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| Good to see kids play |
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| The Disney Boat stopping over in San Francisco |
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| Ferry Building |
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| Relax at the Argonaut Hotel |
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Another Beautiful Day
You're a time traveler from the future, right Mr. President?
What else could be the reason Mr. President you didn't have a birth certificate? I am glad that it is over….What a waste of air time. You can't compete against Donald Trump, he built a great company or was it companies? Everytime he says he built a great company, I am assuming it was the one after he went bankrupt. Did you pay off the creditors on that one Donnie? I think Don has been memorizing too many lines from the Apprentice show. It's just a TV show dude. If you want to truly run for government you need to do a real reality show. Keep practicing your lines Donnie because you can't seem to get passed, "I built a great company and I am proud of myself"..…… Geez
Friday, April 29, 2011
Happy 40th Birthday Starbucks
Starbucks bought beans, cups of espresso and latte from Peet’s in the beginning. Peet’s is an original Bay Area company that started in 1966, next to the University of Berkeley. They still have a plant in Alameda today. The original Peet’s storefront is still at Walnut and Vine in Berkeley. The founder Mr. Alfred Peet moved to San Francisco at the age of 35, and died of cancer years later. Okay that was a little distraction. Back to Starbucks, the Starbucks customer created their own ordering language for assuring receipt of their daily caffeine fix. In fact, I didn't understand it myself until eight or nine years ago. I used to laugh at uptown yuppies when I heard them ordering those specialty drinks. I had to be specific when I ordered because my drink became not normal. All I wanted was medium coffee, regular "HOTEL BLEND". I had no clue when they asked what size I wanted; a tall, grande or venti. I haven't changed much since those days. Many office meetings, back door vendor and real estate deals, I am sure, have been made in what many now identify as their "coffice.". Oh, my turn to order, "I'll have a Venti Skinny Cinnamon Dolce Latte with whip cream on top and a sprinkle of cinnamon spice. Oh, and one of those lemon cakes too please, the big slice.". Now where was I?
Cheers to your good health and wealth.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Homeless Tourist - Really...where?
Where else but in San Francisco don't you know. I was thinking to myself about where they came from when I heard it on the news report this morning that there are Homeless Tourist in the City. I surmised they must have gotten of the Amtrak train that stops in Emeryville near Oakland). Hobos are the only homeless group that travels from town to town over the railways of America. Over the last week or so I have noticed a few new faces in town collecting change. Leave it to the citizens of San Francisco to put them into a respected category of tourist. If the legitimate tourist (the ones that spend dollars) knew who they shared the tourist category with they probably wouldn't appreciate it. Here's to an improving San Francisco's economy with the influx of new tourist dollars.
Cheers to your good health and wealth!
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Gay Mens Chorus @ Davies Symphony April 21st
I never knew that a chorus of 250 gay men could be an exciting night at the symphony. It was quite a production. You could say I had a gay old time. Seriously though the chorus did sound good. Enough said...
Check it Out: San Francisco Davies Symphony Hall
Buddy Guy at the Davies Symphony Hall
Buddy was excellent at the Hall I thoroughly enjoyed myself and the company. Buddy is one of my favorite Blues guitarist.
What a special and thoughtful gift.
Thank You
Check it out: San Francisco Davies Symphony Hall
Americans. Now You've Gone Over the Line
I read an article the other day, I think it was on CNN.com, but if wasn’t don’t beat me. Anyway there was a comment theorizing that the reason there was so much opposition for a high speed passenger rail system in the United States was not economical. Evidently some of us and you know who you are believe that building a super efficient and environmental friendly means of transportation would undermine the core values of our society and the existence of such tool would evoke a lifestyle closely related “European Socialism”. This example of thinking just goes to show me how undermined and misdirected the values of some Americans are already.
Baseball’s Games Uncomfortable and Unsafe
I was at the Giants versus Braves game Friday, April 22, 2011, and it was a great game even though the Giants lost. Both teams played very well I thought. The game wasn’t the highlight for me, my head was on swivel the whole darn night watching people in front and behind me. It must be the Native American in me but I notice everything. The whole police department attended the game. The atmosphere was tense for me with all the security I wasn’t sure what was going on. Just as we walked up to the gate to present our tickets the gatekeeper was summoning the police to remove a person and that hadn’t entered the park yet. Maybe the tickets were counterfeit that was only thing that we could figure. During the game it was crowded, too many peeeeople. Alcohol purchases were reduced to one drink per ID thank goodness. Still people were rude to each other and some were just itching to start a fight with fellow fans. Why do people come to the sporting event to drink and be crazy? The SFPD escorted six or eight people out of the game just in our locale. In my view I observed at least ten more that should have been taken out. Who are the people that act like this?
