Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Waking Up In A Strange Land

When I travel, there is a certain anticipation as I wake up. A feeling thats so different from when I awake from my normal routine at home. I open my eyes to the mulitude of possible places that I can go to that day that I haver either not been before or have not been there in quite a long time. The day starts off with the excitement of adventure. I have something to look forward to rather than get up, get to work, go home, lather, rinse, repeat. It almost makes me want to jump out of bed and get going as soon as Im conscious. Well, almost, if it werent for my desire to sleep.

Now waking up and not knowing where you are is a whole different experience.

Friday, June 25, 2010

Diet Cola Wars

Anyone who has been around for at least a decade and a half is aware of the Cola Wars between Coca Cola (Coke) and Pepsi Cola (Pepsi). There were alot of casualties as the two behemoths vied for world domination in the global beverage market. Casualties include our waistlines and health, wallets and budgets, RC cola and Shasta cola.

The war continues with Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi, the Diet Cola wars. This fierce competition has given birth to variations on their diet products. Its gotten so bad that they have started to keep score: Coke Zero :Pepsi One. I personally cant stand the taste of diet sodas


Thursday, June 24, 2010

On The Job-City Hall cont cont

So here is something you dont normally see every day. Its a large bust of a 3 headed 6 armed bust. I espied this the previous day but did not know what to make of it. I also did not have time to take a closer look at it.

They were gracious enough to put up this sign explaining what the statue was all about. They also requested that you not climb on it as well. But, you know someone is going to try

The statue is located on the Civic Center Plaza's west side on Larkin St. It appears its still being put up as the fencing is keeping everyone away. The Asian Art Museum is also on Larkin St so there may be some tie to that

As the faces are the only things visible to me, you can see the three faces in these pictures. There isnt much to see under the armpit as the fencing block my view. Also, its not clear what the arms are doing as well.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

On The Job-City Hall cont

As mentioned previously, there are a number of buildings along Van Ness that face City Hall that are devoted to the arts. Below is the Davies Symphony Hall which the most recent of the three buildings.

Next up is the War Memorial Opera House

Adjacent is Herbst Theater

On the other side of City Hall and one block away on Larkin street is the main branch of the public library. It was a short while ago that it was closed down for renovation. But it has re-opened and has been totally modernized

Just to the south of the library is the Asian Art Museum. It was originally located in Goden Gate Park next to the De Young Museum. It was moved here after the library renovation.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

On The Job-City Hall

The seat of power for the city resides at City Hall, like most municipalities. The building is bordered by Van Ness, McCallister, and Polk streets. Below is the Van Ness entrance that faces a number of cultural buildings on the other side of the street.
This is the opposite side of the building with an entrance on Polk street. Directly in front is the Civic Center Plaza. It plays host to a number of events. This Sunday it will act as the meeting point at the end of the Gay Pride Day Parade. Today, there were setting up a screen to broadcast games from the World Cup

The entrances to the structure are laden in gold and black creating a striking contrast between the two colors.

Just south of City Hall is the Civic Auditorium that was renamed after famed promoter Bill Graham. Back when I graduated from high school, our ceremonies were held here.

Monday, June 21, 2010

BP and the Gulf...A Fairy Tale cont

I guess there must be a fairy godmother, at least for Tony Hayward. He was seen frolicking on his boat in a private yacht race back in jolly old England over the weekend. Needless to say, this has raised the ire of many folks back on this side of the pond. It makes BP look all the more disingenuous in regard to the spill. Previously, Senator Joe Barton apologized to BP for forcing them to set up the compensation fund for those affected by the spill. He later recanted but you could tell whose buttering his side of toast. Having taken millions of oil money for his campaign, he has lost touch with whats going on in the region. There are still people who have never seen a dime from the Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska

Friday, June 18, 2010

BP and the Gulf...A Fairy Tale

Once upon a time, in far away land in a body of water called the Gulf Of Mexico, a huge oil company called British Petroleum, BP, stuck its finger into the deep waters and pulled out oil. But, BP's finger had rickets and could not hold back the oil. So, oil gushed and gushed into the Gulf. BP said that it was but a trickle and they had a bandaid to heal it. BP actually meant to say that the whole arm had been amputated and it was spewing buckets and buckets. The villagers riotted upon the doorstep of CEO Tony Hayward. "Oh, how I wished I could have my life back!" gasped the embattled executive. And with that, his fairy godmother waved her wand and everything was fine with the Gulf again.

