The head feels pretty good having popped two of the magic pills this morning, breakfast at the usual café reading the paper where I see the Chronicle opted to run the censored Opus strip substituting “world” for “Middle East” in the last frame. Is that important? Taking the safe way out? My feeling is what do they then similarly avoid in reporting the news? Hard to say. Maybe I need to subscribe to another paper and I might were it not for Jon Carroll's daily column during the week. Of course, he is available online. Complicated, ever more complicated this world, don't you think? What is truth and what is fiction? No way to tell in Oakland.

Later. Some few photographs, my heart not in it, but a good day at Art & Soul where I wandered about noticing how much more real estate they've incorporated into the fenced off area, the crowds, when you take the larger area into consideration, fairly large, music at many stages, the usual stuff being sold, plenty of food of various fast food varieties. Something missing, I think. Not sure what. I didn't see as many large groups of people who'd come together to enjoy the show. Couples and families who'd brought folding chairs set out in the shade. Maybe it was the fact most of the restaurants weren't open, there was no one sitting out at tables three sheets to the wind drinking wine and eating whatever. No complaints, I had a good time, got a lot of walking in, left around four in the afternoon in a pretty good mood.