Monday, April 25, 2011
You Snooze You Lose Mother Nature
Mother Nature, persistent, relentless, methodical and slow from the human measure of time has used the ocean to work on a project called ROCK, The Rock project is near the shores of the Golden Gate Bridge she was making progress and almost had it done and only needed a few million more years and the rock would have been changed into a beautiful sandy beach. Just about that time man comes along in the past 10,000 years and most recently they last 100 years and creates dynamite and blows the rock project into small pieces and then grinds it up into fine sand, transports it off to Las Vegas and dumps it onto a resort hotel’s man-made beach. You may have guessed it that Mother Nature is irritated to say the least. This is what she had to say during an interview last week, “I’ve been working on the Project Rock for the last 20 million years and now I have to start over. Sorry San Francisco, you’ll have a wait a little longer for that sandy beach. I am glad I moved the Moon 290,000 miles away out of their reach. What will they screw up next?”
April 20, 2011
Earthquake Preparedness in San Francisco
Are you ready? For the earthquake man! You know the BIG ONE the geologist talk about. There is a 60% opportunity that the Bay area will experience one sooner rather than later. City leadership keeps asking us nonchalantly if we are ready,don’t they? They ask to cover their bacon as City and Citizen stewards. However, to be correctly prepared we are going to need more than the a 72 hour minimum food and water supply the Major mentions if the Japan earthquake and tsunami is any indicator of what the “big one” will be like. Those of us that have studio apartments barely have enough room for our shoe collections much less a week or two of supplies and don’t forget the first aid stuff. Where do you put your backup supplies? I have an idea. We can start a business of renting disaster recovery supply storage compartments on each end of town. People can rent storage space according to their families needs. One rental price get you two different storage places one on opposite sides of town. The rental price for the space doesn’t include the content. However, we can offer a disaster preparedness guide for different family sizes including for pets. The storage containers must be accessible in the event of a power outage. If one storage site is destroyed the customer can go to their backup site on either side of town. I am sure no one has thought of this idea yet.
April 20, 2011
April 20, 2011
Unique Cultural Experiences in the City
April 20, 2011
You Gotta Love This City
Use your senses for a moment and picture yourself In San Francisco walking along Stockton Street. Now close your eyes (be safe and have a friend with you) and hear the wondrous sounds all around you. Just ahead you hear a shoe drop and then a slide, shoe drop then a slide, then the occasional tap of stick or hard object on the sidewalk, shoe drop slide tap, shoe drop slide tap; the sound of older gentlemen with a limp supporting himself every other step with a cane. You pass him up and now the tap, tap, tap, tap and stepping quickly toward you is a tall and typical San Franciscan socialite in high heels on her way to Macy’s or Neman Marcus at Stockton and Geary Street. Smell the diversity of the City, you can sometimes pickup on the cultural differences including the jingle of change in a tin can reaching out to you for a contribution. You’re on Sutter and Stockton Street now and it 3pm and you wake from your perfect dream. The MUNI Stockton 30 bus is just pulling up and people are pushing and shoving to get on the bus and all are heading back to China town where most live, you gotta love this City. Stop Pushing Damn It!
The Fresno Bee Gets it Right
The April 14th, newspaper edition of the Fresno Bee reported that People’s magazine named Jennifer Lopez the world’s most beautiful woman. Tell your Mom I agree with the Bee this time.
I voted xYES.
San Francisco Public Library Versus Local Homesteaders
I visited the San Francisco Public Library this morning like I do often and quite frankly I got confused today. I thought I was in the Tenderloin or International Square for a moment. Has the library turned into a hostel and/or rest area for the homeless? I am tired of people taking sponge baths in the bathroom, unpacking all their belongings onto the reading table and just plane hanging around the front doors and lobby area. I am just a sensitive as the next person most likely but isn’t their something we can do differently? I don’t mean ship the destitute off to a refugee camp and make them someone else's problem. I haven’t seen one homeless person that couldn’t do some work and a least cleanup. What about our mothball fleet of ship in Suisun Bay, can we make a floating Hostel to give them a place to stay, shower, and sleep. I guess we’d have to anchor the floating Hostel; maybe off the coast of California somewhere. This idea feels like deja vu.
April 20, 2011
Politically Correct? Maybe Maybe Not
President Obama’s new campaign slogan is Centrist. He’s going to change to a more centrist (middle-of-the-road) vision. Come on Mr. President, is anyone really steering at all?
