Probably the guy taking a picture of it with his camera phone...
Nevertheless, check out that bbq grill sitting about 20 feet off the ground traveling 70 MPH! Turns out I wasn't the only one who thought this was ridiculous, since about 10 seconds after I snapped this photo the truck got pulled over by the CHP - hopefully to give him a handshake for somehow getting a bbq grill that high, and a ticket for endangering everyone on the 101 and being a general idiot.
"People, it’s sad but it’s true: nothing’s gonna stop your big final drop. So live it up now, live it up large, because at the end of the day you aren’t really in charge. Look, we’re not spinning, gninnips, spinning on this wet rock for long, so let’s all enjoy singing our songs with big days full of belly laughs, loving moments, and late nights with close friends."
1. Ghirardelli Square
Though the businesses in the Square are in foreclosure, Gary Danko asserts he’s still going to open his long-awaited American brasserie.
*No one actually ever willingly goes to Ghirardelli Square, unless they are entertaining newbies to the City or really, really fuckin' bored - so this one strikes out.
2. Pier 35Get ready for the tourists: San Francisco port officials predict a 39 percent increase in the number of cruise ships docking in the city this year.
*Again, who gives a shit. Pier 35, Pier 39? It's like Happy Gilmore's Gold Jacket/Green Jacket debate. NOTE: The video is of terribly horrible quality.
3. Golden Gate Park/Ocean Beach.For the first time in history, Bay to Breakers will ban alcohol from the race, making it much harder to lower your inhibitions and run naked.
*This one is something that is actually on everyone's minds. For as long as I can remember the NIMBYs along the course have been trying to "ban alcohol", something that was supposedly in effect for at least the last two years...yeah, if you were there you know how well that worked out. As one of the quintessential San Francisco events (actually hitting 100 years in 2011) it's sad to see the level with which the ridiculousness from both sides of the event have gotten. The folks who come out here, having no ties to the City at all and destroy it vs. the folks who live along the route and can't allow a 100 year old tradition to continue without busting everyone's balls - one that only interrupts the neighborhood one day/year. Anyway, it'll be interesting to see what kind of enforcement they're able to pull together. Something more than the previous few years? Non-registered "runners" not allowed on the course? Like most everything else in the land of NIMBYism, only time will tell.
4. Hayes ValleyPROXY—a rotating, temporary group of boutiques, art galleries,
and mini-restaurants housed in shipping containers designed by SF-based Envelope
Architecture & Design—will take over two empty lots.*Umm, cool?
5. Mid-MarketCityPlace value retail mall will break ground as part of the city’s ongoing attempt to make Market Street more inviting.
*Another issue that has been talked about for years. I wouldn't mind seeing mid- market cleaned up a bit; if only to get some viable storefronts back out there. The crackhead/homeless population is a whole 'nother issue, but one that may get some attention if business owners are willing to work proactively with the police force in an effort to keep the area sustainable and more inviting to, not only tourists, but folks who actually live in the surrounding 'hoods.
6. Bay BridgeBy the spring, the engineering marvel that is the new Bay Bridge’s self-anchored suspension tower will finally be erected, making for a stunning East Bay commute. (Just don’t drive off the bridge while watching this take place.)
*Oh, you mean that whole bridge thing that is costing us $1.43 billion? Yeah? Oh, that's cool. Wait, what's that? It's not scheduled to actually open 'til 2013? Awesome. Why is this "stunning" again?
7. Dolores ParkRenovation begins on Dolores Park. Relax, hipsters: Work isn't scheduled to start until June at the earliest and will be done in stages. There’ll still be lots of room for Hula-Hooping.
*Waaaah, wahhhhhhh. In what looks like the folks at 7x7 were trying to be funny, it's actually a pretty big deal. As one of the City's premier parks, it's not only one of the warmest places in the City, it's also one of the few places you can actually convince a group of people to meet at. Starting in JUNE? Come on, really? The busiest time of the year? Well played, city planners. Well played...
8. MissionMore good news for jazz lovers: Preservation Hall will open its second branch in the old New College Building (which used to be a mortuary), bringing a little New Orleans flavor to the heart of the Mission.
*Cool. I s'pose. One less morgue and one more music venue works for me.
9. SoMaBorders Books, RIP. In its stead, Lucky Strike Lanes is slated to open on King Street, bringing SoCal-style bowling (loungey, lowlit, cocktails in hand) to NoCal.
