The Bridge

This is a view of the Golden Gate Bridge from my main running trail. I snapped it while standing on the exact spot that was used by a filmmaker during the entire calendar year of 2004. During that year, a guy with a powerful telephoto lens attached to his tripod-mounted camera had it pointed at the bridge every time I ran by. A couple of times I stopped to stretch and chat with him. He told me he was on a project to "capture the majesty of the bridge throughout the seasons." How nice, I thought. San Francisco is full of lovably eccentric artist types.

In January 2005, he was no longer there. Now the full story is out: It seems this guy is a filmmaker named Eric Steel, and what he was really doing was filming suicide jumpers. About every two weeks, on average, somebody ends their life by leaping off the Golden Gate Bridge. This does not get much publicity because no one wants to glamorize it or inspire copycat suicides.

To this day, in my mind's eye, when I run by his filming spot, I see him there, intently looking through his lens, rain, fog, or shine. I regret never getting a photo of him at work on this then-secret project.

Steel admits he lied to people like me, and to Golden Gate National Recreation Area officials, in order to secure his permit and proceed with his project. In his defense, he had to lie to do this, or it might have attracted many more than the 23 suicides he caught on film. Moreover, he would have been denied his permit. But it's a done deal now, and after editing down 10,000 hours of footage to 93 minutes, his movie is ready. It's not a snuff film. "It's a film about the human spirit in crisis," he says, "intended to provoke discussion about suicide from the Golden Gate Bridge and mental illness in general."

"The Bridge" just opened at the Tribeca Film Festival. It's playing in limited release here in San Francisco. I don't think I will see it -- just seeing the trailer is enough for me.

Walk, Don't Run

A change of pace today: walking, not running, on my main running trail. An "urban hike." A chance to "smell the roses" and take some photos that are more than the fleeting quickie shots. Here are some assorted shots of interesting sights along the way to the Golden Gate Bridge. Enjoy!

Every Six Weeks

Every Six Weeks, they say, it's time for a haircut. As a teenager, it was more like every six months, but now I generally follow the six weeks rule. In the middle of today's haircut, with camera handy in pocket, I thought about the multiple angle possibilities of mirrors. After proposing this quick shot with my shy but talented haircutter, Li, I had her coworker take this shot with my camera. (I almost always have my little Cannon SD500 with me. You never know when a photo op will come up!)

Almost everybody has their "baby's first haircut" photo.

Why not take a "routine grown-up haircut photo" now and then?

Zippy 5K

Although the Zippy 5K is one of the smaller races, this year the women ran separately from the men. That's how I was able to get these shots of the start of the 8:00 AM women's race. Several of the women finished before the start of the 8:30 AM men's race.

This race honors Bill Griffith's Zippy The Pinhead comic strip, but oddly enough, there were no wacky costumes this year. Not a single polka-dot muumuu or a pair of clown shoes. Maybe everybody's holding out for the upcoming Bay To Breakers race. Stay tuned!

The Signs Are All Around You

Now appearing on a billboard near Sutter and Larkin streets here in San Francisco:

What is this all about? Christians, and those exposed to Christian theology, know that 666 is "The Mark Of The Beast" from this vague but ominous Bible verse:

Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is six hundred threescore and six. (Revelation 13:18)

For those who devoutly follow the Bible, this is supposed to mean that a powerful but evil man, known as The AntiChrist and/or The Beast, will command worldwide power shortly before the end of the world. (Just ask any kid who has read the Left Behind books.) On the lookout for signs of this prophesied apocalypse, they are looking for the number 666 everywhere. The latest hysteria is the upcoming calendar date of June 6, 2006 (or 6 6 06 as displayed on the billboard).

Well, this billboard is not about The Beast. It is about something much more real: good old fashioned advertising. Yep, a Google search confirms these billboards are just ads for a remake of the 1976 horror movie The Omen, set for release on June 6, 2006. Madison Avenue strikes again!

Skylarking

Ever since RadioSilence left a comment about the song "Dear God," I have been listening to "Skylarking," that fine 1986 album by XTC. This is the ideal time of year to listen to Skylarking again (or for the first time) because it has a very pastoral, "springtime" feel to it. From the opening sounds of birds chirping, through the lush neo-psychedelic pop and deft orchestral maneuvers in the tightly written songs, you can't help but feel so alive when hearing this sophisicated Todd Rundgren production.

