I know I've been posting like gangbusters lately what with testing out the new cam. Judging a digital camera by the way the pics look at 72 dpi / 400 pixel maximum width doesn't make much sense, I know. BUT, that is the basis for my happiness, nevertheless.

I could probably judge them "in context" just as well on Alamedalink. But it's just too lonely there. Doesn't feel the same.

Anyway, I may not always comment on all y'all's posts. But you're always in my thoughts. ;-)

In no particular order, and off the top of my head:

(e:Leetee,233) - omg, THAT is an adorable pic! Congratulations on winning second second place! And I hope you whip those morning delivery guys into shape soon.

(e:Mrmike,187) - holy crap, I almost walked into my bedroom and sobbed after reading your last post. Wish I could deliver a care package in person! Feel better soon!

(e:enknot,40) - (this is going a ways back, but I wanted to say something) CONGRATULATIONS ON LAUNCHING YOUR NEW EXTERNAL SITE!

(e:Theecarey,300) - LOVE the title! and would love to see some pix, although I know it's hard to frame interior room shots. But especially - good luck exploring your next step! More to say, but this is a comment, after all...

and last but not least...

(e:Paul,4690) - I am shocked, SHOCKED! That (e:Terry) did not win! It was definitely rigged. Or Buffalo is not ready for that much raw sexuality.

I think that's all for now.

I just found a dead bird in my upstairs kitchen sink, and a live one banging against the skylight trying to get out. I don't know how or when they got in, but I feel badly for the dead one I didn't go up there all weekend. I did manage to shoo the live one out the living room window though.

It really kind of shook me up. I don't like finding dead things in my house, or uninvited live ones. Finding both seems like a bad omen. Or at least, bad weather proofing, haha. I'd better make sure all outside openings are plugged up.

It's kind of ironic I'm planning to set up fake flying bats for Halloween. I'm not going to get as elaborate as my friend Steve does (see flying bat apparatus below).



I hope my battery-powered disco ball motor will do the trick. I just realized it's going to be hard to turn it on and especially off with all those bats swinging from it. Oh well, I'll figure out something.

The reason I was going upstairs today was to haul out some more items for my bulk pickup tomorrow. Unfortunately, I hit my quota, so I have to dispose of the bale of hay by another method. I decided someone else might want to use it for Halloween so I posted it on craigslist. Any takers?

Update: Too late. The fake bale of hay got scooped up for the Haight Street Halloween Hootenany this weekend. Sorry!



p.s. - I cannot believe (e:Paul) will be here in exactly one week! Unless he succumbs to this stubborn illness or his eyes pop out in-flight. Ok, now I'm freaking myself out again.

Little did I know Capsule SF was going on right in my own 'hood today. Good thing I have a digital camera!




I kind of ran out of steam at this point, but if you put the last two pictures together, you can see the Capsule Street Festival for Design was happening right next to this park in my neighborhood.

::Download Flash Video::

But in the end, I decided to take the easy way and and video tape it.

Above three photos sure signs you're in the mission.


It would be very easy to miss Clarion Alley. But there's a lot going on here today.








The Tamale Lady!


And my tamale.

::Download Flash Video::

It's easier to capture it in a movie.
(I have to apologize that I shot this movie holding my camera the wrong way. I rotated it in QuickTime Pro, but exporting it for estrip it got stretched again. D'oh!)

Today was pretty insane. Three street fairs (that I know of), two within a short walk of my house. Guess it's the last blow-out before the rainy season.

I hit this one fairly early, since it's a short walk from my house. It's still pretty mellow.
























Took the opportunity to get a picture of this house around the corner from me. I need to start thinking about paint colors for my exterior.

Decided to try the Postcard Row shot during the day time. Got a late start, so it's kind of hot and hazy already. Grabbed a few more shots along the way.


Fall color


Fillmore Street


Drum practice in the park


Hazy.


You can see the dome of City Hall, and I can pick out the Bay Bridge too in the distance too, but didn't really capture it here.

