10CentArcade's Insults, the Hippie Culture, and Hip Planet

This hippie's heart-song. (sorry this is so long)

I write this after being disrespected and insulted by a young man who goes by TenCent Arcade here at Hip Planet. In his confusion and insecurity he called me a "little jerk off" and tried to imply that I should be ashamed of being a grandfather so young, that somehow being a teenage parent was something to be ashamed of. He is angry that I do not agree with his republican beliefs. Well, he's just a kid, basically, or at least he is behaving like one, so I can't let that kind of petty insult get to me. Insults seem to be the bulk of what he is offering anyway (and he is probably enjoying this attention right now). But he did get me to thinking, so for that I should thank him.

It's wild to be here, in nearly 2005, a hippie on a computer. I am only 46, I was 10 in 1968 when Sgt. Pepper came out, and the Summer of Love had just happened the year before...before Woodstock had even happened, the year Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy were assassinated. But I was already a hippie in my heart. I got in trouble in school for having my hair parted in the middle and for having a big picture (torn out of a poster I found in an alley) of Jimi Hendrix's face and afro on my pee-chee folder when I was in 5th grade.

So here I am on this wild web-forum, nearly 40 years later, communicating with hippies and young hippie wannabees, on a new fangled contraption that was something out of a sci-fi movie when hippies showed up on the scene. You see, out in this mainstream world I live in here in America a guy like me is perceived as little more than a deadbeat lower class nobody, a second class citizen... I don't own a house or property, my cars are old, I have no investments or stock or 401K's or IRAs. I have long hair, a beard, tattoos and piercings.

I live in a rental house with my 3 grown kids (they were all taken from me very young, and one by one chose to move in with me after they had grown, in the last few years), a room mate, my grandchild and my sweet brilliant dog, "Nugget". By the standards of modern mainstream society I have achieved little in my lifetime and I don't amount to a hill of beans.

But within the counter-culture I am becoming an elder, and I have carved out some modest accomplishments. That's why it is so cool to hang out in a place like this. I've been lucky enough to have the opportunity to do some interesting stuff. I've been a peace and social justice activist for the last 20 years. I spent the entire 80's and half the 90's drumming and singing in rock bands, and toured a good portion of the country before activism took over my life, and all the drugs I had consumed in my youth.started catching up with my health (I have MS and RSD...Multiple Sclerosis and Reflex Sympathetic Dystrpohy, and they cause a little hitch in my git-a-long and offer a few speed bumps on the road of life for me).

I come with no great moral authority or grand hippie exaltation, but I have done some shit in my time and accomplished a few things. I am the executive director of the largest and most sophisticated pot rally on earth, the Seattle Hempfest http://www.hempfest.org, which annually brings 170,000+ people to check out our free 6 stages of bands and speakers, hundreds of arts, crafts and food vendors and 1,000 person volunteer staff. I am co-director of my state's chapter of NORML, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (http://www.norml.org), I'm regional director of the November Coalition (http://www.november.org) which advocates for non-violent offenders of America's failed drug laws and their families. I have been chosen High Times Magazine's 2001 "Freedom Fighter of the Year", which led to me being a celebrity judge at the Cannabis Cup (hack, cough, sputter) in Amsterdam several times, "Activist of the month" in Head's Magazine, "Local Hero" in Eat The State Magazine and some other groovy distinctions that are fun, but don't pay the rent.

My name is Vivian McPeak, so if you think I am making this all up, just Google me. and don't you think that I am trying to impress you with how "cool" I think I am. I am just a hippie guy who has been around for a little while, nothing more and nothing less. I am just trying to give some perspective on how I come to my beliefs and opinions, and that they are at least based upon experience. That I'm not *just* talkin' out my ass.

I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time by being in a band (Stickerbush) in Seattle throughout the heyday of the Grunge period, which led me to be good friends with a handful of folks that went on to be in some of the largest bands of the time, like Nirvana and Alice and Chains. Locally, in Seattle, I have been a TV host for a cable show for several years, THC-TV (The Hemp Channel Television) which you can check out on pot-tv.net, and I have organized and emceed hundreds of protests, marches, anti-drug war vigils and whatnot in the last coupla decades. I have been Rainbow Family for years, and am fair family at the Oregon Country Fair and lead the Dragon Parade.

But all this hoopla doesn't mean jack, really, because in the end it is what's in a person's heart and soul that matters. It is cool for me to be able to hang in a place like this, where there are folks who appreciate alternative culture achievements, where I can find some appreciation of the years of dedication and hard work I've logged trying to make the world a better place. But I don't expect anyone to treat me any better than they would anyone else here, after all, we are all basically equal in the eyes of the Spirit, and much of my accomplishments were done because I had others working with me who were equally dedicated, capable, and a lot of luck has contributed to my success. I've stumbled my way into the right time and place many times. I am exceedingly grateful to The Spirit for my good furtune and opportunity.

The point I am getting to is this: This community here, at Hip Planet is sacred. It is holy. Minds and hearts meet here & exchange ideas about alternatives to the sick, corrupt, insane and depressing world of capitalism, war, violence, greed and fear that predominates the corporate paradigm. Skip and whomever are responsible for this terrific resource and cyber-community should receive our thanks and appreciation.