*Borders is going the way of Old Yeller anyhow, what with Amazon.com handling everything they have - and more. So fuck it. Better than trying to throw another big container store in its place. In fact, I'm down to see a stylish little bowling alley pop up in it's place. Something that doesn't have me driving all the way out to the Presidio in order to knock some pins down, have a beer and play some arcades, is fine by me. Although, anything "SoCal Style" is always a bit of a warning sign for me. Again, we'll have to wait and see.
10. Mission BayMore new developments on Third Street. Construction will begin on the UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay, a LEED gold–certified hospital spread over 14.5 acres that will focus on the care of women, children, and cancer patients.
*Women, children and cancer patients? Sounds like fodder for Family Guy, but I won't touch that with a ten foot pole. Or did I just do that?
Who wants to place bets on what she's reading?At least now I know what happened to my missing tanktop.
HE'S BACK!
I mean, you can't even be mad at that. It easily dwarfs the half gallon of soy milk someone has back there. The intense level of disgust is quickly overcome by the simple admiration for someone who can not only drink this amount of soda, but the fact that this was a back up for the one he had on his desk. Bravo.
Welcome back, "G.E.G." Welcome back.
Most people remember him as "Epic Beard Guy" or "Vietnam Tom". I personally enjoy "Tom Slick," as this is also how he likes to refer to himself. As I sat on the bench next to these guys and snuck in a few pics, I was actually pretty intrigued by the stories he was telling. One of the best quotes was: "You don't give whiskey to a homeless man. Shit. You want him to go crazy and fight somebody?" Even so, it became apparent that Tom knew one of the kids and was recounting stories of him growing up, to which the kid actually corroborated. Pretty neat.Knowing that Tom can get a little crazy, I made sure to take in my celebrity shock from a good viewing distance. I mean, the guy was made famous in a video beating the piss out of a guy who taunted him on an AC Transit bus. A hero to many, but a bit 'off' nonetheless. I don't know about you, but a 67 year old man who wears a shirt like this is not the kinda guy you wanna mess with.
Having taken it all in and watching Tom disappear into the distance, walking with the gait and size of a linebacker behind St. Peter and Paul Church, I rode the rest of the way home with a little bit of a smirk on my face, gently pedaling and enjoying the undulations of Russian Hill and the final ascent up Corbett to Clayton, all the while wondering who else could be in and around The City at any given moment - just waiting to be found.
This sign is fantastic. "Third World" Beer Specials, up off of Fillmore - in the Fillmore. Only made better since the name of the place is actually Third World Market. Check out those reviews and those specials! Rainier? Yes. Please.
Now, this is a picture of what I originally thought was some tribute to America's Bad-Ass-Ness. However, I noticed later that this was actually the most ridiculously gaudy nameplate I've ever come across. I can only hope that the lady in the picture is actually the Manager that this nameplate serves to absolutely memorialize. I think the plaque at Pearl Harbor is smaller than this thing. Anyway, I'm pretty sure she felt I was taking a picture and picked up that stack of paper, since, the other 10 minutes I was standing at the counter she was simply turning in very slow circles "supervising" - much like the 3 guys that "work" for CalTrans (read: lean on shovels) while the other 2 guys actually bust their asses to get shit done.
Anyway, I'm sure she spent years dealing with jackasses like me who try to game the system - sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Is it worth a shot? Absolutely.
Here's what you do:
At most of these places, they start you a line where you walk up to somebody who generates a tag for you (C288, K314, etc.) at which point you sit on your thumb for an hour and hope your foot doesn't fall asleep, since getting out of your chair and falling on the ground in front of people at the DMV would be more embarrassing than having to be at the DMV in the first place. Now, the reason they give these tags with random numbers and letters is simply so you have no idea what order people are actually being called - this is also why you see people who got there after you, go in front of you. Here's the kicker though: I learned this past week that there is a "secret button" that will generate what is known as a "Front of the Line" ticket. Seriously.
How do you get one of these? Aside from having relations with the person giving out the tickets, I've found that you can often get away with one of these Golden Tickets if you do a few things in a very specific order.
1) Go on the website and find a number for the specific bureaucracy you are dealing with: SFMTA, DMV, Social Security, etc... It really doesn't matter which one - almost all of them have the same prefix throughout the building, just make sure it's close enough to make the guy at the desk think you actually got the number from someone there.
2) When you walk up to the counter, the person is going to try and rush you. DON'T LET THEM. Speak calmly and directly. It also helps to have a bunch of papers in your hands - preferably the forms you need. Most importantly, have the number you wrote down from the website handy. Here is where it gets critical - tell the person: "I was here earlier in the day and was given this number to call to have the system updated since it wasn't previously recognizing my information. The guy 'over there' said once it was done I could come to the front and get a 'quick ticket' or something where I wouldn't have to wait so long to update my registration/change my picture/etc..."
