The Bay is Better http://bayisbetter.posterous.com In Praise of the San Francisco Bay Area posterous.com Tue, 10 Apr 2012 14:09:07 -0700 Crazy San Francisco: Adults Race Big Wheels Trikes Down the Curviest Street in America http://bayisbetter.posterous.com/crazy-san-francisco-adults-race-big-wheels-tr http://bayisbetter.posterous.com/crazy-san-francisco-adults-race-big-wheels-tr

Lombard Street in San Francisco is known as the "curviest in America," but city residents know that's a big lie. Local San Franciscans know that's a big lie. Vermont Street in Potrero Hill is the curviest street in San Francisco, and therefore in the world. Good thing too, because if it were in some other city they probably wouldn't spend every Easter dressing up in costumes and racing down dangerous curves on the tiny Big Wheels tricycles designed for Kindergarteners.

Before the event starts, officials ride down the hill blaring a siren to warn pedestrians. Here's an example of an "official" warning tricycle, this one carrying a girl dressed as Princess Leia. Note that the buns in her hair are actually big wheels.

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The race begins tame, letting actual children roll down the hill. So they don't careen into the crazy switchbacks of Vermont St., ending the race in boo-boos and tears, most kids were kept on a short leash

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 Or on a short sweater, as in this girl's case.

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There isn't an official winner of the Big Wheels race, but if it were up to me, the winner of the kid's section would be this little girl. After the tame rugrats on leashes rounded the curve, this whippersnapper came barreling down in first place, riding a big wheels covered in fur. Sorry the photo is crap; my tired old reflexes simply weren't fast enough to catch the likes of her coming round the bend, fearless and smiling.

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 We could hear the army of plastic wheels rumbling before the adults zoomed by. Big Wheels racing isn't a terribly dangerous sport, but collisions are common. Usually they result from vehicles that break apart under speeds and weights they weren't designed for or ergonomic difficulties when the rider can't figure out how to fit their body onto the tiny car.

 

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Some accidents were enabled by nosy pedestrians. In particular this drunken bafoon was amusing at first, constantly waving his flag or cowboy hat and seeking high fives. But I felt his actions were a bit too intrusive. For example:

One fine moment came when Elmo accidentally did a full forward-roll. This broke his pink tricycle, but he got back up. It took a minute for him to get oriented, and when he managed to get it all put together again the crowd was shouting "ELMO, ELMO, ELMO."

 

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This being San Francisco, most participants used the Big Wheels race as an excuse to dress in costume.

There were Easter-themed costumes:

 

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Costumes themed around transit:

 

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And several savvy racers who chose their ensemble to prepare them for the bumps ahead:

 

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My favorite costume was this guy with the pink dress and the parasol, mostly for his determination to stay in character. No matter what curves Vermont street threw at him, he continued to wave serenely like a beauty pageant winner.

 

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 The most amazing moment was when a woman's bike hit the edge and her wheels flew off. She was propelled into the air but just then this fellow came around the cornder and CAUGHT HER.

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 The force sent his Big Wheels spinning in circles but he neither dropped her nor lost his balance. Instead he restored her, bewildered and standing, and after receiving uproarious applause, continued down the hill. It was like how you feel when you drop something and catch it before it hits the floor, except the thing he caught was a person and he was riding a tiny car down a hill and there was an audience. Triple awesome. You can't plan a moment like that. The Big Wheels race is all about creating hijinks that make brilliant serendipity possible.

 

 

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/513147/karma_green_hat.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5fiSuzezq5zP daretoeatapeach daretoeatapeach daretoeatapeach Sun, 16 Oct 2011 19:44:00 -0700 Decompression: Post-Burning Man After Party http://bayisbetter.posterous.com/decompression-post-burning-man-after-party http://bayisbetter.posterous.com/decompression-post-burning-man-after-party

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 At Decompression you'll find amazing costumes, interactive art, and beautiful people. I posted more Decompression pictures on the tumblog bayisbetter.tumblr.com.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/513147/karma_green_hat.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5fiSuzezq5zP daretoeatapeach daretoeatapeach daretoeatapeach Sun, 18 Sep 2011 18:00:00 -0700 I Love to Hate LA http://bayisbetter.posterous.com/i-love-to-hate-la http://bayisbetter.posterous.com/i-love-to-hate-la
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Ew, gross: Los Angeles.

