PLEASE READ TO THE BOTTOM BEFORE REQUESTING. 😄

ABOUT ME

Photographer, graphic designer, starting to learn woodworking. I spend a lot of my energy trying to figure out how to leave my world in better shape than I found it.

Currently working from home in Oakland, CA. I lived in and loved Albuquerque, NM for 12 years.

I surfed the US with slam poets 2002–2012, and consider hosting an honor. I surfed some in Western Europe in the early 2000s.

CURRENT MISSION

Learning purpose, enjoying peace.

PHILOSOPHY

If we survive this, it'll be a hell of a party.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

---------------------------- READ THIS OR YOUR REQUEST WILL NOT GET FAR ----------------------------

Time for Crabby Curmudgeon Adam!

I do this because I believe in a post-capitalist economy of collaboration. I expect you to read my profile before you ask to stay with me. I read yours before I wrote you back, so fair's fair. I work hard to make and keep my house awesome. You'll love it here, so read on and send me a request!

*** PROOF OF VACCINATION & DAY-OF NEGATIVE TEST REQUIRED TO STAY HERE ***

NO REFERENCES? GIMME A WEEK. I accept surfers with no references, but you *must* have a thorough About Me section, and give seven days' notice. Respecting that request shows me you'll also respect my house.

2+ REFERENCES? 3 DAYS. Not tonight; not tomorrow, not the night after. My nights are precious, and I'd hate to have to reject you with so little notice.

PLEASE, NO FLOATING DATES. Please be 90% sure of your plans before you ask to stay here.

ARRIVING AFTER 5:00? PLEASE SURF WITH SOMEONE ELSE. Once you're checked in and the dog knows you, your hours are your business. I like getting to know you, and I don't like rushing that, so 5:00 gives us plenty of time.

SEND ALL PROFILES. If you're traveling in a group, send everyone's profile so:
a. I can vet everyone, and
b. each of you benefits from a reference.

PLEASE TOUCH BASE THE NIGHT BEFORE/MORNING OF. More than once, a few hours after a surfer was supposed to get here, I heard they'd nearly died on the freeway. If your plans change, just tell me.

Requests that don't mention the codeword "platypus" will be rejected. No joke. This is my brown m&m.

Interests

Graphic design & typography, photography, poetry for page and stage, my hometown and the house I grew up in, literature, pop-leaning hard Sci Fi, Post-Capitalism, sipping extra-fine whiskey/tequila/rye/brandy/reallyanythingbutvodka, organic & biodynamic gardening, Permaculture design, high-tech/no-tech/"4th world" design, Northeastern US/Indigenous history, cooking, anti-racist sex-positive feminism & other systems approaches to being a better man, how much better the Beatles sound on vinyl, stories & storytelling, the regular nightly journey into the Dreaming.

• writing
• books
• literature
• design
• graphic design
• photography
• cooking
• gardening
• technology
• reading
• cycling
• history
• feminism
• post-capitalism
• post-civilization

Music, Movies, and Books

Dub, folk, rock, hip hop, indie & old-school country, metal, acoustic blues, drone, neoclassical, electronica, etc., etc..

I used to be into movies like I'm still into music. I have some favorites, but it's hard to think of them now. Let's say Before Sunrise and Battlestar Galactica. That about sums me up.

I'm a very slow reader, in the middle of too many books. Bar none, the most influential book in my world has been Ishmael. If you stay with me, I may give you a copy.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

After I gave up my son for adoption, I've stayed in his life (regular visits, texts, videos, FaceTime calls) since he was born.

Teach, Learn, Share

Photography, Photoshop, graphic design, and woodworking. What I know, you have every right to benefit from.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Good conversation, frozen desert recipes, hummus recipes, an obnoxious amount to say about civilization and the purpose of stories, creative and line-editing, probably a passage from whatever I'm reading, bookbinding techniques, stories of this and that, gear-headed shop-talk about photography…

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, France, Germany, Mexico, Netherlands, Spain, United Kingdom, Venezuela

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States, Venezuela

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