Halloween In The Castro

This was not an elaborate costume year for FreeThinker. With a few accessories like a cape, horns, and a wicked bolo tie, the transformation into a devil was lazy but complete enough to be a valid costume. Friend and neighbor Dave, on the other hand, always goes all out, and this year was no exception. Two words: French Maid.

Other friends dressed as Kurt Cobain, a she-devil, and a GOP money laundering machine. We all met up at Castro Street for the annual Halloween night street party, dance zones, and people-watching parade.

Devils/demons were popular this year, as were butterflies. A few creative types made their own iPod costumes. (Next year, I bet they will be mass-produced.)

Jesus was there, but by the time I got my camera out, he was gone! I could not get a photo. I have no evidence, but please take it on faith that I saw Jesus! You do believe, don't you?

The weather was agreeable and the crowd was massive. Here are some spooky shots of a tiny, tiny fraction of the costumed crowd. As FreeThought by a FreeThinker readers know, FreeThinker's camera does not do its best work at night. That said, here we go. (In deference to some of my prudish red-state readers, who were shocked at my Folsom Street Fair photos, no images beyond a "PG" rating are in this post.)

Running Off Into The Sunset

Isn't this a glorious sight? My evening run had me chase the sun as it was setting over the Pacific Ocean. The sun won this race, but I still feel like a winner with all this spectacular beauty in my "front yard." I've started bringing my little Canon SD500 camera with me on runs, so I can record moments like this. It helps that there was no fog tonight, but this camera does not do well with low-light night shots, so I can't provide any more nice photos. Not that it stops me from trying:


My freewheeling three hour run culminated with reaching the Golden Gate Bridge and Fort Point (a location Vertigo fans know of quite well) and back again. I love getting close to nature, to the point of occasionally and intentionally letting a big wave splash me with salt water. Salty sweat washed off, salty Pacific sprayed on. Am I crazy? Well, San Francisco has been called "49 square miles surrounded by reality."

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Disclaimer: the following photo includes some Photoshop fakery. It's the same shot as above, but I added the stars of the Big Dipper to recreate what my eyes saw (but what my camera could not capture). The majestic constellation was at the same relative angle seen here; as if it was draped over the Golden Gate Bridge. This image does not do justice to what was one of the most stunning vistas I have ever seen.

San Francisco Cinema

There's a bit of commotion in The City today, at the intersection of Bush and Stockton Streets. Will Smith is in town, filming a new movie called "Pursuit of Happyness" (no, that's not a typo). Judging from all the crew and equipment and the all-day shooting, there's some major scene happening at this spot. I recall two great movies that use this same area. In "The Maltese Falcon," Miles Archer was shot to death here. There's an inconspicuous little plaque somebody posted on a the side of a nearby building years ago that commemorates the event (and, spoiling the movie mystery, reveals the murderer). The other movie is "The Game." Nicholas Van Orton (Michael Douglas) chases his brother, Conrad Van Orton (Sean Penn) down a foggy Stockton Street to Bush Street. There must be more movies that have scenes near Bush and Stockton that I just can't think of right now.

Of course, there's a large number of movies (and TV shows) that are filmed in and take place in San Francisco. (There's been a five-year lull in moviemaking in The City, but it's really picked up this year.) To name several: Bullitt (with the timelessly cool Steve McQueen, is probably my all-time favorite), Vertigo, The Birds, Dirty Harry, Magnum Force, The Enforcer, 48 Hours, The Bachelor, The Hulk, Bedazzled, 40 Days and 40 Nights, The Rock, Seabiscuit, The Joy Luck Club, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, So I Married An Axe Murderer, Mrs. Doubtfire, The Towering Inferno, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, etc. Those are just some of the the movies. Many TV shows are filmed here. The Nash Bridges crew was tying up traffic all over the place in the late 90s.

And how about you, dear reader: What is your favorite San Francisco movie/TV show? Please comment!

Run And Point And Shoot

For today's run, I brought my camera along for the first time. Luckily, it's not really a burden in my fanny pack. Wouldn't you know it -- no photo opportunities came up on this run. And the Golden Gate Bridge was all fogged in. So I took some test shots of The City and San Francisco Bay, where there was a little sun.


When the weather allows I will get a 360° view of all this in a series of several photos. Here's a down-and-dirty trial run of about 90° of the veiw. The next crystal-clear dusk or dawn, I'll be back!

Use Your Illusion III

Like this and this, another novel optical illusion has come by FreeThinker's eyes - and FreeThinker's brain. Sharing is nice. Ready? Go.

