Posts Tagged ‘yellow’

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.

Ross “The Boss” Mirkarimi Reopens Hamilton Recreation Center With a Splash

Saturday, March 6th, 2010

This was the scene at Geary and Steiner in the Western Addition / Japantown area today as hundreds gathered to see the debut of the new Hamilton Recreation Center and Pool. This place has it all – basketball, tennis courts, giant murals, the works.

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After hearing a performance from students at the Willie L. Brown, Jr. College Preparatory Academy

…and some brief heckling from Giants Cap, who wants laid-off RPD employees rehired…

…out comes Ross Mirkarimi, your District 5 Supervisor, to give his stemwinder, as seen on this CNN iReport (entitled “‘Bay Area Girls’” Teanage Girls perform [Pat Benatar's 'I love Rock and Roll'] at the Inaugural of the Hamilton Recreation Center”) and then cut the ribbon:

The mise-en-scene inside - it’s like a mini water park. Throw in an orca or two and then there’d be no reason to travel to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom (aka Marine World) in Vallejo:

But who’s that atop the ladder for the yellow slide wearing his street clothes? It’s Ross!

Here he comes down the slide…

…and here’s the aftermath, looked like fun. Bill Wilson should have some good shots of the wettened supe. [Like this.]

OTOH, the orange slide is terrifying, apparently:

(I think you’re supposed to cross your arms like you’re an ejecting pilot – that’s what some people were doing in the orange tube/slide contraption.)

Not sure how much it costs to employ six(!) lifeguards (that would seem a lot more than required at slide-free Sava Pool in the Parkside) but oh well.

Bon courage, Ham Rec!

Attention Pedestrians: Green Does Not Mean Go in San Francisco

Wednesday, January 6th, 2010

The failings of the drivers of San Francisco are well-documented…

…but what about pedestrians - how are they doing?

Not well, based upon their behavior in the Financh and other nearby districts. Let’s take a look at the Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s “Safety Toolbox: Common Violations for Pedestrian-Involved Collisions” for some help:

Common pedestrian-at-fault violations

Pedestrian Violation Outside Crosswalk 21954.A  Pedestrians Outside Crosswalks
Pedestrian Violation at Crosswalk 21950.B  Right-of-Way at Crosswalks
Pedestrian Violation of Signals 21451.C  Circular Green or Green Arrow21451.D  Circular Green or Green Arrow

21453.D  Circular Red or Red Arrow

21456.A  Walk, Wait, or Don’t Walk

21456.B  Walk, Wait, or Don’t Walk

21462.  Obedience to Traffic Control Signals

Jaywalking 21955.  Crossing Between Controlled Intersections
Pedestrian on Roadway 21956.  Pedestrian on Roadway

The problem is that lots of peds violate California Vehicle Code Section 21451(c) and 21456(a) without knowing it. That is, they routinely enter crosswalks immediately after their light turns green. That’s a no-no in CA unless you make sure that traffic has cleared the intersection first.

21451(c) A pedestrian facing a circular green signal… may proceed across the roadway within any marked or unmarked crosswalk, but shall yield the right-of-way to vehicles lawfully within the intersection at the time that signal is first shown.”

“21456 Whenever a pedestrian control signal showing the words “WALK” or “WAIT” or “DONT WALK” or other approved symbol is in place, the signal shall indicate as follows: (a) “WALK” or approved “Walking Person” symbol.  A pedestrian facing the signal may proceed across the roadway in the direction of the signal, but shall yield the right-of-way to vehicles lawfully within the intersection at the time that signal is first shown.”

Can a ped get a ticket for blocking a car? Yes, but I’ve never heard of it. Prices start at $108 - I’m sure that they can easily exceed that what with court fees and whatnot.

21451(c,d) Green Signal–Pedestrian Responsibilities $108.00

So, green does not mean go. Green means go after the intersection has cleared – this applies to pedestrians, cyclists, motorists, everybody.

The real concern for pedestrians is them being held at fault after being hit by a vehicle. The issue turns on whether the driver entered into the intersection on a red light or not. When you encounter Third Street and Market, where cars need to travel 175+ feet to clear the intersection, extra vigilance is needed. The only thing keeping most pedestrians from immediately crossing on a green is a caravan a slowly moving cars trying to clear the intersection.

So you can continue living your life thinking that cars are running red lights at every busy intersection during every light cycle, or you can learn the PEDESTRIAN CROSSWALK DUTIES in California.

Your choice, ped.

Frank H. Wu Set to Take Over U.C. Hastings Law School Next Year

Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009

California’s fifth or sixth-best law school will be getting a new leader as of July 1, 2010, when Howard University’s Frank H. Wu will become the dean at U.C. Hastings in San Francisco’s gritty Tenderloin

Frank’s no stranger to the bay area, having taught at Stanfoo and also having worked for Mofo (that’s the nickname for San Francisco’s historic white-shoe law firm Morrison and Foerster, srsly) representing tenants against landlords pro bono back in the 1990’s.