We all wish it could be that simple

Thursday, June 17, 2010

On The Job-Stockton St cont

I had posted previously on this subject and am revisiting it. The previous picture was taken on a very overcast day. This time, the sun was out and made for a slightly better picture aside from the shadows cast by the buildings. Stockton begins/ends at Market St. It stretches through downtown, bisects Chinatown, and winds up just past North Beach.

This view is at the intersection of Stockton and Market looking to the north towards Chinatown. The Apple store is located here and the now defunct Virgin Megastore. The Planet Hollywood restaurant used to be next to Virgin, but it is now a Ferrari store. Stockton continues on past Market but becomes Fourth Street


Wednesday, June 16, 2010

World Cup Soccer-North Korea/China

I heard this on the news last night and thought, "hmmm..." So, North Korea or the Peoples Republic of Korea, PRK, has fielded and qaulified a team for the World Cup. China, however, did not qualify. For one thing, I thought this would have been reversed. China has so many resources it can throw at something like this. No to mention all the people it can throw at it. I would have thought they could have compiled a team that would've made it into the tournament.

PRK, Chins'a little step brother, is in the World Cup but their government would not issue visas for its citizens to attend the matches. WC fever has hit fever pitch and national pride for ones own team is exuding from the pores of their countryman. But the team is not without its cheering crowd. In a twist of fate, the Chinese are rooting for the North Koreans. Stange bedfellows I tell ya

Monday, June 14, 2010

RocketBoat

Usually, when people think about tours on the bay, they think about big multi decked ships moving at a sea cucumbers pace over the water. Leisurely, passengers move between the decks and transition from open to closed deck and vice versa. Casually, they can purchase snacks as the scenery glides by.

Now, since May 1, 2010, a new conveyance ushers in the jet age and jet boat speeds. This is RocketBoat. They offer a 30 minute thrill ride on the bay while strapped in for safety.

The boat looks like one of those offshore racing boats that were predominately shown on the 80s tv show Miami Vice. The ride may be jarring and bumpy on a calm day. I would not like to imagine how bad it might get on a not so calm day. Of course the flames make it go faster

Prices are $26 for adults

Friday, June 11, 2010

Summertime Beverages-Slurpees and Icees

Two of the more well known, at least to me, slushy drinks that available all year round but are most welcome during the summer months. Slurpees can only be found at 7-11 convenience stores. Icees can be found at Wal-mart and other locations. The company that makes the Icee machines also make the Slush Puppy machines as well. Both beverages are icey airy confections that come in a wide variety of flavors. Although I think Slurpees have a greater selection of tastes to choose from.

In looking up these products, it seems the credit for the invention of both products goes to Omar Knedlik. Apparently, he had kept his sodas in the freezer and customers enjoyed the consistency when they purchased the partially frozen drinks. He came up with a machine that would keep the drinks in the semi frozen state. 7-11 bought the machine and gave it the Slurpee name for the sount that it made when imbibing. All this info is attributed to Wikipedia but some information seems to be conflicting

Thursday, June 10, 2010

My Day Off-Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

Down the coast from the city is Santa Cruz and its beach and boardwalk. This little surf town has much history to its wave riding past. But its moniker as Surf City USA is in much dispute with southern California rival Huntington Beach.

