A Word About Homeless People.

There are lots of them here. I've heard that Seattle has the highest homeless rate, and Portland second, but I imagine that California and Florida have us beat. I mean, who wants to sit on the street corner in the rain all day? Your cardboard house would melt.

Unemployment rates are at about 11.8% (for the metro area alone) and counting.

Sometimes it's hard to tell who is homeless, and who is hip. Lots of kids out here look like the anarchists back home look, which is funny if you think about it. How does the anarchist in Athens, Ohio know that the anarchists in Portland, Oregon are cutting chunks of their hair out with safety scissors, or letting one piece grow really long so that they can wrap it in string?

I've seen more on-the-street-drug deals go down out here than I have in my whole life elsewhere. Usually, of course, it's the street people doing business. You can be pretty sure that it's crack, meth, or some other nasty hobo drug I have no interest in.

You would think they would get creative with their signage. There's stiff competition in the Portland hobo market, and in order for you to get that stranger's pocket change you've got to be on top of your game. But mostly it's your standard. "Homeless, jobless, please help." Or, "Laid off by Whole Foods, spare some for a friend in need," etc, etc.

If I were homeless my sign would say, "I just need enough to get to Kinko's and print a couple copies of my résumé. Then I won't bother you anymore." I think it's a moneymaker.