rinse cycle

The City and the Board of Parks and Recreation has finally closed the eviction saga on the Haight-Ashbury Recycling Center. The recycling center served a purpose long ago when recycling centers were rare, and curbside recycling but a green dream. But in the past 15 years, the eastern end of Golden gate Park has become dense with homeless, drugs, crime, and vagrants determined to make the park their own realm of squalor. I am not insensitive to the plight of the urban homeless, and used to be active in Old First Presbyterian's faithful response to homelessness. However, I am also a passionate support of parks and nature preserves. And those camped at the eastern end of the Park (my neighborhood) are not "down on their luck" or looking for a place or way off the streets. These are either drug-addled are disturbed, and increasingly violent people. Just this week one such person at the Stanyan and Haight entrance to the park laid down and blocked traffic, then seriously wounded the two police offers who stopped to offer aid. The young people who flock to the Haight to do drugs and "hang out" indefinitely just piss me off (aka "trustifarians" as some live off trust funs while the hip it out in the Haight. They can't afford food or shelter, but sport thousands of dollars in ink and piercings.). And they have pushed this liberal San Franciscan [this close] to becoming that old guy who yells at them to get off his lawn. As it is I sometimes shout, but too often just shrug, as they piss on our stoop doorway, defecate in our driveway, and break into our cars. And yet the price of a one bed-room place is $1,700/month, or $750,000 to buy in this otherwise wonderful neighborhood.

Drug addiction and street crazy are real, serious urban problems. But is is not the mission of the park system to address them. HANC, the Haight Ashbury Neighborhood Council, consists solely of old, former hippies who think we can all just hug it out in the Park. And they have fought tooth-and-nail as the established neighborhood political power group, against the objections of the other coalitions of neighbors and local businesses. Long ago the "recycling center" became the ATM for the homeless, and according to all non-HANC accounts, for drug buys. The City pays dearly for curbside recycling, and the curbside recycling company can only operate by recouping some of its expenses from the recyclable materials they collect. So now every resident dutifully separates their recycling, and once a week puts it out on the curb, where it is legally a crime to steal it as that is the currency used to pay for the recycling service. But once the big blue bins hit the curb, the scavengers come by, rummage through (although sometimes tidily), take anything with a redemption value, haul it away, and wait until morning where they can exchange it for cash down the street, and then drugs again just mere feet away. This is readily observable and repeatedly documented. As the eviction process got increasingly hostile a couple of years ago, the center added a small "native plant nursery" inside in an attempt to legitimize their use and continuing operations (We're in the park! We have plants! It's wrong to evict us! Please ignore the rampant drug abuse and violence!).

The City has very limited resources for either its green environmental programs (like curbside recycling and composting) or green environment programs such as Parks and Recreation. HANC wants to keep the center to serve the homeless. The Center is on Park land and falls under their responsibility and liability.

I reiterate: Homelessness and drug addiction are problems worthy of attention. It is not the Mission of the park to address them. Cash for stolen materials to fund drug abuse is not an appropriate allocation of citizen, City, or Park resources, nor something to be preserved in a residential neighborhood.

The Park and City have been trying to shut this blight down for more than a decade. The lease was up ten years ago. The final, final eviction came in November. The HANC has been all but violent against the closure for years.

After two years (three?) of eviction notices and protests and refusals to vacate, the City and the Sheriff took the only option remaining to them to fulfill due process: They bulldozed the place.

And in true San Francisco nutter fashion, protestors threw themselves in font of it. See the ABC news piece. However, the 1,000 people the HANC president claimed to have pledged to chain themselves to the center last year never appeared. It was closer to three.

The planned future park use is for a community garden, which is in keeping with the hopes of the actual neighbors (not HANC, the center is near neither Haight nor Ashbury) and the mission and charge of Parks and Recreation.

I had noticed that it was finally gated off, but I didn't notice it gone when I walked home last night. I'm looking forward to seeing what the site looks like now, and very much looking forward to seeing the site in the future.

