As seen on Fell Street:
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You see, the “event” is you and your buds smoking buds in Golden Gate Park on 420 Day.
Our local government would just love to fee this “event” out of existence, ala the former Jimmy’s Old Car Picnic, but there’s no entity to tax or fee or fine – poor SFGov!
(Oh, “Kezar” will be “closed?” IDK what that means. I guess I’ll find out on Sunday.)
Anyway, this event is now official, just saying.
I bet you’d love to have your very own smoking tent. One that’s large enough to be seen from outer space, right?
Well then you should envy California Governor Arnold Schwazenegger ’cause this beige smoking tent used to be all his.
As seen from the second floor of Sacramento’s Capitol Building:
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Best of all, it was excluded from California’s new anti-smoking laws because, well, just because.
And if there was the occasional flooding in our historic capitol due to all the fake plastic grass that was put down, well, that was all right as well.
This was the bird’s eye view:
Happy smoking, Arnie!
Yes, whether it be cigars…
…or marijuana, like back in the day…
Smoking some sweet aparteid weed in South Africa – Pumping Iron, 1977
…happy smoking, Arnold!
Now let’s add in the news from yesterday, specifically this.
Your position on this matter is incoherent.
Hey, here’s what the Chronicle itself had to say back in 2010:
Chronicle outdoors writer Tom Stienstra and his wife were arrested at their Northern California home on suspicion of possession of marijuana for sale, and later released with no charges filed pending an investigation, officials said.
Siskiyou County sheriff’s spokeswoman Susan Gravenkamp said deputies found “a sophisticated marijuana cultivation operation in the barn” at Stienstra’s home in Weed, a small town 30 miles south of Yreka, when they searched it March 25.
Authorities seized 60 marijuana plants, 11.1 pounds of processed marijuana, scales, packaging materials and other paraphernalia from the barn and the home, Gravenkamp said.”
Are you going to sue the Chronicle too?
Weren’t you actually arrested “on suspicion of possession of marijuana for sale?” I mean, that’s the question, right?
And boy, if somebody turned me down for a vacation rental you know what I’d do? I’d find another vacation rental and everything would be rosy.
Hey, here’s an idea. Why not just move on and quit while you’re behind?
This post from 2010 is what Tom Stienstra was mad about:
So writer Tom Stienstra sued writer Tom Chandler for defamation just last year.
And then Tom Stienstra lost.
See?
OMG.
So, Tom Stienstra, you’re going to have to better than this.
Absolutely nothing.
Say it again, y’all: Absolutely nothing.
Background: District One (aka The Richmond, more or less) Supervisor Eric Mar is a bird of another feather – he wasn’t satisfied with issuing edicts from Academia oh no. He descended from the ivory tower to put dreams into action. And his father passed away from lung cancer (AFAIK, pretty sure), so it would make sense that he wanted to do something for San Francisco renters who have to deal with secondhand smoke coming in from other units.
Get all the deets on San Francisco’s 2013 Tobacco Smoke Disclosure Policy as of last year via this excellent article from Christian Watjen right here.
So that’s the background. What’s going on now is that tenants all over the City are getting alarming/confusing letters from landlords. To wit:
“Nervous Gay Couple Living With AIDS Get Letter from the Landlord“
Now here’s what you’ll get* if your landlord toes the party line of the San Francisco Apartment Association – an excerpt of the pledge they want you to make:
“For purposes of the Tobacco Smoke Disclosure Policy and SF Health Code 19M, I would like to designate my apartment as non-smoking. I verify that neither I nor my guests will ever smoke tobacco within the rental apartment listed below.”
Uh, so why should tenants make this pledge? It’s not explained in this official SFAA letter now is it? And what if Barack Obama or Bill Clinton drops by your pad a few years from now? They puff puff every now and then, right? So what about your signed pledge, what about that?
And here’s what the lawyer(s) of the SFAA have for you at the bottom of the letter:
“If you do voluntarily decide to designate your apartment as non-smoking, which you are not required to do, the designation is permanent and becomes a consensual change in the terms of your tenancy.”
Oh.
If you’re living in rent-controlled San Francisco, I think you should get some kind of benefit when you change the terms of your tenancy, you know, as a general rule .
And later on, is your landlord going to complain about how you’re violating the terms of your tenancy when you allowed your future bud / date / friend smoke one cigarette to help her get through one of her stressed out moments?
Or your Euro fiance can’t move in with you in 2015 because your “designation is permanent?”
And should we assume second-hand smoke from clove cigarettes and/or the Mary Jane is good for you, since it’s not covered?
Now, IRL, is this issue going to affect you? Prolly not. But I’m just saying.
So, sign your pledge or just ignore it – choose or lose, maybe.
*Assuming that you’re living in a building with fewer than 50 units and you aren’t restricted from smoking now. This is the notification you’ll get otherwise, possibly, and it’s fair enough. And here’s the full rundown from the SFAA. Again, no objections.