Important: Try not to sound like you know about these "front of the line" tickets. If they get specific with who you spoke with, say it was a few hours ago, and you don't see them anymore. Mind you, these folks hear and see all sorts of shit everyday. They don't like attitude, and they sure as hell don't like people thinking they know how the system works. Worst they can do is give you a regular ticket and you wait the requisite time. If you're an ass, I'm sure they have a ticket that can make you wait even longer...
Using this strategy I was able to get my new parking area permit in less than 10 minutes instead of 40 to an hour. Unfortunately, I actually had to call the "database guy" and get my address entered into the system. This was the day before though, and I wasn't going to waste another hour sitting around stank ass people. So, I told him I was there earlier and the "guy on the end" said I could go to the front. It worked. This isn't full proof by any means, but if you follow the steps outlined the odds of you decreasing your wait time are infinite compared to just walking in and taking the number given to you. Also, wear something that makes you look important and very busy. Carry a briefcase, or throw on a suit if you've got one. Trust me. People love to act like they don't play favorites, but study after study shows they do.
Good luck out there.
From the rooftop, you can see the tips of the Golden Gate and on the other side, nearly all of Downtown SF. My room (and deck) are at the back of the house. Pretty excited. However, there are some things I'm going to miss. This is obviously begging for a Pros/Cons list, and guess what, you're in luck!
Things I'll Miss About Living in the Mission (specifically 24th and Shotwell):
Things I'll certainly NOT Miss About Living in the Mission (specifically 24and Shotwell)
In no way is this list inclusive of everything I'll miss (and not miss), but it was simply the things I was able to rattle off while they were at the forefront of my mind. Being that it's Friday and all, and I don't have plans to do ANYthing, I'm most likely going to start making a concerted effort to go through all my shit and see what's actually worth holding onto, what to try and sell, what to give away, and what is straight trash that I've been holding onto for waaaaaay too long. Wish me luck!
Note: If anyone out there is interested in helping me move, there is a meal of your choice and/or a punchbowl at Hobson's (which is conveniently right down the hill from the new place) in it for you. Leave me a note in the comments if you're down.
BREAKING NEWS: As I was putting up this post, a quick google search revealed that the company that makes Four Loko announced today that they are planning to remove the caffeine from their recipe, much like Four Loko's predecessor, Sparks. Get out there and hoard the real thing while you still can! There really is nothing like spending $3.00 for the buzz of a six pack of beer and the jolt of two cups of coffee. Except maybe doubling down and spending $6.00.
24th Street from Strike Anywhere on Vimeo.
Found over at Mission Mission.
If you can, watch this in full screen. My 'hood is in the distance. This is flat out amazing. I might be a little bit in love with this girl. Keep watching. You'll see who I'm talking about. I like quick sentences. See?
Yup. Big ass windows looking out towards the Pacific, right next to the weight sets. As the sun goes down a little further, you can actually see Sutro Tower in the distance and catch some pretty amazing views of the city lights.
And of course, Sports Basement. I also pay less than $15/month for access to any club since I've been a member for so long. Not too shabby.
Fair to say, however, the view outside is much better than the "view" inside.
"The reality is that the past is dead. It happened, it shaped who you are, butBoom.
it’s gone now.
And it’s never coming back.
No matter how many Facebook messages you send to your high school ex-girlfriend/boyfriend when you’re drunk at night, you’re never going to be 17 again. You’re never going to share the connection you had then.
No matter how many times you look at that picture of the perfect Halloween, with the displaced tribe of a dozen remarkable individuals, they’ll never be together again in the same way.
And this is okay. The world changes. We evolve into new and better
individuals every single day."
The exhibition runs 'til November 30th. Check it out if you get a chance.
There's no sound, but this is well worth paying attention to.
Been a real, REAL long time since I laughed out loud watching something on the internet.
Thank you once again, Daisy.
Yup. He even likes to watch the games at King of Thai Noodle House.
Fairly certain this picture can't be done justice with words.
Yup. Mitchell effin Goosen! was right there on the wall getting radical. AMAZING! There were actually a ton of other awe-inspiring pictures from the late 80s all over the wall, but unfortunately I didn't have much time to snap them all. If you're ever in the neighborhood, pop your head in and check out the posters - just don't expect to get any assistance from the guy behind the counter.
