Happy new year!
Just a thought from 31 December 2003 about .

We're celebrating a year of stories over at Fray. Come join in the fun! And come tell your story: How was your 2003? What's your hope for 2004?

Claremont Photos 3: Highway 5
Just a thought from 29 December 2003 about Photos.

No matter how many times I drive the hypnotic highway, I always find something new there.

Claremont Photos 2: Back Yard
Just a thought from 29 December 2003 about Photos.

Claremont Photos 1: Shadow Play
Just a thought from 29 December 2003 about Photos.

Just got back from a trip to Claremont to visit the folks. A few moments of beauty....

Dramatic golden light illuminates the plants in dad's driveway.

New in {fray}: Ladies Luncheon
Just a thought from 25 December 2003 about Fray.

When Beth Lisick took the stage at Fray Day 7 San Francisco and told a hysterical story about her family's annual Christmas gathering, and how it went very, very wrong one year, I knew we had to get it on the site. So today we have a special Christmas treat for you - a shiny new Fray story to unwrap. Please enjoy Beth's story: Kathy's Annual Ladies Luncheon. And then tell us: Have you ever had a harrowing holiday?

Celebrating the new camera
Just a thought from 23 December 2003 about Photos.

So I just got a new camera, and to celebrate I'm posting a photo of my cat, as is the custom with my people.

Okay, dogs too.

Happy 5th night
Just a thought from 23 December 2003 about .

Happy Chanukah to all my peeps out there.

That time of year again
Just a thought from 23 December 2003 about Fray.

Life is weird, part 12
Just a thought from 22 December 2003 about .

I am a pop quiz.

Orange
Just a thought from 21 December 2003 about Photos.

Things I Like
Just a thought from 19 December 2003 about Life.

• The Tapatio in our fridge is right next to the Pepto.
• Of all the clocks in our apartment, not one is set to the same time as another.
• The dogs are smaller than my cat. Put together.

Calendar Crazy
Just a thought from 16 December 2003 about .

If you're a member of my family, stop reading. No, really, go away. You know how I hate ruining the surprise.

Well, anyway, I got the batch of calendars I made and boy are they lovely. I mean, really. I can't believe these are all just a pile of jpegs I uploaded. Click the pic at right to see it on my wall a little bigger.

If you want one of your own, you can order one here. Unless you're my family, in which case you should just be patient. And pretend it's a surprise, okay?

I *heart* the web
Just a thought from 15 December 2003 about .

I'm having one of those I-Love-the-internet moments. A few reasons why:

• Months ago I was driving with Heather and had this idea: If only everyone would flip off those Godawful Hummers every time they saw one, I bet people would think twice about buying them. Guess that wasn't an entirely original thought. Paging through the submitted photos fills my jaded heart with joy.
• The fact that my belly is volunteering for Dean today on Heather's site.
• The fact that a bunch of Mac geeks busted a creepy scammer today using nothing but a few brain cells and Google.
• This.

Powazek Product
Just a thought from 12 December 2003 about .

It started as a lark: I wonder if I shot one photo each month of 2003 that I'd want to put on my wall? It was harder than I thought. Some months had tons of great photos, some ... not so much. But I dug through all 3.8 GB of digital photos I shot in 2003 and found at least one shot in each month that I liked. So I compiled them into the first annual Powazek calendar, named after my favorite piece of local graffiti: Today You Choose to Live: 2004 Calendar.

Also new in the Powazek shop: The Unload Here: Blank Journal. I saw that sign at the base of a ski lift in Vancouver and snickered to myself as a snapped a photo. I knew it'd come in handy someday.

Thank you for shopping Powazek, where every day is a special day!

Dance-Along Nutcracker
Just a thought from 11 December 2003 about Photos.

A fantastic time was had by all at the Dance-Along Nutcracker (Judith's photos).

Do not call 911
Just a thought from 11 December 2003 about Photos.

Outside Yerba Buena. Not an accident. But it causes traffic delays nonetheless.

Goddammit
Just a thought from 9 December 2003 about San Francisco.

Motherfucker.

Tomorrow I'll be evenhanded. Tonight I say: Fuck the polite denouement. Fuck the armchair quarterbacking. Fuck the this-is-actually-a-good-thing rationalizations.

This sucks. Matt Gonzalez captured the heart of the city, the heart of my people, dammit, MY heart. He was the candidate of the renters, the artists, the people who make San Francisco the place I want to live in. And he lost.

He didn't lose big. He lost by just five percent. But there is no "vice mayor" (no matter what Alioto wants to believe). And he lost to a greased up weasel with a mansion in the Marina who's claim to fame is two failed attempts to make the homeless go somewhere else.

