Posts Tagged ‘bell’

Omisoka! Ring in the New Year Tomorrow Morning at the Asian Art Museum, Japanese Style

Wednesday, December 30th, 2009

Our highly-rated Asian Art Museum on Larkin Street in Civic Center will welcome all to its 24th Annual Japanese New Year Bell Ringing Ceremony tomorrow, December 31st 2009

All the deets are below. Show up early (or better yet, become a member and show up earlier still) and maybe you and the fam will get a chance to ring the big bell yourself, thereby striking a blow against one of the 108 earthly desires.

This is how it’ll look:

(And then, on January 9th, it’ll be rice pounding time at the Mochisuki Mochi Pounding Ceremony.)

See you there!

24th Annual Japanese New Year

Bell Ringing Ceremony

A unique, fun, and family friendly way to ring in the new year!

Thursday, December 31, 2009
FREE with museum admission
Children 12 and under always admitted free!

9:30–11:00 am: Bell Ringing for Asian Art Museum Members
10:00 am–2:00 pm: Art Activities
11:00 am: Bell Ringing Ceremony

Say goodbye to 2009 with family and friends…by taking a swing at a giant temple bell!

Bring your loved ones to the Asian Art Museum and literally “ring in” the New Year, Japanese-style.

Everyone is invited to participate in the auspicious Japanese tradition of striking a temple bell. This popular event offers the community a memorable opportunity to reflect peacefully upon the passing year.

As in past observances, a 2100-lb., sixteenth-century Japanese bronze bell originally from a temple in Tajima Province in Japan and now part of the museum’s permanent collection will be struck 108 times with a large custom-hewn log. According to Japanese custom, this symbolically welcomes the New Year and curbs the 108 bonno (mortal desires) which, according to Buddhist belief, torment humankind.

It is hoped that with each reverberation the bad experiences, wrong deeds, and ill luck of the past year will be wiped away. Thus, tolling heralds the start of a joyous, fresh New Year.

There will be a short performance of Japanese folk songs preceding the ceremony. Then, Zen Buddhist priest Gengo Akiba Roshi will conduct a blessing and begin the bell ringing. Akiba Roshi is director of the Soto Zen Buddhism North American office. He is also Zen teacher at Oakland’s Kojin-an Zendo.

Hands-on art activities are offered in the education studios to entertain families while waiting for their turn at the bell. Guests will also have the opportunity to enjoy the special exhibition, Emerald Cities: Arts of Siam and Burma.

Tickets

Numbered tickets to ring the bell are assigned to visitors on a first-come, first-serve basis in South Court beginning at 10:00 am, when the museum opens to the public. No advance reservations are accepted. 108 groups of four to six people will be assembled to strike the bell.

Bell Ringing for Asian Art Museum Members

Asian Art Museum members are invited to a special members-only bell-ringing ceremony at 9:30 am. Doors open at 9:00 am. Numbered tickets distributed at the Membership Desk. RSVP: members@asianart.org

Noe Valley Whole Foods Showdown – Andrew S. Ross Reveals the Order of Battle

Wednesday, September 30th, 2009

[UPDATE: Whoops, apparently the Chronicle has two Andrew Rosses covering similar beats? Oh noes! Well, all the better. Speaking of mistakes, what are the odds that I'll see a lit up snowflake on Market Street tonight? About 100%, based on the past two weeks' observation. Oh well. Good thing those snowflakes don't use petroleum-based electricity, huh?]

You see, normally the San Francisco Chronicle’s Andrew S. Ross is lumped together with PhilMatier, thusly:

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But sometimes they let him run wild and unchained, all by his lonesome, thusly:

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As here, where Andrew Ross gives his take on the order of battle of this morning’s Whole Foods Showdown: Six Flags Over Noe Valley, Don’t Mess With Texas. See what Andrew did there? He fleshed things out, he gave more detail, he added to the story.

Que bueno!

(Now, you give those limited column inches to somebody like C.W. Nevius to check in with 24th Street and what would you get? Well, maybe vitriol and emotion, and maybe that would be it. Oh well.)

Anyway, there’s nothing wrong with M&R together (a quarter mil. we have to pay for horrible, soon-to-be-cancelled Trauma, where the average worker, we’re talking median and mode here, makes rock-bottom minimum wage?), but they should let Andrew out of the bizness ghetto and allow him to run wild over any and all subjects of the day

And that’s the The Bottom Line.

[UPDATE: Whole Foods has started to construct a defensive wall made of pumpkins, but how strong could it be? We'll find out soon enough.]

[UPDATE 2, Electric Boogaloo: War Reporter Andy Wright has extensive coverage from the field of battle]

The Noe Valley Whole Foods Boycott Begins Tomorrow, September 30th at 9:45 AM

Tuesday, September 29th, 2009

Oh, it’s going to be on tomorrow morning at the Grand Opening of the new Whole Foods at 3950 24th Street in The Valley. San Francisco’s fifth WF will start the sacred Bread Baking Ceremony at the same time protesters arrive to raise a ruckus about health care reform and CEO John Mackey, mkay?

