A Real Man

Visited the old neighborhood, to pick up unforwarded mail.

Man to woman sitting on sidewalk,"ya, I beat thu fuck outta her."

"Wha'd she do?"

"Cheated on me. "

Customer Last

Providing great products and customer service were once the way great companies were built. Somewhere along the line, that era has ended. I can only imagine that many behemoths with atrocious customer service may now consider "shareholders" as the primary audience they serve. Executives sashay in on a promise, slash and burn, and leave with a golden parachute. Shareholders buy and sell, and the customer is left bewildered as to how a company that steadfastly abuses their goodwill could remain in business. Even a good name (branding, as it's called), is now bought and drained of every ounce of its lifeblood.

Out of the Tenderloin

I’ve moved out of the Tenderloin. As a film critic for the San Francisco Chronicle (who also lived in the Tenderloin years ago) said, “It’s o.k. to start out in the Tenderloin, but it’s not the place you want to end up!” Indeed, on my last round of moving, I returned to my rented vehicle with a load of worldly possessions to find two people smoking crack in a doorway adjacent to where I had parked. I had to make several rounds back to the apartment, and was hoping that the crackheads felt wonderful enough after their indulgence that they wouldn’t be in a mood to break into the car; something that happens in broad daylight every day in that neighborhood. Fortunately, I escaped with my possessions and windows intact!

[note: this post was edited because the film critic cited did not want their name used] Also note, the Chronicle later published an article about the huge proliferation of car break-ins, not just in the Tenderloin, but all over the city.