Skylarking will forever be associated with my heady college years, as I played this LP constantly in the late 80s. While every song is a winner, "Dear God" is the set's highlight. A gentle acoustic lullaby builds into an angry crescendo by song's end, and the lyrics match the tempo. While this is often called an "atheist song," I feel it's more of a "confused theist" song. (One bone I have to pick with the lyrics is that it presents the false stereotype of atheists being "angry at God.") The singer is talking to God. An atheist would not talk to what he does not believe exists. But perhaps atheism is the dénouement. What do you think?

Dear God
by XTC
from the LP "Skylarking"

Dear God, hope you got the letter and
I pray you can make it better down here
I don't mean a big reduction in the price of beer
But all the people that you made in your image
See them starving on their feet
'Cause they don't get enough to eat from God ...
I can't believe in you ...
Dear God, sorry to disturb you but
I feel that I should be heard loud and clear
We all need a big reduction in amount of tears
And all the people that you made in your image
See them fighting in the street
'Cause they can't make opinions meet about God ...
I can't believe in you ...
Did you make disease
and the diamond blue?
Did you make mankind after we made you?
And the devil too!
Dear God, don't know if you've noticed but
Your name is on a lot of quotes in this book
And us crazy humans wrote it, you should take a look
And all the people that you made in your image
Still believing this junk is true
Well I know it ain't, and so do you, dear God ...
I can't believe in ...
I don't believe in ...
I won't believe in heaven and hell
No saints, no sinners, no devil as well
No pearly gates, no thorny crown
You're always letting us humans down
The wars you bring, the babes you drown
Those lost at sea and never found
And it's the same the whole world 'round
The hurt I see helps to compound
That Father, Son and Holy Ghost
Is just somebody's unholy hoax
And if you're up there you'd perceive
That my heart's here upon my sleeve
If there's one thing I don't believe in ...

It's you ...

Dear God.

American Atheists National Convention: Day Two

There's another round of interesting speakers lined up today. Promoting her new book "God's Brothel," Andrea Moore-Emmett told us of her research of polygamy, which is still practiced today by some Mormons and some Christians, and not just in Utah. Unlike what's depicted the TV sitcom "Big Love," the women in polygamous families suffer greatly. Her book chronicles the personal stories of 18 women who broke free from their domination.

John Loftus is the former chief prosecutor for the Nazi War Crimes Unit of the US Department of Justice. His book Unholy Trinity: The Vatican, The Nazis, and the Swiss Banks exposes how Nazi war crimes were covered up by the entities in the book title. He spoke about his book, and he shared his thoughts on Islamic fundamentalism. He's optimistic that "faith-based terrorism" is on the wane.

Tanking the stage after the lunch break, Dave Fitzgerald gets his hour in the spotlight as he speaks on his forthcoming book "The 10,000 Christs and the Evaporating Jesus." Accompanied with a flashy PowerPoint presentation, he presented his case that Jesus Christ not only was not divine, but that he never existed at all. That may sound shocking at first, but Dave's extensive research finds that none of the writings about Jesus come from historians of the era and area; and the writings that do exist are anecdotal or unreliable. Moreover, the elements of the Jesus story (born of a virgin, performed miracles, died-resurrected-left earth) have been told many times for many Christlike figures long before Jesus' time. Dave posits that these scattered and similar religious movements coalesced into the "Jesus myth" that we now call Christianity. Dave's speech received a standing ovation and a rush to the stage by Frank Zindler, who credited Dave with summing up decades of Zindler's research and making it all into a fun hourlong presentation.

The author of what turned out to be a "trilogy" of books on the psychology of belief (Why People Believe Weird Things, How We Believe, and The Science of Good and Evil), Michael Shermer, was the final speaker. He presented his well-thought out theories on the origins of morality and why humans don't need gods to be good.

The day's last presentation is a panel discussion on "Big Tent Atheism" in which the discussion focus was on two different freethought student groups at The University of Texas at San Antonio and their differing approaches to publicity and public relations.

A day of deep discussions is followed by a night of frivolity along San Antonio's River Walk. Dinner, drinks, and dancing, in many fun places including Dick's Last Resort, Coyote Ugly, and Polly Esther's, kept many of us out till the wee hours. The stars at night are indeed big and bright ... deep in the heart of Texas!

American Atheists National Convention: Day One

The 32nd annual convention of American Atheists begins today in San Antonio. My good friend Dave Fitzgerald has been tapped as one of the many speakers, and I could not miss his big presentation (scheduled for Saturday afternoon, warming up Michael Shermer, an author whose "trilogy of belief" books I devour).

