I leave home about 6 AM this morning, drive in to San Francisco along the coast listening to Bob Dylan’s new album (raspy-voiced, some good songs, some same-old, same-old) and get to Cafe Roma in North beach around 7. There are cameras and lights set up and it turns out Channel 5 Eyewitness News does a 6 AM TV show from here each Friday morning. Well, at the next table to me is ex-mayor and political genius Willie Brown, who had been this morning’s subject. He has an aura of vitality and playfulness. Beautiful blue suit, lavender shirt, darker lavender tie, cream white hat (when he left). Having an animated discussion with an Italian-looking guy, lots of laughs. Some people have magnetic auras, you can almost see an energy field around them. (You can see same when hallucinegen-ating, or if spiritually advanced, as they say.) It brought to mind my experiences with Mr. Universe Bill Pearl. I worked with Bill over a 2-year period on his weight-lifting book, Getting Stronger, and everywhere we went, people were drawn to him. I saw Clint Eastwood at a party and he had the same thing.
The SF Weekly is out this week with its annual “Best of San Francisco” and I recommend picking it up in a newstand if you live in or near SF. A few examples: Best Lowbrow Dance Club/Best Street Performer/Best New Place to Skateboard/Hottest Yoga Studio/Best Hip-Hop Club Night/Best Doughnuts…