Banter? I just met her...
San Francisco is hung over today, and this weekend there will be lots of drunk driving deaths, boating accidents, mangled limbs, burned hotdogs, burn victims, and burnouts. Happy Fourth of excess, America. Let's blow some shit up! It's almost America's birthday dammit!
We truly live in a violent world. Even our kids are emulating us, fighting like adults. I headed home last night and took a different bus, the 31 Balboa because i got off late and it was the first form of transportation that came. I got on. I read. Halfway home a gaggle of 4-6th grade boys got on the bus. Rowdy. Cuss words flying to impress their circle. They get off at the next stop. Only they don't get off the bus. I look up and for no apparent reason one of the kids cold cocks a early high school aged man right in the face. He was reading too. He knocked his glasses off, sitting across the isle from me. Reading. The high schooler gets pissed and reacts. He lunges to return to the kid what he gave him. As he does this he is swarmed. Mob rules. Beaten down. Kicked. Punched. Blood. What is happening? I now know what an angry mob is. Lawless. Violent. I jumped up and had to do something. I grabbed several of the young group and held them back. I used my body to shield off the cheapshot kids while a grown man tried to pull the main two agitators off the victim. I watched, my shirt being pulled and kids draped angrily all over me, as the leader of the mob finally walked off the bus, lip bloodied, but full of pride for kicking some ass. After he walked off the rest of the kids followed. I stood at the top of the stairs, trying to look as big and intimidating as my little frame would allow, as the kids pecked at the victim behind me. "Come on out pussy, step off the bus." they yelled as we all saw the line in the sand as the first step off the bus. I was hoping this nonsense was over. A crowd gathered on the sidewalk. Kids on bikes and skateboards came out of the woodwork. Two parents came on the bus and acted concerned. "Who did they get?" I assumed they meant the victim, I said, "Him." They then just walked off the bus and walked away. No wonder the kids act like monsters. Their role models act the same way. I was so appalled. I felt like I was in the twilight zone. What is happening to this world? After about 5 minutes when everyone on the bus had calmed down and the police were on the way, we were told to switch buses so the police could question what happened. One witness stayed behind. I believe it was the kids grandfather, pure speculation. As I walked off the bus I put my hand on the kids shoulder and said, "I'm sorry this happened to you man. It's so wrong." He said thank you. His grandfather then rose to his feet and took my hand and placed his head on it and said,"May God bless you son." Wow. I walked off the bus. As we walked to the next bus a British woman says to me, "Thank you for stepping in. Not many people do that anymore. Thank you." I was a little uncomfortable. When I told my friend Mat this story last night he asked, "Were you proud of yourself, did it make you feel good?" I guess it did to some extent, but I was completely overwhelmed with anger and the unbelievableness of the whole situation. I was mad. I kept asking myself, "Why?" Why did this happen? Why are people so violent? How did these kids have such rage inside them and how did they learn to use such force and enjoy really hurting another person? How could it come to this? Is there any innocence left? At all? This world is a violent place. So full of hate. Blind hate, that is syphoning off our children at such a young age that they see violence as a way to get ahead. We are a sad, sad bunch. "A virus in shoes." I agree with Ian Mackaye, "YOU DO NOT HIT PEOPLE!!"
If everyone gave more than they took we would all be there for the taking.
I can't believe HelenJane and James are getting married this weekend...
Monday
What do Santa Claus and Mickey Mouse have in common?
Well...they both have beards...except for Mickey Mouse.
Ashcroft says,"Abortion is not about the so-called right of choice. It is about the right of this nation to act in a manner befitting its founding. It is about the right of America to say that our casual disregard for life must end."
But only for Americans, right John? Hell if you're not from America you don't have rights, and if you are American you have rights, but one choice, yours. Anniversaries are important John, women have had freedom of choice for 25 years now, albeit oppressed choice, and 27 million women have expressed that right which keeps church and state seperate and keeps them sovereign over their own bodies. Bill Hicks view could not be more relevant today: "If you're so pro-life, do me a favor: Don't lock arms and block medical clinics. Lock arms and block cemetaries."
Happy Anniversary
Just give me a minute of your time.
I have a friend named Bill Graham. He is neither dead, a billionare evangelist, or a concert promoter. I know. Fascinating.
Do bus drivers make a point of it to stop in the middle of the street, bus packed, to bullshit with the bus driver going the other way hence blocking both lanes of traffic? Is it really the right time to give your rib marinade recipe to your friend at 9am when everyone on the bus is smothered in armpit? I wanna know.
Lately I have been turning the closed captioning on my television on. It is kind of cool to watch commercials that I captioned, except when there is a misspelling or a random cuss word thrown in. Then I giggle. Haha. And get fired. Haha. And burn down my office. Haha. And the advertising agency sues us. Hehe. And I move to Buenos Aires. Hoho.
I saw an interesting stat yesterday. Port cities have the highest rate of car thefts. Modesto, Stockton, Lodi, Oakland and Fresno are in the nations top ten places to get your car ripped off. It makes me wonder what kind of things really happen in said ports.
The French didn't invent french fries. Yet we now call them freedom fries. The French didn't invent the french kiss. Yet we now call it a freedom kiss. The French didn't invent french vanilla. Yet we now call it freedom vanilla. Does anyone else see the irony in this? We make ourselves look dumber and the French look, well, French-erer.
No comments.
In the immortal words of my buddy Matthew,
'Some people hate clowns
Some people hate magicians
Some people hate parades
But everyone I know loves a Picnic.'
Today is...
"Potential just means you ain't no good yet."
--Jeff Van Note--
Former All Pro center for the Atlanta Falcons
Seven
He lost his red balloon. He stood crying on the corner. Nobody saw him. The rats were racing. He cried, lost. And watched his balloon float away through a saltwater veil. Nobody saw him.
After 16 hours of Photoshop classes this weekend I can now say, in all honesty, I will airbrush your face.
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jefe
San Francisco, California, United States
fishin' with firearms