Praise to fellow blogger Peter Bruce

I don't know how many of you have noticed, but on the righthand side of my blog you'll see a column of the San Francisco blogs I currently follow. One of my favorites is titled "1 Picture. 3 Words. 365 Days." This blog, started my Bay Area wedding photographer Peter Bruce, follows a daily routine of randomly picking people on various downtown streets in the City, taking their picture, and then asking for three words from them to describe their current mood/situation. Peter even has a link to his Cafe Press store which sells everything from hats to hoodies. All profits will help publish a book of the whole project; all 365 days on day 366.

Nice.

I really enjoy this blog! Every day, the photo selected reaches out to you and seems to fall into place with the rest of his collection. What a great idea - a virtual photo journal of 365 random citizens summing up their mood in three words. Brilliant.

Pip, pip, cheerio!!

About 12 years ago I briefly dated this scientist who had a penchant for the Beatles and carried about 25 patents. We have since parted ways, but at the time weekends were spent cruising up and down the California coast in search of rare gems. Cameron's in Half Moon Bay was one of them.

This place was like nothing I had ever seen. Thousands of beer cans from all over the world covered the walls (see Pictures tab on the website). As you walked in, you immediately felt as though you'd been born there. What a home away from home.

Out back, Cameron's offers a rather unusual array of old double decker buses from London. These buses are open to the public, and you are free to enjoy a drink and/or a smoke inside these UK treasures. They are actually set up as mini diners inside with tables and seats.

Cameron's in also a bed and breakfast offering charming rooms at a reasonable price.

Clowns to the left me, jokers to the right

The Purple Onion
(thanks to Wikipedia for the 411)

The Purple Onion is a well known club in the North Beach neighborhood of San Francisco located at 140 Columbus (between Jackson and Pacific). The club offers an intimate, 80-person setting and was a popular influence in local music and entertainment during the Beat era. Lenny Bruce, Mort Sahl, Woody Allen, Richard Pryor, Maya Angelou, Phyllis Diller (who made her stand-up debut here), the Kingston Trio, and the Smothers Brothers (who recorded their first album, Live at the Purple Onion there) all played the club through the 1950s & 60s.

In the early 90s, owner Tom Guido made the club the center of San Francisco's garage rock scene. Although almost always packed, Guido's mismanagement and penchant for giving away free beer doomed the future of the club.

In 2004, the club returned to its comedy roots. A weekly comedy night was started that featured comedians such as Robin Williams, Paul Krassner, Jim Short and Tom Rhodes. Since then, comedians such as Greg Proops, Zach Galifianakis, Todd Barry, Dan Piraro (yes, of Bizarro fame) and Judah Friedlander have all graced the Onion's stage. Today, the club's weekly comedy nights are produced by Bay Area comedy website SF Standup.

The Purple Onion is a comedy landmark. In 2005, the San Francisco Bay Guardian voted it the "Best back-from-the-dead nightclub". Don't ya just love miracles?

Here we go again

I seem to remember a time back in the 1990s when MUNI attempted to get rid of transfers....are you laughing as hard as I am? Those sure were funny times. I think it lasted about a month and soon peace was restored on all MUNI lines. Thousands of us public transit riders breathed a sigh of relief and foolishly thought they had learned their lesson.

Not hardly.

With the City's budget out of whack, and overpaid underworked bigwigs doing everything in their power to maintain their 6 figure incomes, it's now been proposed that MUNI cut several routes and raise fares, thus you will be paying more for less. Weren't we doing that already? I was very surprised to see that the fare had jumped to $1.50 already! When was this??? Now they want to hike it up another 50 cents to $2.00?? Really?

Last month, the agency proposed to cut several lines altogether, such as the 3-Jackson, 4-Sutter, 7-Haight, 20-Columbus, 26-Valencia. The Examiner reported on May 1st that all proposed route eliminations and fare hikes (including a $60 monthly Fast Pass) were approved. Awww, come on!!

There goes another piece of the City.

