crazy little story ran in the SF Chronicle the other day. seems some merry pranksters decided to strap 100 helium balloons to a chicken and set it aloft over san francisco, reportedly imitating a recent TV commercial.
as it turned out, this ill-fated sojourn came to a tumultuous halt in western addition as the fowl got tangled in some power lines. nevertheless, PG&E officials were able to rescue the bird and deliver it to a local animal shelter.
and so, odd ball animal cruelty saga becomes feel-good animal adoption tale...
as word of this bird's ordeal spread, animal lovers starting lining up to give this chickadee a new home. all told, 22 different applications were filed to formerly adopt the chicken, officially dubbed "Amelia," presumably paying homage to Amelia Earhart.
shelter officials waded through the various applications gazing at "drawings of palatial chicken coops," sifting through "testimonials from children in educational chicken programs," and contemplating desperate pleas like one from a San Francisco man who "needed Amelia as a companion for his current chicken . . . [who] just completed 31 performances in a play about chickens."
how to narrow the field? well, quite obviously, a chicken lottery. three names were drawn at random, with the finalists then facing one-on-one interviews.
and thus, feel-good animal adoption tale transforms into metaphysical zen-like allegory...
apparently, the interview process took on PHD exam-like proportions. here's a subset of the questions:
some lady from concord ultimately emerged the winner ("my husband says i treat chickens better than i treat him").
however, the full significance of this tale potentially extends far beyond the factual outcome: the quest for the chicken suggests a new metaphor for life.
after all, what are we all up to if not "seeking the chicken"?
so much of life is about the search, whether it's for a mate, a job, a home, a passion, a religion, a meaning . . . the chicken could very well encapsulate it all.
or, at the very least, it could give us a conveniently ambiguous explanation for what we've been doing all these years.
so, the question is out there for each of us: why do YOU seek the chicken? surely a question we'd all do well to consider . . .
addendum: to check out the full chronicle article itself, click here.
much of the old school Bojon contingent was on the east coast this past weekend to attend the nuptials of two of the crew.
quite a cadre of characters flew in for this event, and it was truly a treat to be part of it.
a few days in NYC on the front end of the trip provided an excellent reminder of just how incredible THE CITY is. the whole place is one living, breathing bundle of energy. and the place never slows down.
we were out at 4am on thursday, and the streets were downright bustling. impossible to say where people were going, but impossible to deny that they were on some sort of mission. also impossible not to get swept up in it.
the anonymity of it all is at once refreshing AND unsettling. on the one hand, small problems become totally irrelevant as one is filled with a tremendous rush of what could be. on the other hand, one's identity shrinks to the size of pea against the backdrop of skyscrapers, speeding cabs, and fleeting dreams.
love it or hate it, you gotta respect and admire the BIG APPLE.
the wedding itself was held at the glenmere mansion about an hour outside of the city. quirky bunch of jersey towns out that way (ho-ho-kus, suffern, mahwah - the wedding party stayed in mahwah).
nothing quirky about the mansion, though. the place was top notch. the glenmere is a 32-room Italian Villa built on 150 acres with killer views of the glenmere lake.
the weather did not exactly cooperate the day of the festivities. in fact, it was a veritable tempest. driving rains kept us under a tent for the ceremony and inside the mansion for the reception.
no worries, though. it would have taken a lot more than some inclement weather to keep this crowd from having a blast. the band jammed, the food was superb, and the vibe was strong.
besides, if superstition holds, rain at a wedding is a sign of fertility. so look out world, we're likely to have a new little league team on the way soon!!!
big thanks to all who made it out to the Bojon Reggae Shindig this past weekend. the reggae was jammin', the mai tais were flowin', and over 500 people were spreading the love. what a killer evening!!!
here is a gallery of photos from the festivities.
also, a photography company called Ovahere.com has posted all of the shots they took of the party on their site.
stay tuned for the next official Bojon party coming up in a few months . . .
3rd annual Bojon Reggae Shindig coming strong . . .
that's right, the Kingdom of Bojon is stoked for our upcoming hawiian-style bash this saturday, june 14 at broadway studios in san francisco.
break out the hawiian shirts and hula skirts 'cause we've dialed up a luxury sandbox complete with smokin' live reggae beats, tasty mai tais, killer surf footage, and some slammin' late night hip-hop.
doors will open at 8pm and stay open 'til 2am. arrive early to beat the line and take advantage of the EARLY BIRD SPECIAL - 2 FOR 1 MAI TAIS ('til 10pm).
the opening band, Justi-Fi, comes on at 9:30, offering up a high energy combination of reggae, hip-hop and old-school funk all rolled into one.
Pacific Vibrations then takes the stage around 10:15 to throw down an original blend of upbeat ska rhythms and classic reggae roots, set off by an eclectic dosage of horns. this self-styled reggae/ska/roots/surf/jam band brings strong energy to the equation and should be a real treat.
after Pacific Vibrations, DJ Manny Black will keep the groove fresh, spinning a solid mix of old school and new school hip-hop.
RSVP for this shindig to get on the list and knock $5 off the cover. the deadline to RSVP is this thursday. tix will also be available at the door the night of the show.
contacted at his cabana somewhere near wrightsville beach, the Bojon founder himself waxed philosophic about the prep for this year's shindig:
big bojon reggae shindig right around the corner (june 14), and so the kingdom was relatively tame this past weekend, focused mainly on getting ready for the upcoming festivities.
of course, "relatively" is a relative term. and "getting ready" involves at least a degree of carousing.
solid mix of high-end socializing at the clift hotel . . .
low-end bottom feeding at the fishbowl . . .
and a chillin' BBQ in honor of some old school bojon newlyweds who were passing through san fran . . .
look for the chaos to pick up this weekend as the countdown to the reggae shindig gains momenum and the city offers up some killer entertaiment options including the union street fair, the haight street fair, and the return of the second sunday party at kelly's mission rock.
perhaps, this would be a good time to fasten the seat belts . . .