<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/veganstraightedge/153384723/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/46/153384723_e27cf3c8e8.jpg" alt="route from salt lake to seattle"></a></p>

<p>me and my buddy <a href="http://veganstraightedge.com/articles/2006/3/7/2/james-miska-saol-ceol/">james</a> are hitchhiking outta here in a couple minutes out to seattle for the trial reunion show. actually, i'm mainly going for the <a href="http://www.mightyo.com/">vegan donuts</a> and james' sweet sweet company. then i / we are gonna hitch down the coast to santa cruz. all the while <a href="http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&amp;friendID=656212&amp;Mytoken=106DDF02-1510-1329-227778C2E216AEE921005687">alpha matt</a> and <a href="http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&amp;friendID=2496684&amp;Mytoken=A2487FD6-AFE2-58E0-E2C3E007D880B98321494673">katie</a> are hitching outta here to santa cruz where they'll be meeting up with their ride in a van up the coast to trial. stoked. we were gonna race in teams of two out to santa cruz, but there isn't room for us in the van. oh well.</p>

<p>in other news, i fought with cingular for two hours yesterday and it looks like the only to turn my phone back on is to get a new number, which i don't want, all b/c of that stupid merger. big stupid mergers are sooo 1999. when are they gonna learn? so the (a)moral of the story is, i won't have a cell phone anymore. i'm sorry. the only way to reach me will be email, or this weblog.</p>

<p>so, i gotta go now. please try not to worry too much. i've done this many times over and i'm always safe and smart. <a href="http://scripts.cgispy.com/newsboard.cgi?action=view&amp;num=2&amp;user=script">besides, threepio will look after me</a>.</p>

<p>Currently playing in iTunes: <i>Bout Time We Give Something A Try</i> by One Reason</p>

<p>a bigger write up will come in the next day or two, but for now just know this: if its possible to have a perfect day, yesterday was damn fucking close.</p>

<p>some highlights: protest, bucket drum brigade, 'taking the streets', none of us getting arrested, guerrilla mic grab speeches, 'no war but class war', 'no blood or oil', 'all power to the people', bday party, bday kisses, trampopoline, backyard boat, tiki tiki torches, tango (mango style), dance floor, cobbler, chocochip bookis cookies, midnight movie : the end of suburbia, fast clear out, fast clean up.</p>

<p>Currently playing in iTunes: <i>Today's Empires, Tomorrow's Ashes</i> by Propagandhi</p>

<p>
  huddled by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shortwave_radio#Shortwave_listening">shortwave</a>.<br>
  cheering on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Liberation_Army">b.l.a.</a><br>
  we cried for the ones at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludlow_Massacre">ludlow</a><br>
  wrote songs about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_Commune">those beautiful months in 1871</a>.
</p>

<p>
  i'd like to think we've done our best, because we've been scared many a time.<br>
  but <a href="http://www.crimethinc.com/">have never given in</a>.
</p>

<p>Currently playing in iTunes: <i>Milk Crates</i> by Rosa</p>

<p>i still mean it. your presence is more important to me than your presents.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/veganstraightedge/153385827/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/54/153385827_bac1cfe33e_o.gif" alt="might mouse"></a></p>

<p>but it was still a swell present.</p>

steff crashycrashy: Are you scrolling all over the world?
shane becker: i am.
steff crashycrashy: vroom
shane becker: mighty scroll ball, i bow to thee.

i got a mighty mouse for my bday from steff.

<p>Currently playing in iTunes: <i>we're the shit</i> by James Miska</p>

<p>i like to say that <a href="http://www.veganoutreach.org/whyvegan/">veganism</a> is my health insurance. b/c aside from a <a href="http://wisdomtools.com/">2 month</a> window in 2001, i haven't had health insurance since high school. and even when i was younger it was spotty, b/c we didn't exactly have a lot of money. my mom can testify to this (this was the thing that convinced her that me being vegan wasn't so crazy): i don't really get sick any more since becoming vegan. it's (<a href="http://englishplus.com/grammar/00000227.htm">!</a>) not like its a perfect track record, but it's not like before where i'd get sick for days to weeks at a time. i remember carrying cough drops and syrup with me everyday to school all of junior high and early high school. i would get a chest cold late fall and have it til baseball season. every year.</p>

<p>then i went vegan (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/9_August">august 9, 1995</a> ... the same day Netscape launched IPO). i didn't get sick that fall/winter. and then again the next. that's when my mom noticed. <em>'wait a second, shane, you didn't get this year or last.'</em> that's when she when she decided it wasn't crazy.</p>

<p>like every rule there are exceptions. i do get a little under the weather sometimes. and even a little sick occasionally. like maybe once a year. only every few years top do i actually puke.</p>

<p>that was last night. i was walking from the kitchen to the living room when all the sudden i said (in a whimper of voice) 'i don't feel so good.' then all the sudden i was on fire with a fever. so i curled up in a sleeping bag. freezing and shaking while everyone was in just tee shirts. i was too cold slash woozy slash cold again to even read from the giant stack of comics i had right next to me. then... uh oh. i think i need to get up from the couch. i start walking to the bath while telling my body not to throw up yet. i look at nate and say 'not gooood.' make it into the bath, see the first piece of porcelain and then there's no holding back. all the lettuce from <a href="http://pfchangs.com/">p.f. chang's</a> i had earlier during <a href="http://www.fox.com/oc/">the o.c.</a> came right back up. i know, i know, i really should've aimed for the toilet, but my body saw a giant open chasm or porcelain. there was no stopping it. if i would've tried for the toilet, i would've gotten all of the carpet / rug and the toilet seat lid and stuff. it was for the best, i think.</p>

<p>then after that, like immediately after, i was world's better. still had my fever which i slept / sweated off. but by the time i woke up this morning i was all fixed.</p>

<p>so the moral of the story (even though i don't believe in morality) is veganism keeps me healthy.</p>

<p>Currently playing in iTunes: <i>Dead Ends</i> by By the Grace of God</p>