The hippie culture has been demonized, stereotyped, relegated down to be something that most people laugh at, mock and brush off as some kind of silly fad of the 60's. Something to not be taken seriously in any way. When in actuality, the 60's hippie counter-culture has greatly impacted humanity, and is partially responsible for health food, the environmental movement, a lot of civil rights achievements, the global anti-war movement, gay rights, and the beat goes on.

Spirituality, yoga, rock music, vegetarianism, many aspects of society that we take for granted now were at one time very controversial, and the hippies paved the way and made many of those things household names over time. The right wing likes to blame every societal ill on the permissive environment of the 1960's, when in fact it is the soulless and heartless "me first" materialistic headspace of their ways that have almost fucked up the world to the point of no return. It is true, in the 60's many took too many drugs and had babies before they were able to support them, and made mistakes. But the vast majority of us hippies have done just fine. And it is too bad that many wandered off of the path as soon as the novelty of the faddism wore off.

So I want to thank you for being here for a guy like me, and for being intelligent enough to seek out alternatives to the mainstream death culture, and for being so kind and nurturing. Ya'll rock, and there are always gonna be a few bone heads, some tourists and some juvenile immature hurtin' units who troll around places like this trying to start shit with anyone who will take their bait. But they are vastly outnumbered here, and diluted by great spirits like yourself, and in time they will learn to be better humans by just hangin out in the Living Light of your Love.

I know that most of you already know the majority of anything I have to offer, I just felt a hankerin' to share my heart-song with you around this virtual campfire. My thoughts are not neccesarily the truth, but they are my truths, and if they are valuable to even one person here than it was worth taking the risk of appearing like I am full of myself and ego-tripping. I know my many shortcomings, and that for every cool thing I have done there is an equally lame or boneheaded thing I have done somewhere along the way on this long and winding road of life.

Happy Solstice and Merry Yule,
In love and peace, and humble respect and appreciation, your brother, Vivian-
Om Ma Ni Pad Me Hum

 

"It is what's in a persons heart and soul that matters"
Nuff said right there. =)
What a wonderful and full life you have led thus far. You bring alot of light here.
Blessings to you and yours.

 

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahaha.


Damn. I rule.

 

Hi Templedragon. Its important not to take peoples insults in here too seriously. Hay I'll be in Seattle in a month or so. Maybe my partner Jerm - as in Jeremy I don't know why he chose that nicname-and I may take you up on your offer. It'd be sweet to meet you. I think yer cool, I bet I'd think you were cool if you weren't all famous an stuff too, your posts are well thought out.

 

Alright, Templedragon, before you suffer too much more, I should tell you something that your sense of humor would have told you, if you had one: I am a troll. A gimmick. Don't take me so goddamn seriously.

 

Merry Meet, TempleDragon!!!!! How neat to meet someone such as yourself from these here parts. I live in Graham, near Puyallup. yep from the south. HaHa. And as far as TenCentArcade goes, you'll have to ignore him as I do. He's not very nice.

 

And yet somehow, a pervert like Juggalo4ever is liked more. You know, I never figured that one out.

 

it's an uphill battle. Juggs just happens to be winning it.

 

That was the best post i've read on hipforums for a long time.

Glad to have you around hipforums... your dog's name is the shit!

 

hey *hug* nice to meet you

 

Sorry, that was way too long to read all of it. I got 4 paragraphs in but decided to focus on this one. The kids a jackass. A gimmick. A troll. Like he said, pay him no mind. He's angry cuz you got lovin' at a young age, and he gets buttsex. I"d be upset too if I were him. He's got a small ass, and he says his boyfriend is "packin" whatever the fuck that means.

 

Inspiring words to live by indeed.
Thank you Templedragon.

 

Cry me a god damned moat.

 

I just read TD's letter, and saw your response so, here I go with a poem for both of you.

08-09-91
BG13​

Doves and Dragons​

​

​

Wings of smoke rise, curling skyward.
As golden daggers stab the night.
They pierce the new moon's underbelly.
None can stop the dragon's flight.​

​

Woodsprites dance as lids grow heavy.
We doze and dream of dragon's breath.
They join their hands to form a ring.
And all await the noble king.​

​

First crimson waves prepare his way.
Rolling out above our heads.
His brilliant presence strikes us all.
His life renewed, we leave our beds.​

​

The dragon gone, we feel secure.
Though with the dove she rules the sky.
Her head is blessed with wisdom pure.
Some fear her, without knowing why.​

​

The dove is one that few would fear.
His wings extend to warm the weak.
In times of pain his peace is near.
His charges are the poor and meek.​

​

We do not fear the one we know.
Yet still require the dark unknown.
With either gone, we end the show,
As neither can exist alone.​

 

I guess i've always been a little bewildered by "trolls"
Do you not have anything better to do than put out more negative energy into the world? Do you derive pleasure from being an ass and making yourself look small?

 

Jesus, you peace-fag, just shut the fuck up. Calling someone a dirty name over the internet is not going to "put out negative energy into the world".

 

Tessez vous!

mangez merde............lol



it does too, just a little, but it is -ve, not +ve.


Love you, BG13 joyeux noel

 

Stop making up gibberish.

 

translation:


merry christmas



eat shit


lol

Que?

 

Why didn't you learn a good language... like Mandarin or something...

Crazy French giberish.