As a resident of Northern California I take on the proud tradition of hating Los Angeles. There are many reasons to hate LA. It's filthy. It's superficial. The rats and roaches breed in abundance. The weather is hot and filled with foul smog but the ocean is still too fucking cold to dip a toe in. They put concertina wire around the freeway to keep out the graffiti artists. It's nothing but mini malls and freeways from end to end. Traffic, traffic, traffic, that never seems to end with nothing of interest to look at but maybe some palm trees that aren't native to the region in the first place. But who cares about that, no one is from LA, not really, people go there to fail at big dreams. It's a fucking desert; the only things that truly belong there are tumbleweeds and rocks. 
I first decided I hated LA long before I ever lived on the West Coast. In Hollywood I saw a bunch of homeless punks holding signs that said "Photos with freaks $5." I thought, these punk describe this place: everything is a commodity. Even the punks here are superficial: anarchist on the outside, capitalist on the inside. Further exposure only increased my disdain. Did you know that old Hollywood is in disrepair? They have so much land that instead of reviving it, they just built a new Hollywood further down the road. That's how people in LA think. No appreciation for history or tradition, even when it's for the thing that made their city a destination in the first place. Why fix up that dirty old hole where countless movie stars made their mark? Why bother? In their minds, newer is better.
But it occurs to me now that I take too much pleasure in my hatred. Truly, I love to hate LA. They are so counter to everything that Northern California stands for that we can hold them up like a gleaming beacon in opposition to our NorCal selves. When Stephen Merritt sings:

See them on their big bright screen
tan and blonde and seventeen
Eating nonfood keeps them mean
but they're young forever
If they must grow up
they marry dukes and earls
I hate California girls
I can take comfort in my suspicion that everything he describes is SoCal. LA is the Yin to our Yang. We declare what we are by pointing South and exclaiming that that is what we are not. 
If you don't live on the West Coast, perhaps you are unaware of this rivalry. You may associate all of California with New York and Vermont and the stereotype of the liberal elitist. It's true that we embrace our liberalism and drink lattes and eat tofu. But when Midwesterners accuse the left coast of being shallow, when they say we're obsessed with fashion and celebrity, San Francisco replies, "Oh, no--you're thinking of our sister, Los Angeles."
Not only do I love to hate LA, I shockingly discover that I am proud to have this den of iniquity within the borders of my great state. Because Hollywood is worshiped by the rest of the country. In some ways LA is like Texas--all the worst things about American culture, and proud of it. The Texans are proud of being big and conservative while LA is proud of fast cars, big budgets, new money, fake tits and tans. Though the rest of the US wants to roll their eye's at NorCal's dirty hippies chowing down on government subsidized organic produce, it's a plain fact that those same Americans are in love with California's nether regions. They read celebrity gossip on their lunch breaks and talk about TV at the water cooler. They blog about all that goes into making the next summer blockbuster. Children suckled on the teat of Teen Beat grow up to gawk at paparazzi photos in People. If LA were wiped off the map tomorrow, this celebrity-obsessed country would have little to talk about besides Saturday night football. 

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Haters Gonna Hate--I confess I love to hate LA

Of course, we NorCal types want nothing to do with all that. We watch more TV than we admit, and the stuff we see on the big picture is described as "films" which we scrutinize for underlying social messages. But I do like that the culture of California is subtly distilled in a nation raised by television. I love that The Lost Boys setting of Santa Carla is actually the NorCal town, Santa Cruz. I love that the Sunnydale of Buffy the Vampire Slayer is most likely based on the Bay's Sunnyvale. I laughed when Lafayette on True Blood slept under thick velvet blankets. In Louisiana he would bake snuggling under a blanket like that but leave it to a set dresser in LA to think they know what hot weather is. I don't want Americans to be obsessed with the fake lives of fake people. I moved here to get away from all that. But I get the best of both worlds. I've escaped the monster, but the place they keep it chained is a one-hour puddle-jumper flight away. 
Maybe that's why Los Angeles is most appealing to me when it is falling apart. It is only pretty when it's seedy, when there's a patina covering all that glamor. LA is only likeable viewed through the lens of David Lynch or distorted through the Raveonettes grungy guitars. Only when the swimming pools and shopping malls are empty and covered in spray paint will a new America be ready to be born. 