Update:
Here's the view from my walk this morning. a backhoe was still moving bits around.

why I don't leave my SF Safe Zone anymore

Going downtown for a Davidson College alumni drink thing last night, I was struck by (1) hot hot the guys are leave work around six-thirty from jobs in the Financial District are and (2) I never seem to leave my SF Zone any more.  I can't remember the last time I was in North Beach.  And I am sure I have spent some ironic time in Fisherman's Wharf much more recently than I have been to the Marina.  My Mission outings, generally for black-box theater or honky tonk fare, are targeted destinations— are as far away from the hipster blocks as I can make it.  While I feel I have isolated myself a bit in this City that has So Much, I am comfortable spending my time in the Cole Valley, the Castro and South of Market.  My version of "venturing out" from these places is for theater (and the occasional shopping or cocktail) on the seedier side of Union Square.  I know these neighborhoods and they know me.  I like that I can go for something known and yet be surprised.  I know I can go out alone yet be surrounded by people who know my name  Last weekend just stepping out for a haircut, I spent over half an hour at the corner of Castro and 18th visiting with and endless array of friends passing by.

Last night the alumni event was at Rickhouse on Kearny at Sutter.  As I was walking up from the Montgomery Street station, my first thought was, "Why don't I come out here any more?"  As I approached the bar, I thought, "Oh, that's right.  Because I don't need to to douche."  I wondered who chose their venue for an alumni function.  There was a line to get in.  Really?  A line for a downtown bar just past happy hour on a Thursday?  Other than overwhelming volume, underwhelming service and a pretentious price point, there was nothing really to recommend it.  Maybe I'm just an old bear.  The crowd was very Young Professionals.  Guys who would have last decade been described as metrosexuals and college graduate girls hunting aggressively for professional boyfriends.  If I were straight and in my early twenties I might have thought this was "the bomb" or whatever the kids are calling it these days.  Maybe I was just a little bitter in my maturity when I noted that the guys were predominately very young, very fit, and generally handsome and all with full heads of hair.

I am also still off carbs and booze and my mood has been firmly ensconced in grumpy if not crotchety of late.

Rickhouse is the newest rough-hewn manifestation of the Trendy Whisky Bar.  I loathe all things trendy, and the crowd was definitely trend-chasing (but not trendsetting), and full of people who by appearances drank whisky because it was the new cool thing to do.  As someone who suckled on the teat of whisky long before it became The New Cosmo, I admittedly look down my nose at the bourbon-come-latelys with a bit of smugness and disdain.

I'm realizing now I am just sounding like a dick, or someone who will grow up to be a scheming caretaker ultimately foiled by a couple of meddling kids and their pesky dog.  Put me back in a bear bar and give me a cocktail and a carbohydrate and I'll perk back up.

But deliver me from the douche.

On the bright side, I met a Davidson alumna in line I hadn't seen since the last one years ago, and inside I got to catch up with two good friends I hadn't seen perhaps since I left Davidson in 1993.  Kristin lives in SF and I have only run into her once—as she ran by during Bay to Breakers.  Molly is a mother of two (three?) now in Arlington and just happened to be out here and came to the event.  Despite the voice and the crowd, we had a good catch up.


What prompted this rant in the first place, and brought to mind the scene last night, was this gem found via Uptown Almanac:  Douchey and Hipster.  The white boy rap about the young men who consider themselves SF Playahs, and the girls who love them.



This is why I keep it in The Zone.

advice for the inexperienced straight girl in the gay bar

My Baby's Got a Secret
Okay, it's a little hackneyed, and to me a bit meh overall, but there is a mostly entertaining post over at Gawker: The Secrets Gay Men Don’t Want Straight People to Know. The funny in it is that, yeah, it's pretty much all true.

From the bit:

We Have Our Own Celebrities
Straight people think, "Oh, the gays love Madonna and Lady Gaga and Kathy Griffin." Yes, it's true, but there is a class of gay superstars you don't even know about. You think gay people love Gaga? You should hear when a Robyn song comes on at a gay bar. Then it is fucking over. Don't forget the Scissor Sisters, anyone who was ever on RuPaul's Drag Race, Ben Cohen, cabaret superstar Mx. Justin Vivian Bond, or all the women whose careers we are personally keeping alive like Cyndi Lauper, Margaret Cho, and Sandra Bernhard. You may think you know what we like, but you don't even know the half of it.

