Posts Tagged ‘bus’

Calling All Artists: Win $6000 by Illustrating San Francisco’s 3rd Street Corridor

Thursday, March 11th, 2010

From San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Jose Herrera comes news of the Bayview Merchants Association’s Third Street Corridor Project – how would you like to earn $6000 just for creating 6-10 iconic images illustrating the Lower Third?

Get all the deets below. And after you get paid, be sure to forward ten percent to me, your new agent. (Affirm our agreement by reading this sentence - welcome aboard.) But get cracking, as your first deadline is March 22nd, 2010.

You can’t win if you don’t play!

Introduction to the Project

The 3rd Street Corridor project is searching for local artists to create a series of 6-10 iconic images to represent the Bayview Hunters Point District of San Francisco. These images will be stylized illustrations of local landmarks that capture the spirit of this part of the city and will be used on a series of street banners and other collateral such as T-shirts. An example of a similar campaign is artist Michael Schwab’s series of prints for the Golden Gate National Parks.

Final selections for scenery will be communicated to the artist at the time of the commission. These scenes may include:

  • Bayview Opera House
  • T-Line
  • Quesada Gardens
  • View of Downtown from 3rd
  • Shipyards
  • Candlestick Park
  • Local Art and Murals
  • MLK Municipal Pool
  • Bayview Library
  • Industrial Buildings

Candidate Selection

The ideal candidate for this commission will be a local artist who lives and/or works in the Bayview Hunters Point District of San Francisco and can bring his or her personal style into the project and offer an authentic view of these neighborhoods. The artist must also be able to work within the established color palette of the 3rd Street logo (red, yellow, green and black- see samples for reference). To be considered for this project please submit three (3) JPEG images of your past work that best communicates your style. If you are selected as a finalist you may be commissioned to create one sample illustration before the final contract for the rest of the series.

Compensation

The selected artist will receive a $6,000 stipend for the final series of images. Artwork and reproduction rights will become property of the Third Street Corridor Project. In the event that finalists are asked to create a sample illustration as part of the selection process then they will be compensated $500 for their time.

Application Deadline

To be considered for this project, please email three JPEG samples of your work, a brief description of your background and a written statement of why you think you would be an ideal candidate for this project to bayviewmerchantsassociation@gmail.com no later than

MONDAY, MARCH 22, 12:00pm.

Project Schedule

March 22: Artists application deadline.

March 24: Artist finalists selected.

Mid April: Final selection of artist. Work on final illustrations begins.

May 24: Final illustrations complete.

June 11: Public unveiling of art on 3rd Street.

Questions/Details?

Call Ben Kaufman, Outreach Coordinator of the Bayview Merchants’ Association, at 415-647-3728 x407 if you have any further questions.

San Francisco Doesn’t Need a New York Judge or Anyone Else to Shut Down Critical Mass

Friday, February 26th, 2010

What makes San Francisco’s monthly Critical Mass an illegal bicycle parade is the fact that nobody gets permits. ‘Cause getting a permit is hard - it would entail doing stuff that costs a lot of money and it would make you a magnet for lawsuits, so who needs that, right?

The thing is that corking intersections and running red lights as a group (hallmarks of Critical Mass going back to the mid-1990’s), those things are obviously illegal, so the SFPD could start issuing citations whenever it wants, of course. And that’s true no matter how they roll in the Empire State. (Actually, I question how the New York decision affects us here in San Francisco at all, but oh well.)

I’ll tell you, the biggest shock that drivers have when they get stuck at an intersection is that they get no sympathy from the cops. Drivers without criminal records tend to stay by their cars and watch the parade of bikes.

OTOH, drivers with criminal records, well, Critical Mass is a test of their ability to maintain. Some fail.

Do I think San Francisco has the will to kill Critical Mass? No. But do I think Police Chief George Gascon is planning on shaking things up, in the coming months, you know, when rain no longer threatens* and the number of cyclists is bigger? Yes.

