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It's curious, for as long as I can remember, I've never seen it rain on Halloween. I don't know why that is, since I've seen it rain only a few days before Halloween and a few days after, but never right on the night.       I'll bet tasty fruit that it has a large part to do with living in California all my life and if I were to say, live in the Amazon Basin, it would be a different story altogether.       It definitely made it possible to wear some fun costumes as a kid, which my mom so lovingly made for us every year. No Power Ranger, Scooby Doo, or other costumes bought from a store. Everything was always done by hand and while it didn't have that wonderful polyethylene smell to it, it was a fun costume.       A friend of mine discovered what wasn't a fun costume a couple years back. We were out in San Francisco and he decided that going as a "cowboy" would be a great idea. Sure, that's fine, but what isn't so smart is going as a San Francisco Cowboy. It was a quite an outfit, with large leather chaps, leather vest, leather hat, and a very small thong. It took balls to wear something like that and we could all see quite clearly that that was not a problem.       Things were going fine, until we got to the party we were going to and he decided to drop a bit of acid. I think I had more fun staying sober, since as the drug kicked it, he got very very paranoid and became very aware that his ass was hanging out for all to see at the back of the chaps.       Within about 20 minutes, he slowly edged his way back into a corner, so as to hide his exposed bum. He lasted back there for about 10 minutes, until he decided he was getting oggling overload and made a made dash for the door and took off to go home.       He did make it home in the end, but only after what was, in theory, a very interesting Muni ride back home. I say in theory, since we simply couldn't ever get him to talk about it.       So, for those of you with kids, or a wild streak to you, just remember that because it might be warm enough to do what you want on Halloween in Calfornia, don't mix thongs and hallucenigenic drugs.

What's has happened to this country that we live in? It seems that there is the assumption that we need warnings palced on every single item and every single action so that people don't do anything stupid and so they can't sue a company if they do.       Case in point is my new cellphone. In addition to all the standard warnings (don't talk while driving, don't drive while talking) it has this warning when you change the volume of the ring stating that too loud a ring may cause hearing damage. You got to kidding me! Is someone really going to be that stupid that they have the ring turned up loud and keep sticking the phone up their ear, while thinking, "Funny, wonder why I'm getting hearing damage. Wish something had warned me..." Argh!       What amazes me about all this is just a few years ago steam radiators were extremely common is apartments and homes. Yes, these things were dangerous, because if you touched them you could get burned. But, you touched it once, you got a hot spot and you didn't do it again.       Where has common sense gone? Some people would say that these warnings help companies avoid lawsuits, but they really don't. Look at ciagrette companies. They put a warning on each and every pack that smokers huff down and yet they still get sued. All of the warnings have become counter-productive of course, since people just start ignoring them due to too many and then one day, you stumble into a live ammunition testing ground and it's all over.       I have no idea where this is headed and I doubt many other people do either, but I just couldn't get over the fact that I was getting warned about a loud sound that I was setting. Be Zar.

I've got my site to build, my screenplay to write, my contract to finish, and a girfriend to mind. Why oh why did the weather hav eto go and get so warm down here?       I have a bad problem with the heat, in that I don't like it. Some people go on and on and on about ho wmuch they like, but when it comes around, they go on and on and on about how awful it is. And it's true, in San Francisco, when it gets hot, it gets ugly. I will go on record for the fact that I hate the heat all the time, even when it's freezing cold.       Besides the discomfort Senor Sol causes me, I also suffer from all creative and thinking components of my brain shutting off when it gets to a certain temperature. It's a mental & creative flat tire if you will. The only way for me to get more air back into the system, is for it to cool off.       Supposedly it is supposed to cool off. I trul hope that it will, since I have ever so much to do and only so long to do it in.

