Posts Tagged ‘KALW’
Tuesday, May 30th, 2017
Let’s work backwards here:
“Without the political will, nor public pressure, the initiative sadly fizzled.“
So that takes care of that.
My brief takes on this controversial proposal can be found here – keep reading down.
Last I heard, on KQED or KALW, a local Frisco “government official” was supposed to start to promoting the new flag idea, but I thought, well gee, who could this be.
So IDK, you had an idea and the people, La Raza, didn’t like it, so that’s it. Doesn’t seem so sad to me.
Ah, here it is. Look at that – the gold border represents a gold fringe. So let’s add a fringe to it! This is a historical mistake, oh well. It’s history, Frisco:

And this’ll give you an idea of what ppl were proposing.

The bird is the word, still. But following the current trends of our designerly community didn’t seem like a good idea. How would these designs look to Future Friscans? One doesn’t know.

Oh, here we go, some of the fun-loving techies who wanted to kill our flag:

Anyway, that’s it for this proposal.
Tags:2015, 2017, 99, 99% Invisible, autodesk, bad, bay area, Berkeley, bird, cal, california, change, college, colors, emblem, flag, GTH GTH OMG GTH, host, INSIDE THE CAMPAIGN TO REDESIGN SF’S SUCK-TASTIC FLAG, invisible, KALW, logo, lousy, magazine, MINE, new, Oro en paz y fierro en guerra, phoenix, podcast, radio, rising, roman mars, San Francisco, software, ted talk, wired
Posted in bay area | No Comments »
Thursday, January 14th, 2016

Edited for spoiler removal:
“HELLO, welcome to THE INTERSECTION. The new podcast from KALW, which explores change in the Bay Area, launches today.
Season 1 of THE INTERSECTION is a six-episode portrait of one Tenderloin corner: Golden Gate Avenue & Leavenworth Street. SF’s poorest neighborhood has a reputation for crime, drugs and poverty, but it actually has the city’s highest density of kids, seniors and the unhoused.
Listen to the first episode about being homeless and finding a home in the tightest real estate markets in the country.
Read the press release for more information about the project and the corner or check out the website.
Also see this effort from 2014, regarding Jerrold and 3rd Street.
Tags:2016, 3rd, avenue, bay area, california, corner, episode, golden gate, intersection, jerrold, KALW, leavenworth, New Podcast from KALW: "THE INTERSECTION, podcast, Portrait, radio, San Francisco, street, streets, tenderloin
Posted in media | No Comments »
Monday, January 4th, 2016
Well this is how things were shaping up way back last year, when the fun-loving North Bay Bros of Autodesk teamed up with East Bay radio personality Sandy Beach, J Crew, Sam Francisco, Greek Aphrodite, oh, “Roman Mars” to redesign our official flag.
Now, at the time, the plan was to have a contest or something with a “San Francisco official” giving input, you know, for color of authority. But here in the West Bay, this scheme might not be all that popular, so I was wondering who was going to step up to climb up the flagpole / lightning rod, you know, for no good reason.
Well, nobody’s stepped up yet, just saying. So that means things are behind schedule, since all this was supposed to get going last year.
And when I say things, I mean, there’s no way that you could come up with one new flag design that would get voted in over the current version, so the effort is to first get people to agree to chuck the old flag and only then come up with the replacement. The auslanders have decided on a two-stage process for us.
And when I say voted in, I mean that the People Of SF would eventually be able to weigh in with big fat VETO stamp, in one fashion or another. (Remember when Our Designerly Community tried to wholesale change the official flag of Iraq? It didn’t go so hot. That’s something to consider, College Boy. And remember this recent attempt to change the UC logo? (I wonder if we ever got our money back for that one?))
And I mean that Mayor Ed Lee right now has never been more unpopular right? So, who’s going to step up to shepherd this New Flag plan?
I know not.
Anyway, let’s see if 2016 shakes out better for this misguided effort…
Tags:2015, 91.7, 99, 99% Invisible, autodesk, bad, bay area, Berkeley, bird, cal, california, change, Christopher Simmons, college, colors, emblem, flag, GTH GTH OMG GTH, host, INSIDE THE CAMPAIGN TO REDESIGN SF’S SUCK-TASTIC FLAG, invisible, KALW, logo, lousy, magazine, MARGARET RHODES, MINE, new, Oro en paz y fierro en guerra, phoenix, podcast, radio, rising, roman mars, San Francisco, software, ted talk, UC, UC Logo, university, university of california, vanessa correa, wired
Posted in paranormal | No Comments »
Thursday, August 20th, 2015
Opposition is mounting against the recent push to ashcan our San Francisco flag.
Here’s what San Franciscans are so opposed to, this Party Line:
The San Francisco Flag Sucks—Roman Mars Has a Plan to Fix It
Isn’t this along the line of YOUR VACUUM CLEANER SUCKS – MR DYSON HAS A PLAN TO FIX IT, BY SELLING YOU … A DYSON MODEL?
Hey, but maybe your non-designer, non-Dyson, SHARK ROTATOR vacuum bought on sale for $159.99 from Costco #144 is actually BETTER / CHEAPER (it depends on the model*) than anything Mr. Dyson can sell you, what about that?
Here’s the plan these, these people have, the plan is to try to make Friscans dissatisfied with Our Flag and then, only after starting up some high-profile contest, would we consider which new design to pick.
But here you go, this is what the Designerly Community has in mind from the get-go, something like this…