Intrigue

My new Reading Glasses have been ordered! These are what I decided on. The model is called "intrigue." Not too trendy, not too geeky, not too professorial, not even too noticeable with the rimless frames. They will arrive in about a week. Being my first pair of prescription glasses, I'm sure I will approach them with some trepidation. I'm reminded of the scene early in the second Star Trek movie, when Admiral Kirk, in his San Francisco apartment, receives a birthday gift of antique reading glasses from Doctor McCoy. Kirk broods as he ponders the glasses.

"Dammit, Jim, what the hell's the matter with you?" grumbles McCoy. "Other people have birthdays. Why are we treating yours like a funeral?"

Will art imitate life? Tune in next week ...

Behind Blue Eyes

It had to happen sooner or later. At a routine visit to my opthamologist for a check-up and exam, my doctor wrote me a prescription for reading glasses!

I love to read, and lately I've noticed some eye fatigue after finishing a magazine or several pages of a book or computer-screen text. Reading glasses are, apparently, the solution. These are glasses just for extended reading, not for all-the-time use. Still, I wonder about what kind of frames to get. Is there a "style" for reading glasses? Do I get that little connected chain around my neck? All I can think of now is my high school Spanish teacher, who always wore his reading glasses, and that unobstructed steely gaze he would deliver when he'd tilt his head down. This is all new to me. Next week: a trip to the optician. Stay tuned.

Freethought Day

Although FreeThinker could not attend the festivities, it is still important to spread the word that today is Freethought Day in nearby Sacramento, as proclaimed by Mayor Heather Fargo. This tribute to freethought, liberty of conscience, naturalistic ethics, secular government, and civic values is a time for all Americans, and all nations, to acknowledge that we've come a long way from the days when church and state were much the same thing. Just over 300 years ago, conviction and execution could result from being accused of being a witch.

Today we believe in separation of church and state. Today we believe in the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. Today we value natural evidence, and discount the supernatural in law. Today we don't believe in Satan and demonic possession. Right?


The official Freethought Day proclamation says it all:

WHEREAS, the Enlightenment and the individuals who thought freely concerning the relationship of natural law and government is a cherished history; and

WHEREAS, October 12th marks the anniversary of the date on which it was declared in the Massachusetts colony that "spectral evidence" would no longer be admissible in court, terminating the infamous Salem Witch Trials; and

WHEREAS, this declaration by Governor William J. Phipps of the Colony of Massachusetts was the first of its kind requiring that evidence admitted in court be observable by the natural senses rather than supernatural; and

WHEREAS, this day commemorates our nation's Constitution and Bill of Rights, courts and judges, heritage of a fair trial for all, the Enlightenment values of our nation's founders and the establishment in our public courts that evidence of innocence or guilt lies in the domain of natural reason rather than supernatural beliefs.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Heather Fargo, Mayor of the City of Sacramento, do hereby proclaim October 9, 2005 as Freethought Day in the City of Sacramento.

ISSUED: This 9th Day of October 2005.

Running With The Angels

The key to maintaining a consistent running program is to never let it get stale. A little variety adds some needed spice to keep a runner motivated. I'm fortunate to consider my "front yard" to be the coast of the San Francisco Bay. The waterfront from Fisherman's Wharf to (and including) the Golden Gate Bridge may just be the most scenic running path in the world.

This is the best time of year in the Bay Area: the fog is gone, the skies are blue, and the weather is short-sleeve or no-sleeve warm. This weekend, Fleet Week is celebrated in San Francisco, bringing a parade of Navy ships and the Navy's Blue Angels to tear up the sky.

Talk about a special run today! Between getting in some good lateral work by dodging the sightseers on the waterfront, the occasional mist of salt water from the breakers, the distant sound of seagulls and sea lions, and the heart-charging rush from having the Blue Angels fly a few hundred feet overhead at nearly the speed of sound, this may be one of the best single runs -- if not the best single run -- ever.

San Francisco School Volunteers Luncheon

Money's tight for public school teachers in San Francisco, as is the case all over America. My office participates in many pro bono programs to help the local school system, including a Pen Pal program which I've shared "freethought" with a fifth grader for three years running. Here's FreeThinker and some fellow volunteers at a fundraising "school lunch" for the SFSD. Many speeches were made, but we went away with the best memories of the song and dance routines from schoolkids (and some nifty souvenir lunchboxes!).

Does this count as one of the many concerts I've been attending lately?

Bridge To Bridge Run 2005

One of the most scenic organized runs ever is the annual Bridge To Bridge Run. From the Bay Bridge to the Golden Gate Bridge, this 12K race winds along the beautiful coast of the San Francisco Bay.

This is probably the 8th or 9th Bridge to Bridge Run -- I've lost count. It's the last large race of the year, but more races await in the fall and winter. I'll be there!