Farewell, Steve Jobs

The window of the Apple Store, in SF.

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Happy Pride, 2

(Photo with Canon G9)

Walks through the Mission

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No-Pants Day

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Today, San Francisco "celebrated" No Pants Day on the train, and underground MUNI .

44 cities participated in the event as well. You gotta feel sorry for those living in NYC!

It's that time of the year!

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Working long hours has its perks. You get to enjoy the City's Xmas decorations all to yourself...

Week-end bliss

This week-end was the first really nice week-end we've had in the Bay Area in a long time. Last week, we had wind, cold weather and rain. So when the sun decided to stick around, everybody came out to play, including me.

This shot was taken at Ocean Beach late in the afternoon (that's why the lighting is a bit weak). The temperature was still really pleasant and no chilly winds, for a change.

I couldn't pass the opportunity to get a quick shot of this blissful moment. Enjoy!

Coming down the hill

I'm sorry I've been away from the blogs for a while. It's been very hard to find the time to do blog posts and visit blogs lately because I've been spending (almost) all my free time showing a visitor from out-of-town around my beloved City by the Bay.

On the plus side, though, this has given me the opportunity to walk around the City and stock up on new photos, which will end up on the blog eventually. ;)

This was us barreling down California Street in a Cable Car, the day we met up with Mme. Benault and Katiefornia.

Would you like a better look at the Cable Car? or the visitor, maybe? a little of both? I'm sure this could be arranged. ;)

Here is the cable car (not my best shot I know, but it's a cable car)



and here is the hill... you do the math!

Aerial photographer Robert Cameron dies

When I saw the headline "Aerial photographer Robert Cameron dies" this morning on the first page of the Chronicle, I couldn't resist reposting this picture to share it with you guys.

I bought Robert Cameron "Above San Francisco" book once for myself a long time ago, really loved all the pictures inside and ended up buying a few more over the years to give to people in France as San Francisco souvenirs.

Mr. Cameron was 98 years old and still taking pictures of our beloved city from a helicopter.

More breathtaking aerial photos of San Francisco here

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass

"For the past nine years, Warren Hellman [local investment banker] has been giving the Bay Area a wonderful present: Hardly Strictly Bluegrass.

With fantastic musicians like Emmy Lou Harris, Gillian Welch, Steve Earle, Hazel Dickens, and countless more, Warren has put on concerts enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of people. And since he pays for the event out of his own pocket, there are no corporate logos plastered on the stages or high priced tickets to contend with.

The result is an amazing three days where, I swear, everyone is smiling and happy." Frances Dinkelspiel, San Francisco Chronicle Complete article here

Yes, indeed.

A lot of people gathered up in the Golden Gate Park, in San Francisco, to attend Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, the free annual music festival featuring mostly - but not strictly - Bluegrass and Folk musicians.

Musicians such as Ricky Scazz and the Kentucky Thunders, Lyle Lovett, Emmilou Harris, and many, many others, showed up.

David Holt (left) and Doc Watson (right) (photo above), HSB 2009
Doc Watson (left) and his grandson (right) (photo above), HSB 2009
Doc Watson, (photo above) HSB 2009

And I showed up to listen to living legend Doc Watson, who has been flatpicking guitar since long before I was born. I discovered Doc Watson when I was growing up in France, and instantly fell in love with the guitar style, the voice, and the songs.

What can I say, it was a PRIVILEGE to see him in person after all these years (I can't believe he's still playing that way at age 86!) and a wonderful way to spend a beautiful Sunday afternoon.

Here is a little video sample of last year's performance. And here is a little documentary (3.41) including Doc's interpretation of Walk On Boy



Enjoy!
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Additional links and resources:

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Official Website, with artists line-up and FAQ here

More photos here

(Thank you for all your comments on my previous post. I will respond in the near future)

Gay Pride 2009 (Part 2 of 2)

As I was getting ready to write my next blog post, I noticed that I had this one on hold since last month, before I got ill, so I’ll just post it now, late as it is, because there was a message to go with this photograph, which should probably still be said.



This year, I couldn't help but notice that the Gay Pride Parade of San Francisco had a very strong family theme, probably as a result of the passage of Proposition 8 in California, last November.