We Don't Love Drag Queens As Much As You Do
Drag queens are great! Some of my best friends are drag queens, and some of them put on great shows. But we see drag queens all the damn time. You can hardly go to a gay bar without running into one who is "hosting," doing a lip sync number, running a contest, or just generally harassing people. For straight people it's a treat. It's fun and exciting and awesome. We're glad that you can be in on the campy fun, but don't hate us if we don't match your enthusiasm. Imagine if you took us to a straight bar and we were like, "Oh my god! They have the football game on the television over the bar. Isn't that amazing! That's so awesome. Look at that screen! It's so big and clear. Let's give it a dollar! Do you have a dollar? I want to tip the screen," you would think we were some crazy asshole. That's how we feel when you wig out (pun intended) over drag queens. Just clarifying.

I tend to rant about the "tourists," when I go out. I use "tourist" to refer to the self-important yet clueless straight people (usually young women) who take over gay bars and think they're all cool because they're in a gay bar (but cooler than the gays in residence? no.) and that the gay guys should cater to their whims because they are (1) girls and (2) straight, as if invading a gay space was some act of political or moral support on their part, and that gay boys are all just desperate to have a new straight girl best friend and she's going to be it. These are the people who treat a gay bar like it's a zoo. This is our home people. Show some respect. We are not your monkeys, but if you piss us off enough we are quite prepared to fling some poo.

The annoyance factor goes up tenfold if it's a bachelorette party. It's gotten so bad, the hot club and show bar in Nashville is adding a third, mid-evening drag show just for the bachelorette parties/straight kids in an effort to reduce the incursion of annoying gaggles of straight girls into the later show.

Honestly, the young-straight-girl-gaggle incursion is incredibly annoying. We're not grateful to have you here, and your behavior is deplorable. This is not a gay thing, this is an annoying straight girl thing. And before too many of my female friends get their collective panties in a twist, I am not saying that all straight girls are annoying; I am saying that annoying girls are annoying.

There are many awesome straight girls we love to hang out with and actively invite into the bar scene. (Actually, I consider these people women rather than girls.)  They've been to school and they get it. We are not their "gay friend" and they are not our "straight friend." We are simply and completely "friends." And they mind their manners when Out. As do we.

The girls I'm ranting about would be annoying in straight bars too. But while any room of men would consider these girls fucktards, the straight men might be willing to indulge their company because of their stimulating looks or the possibility of some penis-related action. Gay men are not distracted by your pouty lips or pushed-up breasts, and to many gay guys you are pretty much dick kryptonite. The guys are out having fun in the bar and you're pouring ice water down our pants, so don't expect the same treatment to which you are accustomed from other men.

Imagine you're with a bunch of self-centered bachelorette bimbos invading a sports bar on game night. Even if you're hot, there is a limit to what the guys will put up with for that sake alone. Don't push in front of the bar, don't bogart the wings, and don't block the view of the screen. The game is on, and we're here to watch it. It's guys night out, and you're intruding

I've said it before: gay bars are sports bars. We just have different sports. And none of them are you.

So, if you fear you might be one of these girls, if you have Googled "bachelorette party gay bar" and found this, or if you are a young straight girl who goes to gay bars and someone has sent you a link to this post, then pay attention: these are the three primary rules you need to learn and adhere to if you want to have a good time without getting your beads read.

1. You are a guest.
2. No one wants to fuck you.
3. Mind the bar etiquette.

You are a guest.
Behave like one. Enjoy the welcome but do not assert yourself. Do not be the fat, loud American tourist on European holiday.

No one wants to fuck you.
While gay bars tend to have a sexually-charged atmosphere, you have no power here.  No one will defer to you, and you are the lowest person on the totem pole. You are, at best, equal. Bigger breasts will not get you free drinks nor the bartender's attention. Act neither entitled nor haughty, that is exceptionally annoying and will win you zero attention other than loathing.

We're the queens, you're a bee.

Do not get physical or throw yourself at a gay guy because he's considered "safe." This cuts both ways: It is not okay for a gay guy to kiss/ touch/ molest you in any fashion without your express consent. Most men, even the gay ones, are fascinated with breasts. But if a gay guy reaches for your mammaries, it should come with either a go ahead from you or a smack down from his peers. It's not just incredibly tacky, it's sexual assault.

That being said, there are also plenty of fag stags around and you are encouraged to hook up with them.