No doubt these ideals are a bit extreme considering the way most of us are living our lives, but it sure does make you think when you read his words. Especially when you take a step back and try to realize why it is we are doing the things we do on a daily basis. He discusses all this and more in his book, The Art of Being Minimalist."You’re unhappy because you sit in a car all day, and then come back and sit on your couch all night, which makes you want to buy a new car because you think it will make you happy. Really you’re just wasting thousands of dollars on a piece of metal that isolates you from the world — and thus happiness. When you spend 20-grand on a car, you have to work a gazillion hours to pay that off...stop buying, stop watching TV, sell your crap, and start living your life."
Great advice. Some that I am going to make a concerted effort to follow more closely myself.It Never Gets Easier Than Now
July 28, 2006
Every time I hear someone say “I’m too busy” to do something, a little puppy dies and I want to stab myself in the eye with a katana blade. I don’t think people realize how good we have it right now: We’re young, we’re only responsible for ourselves, and we can do basically anything we want. If you think about the responsibilities we’ll have in 20 years–or even 5–you start to appreciate that doing almost anything will never get easier than it is now.
Here are some examples:
Saving money is never easier than now. If you don’t think you can save 25%+ of your salary today, think about this: You have no one else you’re spending on. And while your salary will go up, the increase won’t be commensurate with your expenses–unless you start developing habits right now. Let’s think about some of the expenses we’ll face soon: insurance, a new home, homeowner’s insurance, remodeling, moving costs, a car, car insurance, car repair, medical costs, vacations, giving to charity, giving wedding gifts, giving birthday gifts, giving graduation gifts, a babysitter, diapers, baby formula, kids’ sports, and, finally, unexpected expenses. As Chris Yeh wrote, “Just this morning, I calculated that our monthly expenses are about 10X what they were when my wife and I were just a single couple living on our own, mostly due to our two bundles of joy.” If you think you’ll be able to save more in the future than today, you’re out of your mind. Read my site, read others, start a budget, and find a way.
Working out. We’re in the best natural shape of our lives. There’s a school near my place, and when I run, I see older men sweating like Patrick Ewing after only one lap. I scornfully lap those 72-year-old men over and over again. It’ll never be easier than today.
Starting your own business. Here are some common reasons people give for not starting one “right now” that make me thankful I am not a dragon (my sigh would ignite them): “I’ll just wait until I save a little more money,” they say. Or “I just have to learn some more before I do it.” Now, most people won’t start their own companies and that is perfectly cool. But for those that want to, there’s nothing like learning by doing–and if you fail, what’s the worst that can happen at our age? You don’t lose your house or wife and kids. You go and…get a regular job. You can always go to the corporate world. Going the entrepreneurial route gets harder and harder.
Just hanging out with friends. It’s easier to go out with friends now than it will ever be in the future. Why? Because we all live in the same general area, live similar lifestyles, and have virtually no responsibilities to anyone else. “But Ramit,” you might say, “most of my friends live far away.” Even if they live on another coast, we have such few external responsibilities that we can take a weekend trip to most places. Also, on my comedy blog (Things I Hate), I wrote about the people in college who get “married” by only hanging out with their boyfriend/girlfriend. What a huge mistake. Your friends aren’t all boring and in serious relationships yet. If you have any married friends, have you ever tried hanging out with them? It’s like a giraffe trying to find a pair of lost contact lenses. Impossible. We’re young, our friends are young, and we’re all pretty available to hang.
Doing your own side projects. Holy christ, we have more free time right now than we know what to do with. “But Ramit,” you might say, “I work 12 hours a day and then I study for the GMAT and then I build houses in Guatemala on the weekends. You’re full of shit.” Let’s keep it real: We all have lots and lots of time we use for leisure activities–whether it’s watching The Hills (Heidi surprised me on Wednesday), working out, or whatever. The question is, can you track what you spend your time on and redirect it to something you care about? Something that will have an impact for the next 5, 10, or 50 years? The answer is yes. And we’ll only get busier in the future.
Taking risks in investing and life. I’m going to describe some fears we have about investing, but you can apply this to anything.
Don’t worry so much about losing all your money. Don’t worry about not having the optimal asset allocation. Don’t worry about your friends making more than you. Worry about not getting started. In my 1-hour talks, I ask young people our age about what would happen if we lost all our money right now. After a couple of inevitable gasps, most people admit that it wouldn’t really be that bad. Maybe they’d go live at home for a few months, get back on their feet, and go get another job. But what happens when you’re 35 with a husband, 2 kids, and a mortgage? Losing most (or all) of your money would be catastrophic. And if you’re 65 and spending your money on pills and bingo, losing your money can be a matter of life and death.
