Half wit

How do you remember those spontaneous half-thoughts that randomly emerge?  My friend and I are in the back of a restaurant.  A cop walks in,  scopes out the room and leaves.  As we're contemplating whether a robbery has occurred nearby,  five more beefy boys in blue walk in.  The first guy was the smallest of them. My friend and I are ready to leave anyway,  but I think it looks a little funny if we leave right when the cops arrive.  That wasn't the reason,  but whatever...  As soon as the cops are mostly sitting,  but one,  whose back is turned,  I say to my friend,  joking under my breath,"ok,  run."

The standing cop heard me.  He looked at me like facing a dog on the street with its tail halfway up.  Any second the tail could go up and wag friendly,  or the fur could stand up and the growl emerge.  I think I was trying to look friendly,  but it may have come out as a smirk.

We make our escape as upstanding citizens - though I often think people probably think we're off-duty CIA - except we're too sloppy and out of shape. My friend says,"This is like the time I was renting a U-Haul, they're explaining the insurance policy,  and you say 'what if we drive it off a cliff?' Remember?"
No,  I don't. Oh,  maybe.

Dot com all over?

Another round of over-the-top parties and rent gouging?

http://gigaom.com/2012/02/01/what-a-facebook-ipo-means-for-silicon-valley/

Parents paying rent?

Crap. New neighbor leaves television on all night and in the morning I'm awakened by police because "he hasn't answered calls from his parents for days." This is a guy living alone in an apartment bigger than mine,  and I rented mine for TWO people. The guy answers his door,  seems ok. I hope this isn't another situation like my Cow Hollow apartment,  spoiled brats whose parents are paying rent.  At least his television wasn't too loud.

Dress differently and rule of law

Stepping out of San Francisco to a place where there's more conformity,  and ruminating on my preferences.  Some people dress outlandishly or in a stylized unique way to bring attention to themselves.  Though there may be very rare occasions where that is me,  what I am more about is freedom.  When there is a huge spectrum of acceptability,  everyone is more able to find their comfortable niche without sticking out as someone trying to bring attention to themselves.  It is not about LOOK AT ME,  but more about "this is who I am. "  The outlandish "look at me" people are required to provide a social buffer for the slightly off center "this is me" without the shy "this is me" bringing undue attention to themselves.

This is a subtlety lost on many, in the same vein as the "rule of law." The same people who don't understand freedom of dress are likely to not understand that rule of law means that even people branded as criminals deserve a fair trial.  In the world of the conformist,  the non-conformist is labeled criminal,  while those who honor the appearance of conformity can walk away from murder.

Goats in San Francisco?

Well, I've seen goats brought in to clean out weeds on various properties, but I haven't seen this... (video)

Scooter pain

Damn... another relatively new scooter - not even mine, but I heard the noise and didn't think anything - now looking out my window I see the pieces of plastic on the pavement and think, Hey, do scooter drivers go around with a sledgehammer smashing cars? What is the answer to giant negligent metal beasts roaming the city?

Pancho Parks & Rec

I often dine under the watchful eye of Pancho Villa.

San Pancho Villa de Don Juan Swanson’s