…or this:

Is this what you want, Frisco?
All right, we’ll just have to wait and see how many “city officials” will join in this marketing effort for a North Bay tech firm, how many electeds will bring “color of authority” to this misinformed effort.
This will not stand, you know, this aggression will not stand, man.
I cannot and will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I can do no other, so help me God. Amen.
END OF LINE
*Look at the half-pint motor on this thing – it’s not even a real Dyson, it’s like a loss leader, except it costs a mint. C’mon!
Tags:2015, 91.7, 99, 99% Invisible, autodesk, bad, bay area, Berkeley, bird, cal, california, change, Christopher Simmons, college, colors, emblem, flag, GTH GTH OMG GTH, host, INSIDE THE CAMPAIGN TO REDESIGN SF’S SUCK-TASTIC FLAG, invisible, KALW, logo, lousy, magazine, MARGARET RHODES, MINE, new, Oro en paz y fierro en guerra, phoenix, podcast, radio, rising, roman mars, San Francisco, software, ted talk, UC, UC Logo, university, university of california, vanessa correa, wired
Posted in bidness | 14 Comments »
Thursday, July 2nd, 2015
Here it is, a shot via c_nilsen, showing fringe upon fringe:

All the deets:
The yellow border, now reproduced as a part of the flag was originally intended to be a gold fringe, but mistakenly became incorporated into the design. When used indoors, as is the custom, a gold fringe is added to what was originally intended to be the fringe.
Now say what you will about the current version of our phoenix flag, regardless of that, I’ll concede that this fringe upon fringe look, used for ceremonies mostly, looks stupid.
So, there. Room for common ground with the pay-us-money-to-follow-this-year’s-fashion designerly community.
Up next? #2 That stupid-looking cartoon bird…
Tags:2015, 91.7, 99, 99% Invisible, autodesk, bad, bay area, Berkeley, bird, cal, california, change, Christopher Simmons, college, colors, emblem, flag, fringe, gold, GTH GTH OMG GTH, host, INSIDE THE CAMPAIGN TO REDESIGN SF’S SUCK-TASTIC FLAG, invisible, KALW, logo, lousy, magazine, MARGARET RHODES, MINE, mistake, new, Oro en paz y fierro en guerra, phoenix, podcast, radio, rising, roman mars, San Francisco, software, ted talk, UC, UC Logo, university, university of california, vanessa correa, wired, yellow
Posted in fashion | No Comments »
Friday, June 26th, 2015
Here it is: http://www.sanfranciscoflag.com/
1. First of all, that’s a nice old-tyme skyline photo you got there – what is it, pre-Cosco Busan? It’s certainly pre-One Rincon – that’s what jumps out at me. Hey, does “good design” prevent giving credit for the best element of your new website? Let’s fix that: Christian Mehlführer, AKA User: Chmehl. of Vienna, Austria. Bro goes around the world, around the wo-orld to take good photos, right?
2. The designerly name: “Roman Mars.” Mmmm… (It detracts, it distracts, non?) Well, my name is Ares Greek – pleased to meet you!
3. Ted Talk? Strike two!
4. Driving people to an 18-minute video instead of typing out your manifesto with bullet points? Does that work? (It didn’t work on me, sorry.)
5. Already being on double-secret logo probation for supporting UC’s recent inchoate “good-design” logo/monogram/whatever effort.
So those are the comments.
In mitigation:
1. 99% Invisible is 99% good. It’s excellent, you know, generally, when it’s not taking time out to defend the Designerly Community.
2. The Bros of AutoDesk are all right as well. Just look at them maintaining focus under heavy pressure back when the Bay to Breakers fun run wasn’t completely shaped by an unholy alliance of Christian Billionaire Philip Anschutz + touchy millionaire NIMBY homeowners:

