Swami Beyondananda, who has been characterized as a cross between Ram Dass and Haagan Dasz, is the brain child and alter ego of writer/humorist Steve Bhaeman. Steve is the author of two more or less serious books in the fields of education and self-help, and has also helped develop products such as Damitol and Absolutely Nothing. He is a self-described seeker, even though he is well aware of Swami's caveat that "there's a seeker born every minute, and two to take him along the path." A native of Brooklyn, New York, and longtime resident of Ann Arbor, Michigan, Steve, along with his wife, dancer Trudy Lite, recently moved to Santa Cruz because he heard the streets were paved with granola.