Letters to our Mothers

Dear Mom:
Thank you. For all the hugs, and coffee chats, and constant support no matter how stupid my actions. Thank you for the cookies, and the Blair orders, and the slippers, and Santa goodies ever year. Thank you for listening to me no matter how upset (or drunk) I was. Thank you for never losing faith in your Pooh. Thank you for every loaf of zucchini bread. Thank you for those cookbooks you spent a whole summer putting together just for me. Thank you for listening to my piano playing over the phone and NOT cringing. Thank you for all the movie recommendations. Thank you for all the music. Thank you for sharing the funniest commercials on tv with me. Thank you for all the Twilight Zone marathons. Thank you for all the good times at Western Village. Thank you for hanging in there as long as you could. Thank you for giving me so much love and I look forward to endless Downy hugs. Thank you for getting my jokes. Thank you for laughing at my Rod Serling impressions. Thank you for always knowing what I needed and when I needed it. Thank you for sharing in my joys and achievements. Thank you for giving me a solid private school education. Thank you for never giving up on me. Thank you mom for bringing me into this world. I try to make the most of it every single day.

Miss you and love you,
Your Pooh

Happy Mother's Day to you and yours. Peace.

Wanna stop and smell the roses? It'll cost ya....

Can't....take....it.....must.....vent.....

Over the years, one of the most unsettling truths about the City I love is that it no longer loves me. Nor does it seem to care much for the hundreds of thousands of us that either grew up there, or even still can afford to call it home.

Seems every day, more and more San Franciscans are fighting tooth and nail to hold on to those seemingly small, yet VERY significant, pieces of their culture. It wasn't always this way. Frankly, it never should have been.

Such is the case regarding the SF Botanical Gardens (i.e. Strybing Arboretum). A recent city meeting was held to try and convince locals that it is absolutely a GRAND idea to start charging upwards of $7.00 to stroll through a public garden that otherwise has been FREE since 1940. For 70 years, maintaining these gardens was possible, but somebody finally figured out that they weren't turning a profit, and realized that in today's San Francisco, that's ILLEGAL!! The Dept of Parks & Rec claim the gardens as they sit now aren't good enough. Seems we must "Disney" ourselves up to compete with the rest of the nation, or the world, or the universe, or some other ridiculous argument that only serves to show, yet again, just how greedy and clueless our city officials have truly become.

Nancy McNally of San Francisco recently shared some disturbing photos with me regarding the upcoming King Tut exhibit at the California Academy of Sciences. I was confused. Was it a museum exhibit, or the newest ride at Six Flags??? So hard to tell!! And while we are on the subject, since when did good ol' Great America become SIX FLAGS? (I know it was owned by Marriott, but still). And am I the only one that became outraged when the new Giants ballpark was called PAC BELL PARK? 3 COM? ORACLE Arena (aka the old Oakland Coliseum)??!?!?!? What's next, Microsoft Gardens???

Okay, so here's the next question: What can I do?

Well, you can start by visiting THIS ONLINE PETITION to make your voice heard. Residents want to live in a city - not an amusement park.

Seems its working. Check out this recent post from Livin' in the Loin. (Great blog by the way!!!) Never underestimate the power of angry inner Sunset residents!!

The city of my youth was a city of character; bold and stunning uniqueness that stood out among other major U.S. cities. We never required a corporate sponsor. Since when does it cost money to stroll through a public garden? Before long, photgraphing our landmarks will require a permit and an ALL SEASON PASS!

To live here is/was an honor, a birthright, not an award to the highest bidder!!! ARGH!!

It's only noon, and I need a drink...

Mother's Cookies Update UPDATE

Okay, here we go - Kellogg's HAS released Mother's Cookies at Safeway's in the Bay Area and they are in fact Mother's!!! No Flaky Flix (sigh) but plenty of the true classic favorites. If anyone out there would like to send me a package of Circus Animal cookies (because I know how you all love me) email me at hcstockham@msn.com. Please let me know how these new Mother's Cookies stand up to the original.

Now go grab some milk and start snackin'!

Mother's Cookies UPDATE

Just when all hope was lost:

Earlier this week I posted a blog entry regarding the demise of Mother's Cookies, an Oakland institution for almost 100 years. I scoured through pages of comments on various sites left by heartbroken cookie connosieurs that were determined NOT to open that LAST bag of Circus Animal Cookies hidden in the pantry for fear that it may be their last. Well, I have some wonderful news for you all:

Circus Animals are back. Really. I think.