But why would Autodesk want to kill our flag?
I’ll tell you, our flag is bad-ass. Look what you can do with it:

You want to talk history? Let’s talk history – see below, from the Wiki.
In closing, The Bird Is The Word. And if you succeed* in changing it significantly, I’ll work tirelessly to get it changed back.
END OF LINE.
UPDATE: INSIDE THE CAMPAIGN TO REDESIGN SF’S SUCK-TASTIC FLAG
“the reason people don’t use it often is kind of an obvious one: it’s not very good.” UH, NOPE! “OBVIOUS” TO YOU, PERHAPS.
“a symbol that San Franciscans tend to rally behind” UH, COULD THERE BE _OTHER_ REASONS WE DON’T “TEND TO RALLY BEHIND” ANY PARTICULAR SYMBOL?
“overhaul?” YOU MEAN _COMPLETELY REPLACE_, RIGHT?
“design community?” AHAHAHAHAHAHA! “WE FEW, WE PROUD, DESIGNERLY FEW!”
“Does it really matter if San Francisco has a better flag or not?” GOOD QUESTION. NOPE!
“San Francisco has a chance to define its values through an enduring, recognizable symbol.” MEH. BUT IF YOU WANT TO GET STARTED, HIRE A LOBBYIST TO START LOBBYING THE SUPES. IT’LL RUN YOU SOMETHING LIKE $10,000 A MONTH FOR MANY, MANY MONTHS. WELCOME TO FRISCO, OAKLANDER. P.S. HEY, GUESS WHAT – YOUR FLAG SUCKS TOO. IT VIOLATES ALL THE RULES ME AND MY CREW MADE UP. LET’S CHANGE IT NOW. TO WHAT, I DON’T KNOW, I WON’T SAY. JUST ANYTHING BUT AN OAK TREE, WHICH, YOU KNOW, HAS BEEN DONE, LIKE BY PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND AND MANY OTHERS. PLUS, IT SAYS “OAKLAND” RIGHT ON THE THING. WHAT COULD BE MORE BANAL? KELL DOMAGE!
Reader notes:
Caption from “War & Dissent: The U.S. in the Philippines, 1898-1902″ exhibit. Curated by Randolph Delehanty, Ph.D. of the Presidio Trust.
“In 1900, banker and art patron Mayor James Duval Phelan, mayor from 1897 to 1902, recommended to the Board of Supervisors that San Francisco adopt a flag and motto. Over 100 designs were submitted and John M. Gamble’s proposal was selected. It depicts a phoenix rising from its ashes on a white field. The mythological phoenix appears in many ancient cultures and is a symbol of immortality. When the long-lived phoenix feels death is near, it builds a nest of aromatic wood and sets it afire. A new phoenix then arises from the ashes, just as San Francisco arose from the great fires of the 1850s. The motto “Oro en paz y fierro en guerra” “Gold in Peace and Iron in War” refers to the city’s then-recent experience during the Spanish–American War as the embarkation point for troops to the Philippines in 1898.”
*The primary way our elites end up successfully imposing their “good design” upon San Franciscans is through turning an aesthetic issue into a health and safety** matter.
**See how that works? The high school student who hasn’t actually hurt anybody IRLAFAIK is described as one who has “hurt a lot of people.” And in this town, some who are convicted of homicides end up getting probation or something like several months in jail…
Tags:2015, 91.7, 99, 99% Invisible, autodesk, bad, bay area, Berkeley, bird, cal, california, change, Christopher Simmons, college, colors, emblem, flag, GTH GTH OMG GTH, host, INSIDE THE CAMPAIGN TO REDESIGN SF’S SUCK-TASTIC FLAG, invisible, KALW, logo, lousy, magazine, MARGARET RHODES, MINE, new, Oro en paz y fierro en guerra, phoenix, podcast, radio, rising, roman mars, San Francisco, software, ted talk, UC, UC Logo, university, university of california, vanessa correa, wired
Posted in paranormal | 6 Comments »
Tuesday, December 23rd, 2014
Hey, do you know what I’m “offended” about, you know, having to do with America’s most dangerous and slowest big city transit service, well I’m offended by how slow it is and how badly it reacts to bad behavior by its operators.
But that’s just me.
Now look at the universe of reactions that KALW permits you after people were “devastated” to see some ads on the sides of a few buses:
“San Francisco MUNI buses displayed an ad that may have:
upset you.
Or angered you.
Or made you feel threatened”
That’s it, those are your options.
Rob Anderson is quite correct to mock KALW.
Read the whole bit to see the tone and then see if you agree with me, if you want.
IMO, this bit from KALW is beyond the pale.
JMO
Tags:2014, ads, bay area, bus, first amendment, KALW, Muni, policy, San Francisco, SFMTA
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
Friday, September 30th, 2011
Rina Palta of KALW News has a bit on prison realignment this morning. (That’s just the kind of thing you can find at THE INFORMANT: Cops, Courts, and Communities in the Bay Area.)
And here’s some related information about parolees from candidate for Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi, below.
Welcome back:

