Coastside Barbershop -- March 30, 2014

The last time I went to the Coastside Barbershop, Frank Nash said he was going to retire in the Spring because he was going to be 83 and he had been barbering for more than 60 years.  Frank and his father opened the shop in 1956.  I went again yesterday in the rain.  Frank was working on someone else, so I got Sam, who fills in when Glenn is not there.  He did a good job.  When he finished, I thanked Frank for all the haircuts.  He thanked me for helping to feed his family.  I wish him well. 

Mabel Norman...in Her 90 H.P. Racing Car -- March 29, 2014

Mabel Normand (her name is spelled wrong in the caption) was a pioneering comic actress in movies.  When she was in her teens, Mabel Normand starting posing as a model for artists such as Charles Dana Gibson. She started acting in movies for several studios including Biograph, where she met Mack Sennett. When Sennett left Biograph to start Keystone in 1912, Mabel went along. She was engaged to Sennett for while, but they never married. People still debate the reasons. She became one of Sennett's most important comedians, but, like his other comedians, left Sennett for other studios and more money. Mabel starred in a series of popular features for Goldwyn, went back to Sennett, but then became tangled up in scandals, for things with which she was not involved. She died of tuberculosis at 37.  The image is from the 19-September-1914 Moving Picture World.  This is probably not just a publicity shot.  Mabel liked to drive fast cars. 

Big Tramp Steamships Arrive -- March 27, 2014

From the 22-September-1901 San Francisco Call. William A Coulter did many maritime drawings for the newspaper. Click on the image for a larger view. 

F. S. Ciampa, Flying Italian Flag, Drops Anchor in Port.

Among the fleet that made port yesterday were the Italian steamship F. S. Ciampa and the British steamship Cycle.  Both were under charter to load wheat, but the Ciampa was twelve hours behind her canceling date, and now the charterer does not want to pay as high a rate. The matter will probably be amicably adjusted on Monday.

The Ciampa was 25 days coming from Talcahuano, while the Cycle was 24 days coming from Hiogo. The former is 4040 tons gross and 2634 tons net burden. She was built in Genoa, Italy, in 1899, by N.
Odero & Co., and is 340 feet 5 inches long, 45 feet beam and 19 feet 8 inches deep.  Captain Cafaiero, who commands her, has scores of friends in this port, as he traded here for years in the ship Francesco Ciampa.

The Cycle is 3411 tons gross and 2227 tons net burden. She was built in Sunderland. England, in 1900, by J. L. Thompson & Sons, Ltd., and is 331 feet 2 inches long, 49 feet beam and 24 feet 5 inches deep. Each steamship will take away about 5000 tons of grain.

Shoreline Marker #2 -- March 26, 2014

Two plaques at Market and Battery Streets mark the San Francisco Bay shoreline when gold was discovered on 24-January-1848.  This one is on the northeast side of the intersection.  It was placed by the Native Sons of the Golden West in 1921. 

You can see the other plaque here:
http://cablecarguy.blogspot.com/2014/02/shoreline-marker-february-26-2014_26.html

 I took the photo on 25-February-2014. 

New Cat #5 -- March 25, 2014

I took the photo on 14-March-2014.  She no longer fits in the bed the SPCA gave her, but she still sleeps on it. 

Geometric Shapes -- March 23, 2014

I was walking through the Embarcadero Center on 14-March-2014 and I noticed how many geometric shapes I could see, including the Transamerica Pyramid. 

Glasshole Slocum -- March 22, 2014

"Follow Me -- I Ruin Yr Neighborhood Bar." 

I saw this sticker on a box on Drumm Street on 14-March-2014.  It took me a little while to figure out that it refers to the lady who went into Molotov's on Haight Street wearing Google Glass and became the object of the anger of the crowd who felt that she was violating their privacy.  Someone snatched the glasses from her but she got them back later.  It turned out that the crowd had a point; she had recorded the whole thing using Google Glass and turned it over to the police.  I try never to blame the victim, but Molotov's may have been the wrong place to wear Google Glass. 

Google publishes a guide to best practices for Glass wearers (https://sites.google.com/site/glasscomms/glass-explorers).  A pertinent paragraph under DONTS:
"Be creepy or rude (aka, a "Glasshole"). Respect others and if they have questions about Glass don't get snappy. Be polite and explain what Glass does and remember, a quick demo can go a long way. In places where cell phone cameras aren't allowed, the same rules will apply to Glass. If you're asked to turn your phone off, turn Glass off as well. Breaking the rules or being rude will not get businesses excited about Glass and will ruin it for other Explorers." 

Several bars and clubs have banned Google Glass or are reminding users of existing no camera policies.