Mind the bar etiquette.
Order your drinks from the well, then get out of the way. Do not block access to the bar. Do not be expected to be served out of order because you're a girl. Do not order a drink with more, at the most, three ingredients. If you are considering a blended drink, there better be a spinning slushy machine behind the bar.

Finally, while not a rule, my awesome gay-bar-going-straight-women friends would remind you to respect Dick O'Clock. There will come a tipping point in the nightlife of any gay bar where the inclination to hook up overcomes the inclination to socialize. In some settings, this may vary from a slight yet perceptible increase in the cruising factor to a marked increase in sexual energy if not an outright frenzy to get laid. When dick o'clock chimes, the girls work on leaving, and the guys get to work on leaving together.  If you pay attention, you can hear the ticking before the bell actually tolls.

Experienced friends sometimes invoke a code word or phrase.  This roughly translates to "I love you, really. But I am working on this bit of hotness here and it looks like it might go someplace naked, so our hanging out together portion of the evening has come to an end. Let me know if you need cab fare."

cling film

Apologies for the political post, but I use this blog to vent from time to time.  And there's this thorn lodged in my brain and I need to get it out.

Seriously? Some Republicans and commentators are crediting BUSH for the Osama assassination? Let's see, he ignored the clear memo and plan from the Clinton administration regarding the pending attack, fired the smartest person in the world in anti-terror and the defense of America (Dick Clarke) then ignored the Osama threat to such an extent that a CIA agent demanded a one-on-one to say this was coming to the President's face and he was kicked out with a "now you've covered your ass," then invaded a country that had nothing to do with the attack at all, and then split (read "weakened") the military into two foreign wars that have lasted longer than any in American history and destroyed America's economy in the process. And when W could not get Osama "dead or alive," he ultimately said Osama wasn't much of a threat in the first place. Bush did not "support" our troops, just spread them far and wide and abused the fine print so many could never go home. Now we are recruiting drug dealers, borderline mental patients, and felons along with the future best-of-the-best. Except if that arabic linguist or highly decorated fighter pilot might have a boyfriend then by all means they are not worthy of service.

There is some deep cognitive dissonance at work to give the Bush administration credit for what was an amazing coordination of intelligence and military excellence, and leadership from the White House. This makes me uneasy and fearful of the mental health of presumably intelligent people. Has the propaganda machine successfully made the Republican base's individual self-worth tied inextricably to their belief in whatever they were told but never questioned? Fox "News" is really good at this.

However, almost all other reports reference the difficult leadership decisions made by President Obama, and his personal role in making this a priority and a reality.  Although I personally agree that the lion's share of the credit appropriately goes to the astounding and amazing work of intelligence agencies and the military, their ability to work together, and specifically to some Navy Seals who are so frakking awesome that they a Michael Bay film look like Merchant-Ivory.

I know the Huffington Post leans so far left it looks like one leg is shorter than the other, but they appear diligent regarding their fact-checking and source references (which as a librarian I appreciate) for their original material.

Possibly in response to the GOP's reluctance to give credit where it is actually due, the HuffPo has posted this, which does sum things up rather nicely (meaning "accurate and precise"), if not nicely for those that are unwilling to accept it.

Obama Succeeded Where Bush Failed: Osama Bin Laden Rhetoric And Reality

And regarding that "Mission Accomplished" sign eight years ago? Here's a handy timeline—from 2008 no less— with supporting links, to the many and various things the Bush White House said they really meant when they said Mission: Accomplished. Here's a hint: If someone gives you three different answers to the same question "What did you mean by that?" in as many weeks, they are all made up. And by that I mean lies. To argue otherwise is to clutch desperately, and I have to ask, why do some people need to clutch to W? Even now?

Bush I & II meddled in the Middle East politics and power to the point that terrorism was the locals' only option to fight US intrusive policies (anyone remember those chummy photos of Rumsfeld with Saddam after the US put him in power?), then W ignored the clear and present dangers, fired those that disagreed with him, failed to catch/kill Osama, got us mired into two wars (one of which now was admittedly under false pretenses and worthy of treason if not impeachment), and completely destroyed the American economy in the process. Why cling?

Oh, maybe it has to do with the gay-approving, non-pandering black guy who is smarter than they are. Or maybe it's just a simple case of "I loved Bush therefore he cannot have done wrong."

Yes, and he only hits you because he loves you.