According to one of my readers, somewhere in all this hostile corporate hijacking and bankruptcy filing, Nabisco has just come out with what they call Nabisco Classics which, as far as either one of us can tell, are Mother's cookies. I don't see Flaky Flix in that assortment, but I do see circus animals, and that's just fine. I am still rubbing my eyes in amazement.

The only thing that really concerns me is that I have read time and time again how so many of these products are bought up by other companies,the recipe is changed, they are re-released, and long time fans run out to buy them up, only to be sadly disappointed that they are nothing like they used to be. As I read more about these new circus animals, I am seeing it seems to be the case. Big thumbs down. But I am still hopeful - I have to be!

This happened to me recently when I bought a few tubes of Flicks. Back in the 1970s and 1980s, Ghirardelli had these delicious chocolate candies called Flicks. They looked like flat oversized chocolate chips and they came in colored cardboard tubes. They vanished for years, then resurfaced not too long ago on one of those "candy from your childhood" websites. I couldn't resist, but to my dismay, these things were disgusting; nothing like the original.

Tomorrow is grocery day. I know what I'll be looking for.

Museum of Toons? ZOINKS!

Tucked away in between 2nd and 3rd Streets on Mission (Yerba Buena Gardens) is the too often overlooked Cartoon Art Museum. Started in 1984, this "museum without walls" wandered from exhibit to exhibit until finally setting up shop in 1987 at its current location. This was made very possible by the very generous backing of Charles M. Schultz (Peanuts).

The Cartoon Art Museum is the only museum on the West Coast dedicated to cartoon art in all its many forms. This unique institution houses approximately 6,000 original pieces in its permanent collection and a complete volume research/library. In addition to seven major exhibitions a year, the museum has a classroom for cartoon art and a bookstore.

Currently, the museum is showcasing two very fabulous exhibits that are definitely worth checking out:





WATCHMEN thru July 19th

The Cartoon Art Museum presents an in-depth look at the film and the graphic novel that inspired it in its latest exhibition.



The Art of Stan Sakai thru July 5th

The Cartoon Art Museum proudly presents The Art of Stan Sakai: Celebrating 25 Years of Usagi Yojimbo, a career-spanning retrospective featuring over 60 pieces of original artwork by the critically-acclaimed artist.

Click here for more information.

For love of coffee

Last time I was in San Francisco was back in 2007. I was living just north of Boston at the time and had traveled back home to take care of some unfortunate family business. While passing through SFO, imagine my surprise to find a Peet's coffee kiosk tucked away at the end of one of the terminals!! It was been so long since I had enjoyed a true cup of coffee (New England is Dunkin' Donuts country). I think I sort of freaked out the girl behind the counter when I gleefully exclaimed, "You have no idea how happy I am to see you!!!" Still, she was more than cordial, and within moments I was indulging in a cup o' joe so thick that had I used a spoon, it would have surely disintegrated. Lucky for me, Peet's is now available at my local Kroger market in whole bean form here in Raleigh!

I mention this because today I go to work for one of the biggest coffee conglomerates in the known universe, Starbucks. Although I am the last to admit to being a fan of corporate coffee, I definitely look forward to surrounding myself with one of my favorite guilty pleasures. But still, I miss my hometown brew.

Luckily, there are a few very well-reviewed local coffee roasters worth checking out should you ever find yourself in need of something unique and tasty:

Blue Bottle Coffee
315 Linden St
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 252-7535

Numerous reviews say this locally micro-roasted organic coffee is tops. This would definitely be one of my first stops.

Philz Coffee
Three locations in the city, including the Castro, the Mission, and Mission Bay
Also coming soon to San Jose and Berkeley

Philz Coffee in San Francisco has developed a devoted following, and for good reason. The twenty blends that are now available by the pound are the result of 25 years of coffee alchemy and invention. How can a true coffee connoisseur resist?

Peet's Coffee and Tea
Various locations nationwide

Alfred Peet first started roasting the seedlings of the coffee revolution in his tiny location on Vine Street in Berkeley back in 1966. Today, his coffee is availble throughout the United States and has never lost its unique body or zesty aroma. This is coffee to swear by, and believe me I do, on a daily basis.