For those who haven't been caught up in this whole wireless craze that's sweeping the country, this is a system by which, with a piece of inexpensive hardware, you can connect a computer, wirelessly to the internet. The are certain limitations such as you usually ahve to be within 100 feet of what is called a base station (or Wireless Access Point (WAP)) and that WAP needs to allow anonymous connections.       There are several WAPs around San Francisco that you can access for free. One is at Cafe Roma on Columbus Street between Stockton and Union. The owner, Tony, is a really cool guy and proud of his wireless.       Another open WAP is at Cup A Joe at Sutter & Leavenworth. This is another cool place that serves Guiness in addition to having a *free internet connection.       Lastly, if you have a special parabolic antenna you can point it at San Bruno mountain and get a signal from there, since a group of fellows - www.bawug.org have set up a large broadcasting parabolic system on top of that mountain, which will send out a free signal to anyone within about 5 miles or so.       Beyond these locations, most times, if you have a laptop and feel like roaming around a neighborhood, you'll probably be able to find an open connection. This is called "warchalking" and it's generally for the utter nerd or desperate soul who needs porn very veyr badly.       * Free Internet means that you don't have to pay any monthly fee or any other such nonsense to use the internet at the two coffee shops lsited above. Unless you're a ape-faced moron, you'll buy a cup of coffee or something else as a thanks for using the internet at these locations. They don't have to provide free internet and could gouge you like Starbucks so happily will do. Note: The Bawug connection is completely free for ape-faced morons or otherwise. You juse need a bit more know-how to get that one up and running

I'll let everyone outside of San Francisco in on a little secret, October is our summer. Sure, there may be a few days during the actual "summer" where it gets hot, but because of how this city is set up, they last at most, three days. October is the only time where we actually get very warm weather for some time on end. Lately it has been about 85-90F. That's really hot when you bring in the humidity factor.       Some people may think I'm griping about the heat and sure, I am, because I don't like it. That's why I live here! Fog is great. Cold weather is great. And we're lucky enough to have that most of the year.       I think what cracks me up most around here is the people who walk around moping how cold the weather is and how they wish it would warm up. To them, I say, wake up! If you want warm weather all the time, move to San Diego. It's cheaper to live there and getting to Mexico is easier.       Anyways, according to Senor Weatherman, this should all pass shortly and then we'll be back to nice, cold, San Francisco weather again. I've got my parka ready!

Are you getting tired of paying $9.50 a person when going out to the movies and hearing the production companies whining about how they aren't making any money? Well, here's a simple way to get around the paying part:       Before movies come out in large metropolitan areas, they will usually always have a screening beforehand. This is for critics and to get the word of mouth out about the film. These aren't just for the critics though, as many many, common folks just like you and I get into these as well. How you might ask? Movie companies pass out passes to these screenings before the use --usually a week in advance and anyone who has one can go to the screening. Chnaces are, you probably know someone who works at a place where they get these passes. Typically anyone in media will get them. But, even if you don't you can sometimes find them at video stores and you will always hear about them on the radio.       There are some cataches to this system though. Firstly, you have to live in a prety good-sized city to pull it off. Secondly, you have to stand in line with a lot of other people, which requires getting to the screening early in order to get in, since they pass out more passes than the theater can hold, which means some folks won't get in.       If you can pull it off though, you'll get to see a lot of movies for free, which in this day and age of it costing $19-$20 for two to watch a film can be a great savings.

There's been a lot of talk about this Digital Video (or DV) stuff these days. Most people are probably wondering, "Hey, digital schmigital. How does this affect me?" Most people won't be affected by DV directly, but there are a lot of ways that people be affected indirectly.       First and foremest, we're seeing more independent movies being made. This is in a large part to the fact that digital is much much cheaper to shoot on. How much cheaper? Well, all the film needed to shoot a feature-length film runs about $50,000 to $100,000 in costs. That's just the film! So, you're out that much to start with. For a feature-length DV film, you're going to spend maybe and I have to stress the maybe $500 for all your tape needs. Let's also add in the fact that the cameras are cheaper, you need less lights and you can be more flexible in your shooting due to all these items.       Okay, so that takes care of independent filmmakers (or videographers if you will), but how does that change Joe Schmoe's life? It changes it by opening up another art form to more people, but it also changes it in that capturing everyday life will become omnipresent. We're starting to see some of this with all the security cameras around, but we'll also see it with people who run around shooting everything. Is it good that everything in life will be recorded as time goes on? Yes and no I think. Yes, because through broadcast mediums, people will see more of the world than every possible before. No, because this will desensitize people and it will also feed this insular way of living that people have adopted of hiding in their little holes and not coming out.       Good or bad, all of this is coming down the pipes very quickly. Afterall, this is the first big advance in capturing motion picture in the last 110 years. And, it has personal meaning to me, because I'm going to start shooting my own feature-length film next month. This wouldn't have been possible for me five years ago. It also wouldn't be possible for so many of the people who are posting their productions at the site I run called Cinefuse.com

