I Wish They Come Back Soon...

At least this pet owner was smart enough to leave the windows open, parked in the shade and had someone in the vehicle... although doing the typical kid thing... fixated at an electronic do-dad.

ENOUGH !!!

In a few weeks, the month of August will be upon us.  Unless there is an agreement with the BART Management and the Employees Union, the entire Bay Area will once again be held hostage.  400,000 people will be impacted.  All for what.... GREED.  I have no sympathy for those making close to or over $100,000 a year complaining about not getting their 21% raise (over a 3-4 year period). $98 full family health care and having to contribute money towards their retirement.

Millions of people are in dire straights who would jump at the chance of getting a job that pays that well.

The BART Management had the public on their side until their hired $350,000 negotiator decided, two weeks before another strike, to go on vacation.

ENOUGH ALREADY.

BART.... understand this....
NO MORE TAX INCREASES.

NO MORE EXPANSION OF THE SYSTEM.
Do you know the phrase... fool me once, shame on you?
We're not going to allow you to hold a million people hostage if you get to expand the system.

For those of you who see no harm in giving the employees what they want... wake up.... who do you think is going to pay for it?
Are you ready to pay $1-$2 more for each trip?
Like paying the additional 1/4 percent extra sales tax?

BART BOARD....
Don't even think of running for another term or for some other public office.

People... unless you speak up, we're all going to get screwed all over again.

Gun Emplacements...

Walking up the Marin Headlands, you will encounter several gun emplacements that were designed to protect the West Coast.  The word "Cold War" comes to mind as the winds and fog enters the Golden Gate

Imagine the View...

Can you imagine the view of the Golden Gate from this building?

Arch Bridge...

Car Alarm and Safety Feature...

Wanna mess with this car ??

Mooove Over...

Empty Station - A Rant...

This week, the San Francisco Bay Area is being held hostage with a labor strike of the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system.

Approximately 400,000 daily users of the BART system are forced to find other means of transportation.

The crux of the problem?
The union representing the BART Employees want a 4% annual raise for the next 5 years plus Cost of Living Adjustments plus no increase in their contribution towards their health care (which currently is $92 a month for an entire family) and continued no contribution towards their pension program (which other public sector employees must contribute to).

There are times where labor unions are necessary due to managements unfortunate history of abuse.  So this is not a blast towards unions in general.  It's directed towards this particular strike at this time.

There are millions of Americans out of work - who want to work.
Millions who are about to become homeless because their unemployment benefits are about to run out.  Thousands who are forced to take jobs which makes them under-employed.
Many with little or no health care and many with no such thing as a pension program.

To not understand that having a fairly low cost health program, a pension program and make on average about $30 an hour..... (I'll hold my colorful metaphor reply).

Remember... there was a union called PATCO in the early 1980's.  Because certain Federal Government jobs had a "No Strike" clause - due to the importance and impact of their jobs on the welfare of the citizens.... perhaps it is time for State and Local governments enact legislation to be able to do the same as Ronald Reagan.... "you forfeit your employment".

With the state of the nation being what it is, you will easily have hundreds if not thousands of qualified people ready to take those jobs from those who don't seem to understand or care about the negative impact they are doing to the masses.

Greed comes in many forms and granted, the greed from the 1% is outrageous.  What's the difference here.  The 99% will end up paying for what will be some sort of settlement.

End of Rant

The New Human Posture...

Everywhere I go.  People all seem to have their heads...  Almost all the time.  If I were in advertising, I would just plant ads on the pavement.  Evolution over time may have future humans with heads that just stay flopped down.  (Full disclosure here... I'm guilty too).

Can you imagine...

What it must have been like to have been housed at "The Rock" while the rest of the Bay Area was just out your window?  A cloudy day indeed.

Let's See...

Where do I want to go???

Elevator to another time...

Hard to believe that Art Deco is going to be a hundred years old soon.

Hillside Garden...

The Garden...

Cellphone Cameras...

We take more photos today thanks to the cellphone camera.  Camera makers…WAKE UP.

Little Friend...

Saw this little guy/gal running around and eating way.  I reached into by bag and took out the "critter food" stash.  Took out an almond and waved at it to come on over.  He / she looked.... scampered over.  Took the nut from my hand, sat down next to me and ate away!

I asked him/her to come and sit on top of the stump.... it did.

After about 5 almonds, he/she decided to start to store them way!

Soon to Bloom...

Break Time...

Serious Picture Taking...

Pond...

Everyone on One Leg...

A Simple Time...

When your best guess was good enough when buying gasoline.

Memorial Day 2013

Please take a moment to pay tribute to those men and women in uniform, past and present, for whom this day is set aside for. 

Nature's Spotlight...

Where's the Colors ???

At one time, clothing was vibrant and alive with colors, patterns and style.  Today (and for quite some time), everything is bland, ugly and dark.

Perhaps a Future Dude...

Back Alley...

How much...

Don't be alarmed when you approach a parking meter to find out it will cost you $7 an hour.

The Reader...

Caption Needed...

Once again... nothing comes to mind.  Open to suggestions.

Social Media of Wheels...

I've noticed lately a bunch of cars running around San Francisco with Pink Mustaches.  Figuring it's San Francisco, I didn't think much about it... probably some sort of trend thing.  But the sheer volume of cars got me wondering.

These Pink Mustache cars are part of a social media / ride sharing / pseudo cab thing called Lyft.

What you do is use a phone app.  Locate the nearest vehicle and hail the car via phone.  The driver comes and pick you up.  Upon entering the vehicle, you do a quick hello fist pump (some sort of ritual thing) and off you go.  When you arrive at your destination, your phone receives a text message with the recommended donation (set rates are illegal without a taxi medallion ).  You pay via your cellphone.

Needless to say, the cabbies are not happy at all.  Having to pay thousands of a taxi medallion and following set fare rates.  However, there is a loophole on the rules and these Pink Mustache cars aren't going away anytime soon.  Cab service in San Francisco is not like New York and there's just not enough cabs to go around.

Ready to Steal Second....uh...stop light

This man must really love baseball !!

Hole...

Protesting...

Nerds and Freaks...

Did I miss something?  I don't recall Nerds and Freaks looking like this?  Spring and Summer is going to be murder to us guys.

The Art of Penmanship...

In a world full of computer generated text and fonts…. still nice to see someone being able to write with a bit of flare and style.

Good Doggie...

Behind the Lens...

Lovely...

Corkage...

International Orange Glow...

Talk About Clean...

To us fellow gear heads.  We understand.  Every nook and cranny and bolt and screw was clean.  Bravo!

Tools...

From a time when cameras were built to last.  There is just a lot of satisfaction in being able to create a photograph where it's up to you to put your knowledge to the test.  The feel of the controls and the feedback from these machines is pure heaven.

Morning Droplets...

Morning Coffee...

Signs...

Good to see that there's some artistic creativity around.