This list is far from complete, so it's really up to you to get out there and support your local coffeehouse to find that "perfect cup o' joe" and when you do, feel free to email me at hcstockham@msn.com because I never know when I will be back in my hometown, jonesing for java!

Edible Expeditions May 7- Nov 1

Coming soon to the Conservatory of Flowers in San Francisco's historic Golden Gate Park:

Edible Expeditions

This is a great opportunity for foodies of all ages to get a chance to experience gourmet finds frm all over the world. Arranged in lush garden demonstrations, you'll see chocolate, vanilla, coffee, rice and spices galore. Find out just how these treasures find their way into your pantry and onto your palate.

Click here for more information.

Mother's Cookies RIP 1914-2008

Old news for some, a shocking realization for others

As many of you are well aware by now, or if some of you are wondering why you haven't been able to find a package of iced oatmeal cookies on local Safeway shelves, Mother's Cookies of Oakland, CA bought the farm last October when bankruptcy swept them up and away, along all of our favorite treats as kids, like Circus Animals, Taffy, and the almighty most delicious Flaky Flix.

According to cookie legend, Mother's was founded in 1914 by a newspaper vendor named N.M. Wheatley, as a one-man shop. It expanded and moved to the 81st Avenue location in 1949.

Throughout the 1990s, up until their abrupt closure in 2008 Mother's had been handed of to many different owners and from what I have heard is currently owned by Kelloggs but whether or not these timeless treats will be put back into production is still in question.

I don't know how I can live in a world without Flaky Flix! It was pure genius - crispy wafers with chocolate creme in between , covered in milk chocolate, and THEN rolled in some sort of Corn Flake mixture. Sheer bliss.

Doesn't Kellogg's make Corn Flakes? Hmmmm.....

Paris Hilton don't eat that.....

The only thing San Francisco about this post is that it comes from SFGate.com and comes from an AP medical writer, but it definitely had to be shared:

Paris Hilton not only one confused about swine flu
By LINDSEY TANNER, AP Medical Writer

Friday, May 1, 2009


(05-01) 01:06 PDT CHICAGO, (AP) --

Paris Hilton says "I don't eat that" when asked about swine flu in an online video. She's not the only one confused about the outbreak.

Others have vowed to stop eating pork. Some, worried about germs spreading in confined spaces, won't fly — anywhere. Or they think petting zoos and farm visits are off limits.

Like the swine flu itself, misinformation is spreading like a virus across the Internet, around the watercooler and across the backyard fence. Here are some facts to dispel myths about swine flu.

Q: Should I avoid pork?

A: There's no evidence that swine flu spreads through pork. While it's important to cook it properly to protect against other germs, experts say even handling raw pork poses no realistic risk of swine flu.

Q: What about airplanes — aren't airline cabins breeding grounds for germs?

A: Vice President Joe Biden suggested he believes that when he said Thursday he has advised his family not to fly. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises against going to Mexico, the country hardest hit by swine flu. And public health officials say people with flu symptoms should avoid public transportation. But they aren't telling healthy people to avoid all air travel, and Obama administration representatives later said Biden had misspoken.

Most modern airliners have air filtering systems that are as efficient at weeding out germs as those used in hospital isolation units. While there have been occasional infectious disease outbreaks associated with airplane travel, they're not common, and generally only people within a few rows of the sick individual have gotten sick.

"We shouldn't go overboard" on limiting air travel, said Dr. Mark Dworkin, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Illinois at Chicago. But he said it's a good idea to check the CDC's Web site before making travel plans because the agency's advisories may change as the outbreak develops.

Q: My child's preschool class is planning a visit to a petting zoo — with piglets. Should we skip it?

A: Dr. Kenneth Alexander, the University of Chicago's pediatric infectious disease chief, says there's no danger in touching pigs, although a sneezing, sick-looking animal should be avoided. Adults also should be vigilant about making sure kids keep their hands away from their faces after contact with farm animals and they should always wash their hands thoroughly afterward.

Q: My child is healthy and there are no reports of flu at her school, but I'd feel more comfortable keeping her home for a while.

A: Right now, public health authorities say there's no reason to restrict healthy children if there's no flu at school. That could change if the outbreak turns into a global pandemic.

Q: If this outbreak is declared a real worldwide pandemic, tens of millions will get sick and die, just like in the 1918 Spanish flu — right?

