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When walking back from the Whole Foods the other night, I saw a pretty amazing site, like some kinetic sculpture from Burning Man or something. There was this shopping cart being pushed along by a rather shabby-looking, homeless guy. This really isn't news to anyone living in this fair city, but what was news was the fact that he had all this junk piled up about 12-15 feet high and precariously strapped down to the cart. Obviously the slightest tremor in The Force (i.e. San Andreas Fault) and this was going to topple and kill multiple people.       As I watched it shimmy by on wheels that were never designed for this purpose, I realize that in a nutshell, this guy was broadcasting his problem for all of us to see in that, he couldn't live within his means. He has just a shopping cart, thus he can only have what the shopping cart can carry. But no, he has to push the boundaries of that, which is more than likely the reason he ended up homeless in the first place. So many people in this country are unable to really manage their lives and know what they have to work with. This is why my father would always wonder why anyone on welfare was ever given cash, being that the reason they were on welfare in the first place is because they didn't know how to manage their cash.       But this really isn't just about being poor. Close family members have trouble paying their cellphone bills; regularly. People that I know who don't need cars will buy cars. I buy too much cheese (of course, I look upon that more as an addiction than a management issue.) We all seem to have some dysfunction when it comes to our lives. I suppose that it's just a matter as to the extent of this as to whether you're be pushing around a shopping cart that's as high as a small house.

When walking home from work last night, I was greated by a lovely site. There, at the corner of Sutter and Powell (just one popular block from Union Square), a homeless fellow decided to lean in to a trash can, unzip his pants and take a piss. I'm still trying to fathom whether this was more foul than the Berkeley guy I saw doing something similar and I think that yes, it was.       It's probably just the brazen fact that he did this on one of the busiest corners in San Francisco which revolted me more than anything. The guy had been stripped of his shame and couldn't care less that he was living in a near-animalistic way. I just pity the garbage man who has to dump that can, but I'm sure they're unfortunately used to this by now.       Again, I make the call to Newsom that the approach towards the homeless aren't working. We shouldn't be seeing this. Those who visit our wonderful city shouldn't be seeing this. And for the love of god, won't somebody please think of the children?!! Sorry, just had to toss that in to try and give some sort of lightheartedness to this foul-o-city.

I'm not sure why I didn't really notice it last holiday season (perhaps because it wasn't there) but the level of homeless people on the streets and the level of harassment that myself and others are getting, is out of control. Everyday as I make the 12 minute walk to the Bart, I get hit up for change 10-15 times. On a nearly daily basis, I'm confronted by people who I actually fear because they are either insane or terribly violent and it's all I can do to get away from them. Thankfully, I'm a large guy and so I don't get confronted as others do. There have been several occasions where I have had to stand at the ready to do whatever the hell I thought I was going to do as I watched some homeless or just otherwise thug harass someone. And I get random tourists asking me what is the problem with our city. It's not like they blame me, they're just blown away by it.       I place the blame squarely on Mayor Gavin Newsom. Not because his attempts to solve the problem have obviously failed, but the fact that he is claiming so much success. I am simply personally not seeing a reduction in those on the streets. Yes, I live squarely in downtown, but three years ago, when I first moved to my area, it was not this bad. People wen're panhandling at the end of my block. Now there are several daily. Is there a reason for this other than the fact that the current policies of City Hall are doing nothing to stem the tide of society running aground? Possibly. San Francisco is a mecca of kindhearted, giving souls. But much like feeding pigeons only to has them crap everywhere, the kindness is misdirected. I believe that it has in turn made SF to be a destination for those who are in dire straits and thus San Francisco has had to deal with more than its fair share of this issue. Then of course there's the theory that NYC bussed a great number of their problems west, thus fixing this issue there. I've always bought in to that one since I think that Giuliani is a skeeze. Just try and run him in 2008... His "I was there on 9/11" line will run out of steam real fast.       Anyways, what's a solution? First off, admit that the problem is still here and getting worse. Second, let it be known that we don't want anyone else coming here just because there are so many social programs here that deal with this. I agree that it is untenable to let people starve in our streets, but a lot like the Swiss in WWII, you can't let more people in out of kindess than you are able to handle. Talk tough. Go against what unpractical liberals say and go on record as not being up for homeless. I don't really know what else to do. People are going to stop visiting, wanting to live, or be able to handle this problem and that would be a terribly shame as this is a great city.