love in hard times

Walking home from a lovely Sunday soiree, I ran across this couple, living hard on the streets of Oakland. They had each other and their dog and a grocery cart to carry their belongings.
We're told the economy is great and our social services safety net is working, meanwhile mayhem, violent crime and murder also walk our streets. I hope this happy couple finds what they're looking for. I hope you find what you're looking for, too.

A block away this memorial to Oakland's mean streets filled a front yard.

It's interesting to note that more American soldiers, 90, have been murdered in the Middle East this month than the 88 people who were murdered in Oakland so far this year. While Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown was being castigated by his Republican opponent for a fatal crime rate that is out of control, 90 US soldiers were killed by the Republican Party's Operation Iraqi Liberation (O.I.L.) during the first 24 days of October, 2006.

The beat goes on.
The beast never sleeps.