All the deets, after the jump
Well it’s the morning of the second Sunday of June, so that means it’s almost time for the Haight Ashbury Street Festival.
Lets take a look at some photos from recent years.
Look up…
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…and down…
…and all around:
From Bluoz: Upper Haight is for Lovers:
Let your freak flag fly, baby. From the Eastern Stage:
And here’s one from Chris Witte:
There’s a feeling I get/
when I look to the West…
…and the East…
…on Haight Street on the Second Sunday in June.
At least the Yelpers like Frank:
This ganga guy in purple will sue you for $1000 if you take his photo, or something:
And Obama in a Giants cap, just the way they had it at the recent Union Street Festival:
You know who loves the Haight Street Fair? Parole agents
A mass of humanity:
Hookahs! Get your hookahs! It’s Hookahs.com
A dancing baby grooving on Haight Street:
Can you see the superfluity of nuns in white approaching the Fair? Also note the F430 Ferrari supercar (sans license plates), one of many exoticars that made the journey to the Upper Haight today. Also note the sign: “No Open Containers of Alcohol.” Too bad.
Of course, all you need to get around the alcohol ban is a gallon jug of overproofed white rum and a giveaway “water” bottle. As seen on Ashbury.
Former District Five Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi on the scene
Poorbot looking for handouts:
“SHOW US YOUR BOOBS… please.” “FABULOUS PRIZES.” “DON’T WORRY (WE’RE GAY)” These inebriates residing above the Ben & Jerry’s at the corner of Ashbury were true to their word, tossing down trinkets to all flashers male and female.
You kmow why this San Francisco Native baby is better than you? Cause he had the foresight to be born in San Francisco, that’s why. He won the lottery/ when he was born.
And There You Have It.
He told me he’s hoping for a big turnout this year at the 2013 Haight Ashbury Street Fair.
Srsly.
And if that’s not enough of an invite for you, then consider this, from Amy Stephenson of uppercasing, the UPPER HAIGHT BLOG:
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And here’s Frank on Haight Street IRL, sort of:
In context:
And close up:
And, in closing, here’s what Frank had to say back in the day:
ALMA 12 GALAXIES TRIGOGONIC SCANDAL PBS NEWS HOUR: BILLIONAIRE DECTROGONIC SKEPTICAL PREEMPTIVE MISCREANTS
NICKERSON 12 GALAXIES QUADROGONIC HIBERNATION[S] ECONOMIST TECHNIGONIC EXACERBATED CHARISMATIC ABERRATIONS
CRONKITE 12 GALAXIES VIXTREXONICUL STEROIDS PBS: YASKRERUNITOL COVERAGE PSYCHROZENIKUL DILIGENT TRIVIALIZING OPTHAMOLOGISTS
WHOOLEY 12 GALAXIES PSYCHROZENICAL DISSENSIONS ABC: ILTROKETCAL COVERAGE STALTZORXUNIKEL PREINCARNATE AGNOSTICISM GNOSTICISM
HEISLEY 12 GALAXIES AGOZANICAL EXORCISTS NBC: ILTRUXONIKEL COVERAGE COXGARONICIL EVOCATIVE PALATIMILL MESOTHELIOMA
BRIDGEPOINTE 12 GALAXIES MUROTUNIXEL REPERCUSSIONS (sic) KBHK: XASKUTANEKOL PSOKITENUCOL COMMEMORATIVE CONTENTIOUS EXHORTATIONS
TROSKY 12 GALAXIES ALPHOGONIC POLICE BRUTALITY ABC NEWS: UP FRONT ZENOGONIC BOISTEROUS INSINUATED ATTRITIONS
CLEMENS 12 GALAXIES XASKOZETICUL DIPLOMACY PBS: YUXTROTONIKEL COVERAGE WEXKORHYTORIC EXTEMPORANEOUS IMPUGNING CARNIVORES
SHEFFIELD 12 GALAXIES QUINTRONIC GENOCIDES CNN HEADLINE NEWS SEXOTRONIC METICULOUS INCINERATED APPROPRIATIONS
BRIDGEPOINTE 12 GALAXIES MUROTUNIKEL REPERCUSSIONS KBHK: XASKUTANEKOL PSOKITENUCOL CUMBERSOME CONTENTIOUS EMULATIONS
IMPEACH FAIRMOUNT 12 Galaxies Guiltied WITH QUADROLOGICAL Rocket STATIONS
MASSACHUSETTS 12 GALAXIES QUINTRONIC CRIMINALS TIME MAGAZINE: STAR, HEXTROTRONIC OSCILLATING EBULLIENT INOCULATIONS
CARLSTADT 12 GALAXIES BOTRUKONITEL RACISM KDTV: FEXTROTANIKUL COVERAGE GAMMATUNOKEL EXTRATERRESTRIAL PETAFIABLE ABDICATIONS
GEPHARDT 12 GALAXIES QUOKLOCHITICIL DETRIMENTATIONS KICU: DICHUKITECHAL COVERAGE ULKUKATICHOL ESCHATOLOGICAL CONTEMPLATED AGNOSTICS
MEDTOX 12 GALAXIES BETATRONIC CONSTANTANEOUSED GRAND THEFT AGAINST THE UNIVERSE ZEGNATRONIC HYDROGEN COUNTER PARTS
NORDEN 12 GALAXIES JOXKRORADICUL EPIPHANY NBC: GAXKROZETICAL COVERAGE KEXTROCRETICAL SANCTITY PROSPERITY DILIGENCE
SCHKADE 12 GALAXIES BEXCROLETIKUL UNJUSTICES BBC: KOTROPREDICAMENTED COVERAGE ZEKGROPENTIAL ERUPTED DASTARDLY ELATIONS
HENDRICKSON 12 GALAXIES KYDROMENICOL IMMINENCE ABC:WETROMETICULUS COVERAGE NUKROHENICAL EGOTISTICAL ATTONEMENTS ETERNITY
Not exactly sure which “local newspaper” San Francisco Police Department Chief Greg Suhr is referencing today, so this bit from Chris Roberts posted yesterday in the San Francisco Examiner will have to suffice:
Report: Blacks Arrested Four Times As Often As Whites For Marijuana
Looks like the ACLU report applies to the whole country, Vermont, Iowa, Illinois:
Anyway, here’s the response from Chief Suhr:
“SFPD Response to ACLU Arrest Racial Disparity Report.