“October 1: State transfers parolees to San Francisco’s probation programs and jails – The City braces for influx of ex-offenders starting Saturday
SAN FRANCISCO — On Saturday, October 1, the first group of state prison parolees scheduled for transfer to San Francisco will begin arriving in the City under Realignment — legislation signed by Gov. Jerry Brown on April 4, 2011.
The City has created a comprehensive program to shift ex-offenders to local control, including increasing electronic monitoring, social and rehabilitation programs, and preparing for an increased jail population.
Some details on the parolees and program:
· Expected number of new parolees in 2011-2012: 700
· Average age of transferred parolee: 39
· Average number of prior convictions: 7
· Time in which parolees have to report to the City after release: 48 hours
· Crimes: Non-serious, nonviolent and non-sexual offenses
· Transportation for parolees: City will transport most; some travel by bus
Questions remain:
· Recidivism: How will the City’s new parolee population impact jails?
· Funding: State funding is short of City needs and only budgeted for nine months. How will programs be sustained?
· Impact on City agencies: How will law enforcement, social and health services be affected by the increased ex-offender population?
Supervisor Mirkarimi, Chair of the Board of Supervisors’ Public Safety Committee, convened hearings on Realignment and sponsored several ordinances to address the ex-offender transfer.”
Tags:AB 109, cdc, Chair, cops, Cops Courts and Communities, department, dept., district 5, informant, jail, jerry brown, KALW, KALW News, news, npr, parolee, parolees, pbs, police, prison, Public Safety Committee, radio, realignment, Rina Palta, ross mirkarimi, SFPD, sheriff, sheriff's, Supervisor, the, THE INFORMANT, transfer
Posted in crime | No Comments »
Wednesday, July 6th, 2011
This is what you can see inside Strybing Arboretum this time of year:

