[SI] Yet another bad one

Bill Graham wrote:
Alan Browne wrote:
On 2011.02.04 16:39 , dickr2 wrote:
Bowser wrote:
The latest addition to Bad Travel:

http://www.pbase.com/shootin/image/132292512

Maybe it's just me, but I think some travel photos document places
you've been, people, sites and other shots that can be placed in an
album for reminiscing years from now. "Remember when you were
standing on that corner in San Francisco?" The photo certainly isn't
an artistic masterpiece, but it is a keepsake.

Certainly. And that's all the shot was meant to be.

But as a photo it's just horrible. Mid day. No fill flash. Backpack
hanging on the hydrant. Clutter. Other tourist making same shot
(backlit no less) on the edge of the frame. Ya-da-yada. Cliché of
that famous corner now a part of a tourist magnet with the same
damned kind of shops you find anywhere else in their tourist traps...

(I was rushed. To frame the street signs on the sun side of the shot
I was standing in the traffic flow of Ashbury ... I could practically
hear the regulars: "Ah, cripes not another fricken tourist standing
in the street again...".)

I thought it was great. My wife lived two blocks from there for several
years. (Cole and Carl Sts) I fowarded it to her. It reminded us of the
good old days in SF.......

Back when you were producing rock concerts?

On 2011-02-04 16:54:42 -0800, Paul Furman said:

Bill Graham wrote:
Alan Browne wrote:
On 2011.02.04 16:39 , dickr2 wrote:
Bowser wrote:
The latest addition to Bad Travel:

http://www.pbase.com/shootin/image/132292512

Maybe it's just me, but I think some travel photos document places
you've been, people, sites and other shots that can be placed in an
album for reminiscing years from now. "Remember when you were
standing on that corner in San Francisco?" The photo certainly isn't
an artistic masterpiece, but it is a keepsake.

Certainly. And that's all the shot was meant to be.

But as a photo it's just horrible. Mid day. No fill flash. Backpack
hanging on the hydrant. Clutter. Other tourist making same shot
(backlit no less) on the edge of the frame. Ya-da-yada. Cliché of
that famous corner now a part of a tourist magnet with the same
damned kind of shops you find anywhere else in their tourist traps...

(I was rushed. To frame the street signs on the sun side of the shot
I was standing in the traffic flow of Ashbury ... I could practically
hear the regulars: "Ah, cripes not another fricken tourist standing
in the street again...".)

I thought it was great. My wife lived two blocks from there for several
years. (Cole and Carl Sts) I fowarded it to her. It reminded us of the
good old days in SF.......

Back when you were producing rock concerts?

That is an amusing thought. Back then Bill was developing his intense
hatred of all things Californian; vehicle registration fees, State
taxes, Cal formula gas, smoking restrictions, everything but his job at
Stanford, and planning his escape to Oregon.

Bill why is it that after you abandoned California for Oregon, you are
nostalgic for old SF?

--
Regards,

Savageduck

Paul Furman wrote:
Bill Graham wrote:
Alan Browne wrote:
On 2011.02.04 16:39 , dickr2 wrote:
Bowser wrote:
The latest addition to Bad Travel:

http://www.pbase.com/shootin/image/132292512

Maybe it's just me, but I think some travel photos document places
you've been, people, sites and other shots that can be placed in an
album for reminiscing years from now. "Remember when you were
standing on that corner in San Francisco?" The photo certainly
isn't an artistic masterpiece, but it is a keepsake.

Certainly. And that's all the shot was meant to be.

But as a photo it's just horrible. Mid day. No fill flash. Backpack
hanging on the hydrant. Clutter. Other tourist making same shot
(backlit no less) on the edge of the frame. Ya-da-yada. Cliché of
that famous corner now a part of a tourist magnet with the same
damned kind of shops you find anywhere else in their tourist
traps... (I was rushed. To frame the street signs on the sun side of the
shot
I was standing in the traffic flow of Ashbury ... I could
practically hear the regulars: "Ah, cripes not another fricken
tourist standing in the street again...".)

I thought it was great. My wife lived two blocks from there for
several years. (Cole and Carl Sts) I fowarded it to her. It reminded
us of the good old days in SF.......

Back when you were producing rock concerts?

I wish....But then, He is dead. (screwing around with a helicopter in the
fog) and I am still alive......So maybe its good that I never made enough
money to play with helicopters.

Savageduck wrote:
On 2011-02-04 16:54:42 -0800, Paul Furman said:

Bill Graham wrote:
Alan Browne wrote:
On 2011.02.04 16:39 , dickr2 wrote:
Bowser wrote:
The latest addition to Bad Travel:

http://www.pbase.com/shootin/image/132292512

Maybe it's just me, but I think some travel photos document places
you've been, people, sites and other shots that can be placed in
an album for reminiscing years from now. "Remember when you were
standing on that corner in San Francisco?" The photo certainly
isn't an artistic masterpiece, but it is a keepsake.