A: Public health officials say there are a lot of reasons why that's unlikely, at least in the United States. Unlike that crisis, we now have flu-fighting medicines and antibiotics for secondary infections such as pneumonia, which killed many people during the 1918 outbreak.

Because it appears to be a novel flu strain, everyone exposed to the virus is at risk of getting sick. Authorities are trying to determine how aggressive the new flu is, but even if it turns out to be a particularly dangerous strain, the United States and other developed countries have a strong surveillance network and comprehensive public health measures that didn't exist in 1918, Dworkin noted.

If the new flu turns out to be similar to regular seasonal flu, as some authorities predict, Dworkin said it might double the number of illnesses and deaths seen in an average flu season. In the United States, that would mean about 70,000 deaths and more than 400,000 hospitalizations.

In developing nations, without strong public health networks, the situation could be more dire.

"It could do much more harm than we would see in a country like ours," Dworkin said.

More free stuff...

One of my loyal blog followers, Celestine S of San Bruno, has been nice enough to give me a few additions to the list:

More free things in San Francisco:

Asian Art Museum is free the first Sunday of every month.


SF Zoo is free first Wednesday of every month.

Free swing dance lessons every Sunday at the bandshell in Golden Gate Park.


If there is one thing to be said for those of us who grew up in SF, especially those of us with families of our own, we sure learn to be frugal. Thanks!!!

Free in San Francisco

As usual, while doing some research for a proposed blog topic, I end up coming across something completely unrelated that compels me to post about that instead!

Living in the city is expensive, to say the least. I am surprised Gavin Newsom hasn't proposed a "taking up space" fee for full-time residents. Worry not, for there are many things in San Francisco that are ABSOLUTELY FREE!

Thanks to a fabulous blog called "Free in SF" and a little Googling, I was able to put together a pretty good list of things to do without going broke.

Botanical Gardens (Strybing Arboretum)

Escape to a unique urban oasis of extraordinary beauty. Enjoy the San Francisco Botanical Garden's world of gardens, excellent horticulture library, bookstore, and education programs. The San Francisco Botanical Garden is open daily, 365 days a year and is free to the public. Weekdays: 8:00 am to 4:30 pm. Weekends & Holidays: 10 am to 5 pm. FREE GUIDED WALKS are given daily at 1:30 pm.

First Tuesdays

Downtown: Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Museum of Craft and Folk Art, and Cartoon Art Museum (pay what you wish).

Golden Gate Park: de Young Museum and the Conservatory of Flowers

Outer Richmond district: Legion of Honor

Third Wednesdays (Academy of Sciences)

The Academy of Sciences is free on the third Wednesday of every month, which this month will be on May 20. Check out the new living roof!!!

Fun facts: The new building cost $500 million dollars. The roof contains 1.7 million native plants. Sixty-eight percent of the building’s insulation is from recycled blue jeans. The Philippine Coral Reef tank holds 212,000 gallons of water. Inside the rain forest exhibit, it’s 82-85 degrees Fahrenheit, and the humidity is at least 75%. The blue-whale skeleton hanging from the ceiling is 87 feet long.
Open 9:30 am - 5:00 pm in Golden Gate Park @ 9th Avenue (near bandshell)

And of course, the scenery is ALWAYS free!! Now get out there and enjoy the City!

Do you have a suggestion for this list?? Email me at hcstockham@msn.com

Colma: The Musical!

***After a brief hiatus at Atlantic Beach with John, I am back, albeit sunburned, and ready to dive back into our beloved City blog!!****

Yes, you read that right - there is actually a musical based on the little city of Colma, California. For those of you that don't know, Colma is a small town that rests just south of San Francisco, right after Daly City (where I grew up!). As a kid, I recall the strange bumper stickers around town that read, "It's great to be ALIVE in Colma!"

What's the joke, you ask? Well, it is fairly common knowledge that the only burial places in the city proper are the S.F. Columbarium and San Francisco National Cemetery in Golden Gate Park, neither one providing space for public burial. Just about anyone who passes away in San Francisco is buried at one of the many cemeteries in Colma, making the deceased to living ratio approximately 1500:1.