Hey, man, we don’t have any “leaders,” man. The City can’t do nothing to us, nobody’s in charge of CM, man.” Yes, roger that. I don’t think anybody’s going to stick you with a bill for $35,000 or anything, but changes are a coming…

Collateral damage from Critical Mass - MUNI vehicles stretching to the horizon in both directions. (Is that on the DO list or the DON’T list?) This kind of thing is one of the reasons you don’t see CM listed at the SFBC website calendar anymore.

Where’s Waldo, Cagney and Lacey on a recent Critical Mass ride:

The wonder of encountering an unexpected Critical Mass for the first time. Out-of-towners Rachel and Monica were delighted:

To Be Continued…

*Actually, tonight looks to be clear as a bell, Mel. But the forecast was for rain so tonight’s should be a smaller ride.

The Endless Job of Ticketing Cars in the Pink No-Parking Zones of Golden Gate Park

Wednesday, February 24th, 2010

This San Francisco Park Ranger had his hands full the other day handing out $88 red zone parking tickets in Golden Gate Park right in front of the Conservatory of Flowers.

Would our tourists all park here if they knew they weren’t supposed to? Probably not. Do the markings on the pavement make sense really? No.

Is the current Bicycle Plan injunction a good excuse for the ridiculous way JFK Drive is marked for traffic and parking these days? Don’t know, You Make The Call.

A target-rich environment on Saturdays, that’s for sure.

Click to expand

Oh well

Both AC Transit Bus Fighters Speak Out – Planned Boxing Rematch Cancelled

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010

Here’s some fresh video from YouTubes’s doghousefm. It seems that the famous incident started when Epic Beard Guy Thomas Alexander Bruso boarded an AC Transit bus so he could go “to Frisco to get some weed.” His original plan for his mother’s funeral:

“I’m going to wear a powder blue fucking suit, and a white shirt and a red tie and a fucking breast cancer pin…”

Comes now the fight loser “Michael” (who appears to be on a first-name-only basis with DJ “JV“):

“First of all, I’d like to aPOlogize to AC Transit…”

It goes on and on, Black History Month, 5150, bygones, veterans, arthritis, murder, parole, apologies, brothers, stolen money, leaking, ass kicking, Strike Force(?) Showtime TV, 10,000 kids, cocaine - it goes on and on.

Can’t remember which morning-zoo / dawg-pound joint this screengrab came from. Oh yes, it was from WILD 94.9 FM:

And here’s more information about the now-cancelled plans for a rematch.

We’re approaching endgame on this one…

A Message from Thomas Bruso: “Don’t Fuck With Old Senior Citizens, They’ll Surprise You”

Friday, February 19th, 2010

Well, somebody tracked down Epic Beard Guy Thomas Bruso after he got released from John George Psychiatric Pavilion.

Here he is, straight outta Caffe Trieste in North Beach, Tom Bruso:

Wow, he runs the gamut.

He mixes fact with fiction – how can you sort it all out?

Here’s the reaction on KRON 4.

How Should the SFPD Deal With Somebody Like Epic Beard Man Thomas Bruso, Tasers?

Wednesday, February 17th, 2010

[UPDATE: Tom speaks out on video.]

Now-famous 62-year-old Bay Arean Thomas Bruso (aka Epic Beard Man, Tom Swift, and Tom Vietnam) picks fights as he rides AC Transit in the East Bay, of course, (incident video now available in high def) but he also has been known to take BART to visit San Francisco from time to time. For example, here he is near Market Street back when he was just 48, as seen by Caliber photographer Troy Holden:

“Back in 1996, I was working at the intersection of 2nd & Market. Each and every day the man pictured above would walk by my shop, wave a loaf of sourdough in my face, and scream obscenities about the San Francisco 49′ers.”

Good times, via Troy Holden

This guy is as strong as an ox and quite onery to boot, needless to say. So, could Tasers help the SFPD control and handcuff Tom (the next time he’s off his meds) and people like him should the need arise?

Let’s find out, courtesy of footage of Tom at an Oakland A’s game last year. Is this a proper use of a Taser? I don’t know. It ended up being a time-saver for the cops, certainly. Would they have felt justified in shooting Tom with bullets at that moment? Obviously not. The question after any Taser discharge is what would you have done if you didn’t have the Taser, right?