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/513147/karma_green_hat.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5fiSuzezq5zP daretoeatapeach daretoeatapeach daretoeatapeach Mon, 22 Aug 2011 16:19:49 -0700 Dates for free feminist production of A Midsummer Night's Dream http://bayisbetter.posterous.com/dates-for-free-feminist-production-of-a-midsu http://bayisbetter.posterous.com/dates-for-free-feminist-production-of-a-midsu
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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/513147/karma_green_hat.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5fiSuzezq5zP daretoeatapeach daretoeatapeach daretoeatapeach Tue, 31 May 2011 09:36:26 -0700 Bay to Breakers II: This is How We Run A Footrace in San Francisco http://bayisbetter.posterous.com/bay-to-breakers-ii-this-is-how-we-run-a-footr http://bayisbetter.posterous.com/bay-to-breakers-ii-this-is-how-we-run-a-footr

If you like to see sweaty people wearing costumes and running shoes, boy are you in luck: here's my second batch of photos from San Francisco's Bay to Breakers race. There's even more photos in this batch.

Here we have Towely, Elvis, Carmen Sandiego, Tellytubbies, Ghostbusters, (more)  Marios (and carts, actually saw a much better set of Mario Carts but didn't get a picture), three Divo heads (the fourth was crossing the street), bathroom boy and girl,a boyscout, Jesus Christ and his two wenches, and a magic lamp that wins any contest for "most phallic costume." And some other stuff...you can look at the pictures faster than I can list them.

Which ones are running to raise money for charity and which ones are just looking for an excuse to get very drunk early on a Sunday morning? I'll leave that to you.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/513147/karma_green_hat.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5fiSuzezq5zP daretoeatapeach daretoeatapeach daretoeatapeach Sun, 29 May 2011 15:00:00 -0700 Bay to Breakers: This is How We Run A Footrace in San Francisco http://bayisbetter.posterous.com/bay-to-breakers-this-is-how-we-run-a-footrace http://bayisbetter.posterous.com/bay-to-breakers-this-is-how-we-run-a-footrace

Every city has their big charity race; in San Francisco it's Bay to Breakers. Folks run from the beautiful Bay, through the city and all the way through Golden Gate Park. Unlike most cities, San Franciscans like to do it in costumes. And unlike other cities that get dressed up, these gold rush kids take their costumes seriously.

My first experience with Bay to Breakers was being handed a paper cup while running, the typical side-of-the-road refresher offered to runners, only to find out the cup was filled with beer. This year I decided to be lazy and wait at the finish line to get photos of some of the fantastic outfits. Nostalgia was in full force this year, with more Mario and Luigis than you can squeeze into a hidden green pipe and so many red-striped Waldos that the irony of finding so many of them was completely lost. There were also a ton of Smurfs, muppets and Angry Birds.

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Here's some of the beauties my camera was able to grab, certainly not comprehensive.   This set includes Star Wars, Smurfs, Pac-Man, Scrabble, some very rambunctious American Gladiators and a dog in leg warmers.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/513147/karma_green_hat.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5fiSuzezq5zP daretoeatapeach daretoeatapeach daretoeatapeach Thu, 03 Mar 2011 14:30:04 -0800 this is not art http://bayisbetter.posterous.com/this-is-not-art http://bayisbetter.posterous.com/this-is-not-art

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From one of the many galleries opening their doors on the First Friday art walk.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/513147/karma_green_hat.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5fiSuzezq5zP daretoeatapeach daretoeatapeach daretoeatapeach Wed, 16 Feb 2011 22:17:00 -0800 Crashfaster at the EFF 21st Birthday Party http://bayisbetter.posterous.com/crashfaster-at-the-eff-21st-birthday-party http://bayisbetter.posterous.com/crashfaster-at-the-eff-21st-birthday-party

