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The California economy has been not very good for a good two years now and I've even go so far as to say three years. What started as a funny joke when people in the tech industries were getting pink slips turned into a very deep recession that still hasn't quite found bottom yet, or at the very least, is not looking any better anytime soon.       Naturally there are a lot of us out of work. Most through no fault of our own other than bad timing or being part of a company that was a bad idea.       I bring this up, because I find it very interesting how the stock market keeps going up (9,600 points currently) and the housing market keeps selling houses like crazy. A good deal of this can be attributed to very low interest rates. Bonds and savings just simply don't yield much to make it worth the big players' time.       But, all of this aside, things just aren't adding up. Companies, while not losing the money that they once were, aren't making a lot of it either. And, I don't understand how a people who are earning minimal incomes can afford a $500,000 flat (yes, flat, not house) in the Bay Area.       Something isn't adding up and I just don't fully trust what's going on. It's my believe that the markets ans figures are being manipulated. I will go out on a limb and say that the economy is going to suddenly either pick up towards the end of 2004 or the beginning of 2005 after getting really bad.       Why would I pick those dates? Well, quite simply, if Republican powers are controlling the economy, then they will want it to improve at the time of the election. If the Democrats are controlling things, then they want Bush to get dropped like a sack of crap and the only way to do that is by really killing off the economy when election time rolls around.       This probably sounds paranoid and suspicious, but there are just so many things that don't add up. I mean, ever since dropping the gold standard from a form of valuation for the dollar, what a dollar is worth is all in our heads. So, this bad economy is all in our heads. It would be very simple for several key people to hold back their money to make it seem bad.       Anyways, my $.02 and let's just say, I've got my nest egg planned out to last me until the end of 2004.

It's that time of year again. Fall (or pre-Winter as we in San Francisco call it) has touched the leaves and they've begun their change to colors less green. The nights have a more quiet quality to them since the weather is cooler and it's harder to run around in a thong these days. And yes, it's Fleet Week. A time that is rather enjoyable all but for the sound of five jets screaming overhead at insanely fast speeds, shaking your apartment and making you think that the West Bank sounds like a good place to Summer.       Not sure when it started, probably sometime after WWII as most of these things did, but for the most part, Fleet Week is pretty normal. People who want to go to the ships can, but the F16's or whatever they are fly through the buildings, rattling all below.       Honestly, I wish it would stop. I have my moments when I'm all for a good time, but this is not a good time. This is the sixth one of these I've experienced and as I get more jaded, they get less fun. Add into that the fact that every San Franciscan I talk to who doesn't wear a "Scorpions" concert shirt ain't digging this whole screaming jet thing.

As most people know by now, we have yet another actor for governor of California. This, to me and many others is simply terrible, not for his being an actor but for what he stands for politically. Although most of us who aspire to liberal and socialist values have gotten used to the idea of an arrogant white male Republican heading things with Bushie boy as president currently.       Ultimately I'm very disappointed in the voters of California. The whole reason behind the recall was to get someone new and better in office. I admit, I wasn't a huge fan of Grey Davis and am not teary-eyed at seeing him go, but at the same time, I certainly don't blame him for all the woes that have hit California lately. Many people in California did. People seem to need somebody to kick when they're down it seems. But, the biggest irony in all of this is that people wanted to replace Davis, they wanted someone new in, they wanted change. Electing a Republican who is very firmly entrenched in the Republican system and party is not change. Honestly, I probably would have voted for Arnold if he was a Green Party or even Independent candidate. But as it stands, he has been a very very devote Republican and I simply do not agree with or can even stomach that party and what they generally stand for.       I guess in a large degree I'm very disappointed in the Democrats. They should have rallied behind Davis. While not a popular governor, he was the head of this state and this is a very important state for the Demos to have in their pocket come presedential election time. Not supporting him pretty much goes against all the reasons to be a member of a political party.       Ultimately though, I know that when things are bad, those in power get blamed. I don't see any turnaround happening in the economy any time soon and so I live with the solace that perhaps some of the people with whom I have great issue will be deposed. And hopefully, there won't be too many more innocent people caught in the crossfire from this deranged and bloodlusting president we currently have.

Well, went and voted in this ridiculous recall election deal today. Judging by the use of the word "ridiculous" you can probably guess how I voted for the recall.       It's interesting what's happened to voting these days. I'm not sure if it used to be true, but we're told that voting used to be the way you decided who led and what laws were passed and all of these other things that gave you democratic control over the country, state, and city you lived in. I don't think it's that way anymore. I think voting is akin to a large chisel these days. All it does is give you some kind of idea or rough hewn shape of how you want your government. Many voters are disatisfied with the choices these days and it's true the candidates tend to say the same things with a slightly different angle to them.       I think what it really important are polls. Yes, I realize that voting is also called polling, but in this day and age, polls conducted by phone, media, or the lawmakers themselves are the only thing that decides what gets passed and what doesn't.       So, instead of yelling at everyone to go out and vote, I'm almost to the point of telling everyone to make sure to answer polls. My father used to hang up on people when they would call the house to poll my family, but that isn't the right thing to do. This is how your voice is heard and this is how things get decided. I think the Republican party would start adopting kittens if they new it would win them elections.

