Friday. To bed last night with sleep taking its own sweet time to arrive. Public Radio's Forum had an hour's interview with Glenn Greenwald last night at ten and, although I'd tuned in to and listened to the last half of the same program yesterday morning when it first ran, I listened to it again all the way through. His interview was perhaps the best statement (from my particular standpoint) of what Occupy Wall Street might hope to become as it evolves.

Greenwald's book is about the rule of law and how it's applied or, more properly, how it's come to not be applied today for those in power. He's saying what is becoming locally, at least, the common belief among many that we've been taken over by a kleptocracy, a group of bandits who are raiding the national wealth and that we are no longer a democracy with the ideals we once had (when I was young and the world was bright and new under a morning sun). They had a similar problem back in the old days of Rome I believe, a not uncommon slide for empires to take, from beacon to destruction.

Anyway, to bed later than I would have liked followed with some difficulty in getting to sleep, so up this morning an hour later than usual before heading off to breakfast in the rain. Lots of rain as I was heading out, a brief session of sun breaking through as I drove home, here now having looked at the gas prices I have posted above and realizing, yes, they'd dropped at the station overnight. Why hadn't I taken a picture? As I was leaving? Well, it was raining or looking like it might rain at any given minute, and the brain was fuzzy and.... We'll get a picture before the day is done, we'll leave it at that.

I suspect this weather is a first test for the Occupy people in their tents. We'll see how the movement goes, I'm not sure an encampment in front of City Hall is all that critical, the test will be in how we address our current elected representatives, how we picket political meetings and conventions, how we keep their feet to the fire and demand a discussion in a much wider political context that leads to action. A discussion on the fairness of the system, how it's broken and what needs to be done. Let's hope it leads to good stuff. You never know.

I've got to get a set of blood tests taken later this morning for two upcoming doctor's appointments. In the rain from the look of it. I need to get them done, they were set up over a month ago. In the car though, we're not taking no buses in this rain.

Later. So (hup! hup!) a drive over to the hospital lab to sit and wait forever to register and have the various tests done, finally getting up to the lab to find out I was again an idiot as one was a cholesterol test that required that I not have eaten before having it taken. I know about this, having had this test annually since the beginnings of time, but didn't think to read the sheet. Diddle-dee-deet. Still, the paperwork is done, just go straight to the lab next time, I'll take care of it first thing before breakfast in the morning.

Naturally I took a nap when I returned home and I now feel a lot better, will feel a lot better again when the engine and the gears finish re-engaging (to be precise). I'd heard on the radio Glen Greenwald was going to speak to the crowd at Occupy Oakland (he's in the area on a book tour, a book I ordered when it was published last week and am currently reading) so I'll take a crack at arriving when he's there. They didn't say when, there was some confusion as to date (yesterday or today?), but that's OK, adds a little excitement to the journey.

Other than that start working on the photographs I took yesterday. There aren't nearly as many as I took the day before (thank god), but there are enough. There are always enough, always more to do, it seems, in these times of distress. (Hup, hup!)

Times of distress?

If not for me then for the nation. (hup! hup!)

Maybe you really aren't yet quite awake, we'll give you a break.

Later still. A bus downtown, a walk around the Occupy area shooting pictures of the various signs that may have changed since yesterday, putting one or two I didn't like the way I'd handled them yesterday in a different frame, stuff like that. No rain, ominous looking clouds, but ominous looking clumps of clouds, the sun clearly in ascendent. I was wearing a long sleeved shirt and rain jacket, wondering to I wouldn't be too warm after walking for a while, but there was a cool to cold breeze and the combination worked out well.

Lunch in the City Center out at a table, a crepe with chicken, sliced apples, Gorgonzola cheese and a side salad. The only thing I felt I could get down. Still not getting any messages from the stomach (food! food! food! sugar! sugar! sugar!) as in days of old. No complaints. The side effects are fine.

An outdoor Muslim service was being held by an Imam (I assume that's right, the leader of the service) in front of the City Hall. Interesting, first time I've seen one other than on the news. A fair number of people on a quiet Friday in Oakland. Felt as if everyone in the camp were recovering from a night before, which they probably were after all that rain. One or two signs of the storm, but that was all. No sign of Greenwald, of course, I suspect the interview was recorded and he spoke on Wednesday, the day of the march on the port.

Evening. A walk down the way to have sushi and sake, a walk back to watch the Korean soap and then to bed just after eight.