Tag: photo

26 Nixed

24-899 from 1943

24-907 from 1943

It’s bad enough that the elimination of the 26-Valencia will wreak havoc on my personal life. But it turns out that the line I often stumble upon to get home has been running since 18-fucking-92 (shown above in its 1943 variation).

Back then, it was a trolley that ran from Steuart St. near the Ferry Building all the way down to the cemeteries in Colma. Shit, if that still ran, I could take it to Target!

The final insult is that, apparently, electric streetcars themselves were largely built in San Francisco as a way to develop the Sunnyside area – my homeland – for its real estate. And this is how I’m repaid – with forced late-night pedestrianism and wallet-thinning cab rides.

Has Anyone Seen the Twin Peaks Coyote?

Coyote on Twin Peaks, San Francisco, photo by Janet Kessler

I guess I’ve been a little behind in the city’s coyote news. I know of its presence in the Presidio, Golden Gate Park, Glen Park, and Bernal Hill, sometimes with lethal consequences. But until my girlfriend gave me a small self-printed booklet from (of course) Dog Eared Books, I was unaware that there was a coyote on Twin Peaks.

Aside from the author’s account, I’ve been unable to find any mention of this urban canine carnivore. Have you seen it? Can you point to any online resources about it? I hope it has fared better than some of the others.

And, if you get a chance, don’t miss the KQED special, “Wild at Heart,” about SF’s urban wildlife. Here’s a trailer from a derivative DVD:

Mission Street Man Girdles

Squeem Man Girdles on Mission Street, San Francisco

This sandwich board ad is a big, tall drink of WTF. Where to begin?

“Magical lingerie,” perhaps? (For men!) Or, how about “Squeem” as a name for a product line (slight handicapping for being a Brazilian company)?

If those don’t wake you up, we can take a look at the claim, “Get Fit Immediately.” And, finally, take a look at that model. Does he look like a candidate for a man-girdle? Is the Squeem thing-a-ma-bob “magically” re-distributing his spare tire into his pecs and biceps (or his…Johnson)?

You decide.

(spotted@ Mission & 21st)

Photo: Infamous Bay Bridge Crack

Photo: Infamous Bay Bridge Crack

@ekai via @case points us to this extensive engineer’s analysis of the Bay Bridge’s woes. Do I feel compelled to read the whole damn thing? Not exactly. What I did do was scan for the juicy bits and offer them up here.

That image above is the best quality photo around of the original crack they found back on Labor Day that led to the “fix” which of course FAILed and came crashing down on drivers the other day and closed the bridge.

This engineer thinks the fix was a “kludge” (awesome word), i.e., it was under designed. But he also thinks we can possibly blame the Cal Trans guy who did the welding.

The good news is he thinks the original design of the bridge is pretty darn solid, which should make you feel good if you ever get to use it again.

Graffiti Guy Girafa Arrested

The prolific Bay Area graffiti artist was apparently taken downtown on Thursday.

Steven Free, 30, of San Francisco was arrested Tuesday on a $100,000 warrant, charging him in 10 felony cases in San Jose involving $40,000 in damages.

During a search of his San Francisco home, officers discovered thousands of pictures of graffiti with the “Girafa” moniker and cartoon characters of giraffes on several of his social Web sites.

“He was just causing a lot of vandalism around the Bay Area, anywhere he would find a spot, he would use this moniker,” said San Jose police officer Jermaine Thomas.

Free also is also accused leaving his tags on multiple places in Alameda, San Francisco and Contra Costa counties.

Opposite Ends of the Mobility Spectrum

Street photography this stunning and powerful is too rare. The ideal combination of subject, setting, perspective, and of course, timing.

Here I see so many things besides the obvious: purpose, ambition, and perhaps mostly, the continuum of life. Photography has done for me what years of meditation practice couldn’t. It makes me aware of the world.