Since it was so hazy I decided to grab some shots in the shoe garden.

Well, the jury is still out. But let's see how these look online.

Keep in mind, by the time I got the thing home and charged the battery, the fantastic light from earlier today was fading fast. So these are mostly in much lower than optimum lighting, especially if you haven't read the manual yet.


If I had more time I could frame this right. Check out the ordinary citizens exercizing their dogs off-leash in front of City Hall. Don't forget to scoop!


I'll have to try this shot again. Was hoping for more detail.


Civic center buildings are still impressive, nevertheless.


This is not my container garden.


Folks enjoying the California "summer" weather at Moma Toby's, down the street from me.


Even in this light you can see why they call this Postcard Row. If I added 5 stories to my house, this would be the view from the top floor, haha. In the meantime, I have to walk four blocks uphill to see it.

These photos are not really "wowing" me, but I have 10 days to work on my technique and decide. Although I'm afraid to take the manual out of the shrinkwrap in case that won't count as returning it in it's original packaging. D'oh!

(Photos all shot between 6:10-6:50PM within walking distance of my house using the Canon PowerShot SD700.)

Paul, we just missed Eddie Brickell at The Fillmore last Tuesday. It would have been too damn depressing to go by myself so I missed it. Although I could have borrowed Larry's friend's stealth bootlegging gear and taped it for you, haha. But then you wouldn't have gotten to see all the concert posters. Cell phone pic below does not do them justice. All the walls upstairs are covered with them.



Oh well. Gives me a good excuse to change my usersound to your Eddie Brickell opening track. If my life was a movie, the isolated Alameda years would be cut to this tune.

Speaking of lousy cell phone pics, I have to either get a new cell phone or camera SOON! Or both. It dawned on me the other day while I was hunched over my computer reading camera reviews and examining sample photos, the last time I did this would have been October 1999 when I was still with Mark. I know this because I spent weeks researching digital cameras online and in stores. The house was strewn with highlighted and annotated camera reviews and it was all I could talk about.

Then Mark bought one for me at CostCo as an early Halloween gift. It wasn't any of the cameras on my short list, but you can't really be mad at your boyfriend for buying you a digital camera, right? I mean, it was great having it in time for Halloween (I was going to order my top pick online and I knew it wouldn't make it by Halloween, so I was holding off making the decision.) Still, it wasn't just about timing or money - it was about choosing the one I wanted.

Anyway, I have bought another digital camera since then. I knew I really needed a new one just for me when Alamedalink came along (which would be the "birth of a child" scene in my life movie). I was stoked to deck out my new baby with photos and banners to show that godforsaken island just how cool it could be. I had a tough but inspiring act to follow with all the cool photos and banners on (e:strip) from (e:Paul) and (e:Matthew) and countless other peeps. I just wanted to get the hell out there and start shooting - so I did a minimum of research and bought the best camera they had at CostCo.

I thought I was getting a step or two down from (e:Matthew)'s camera, but turns out mine wasn't even in the same league. Not that it would have made that much difference, since I still would have been the photographer. But at least I would have had a fighting chance.

I don't want to make that mistake again. A camera is not something I'm going to buy that often (I hope), but every time I look at the pictures, I don't want to wish they weren't so blurry, grainy, captured .07 seconds too late, etc. The rest of their defects I take complete responsibility for. ;-)

Anyway, I was remembering all this because I'm freaking out about getting a camera before (e:Paul) and Halloween arrive. In fact, I really want one before tomorrow so I can take pix at the [inlink]twisted,452[/inlink] block parties. The weather has been unbelievable lately. I didn't want to say anything because I know it's been crappy there, and I don't want to jinx it for Paul's visit. Larry was complaining it was so hot he had to walk on the shady side of the street yesterday. Which is pretty much the definition of "hot" out here, haha.