Certainly. And that's all the shot was meant to be.

But as a photo it's just horrible. Mid day. No fill flash. Backpack
hanging on the hydrant. Clutter. Other tourist making same shot
(backlit no less) on the edge of the frame. Ya-da-yada. Cliché of
that famous corner now a part of a tourist magnet with the same
damned kind of shops you find anywhere else in their tourist
traps... (I was rushed. To frame the street signs on the sun side of
the
shot I was standing in the traffic flow of Ashbury ... I could
practically hear the regulars: "Ah, cripes not another fricken
tourist standing in the street again...".)

I thought it was great. My wife lived two blocks from there for
several years. (Cole and Carl Sts) I fowarded it to her. It
reminded us of the good old days in SF.......

Back when you were producing rock concerts?

That is an amusing thought. Back then Bill was developing his intense
hatred of all things Californian; vehicle registration fees, State
taxes, Cal formula gas, smoking restrictions, everything but his job
at Stanford, and planning his escape to Oregon.

Bill why is it that after you abandoned California for Oregon, you are
nostalgic for old SF?

You said it right there. The operative phrase is, "Old SF". They destroyed
SF years ago when they replaced the old produce district with the
Embarcadero Center, and playland at the beach with those stupid condos that
nobody bought. Yes, I do have nostaglia for old SF. But then, I guess most
everyonein my age bracket has nostaglia for old, 'someplace or other.'

Bill Graham wrote:
Savageduck wrote:
Paul Furman said:
Bill Graham wrote:

reminded us of the good old days in SF.......

Back when you were producing rock concerts?

That is an amusing thought. Back then Bill was developing his intense
hatred of all things Californian; vehicle registration fees, State
taxes, Cal formula gas, smoking restrictions, everything but his job
at Stanford, and planning his escape to Oregon.

Bill why is it that after you abandoned California for Oregon, you are
nostalgic for old SF?

You said it right there. The operative phrase is, "Old SF". They
destroyed SF years ago when they replaced the old produce district with
the Embarcadero Center, and playland at the beach with those stupid
condos that nobody bought. Yes, I do have nostaglia for old SF. But
then, I guess most everyonein my age bracket has nostaglia for old,
'someplace or other.'

The Embarcadero is great since the freeway came down due to the 89
quake. I can't believe the waterfront was ringed by a double decker
freeway before! You are probably talking about the Embarcadero Center
though. The produce market is south of Potrero Hill now, it's just a big
nasty industrial area for wholesale produce exchange but there are lots
of farmer's markets across town. Lots of improvements in recent years,
lots of good changes in the 23 years I've been here. The only real
negative I suppose is gentrification/expenisive-ication.

On Fri, 04 Feb 2011 16:01:05 -0500, Bowser wrote:

The latest addition to Bad Travel:

Maybe it's me, but most of the piccies on your page look fine to me.

Paul Furman wrote:
Bill Graham wrote:
Savageduck wrote:
Paul Furman said:
Bill Graham wrote:

reminded us of the good old days in SF.......

Back when you were producing rock concerts?

That is an amusing thought. Back then Bill was developing his
intense hatred of all things Californian; vehicle registration
fees, State taxes, Cal formula gas, smoking restrictions,
everything but his job at Stanford, and planning his escape to
Oregon. Bill why is it that after you abandoned California for Oregon,
you
are nostalgic for old SF?

You said it right there. The operative phrase is, "Old SF". They
destroyed SF years ago when they replaced the old produce district
with the Embarcadero Center, and playland at the beach with those
stupid condos that nobody bought. Yes, I do have nostaglia for old
SF. But then, I guess most everyonein my age bracket has nostaglia
for old, 'someplace or other.'

The Embarcadero is great since the freeway came down due to the 89
quake. I can't believe the waterfront was ringed by a double decker
freeway before! You are probably talking about the Embarcadero Center
though. The produce market is south of Potrero Hill now, it's just a
big nasty industrial area for wholesale produce exchange but there
are lots of farmer's markets across town. Lots of improvements in
recent years, lots of good changes in the 23 years I've been here.
The only real negative I suppose is gentrification/expenisive-ication.

Back in the old days, the produce district was where the Embarcadero Center
buildings are now. It was a wonderful place, full of little bistros and bars
and lawyers offices and little import-export houses manned by one or two
people, and bookstores and the like. It was my wife and I's favorite
playground. When they moved it to South City, the whole character of SF was
changed forever, and not for the better.

