New attempts to provide an official definition of who qualifies to be called "homeless" are being made. Since Erneto "Che" Guevara was part of the rebel encampment in the Sierra Maestra mountains of Cuba, could he be eligible to be included in the Homeless Hall of Fame? Would the current owner of his Rolex be disposed to grant permission for it to be exhibited at such a hypothetical tourist destination?
Isn't there a very wealthy financier who lives in a series of posh hotel suits and is called the homeless billionaire? (Google hint: "Nicholas Berggruen")
If a benefit concert for the Homeless Hall of Fame were to be held, what famous artists would be qualified to perform if only formerly homeless people were permitted to provide the entertainment?
Isn't being homeless very similar to being a member of the United States Marine Corp? They say that once you become a Marine you will always be a Marine even when you are no longer "on active duty." Is becoming homeless an irreversible experience similar to loosing one's virginity?
It seems to this columnist who stayed in a succession of hostels while touring Australia, that the situation in Berkeley is being manipulated into a status seeker's issue. If a person has always had a home, does that make him (or her) a better citizen in a country that (ostensibly) believes in equality or would the friendship of a (formerly homeless) world famous celebrity be something to inspire selfies galore? Is there any aristocrat in Berkeley who would not want the inventory of their personal possession sullied by the inclusion of Che Guevara's Rolex on that list?
If Scott Timberg is accurate with his prediction that the era of corporate subsidized artistic creativity will eliminate spontaneity and serendipity from the pop culture scene altogether might be an example of predestination, but until that happens, the World's Laziest Journalist intends to be a rogue champion of arcane, esoteric, and idiosyncratic bits of information.
Is this a good time to insert a plug for Michael Parenti's newest book, "Profit Pathologes and other Indecencies"?
After learning about the Daily Cal story, we sent a link to some interested parties. We later learned that while we were sending a message to Berkeley's Ninja Kitty, he was getting busted for sleeping. Would it then be safe for us to assume that a kid can be arrested for sleeping on Shattuck Ave. in the B-town business district, but a student who sleeps in a UCB classroom is safe? Isn't that discrimination?
[Photo Editor's note: If the columnist can be serendipitous in the selection of items for the column, then the selection of the photo to illustrate a column must also have the latitude to be a tad impulsive, eh?]
Singer Dean Martin was the source for this week's closing quote. After the music group The Rolling Stones were featured on his TV variety show, he asked his audience: "Would you want your sister to marry a Rolling Stone?"
Now the columnist will direct the disk jockey to play all the tracks on the Rolling Stones' Hot Rocks double album, all the tracks on the More Hot Rocks album, and all the tracks on the "Exile on Main Street" album. We have to start compiling a list of celebrities and business executives who were homeless earlier in life. Have a "sundowner" type week.
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