Berkeley Kite Festival 2008

          Close your eyes and inhale slowly, deeply; exhale slowly, deeply; repeat several more times, continuous, you will know when your ready. Keep you eyes closed and imagine a clear blue ski and sun on your skin. It’s not too hot, the sun warms, but does not raise a sweat. Imagine a breeze on your skin, it’s not too cool, it may or not raise goose bumps. Imagine hearing the flutter of nylon, cotton, or paper. It tugs your arm, tight between you fingers. Open your eyes.

          Nothing to do but layback on the soft green turf and relax. The Berkeley Kite Festival is a simple break from the rat wheel and cheese maze. On July 25-26, Highline Kites hosted the largest kite festival on the west coast. Saturday conditions could not have been better at Cesar E. Chavez Park, Berkeley Marina: plenty of open space, sunny, upper 70-degree temperatures, and a constant southerly breeze off the bay.

          10,000 spectators and enthusiasts, amateur and professional, watched or flew kites ranging from 6 inches to 90 feet, from a perfect replica of a swallow to a pod of giant airborne octopi. The Berkeley Kite Wranglers flew 25,000 square feet of giant kites with 17 octopi. The world record is 21. Participants flew everything from pirate ships, dragon kites, box kites, and even Disney’s Nemo made an appearance.

          Festival highlights were the Sode-cho Kite-Flying Society of Hamamatsu, Japan. At the annual Matsuri (Festival), kite fighting between up to 170 teams have competed since 1887. Kites have been a tradition in Hamamatsu, Japan, for 448 years. Taiko Drummers from Taiko Spirit provided live music.

          A team of 16 four-line kites, shaped like two opposing triangles on a single plane, preformed an acrobatic kite ballet. The handlers flew in formation, formed shapes and letters, as well as wing-to-wing stunts. Manufactures pitched their wares and hosted kite making and flying seminars.

          Bay Area Sport Kite League (BASKL) presented the West Coast Kite Championships. Saturday’s events finished with a rokkaku battle, an octagonal kite fight. Competitors of all ages were invited to engage competitors with octagonal kites. Opponents attempted to cut each other’s string, and send their kite to the ground.

          Standard fair food was available and picnic baskets were welcome. I enjoyed a handmade root beer and corn dog, and an ear of roasted corn. Entry admission was free, but parking on the site cost $10 and $8 with shuttle from Golden Gate Fields. The fee covered shuttle expense and supported two local charities, the Berkeley Rotary Club and East Bay Community Mediation. Traffic was typical bay area with available spots filling up early, and scores of cars stuck on I-80 access roads. I parked across the freeway, just on the other side of the Berkeley Aquatic Park. Free, but It was a good mile and half walk.

          Enough of the facts and word after word check out the slideshow.

Boston or San Francisco?

          I knew this day would come; I just can’t believe five years have passed so fucking fast. I’ve an extremely difficult decision in the short-term future. I promised myself ten; but sometimes you eat the bear, and other times, the bear eats you. Greed, the pusher man finally demands his coin, speculation and unbridled lust for profit, the bear market has drunken half of my dream fizz.

          They say that when a door closes, a window opens. I just hope it is less than four stories tall. My circus net is publishing and IT, and I may need to leave the city. Boston? I don’t know about its water supply, it’s organic food movement, or its one-on-one culture. I’ve never been to Boston, but I know it has a deep history and the winters are merciless. I plan to visit in April or May, and then I’ll have to decide rather or not to join the normal.

          Living in CA is good and bad. San Francisco is beautiful, it’s hard to find a bad meal, and the tap water is snowmelt. The climate is moderate, 45 – 70 degrees on average, and earthquakes are just a reminder of change. In the city, mass transit goes everywhere, I don’t need AC and not much heat; there are few insects and a nap on fresh grass is a pure delight. The community is tolerant to the extreme. On the other hand, some of San Francisco’s tolerance has evolved to indifference. SF is expensive, 30% higher over all, and owning real estate is fantasy. Most of us are renters. It’s loud sometimes, and neighbors can be a real pain. Parking sucks, queues are the norm, and if you see something you want in the supermarket or else where, best buy or it will be gone.

          I am not without options, but as usual, just when I get my wings dry and accelerate, I have to slow to turn 90 degrees. I’ve yet to find my Jonathan Livingstone Seagull, and although I know this is the way of life, I hope my dream is more than too-sweet delusion.

Damn.

          “In the spring there will be growth.” Chance the Gardener, Being There.

Hello world!

(* Hello World, a familiar beginner script is fitting for a first post, so good luck with the following pseudo-code. *)

          And yeah, I know it’s nerd city, geek-o-tastic, WTF; but welcome, thanks for clicking, and please return many, many, many times; and thanks for the comments. Negative, positive, random, I love the comments.

((Declare random variables: mood, subject, structure, opinion, and enlightenment.

Declare Boolean variables: update = weekly or bi-weekly,
     age = adult,
     quality = good and fun,
     search for meaning = true,
     and censorship = false.

Declare constants: World = World.

Declare global subroutine: EAFS (*eradicate all fucking spam *).)

     (BEGIN (Hello, content, KeithEcho, World),
          Hello = 1,
          KeithEcho = scribbling, art, music, data,
          parrots (2:Caliban and Apollo), and vodka.

     (While World, KeithEcho, Hello=Hello + 1
     (* loop de’ loop me, baby *)
          Visit website (keithecho.com, keithecho.wordpress.com)
          Read blogs (content = quality, EAFS)
          Output (“Hello World. Welcome to my blog. Thanks for the click.”).
          Many times = Hello + 1.
          If comment then post email address, and Output “Thank you,” many times,
          else EAFS.
     Repeat.)

     END.))

Note: you will need an email address to comment, and a friendly reminder, I will EAFS all over your ass so no fucking SPAM.