birthday present." He wouldn't

My Best Birthday Present - Timothy Leary My Best Birthday Present I haven't celebratedmy birthday in decades. Sure, when you're a kid it's exciting to add ayear to your age, have your parents gather your friends, blow out the candles,and get presents, but today I turn 49 and the last thing on earth I feellike doing is celebrating, much less blowing out a fire. Nothing very specialabout November 10th other than it is the day that Stanley found Livingston.Okay, I wouldn't mind a present or two, but that's more a matter of actuallyneeding stuff than thinking I deserve any sort of reward just for havingsurvived another year. I've always felt it was a wee bit egomaniacal tothrow yourself a big birthday party. Nothing wrong with celebrating others,but when it comes to celebrating yourself, it shouldn't be in public. Fifteen years ago todayit was also my birthday and, as normal, I was doing what I always do, whatI still do, what I'm doing right now, writing at my computer, with absolutelyno plans for the day. When you don't have a plan, there's nothing to deviatefrom. You can do whatever you want without fear of failure because howcan you fail when you don't have any goal in mind? Whatever happens, happens,and it's good or bad on its own terms. The higher you get your hopes up,the further you have to fall, so I never count on anything. If somethingbad happens, too bad. If something good happens, it's a gift. There was a knock atthe door. I opened it and there was Timothy Leary who said "Hi, I'm yourbirthday present." He wouldn't explain how or why this came to be, or whoin particular was bestowing him upon me. He was simply there, and he wouldhang out for at least an hour. All he would tell me was that he was toldI was someone he should meet. Whenever you meet someonefamous in a personal situation, it's hard to know how to behave, particularlyif they're enormous media stars. After all, you've spent hours gazing atthem, thinking about them, perhaps days or weeks staring at their image.Imagine the hundreds of hours you've spent with certain stars broadcastregularly into your living room. They feel like a friend, like you actuallyknow them. They're not and you don't, but it's a hard feeling to shakewhen they're standing right in front of you, coming into your house, sittingon your sofa, checking the place out while waiting for you to bring thema drink. No matter how many memories you have of them, they have none ofyou. To them, you are a total stranger. Treat them like a fan would andyou risk becoming part of their teeming crowd of lookie loos. Treat themlike you don't know who they are and they could get insulted. No way tomake a friend. Friendships deserve an even playing field, so it's hardto think of yourself as the friend of a celebrity until they know as muchabout you as you know about them. Which is why celebrities are SO interestedwhen you interrupt them somewhere in public and tell them about your uncleSid's gall bladder operation. I wanted to be friendswith Timothy Leary so he had a hell of a lot of catching up to do becausehe knew nothing about me and I knew a lot about him, or at least I thoughtI did. I shifted into show-and-tell mode, whipping out a book of Polaroidsfor him to peruse. He enjoyed my madness immensely and I proceeded to tellhim something I'm sure he heard a million times. My life was profoundlychanged by his research into psychedelia, combined with reading Tom Wolfe's"The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test," the Beatles, and meeting a guy namedMario in 1970 who claimed to be the husband of the actual Alice that ArloGuthrie sang about but who supported his acting habit by selling acid atLee Strasberg's studio where I happened to be studying at the time. But I digress. Thefirst and foremost influence that Timothy Leary had upon me was my art,which simply didn't exist. Before my first acid trip, I wasn't an artist.I had never played guitar, had certainly never created any impressionism,and hadn't written a single word other than school assignments. Maybe Iwould have discovered these talents on my own, but if my Polaroids remindyou of acid flashbacks, welcome to the club. On acid, what I do to my Polaroids,you can do to reality. Move it around a little. Make big things look small,small things look big, marvel at the infinite depths you're capable ofperceiving, as though reality were a 3D comic book and for the first timeyou were looking at it with the red-and-blue glasses. Pre-acid, I was onlyinterested in being an actor, moving to New York to study with Lee Strasberg,and getting in a Broadway play. On acid, I actually attempted to give aperformance from Spoon River Anthology in front of the man himself, a performancehe declared "interesting," a performance that convinced me that actingwas a very strange profession. While personally communicating with theinfinite miracles of the universe, I had a very hard time convincing myselfthat the most important thing I could be doing was pretending to be a fictionalcharacter while reciting dialogue written by a writer I'd never met. Post-acidI walked home from the Village to my boarding house at 39th and Park, pickedup my roommate's guitar and started playing. It wasn't long before I wasa better guitar player than actor, and I ended up composing music for severaloff-Broadway shows. Way off Broadway. The Company Theater at La Cienegaand Pico in Los Angeles to be precise. Other acid trips wereless eventful and I stopped taking it, but not before playing with my firstSX-70 Polaroid camera and discovering I didn't need acid to change realityto my own specifications. We talked and talked.He wasn't a drug addled guru and I wasn't an acid burnout. He was extremelyintelligent. My vision of Leary had been fogged by his media image, andI had forgotten that he was a Harvard professor. Luckily, some others forgottoo and that's how he escaped from prison. The most amazing story he toldme was this one... When he was bustedby the Feds for possession of one single joint of pot and sentenced to20 years in a Federal penitentiary, the prison officials did what theyalways did with new prisoners, they gave him a psychological test to determinewhether he would go to a minimum or maximum security prison. He passedthe test with flying colors and was sent to minimum security where he promptlyescaped. What the officials didn't know was that Leary himself wrote thepsychological test for the Federal prison system when still at Harvard,so he knew exactly what answers to give. After a couple hours,my birthday present had to leave, but in his new life as Hollywood gadflyI kept running into him over the years at video shows and art galleries.I'm glad he lived long enough to experience the Internet, and if you haven'tseen his site, it's still up at http://leary.com/ and well worth a peek. Excuse me, there'sthe door. Emulsional Problems