April 20, 2011
LUNCH OR DINNER ANYONE
Along the North and Southbound Powell and Mason Street trolley tracks on Taylor Street sits the quaint restaurant known as Pat’s Cafe. I often walked by the cafe on my way to Starbucks on Bay Street and never found the cafe opened. It seems that I never walked by at the right time. Breakfast and lunch end at 2:30 PM, they close and then at 5:00pm the cafe opens again for dinner until around 10:00Pm depending on business. I met Pat the owner and Gary, Pat’s righthand person. Good people, talkative and I felt very comfortable asking them questions about their business. The tourist seem to ignore the cafe for whatever reason according to Pat which is strange because the cafe door is just feet away from the trolley passenger loading area. Pat’s been a fixture in the area for some time once she owned and operated a place on Polk Street and more recently on the corner of North Point and Columbus streets. Pat’s Cafe has occupied the current space since 2006. I told her that I was glad she’s survived the times when so many others haven’t. Pat and Gary both brag a little about their customer-service and staff. Pat is an amateur photographer too and shows off her photographs on the walls of the restaurant along with other local artists. Gary artistic talent too and he shows it off on the colorful table tops. Definitely a friendly place to hang out and the BLT sandwich wasn’t too. The wine list looks reasonable and diverse so I will head back there again. No happy hour though and Pat recommended reservations for dinner, the place only seats 25 or 30 people. www.patscafe.com
April 18, 2011
What ‘s with the wheels Hyatt?
If you’ve ever stayed at the Hyatt Hotel in the Embarcadero you may have noticed that noise levels can get really loud during certain activities and I am not talking about conversations between individuals unless they are using a bullhorn or something. The issue I have is with the equipment that the staff are using to transport food and dishes, the carts on wheels. Most of the floors in the lobby are tiled and when the hard rubber tires of the carts go over the surface with dishes the rattling is extremely annoying if you are on a telephone call or trying to have a conservation with someone across the table. I swear some, not all employees seem to enjoy testing the guest’s nerves and self-control. It seems that management could fix the problem by replacing the tires with absorbing soft rubber tires. Then there is the security and or maintenance persons that stand at the end of the lobby and shout into their two-way radios like they were still using Campbell soup cans attached with string. The employees that I am talking about are senior enough to have once communicated with these authentic two-way instruments. People in the service industries today treat customers like they’re an unlimited supply. Come on Hyatt lets roll into the 21st century.
April 18, 2011
Hello! Hello! Anyone There?
Can I land now, I am tired....the caption of an airline communicates into the darkness while the sound of his radio falls on deaf ears or sweet dreams. Can you believe it! Supervisor to staff Controller: “ Didn't’ you hear the pilot of that aircraft calling asking to land? No, sir I was catching a few Z’s while in the lull of landing planes.” Supervisor: “ Well you are in trouble Mr. I want you to go home and think about what you have done. You’ve endangered the lives of innocent passengers in the air and on the ground. You are suspended with full pay and benefits and if you are found to be negligent by the FAA you’ll probably get fired with full benefits, severance and a retirement pension. What every happens to you deserve it for what you did. BTW don’t blame me if my recommendation to your next flight controllers job is rejected?” Controller: “But sir it isn’t my fault I have have two and sometimes three jobs I can’t give a 100% to all of them. I like this job because it does offer me some quiet time where I can catch up on my rest. Please put in a good word for me. I mean it’s not like a plane crashed for something.”
April 18, 2011
3,500 Year old Ohlone Indian Settlement
Vallejo, California is looking to place public park bathrooms over the top of a scared Ohlone Indian burial site, why I don’t have a clue. Who are the insensitive person(s) that are supporting this development effort. Come on Vallejo haven’t we been crapped on enough through history. I agree with the Major of Vallejo who is going to protest this insensitive progress into the future. Oh, wait minute doesn’t the city parks maintenance and development commission manager work for the Major. All you have to say Major Osby Davis, is no and I mean “no” really.
April 18, 2011
The Bond Bond Story
ow many pitched curve balls do the FEDS get to through, geez louise. I believe this the seventh at bat for Bonds and he’s either homered or got a base hit. The Seventh at bat the FEDS best prosecutor (pitcher) walks Bonds which isn’t anything knew for Bonds, he already leads the leagues in forced walks over his career. Give it up why don’t they. Who’s paying for this witch hunt anyway? Ouch, something just pitch my behind where my wallet is. I agree completely with Ken Garcia of the San Francisco Examiner, and I am paraphrasing, “....what a waist of taxpayer money.....” No wonder President Obama has to consider a tax increase to cover the deficit. How much does he have to cover? A whopping $6 million dollars and that is just what was expenses were tracked. Oh, and I don’t have a clue what Kimberly Bells’ problem is, I thinks Bond’s machismo looks just fine.
