First off, a moment of silence for a country that has just shot itself in the face and is too fucking stupid to die.

Welcome to the first installment of �R in R�. The art�s kinda crappy, the punch line just phoned itself in, and it doesn�t look as good on a computer as it does on paper but a lot of stories start slow. These first few are going to be introductory strips until enough background has been laid for more topical humor to slip its way in. And maybe by then I won�t still be
depressed by recent events.

No, this wasn�t my first impression of the city, when I came here a year ago, but a year is a lot of time to compress, and the characters in the strip have a much better sense of humor than I do. I wonder sometimes what �normal� people think when they see things like these, or if they actually do manage to acknowledge their existence. I feel the election responds to that.

Moving to San Francisco is an unnatural experience, even weirder if you've just crossed Middle America and witnessed the dull eyed stares of people who have never had a real conversation with a foreigner or anyone different from themselves in any way. With everyone trying to "be themselves" or who they think they're supposed to be to be accepted among the outcasts, it can be horribly confusing figuring out who's lying and who has genuinely fooled themselves into believing the lie. It's a city where bigotry and blind "acceptance" mingle in the same body, and finding honestly receptive people is difficult and strangely worth the effort.

Tip for novice homeless:
don't try to learn how the city works on your own.
Find someone who's been doing it for a while and is miraculously not (too) bitter. If you manage to find someone like that, you'll know your luck's holding out well enough to continue.

*note to native san franciscans: you are ALL passive aggressive. just because you think other people are more passive aggressive than you, doesn't exempt you from the category. trust me, on the east coast we're open with our aggressiveness.)

-ps