Eight Years From Now

This portion of my blog may seem a little off but don’t be alarmed. In true SF fashion I’m trying something new for this post – hosting a blog carnival. What wild, cotton candy-free nonsense is this, you may ask? Briefly, I started my own carnival entitled Eight Years From Now. The idea was for bloggers to create a post true to the style and theme of their blog but set eight years in the future. I even participated and threw my blog in the Tilt-O-Whirl of excellent posts. Here are some of the other bloggers that joined the ride.

• In Television in the Present (Wednesday, December 21st, 2016), Michael predicts some great advances in TV technology and even better strides in content. Sorry Rock of Love fans.
• A prediction tells Jenna that a DVR update will seem more like a downgrade in Introducing the DVR Voice. On the bright side, newfound wealth and the return of The Wire.
• Mr. Bautista hopes that a future shoe draws inspiration from a movie series from the past that took place in the past and future and showed futuristic and old school kicks. Confused? Take a look at Eight years from now… Maybe Kobe isn’t so far behind?
• In Technology Moves Quick, Clark takes his record store reviews to another galaxy. Read how they do music transactions on Gorgonzoid and start saving your ENA.
• Paul foresees some pleasant surprises in New TV Review (2016). Included are the revival of two series cancelled way too soon and his own work making a splash in the television pool.
• Bonnie's entry, Eight Years From Now, predicts everything from upgrades in the environment and politics to the outcome of George W. Bush and Brangelina. This is, of course, provided we make it past 2012.

Hope you enjoyed these soothsayers. If not, then a question for you: Do you think the California Academy of Sciences will still be crowded in 2016?

the City is Burning

Greetings, ‘Sconians! It’s been a little over a month since I was officially declared City by you fine people. It was a hard fought battle, but I think my public criticism of L.A. finally put me over the edge. In addition to dropping negs on those fakes down south, I’m throwing down some “you’re so dumbbells” on our current mayor.

Sorry, Grasshopper Alec Kaplan, I wouldn’t be very 415 if I didn’t have something political to gripe about. His recent actions have made it quite a challenge for me, especially in the workplace. The homeless lady and her cats occupying the office next door aren’t doing a very good job of cleaning up after themselves – smells are starting to creep.

Ever since he got his medallion and purple cab back, Grasshopper has been on a tear. In addition to legalizing marijuana, painting the walls in the basement of City Hall pink, and providing more jobs to beady-eyed nervous people that can’t sit still, our mayor has even pissed off the sex workers. His new initiative of Free Love 2.0 has made it so that the world’s oldest occupation isn’t profitable.



Who knows what 2017 will bring?

You're So Artistic

It’s no secret that San Francisco is one of the artistic centers on planet Earth. The lovely mishmash of cultures and ideas make it so that almost anyone can find something visually stimulating. With this in mind, I decided to add another notch in my City belt by checking out some of the finest murals SF has to offer. Why? Because every San Franciscan should have a love – or at least respect – for art.

Now you can go your own way based on the whispers of locals and articles you’ve read in the Chronicle – totally legit. I, on the other hand, took advantage of one of KQED’s art tour guides. Spark – a fantastic show that I may or may not be affiliated with – did their latest jaunt on a walking tour of murals. I feel so cultured (and City) when viewing PBS!

The adventure took me from North Beach to the Mission and even though I did restrain myself from going burrito bonkers, there were plenty of highlights. Including, but not limited to:
- starting off at Coit Tower with a beautiful view
- criminals captured in art
- pleasant surprise behind the Safeway on Church and Market
- predictions of the future
- vegetarian cheesesteak at Jay’s
- alleys! (Balmy and Clarion)

I don’t want to get into too many details. “Save some City for me!” you may yell. So put on your walking shoes, grab the Fast Pass, and see how many Sirron Norris pieces you can find.



[Note: My affiliation? I took those walking tour pics]

Thanks, SF!

San Francisco is quite the city. I must admit to having a crush on this metropolis – what with its attractive qualities and all. In honor of the previous holiday, here’s a list of what I’m thankful for in the 415 Some of these I have mentioned in previous posts and the rest will surely make a cameo in future bloggings (perhaps eight years from now?).
- Muni
- Indian summers
- bison
- Indian buffets
- parks
- burritos
- Amoeba
- diversity
- Victorian houses
- murals
- songs about San Francisco
- vegetarian-friendly
- KQED
- Full House house
- fog
- local musicians
- new media
- San Francisco-based blogs
- parrots
- walking tours
- history
- technology
- friendly people
- wackiness
- multiple music venues
- support of the Internet

The (Crooked) Road Not Taken

As a San Francisco resident, I’ve picked up all kinds of fun facts: the city is built on 43 hills; Coit Tower is the result of a New Deal program; the first electronic television was invented on Green St. by Philo Farnsworth; street cleaning on my block is from 7 a.m. – 8 a.m. on Tuesdays.