Meeting interesting people. You wouldn’t believe how many people are willing to meet to share advice and connections. I meet them all the time, and it’s not because I’m some fancy guy (I’m not). It’s because I’m young and interested. CEOs, VCs, and even small-business proprietors and teachers are so friendly. I think it’s because of 3 things: First, people love to talk about themselves, and I’m interested in their story. Second, people love talking to young people, both to share their experience and to stay connected to young people; for example, last week, I taught a business friend what “Benjamins” are. God I loved it. Third, people love knowing that your intentions are pure and that you got in touch to learn, not to inject some corporate agenda. Who knows what could happen if you just asked?
Traveling. You think when you’re 30, you’ll be able to take a weekend trip to New York, stay out until 5am, then make it back in time for Monday morning? No way. I’m not 30, but aren’t most 30-year-olds plagued with arthritic joints and incontinence? Heh, I hope I don’t get in trouble for that one. Anyway, traveling to visit (or live) in other places is unbelievably easy right now. To visit, it costs about $200 roundtrip to anywhere in country [note: we know now this is NOT the case. - Rick]. To live, we pick a place, get a job, and it’s done. We have no one to answer to, and imagine the amount you can learn by living somewhere else.
Living in situations your parents would abhor. As we get older, we naturally demand a more comfortable living situation. When we travel abroad, for example, we can stay in hostels with no problem. When older people travel, they need a hotel. In college, we lived in like 150 square feet with 2 other people. Older people measure their homes in the thousands of square feet, and they have things like “dens” and “islands” in their “kitchen.” (Funny thing: You should have seen some of the parents’ horrified faces when they visited Stanford, where the dorms are actually really nice. And then to buy sheets (“linens” to them) at Target? Oh my god!) Ok, that went off on a huge tangent, but the point is that we can live in a way that older people cannot. So whether that’s saving on rent by living in a cheaper place, or driving your 10-year-old car, or just realizing you don’t need that much…it’s never easier than it is now.
I mean, the guy is pretty short, and not the leanest, but the bright red socks and the green hat left him looking like one of Santa's rejected elves from the Eastmont Mall. Regardless however, the guy was amazing at getting the crowd participation joint on lock and truly entertaining the crowd - all of this without Andre 3000's "wacky/zany" outfits and personality. Which was definitely appreciated.
If you're not sure what exactly they are check out the link on Amazon.
Yup, you read that right. Energy Sunflower Seeds. I think it's an AWESOME idea, especially for staying awake during long road trips. However, there is one thing (aside from the $1.99 price tag and $4.89 shipping cost) that bothers me juuuust a little bit.
Apparently, the geniuses over at Sumseeds thought that Tony Gwynn was the best guy to be the face of a snack food that contains Caffeine, Taurine, and Ginseng. Don't get me wrong, Tony Gwynn is an OG in the game of baseball. The guy batted .394 during the 1996 season, the second highest batting average since Ted Williams hit .406 in 1941. In fact, he never batted below .309 in any full season during his 20 year career on the San Diego Padres. The fact that he is more well known for his portly stature than for being in the Hall of Fame is more what I'm leaning towards.
I mean, the seeds have several supplements in them known for helping people lose weight. But look at that face! Is this really the ideal image for selling these? Are people trying to get all hyped up on seeds to go play baseball? Not sure. Truly not sure. I suppose will have to wait and see if this is the next banned substance to hit the MLB in the next few seasons...
Make sure you watch through to the end to catch one of the most ridiculous moonsets I've ever seen . OK, so it's probably the only one, but still...you'll see.
Check out some of this guy's other stuff at his website.
I have no idea what they are talking about. And they are blaming it on the adults?!? Say what? Thankfully, you can seek guidance from the Baptist Press if you are so inclined.
Plus, if that's the case, my nephew's repeated f-bombs before he was even 2 years old (used in the correct context and everything!) already puts him ahead of the curve.
Even a friendly two-color-eye-ball-having dog made his way to the park to enjoy the amazing weather and electric atmosphere.
All in all it was a perfect day, and one of the best ends to one of the best 3-Day weekends I've had in The City in a long, long time.
Plus, there was this androgynous hula-hooper. Best random sighting of the day.
Looks like a few folks made it back from Burning Man a little early just to catch the last bit of the perfect weather in SF.