Increase in Debt Anyone?
I have to say that politics never interested me that much before, however, since being semiretired I’ve paid more attention or it’s just in my face so much lately. I guess I never knew what I was missing while working all day and everyday at the Just Over Broke (JOB). I can’t believe how the Democrats, and the Republicans (Tea Party now I guess) have been running this country into the ground with debt with stupidity, arrogance and greed. What a shameless joke being played on the world and not just the American people. Don’t all get upset Democrats, you’re first mentioned because the alphabet has you first and Republican don’t get your panties in wad either. I didn’t create the alphabet in the order it is I am sure that if it where part of the constitution both parties would amend it appropriately. Anyway I like things sequential, neat and orderly. So keep your donkeys and elephants under leash, geez Louise. Okay so the adults in Washington are not setting a good example about spending within their means. I believe that they, the government, and including all the big businesses that pull the puppet strings of politicians have a plan to keep you and I and future generations in debt. Did you know that 5% of the population control 95% of the money in the country? It only makes sense that the 5% would want the 95% that don’t control the wealth in the country to be indebted to them so that they control the destiny and manufacture the dependency for the mass populous. You think about that for a day or two why don’t you.
Reader’s Cafe on the Fort Mason
A quaint little coffee cafe hidden at the bottom of Fort Mason Park on the edge or in the corner of a small public library old old book store I am not sure which it is, but it’s quaint like I said. Nevertheless, it thrives almost out of sight and out of mind most certainly off the beaten path. Weekends seem to be the best economically and the weekdays just barely with regulars gathering in the cafe not just to socialize but to do homework an or browse the day away. As they go about their business they occasionally raise and eyebrow to checkout what is going on around them. The gaze I get sometimes makes me wonder what is really on their minds don’t they have calculus or philosophy homework to do. Others I just wonder who or what they are hiding from in this bayside refuge. Maybe they are hiding from the homeless that graze through the park trash cans looking for plastic bottles and aluminum cans to turn into the recycler for a few quarters that can but a little dinner or whole bottle of inexpensive alcohol who knows what else these days change can buy I am scared to death to ask them envisioning a crazy person turning wild on me. Getting back to the library of books. I would browse too if I could figure out how the books are organized. Are the books stored by title or author, or maybe it is by color, I seem to have noticed a pattern before it all turned grey on me.
April 17, 2011
Obama's Between Rocks and Hard Cases.
Tax cuts and others stuffs extended at a cost of $858 billion. Nine billion ($9 billion) isn’t much considering what is being spent on the two war fronts every month since the invasions. Obama did what he thought had to and the best short term option that he had for now. What is really messing with the minds of the politicians is each one has to go back to their constituents and explain why none of their pet state projects won’t be getting slop from the pork-barrel funding and earmarks. Now they have to do so real government work instead of buying there way from term to term. How many wars are we paying for now?
December 17, 2010
Christmas Already?
Come on! Wasn’t Christmas just here 12 months a0g? Could time have gone by and lost so fast. Gifts, layoffs, taxes, and new opportunities of abundant wealth are ahead of us.
Cheers to your good health and wealth!
December 17, 2010
It wasn't a trick trust me!
If you haven’t noticed, the pictures I attach to a particular blog don’t necessarily associate to the topic or experience I wrote about. It wasn’t a trick I just didn’t want to spend time associating pictures to writing. I like all of San Francisco so why should I associate one or two pictures when many different views relate to any number of experiences one can appreciate every day about this City and its neighboring communities.
August 27, 2010
History in the reading...San Francisco’s Public Library
A multilevel stone building across from the Civic Center, City Hall and other state and federal buildings, the San Francisco Public Library are your tax dollars at work. Whether you are a native or visitor SfPL is worth exploring. The City library has an extensive collection of cataloged San Francisco and near Bay Area history. I find the evolving history of the San Francisco Bay and the City’s affect on the Bay most interesting. Certainly, the Bay and the City are joined and neither could exist without the other. Although if you talk to Save the Bay, Green Peace and others the Bay is losing to the City and there is an ongoing fight to boaster the Bay’s vote in new development and potential environmental affects. After falling into the Bay I realized that I needed to help in some way, I am one of those Save the Bay advocates. Anyway back to the library. There is enough local history references to potentially keep you reading for lifetime. Pick a topic or area interesting to you than follow through time to witness the good and controversial changes that occurred at every plane of the San Francisco’s unique and still vital existence.
