Thursday, September 25, 2008

"Excuse me. Getting out"

I took Muni to get to my internship the other day. I stood — cramped — with little space to move even when people were getting on and off. I listened to my iPod and kept to myself while other job-bound travelers listened to their portable players, fiddled with their Blackberrys, or read their newspaper. Up goes my City meter. It was another successful SF morning as I shuffled in and out of my main source of transportation. Sure I may have scuffed some shoes and rubbed against some of the business casual folks in an attempt to exit the Metro before the doors closed, but that’s the price you pay to look legit.

But who are these yuppies I ride with? Where are they headed? What do they do? Which nearby, trendy restaurant are they going to today? More importantly—for the sake of an awkward transition to my writing class topic—what are they listening to? I could start by sharing my music with them, but that might make the record labels mad. That is, essentially, their case for Digital Rights Management (DRM).

In general, DRM technologies are designed to limit copying, accessing, or converting media to other formats than the one originally intended. It’s an attempt to stop illegal distribution and protect intellectual property. In the case of the music on my iPod, which I purchased from iTunes, there are numerous restrictions that prevent seamless sharing [Note: This applies only to the files that are DRM-protected. There are some files on the service that are, supposedly, DRM-free]. It can prohibit what computers can play a track I purchased, how many times I can copy it to a CD, and prevent me from converting it to another file format.




This is San Francisco—a place known for the sharing of resources, ideas, automobiles, and body parts. So when a company like Apple, which I’m fond of, places restrictions on the music I purchase, it puts me in quite the predicament. It might be awhile before these copyright issues sort itself out. In the meantime, I’ll continue on my San Francisco journey and buy reasonably priced tracks from Amazon to satisfy my digital download needs.


[Update: All those people on the Metro were listening to In Rainbows.]

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Let's go to Duboce Park Instead of Dolores

I used the Internet today. Why does that make me City?

San Francisco loves the Internet. Okay. Generalization. But before countering that first sentence with a reference to the number of homeless people or low-income families in The City, I’m guessing that a part of you—probably the piece that craves technology—agrees. Certainly the mayor sees its benefits, as do a few urban outdoorsmen. I’m not surprised (That lack of shock, however, could speak more about the number of strange sights and sounds I’ve witnessed as opposed to thinking I’m spot-on with my statements).


I’m not acting like a local because I got online, though. People around the globe do that everyday and are not considered an SFer. It’s the sites I visited that should score me points with the 415. Along with SFgate, home of the San Francisco Chronicle, I consumed City info from SFist and BeyondChron. The news found at those sites isn’t so important for this argument as the fact that they exist. There are options out there. There are numerous sources on the Internet and I get to choose which ones I want. San Franciscans embrace alternatives, which explains why there are so many parks, taquerias, and multi-color homes. [Note: I have no explanation for all those Starbucks, however].



This plays into one of the many ideas surrounding media democracy. With the Internet, I have the power to choose where I get my news from no matter how big the company. For example, if I want to get info on professional football, I can turn to well known brands like NFL.com, Yahoo!, or ESPN. On the other hand, I have just as much access to the news and opinions of smaller sports websites and blogs. It’s not just getting the same news from the same news outlets. There is an alternative. There is a new idea. There is choice.

So in an attempt to be a good San Franciscan, I’ll continue to buy into the whole empowerment-and-informing-oneself deal. After all, the Chronicle isn’t always perfect.


[Also, I’m avoiding the Bay Guardian and SF Weekly for now.]

Friday, September 5, 2008

My Blog?

[Note: The following is for my first blog post assignment. It was originally published here.]

Blogs—I like reading some but have never considered actually writing one. Maybe it’s because I didn’t think people cared about my daily life or wasn’t an aficionado in a certain field. So what should I do when it comes to making and maintaining one as a class assignment?

I turned to two blogs that I frequent: Stuff White People Like and Burritoeater. Stuff White People Like features a list where each entry highlights/mocks the preferences of urban, upper-middle-class white people.

Aside from its tremendous humor, the blog presents topics that are relatable. There are some entries that I have a connection to and make reading it much more fun. Burritoeater travels to taquerias around San Francisco and rates the burrito consumed there on a “mustache” scale. As a burrito-lover, I love how engaging it can be along with the witty writing. I’ll often visit the site to find the closest and tastiest “slabs” in the city.

The first idea that sprung into my mind was about a blogger trying to live in San Francisco. This means eating where the locals eat, shopping where the locals shop, and doing what the locals do. This, also, means not doing certain things like hanging out at Fisherman’s Wharf, riding any Powell line cable car, or calling the city Frisco. My hope is that this appeals to those that love or are interested in San Francisco and the variety of activities within the city limits.

My second idea comes from something I’m very familiar with—having roommates. It’s tentatively titled “I Secretly Hate My Roommates.” In actuality, I don’t, but it does depict some situations that can get on a person’s nerves. There are always annoying occurrences that arise in any living situation. This blog will highlight the offensive habit and reveal the possible solutions provided by the still-bothered victim. I think that this is something that most people can relate to, especially those that went to college.

I recently created both blogs and added some test entries in hopes of getting some early feedback. I figure that if my circle approves then it has a better chance of appealing to a larger readership.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

An Ideal Afternoon


It's common knowledge that Dolores Park is the outdoor area of choice for many SF locals on a sunny day. This factoid was blatantly obvious after my amigos and I hopped off the Metro and gazed upon the popular R & R spot. Yes, there was plenty of green. Yes, there was plenty of people chillaxin' on the green. Yes, there was an abundance of striped and American apparel on those people chillaxin' on the green. It's a great place to go knit cap spotting. The abundance of hipsters aside, there was still a good amount of others kicking around soccer balls or enjoying moderate portions of hummus and pita bread.
And it's still hard to beat a sunshine-y day here, no matter what some may say.



The crew laid out some blankets and proceeded to live the life. This included consuming a disgusting amount of PBR. Disgusting, also, in the sense that it was PBR. We even dropped some knowledge we Wikipedia'd earlier in the day. "Did you know this place used to be a cemetary?" "A Jewish one." "But the bodies were moved to Colma."

The very City afternoon was capped off by a taqueria visit where fetus-sized burritos were consumed. The prices were just as delicious and Journey songs charged from the jukebox at a dollar each.



The Mission just schooled me--hardcore.

[Note: I also avoided Fisherman's Wharf]

Monday, September 1, 2008

I'm All About Slow and Sustainable


San Francisco is a destination city and, as such, holds many events championing sexual orientation, ethnicity, and the latest Mac updates. And who doesn't love the variety of functions available to the public? After all, I can't hang out by the bison paddock every weekend. With that in mind, I decided to peep Slow Food Nation.

Basically, Slow Food Nation is all about supporting sustainable, local, and organic foods. No pesticides. No factory farms. And definitely no McDonald's. How SF of Slow Food. It's like a celebration of Whole Foods the whole Labor Day weekend.

It was nice to see Civic Center Plaza transformed into a farmers market complete with victory garden. What wasn't so nice were the long lines for free water and "ethical" chicken sandwiches. I immediately walked to UN Plaza and its biweekly Heart of the City Farmers Market to grip on some crowd-free vegan samosas. Another SF experience complete. Bueno



Also, I didn't call it Frisco today.