Speaking of Halloween, I happened to notice tickets for the Cramps are going for $72 online for some reason. That's crazy, since I'm pretty sure I can still bike down to the Fillmore and buy them for $25, which is still a lot, and there's already plenty happening on Halloween. But maybe I'll pick up a pair anyway. If we decide not to go I can always sell them to some out of town yahoos for $72 bucks, haha.



Ok, I really have to get out there now peeps. Time to "winterize" my container garden, which means throwing in some more pansies. Then some serious camera shopping. Wish me luck!

It's late, so I developed my own lazy [inlink]jenks,260[/inlink]soundtrack shortcut. These are all culled from the 86 tunes I sent to (e:Paul) [inlink]paul,2304[/inlink] lo these many years ago. (Wow, almost exactly two years ago.)

Speaking of coincidences, I just reloaded that playlist this morning. I had to reload it because it was lost in the tragic MP3mageddon of '02, which I don't think I ever told you guys about it, but it was very sad. Anyway, I had a hankering to listen to it again with Paul coming the week after next. Turns out it was also the perfect starting point for my soundtrack (the lazy version, that is).

Opening Credits:
Oscillate Wildly - The Smiths

Waking Up:
I Saw the Light - Todd Rundgren

First Day At School:
Stay Free - The Clash

Falling In Love:
At My Most Beautiful - R.E.M.

Breaking Up:
Ever Fallen In Love - Fine Young Cannibals

Prom
Bizarre Love Triangle - New Order

Life's Ok:
Follow Your Bliss - The B-52's

Mental Breakdown:
Walking on Broken Glass - Annie Lennox

Driving:
Driving Away From Home - It's Immaterial

Flashback:
Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before - The Smiths

Getting Back Together:
Hello It's Me - Todd Rundgren

Birth of Child
Up All Night - Boomtown Rats

Wedding Scene:
Perfect Day - Lou Reed

Final Battle:
True Love Wars - Erasure

Death Scene:
Victim Of Love - Erasure

Funeral Song:
Walk On - U2

End Credits:
Instrumental - Galaxy 500

Hey, that was fun! Thanks (e:Jenks) !

Stopped for a taco snack today on Market Street - panhandler central. The guy out front was doing his best to look down and out, but it was hard to take his "Broke, Hungry, Please help" sign seriously, especially since he flipped it over to "Need A Girlfriend!" whenever a girl walked by, haha.

I can't believe Halloween AND (e:Paul) will be here in less than two weeks! We are talking about two of my favorite things in the world AT THE SAME TIME! How crazy is that?

Oh ya, Paul, I reviewed the Halloween paraphernalia I've collected so far, and we could easily go as a roving rave if we want to mix it up. Especially when I get my battery operated disco ball motor. Which I need because I don't have a ceiling fan here, so how else can I get the flying bats in the belfry effect? I hope it works - seems like it should.

I was really hoping there'd be a good show at the Fillmore while (e:Paul) is here. It's an amazing venue, and it's cool to see the posters of all the previous shows since the '60s. And if you're lucky, you'll get a poster for that night's show on your way out. The Cramps are playing their usual Halloween show. I saw them in Boston way back when. Not sure if you'd be into them, but they're very appropriate for Halloween. The only shows I specifically remember seeing on Halloween were The Damned, and Human Sexual Response. OMG! That was a great show. I love HSR! Hit "play" on my usersound to see why.

Anyway, if we did go, and happened to get posters, the 1998 Cramps concert poster is now going for $48. So that could be a good investment! haha.

In any case, they haven't listed all the shows for the week you're here yet. And Marianne Faithful cancelled for Nov. 3, so depending on who they put in that slot, it could be a possibility. Although I did kind of have my heart set on Scissors for Lefty at The Rickshaw stop that night. If you were here right now we could see Yo La Tengo (at the Fillmore tonight through Saturday), and go to the Lower Haight block party and the Clarion Alley block party, both on Sunday. Oh wait, you're leaving on Sunday! But you haven't even gotten here yet!