On 02/04/2011 03:01 PM, Bowser wrote:
The latest addition to Bad Travel:

http://www.pbase.com/shootin/image/132292512



good memories

I was there for two weeks in '68

On Fri, 04 Feb 2011 15:57:54 -0800, Paul Furman
wrote:

Bowser wrote:
The latest addition to Bad Travel:

http://www.pbase.com/shootin/image/132292512

Did she have particularly ugly shoes that you didn't want to show?
evil grin

I spent a week in San Francisco at the height of the, Flower Power,
hippie, Haight-Ashbury is the place to be time. The thing I remember
most about the girls I saw there was that their feet were dirty since
most were either barefoot or wearing sandals. It wasn't just that
day's dirt, either. Free love was in, but showers must have been out.

I did pay a visit to the Poets Plaza and to City Lights bookstore.
Never saw Ferlinghetti, though. Bought a copy of Ginsberg's "Howl" at
the City Lights just because it seemed the right thing to buy from
there. I still have it somewhere.



--
Tony Cooper - Orlando, Florida

Bill Graham wrote:
Paul Furman wrote:
Bill Graham wrote:
Savageduck wrote:
Paul Furman said:
Bill Graham wrote:

reminded us of the good old days in SF.......

Back when you were producing rock concerts?

That is an amusing thought. Back then Bill was developing his
intense hatred of all things Californian; vehicle registration
fees, State taxes, Cal formula gas, smoking restrictions,
everything but his job at Stanford, and planning his escape to
Oregon. Bill why is it that after you abandoned California for
Oregon, you are nostalgic for old SF?

You said it right there. The operative phrase is, "Old SF". They
destroyed SF years ago when they replaced the old produce district
with the Embarcadero Center, and playland at the beach
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Playlan...n_Francisco%29
with those stupid condos that nobody bought.
Hmm, yeah, that does look like a lame development:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sour...06035&t=h&z=18

Yes, I do have nostaglia for old SF.
But then, I guess most everyone in my age bracket has nostaglia
for old, 'someplace or other.'

I found the little house where we lived till I was two in downtown
Chicago, it's still there and looking great. I showed it to my 80-year
old mother on google street view and she freaked out because it was 100
years old when they bought it and they basically saved it from
demolition - it was already way too small and out of scale 47 years ago,
what a treat that it's still around and well maintained:
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=...226.59,,0,1.24

The Embarcadero is great since the freeway came down due to the 89
quake. I can't believe the waterfront was ringed by a double decker
freeway before! You are probably talking about the Embarcadero Center
though. The produce market is south of Potrero Hill now, it's just a
big nasty industrial area for wholesale produce exchange but there
are lots of farmer's markets across town. Lots of improvements in
recent years, lots of good changes in the 23 years I've been here.
The only real negative I suppose is gentrification/expenisive-ication.

Back in the old days, the produce district was where the Embarcadero
Center buildings are now. It was a wonderful place, full of little
bistros and bars and lawyers offices and little import-export houses
manned by one or two people, and bookstores and the like. It was my wife
and I's favorite playground. When they moved it to South City, the whole
character of SF was changed forever, and not for the better.

There are still lots of small local owned shops and neighborhoods with
their own character that evolve with time. The flower market is still
functioning, tons of farmer's markets, etc. Most of the big nasty public
housing projects have been replaced with mixed income condos more in
scale with the urban fabric. Probably you remember before those housing
projects, before the Embarcadero freeway, before Japantown flattened
that whole area with a mall, but it's worked out OK, the Japantown mall
is mostly small businesses, many of the small movie theaters are still
operating, there's even a small independent film theater in the
Embarcadero Center! I think the EC is cool, better than a lot of massive
60's/70's projects. That kind of downtown location just can't be used
for little 1 story shops. Jackson Square is still intact, Chinatown,
North Beach, basically the same rich fine textured urban fare.

Back on topic about photos, here's a pic of the Embarcadero Center
buildings: http://www.flickr.com/photos/edgehill/3491922830/
-I like how they broke up the axial side of the three buildings into
smaller scale slabs - better than most sky scrapers.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/edgehill/2841355517/
-that park was freeway!

More recently, the whole waterfront has been revamped for pedestrians:
http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=sund...7%40N08&page=3
-Sunday Streets, a new thing they are trying a few times each summer
across town for bikes & kids to enjoy the best of town car-free. The
Third Street corridor has a new light transit line from the new ballpark
downtown past the new medical campus to Bayview, the old trolleys are
runniing again up Market to Castro. Lots of new parks and miniparks, and
parking spaces reclaimed for cafe tables. Nothing to lament really. Some
things get destroyed but it's fun to watch it rebuild and evolve. The
ramshackle 1880's cottage I lived in 6 years ago was up 4 dozen steps
surrounded by vacant cliff lots 15 years ago and it's all built up now
but it was well built and still interesting.