So, have you tried to get a PO Box lately? I have and let me tell that you I'm happy to say, because of 9/11 they've really tightened up the process. No wannabe terrorists are just going to run out and get themselves a PO Box now, no sir!       I'm not exactly sure what a terrorist would use a PO Box for. Perhaps to send and receive boxcutters or anthrax? You got me, but I am ever so happy to say that our goverment has really cracked down on this weak spot in the system. I mean, Post Office Boxes, who ever knew?!!       If you do happen to need to get one of these elusive items, be prepared to bring two forms of picture ID, some kind of recurring bill statement from your address, your checkbook, and be prepared to wait while they do some kind of check on you to see if you're worthy of the Box. In my case, it will take something like two weeks before I find out if I am indeed worthy.       Living in an age of fear and apprehension is interesting. It really brings out the duminning in a society.

Frozen pizza is one of the best things ever made in a frozen variety. Of course, there is no way to replace the real thing, but in all true, the only two items I've ever discovered that have good taste when brought out of a frozen state are pizza and ice cream.       I'm very of the fact that my frozen pizza is laced with chemicals that will make my corpse look great for years after the life has left it, but man they taste good and I don't eat it all the time, so it's all right, right?       Anyways, the pizza doesn't scare me, what really does is salad dressing. I had some Thousand Island dressing in my fridge, which a bit concerned if it had expired and was unuseable for my pizza, I checked for an expiration date. It very scarily didn't have one. About the only thing I can think of that is naturally occurring that doesn't have an expiration date, is water and even that gets kinda funky at some point. So, this would make me think that this salad dressing has no natural organic substance in it.       I worry that one day, Dow Chemical in conjuction with Kraft Foods - a subsidiary of Phillip Morris Tobacco will be selling us Food Paste - Tile Degreaser. While the marketing would be a monster, I can see it happening.       Is this a good thing? Well, in some ways sure, since it means that food can be produced in smaller areas that are Saharan Desert and what have you, but it also means that we're gonna be suckin' down chemicals day in day out. I don't know about you, but MSG hurts me badly. I can only tremble at what they might be creating out there on the horizon.       I marvel at the fact of how we've come full circle on our views on foods in about 100 years.       100 years ago, there were no expiration dates. There wasn't any plastic. People bought food and they made it that day. That progressed into the middle part of the last century where expiration dates got put on everything and everythign was packaged for future use. This of course has gotten out of hand to the present day where we're putting expiration dates on beer for Christ's sake! Beer! If you need an expiration date on your beer, then my friend, you shouldn't be drinking it.       Now, wanting to sidestep nature altogether, we're trying to rid ourselves by getting rid of expiration dates again, but not through common sense or natural goodness. Oh no, we're doing it through chemistry.       mmm mmm mmm, them sulficadilaneates are just soooo tasty!

Big cities are always growing and changing. This is not really a big mystery to anyone, but if you're a country boy like me and move into a metropolis like San Francisco, it can come as a bit of a suprise that there is always some loud something or other making noise near your apartment.       The suprising bit about all of this is that most of the construction is still coming from the fact that there was a space shortage when the whole "new economy" rolled into town. The "new economy" has gone the way of old history, but for some reason the construction still continues. It's true that in a place like SF, it is never an unpopular place and people always want to live. Still though, I wonder why construction continues three and a half years after the fallout.       Anyways, this is a just a nicer way of asking why the hell do I have to get up with the construction crews at 8 and why can't we just make the new start time for construction something like 10 dammit!