If cops view using a Taser as a first resort, you end up with a tragedy like that of Robert Dziekanski at Vancouver International.

Speaking of Tasers and the East Bay, check out this excellent report from Demian Bulwa about how the BART Police Department ran the initial stages of its Taser program.

That’s a poorly-run operation. What about the California Highway Patrol? They seem to do be doing better with Tasers these days. For them, a Taser is just another arrow in the quiver. Check it, a CHP officer on San Francisco’s Octavia Boulevard with his two primary weapons, a Smith & Wesson Model 4006 semi-automatic and a TASER International X26:

  

So why shouldn’t the SFPD have Tasers? We already trust them with handguns and assault rifles, right? We’ll end up with a few more lawsuits but with fewer dead civilians. Sounds like a win, overall.

And finally, let’s hear from the RAND Coporation. They pondered the use of Conducted Energy Devices (CEDs) for the NYPD and had this to say: 

“Our key less-than-lethal force recommendations:

We reviewed reports of about 455 NYPD shootings from 2004 to 2006 and identified 25 cases where we judged that had a less-lethal weapon been available, officers may have used it to subdue suspects instead of using their handguns.

We also note that when other departments have deployed Conducted Energy Devices or CEDs, commonly known by the brand name TASER, injuries to both suspects and officers have declined.

We recognize that some groups have criticized the deployment of CEDs, raising issues of safety, overuse, and misuse. As such we recommend that the NYPD undertake a pilot program for the deployment of CEDs.

Such a program should allow patrol officers in selected precincts to be trained and equipped with CEDs that can incapacitate suspects from a distance. We believe there is evidence that if NYPD officers had access to this device, some number of officer-involved shootings could be avoided, and injuries to both suspects and police officers will decline. A carefully designed pilot program conducted over six to 12 months in a few select precincts would give the department enough information to determine whether the devices would alter the way the NYPD officers apply force and whether the weapons could be used properly.”

So, it would seem a well-executed Taser program could be a good thing for the SFPD.

Oh and yes, an apology from videographer Iyanna, after the jump

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And Now, Even San Franciscos Richmond District Has Its Own T-Shirt

Thursday, February 4th, 2010

The Richmond District Blog now has Richmond District T-shirts for you to wear. Hurray! Check it out.

But what if this area were to have an icon – what could possibly symbolize District One? Now, the nearby Sunset District has its marijuana grow houses and brothels, of course, but what’s similarly unique to the Richmond?  

My vote is for the big old NeoPlan AN 460 articulated bus – you know, the one used by the #38 Geary line:  

Of course these artic bendy buses are all over town but I associate them with the Richmond District most of all.

Tons of Free Pet Food! Purina ONE Tour at SFSPCA Adoption Event This Afternoon

Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010

This afternoon, the Purina ONE Tour for Heroes will drop by the San Francisco SPCA in the Northern Mission / Potrero Hill area at 250 Alabama Street betwixt 15th and 16th. Purina is going to set up a temporary food bank to give out more than 1,000 bags of pet food to Bay Area pet owners from 2:00 to 7:00 PM, while supplies last. It’s the debut of their national tour:

Temporary Food Banks – Throughout the tour more than 63,000 pounds of Purina® ONE® dog and cat food – equaling 11,000 bags of food – will be given out to help pets in need. Every pet owner who visits an event will receive a free 8-lb. bag of Purina® ONE® brand dog food or a 3.5-lb. bag of Purina® ONE® brand cat food as long as supplies last. 
 
Pets Available for Adoption– Adoptable dogs and cats from the San Francisco SPCA and Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation will be available to meet and greet. Also, every pet lover who adopts a pet will receive a coupon for free Purina® ONE® brand dog or cat food. Every little bit helps to make a difference in a pet’s life.
 

So get on out there. Deets below.

Martha Stewart wants you to attend this event today:

Don’t miss out on the tons of free food and/or the adorable adoptable pets:

And while you’re there, ask the SPCA about the upcoming Bark & Whine Ball.

Anyway, here are the deets for today’s tour stop. See you there!

