Why Hate the Hippies?

Thanks For Nothing Hippie, originally uploaded by The Painted Ground of San Jose Avenue.

t.a.f.k.a.y.e.l.r.a and company attended a show last night in the House that Bill and Jerry built. We went to see our pal Leslie from the Great White North, who happened to have an ursine Brooklyn-based quartet precede her on stage. An excellent show, we must say. Not to rub it in, but a BSS friend stopped by during the encore. Excellent.

While at the venerated venue, t.a.f.k.a.y.e.l.r.a. got to thinking. Mostly about how this year marks the a big birthday for the history of San Francisco and a certain city 115 miles to our south. If you get a chance, check out this program. Although it is on a Viacom-owned channel that somehow has snarkily lost its direction (as has its junior counterpart), it's a fun time for all. Also, to commemorate this momentous summer, the History Channel has been running this debacle. It was just a tad too counter-counterculture for our tastes.

Our money, as always, is on the classics.

This also got us thinking about the above stencil. Why is there hatred against the hippies now?

Sure, the former hippies are fighting the crusty punks in the Upper Haight, another fine (if not justified) example of counter-counterculture.

Yet, the legacy still lives on in this fine city and the rest of the country has adopted many of its practices. We're still fighting the good fight against a leader that is misdirecting our country. We're doing our damnedest to save the only planet we have.

Depressing things aside, we are blessed to have so many fine acts that have smaller venues to play in. While the rest of the world can have their intelligence insulted over and over again, there are those of us who beg differently. Perhaps those who seek out alternative entertainment are counterculture themselves? t.a.f.k.a.y.e.l.r.a. hope he's not grasping at straws here.