THE SEARCH FOR INTELLIGENT LIFE

People are idiots. But at this point, I'm okay with that. It's just the local wildlife, in a way. And some people are heartbreakingly vulnerable. I could not figure out whether it was a man or a woman bent over in anguish, or despair. And it did not seem a fitting moment to get too inquisitive. So it could have been someone desperate for a smoke, or a psychopath.
Here in San Francisco we have considerable experience with psychopaths.
Some of them ride the bus everyday with nothing better to do.


The bookseller and I met at the usual Tuesday time at the usual Tuesday spot. And did the usual Tuesday evening things. There were fewer people about, and at the karaoke place the stupidest waiter in Chinatown was markedly absent, which was a blessing, and there were no white people or marketing professionals singing. Which was lovely.

It is likely that some of these people are still hung-over from celebrating New Year -- white people and marketing professionals tend to drink like Russians -- or the threat of a "bomb cyclone" arriving during the night might have kept them in. The approaching weather can deter neither of us from our usual Wednesday routines. Zombies could.
And people taking pictures of zombies on their cell phones.

Nice photo to send to the folks back home. "Hey Maw, here I am in San Francisco about to get eaten by a horde of zombies. Notice the Trans America Pyramid behind us."
That alone would deter a zombie. The search for brains came up dry.


My usual Wednesday routine involves an early lunch, followed by a pipe and grocery shopping, then tea and biscuit, followed by another pipe. I shall have to bring an umbrella. To keep the pipe dry.

And possibly shelter poor soggy orphans or manga characters.
In case any of them are miserable in the rain.
Cold, wet, and freezing.



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