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Note that the stage for this 8-bit fest is decorated with computer chips and video game components.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/513147/karma_green_hat.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5fiSuzezq5zP daretoeatapeach daretoeatapeach daretoeatapeach Tue, 01 Feb 2011 18:55:23 -0800 Giant skull http://bayisbetter.posterous.com/giant-skull http://bayisbetter.posterous.com/giant-skull
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One of the many fine items currently for sale at Urban Ore.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/513147/karma_green_hat.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5fiSuzezq5zP daretoeatapeach daretoeatapeach daretoeatapeach Sat, 04 Sep 2010 17:47:00 -0700 The 800 Bus http://bayisbetter.posterous.com/the-800-bus http://bayisbetter.posterous.com/the-800-bus
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The 800 is my favorite bus in the Bay Area. This is the bus that goes back and forth from Downtown San Francisco to Berkeley and Oakland in the wee hours of the morning. You have your bar staff getting off work, one-night stands, forlorn lovers and, mostly, working-class partiers. This is the bus that runs only during the hours it is too late to catch the train. The evening is over and there are a lot of stories in those faces.
Most of the time I ride public transit I wrap myself in a book. But on the 800 I'm usually with a friend, and either too pooped or too pumped to read. Instead I find my plots in the desperation of the singles and the eavesdropped sarcasms of couples. I find my character in the swagger and slick coifs of the lovers and the heavy-lids of the night shift workers.
The first time I caught the 800 I sat behind the tall hair of a drag queen. The second time I sat surrounded by a tourist group from Eastern Europe. The whole ride home they sang Communist Party songs while a drunk hobo ingratiated himself into their clan. The most recent time I caught it was the worst. I caught it after a run-in with some bitches itching for a fight at the Denny's, post-party (Twelves at the Mezz), post-breakfast, indeed so late it was almost early. It seemed at that hour things were a little less festive, a lot more tired and wolrd-weary. But the stories were still there.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/513147/karma_green_hat.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5fiSuzezq5zP daretoeatapeach daretoeatapeach daretoeatapeach Mon, 16 Aug 2010 23:43:13 -0700 Berkeley flowers Jun 2010-4 | Flickr - Photo Sharing! http://bayisbetter.posterous.com/berkeley-flowers-jun-2010-4-flickr-photo-shar http://bayisbetter.posterous.com/berkeley-flowers-jun-2010-4-flickr-photo-shar
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Thanks to Ray I finally figured out that this is a #passionflower. Growing on a fence in #Berkeley. #Gardens

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/513147/karma_green_hat.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5fiSuzezq5zP daretoeatapeach daretoeatapeach daretoeatapeach Mon, 09 Aug 2010 22:56:07 -0700 Mission Buddhist temple http://bayisbetter.posterous.com/mission-buddhist-temple http://bayisbetter.posterous.com/mission-buddhist-temple
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Architecturally, this is one of my favorite houses of worship in San Francisco. Not because it is the most beautiful, but because it is a Buddhist Temple occupying an old Victorian church. The brightly painted Victorians are tied to the city's extravagant gold rush history. It also touches on the city's long bohemianism, as the Hippies were the first to paint their Victorians in bold color schemes---the English stuck with somber monochromatic grey-white. But while the bold red paint fits in nicely on this Mission street, it is clearly chosen to mark the space for what it is today, a Buddhist temple. The influx of Chinese is also tied to the Gold Rush, since migrant workers from China built the railroads. Migration from across the Pacific is equally important in Modern San Francisco now it connected to the Brain Drain of Asia's best and brightest to work in Silicone Valley tech jobs or prestigious Stanford and Berkeley universities. The neighborhood where this structure is planted is certainly bohemian but it is far from Chinatown and Japantown, making its neighbors mostly Central American.

I took the picture on this particular day because it was recently repainted. The building's Buddhist remake has gilded lion-head knockers on the side doors. At the top of the steps the glass double doors are filled with a giant laughing Buddha.

The tendency to naturally blend eclectic cultural influences marks this temple not only a beautiful representation of San Francisco, but a great piece of Americana as well.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/513147/karma_green_hat.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5fiSuzezq5zP daretoeatapeach daretoeatapeach daretoeatapeach Sat, 05 Jun 2010 12:47:00 -0700 Photos: Maker Faire 2010 http://bayisbetter.posterous.com/photos-maker-faire-saturday http://bayisbetter.posterous.com/photos-maker-faire-saturday

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What is the Maker Faire? It's bad-ass-art and tech-as-art.It's steampunk and 8-bit. It's hackers and coders. It's robots and lasers and explosions. It's cities built of legos or recycled cardboard. It's the art of Burning Man without the burning heat. It's zinesters, knitters, stitchers, and crafters. It's virtual reality and 3-D and glow-in-the-dark LEDs. It's giant Tesla Coils. It's long-lost arcade games and the technology of tomorrowland. It's gadgets and gizmos a plenty, whosits and whatsits galore. And more specifically, it's Make Magazine's huge conference celebrating acts of glorious creation.

