Friar Tuck 

(Steven Stine)

1948 - 1999

 
I first met Tuck over 30 years ago at Morningstar over plates of chili. Later I crashed at his and Sandi's pad on Cole St. in the Haight. Our paths crossed again in North Beach in S.F. where we both lived for a while. Often he dragged me out of my tiny hotel room and drove me out into the country for some fresh air. The last time I saw him was a few years back at the Mayday party at Wheeler's ranch - by then he was a family man!

Friar Tuck created the Morningstar Homepage web site and ran it until his death in August 1999. His generosity was legendary, as demonstrated by the following testimonials. He created the Virtual Morningstar bulletin board as a favor to me, and kept it on his site even after it had clearly ran out of gas. It is fitting to say that he would give you the shirt off his back. 

Badaba to ya, Tuck! 
Not born, not dead. 

-David Hatch

 
 
Here is a vintage Tuckism in his reply to the apologetic leader of a group that trashed his guestbook:

" Hiya Chet,

Thanks fer tellin me bout yer group's adventuring.. What they did however is
ok..

You see, Morningstar Ranch was and is a haven for anarchist's and activists
living their dreams.
So If A few Anarchist-Activist's decide to "commandeer" The Morningstar
Guestbook, it's really par for the course..And Frankly WELCOME!

In the future if yer group wants to play on the site, cool! But let me tell ya,
why not make your link to the Virtual Morningstar Message Board button on
the page ?

That way It'll let some of our folks get into the action, guestbooks tend to
get read once and forgotton.
Anyway thanks fer lettin me know.. I could edit out some of the more obtuce
posts but that would not be the spirit of Morningstar Faith so all the posts
will stay with our blessings.

In Morningstar Faith,

Badaba

Webmaster of the month." 

 
 
"...I will tell you there are two things he did that I truly love him for. The first was that
he brought me to live at Morningstar, and while I had lived at Wheeler's and been to M* 
before I met him, he knew the teritory and everybody in it. He was the social 
bridge for that shy, young girl, who spent the better part of her time hiding 
in the woods avoiding all the way most cool folks, because they were all so 
cool.  He introduced me to Lou, and Ramon, and Coyote, and Louie (lion), 
Barry Plunker Adams. He took me to Marble Mount Washington, the birthplace of 
the rainbow tribe, where we walked deserters across the border to Hope B.C. 
I met my Art delivering the Kaliflower intercommunal newsletter in our 
apartment at 1660 Waller, in 1969...we would not find each other as partners 
til some twenty-five years later.  Willie B, Jon-Jon and Terry, Pam Hanna, 
who became my ally on the bulletin board from hell.  So in some sense, Tuck 
brought me to all of you, which has meant more to me over the years than most 
other things in my life.

The second wonderful thing he did, was that fine piece of internet art, the 
morningstar homepage.  Suzie says that she wants to keep that going, and is 
hoping that someone will be syssop for it.  I hope so too, it was probably 
the best work Tuck ever did in his life.

So how we are all shaped and shifted by one another, and what comes to really 
matter in the end is that we were loved and loved. Wonder if he found Lou and 
they're arguing yet."

-Sandi Stine

 

"
 
" About Tuck: I can't tell you about Tuck's M* years cuz I only vaguely remember this large man wearing a blanket with a rope belt & thot he looked cool - fit right in at M* "

"All this computer stuff comes hard to me. I've decided it's because it
doesn't have any referents that I know - history, literature, science even -
it has its own set of references in cyberspace & that's what Tuck did for me
- - with INFINITE patience with my stupidity. He talked me thru SO much stuff
about handling the goddam computer & where my system files were & how to
change the properties & how to DO stuff - & now I can't ask him shit."

"Anyway, what I'm saying is that I got to know Tuck really well online and
he's a good sweet man & I miss him terribly (I REFUSE to WAS him). I hope
that he & Lou have their own chatroom going right now. "

"For Tuck:

May the long time sun shine upon you
All love surround you
And the pure light within you
Guide your way on"

-Pam Hanna

 
 
 
"I am unable to write of my feelings about the movement from one plane to
another. Tuc and I were always passing from place to another, never
meeting. We were at Morningstar when the Blue Cheer was passed out. He
and I both remember the day very well. He knows some of the people that
I knew. We both loved Joanie and Cathy, we both had feelings about
Doris. This year I had asked him what he knew about the word "badaba",
he explained the best he could at the time. I wrote a little humor about
it and was slowly informed the correct meaning. I downloaded the mirc
from him, and he helped me set it up. I love his web site. We both tried
to get Pam online with a web site. She has plenty of stuff online, Tuc
and I were trying to get it all in one place. He gave us all help when
we asked. I did tell him that he did a wonderful thing when he was
spammed at his web site. He treated the spammer as human, free to
express his spaming at his web site. Tuc's site was open to all. Well
done."
 

-Tomas Diaz

 
 
A posting of Tuck's to the Virtual Morningstar Bulletin Board:

" Way Kewl,, Im here tripping in the orchard,, (good Shrooms) 

The Cross just lifted off jusst like a rocket and dissapeared into the starry night,, (Damn Good Shrooms !!!!) "

 
 
Here is a link to Tuck's philosophy of giving

Here is a link to a page Tomas dedicated to Tuck

Back to Morningstar Newsletter Table of Contents