In one of the local newspapers this morning, it was stated that African Americans are arrested at a far higher rate than whites, according to an ACLU report issued today. This is not so. The San Francisco Police Department does not racially profile. No one is arrested in sufficient numbers for marijuana possession here in San Francisco to substantiate such a claim. In fact, the article even states that there were only 11 people arrested for misdemeanor marijuana possession in all of 2011, Chief Suhr’s first year as Chief.
To put this number in context, in 2011, the SFPD made over 23,000 arrests, of which 14,000 were classified as misdemeanors. Today, Chief Suhr reviewed all 11 misdemeanor marijuana arrest reports from 2011. All 11 misdemeanor marijuana charges were secondary to other charges, e.g., outstanding warrants, weapons possession, drunk in public, for which the person (four white males, three black males, two black females, one Hispanic male, and one white female) were arrested and booked.
It is evident that the misdemeanor marijuana arrests cited in the article were made using sound police procedure pertaining to criminal activity and not by racial profiling.
http://sf-police.org/index.aspx?appType=5&recordid=685
San Francisco Police Department
sf-police.org”
Does somebody want to look into these arrests, to see if the SFPD is using sound police procedure pertaining to criminal activity and not by using racial profiling?
Well, be my guest and let us know how it goes.
Until then, it looks like ACLU 0, Greg Suhr 1.
Finally, the Land of Misery way out there by Ocean Beach west of San Francisco is getting a little action.
Now, in addition to all of the Sunset District’s cat houses, grow houses and halfway houses, we have this, from a recent dreaded sunny day:
Do you remember this one, from last month?
I do.
Good times.
Well, since then, this vehicle has been making waves, you know, getting pulled over by the SFPD, getting ticketed by SFMTAMUNIDPTSFBC meter maids (Tough People, Good Jobs), and getting towed outta Chinatown like a beached whale.
And you know what the little people, the tiny topolino, those boring, mousy types who can only dream of being piloti di Lamborghini or a sexy-time lover of piloti di Lamborghini, you know what they do? They whip out their cell phones and then post photos to the Internet.
Fucking haters!
As here on Market last month, via my Samsung Galaxy Note II phablet:
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And here’s an effort from Lulu Vision a few days later:
But there was no ticket issued for this particular yellow zone violation. Lucky Devil!
Now speak of the Devil, El Diablo, here’s a list of recent citations issued for this whip by the SFMTA:
02/13/13 T37C STREET CLEANING $62.00
02/25/13 T202.1 PRK METER DOWNTOWN $72.00
02/28/13 T37C STREET CLEANING $62.00
03/01/13 T38C WHITE ZONE $98.00
03/02/13 V22502A OVER 18 IN. FRM CURB $57.00
03/02/13 T38C WHITE ZONE $98.00
03/02/13 T38A RED ZONE $98.00
Of course the cops don’t care about you parking in the yellow zone when they’re pulling you over, as here on Kearny. Also via Lulu Vision:
Hey look what came out of the Lambo – it’s a quarter ounce of medicinal Mary Jane plus a quarter gallon of medicinal luxury vodka.
Good times. Good times for 32-year-old Mr. Cheng.
(Good thing that vodka was capped, Brother. Anyway, the SFPD let him go with a ticket.)
But getting towed from the front of the Chinatown McDonalds because of corrupt Rose Pak’s Chinese New Year’s parade, well that’s the limit, am I right, people?
I’ll tell you, I don’t know if this kind of exoticar lifestyle is sustainable.
Well let’s the driver of this car can Go Forth And Sin No More…