Everyone is welcome to the store and the protest – highly unlike the invite-only events Whole Foods has recently held for the fearsome neighborhood groups. It’s called outreach or something. Whole Foods just ought to put these neighborhood associations on the payroll the way Sutro Tower, Inc. pays money to neighborhood groups around Mount Sutro to shut them up. A little payola (or granola in a huge goodie bag) can go a long way when you’re trying to placate the NIMBYs, of course.

Anywho, be there at 9:45 AM tomorrow to see San Francisco’s upscale version of Harlan County, USA

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And just think, after the boycott, “You’ll feel proud to come in and get food to serve to your family, friends, and neighbors.” Remember how embarrassed you were serving up that slop from the old Bell Market? Those days are over, soon as the boycott ends.

And if you’re not boycotting, sign up for the store tour on Tuesday, October 6th:

Tuesday Tours: A Taste of Whole Foods Market

10-11am Please sign up in advance, but the tour is FREE and limited in size. | Details

Both seasoned shoppers and new customers can benefit from a guided store tour, especially with so many unique choices available! In this tour, we’ll showcase what we mean when we say we offer all-natural, real food, at the best possible price. This is your chance to ask, listen and learn everything you want to know about our market. Please sign up in advance, but the tour is FREE and limited in size.

And here’s the bacchanalia you were excluded from:

“We are eagerly awaiting our opening next week on Wednesday, September 30th ! We have been working hard and are so delighted that we’re almost there! Further, we feel incredibly grateful for the support, well wishes, humor, smiles and hospitality that our new community has shown us! As a very small token of our thanks, we’d like to invite you to join us at our very own “Whole Foods Market Tapas Truck” on Saturday, September 26th from 11a-2p (really it’s a Taco Truck, but we’ll be serving Spanish Tapas—but you can’t miss it in our parking lot.)
Marketing Team Leader
Whole Foods Market, Noe Valley”

This is a special invitation ONLY event for our neighbors in the associations that we have been working with.

Have a look at the attached & either print a copy of this to bring with you or contact me so that I can get you printed copies that I have here at the store.

Any question, please ask—we’ll see you very soon!

Best regards,

Jennifer Dobrowolski”

Choose your side and get on out there!

Dead and wounded on either side/
You know it’s only a matter of time

3D Model Shows Just How Dwarfed San Francisco’s Ferry Building Has Become

Thursday, June 11th, 2009

You can see it all in this photo of San Francisco’s Financial District and SoMA. Just how many structures rise above the Ferry Building these days?

It used to be the tallest in the City, back in the day.

See it, in the foreground at the foot of Market Street, in this model you can find at the SPUR Urban Center on Mission?

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Click to expand

Sic Transit Gloria Urbis

San Franciscans “Trauma”-tized – Low and Slow Choppers Film NBC Pilot

Thursday, April 9th, 2009

Saigon. I can’t believe I’m still in Saigon. That’s what San Franciscans thought to themselves today during the filming of NBC pilot and possible E.R. replacement Trauma. Why? Because it was just like the movie Apocalypse Now today what with all the thumping helicopters flying over Union Square and SoMA.

What’s this massive twirly-popper with room for 15? It’s a UH-1N Iroquois Twin Huey, just like in ‘Nam. Seen above Market Street today. Click to expand:

What’s this -”Angel Rescue”? Right, like San Francsico NIMBYs would ever allow a helipad for our quasi-Level One trauma center, or allow aptly-named, life-saving Life Flights within the City limits. Get real, Hollywood. Sure, some people are condemned to die, but Potrero Hill property values uber alles, right?

Good-bye Bell 212 #N911VR. Have a nice trip back to Fresno.

Helipad now!

Hell, helipad yesterday!

46th Annual Cable Car Bell-Ringing Contest in San Francisco’s Union Square

Wednesday, June 4th, 2008

San Francisco’s historic Cable Car bell ringing contest delighted hundreds in Union Square yesterday. It looked like this and this.

Mayor Gavin Newsom and MTA Director Nat Ford enjoy KBLX radio’s stirring interpretation of LL Cool Jay’s Rock the Bells. (Sadly, credit for the song was given to Run DMC.)

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KGO-TV personality Janelle Wang’s hair momentarily defied gravity as she did the robot on her way to the bell: 

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Grand Champion Carl Payne gave in to pleas from the crowd wanting to get a closer look at his humoungous bell ringing ring: 

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Carl Payne’s cable car ring. You can see the words “Champion Bell Ringer” and also the years of his victories on this Super Bowl-style finger bling:

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Yesterday was all about the bell, steampunkish in its own way: 

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See you next year!

Details after the jump: (more…)