. I spent the last three days in

the pot boils over

Let me give you a lil background on whats been going down. Hotan is in southern Xinjiang, also known as East Turkestan, which is in

we are all whores

Essence Jackers are the people I deal with on the daily. They jack my essence, corrupt it, as they themselves are unsure of what they

holla

Let me know if you can see my entire blog and comment on it, cuz i can’t. I have been saving up my energy for

Zobel

As told by Markus Tong: “I was guiding a group of people through the Tibetan highlands near Lhasa. we stopped at a village and walked

hong kong feet

as of yesterday, China has adopted US-like security measures for all flights. I had to take my shoes off and they took my bottles of

faded

I am just a few short miles from Aba, where the Tibetans burned down a police station last week. Since that incident it has been

Aint nothin special bout me

i walked back to my house tonight around 2am and i live near the Tibetan district of town. there were police cars on every block

my revolution

Today was a very hectic day. i got up early and shaved my scruff and pinned back my hair like a girl, cuz its just

pear blossoms and rapeseed

i went walking through the orchards yesterday, but the people i guided there were uninterested in fairy-watching or pollen-passing, so i stowed away my plans

orange seeds in the ashtray

Yet another of the three peeps peepin this blog, who refuses to answer me in this blog. Of course, copy and paste is my faithful

you’ve lost your smile

well it seems the media blockade is working or I just have not been keeping my ears open. Here a response to my last blog

gettin paid

i should be putting this down for an article for Antiwar.com or somebody else, but events move to fast and I enjoy the freedom of

the spikeman mule

so yo Obama hit back with a speech that was exactly what I had been thinking and arguing in a few forums and blogs. The

China censors

It might be hard for an American to imagine what life would be like under a dictatorship of the proletariat. What happens, among many other

The diaspora

yesterday i got a message from a young girl — 21 yrs old — and a reporter for the Chengdu Economic Daily. In our society,

Qiangba Puncog must hang

The day after the deadline and people here in China are talking about the protests, both my Laowai homies and my Chinese homies. It is

Hold a Fist Up for Tibet

Yesterday I talked with my editor Katherine about Tibet and she asked what was going on. I said well, if people in Kham and Amdo

gou re de

Today i spent the whole day with my man Liu Yuan running from one massive development project to another, extolling the virtues of Chengdu’s real

childhood trauma

there are two songs which i feel may have traumatized me for life: a lil jingle sung by good ole Goofy in the one about

late bloomers

i think i represent the peter pan element in all generations. there are many of us. and we are generally smiled upon from on high

Greasy Hair

my hair is getting long again. it is my last hurrah before baldness forces me to shave what’s left in order to be “bald, but

When compatriots meet

I went to the restaurant Talk the other night, on recommendation from resident Baller Dave B. I borrowed some clothes from hakim because mine were

tea baggins

well well well in the Du got my house almost clear of cat shit. garbage is piling up but i have a plan. the toilet

Back in The Du

I have been wrestling with being called a racist by people who read my occasional column on antiwar.com — i admit that i do have

The Ends Meet

This one is for my man Flesh if he ever reads this. I have been in China for eight years. Eight, written as we write

its a high price to pay

It is now the second day of Chinese New Year here in Dali and the fireworks have subsided somewhat. On the sixth, we gathered at

The Delicious Slide

You can feel it when it comesVoices cry out in defiant anticipationThey rub their hands gleefullyThe party is about to startPlaces everyone One said it

Laowai tai duo

yo i am in Lijiang, which i knew sucked hard balls but now after five years i returned to check it out and lord almighty

why do i like him

Beacuse he dreams and emotesBecause I can imagine playin ball with him Because he is one of Us who is Us? I consider Us to

Dali Town

it always hard for me to escape the monkey in this town. cuz i don’t try hard. the other night we were dancin to irish

prince

maybe its just because i stood next to him once at paisley park .. maybe its cuz i rocked it so many times at his

me and sammy at the speakeasy last night

We are having our customary American Coffees at Salvador’s this morning. Sal’s is one of the finer cafes i have ever experienced in China. The

The devil came down to Clifden …

“The devil came down to Clifden, lookin for a soul to steal, he was getting kinda low and don’t ya know he was willing to

mountain pics

well … here they are. pretty white boxes for you to click on. i guess they will take you to the pics on my worthless

my tummy hurts

Friends and enemies alike, i wait with bated breath for the outcome of my latest missive. A plea have i tossed, into the ring, for

grumble grumble

well i have tried to put pics up here for days now. i went through picasa and checked out what the deal is — heard

river lake people

i have been trying to put a few pictures of my trip into the mountains online but they always end up sideways. i will be

in the mountains

don’ worry i will add pics in a bit. i arrived from amsterdam sunday afternoon and went to my man tenzin’s house and eased back

naturally

last night i spent most of my time dreaming i was a stand up comedian. the audience was overwhelmingly black and i was in georgia.

i am that i am

reading foucalt’s pendulum has been a three month odyssey through umberto eco’s dream library. i finally fell into the pace of the book, now, near

decompression

yeah i be trippin. but here with my bro in adam its all good. we toured the city and its beautiful, even the ancient hos

to A’Dam

In four hours, my plane leaves for Amsterdam. actually six hours, but i have an hour long train ride ahead of me. i just got

Gettin Fat in Deutschland

Every morning i enjoy myself ritually with the bread slicer. I love the buzz and smell of good bread being prepared for my rumblin gullet.

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