Click to expand
And outside, what you’ll see are a bunch of tourists debating the merits of paying $28 or whatever to enter the gates. Usually, they walk off dejectedly.
Oh well.
Tags:“Honey” Johnson, 16, 2009, 2010, 2011, 21, admission, Ann Cameron, april, arboretum, Arden Bucklin-Sporer, arpil 21, battle, bay area, bechtel, beverage, Bill Gaede, Blue bamboo, board, board of supervisors, booth, booths, botanical, botanical garden, boycott, brent dennis, california, cashier, Chair, Chuck Davis, City Hall, civil war, commission, commissioner, Corporation, County Fair Building, Cynthia Anderson, Cynthia Jamplis, Denis Mosgofian, department, director, directors, district, Don Baldocchi, dr., Dr. James Kohn, eric mar, Eva Monroe, EX OFFICIO, facebook, Family, fee, fees, food, Frank Almeda, Garden, gavin newsom, golden gate park, great, Himalayacalamus, Himalayacalamus hookerianus, Himalayan Blue, Hookerianus, inner, Isa Mary Ziegler, jared blumenfeld, Jennifer Bowles, jim lazarus, Joseph Barbaccia, KALW, Kevin Leong, kiosk, kiosks, lawn, Margie Ellis, master plan, may 28, Mayor, meeting, Member at large, Michael McKechnie, Monica A. Martin, museum, non-residents, park, parks, Phil Schlein, Philip Schlein, public, radio, rec, rec and park, recreation, recreation and park, recreation parks, residents, richmond, Robert Leitstein, Rose Aguilar, ross mirkarimi, rpd, San Francisco, San Francisco Botanical Garden, save, secretary, Society, sponsorship, strbing arboretum, strybing, Strybing Arboretum, suggested, sunset, Supervisor, ticket, Tony Farrell, Treasurer, TRUSTEES, vendor, Vice Chair, Victoria johnson, vote, Wally Wertsch, Wendy Tonkin, William Gaede, workshop, zombies
Posted in flora, parks | No Comments »
Thursday, June 16th, 2011
Why does our Strybing Arboretum (aka San Francisco Botanical Garden) need to become “world-class?”
Nobody’s ever explained that one to me. But that’s the rationale for charging admission these days (after six decades of free admission.)
Now, why isn’t our Strybing Arboretum called Strybing Arboretum anymore?
So it can become “world-class.” (Apparently, naming an arboretum after the woman who gave the money to start things up is considered provincial Back East. Plus Founder Helene Strybing made the mistake of becoming old and dying so nobody gives a ROMEO ALPHA about her anymore.)
Anyway, they started charging admission so the place turned into a ghost town, a “museum of plants and trees.”

Click to expand
Oh well.
They said if things didn’t work out, they’d stop charging admission.
They said.
Tags:“Honey” Johnson, 16, 2009, 2010, 2011, 21, admission, Ann Cameron, april, arboretum, Arden Bucklin-Sporer, arpil 21, battle, bay area, bechtel, beverage, Bill Gaede, Blue bamboo, board, board of supervisors, booth, booths, botanical, botanical garden, boycott, brent dennis, california, cashier, Chair, Chuck Davis, City Hall, civil war, commission, commissioner, Corporation, County Fair Building, Cynthia Anderson, Cynthia Jamplis, Denis Mosgofian, department, director, directors, district, Don Baldocchi, dr., Dr. James Kohn, eric mar, Eva Monroe, EX OFFICIO, facebook, Family, fee, fees, food, Frank Almeda, Garden, gavin newsom, golden gate park, great, Himalayacalamus, Himalayacalamus hookerianus, Himalayan Blue, Hookerianus, inner, Isa Mary Ziegler, jared blumenfeld, Jennifer Bowles, jim lazarus, Joseph Barbaccia, KALW, Kevin Leong, kiosk, kiosks, lawn, Margie Ellis, master plan, may 28, Mayor, meeting, Member at large, Michael McKechnie, Monica A. Martin, museum, non-residents, park, parks, Phil Schlein, Philip Schlein, public, radio, rec, rec and park, recreation, recreation and park, recreation parks, residents, richmond, Robert Leitstein, Rose Aguilar, ross mirkarimi, rpd, San Francisco, San Francisco Botanical Garden, save, secretary, Society, sponsorship, strbing arboretum, strybing, Strybing Arboretum, suggested, sunset, Supervisor, ticket, Tony Farrell, Treasurer, TRUSTEES, vendor, Vice Chair, Victoria johnson, vote, Wally Wertsch, Wendy Tonkin, William Gaede, workshop, zombies
Posted in parks | No Comments »