Meet Frank Wu:

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Per SFGate:

 
The man has a Plan for Hastings – a three-point plan, actually: 
 
First, he said the curriculum should be structured to ensure graduates have real-world legal skills when they leave, such as taking depositions, negotiating deals, and reading balance sheets.
 
Second, students should be prepared to work in a global economy that is driven by Pacific Rim nations. “The global economy is not the future. It’s here and now,” he said. “I see us recruiting students and placing them in Seoul and Saigon.”

Additionally, Wu said the school is too reliant on state funding and he intends to launch its first capital campaign.”

Bon courage, Frank Wu.

All the deets after the jump.

*How about partially racially-motivated instead? If you kill somebody with a baseball bat in San Francisco these days and then admit it to the cops, you’re going to do some hard time, no doubt. But back in the day if you and your stepson killed somebody with a baseball bat in Detroit, Michigan, well, you might have been able to walk with probation and a $30/week restitution plan. It all had to do with a runaway judge and some county prosecutors who made a plea bargain deal and then no-showed the sentencing hearing, and later on, some feds who got caught committing prosecutorial misconduct. Why do voters support mandatory minimum sentencing and three-strikes type laws in the aughts? Because of cases like that of Vincent Chin in the 1980’s. Just saying.

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San Francisco Man Swears He’ll Never Drive More Than 60 MPH – The Pledge 60 Movement

Thursday, December 3rd, 2009

This man, recently seen on Franklin Street, has sworn he will never drive his Mazda 626 LX-V6 more than 60 MPH. Why? Cause he’s a part of the Pledge 60 Movement. Check out the sign that he printed at home (or at work, let’s hope, considering the cost of replacement printer ink, “starter cartridge” don’t get me started):

“I pledge 60 MPH max to save U.S. gas $

Fair enough. Not sure how this would work on the nascent Trans-Texas Corridor where they’ll have an 85mph limit, or for that matter Montana where teen-aged girls on narrow highways will pass you in their tiny three-cylinder cars going 90+, but oh well.

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The Sierra Club has/had a similar campaign – “I Can Drive 55 (or whatever the limit is).”

Pledgers should keep to the right (avoiding those carpool lane-stickered Toyota Priuseses going 80+ on the I-80) and they’ll be fine.

Pledge on.

(These kinds of pledges probably will have a higher success rate than those chastity pledges that don’t seem to work.)

Senator Leland Yee Leads the Fight Against Mandatory Phone Books

Thursday, October 29th, 2009

Phone books – they’re useless, right? What are they good for? Absolutely nothing. I’ll say it again. Hooot! Absolutely nothing.

So let’s hear it for Dr. Leland Yee, Ph.D, Assistant Senate President pro Tempore Extraordinaire, the fightingest Senator in California, as he takes on the Telephone Book Industry on behalf of The People.

A brief wait on the doorstep for a few days until someone puts all these things into the recycling:

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Your days are numbered, you mandatory telephone books.

Read all about it:

San Mateo County Leaders and Environmental Advocates Call for Consumer Choice on White Pages
Yee and Papan: Mandatory delivery of white pages wastes paper, energy, and scarce local government resources

 
SACRAMENTO – Following the successful efforts of Cleveland, Ohio and Miami, Florida, California could become the largest jurisdiction to give telephone customers a choice in receiving the white pages directory.  Today, Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco/San Mateo) and Millbrae Councilwoman Gina Papan announced they will pursue state legislation to prohibit telephone companies from delivering the white pages unless the customer opts-in to receiving it. 
 
“The requirement that phone companies must deliver the white pages comes from an era before the internet and other means of obtaining phone numbers,” said Yee.  “At a time when Californians are looking for ways to reduce our carbon footprint, we should give them that choice, particularly when very few customers still use the white pages.”
 
“Ending the unnecessary distribution of the white pages is a step forward that we can take at the local level to address the global issue of climate change.  I am proud to take the lead on this issue to help save the environment and reduce local recycling costs,” said Millbrae City Councilmember Gina Papan.  “I would like to thank Senator Yee for his responsiveness in taking on this important legislation on our behalf.”  

All the deets, after the jump

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Your Baldessari of the Day, #3: Stonehenge (With Two Persons)

Thursday, September 3rd, 2009

The Baldessari exhibit at the Legion of Honor museum continues on through November 8th, 2009. It’s called ”John Baldessari: A Print Retrospective from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation.”

Here’s Stonehenge (With Two Persons), times six: 

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Stonehenge (With Two Persons) Orange is an example of Baldessari’s technique of obscuring portions of photographic images with brightly colored dots. The use of singular, saturated color and their placement speak to Baldessari’s wit and ability to simultaneously mimic and criticize artistic practice.”

O.K. then.

This concludes Your Baldessari of the Day.

