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Steve McAllister

The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are. - Joseph Campbell

About Me

The Rucksack Letters is the year and a half travelogue of Steve McAllister, a man brought up in the Southern Baptist Church only to leave it behind in his early twenties after being stuck in a quagmire of disillusionment. With a blind faith in something known as God, and a fresh diagnosis of Attention Deficit Disorder, Steve set off with a backpack and a pen to explore the country he was born into. Visiting places as varied as a Buddhist monastery, hippie communies, Radical Faerie communes, an anarchist compound, and pre and post 9/11 New York, Steve worked his way through 26 states in his search through his society, his spirit, and those who would share in his journey. Now in its third edition, The Rucksack Letters – A Prodigal Fool on a Hero’s Journey, is a must read for anyone interested in the status of life in America and finding peace in one’s own journey.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO WWW.LIFEATADIFFERENTPACE.COM
A little over six years ago, I started seeking answers to why my life had not met the level of success I'd dreamed of as a child. It seemed that though my life had been fraught with adventure and interesting escapades, most of my endeavors had harvested failure. Some time later a friend introduced me to the criteria of Attention Deficit Disorder. It was like reading my biography.
Having just finished film school and sporting an unused degree in Psychology, it seemed natural for me to create a documentary on the subject. With a friend and his camera, I set about collecting 10 hours worth of interviews with numerous professionals and myself discussing the matter.
Then I watched the footage, put it in a box, and left to hitchhike across the country and write a book. In the ensuing years I explored my disorder at various levels, both learning more about it and almost letting it destroy me. Finally, I have completed the film I set out to make all those years ago with more knowledge, not only of the disorder, but also of myself.
We will be offering this DVD for the introductory price of $29.95 (plus tax, shipping & handling) only through the month of September. After that time, the price will go to its normal price of $59.99. Take this opportunity to order your copy now. For more information and to purchase your copy, go to www.lifeatadifferentpace.com.
These are a few of the songs I've written and recorded. I hope you enjoy.
LONG CRAWL - LIVE AT THE ROSEMARY RISING FESTIVAL 12/16/06
Long Crawl
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My Interests

Live, love, the pursuit and attainment of happiness. Peace. Writing. Movies. Music. Stillness. Swimming in the Gulf on a summer night. Travel.Meeting new people for the second time. Meeting old people for the first. Alheimer's Disease. A good sense of humor. Doing everything with play.Sunstainability. Conservation. Environmental Responsibility.Did I mention Peace?That flurry of hope, belief and courage that inspired Dr. King to lead marches, Jack to hit the road, and Jesus to walk to Golgotha.Women.People with interesting stories. Stories with interesting people.Questioning the definition of 'The American Way'.Challenging the status quo.Doing what I love. Loving who I'm with. And getting loved in return.

I'd like to meet:

For the best in eco-conscious jewelry, go see Jaszy.

Music:

Counting Crows, Ben Harper, Toad the Wet Sprocket, The Refreshments, Ray Lamontagne, Matt Corbin, Bob Dylan, Steve Earle, Sheryl Crow, The Black Crowes, just about any Crows, Indigo Girls, Twinkle, Coldplay, U2, Billy Joel, Elvis, the Beatles (yes, I'm a fence rider), Bob Marley, Jack Johnson, Ella Fitzgerald, Sade, Norah Jones, Prince, and a good mix of other stuff with a good beat and lyrics that mean something.

Movies:

Waking Life, , Fight Club, Jaws, Adaptation, Eternal Sunshine, As Good As It Gets, Life is Beautiful, Tommy Boy, Spider Man, Fear adn Loathing in Los Vegas, The Big Lebowski, Good Will Hunting, Dead Poet's Society, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Dark City, Amelie, Moulin Rouge, Napoleon Dynamite,... this list could go on for awhile.

Television:

What else is on?

Books:

Cultural Creatives, The Audacity of Hope, Anything by Tom Robbins, Joseph Campbell, Jack Kerouac, Emerson, Marianne Williamson, Dave Barry, David Sedaris, Thom Hartmann, Daniel Quinn, Chuck Pahlaniuk, Christopher Moore, Carl Hiassen, Walter Mosely, Deepak, Wayne Dyer, Ishmael, A Course in Miracles, the Celestine Prophecy, The Irresistible Revolution, Be Here Now, The Prophet, the Bible, Tao te Ching, Bhadavad Gita, Power vs. Force...

Heroes:

Jesus, Jack Kerouac, Martin Luther King, Jr., Bruce Lee, Bono, Gandhi, Paul Newman...

My Blog

How to win a Pulitzer Prize

             I've recently started to re-read the book Blindness by Jose Saramago. Well, I should say that I'm just starting to read it. I attempt...
Posted by Steve McAllister on Wed, 04 Jun 2008 01:20:00 PST

A New Earth - The new evolution

Tolle goes on to state that when an organism reaches a point of crisis, it either changes or dies. He alludes to the concept of life on land evolving from life in the sea, stating that fish possibly s...
Posted by Steve McAllister on Thu, 10 Apr 2008 08:36:00 PST

A New Earth - Religion and Spirituality

There is a definite difference between religion and spirituality. Though they do not have to be completely independent of one another, the basis of their construction lies on a different foundation....
Posted by Steve McAllister on Thu, 10 Apr 2008 08:34:00 PST

A New Earth - The Arising New Consciousness

             In Power vs. Force, Dr. David Hawkins states that as one individual moves into a higher state of consciousness, the entire collective...
Posted by Steve McAllister on Wed, 09 Apr 2008 02:55:00 PST

A New Earth

             I’m currently reading A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle for the second time. It is subtitled "Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose...
Posted by Steve McAllister on Wed, 09 Apr 2008 02:32:00 PST

Is America truly a democracy?

             Is America truly a democracy? From the definition of democracy that I have come to embrace, it allows the general population the oppo...
Posted by Steve McAllister on Mon, 07 Apr 2008 08:06:00 PST

Forcing Democracy

          One of the many reasons that have been given as the purpose of the war in Iraq is to create a democratic government. However, the idea of democra...
Posted by Steve McAllister on Mon, 07 Apr 2008 08:03:00 PST

Political Investment

            I have somehow been added to the newsletter list for the Republican Senatorial Committee. In their most recent plea for money and conserva...
Posted by Steve McAllister on Mon, 07 Apr 2008 08:00:00 PST

For the Syesha Mercado fans

Hey Syesha fans!   I’ve recently uncovered some bootleg video that we shot awhile ago of Syesha performing with the Drum Studio All Stars. Most are from the Sarasota Arts: Past, Present and...
Posted by Steve McAllister on Mon, 31 Mar 2008 04:25:00 PST

Is stem cell research playing God?

               In the argument over stem cell research, the primary argument that I have heard is based on the idea that further expansion in...
Posted by Steve McAllister on Sat, 29 Mar 2008 11:12:00 PST