New Jersey State Director Dave Silverman (whose No God Blog is among the links on this blog's sidebar) introduced American Atheists President Ellen Johnson, who presented "It All Started With That Damn Atheist Woman," a video retrospective of AA founder Madalyn Murray O'Hair. Clips of O'Hair on the Phil Donahue Show and the Johnny Carson Show were precious. O'Hair was murdered here in San Antonio, which was the topic of Ed Martin's speech. Mr. Martin was the lead investigator and instrumental in solving the years-long mystery of the disappearance and murders of O'Hair and her two adult children. This story has nothing to do with atheism, but it is nonetheless fascinating.

After a "get to know you" lunch break with a dozen other attendees (no, we did not say grace!), Peter Nuhn and Rick Wingrove, of the Godless Americans Political Action Committee, talked about gearing up for the November elections.

Next up: biblical scholar/biology professor/ancient linguist Frank Zindler, who spoke on "The Theopolitics of Intelligent Design Creationism." The ID movement is dying fast, and Mr. Zindler explained why this was inevitable.

Beverly Hills attorney Eddie Tabash warned us of the rightward tilt of the Supreme Court and a looming constitutional amendment to "prevent desecration of the flag" which would weaken the First Amendment and "deify" a secular object -- outrageous (and totally un-American) concepts for this nation.

Wrapping up the day's speakers was "Devil's Game: How the United States Helped Unleash Fundamentalist Islam" author Robert Dreyfuss. He's an expert on the complex history of Islam and how our current President (and past Presidents) have, through ignorant meddling with and subsidizing of Muslim religious ideology, led to 9/11 and the civil war in Iraq. Check out his blog, The Dreyfuss Report.

The mood was celebratory at the evening banquet dinner, where, after an awards ceremony, atheist comedian Jamila Bey kept us in stitches with her "Joy without Jesus." She's the spawn of a Muslim father and a Southern Baptist-Catholic convert mother. Her husband is Jewish. Talk about a walking punch line!

Remembering The Alamo

After our dinner at La Fonda, Dave and I took a taxicab to the Alamo. On the way, our friendly driver gave us a true local's overview of San Antonio, pointing out the sights as we drove past them. As he takes us to our destination, he tells us "I was born and raised here, but I've never been in the Alamo!" He explains why: "You see, I am Mexican."

We brushed up on the history of the Alamo as we read the plaques on the grounds, and we were reminded that this land belonged to Santa Anna's Mexico before the 1836 Battle of the Alamo. After that historic battle, the independent Republic of Texas was created. In 1845 it joined the United States as the 28th state.

Moving to lighter topics, Dave and I were joking about where the basement was and where exactly was the spot that Ozzy Osbourne relieved himself back in 1982.

Tres Hombres / Fandango!

ZZ Top fans have waited a long time for this. "That Little Ol' Band From Texas" had a string of very worthy blues-rock-boogie albums in the 70s before their 80s reincarnation as long-bearded cheap-sunglasses-wearing sharp dressed men with a new fondness for the synthesizer. (Not that there's anything wrong with that, but it's almost like a whole different band.) Unfortunately, the 1987 CD versions of these roadhouse classics were vastly inferior to the original LP sound. The remastering added echo and pointless layers of new drum and guitar effects to make it sound more like the 1980s ZZ Top. One of the main reasons I still have my turntable is to enjoy these LPs the way they were meant to be heard.

Enter the good people at Rhino Records. Finally, in 2006, we have proper remasters of two of the great 70s albums, Tres Hombres and Fandango! Although I've grown accustomed to the pops and clicks of the LPs, these CDs sound incredible. They are faithful to the stripped-down basics of the LPs. There are even three powerful bonus live cuts on each CD.

My introduction to ZZ Top was in 1976. I bought Tejas on a whim at Jimmy's Music World in Manhattan. Reviews were positive in the music magazines, and it was only $3.99. The instant I laid the needle on the record and heard the drums opening "It's Only Love," I was hooked for life. Living in New York at the time, where southern boogie bands were not too popular, ZZ Top was my little secret throughout high school. I even drew an original logo for the band on the cover of my notebook. (It's stored in a box somewhere - when I find it I will scan and post it.)

Billy Gibbons is one of the best blues guitarists ever. Dusty Hill and Frank Beard make one tough rhythm section. They are Tres Hombres making crunchy All-American music. "You know what I'm talkin' about ... an' how how how how."

Rhino, thank you. Don't let us early ZZ Top fans have to wait several years for ZZ Top's First Album, Rio Grande Mud, and Tejas!