It’s even better when my out-of-town friends visit and I get to march them around to areas they haven’t heard of. The aspiring docent in me beams at the chance to regurgitate the tidbits I had read three hours before their arrival. No Fisherman’s Wharf. No downtown shopping areas. Imagine how city I feel when taking them to Clarion Alley, a fortune cookie factory, or the Grateful Dead house (or maybe seeing the people outside the Grateful Dead house is a bigger draw).

Whatever the case, my tours tend to include a little spiel about the crookedest street in S.F. – Vermont! Oh, are you not from around here? While Lombard has the benefit of the red bricks (compared to Vermont’s drab, concrete pavement) and being in a nice area convenient for tourists, the strip of Vermont between 20th and 22nd has the advantage of science. A Travel Channel show determined the sinuosity of Vermont is 1.56 compared to Lombard’s 1.2. Chew on that, Russian Hill.



So drop another quarter into your City jar, grab your son’s big wheel, and enjoy the crooked fun. When you’re done, you might as well grip on a burrito – since you’re in the area and all.

[Note: I still took my friends to the Full House house].

I Vote

like I'm city.

Sharing is Caring, Sometimes

As a young student living in the 415, I know how valuable and limited space can be. Since I’m not some well-off socialite, I’ve learned to share. This includes a bedroom, silverware, hopes, fears, and toothpaste – although, some might consider that one snatching. I think that feeling cramped is a necessary part to any San Francisco experience. Please hop on a crowded MUNI bus, visit Fisherman’s Wharf, or eat at one of the city’s many Indian buffets if you want to feel slightly uncomfortable.

In any case, I know that my privacy can be somewhat limited. My roommates have the opportunity to overhear my phone conversations, see what I’m writing for a homework assignment, or listen to what music I’m playing. Not such a terrible thing, right? That is until I reveal my hatreds toward them—unknowingly—while on the phone, leave my credit card out amongst my HW paraphernalia, or play sounds that aren’t music at all and can really lower their opinion of me. It’s hard out there for a San Franciscan.

Should I be worried? I guess I should be if I did something to warrant their vengeance. Like eating all their tofu, maybe? There’s just as big a risk by being online. If some clever, tech-savvy person wanted to, they could probably compile a background sheet on me based on what I’ve revealed online.

There’s MySpace, Facebook, and even this blog—all of which can reveal something about me. I’ve been pretty good about limiting what info about me is out there. No address, no phone number, and no e-mail on any of those social networking sites. No birth year either (I do enjoy those birthday messages, though).



People should just be careful about what they plaster on the web and consider that their information could be swirling around forever. Protect yourself. Watch those inappropriate photos. Don’t post your apartment number. San Francisco is all about sharing but be wary of those that go overboard and snatch.

"Outbound train. Two car. L. L. In 16 minutes."

I guess I should make it official: Muni equals City.

There are many SF points to be scored when choosing the San Francisco Municipal Railway. You get to learn the streets (+1). It’s green (+1). Locals use it (+1). You encounter homeless people, which can always be an interesting experience (+1). Those homeless people smell like urine (-2).

Muni gets me where I need to go and NextBus is extremely helpful (unless it bears the bad news that I’ll have to wait 30 minutes for the next 28 bus). Reliability can be an issue. In that way, it has the power to be convenient while also being super inconvenient. It’s a love/hate kind of thing.

This oh-so-city feature, combined with my “net neutrality” topic, got me thinking about how the two can be related. Based on the fact that San Franciscans are smitten by public transportation and the Internet (just imagine the explosion when combining the two), I have decided to unite the two in a giant analogy that can explain part of the network neutrality situation.

First, the net neutrality idea is based on the belief that networks should not restrict the communication of users based on what they use the Internet for and how much “space” they use. People should receive the same broadband service for the same price whether they’re just checking e-mails or running a highly visited website. For the progression of the Internet, the providers (phone and cable companies) shouldn’t charge more for businesses that use/do more, even if customers are receiving a better service. That makes it harder for emerging companies, like Google and Yahoo! once were, to compete on the same level. Imagine if those two were discouraged from developing because of elevated fees. Instead, that higher quality service should be available to everyone at the same price.

Back to the road. The 28 is moseying along 19th Ave., transporting its precious human cargo. Out the window, I can see the super-28-line zoom past. Why is that fair? It can be argued that the people on the bus paid more to get that faster service. That means that those riders are easily accessible because of the super-line—consumers can meet with them (or they can meet producers) sooner and more often. If they wanted my services, it’d take a bit longer because I’m on the slower vehicle. There’s a definite advantage, which isn’t very fair and can deter those with creative ideas but not enough bankroll.



The best-case scenario for everyone not named Muni/Verizon/Comcast would be to make every bus a super bus with regular transportation prices. Or in the case of actual Muni, I’d be alright with a personal grooming regulation.

[Note: With the MLB playoffs underway, I can’t go against my team (-1).]

"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.]

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.]

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.

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]

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.