Rule of Law

In theory, we are a nation ruled by law, not dictators or bullies. Reality is another matter.

I'll never forget the time I saw a man gunned down in the street by about 5 or 6 police (this happened on the Peninsula).

I was getting off the train, and on my way home, noticed an inordinate number of police, who seemed to be just hanging out on the street corner, chatting. One of the police approached a man in the middle of the street. I couldn't see what transpired, but it was not a physical altercation. The policeman stepped back, the man in the street looked bewildered, and the five policemen opened fire.

I pretty upset about the event, because I was almost in the line of fire, and had to get behind a car. The police had little regard for anyone standing nearby, and no interest in witnesses.

Some time later, I read a newspaper report that a man had robbed a nearby pharmacy, and when the police encountered him, there was a struggle, the man took a police officer's weapon, and was subsequently shot. That was the police version of the story.

My version is the police acted as judges, jury, and executors. If you shoot suspected criminals on the spot, it sends a strong message to would-be robbers. Just like in the Middle East, where they cut off a finger or hand. Except, what if someone was actually not the criminal ? Justice means a fair trial, but I would guess that most police officers don't really believe in fair trials. We know our president doesn't believe in fair trials.

Once most citizens no longer believe in fair trials, or at least strive for that ideal, the experiment in democracy is over.

Surf Golden Gate

While I'm posting links to other stuff, might as well show this photo taken yesterday. The surf was breaking at Fort Point, and there's a white flash as the last rays of sun catch a wave in the surf zone.

By the way, there actually is a surfer on that wave, and the wave is about 9 feet tall.

Road Trip !

Lest you think I spend all my time rotting and stewing in the Tenderloin, I hereby post a link to another page I set up chronicling a recent road trip made on my motorcycle.

p.s. I don't own a car -- here in the city it costs more to park a car in a garage than car payments. You can spend alot of your time looking for parking spaces, but it's alot less trouble to just have a scooter.

http://tinyurl.com/9p5eu

Summer of Love

The California Historical Society has a nice (temporary) exhibit of psychedelic rock posters and photos from the "Summer of Love," which seems was as much a convergence as it was media hype.

Interesting to note that early on Bill Graham hired a poster artist who later quit over disagreements on pay and rights to the work. Now some of the work is available on t-shirts in the gift shop -- $44 for a child-size t-shirt. Bill Graham presents: ways to make money from the grave !

Great ironies, during the "summer of love" there was a "death of money" demonstration. Bill Graham must have said, "ya, it's dead. you don't need money here in the Haight, so just give me all your dead presidents."

Monkey Cage ?!

Was wandering down Howard Street (home of the Howeird St fest) and stopped in a "better than a garage sale, it's a house sale" There was me and a woman who bore a strange resemblance to Keith Richards perusing the junk.

All the usual crap and more, until I circled back in the warehouse crowded floor-to-ceiling with junk and spotted...

Monkey Cages ?!

2 Monkey Cages, $225 each. Designed so those little monkey hands can't undo the latches from the inside, strong bars complete with a feeding tray designed so the monkey can't scratch you when you pour in the monkey chow, and a place to hook a large gerbil-type water bottle.These things are about 3'x3' -- you could put a small child in there, or some kinky San Franciscan could force his (not too overweight) submissive to stay cramped up in one. They look more like a monkey jail than a place for happy monkeys !