I was fortunate enough in that this year I was able to attend both days for free because I was helping out with my pals at Simbol Rides. So I alternated between helping folks in and out of their personal motion simulators and checking out the hundreds and hundreds of booths that make the Maker Fair so overwhelmingly nifty. Our booth was in the big room between the woman who grows her own sheep to make her own wool, the museum of Pinball, and the city of Legos.

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Legos and Maker Cars and Ancient drums playing automatically by computer

 

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Dub Machines: builds his own musical instruments with microprocessors and industrial gadgets

 

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Children defeat the (cardboard) robot uprising and other interesting characters

 

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Tesla coils and other electric fun in the LED room

 

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Robot chess, a rocketship and A peice of the Milleneum Clock

 

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Hand-printed messages and personalized poetry served on demand

 

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Steampunks

 

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Our booth, Simbol Rides

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/513147/karma_green_hat.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5fiSuzezq5zP daretoeatapeach daretoeatapeach daretoeatapeach Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:13:21 -0700 San Franciscans Will Crowd Source Anything http://bayisbetter.posterous.com/san-franciscans-will-crowd-source-anything-0 http://bayisbetter.posterous.com/san-franciscans-will-crowd-source-anything-0 Two fun videos that emphasizes how Bay folks love working together and helping out.  For some reason it takes a real metropolis to find people willing to pull silly stunts like this and San Francisco is better at fostering that than anywhere else I have been.  It is a very welcoming, non-judgemental environment. The first was one of the top links today on Boing Boing.  It shows a guy who allows his hair to be cut by random passers-by.  Looks pretty good, I think. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7Bvm4P0Nmw] The second is of a guy who gets enough random people to push him from the mission to Golden Gate park in under half an hour.  That's uphill folks, uphill the whole way.  The video is from SF Gate and they're not so keen about imbedding off-site, so here's the link: http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1407952648/bctid1657909722. It is 2 minutes, eight seconds.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/513147/karma_green_hat.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5fiSuzezq5zP daretoeatapeach daretoeatapeach daretoeatapeach Thu, 17 Jul 2008 18:54:35 -0700 Bakesale Betty's Makes Ma.gnolia.com's Front Page http://bayisbetter.posterous.com/bakesale-bettys-makes-magnoliacoms-front-page http://bayisbetter.posterous.com/bakesale-bettys-makes-magnoliacoms-front-page
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bakesale betty logo
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Ironing board tables photo by ed u.
Somehow a little local bakery in Oakland made the it to the top of the heap for most popular links on ma.gnolia.com today.  This sort of thing never happened when I lived in Florida.  As far as U.S. cities go, if you are reading a magazine article about some nifty place it is usually in L.A., New York or San Francisco.  But thanks to Silicone Valley, San Francisco gets a lot more love in the digital media.  Though I live far from the valley and Bakesale Betty's is in my neighborhood.  I can actually walk there in, maybe, three minutes. They are a very small space with almost no inside seating.  Frankly, I don't usually eat there because there is always a monstrous line.  Apparently all the fuss is about the chicken sandwiches, the "best ever!" according to people who eat such things. I usually get the strawberry shortcake, the recipe for which you can get on their site. Those who do "dine in" sit outside at make-shift tables which are actually used ironing boards.  The ironing boards are a perfect fit for the busy sidewalk and the homey, kitschy theme. Other great bakeries in Berkeley/North Oakland are Nabalom and Sweet Adeline's. photo credit: Ed U. at yelp.com
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bakesale betty's in oakland

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/513147/karma_green_hat.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5fiSuzezq5zP daretoeatapeach daretoeatapeach daretoeatapeach Thu, 17 Jul 2008 18:43:11 -0700 San Francisco Is the Most "walk-able" U.S. City http://bayisbetter.posterous.com/san-francisco-is-the-most-walk-able-us-city-0 http://bayisbetter.posterous.com/san-francisco-is-the-most-walk-able-us-city-0 According to recent rankings by The Daily Green, San Francisco is America's "most walkable city."