This fact has always intrigued me, so I set out to do a little Colma research, only to find the very first entry on the Google search results to be....Colma: The Musical! Am I the only one that feels a sudden urgent need to see this film???

I never thought this sleepy "dead" town would ever become the theme for a film that, in 2006, was awarded the Special Jury Prize at the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival, among various others.

I definitely will be looking for this in my Netflix queue with a review sure to follow.

a warm san franciscan night....

The San Francisco of the 1960's was a place that oozed hip. Music and art came together in such a perfect union it is easy to claim that the Hippie movement of this era inspired a sound that to this day is not only revered, but copied and built upon.

Two heads really are better than one!


the LIVE version!!


Awesome song!!


its my grammar school....St. Stephen!


QMS - Edward the Mad Shirt Grinder circa 1970

Lollipop Concerts

As a child, it was my good fortune to attend Catholic grammar school (insert nod or laughter here). One of the many perks this status provided was the opportunity to attend one of the San Francisco Symnphony's many children's concerts. I honestly don't know how many they actually had that were geared towards kids, but it seemed the only one they ever took us to was "Peter and the Wolf".

Why they were called lollipop concerts I never understood - no free lollipops were distributed and no lollipops were down on stage making music - I am pretty sure those were in fact people. Maybe it was because we were all "suckers" for having to go. Perhaps it was just a code word that meant "this is a kid friendly concert!" But then I am left to wonder, what sort of concert could the S.F. Symphony POSSIBLY present that was NOT child-friendly? Were there some sort of midnight performances at the Market Street Cinema that none of us were aware of?

I remember absolutely nothing about the concerts we went to, all I remember was the vastness of Davies Symphony Hall, getting lost (twice), and all that glass.

Oh, how the great have fallen

I really wish I could find someone to explain to me why it is that San Francisco feels this ever growing need to destroy and forget its past.

One of the most disturbing trends that has swept San Francisco in recent years is the snowballing closure of local single screen and small scale theaters. The Coronet, The Alexandria, The Metro, The Royal, The Alhambra...the list goes on and on.

These are the places we visited as children and again as young adults; it was where we got a glimpse at diversity and culture, while already growing up in one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world. These landmarks were historic treasures built with craftsmanship and beauty. How and why did this happen?

Overdevelopment happened. People decided they needed BIGGER and BETTER...LOUDER and FLASHIER. In gaining these things we have lost pieces of our past, replaced by mega-gyms and parking lots. They really DID pave paradise....







Luckily, there are organizations that work to fight such abominations, such as the Friends of 1800.

But look on the bright side!!! Many of our classic theaters remain. At last glance, the list included the Presidio, the Marina a.k.a. Cinema 21, the Clay on Fillmore,the 4 Star on Clement (running Asian films now), the Red Vic on Haight, the Roxie on 16th, the Lumiere on Polk, the Empire on West Portal and a handful more. Get out and about in your neighborhood to see which ones are near you!

As far as historic movie houses go, only one true "palace" remains, and that is the one and only Castro Theater. This theater has been completely restored and kept so beautiful...the orchestra pit even still has a Wurlitzer organ which still plays pre-show (as far as I know)! I was lucky enough to see a few great films here such as Casablanca, Yellow Submarine, and one of the infamous midnight showings of the Rocky Horror Picture Show.



Please do your part to keep these important pieces of San Francisco history alive and thriving! Instead of heading to the Metreon this weekend with the masses, how about a cozy independent/foreign film at your local neighborhood movie house? Isn't that what being a San Franciscan is all about?

Here's to the ghosts of yesteryear. Cheers.

San Francisco Columbarium

I had always wondered what this building was...and now I know!

The Columbarium of San Francisco is a repository for human ashes owned and operated by the Neptune Society of Northern California. Built in 1898 by architect Bernard J.S. Cahill, the Columbarium is a beautiful example of Neo-Classical architecture. The copper-domed Columbarium holds the remains of some of San Francisco's most prominent founding families, and memorials to such notable individuals as Harvey Milk. It is the only non-denominational burial place in the City of San Francisco with space available.



The Columbarium is at 1 Loraine Court, near the intersection of Stanyan and Anza Streets, just north of Golden Gate Park. It is open to the public.*

* File and photo courtesy of wikipedia.org