Putting the Historic F-Streetcar Line Back Together, One Overhead Wire at a Time

Tuesday, August 4th, 2009

Hours after yesterday’s collision and brouhaha in the Castro involving two historic F-Line streetcars (making up the bread part of an SUV sandwich), MUNI workers were still on the job about a half-mile away near the Duboce Yard in the back of the Church Street Safeway.

In technical terms, them wires up there done fell down. So the crew of an awesome yellow truck (with a scissors lift in the middle) came along and started winching things back together high above Market Street, with a quickness. Hurray!

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To the MUNI recovery crew:

For all you do/
This Bud’s for you

The Only Way to Tour San Francisco is on Top of a Giant Yellow Fire Truck

Friday, July 24th, 2009

Fat Tire Planet wants to drive you around town in their open-top fire truck from the 1960’s. Fair enough.

Will the ride up Anza Hill (did I date an Anza Hill in college? Something close to that.) on bloody Masonic Avenue in the western Western Addition / NOPA area inspire you to stand up and raise your arms in the air like you just don’t care? Possibly.

Yes, this 1968 Howe Defender 90 just might feel like a roller coaster on the hilly streets of San Francisco. As seen near Mervyn’s Heights:

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But Hannah Kenney of  Corte Madera (Marin County), CA has a beef with this four-decade old piece of rolling Maker Faire. Actually, she’s developed a lot of beefs driving around by herself when she ventures south of her wealthy suburban enclave way up in the North Bay. Her concerns:

– The flood of bicycle tourists into Sausalito who tend to create traffic concerns all over the city and Marin.  

– Those little motorized yellow two-seatersthat are difficult to spot in your rearview and side-view mirrors are louder than cars, aggravating to pedestrians and are often driven by people who don’t seem to understand the rules of the road here. How are those even legal?  

– I recently had the displeasure of being stuck on Divisadero next to a lumbering yellow fire enginethat had been repurposed as a tour bus - not the quaint older type, but a modern truck: FatTirePlanet.comIn an eco-friendly town such as San Francisco, how is it possible that we [sic] can provide permits of operation to such an unnecessary mode of transport that certainly damages the environment?  

See? All you tourists are warned – stay off of  bicycles, two-seaters, and “modern” fire trucks when you visit the area.

But if you must ride on a firetruck tour, please, by all means, keep it quaint.

That is all.

HISTORY & FEATURES Prairie Prince, Pete Misthos and Morgan Raimond to lovingly restore Engine#1 to her current glory!

Engine #1 is a 1968 Howe Defender 90, used by the Contra Costa County Fire Department until her pump seized in the mid 1990s. Fat Tire Planet owner Cyrus Forootan bought her at auction in 2000, and spent 4 years working with local artists

Features include:

  • Maximum capacity of 30 people
  • Convertible, open-air 360° view
  • Comfortable padded seats
  • State-of-the-art sound system – Enjoy our music selection or bring your own!
  • Ample locked storage
  • Full catering & DJs available
  • Locally-owned and operated
  • Fully licensed and insured
About Fat Tire Planet Fire Truck Tours

Ready for a magic carpet ride?

Hop on board Engine #1, the Biggest Hot-Rod Convertible in California – Bright yellow, surrounded by red flames, she embodies the creative eccentricity of San Francisco!

Engine #1 breaks the mold of traditional touring – passengers can take in the sounds, smells and spectacular views of the city from her open-air seating deck.  No other tour vehicle can come close to bringing the most beautiful city in the United States to LIFE!

All year long, weather permitting, the fire truck is available for private parties and charters.  We have blankets, you BYOB.  Minimum 15 passengers @ $30/ person for 3 hours for charters.

During the summer season (May-October), we specialize in San Francisco city tours on a customized yellow open air fire truck with an awesome sound systemand an amazing flame job.  We can accommodate up to 25 people.

“Surf Alaska” Land Cruiser Dude – San Francisco’s Hipster of the Year, 2009

Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009

An immaculate black FJ-40 Toyota Land Cruiser is the primary reason this Matrix Morpheus-looking dude just won SF HoTY ‘09.

Just look at the details:

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As seen on Fell Street. Click to expand.

Aging FJ-40 model (豊田 ランドクルーザー, Toyoda Rando-Kurūzā). Of course! Dude could buy a much newer Bland Cruiser (2009 price = $50k-something) instead of this (possibly amazingly expensive) torture box, but where’s the fun in that?

Alaska license plate: SURF. Of course! Our 50th state is the next frontier of surfing, don’t you know.

Right Hand Drive (RHD). Of course! Dude’s driving on the wrong side of the vehicle. Why? Why not?

Snorkel. Of course! Can you see the urban snorkel air intake standing up on the left side? Very handy when our streets are under five feet of water. Snorkle! Snorkle! Snorkle!

Original diesel engine. Of course! A Chevy small block would just drop right in, but where’s the fun in that?

No doors. Of course! How can people see your stylish shoes and socks with doors blocking the view?

The hat and the fogglasses (on a very dark summer day)  put him over the top. Nobody could possibly best this fellow, that’s why he’s San Francisco’s Hipster of the Year, 2009.