You recognize this sign, doncha? Sure, Marquard's has been at the corner of O'Farrell and Powell just about forever. Well, walk on by and take one last look, and maybe pick up one last paper: the Chron reports that Marquard's is soon to be replaced by Hat World, "a huge national chain specializing in logo caps," which the residents of SF have clearly been clamoring for. And thus the entire Union Square area is one step closer to being just another mall, albeit one that doesn't share a common roof.

Combine this sort of news with the word from Sacramento that Governor Ahnold is going to force Caltrans to switch gears mid-project and build us an ugly-ass viaduct to replace the eastern half of the Bay Bridge, and you begin to think it's only a matter of time before our entire environment is nothin' but chain stores and concrete. Sigh.

[Yes, 'tis true, institutions die all the time. Change is constant and unavoidable. Acceptance is peace. Namaste.]