I had to make a trip Oakland for some business and while I was at a gas station waiting in line to pay, a guy walks in and says, "F------ Giants." There really wasn't anyone he was talking in to in particular and I guess he just felt he had to express his extremely deep dismay over the fact that SF Giants had been eliminated from the Baseball Playoffs. It only stayed with me, because he wasn't just commmenting or good-heartedly bummed that he wouldn't be able to watch his team in the World Series. This guy was genuinely angry and probably would have punched the team's manager if given the chance.       I don't know when it happened here, but sports that were originally meant to be fun to watch have become these defining elements in peoples' lives. Yes, it's true, it's mostly guys who have this problem, but there are quite a few women in the mix as well. What's the deal? It's just a game. You either play or watch for fun. Wrapping up some element of your self into a sporting event is just well... ridiculous.       Of course, on the other end of this, last year, the Giants were in the opposite position and I was at a bar where there were watching the final game which decided if they went on to the big game or not. A friend was with me at the time who was from England. It was pretty funny explaining all the ludicrous rules of the game to her and then watching her cheer when it seemed like you were supposed to.       Once the game ended, all this people in the bar starting whooping it up and shouting "We did it, we did it!" A pretty funny statement coming from someone eating nuts, while sitting and drinking beer at a bar. Add into that, an older couple was making out in the corner, apparently erotically aroused by the win of "their" team.       My companion turned to me, laughing and asked, "What the hell is wrong with these people? It's just a game. It ultimately effects their life not in the least."       "I have no idea what their problem is, but I'm glad you don't get it either."       "Yeah. Utterly crazy."       I was happy for a second in that it must be some backwards American thing to be this much into sports, until I thought for a second and asked her, "Wait, you're from England?"       "Yeah, so?"       "Isn't that where Soccer Hooligans are from?"       "Well, sure, but we try to keep them much more separated from common society than you do here with your sports fans."       "Fair enough."

I was running to catch a film at the AMC 1000 on Van Ness and as I was moving as fast as I could through the Tenderloin, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a rather fat, white women on one of those fat carts as I call them (motorized chair scooter that was original designed for people with little mobility, but generally used by the ridiculously obese.) The women stopped outside a corner convenience store and without provocation proceeded to yell a long string of racial epitaphs at the middle eastern guy behind the counter. While not wanting to repeat it word for word, it was something along the lines of the fact he should go back to his country to make it easier to bomb his ass.       It was almost enough to make me stop and tell the woman off because it was just so aggresively stupid, mean-spirited, and part of the reason why we have so many problems internationally right now. But, I stopped myself short, realizing that she was a very sad person and probably had little but her fat cart and attitude to keep her going. I feel that it's fine as to whatever attitudes and views you wish to have, but it's when you intrude on others' ways of life that there becomes a problem.       All in all it was a sad display, but also a good reminder that even in a place as liberal as San Francisco, ignorance and hostility are still thriving fungi.       I made it to the movie in good time, but had to stand in a rather long line. As I got closer, I saw the "Lost in Translation" was sold out. A true testament to the solid quality of the film, but also a sad fact for me as it left me sans movie viewing pleasure.       So, I ran back home to meet my girl. As I was at about Larkin and Sutter, I saw a very tall, black prositute. Not feeling a great need for her services, I kept walking without looking over. As I passed her, in a voice, two octaves lower than mine, that made an Adam's Apple move I heard, "Looking for fun this evening handsome." To which in my mind, I answered, "Dear god no, no, no, what the hell place is this that I mistakenly wandered into. Oh right, my neighborhood..."       At first it didn't bother me much, but as the realization that I had just been solicited by a black, tranvestite hooker had sunk in, it gave me a wicked case of the willies. Needless to say, once home, I spent the night in!

Last night I had a few friends over to my new place and it was an interesting group, because in addition to being my friends, they were from many parts of the world. Amazingly, for being in America, Americans were in the minority. We had Bosnian, Macedonian, Dannish, Irish, and Russian people all under one roof.       It's more than just a coincidence that there happened to be that many people from different areas together, since San Francisco is a city that has people from everywhere in it. Some are just passing through and others have decided that this is one of the best places to live in the US. Having only been to England, France, and briefly, Germany, I can't speak as to whether or not SF is better than anywhere else, but I've really come to enjoy it and it seems that most Europeans I've met really like this City more than any other in the US. While some would point to New York City and all that it has to offer internationally, I would say, "Pah! It's too crowded." San Francisco, while being a packed metropolis is able to have some breathing room, while at the same time having everything close together.       These days, for the money, I'm happy to be here and know all the people from all over that I know.