The boardwalk is free of charge to access but rides vary in price by the amount of tickets needed for any given ride. The hallmark is the Giant Dipper rollercoaster. A wooden coaster that has been deemed a state historical landmark. It still draws many riders each year. One portion, a small dip in a fast portion of the track, was modified several years ago due to its tendency to injure the ego. Aside from that, little has changed on this staple of the boardwalk

There also still exists a carousel with a ring dispenser. Riders attempt to snag a brass ring then try to toss it into the mouth of the clown to make his eye light up. A small but satisfying reward I guess. Portions of the Dirty Harry movie Sudden Impact were filmed here.

This ride is similar to the Drop Zone Stunt Tower at Great America with a slight difference. Instead of simply lifting you to the top then dropping you, this will shoot you up, you fall for a bit before being shot back up and falling again. This repeats about 3 cycles. At the bottom of the post is a video of the ride. It shoots off at 14 seconds into it

The beach is also nice on a summers day. There are concerts on a stage on the beach for the late goers to enjoy once the sun has set. There is also a pier to the north lined with shops and restaurants that make for a pleasent stroll and a nice vantage point on the boardwalk. There is a lively carnival atmosphere. Carnival foods abound with corn dogs, burgers, cotton candy, and the like are widely available up and down the boardwalk. The deep fried goodies extend to the deep fried Twinkie and other artery clogging temptations.

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

My Day Off-Great America

Theme parks in California are generally thought of as a fixture of the southern area of the state. Disneyland, Magic Moutain, and Knott's Berry Farm are all located withing easy drive of Los Angeles. However, there are a few parks up here in the north. They are not as famous as their siblings to the south but, for us, it beats the long drive. The Columbia dual decker merry-go-round is the first ride to greet all the visitors. People love the view from the second tier and as such causes longer queues than the ground level tier.

On a recent day off, I went to Great America in Santa Clara. The park has had many owners. It was owned by Marriot at first. Paramount Studios owned it at one time. Now its owned by a company that owns a chain of parks. The name fails my memory. When Paramount sold the park, they took their ball with them. This coaster was named after the Tom Cruise movie Top Gun. Now its called Flight Deck.

It has been several years since my last visit but was always a much anticipated destination during my teen years. As is true for any teen who have access to a major theme park. One of my favorite rides is in the class of Drop Zone Stunt Tower. These are simple rides that take you high in the air then drop you. A split second of free fall before the brakes take hold and slow you down for a safe landing. The video below gives the vantage point of the ride from the rider's point of view

My second favorite are the coasters. I enjoy the initial plunge of a good steel coaster. The rest of the twists, loop to loops, and corkscrews on the ride are of little consequence to me. Thats why this comes in second to the previously mention ride. A staple of the parks are the water rides as they usually operate during the warm to hot days of summer. Great America has a few of these rides as well as a water park to stave off the heat. I find that as I get older, I am less likely to want to get wet at these establishments




Tuesday, June 8, 2010

San Mateo Bridge

There are several bridges that connect the penninsula to other parts of the SF Bay area. The most well known is the Golden Gate Bridge that connects to the north. Three bridges connect to the east bay: Bay, San Mateo, and Dumbarton Bridge. Over the weekend, I had to go to Union City and the San Mateo Bridge helps to facilitate that. The picture below has me heading east and coming down from the highrise portion. The bridge itself is mainly just above water level for about two thirds of its span.

The other one third rises high above the bay to allow ships to access the southern bay area. Going west, you pass the toll gate and head out to the flat portion.

Just at the horizon, you can see the incline section. The Dumbarton Bridge to the south is similar in construction and design.

The decline will transition you to the city of Foster City in San Mateo County. Then you can catch 101 north to the city
When the Bay Bridge was knocked out of commission during the Loma Prieta earthquake, this was the main throughfare that people chose to get into the city since this was the closest alternate route. If using the Golden Gate, you'd need to cross the Richmond/San Rafeal bridge before crossing at the mouth of the bay. Crossing the Dumbarton would take you further south and is a viable option if time permits since everyone else would have gone on the San Mateo.

