They tried to warn us about the fog, but only some of us listened. The rest of us went down the waterfront only to be confronted with this:
You see, it should look more like this, from 2007. This year’s fireworks got above the fog, but only once in a while. It’s almost as if the Bay Area should celebrate Anti-Fourth of July instead.
See you (through the fog) next year!
Be afraid. Be very afraid.
Look ma, the optional tummy paddle let’s me drive around hands-free! Photo of “Anti-Terror Assault Vehicles” via knife tricks
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah!
Reports of the rise in China’s cheerleading prowess have been circulating for a while, but now it’s official - Western-style cheerleading is coming to the Beijing Olympics. No, not as a medal sport itself, despite the efforts of Beijing’s hardworking ”Olympic Sport Demonstration Cheerleading Volunteer Performance Demonstration Team.” But just as leaders of cheers, continuing the recent trend.
For example, check out this scene from 2004, when cheerleaders in Salt Lake City had a decidedly non-NCAA, “pro” look. (Oops, too many of you clicked over and wore out that link, try this instead) And in 2006, spectators in Turin, Italy saw moonbooted cheerleaders who looked like this.
Now, last year, people thought the 2008 Olympic cheerleaders would appear like this, or like these athletes in Beijing from a recent photo:
From Micah Sittig’s Flickrstream
However, it now appears that BOCOG has selected uniforms like this for the 585 cheerleaders. That’s right, they’re in blue jeans. But hey, do you notice somebody in the background, behind the “lion-like character” Dongdong?
Isn’t that Jin Jing, everybody’s favorite torchbearing “angel in a wheelchair”? The very same Jin Jing who followed orders from the Sacred Flame Protection Squad to not give away her torch to anybody, and the very same sentinent adult who claims she never heard of the Tibet independence movement until participating in the torch relay? Signs point to yes.
And hey, speaking of torchbearers in wheelchairs, what about this guy, Andrew Michael, from this bit: Chinese Paramilitary Police Operating on the Streets of San Francisco. Shouldn’t he be famous too?
His actions on the streets of San Francisco are something to think about when you’re rah-rahing next month.
Just saying.
Kara’s Cupcakes, the San Francisco version of Sprinkles, apparently, went all out to get into Pride 2008 the other day.
Check out the locations in the Marina and Ghirardelli Square to see the brainchild of Kara Lind and maybe you yourself will catch cupcake fever, just like all the rest. Or get a gift card or T-shirt perhaps?
Click to expand:
Will you enjoy the experience as much as these two, who just happened to be caught in this (somewhat crudely Photoshopped) moment of sweet rapture by a roving photojournalist? You can only hope.
See you there.
Each year, Patrick Carney organizes the installation of a huge pink triangle on the slopes of Twin Peaks in San Francisco.
This commemoration of the gay victims of the Holocaust and reminder of the on-going inhumanity to repressed minorities around the world is always well-attended. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi couldn’t attend this year but her district director, Dan Bernal, offered her statement to the crowd.
A Rosa Winkel for Homosexuells, back in the day. Click to expand:
Senator Carole Migden commented upon the swirling fog and occasional winds that conveyed an “Edgar Allan Poe feeling.”
San Francisco Supervisor Bevan Dufty avec l’enfant, once again.
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom popped his cork prematurely to the delight of fiancee Jennifer Siebel. But not too much ceremonial bubbly was lost, as recorded here by Official Pride Photographer Bill Wilson.
See you next year.
The San Francisco Dyke March had a huge turnout yesterday, as per usual. This was the scene as the crowd headed to Dolores Park in the Mission district, where every girl cried for one reason or another, per Tony. Click to enlarge:
Much-discussed this year was the case of Venice Brown, Terrain Dandridge, Patreese Johnson, Renata Hill and Dwayne Buckle.
A full account of the 2008 Dyke Festival and Parade is here. See you next year.
The Castro District of San Francisco, with all it’s rainbow flags, is looking très festive these days. SF Pride (avec Parade) is coming soon.
Speaking of which, the Friends of the Pink Triangle are looking for help again this year with a little setup assistance for the biggest one ever this Saturday, June, 28th. (Will Senator Carole Migden be there with her twirling baton, as per usual?)
The forecast is for sunny skies….
Despite what you might have heard, the summer of 2008 starts today, June 20, at 4:59 PM. This is the our favourite season’s earliest start since 1896. Could global warming be responsible?
Courage.
When they’re not eating flowers, the Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill like to fly around San Francisco in big flocks.
Click to expand:
Wild parrots above the KPIX-TV building on Battery Street and also near 202 Green Street, where Philo T. Farnsworth invented television a while back.
Some people are afraid of these red masked conures, but others would like them to become the state bird of California instead of the Valley Quail. We have some quail in San Francisco as well, but not all that many.
Will the Parrot cell phone-accessory company be able to change our state bird from quail to parrot?
Only Time Will Tell.
Yesterday’s Haight Ashbury Street Fair in San Francisco came with sunny skies and lots of attendees.
The alcohol ban of recent years has changed the character of this event somewhat. These days, the boozy Union Street Festival might have an edge in the number of inebriated. No matter, a good time was had by all in the Haight.
So, dig the colors of David Yu and look at a bunch of photos from SFWeekly.
A mass of humanity:
Could this man with marijuana garland be famous artist Harry Shearer trying out a new character?
Hookahs! Get your hookahs! Hookahs.com was in the house:
A dancing baby grooving on Haight Street:
Cindy Sheehan had more than a few acolytes gathering signatures for Cindy’s windmill-tilting House campaign against Nancy Pelosi:
See you next year!