Gift Ideas, Unique Baby

Baby Gift: Baby Gift Ideas, Baby Shower Gifts, Gifts For Baby, Baby Shower Favors, Baby Gift Baskets, Baby Gifts Personalized, Baby Shower Gift Ideas, Unique Baby Gifts, Baby Names, Baby Showers Area Rugs Baby Shower Goods Birth Announcements Blankets Clothing/Layette Dcor Diaper Cakes Family Gifts First Birthday Gift Baskets/Sets Gift Certificates Holiday Jewelry Multiples Noah's Ark Personalized Play Religious/Christening Silver/Pewter affiliate program store policies testimonials gift wrapping gift certificates specials & discounts wholesale/drop-shipping links & resources Gifts for Baby, Easy for You! BabyGiftIdea.com offers personalized and unique baby gifts and baby shower party goods to commemorate the special new baby in your life. Simply choose your unique baby gifts, and we will add a free baby gift card, package the gifts with care, and send them anywhere, without a receipt in the gift box! Little Princess Gift Basket Welcome the regal little one in style. "Your highness" will love the many unique and coordinating "Little Princess" themed gifts presented in this dazzling new basket. SAME DAY SHIPPING if ordered by 12pm eastern time. $84.50 each click for details Personalized Ornament These charming 6" ornaments come in 3 styles and are personalized and hand-finished with your child's name. The artwork is heat-sealed into each tile, ensuring a high quality finish. This adorable item takes 2-3 weeks to make, so order early! $31.95 each click for details space Personalized Baby Blankets Choose from 19 unique designs. Personalization included in the price. Satisfaction guaranteed. $44.50 each click for styles Site map space 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 Baby Gift Idea Home page and border designs: Roger Hsiao Illustrations: Pam McNay

Housewarming Gift Ideas Moving

Gifts For House Warming - Gifts BW gifts | gifts Resources | Add URL Wine Gifts & Baskets From the casual wine drinker to the serious enthusiast, we have a gift that will make them smile. Our selection includes premium wine, gourmet baskets, distinctive champagne sets & the very finest California and Northwest wines. Gifts For House Warming Articles Cocktails Holiday Shopping Guide 2000 - Hang-Overs Holiday Cocktail Shopping -Hang-Overs bottle coverings...( Continue Reading ) Housewarming Gift Ideas Moving into a new home is a time that's full of possibilies, and we often share in the excitement by taking a housewarming gift to the new homeowners. But what should you give? Here are our favorite, and not so favorite gift ideas for housewarmings....( Continue Reading ) Knitting Patterns For Pillows Free knitting patterns for pillows....( Continue Reading ) Gift Ideas for Every Occasion Need a special gift for a holiday or special occasion? Get someinspiration from these gift ideas that range from the simple and classic to the unique and do-it-yourself!...( Continue Reading ) Wedding Flowers, Entertaining, Tips, and More Weddings are a once in a lifetime event for most of us. You'll find some wonderful wedding sources and ideas for rehearsal dinners, flowers, and gift ideas. If a wedding is in your future, don't miss this special page!...( Continue Reading ) Gifts For House Warming Directory Links anniversary gifts for her words to simple gifts flowers plants gifts best gifts for men florida fruit gifts holiday citrus gifts wine and gifts gifts for readers easter gifts children gifts valentine gifts from india to usa popular wedding gifts wedding gifts etiquette yearly anniversary gifts gifts for groomsman sending gifts online coffee gift baskets www black gifts com teenage birthday gifts gifts for flower girls capalbo gift baskets first fathers day gifts anniversary gifts ideas woven baskets home made christmas gifts second wedding gifts gifts for 60th birthday birthday gifts for children christmas gifts for him royce craft baskets simple gifts shaker employee holiday gifts bridesmaids gifts corporate anniversary gifts simple gifts midi gifts chocolate personalized golf gifts traditional house warming gifts thanksgiving gifts valentines day gifts for women natural baby gifts gifts for expectant mother horse gifts teacher gifts to make unique wedding gifts Popular Search Terms: Gifts BW © 2004 Gifts BW All trademarks are the property of their respective owners. All Rights Reserved. This site is not related to Brajeshwar or Brajeshwar.com in anyway, shape or form