February Events at the SF/SPCA

Tour for Heroes – February 3, 2010

The Purina ONE Tour for Heroes is partnering with Martha Stewart and shelters across the country to help pet lovers be heroes in pets’ lives.

On February 3, the event will kick-off at The San Francisco SPCA from 2PM to 7PM on our campus. We will give away over 1,000 bags of Purina ONE dog and cat food. And feature adoptable cats and dogs.

Please come to our campus entrance at 201 Alabama Street (at 16th St.) to participate.

From February 3-26, the Purina ONE mobile unit is traveling to 11 cities from San Francisco to New York and stopping at local animal shelters to set up temporary food banks and adoption events.

More than 63,000 pounds of Purina ONE dog and cat food – equaling 11,000 bags of food – will be given out to help pets in need during this national tour.

Purina ONE is also supporting adoption events at each of the Tour for Heroes stops to help save pets and find them a forever home.

A lot of people are going through tough times right now, but one source of constant companionship to help them get through is often their dog or cat. Purina ONE wants to help pets in need, and by assisting their owners who may need a little extra help these days, we help their pets, too.

Whether you’ve lost your job, have large veterinary or medical bills or are struggling to pay your mortgage, no one will be turned away at any of the Purina ONE Tour for Heroes events.  Purina ONE is helping save pets lives by helping people in need.

For more information and tour destinations:
tourforheroes.marthastewart.com/

You can also take part by sharing profiles of adoptable pets in your area. Every time a photo is shared, Purina ONE will donate $1 – up to $50,000 – to benefit local shelters across the country.

Sharing a photo is easy. Start by searching for an adoptable pet in your area by clicking on tourforheroes.marthastewart.com anytime after January 20.

Choose a pet you want to help and click to share his or her profile with friends on your Facebook page. Pet lovers can share photos until April 1, 2010.

The Great Unbeigeing – Market Street’s Traffic-Slowing Safety Paint is Peeling Off Already

Wednesday, January 27th, 2010

You know that beige color (it’s not paint but I don’t know what it is, actually) that was just put down on Market Street? Well, it’s coming off fast.

From this…

…to this:

Sic transit gloria Market

CultureBus II? Market Street Railway Says No to MUNI’s $5 F-Line Fare Proposal

Tuesday, January 19th, 2010

Market Street Railway President President Rick Laubscher has some thoughts this morning about MUNI’s proposal to raise the cash fare for the F-Market historic streetcar line.

Will the F-Line turn into another fiasco like we just had with the $7 CultureBus 74X? And how will MUNI leader Nat Ford manage to get by making an annual salary that’s merely $308,000 more per year than our Governor’s?

We should get some answers today at City Hall. Stay tuned. 

Here are Rick’s Eight Points:

1. The F-line is a core Muni service and should be treated as such.
2. Muni should collect the fares it’s already charging.
3. The F-line is cost-effective at its current fares.
4. Staff’s revenue assumptions from the fare increase are dubious
5. Different fares at the same Muni stops will slow down operations.
6. “Let ‘em buy a Fast Pass” is not an acceptable response.
7. Exceptionally high fares on the F-line hurt the city’s economic vitality.
8. Muni wants to penalize a line that “people want.”
 
And here’s Rick missive to MUNI riders:

$5 for an F-line Ride? An Open Letter to Nat Ford January 19, 2010 by Rick Laubscher, Market Street Railway
 
On behalf of Market Street Railway, I have sent the email excerpted below to SFMTA Executive Director/CEO Nathaniel P. Ford, Sr.  All are welcome to borrow and elaborate on any of these arguments in your own communications with decision-makers on this matter.

Remember, the SFMTA Board gives initial considerations to its staff’s 2010 budget recommendations, including the proposal to raise F-line fares from $2 to $5, Tuesday, January 19 at 2 p.m., Room 400, City Hall. 

You can reach Mr. Ford at 415-701-4720 or by email here. You can register your opinion with the SFMTA Board members by emailing this address. You can also reach Mayor Newsom at 415-554-6141 or by email here. Your opinion counts.

Read the whole thing, after the jump. 
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