August 26, 2010
Hungry in the morning? Try SEARS!
No not the catalog store! After riding the trolley from Beach Street to Market and Second Street, I walked up to Powell Street and had breakfast at the SEARS restaurant. The food was good as well as the friendly conversation. My waitress’ name was Carol and she has waited tables at SEARS for 22 years. SEARS is one of the landmarks in downtown San Francisco that was established 1938. A friend recommended it to me. Have breakfast on the way to the office or before you hit the streets exploring. I had a veggie omelet but the person next to had hot oatmeal with a mountain of the freshest strawberries that I have every seen and on top of that another and separate bowl of strawberries and blackberries, I mean to tell you the one bowl would have been enough for me.
August 26, 2010
Waterfront
What a fantastic three days with my daughter. I think she had a good time visiting the City for the first time. We started with a Thursday night dinner and a Pieces of a Dream show at Yoshi’s and ended with dinner on Saturday night at the Waterfront restaurant. We had a delicious meal of salmon and halibut. After dinner we hopped onto pedal cab and rode through Fisherman's Wharf that ended at Ghiradelli Square. What a lovely time we had together.
July 18, 2010
Reminiscing Update - Beer Can Series
As forwarded to me...
The crew of Warwhoop had on two previous occasions attempted to do the Latitude 38 challenge of doing a beer can race every night of the week. The first attempt several years ago failed because the exuberant skipper assumed that all clubs started their season at the same time. The second attempt failed earlier this season when the irrationally exuberant skipper assumed that all clubs raced every week. When all else failed the crew read the directions scattered about the Internet and found there is one week when it is possible to race every night of the week in the bay. The only week was to be June 21-25, 2010. Setting out from their homeport of Benicia on Sunday, the crew delivered the boat to Richmond, and picked up the skipper on Monday for the trip to Bay View Boat Club. Bay View Boat Club only races every other week, but has a great flat-water venue. The night of the 21 the wind was light and the committee decided to shorten the course. When they fired off the two shots signaling their intention, the leader (a small woodie) who was at least a mile ahead, altered course and went home. That left Warwhoop in the lead and one of the few finishers. Our first race and we get a 1st! The next morning found the Warwhoop crew near South Beach in need of breakfast and coffee. Sitting in the Java Café the crew struck up a conversation with a fellow customer (non-sailor Don Gonsalves) who accepted an invitation to help deliver the boat to Sausalito for their Tuesday night Beer Can race. Don was hooked, or as we told his friend “Shanghaied” for the rest of the week! After a poor performance in Sausalito the boat was delivered to Vallejo YC, home to three of the crew. A good start and great wind and some local knowledge allowed Warwhoop to get a first again. Thursday night in Warwhoop’s home club of Benicia, by now with a well-practiced crew, Warwhoop got another first place. The first thing Friday morning the boat needed to get back down bay for the Friday Night Berkley series. The crew took the boat back down to Berkley and the frantic skipper who spent the day running errands, managed to jump on the boat at the last possible second, result: Warwhoop took a third. After a full week of racing and the required partying, Warwhoop and her crew got 3 firsts1 third and a DFL. Not bad! Hearing that Sausalito was having a race to Vallejo on Saturday, Warwhoop took off, late again at the start we ended up with a third. During this 6th race in our series, we suffered our first major gear failure. A 25 plus knot gust of wind off Point Pinole wrapped the spin-pole around the head-stay, and turned the 25-year-old kite to trash. Jamie the owner of “Jazz Beau” who took second, watched us blow it up, later he said he had a old kite and pole we could have so we are back in business! With the kindness of strangers we were made whole!
Crew of Warwhoop:
Linda Cowgill Pit/ icebox 5 races
Roger Ruud Mainsheet/bow 6 races
Elvin Valverty Trim 4 races
Jennifer Valverty Trim 4 races
Don Gonsalves Rail-meat 4 races
Chuck Hooper Helm 6 races
July 12, 2011
Jiving at the JAVA House
Nothing like an eggs and pancakes breakfast on a cool San Francisco morning at Phillip’ s “Java House” Normally, I would describe the Java House as a hole-in-wall spot with just a few tables and fewer customers. However, this place is more described as a hole-in-the-water. Sitting for the last thirty or so years on the edge of the water between the Bay bridge and the AT&T Stadium formerly know and still recognized by some as the PAC Bell baseball stadium.
July 20, 2010
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