Monday, June 7, 2010

A Rollercoaster Ride...

A rollercoaster ride is associated with its ups and downs. Sometimes the twists and turns are invoked as well. However, one point that people fail to mention is that a coaster will always end up right where it started from. What kind of correlations can we draw from that?

Friday, June 4, 2010

Crows

Picture from www.kirainet.com

I dont know much about birds. All I know is that I hate pigeons. If I lived on the coast, Id probably hate seagulls. I dont hate or love crows. But, the sound of japanese crows does harken me back to Tokyo. Japanese crows sound different than the crows around here. The ones here tend to have a short caw whereas the japanese ones are a much more elongated caaawww. The sound seems very prevalent during the still morning hours as much of the city is waking up. In the cool of the morning, I dont hear alot of the traffic. There is the usual clitter clatter of the trains. You can hear the ambient hustle and bustle of people trying to get to work. Just when you get habituated to all the background noise, a caaawww breaks the morning air and resonates between the tall buildings. The crows tend to hang out in the greener areas of the city like Meiji Jingu or the grounds of the Imperial Palace. These areas tend to be very serene and calm. For me, walking through these places, the caaawwws are somewhat soothing and reassuring

Thursday, June 3, 2010

At What Point-Man/Nature

At what point did man stop being a part of nature. In the beginning, man was just another inhabitant of the natural world. One of many organisms trying to survive and prevent from being eaten. Man used to prey other other animals and plants and were preyed upon themselves. No greater affect on the environment than anything else on the planet. But, somewhere along the line, we evolved developed more than any living creature.

Early man became aware of what he could do. He was not as limited as he once thought. The use of tools put us above the rest and we made changes with these tools. Before you know it, we were manufacturing products and building skyscrapers. Not to mention, using up sizeable amounts of resources, creating waste well beyond our means to control it, creating discord with our fellow planet residents, and forever altering our surroundings.

And here we are today, trying to save the planet from ourselves and reducing our impact on the world we live in. Maybe the easiest way to do that would be to go extinct and let nature take over once again.

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Akihabara To Open To Pedestrians

I have read from many sources on the net that Akihabara will be closing of Chuo dori to auto traffic and let the masses wonder the streets. In many areas like Ginza and Shinjuku, they will do this on Sundays and holidays to give pedestrians unfettered access to the wider spaces. A while back, this was true of Akiba as well. But, an incident where an unstable person began stabbing folks at an intersection in the area changed everything. They did away with the closures and the cars were given back their domain.

In Akiba, during these closures, cosplayers would walk the streets. Girls hawking photobooks and video games would draw large crowds around them. More than your average number of citizens would peruse the area with camera in hand, and Im not talking about tourists. It was a joyouse festive atmosphere. The area did feel a bit depressed this year when I visited on a Sunday. Gone were the mobs of people, the lively energy, and some of the fun that was Akiba that has been missing since the gentrification of the area began a few years ago.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Happy Meal


I have borne witness to the birth of video games and the arcade. The boom of internet is well told during my lifetime. The cell phone became a standard device for most people on my watch. These are just some of the things that have changed the world over the last few decades that I have been alive. Another world altering product, the Happy Meal from McDonalds.
A kid-sized meal with a toy bonus. The toys have ranged over the years and are usually tied into movies or other promotions from other companies. Some of the bigger crazes have been the beanie babies. I remember family and friends scampering about trying to complete their set or looking to get that one special baby. I even had friends who scoured ebay looking for what they needed. It was an unexplainable obsession that had stricken many adults for this product aimed at a much younger demographic.
But I digress and remember asking my parents to get me a Happy Meal. Sure I wanted something to eat but other times, I just wanted the toy. Parents have a hard time denying their child soemthing to eat and I got a toy too. It was a win-win situation