1. San Francisco, CA

The city is known for its stable, relatively mild climate and progressive viewpoints, and 90% of San Francisco residents have a Walk Score of 70 or above, while 99% have a Walk Score of at least 50. Only 1% live in so-called car-dependent neighborhoods. The top areas are Chinatown, the Financial District, Downtown and North Beach.

The Daily Green actually based their scores on a nifty website, walkscore.com.   Walk Score is a smart google mash-up that scores a location based on how many businesses and civic institutions are within walking distance.  They also describe San Francisco's walk-ability:

Explore San Francisco's Most Walkable Neighborhoods

The top 17 neighborhoods in San Francisco are Walkers' Paradises. 90% of San Francisco residents have a Walk Score of 70 or above. 99% have a Walk Score of at least 50—and 1% live in Car-Dependent neighborhoods.

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On their site you can  explore by neighborhood or enter in your address. Speaking of Walk Score, it looks like San Francisco has sucked another talented individual into are sphere of joyousness.  I happened upon the site of Lee Byron, who is planning his move to the SF Bay.  He does charming things with technology.  His most recent project is to make a giant walkability map of San Francisco, by mashing the Walk Score mash-up.  His page is full of interesting projects; I certainly spent more time than I should have purusing them.  Now if only we can convince John Stewart to take the plunge...

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/513147/karma_green_hat.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5fiSuzezq5zP daretoeatapeach daretoeatapeach daretoeatapeach Wed, 12 Mar 2008 16:43:31 -0700 "If You Consider..." An Ambient Audio Tour of Golden Gate Park http://bayisbetter.posterous.com/if-you-consider-an-ambient-audio-tour-of-gold-0 http://bayisbetter.posterous.com/if-you-consider-an-ambient-audio-tour-of-gold-0 I have tried to explain to my friends the spirit of San Francisco, how it exudes artistic initiative in a way that other great cities like Philly and Atlanta don't.  You get this feeling like you could open up a sewing shop in your basement or run a nightclub out of the back of an old school bus.  You feel that way because people here are wacky enough to try such things and shockingly, they succeed.  It's what you get when you mix the improvisation of the beatniks with the shamelessness of the hippies with the idealistic entrepreneurship of the dot-com boomers. Last Saturday I discovered an event that perfectly captures this spirit.  I responded to a post on Squidlist promising an "ambient audio tour."   After a morning bike ride through the city, I arrived at an address in front of Golden Gate Park.  It wasn't a business, but a residence, one of the many old Victorian row houses the city is known for.  I was warmly welcomed in and offered tea and homemade biscuits and cookies.  There were about ten people in the room, some folks like me who responded to the web bulletin and others friends of the project making friendly conversation.  The atmosphere was entirely welcoming. The audio tour could be acquired on mp3, tape or CD.  One need not bring a player as he had a basket full of old Walkmans.  After ten minutes of socializing, I ventured out into the park with my Ipod stacked up with "If You Consider...", the ambient audio tour of Golden Gate park. When I say "audio tour," you are most likely thinking of a long string of historical notes: Bob Marley peed here.  Janis Joplin sang a song about this spot. And there's a bit of that.  What makes the tour magical is the way the narrator drifts into the realm of fancy.  There is some history and there is some whimsy.  You can't really be sure where one ends and the other begins.  One moment you are learning about the edible plants at your feet, the next you are in a string of poetry and then he is quick to warn you, "Be careful.  That man behind you has been following you for some time now..."
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The artist behind this creation is a musician and the soundtrack really makes this tour shine.  The music is at times peaceful and sweet and other times delightfully cacophonous, a la "A Day In the Life" or Radiohead at its more experimental moments.  The soundscape fits well with the content and is segued seamlessly. The tour does not end, exactly, as it encourages one to continue their imaginative adventure, perhaps even make their own audio tour (and isn't that the spirit of innovation I am suggesting that our fine city encourages?).   Following the musical portion of the tour, my senses were awakened.  I continued to wander. Colors and revelry drew me to the Mary B. Connoly playground.  I stopped at the restroom, which carried a warning the walls inside were filled with lead-based paint.  Most days this would only annoy me but in that moment I was an explorer and the poisoned walls were part of the urban adventure, a small challenge.  A boy rode a unicycle, children slid on cardboard down a slide-walk that resembled the hilly streets of Nobb Hill.  One of the fathers sported a worn pork pie hat.  An ancient Asian woman carried a white infant on her back, enclosed in a colorful Mexican blanket.  In the distant field, drummers played.  Of course,  I would see all these things if not on my ambient tour.  But would I really see these things? Golden Gate park is huge and exploring can be daunting.  If you want to get to know some of its nooks and crannies, I can think of no better way than spending a Sunday afternoon with "If You Consider...".

