I got up early this morning to greet Dick Cheney at the Farimont Hotel. He was there doing a song n' dance for about $30-100 members-only Commonwealth Club address. I never saw the real thing, but this fake dick looked familiar.
Oh yeah, he's Ed Holmes, that guy from the San Francisco Mime Troupe, who has played Dick Cheney in the last two SFMT productions and moonlights as Bishop Joey of TFCOTLL. Five people got arrested for interrupting the actual speech. Those of us outside just got herded around a bit by the SFPD and their constantly-pooping equine transport. There's sfgate coverage of the speech and the picture on their website's front page right now.

It was fun and funny. But I have to also say that I'm in for the theater and the loud garbled statement. I don't think anyone has ever said anything articulately or effectively via a chant. It lets them know you are there, and allows you to give a broad yay or nay vote. But I don't think it is possible to communicate complicated ideas, nor certainly solutions in that form. Though I also think it's valid as an outlet for people's anger (there were a lot of people there with anger). I think it's important to have fun, maybe meet some kindred spirits, and to have a presence there to tell clearly that not everyone in San Francisco will stand for the Bush admin's brand of executive control democracy. Especially an executive who himself is controlled.