Many people showed up with their kids, friends, families.



Don't forget, while there is always a fair amount of exhuberance, flamboyance, conspicuous costumes (always to be expected at that sort of event), the following day, costumes go back in the closet [well, for the most part ;)], and everybody returns to their routine, get up in the morning and go to work, come back tired at the end of the day, same as you and me.

Gay Pride 2009 in San Francisco (part 1 of 2)

The Gay Pride Parade took place today in San Francisco. It's a big production, with a large number of contingents and an even larger number of attendees.

This year, the parade was fairly conservative, with a strong political message, due to the passage of Prop. 8 last November, repealing the rights for same sex people to marry.

I'm sure the local bloggers have taken tons of pictures (guys, please feel free to link your pictures sets in the commenting section and I'll incorporate them to this post, if you want.)

In the meantime, here is a small selection of my photographs. Enjoy!

Guess who's coming to town?

(click on photographs to enlarge)



O. Sirens blaring, the motorcycles get the traffic to disappear on Kearny St., downtown San Francisco.




B. Somebody's coming. I counted close to 20 or 30 motorcycles. Must be someone really important. Now, who could that be?!?



A. Oh, I remember now. Didn't say they say in the paper that a certain First Lady is in town?



M. I make a lousy paparazzi.

Not only I didn't *see* who was in the back of the car (I was way too busy looking at the hot Secret Service guys in front), but my camera didn't either!!

Did I even get the right car? ;)

As I was snapping away, I heard a woman right behind me say a couple of times somewhat histerically "OMG, OMG, OMG, it's Michelle Obama and she's waiving at us, OMG, OMG, OMG!" and then ...
"Did you get it, did you get it, did you get it?!!"



A. Before I could answer one way or the other, the Motorcade had turned left on Pine St., and was heading towards the top of Nob Hill, probably towards the Fairmont Hotel, where San Francisco usually keeps the dignitaries. The whole thing lasted less than a couple of minutes.

I said, "OMG, OMG, yeah, I got something, I think, OMG, I don't know, let's have a look, OMG."

We looked at the pictures on my camera, feeling a little bit like teenagers having spotted Justin Timberlake or Britney.

I'll admit, it was all pretty exciting and uplifting and the sighting of the Motorcade kind of made my day for some reason.

Star-struck Tomate Farcie.

It's that time of the year...

Yes, it is that time of the year and San Francisco is wasting no time putting up its Christmas decorations.



This year for the first time in a number of years, we'll have 2 skating rinks. One at the Embarcadero and another one, right here in Union Square.



The tree isn't up yet, but many stores have already put up their holiday decorations. Others are still working on it.

Skating costs $8, and the rental of skates costs $4. They have small lockers where you can put purses, shoes or backpacks, possibly for a small cost.



Additional information here

Have fun!

* * * *

Union Square Skating Rink: from November 12 through January 4, 2009.
10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Sunday - Thursday
10:00 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Friday - Saturday
Information Hotline is (415)781-2688
www.unionsquareicerink.com

And Marie-Antoinette said "Let them skate!"

Ready? Set... Go!!


The kid went but the skate didn't follow!


THERE YOU GO!!! Well done!

From time to time, on Nob Hill, you'll see a bunch of young guys skateboarding behind the Academy of Art building. The hill is steep enough, for sure, and maybe for that reason, there is very little foot traffic on that particular sidewalk. A good thing, too, because we wouldn't want them to run into the Brown Twins of last week's post, whom I met only a couple of blocks below.

De temps en temps, vers Nob Hill, on peut voir un groupe de jeunes qui font du skateboard derriere le bâtiment de l'Academy of Art. La pente est assez raide et peut-être à cause de ça il y a très peu de pietons sur ce trottoir, alors les jeunes viennent s'y entrainer. Heureusement qu'il n'y a pas grand monde car on ne voudrait surtout pas les voir "rencontrer" les jumelles du billet dernier qui se promènaient, elles, seulement 2 rues plus bas.