I watched most of an episode of this new show called "Threat Matrix" last night. Yeah, I know, I was asking for it, watching a sitcom, just because I was bored and didn't want to commit to watching a movie. Well, anyways, it's a frustrating show for me. I'm not sure if it was solely funding by the Republican party, but it wouldn't suprise me if it were. Essentially the show consists of an elite team (oh yes, the elite team) that sits around waiting for terrorists or others with thoughts of world domination to come into the country and when they do, this group takes care of them.       In what might be taken as an attempt to try an say, "Wait wait, see, the government IS protecting you." it makes me frustrated. First and foremost the show is predictable, nauseating, and just rather inane. Secondly, it is hinging around the fact that the evil doers in the world are these criminal masterminds that have these grand schemes. People seem to keep forgetting that the planes (aka flying bombs) that the terrorists on 9/11 used were taken over with a couple of small knives. I mean, come on, it's the simplest plans that work.       Anyways, my assumption with this show is to go to great lengths to say that the government catches many more people that we don't know about. Naturally, I realize that this is the case, but the sickening part in all of it, is that they never seem to mention that the government is many times wrong and now has powers to hold whomever they feel like without due process. For instance, look at the accused Taliban and Al Qaeda fighters that are being held in Guantanamo Bay. These people, while most likely have done some bad things, are being held in direct defiance of every accord, treaty, and rational plan that has been put in place in the world.       In addition to this show, which probably won't last too long once people get bored with the generic narrative and droll plotline, there is a pro-Bush movie in the works. While I haven't read about many of the details, the only saving grace is that generally these things fail. With the exception of the movies by Leni Reifinstahl [sic] for the Nazi Regime in WWII, I can think of very few movies that overtly work to successfully make a political figure look good while they are in office.       All in all though, I have to hand it to the old white men running the country right now. For being a group that hardly knows what a laptop is (no Mr. Thurmond, it isn't a new dance at a strip club) they have managed to hoard the media very far into their favor. It is only up to another party (Democrats, get your act together) to use the pieces that the Republicans have overlooked and pull off a campaign that uses all that the 21st century has to offer to oust the manchild in power now.

So last evening, as I was taking a stroll up Stockton Street at the boundary where Italy and China start colliding into each other, I saw two distinguished gentlemen walking from a restaurant towards their car. While I wasn't in on the whole conversation, there was something to the effect of perplexity over the meal they had just experienced. As they started to get into their car, a third member of their party came walking out of an Italian restaurant with an exasperated look on his face. Not saying anything, he walked along, shaking his head.       After he was a few paces from the restaurant, this box of what I assume was leftovers, came lightly sailing out of the restaurant, like someone had given it a gently, friendly toss. The box sailed through the air, hitting the walking man in the back and landing on the ground. The man kept walking, trying to ignore the box of food that had just hit him in the back.       As I walked along, I peered into the restaurant. An Italian waiter was waving his arms around to his co-workers and from what I gathered from his gestures, there was a dispute over the bill and that the restaurant only accepted cash and that these men had tried to pay with a charge card.       While a guess on my part, I've seen this inability to carry money with problem at other restaurants before and I guess the moral of the story is to always bring cash with you when you dine in San Francisco, or wear stain repellant clothing.

I was riding the Bart a couple days ago and was standing at the door, waiting for the Powell Street station to slide into view. As I was standing there, this dishevled guy gets up and stands next to me. "Did we just pull out of Civic Center?", he asked. "No, we're just now pulling into Powell. Civic Center is after this.", I told him. We stood their for a couple of odd seconds and he asked me, "Who won the game." Since I really didn't even know what sport he was referring to and I didn't want to get into a big discussion about how I should be following ________ball and don't, I simply replied, "I don't know."       What was amazing to me in all of this is how much different we were in interpretting that which was around us. While I felt that I probably had a better grasp on linear time than this fellow, I'm sure the train operator would feel she had an even better grasp than me, seeing as she knew all the stations ahead and exactly when we'd be pulling into them.       Obviously relativity is not a new concept. But, it's funny to me how a something like that, which in theory is a constant that is constantly changing can be thrown so out of whack by human perception.       I guess we're all just a bunch of planets, with our own orbits. Occassionally we get close to other ones, but generally stay to our own path and see things our own ways. Silly animals we humans are.