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/513147/karma_green_hat.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5fiSuzezq5zP daretoeatapeach daretoeatapeach daretoeatapeach Sat, 15 Dec 2007 01:30:37 -0800 San Franciscans Don't Cough On You http://bayisbetter.posterous.com/san-franciscans-dont-cough-on-you-0 http://bayisbetter.posterous.com/san-franciscans-dont-cough-on-you-0 From The Drum Major Report Year in ReviewNo More Working While Sick
Caught that new flu bug that’s going around? If you’re one of the 50% of American workers without paid sick leave, you may be punching the clock anyway. And if you’re one of two-thirds who can’t take paid time off to care for an ill child, Junior may be heading off to school with a contagious disease. That is, unless you live in San Francisco, which this year became the first place in the country to mandate at least five days of paid sick leave for everyone employed within city limits. The measure permits employees to use the sick days to care for themselves, family members, or another person designated as dependent on their care. While businesses complain about the cost, the SF ordinance—approved by voter referendum—is expected to lower employee turnover, raise productivity with a healthier workforce, reduce the rate of workplace-related illness as fewer people go to work with contagious conditions, and allow illnesses to get treated before they become serious. Workers, meanwhile, will no longer face an impossible choice between health and employment. For giving everyone time to heal without losing a day’s pay, San Francisco’s sick leave is one of the best policies of 2007.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/513147/karma_green_hat.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5fiSuzezq5zP daretoeatapeach daretoeatapeach daretoeatapeach Fri, 20 Jul 2007 07:08:00 -0700 I Appreciate the Tori Amos Song More and More http://bayisbetter.posterous.com/i-appreciate-the-tori-amos-song-more-and-more-0 http://bayisbetter.posterous.com/i-appreciate-the-tori-amos-song-more-and-more-0

At 4:47 this morning we had a 4.2 earthquake very close to my apartment. I was dreaming of Tarot Cards when it pulled me from sleep. Earthquakes are so strange. Mostly because they're loud. It is hard to tell: is that my furniture moving, or is it the sound of the earth? Maybe we Californians are a little more in touch with the earth. It makes a fuss every now and then, gets a hankering for attention. Earthquakes are the only natural disaster I can think of that aren't exacerbated by global warming. I take some strange comfort in that. Its also the only natural disaster where the more you have them, the safer you are from them. It is such a relief to have a small earthquake, it prevents "the big one." But just imagine someone saying, "I sure am glad we had that little tornado. Now we're set all season."

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/513147/karma_green_hat.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5fiSuzezq5zP daretoeatapeach daretoeatapeach daretoeatapeach Sat, 14 Jul 2007 07:07:00 -0700 Perfect Moments http://bayisbetter.posterous.com/perfect-moments-0 http://bayisbetter.posterous.com/perfect-moments-0

I leave the dusty, dark recesses of my apartment to drop off a big box for the charity-thrift up the street. I love to go there and leave a huge donation and walk out empty-handed. It makes me feel freer, lighter. Outside my door, the neighbors are throwing a birthday party, with chips and cheese and Mexican music and a giant sponge-bob bouncy castle. One of the boys offers to open the gate for me, though my box is surprisingly light. Looking out at the mountains and feeling the ocean breeze I am suddenly caught up in a perfect moment. There are a smorgosborg of joyous beings all around: bicyclists, cute dogs and their beaming owners, hip sisters towing sassy siblings, and lesbians kissing. I am thinking of Sartre, how he had a character who deystroyed her relationships by trying to force all moments to become perfect moments and being disappointed with anything less. This is an exaggeration but to some extent we all do this, try to force our expectations on a wedding or a prom night. In the same postmodern way that there are as many ways to look as an object as their are people to look at it, the future moment will never quite have the texture that you expect of it. But that's okay. Because these perfect experiences that can you hit you when you are solitary and doing the most mundane chore, these simple, blissful moments, are what make life worth living. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a date with the bouncy castle.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/513147/karma_green_hat.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5fiSuzezq5zP daretoeatapeach daretoeatapeach daretoeatapeach