Skateboarding is alive and well after, well, almost 50 years, according to this website. I DO admire these kids for being so tough and so driven(during the time it took me to get these 3 shots, the kid fell about 5 times!) but I always worry someone is going to get seriously hurt some day. Oh, well, I guess it's part of the culture.

Also see my photoblog

Stuffed Tomatoes Convention?

When I first saw this couple run past me on Bush Street yesterday, I thought, OK, the poor guy lost a bet and they're making him run around the block wearing a dress.

Guy wearing dresses aren't all that unusual in San Francisco, but these 2 looked just a little bit a little out of place...

But then, I turned around and saw these guys:



and these guys ...



... and these guys.



Were these people

a) Going to a Stuffed Tomato Convention?
b) Demonstrating in support of equal rights for red-dress wearing people?
c) Protesting the visit of a certain republican candidate in San Francisco that same evening? Or
d) Participating in the Red Dress Run just like they did last year?
e) Advertising for Donna Sachet?
f) All or none of the above?

(Any other idea what this was all about? Go ahead, feel free to have a little fun coming up with ideas of your own in the commenting section, if you want.)



In the meantime, here is a very short video of last year's Red Dress run in San Francisco.

Have a good week, everybody!

14th of July (Bastille Day) is upon us again

Also check out my photo blog.



Oh no, it's "Bastille Day" again!!!

Nothing much was happening at Belden Lane this year.



All the celebrating seemed to be going on at the Irish Bank instead, where they had blocked the entire alley and charged people $5 to get in. They had 80's music going on when I walked by, and a couple of police cars parked outside just in case things got out of hand.

Best-o-Burger, Pine St., SF

Surprisingly, this fast-food burger joint on Pine St., had decided to do a 14th of July special. They had a bunch of French flags planted in front of the window, and the poster in the window reads:

"Best-o-Burger Celebrates Bastille Day with Iron Skillet Seared Foie Gras BOB Burger and French Flag Gelato. Laissez le bon temps rouler! (Let the good times roll)"

Nice touch! But a foie-gras burger? Hmmm.. . I don't know about that! ;)



People always ask me if I am going to do anything celebrate the 14th of July (as French people call it, rather than "Bastille Day"). Truthfully, I don't really see the point, so I usually don't do anything at all.

14th of July, to me, is more like this or ... like that!

Nothing much in the Bay Area can ever compare to the kind of celebrations they put out in France that day. And that's OK, of course (I realize the 4th of July probably sucks in France, too)! ;)


Meanwhile, in Paris ... (the first and last ones are my favorites!)

If you are interested in seeing the entire 14th of July celebration on the Champs Elysees in Paris, I highly recommend you check out this guy's videos on U-Tube. He has posted the entire official TF1 broadcast, split in 12 videos. It's almost like being there.

A few in particular stand out:



6 men and 1 women paratroopers (first women ever) jump out of a plane above Paris and land in a very precise spot right in front of the French President and his guests, Place de la Concorde, Paris. (approx. 4 minutes, MUST SEE!)



Défilé aérien (Patrouille de France (the French equivalent of the Bluge Angels) opens up. MUST SEE, at least the first couple of minutes!)



Marseillaise & Ode à la Joie, le 14 juillet 2008 (7:38)

French National Anthem interpreted by the French Army and the Sapeurs Pompiers (firemen and women). According to the journalist, some of these firemen up front are only 16 years old. (National anthem only takes a couple of minutes in the begining. Skip to almost the end if you want to hear 'Ode à la Joie').



Sarcozy going down the Avenue of Champs Elysees, with the Guarde Républicaine (mounted guards, horsemen). It's a different live feed, so a different camera perspective than the others, and much quicker (about 4 minutes). (When I went back on U-Tube yesterday, people in the crowd had uploaded their own version, in which you can hear some of the people in the the crowd booing the President - Sarcozy's approval rate right now is about as bad as ... well, you know who iin the US.)

last but not least ...



OK, this one is not the 2008 display but I haven't yet found one I really like for 2008, so at least you get an idea.

If you have the time and are interested, there are more videos to look at. Just grab a glass of wine and watch the Défilé!

Peace everybody.