And Hallinan losing, too? Damn. That's just cruel. That DA was the best thing to happen to this city. A fighter, unafraid to take on the police department and anyone else who broke the law.

Tomorrow I'll be positive. Tomorrow I'll try to find the silver lining.

Tonight, I'm just gonna be pissed.

Election Results
Just a thought from 9 December 2003 about San Francisco.

Starting tonight at 8pm, SF Gate will be posting election results as they come in (see also). If you need some reassurance while you wait, try rereading this story in the SF Weekly: A Pair of Aces, where Mecklin argues that either candidate would make a great mayor. I'd be tempted to agree if Gavin didn't look like such a gawking jackass.

Today
Just a thought from 9 December 2003 about .

SF Election links
Just a thought from 8 December 2003 about San Francisco.

Just a few pages to compulsively reload over the next day or two.

• SF Gate's Politics Section seems to be their home base for election coverage.
• Indymedia's SF Bay Site has lots of great info, including sound clips and interviews.
• SF Bay Guardian Election Blog. Nice to see a weekly paper embrace the blog format to cover something they'd usually have to wait a week to discuss.

San Francisco Signage
Just a thought from 8 December 2003 about Cole Valley, San Francisco.

With the big runoff election for mayor tomorrow, San Francisco has been turned into the Land of Signs. I've lived in San Francisco since 1995, and I've never seen so many signs, and so many personal statements.

Here at Carl and Cole, in the heart of Cole Valley, the signs are everywhere. Granted, this is District 5, so we're in Gonzalez country. He's been our supervisor for three years now, so you'd think that the neighborhood would be solidly yellow signs. But there's a pretty good showing of Newsom's blue and red, too.

My favorite so far is the flat above Crepes on Cole, where it seems like every housemate put up a sign. Above the row of Gonzalez signs sits one lonely Newsom sign. That's bravery.

There's also the collection of bikes at the top of Carl Street. They've been sitting there, chained to a street sign, dripping playa dust since Burning Man. Now they all hold Golzalez signs, laced through their spokes. I'm wondering what the message is: Broken bikes for Matt!

And they're not alone - cars, windows, even some random passers by, all are covered with signs. I quietly fear that the gaggle of patchouli-scented hippies on the corner with the Gonzalez signs in one hand and peace signs in the other may do more harm to the candidate than good.

One of the most striking sign stories is the local head shop, Distractions on Haight Street, which covered its facade with Newsom posters. Apparently they took so much heat for it, the owner put up a sign explaining their position.

In this city, where head shops are for Newsom and Burning Man bikes are for Gonzalez, a lot is uncertain. But we know a few things about our next mayor right now: He's not Willie Brown, he's got a wild ride ahead of him, and at least half of the city had the other guy's sign in their window.

Out for a Walk
Just a thought from 6 December 2003 about Photos.

Robot with a heart.

Do not feed the homicidal bears in the window.

Heather's new do.

Chanukah Presents for Myself
Just a thought from 6 December 2003 about .

Today I bought myself three early Chanukah presents.

• A pile of used CDs from Amoeba. Among them: David Holmes ("Let's get killed" which features NYC found sound to groovy beats), more old R.E.M. (still replenishing that old tape collection), The New Pornographers ("Mass Romantic", their first album, rereleased - shouldn't that be called "Old Pornographers"?), the Salton Sea soundtrack (great movie, great atmospheric jazz soundtrack), Nerf Herder, and an old Spoon CD. Strange mix, I know.
• Blik Invaders, which are vinyl stickers intended as wall art, or as they call it, "surface graphics." Basically they're stickers for designers. I think our bathroom is about to get much more geeky.
• A very cool t-shirt from San Francisco's new Giant Robot store by artist Ryan McGinness (more) called "Sad Drips" but I think of it more as happy melty people.

If you're reading this and you're thinking, say, I'd like to buy that guy a Chanukah present (which probably means you're my mom - hi mom), my wish list is here.

Fray Cafe Cardiff
Just a thought from 5 December 2003 about Fray.

I posted a big Fray Cafe Cardiff recap today, along with a bunch of photos from the event. Next: Audio!

Random bits
Just a thought from 5 December 2003 about .

• I just noticed Brooklyn's redesign. What a visual treat. Makes me realize just how tired I am of black text on white backgrounds.
• I don't know if this guy wrote the Booze Rules, but they're great.
• Buy Lance's book for everyone you know. Now.

Everyone Has a Story to Tell
Just a thought from 2 December 2003 about .

A shot of the stage at the BBC where the conference took place. Strange seeing a phrase so close to the bone on a set.

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Home
Just a thought from 1 December 2003 about Photos.