Gift Baskets Wine Gift

Gift Baskets and Wine Basket Gifts by Wine Country Gift Baskets -- search: click here for advanced search Welcome Guest ACCOUNT SIGN IN ORDER STATUS SHOPPING BASKET Mothers Day -- Free Shipping Online Specials Gourmet Food Gift Baskets Wine Gift Baskets Gift Towers Theme Baskets Candle Gift Baskets -- Spa Gift Baskets Teddy Bear Baskets GHIRARDELLI Chocolate -- GODIVA Gift Baskets -- Wine Country's Private Cellar Wines By Family Kosher Gift Baskets -- Birthday Gift Baskets Coffee Gift Baskets Thank You Gifts Get Well Gift Baskets Sympathy Baskets Romance Gift Baskets Corporate Gifts New Baby Baskets Customer Service Catalog Request Corporate Sales Contact Us FAQ's Make Us Your Homepage Bookmark This Page Tell a Friend The #1 Gift Basket Website! Source:Alexa 5/2005 -- The Ritz Perfect for sharing, this large metal basket is generously filled with some of Wine Country's finest food. This deluxe assortme... $ 99.95 Pacific Heights Five individually boxed and beautifully wrapped surprises. Soft and chewy vanilla caramels, cranberry popcorn clusters, Belgian milk chocolate truffles, Mama Mell... $ 19.95 Crane Lake Duet Whether they prefer red or white wine, you can't miss with this terrific selection. Crane Lake Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon are brought together w... $ 39.95 World of Thanks Express your gratitude with this fresh and enjoyable basket. Filled with Ghirardelli milk chocolate with almonds, Godiva milk chocolate hot cocoa, dried apr... $ 39.95 Spa Gift Baskets Wine Gift Baskets Corporate Gifts Gourmet Food Gift Baskets | | Wine Gift Baskets | | Gift Towers | | Theme Baskets | | Candle Baskets | | Spa Gift Baskets | | GHIRARDELLI Chocolate GODIVA Gift Baskets | | Wine Country's Private Cellar | | Wines By Family | | Online Specials | | Free Shipping Customer Service | | Catalog Request | | Corporate Sales | | Contact Us | | FAQ's | | Employment | | Links | | Site Map | | Privacy Policy 2005 Wine Country Gift Baskets. All rights reserved. (800) 324-2793 WCGB01

Buy Gift Card to

Best Buy GC - $30 Gift Card - MOVIES JC ');}else {document.write('');}//-- Entire Site Electronics Cameras & Camcorders Computers Home Appliances Phones & Communications Office Products Music -Album Title -Artist -Song Movies -Title -Person Games Software Resources Birthday Best Buy Geek Squad Weddings Music Games Movies Purse Best Buy Global Gift Cards Product Info Our Price: $30.00 Free Shipping In Stock Usually ships in 1 business day Estimate arrival time . Store Availability Not Available Best Buy GC$30 Gift Card Model: MOVIES JC Help them meet their movie fix in exactly the way they want. Give a Best Buy Gift Card to the movie buffs in your life and let them go wild. Our HDTV-themed Gift Cards are shipped free of charge, good toward any future in-store and online purchase. More Options Compare with products in this price range. About Us News Center Careers For Our Investors Business to Business Community Relations Store Pickup Returns & Exchanges Store Locator Weekly Ad Financing Offers Buy Gift Cards Check Gift Card Balance Best Buy Credit Card Affiliates Program Offer Sign-Up Rebates Warranties Service Plans PC Upgrades Repairs Replacement Parts Software End User License Agreement Car Home Entertainment Satellite Appliances Welcome . Please create an account or Sign in . Your Cart Contains 0 items Subtotal: $0.00 View Cart | Checkout Your Account Best Buy Credit Order Status Wish List Gift Cards Order Status Shipping Rates Returns Rebates Store Pickup Site Map Performance Plans Your California Privacy Rights Conditions of Use | Legal Policies | Privacy Policy Online prices and selection generally match our retail stores, but may vary. Prices and offers are subject to change. © 2003-2004 Best Buy. All rights reserved. For personal, noncommercial use only.