Celebrate!!! (Video added)

Photographed on Market St., San Francisco, 6/29/08

According to KRON 4 (who covered the Gay Pride Parade today), over 1 million people showed up to celebrate today. Many people already have uploaded pictures. KRON4 has a slideshow.

See you next year! :-D

(This video is dedicated to Celine and Delphine)

More to come later!
Revenez dans quelques jours, il y en aura d'autres.

Also check out my photo blog.

Mixed bags of news

GG Bridge is lost in the smog, way in the back

Smoke in the air (not fog) due to the wild fires in California made it very difficult to get a clear view of the Golden Gate Bridge today, from this Nob Hill window (click on photograph to enlarge). We could really smell the smoke in San Francisco, today. Local media said to expect the same air quality throughout the week-end, at which time the wind will probably get around to start blowing all that off...

Meanwhile, predictions of yet higher gas prices sent the stock market into a downward spiral again (358 points this time!)...

On the positive side, San Francico is again getting ready for fun-filled week-end with many LGBT celebrations and events around the Bay Area. The Chronicle has devoted an entire site to Pride-related events (including pictures of past Pride celebrations, various articles and links, and a calendar of events) and if you still can't find what you need, also check out Pride or the calendar of events at sfgay.org.

Pride '07

Pride '07

The main event this week-end, of course, is the SF Gay Pride Parade, scheduled to take place on Market Street, this Sunday 6/29 from 10:30 a.m. to approx. 1:00 p.m. After the parade, the celebration continues in front of City Hall, with a main stage, booths and events (you can usually pick up a map and event program on site). Expect a crowd, though!

Donna Sachet and the KRON 4 Journalists, Pride '07

Those of you who cannot be in San Francisco this Sunday or would rather avoid the crowd will still be able to see the Parade online or on TV, on Sunday, June 29th:

* LIVE Broadcast, on Bay Area Comcast 99 (Digital) 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

* KRON 4 at www.KRON4.com, Live Webcast, and
* Clear Channel Radio on SFPrideLive.com Live & Uncensored Webcast
(from 10:00 a.m. to the end)

* Prime Time: KRON 4, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. (condensed version), and
* Comcast, On Demand starting at 7:00 p.m.


Photograph of a couple getting married at SF City Hall, on 6/17/08

Because of the recent changes in California marriage law, we expect a larger crowd than usual this year in the City, so I thought I'd lend a hand and help out with the events, starting tommorrow night after work. That means that I'll probably be too busy running around to take and post pictures (or worse, I'll take pictures, then promise to post them but will never actually have the time to through them ...) So I'm counting on all of you, fellow local bloggers and amateur or professional photographers, to cover all the events this week-end, OK?



Remember, don't forget to bring water, sun protection, and a layer or two just in case the fog rolls in later on, but most importantly ... have fun!!!

* * *

Chronicle Pride site

Pride

sfgay.org

Inside the Contemporary Jewish Museum

Last Sunday, the Contemporary Jewish Museum of San Francisco was having its Grand Opening, so I decided to go check it out. The museum is located at Yerba Buena Gardens, just a few steps away from the SF MOMA, the Metreon, and the Moscone Center, among other fine San Francisco destinations, so it's very easy to find and to access.





Daniel Libeskind is the architect who renovated and added to the original 100-year old PG&E brick building. The 2 photographs (above) show the inside of the large blue steel diamond-shaped part of the building. Right now there is a sound exhibit in there.





This is the lobby. Doesn't it feel grand?!

It was difficult to check out the exhibits carefully with so many people roaming around, so I made a mental note to go back and see the William Steig and the World of The New Yorker exhibit at a later date, because some of the stuff on display seemed really pretty cool. But I must hurry somewhat because I understand that none of the Exhibits at the Contemporary Jewish Museum are permanent?



This is the store.

The museum is not very big and you may be able to get through it relatively quickly, but it feels much more spacious inside than you might think by looking at the building on the outside. If nothing else, you should go check it out just for the architecture. Personally, I thought the space makes you feel very positive and open, so I was really positively surprised.

Go check it out and tell me what you think!



* * * *
San Francisco Contemporary Jewish Museum

Similar post, on my other blog