TRAGEDY AT THE GALAZY, NOW CLOSED

I know it wasn't a nice cinema anymore. It was falling apart and smelled like an old shoe, but I always found it comfortable and they just don't make screens that big anymore. So, I was bummed to see it had been closed down. I soon became more bummed.

As I stood looking at the cinema which must have seemed so sleek and cool when it first opened -- all that glass! Anyway, as I stood on the corner of Sutter and Van Ness two skater bois began taunting a guy who was struggling near what used to be the box office of the theatre. I turned off my iPod to hear what the rude boys were calling to the shaking man. They were yelling out all sorts of ugly names and things. He seemed to engrossed in something to be bothered. The kids gave up but I kept watching the guy who could not have been much older than me --- and, maybe younger. He was trying to light his crack pipe, but the wind and his shaking hands were preventing him from success. Finally, it lit and I could see him inhaling deeply. His hands stopped shaking and he began calling out as if answering the two skater boys. ...but they were now blocks ahead. I had just been standing there staring at this mess. He called out, "What the fuck are you looking at?"

I turned on my iPod and walked toward Market feeling sad for the guy.

Kind of funny, when I did a quick search just now for "crack pipe" to find an image ---- all these tiny pictures of pipes came up, but in the middle of all of them was a scary picture of Courtney Love. ...Nothing says "crack pipe" like a bad picture of Ms. Love, I guess.

The Civic Center iPod Shuffle:
"If We're In Love" by Roisin Murphy
"A Case of You" by Joni Mitchell
"Bob 'Til You Drop by The Ramones
"Remember My Name" by Bliss
"Little Caesar" by Blondie
"My Name Is Prince" by Prince