August 24th, 2008
The Bush Peso
San Francisco is one of the most popular arrival points into the United States. A million foreign travelers spend over eight billion dollars here, each year. It’s a city of great natural beauty and wonderful neighborhoods. But it also smells like urine, and that’s embarrassing.
Abercrombie & Fitch double their prices in the UK (The Fashion Police)
Once again, we’ve wasted time and money by dealing with the homeless backward. Too much energy has gone into deciding where we do not want them to be, and making sure that they would not be there.
Quotation from Anna Quindlen, Thinking Out Loud
August 24th, 2008 at 1:25 am
I miss the West-Coast … sometimes. Have some splattered jewels randomly placed there. When will be the right time to pick them up? I don’t know…
Maybe in winter.
Can I afford it?
No!
Zees last blog post..public alley - do not enter
August 24th, 2008 at 1:35 am
the gimcrack smells like urine sometimes too. very embarrassing…..
nursemyras last blog post..theanthropic theme
August 24th, 2008 at 1:43 am
I’ve always stayed down by Fishermans Wharf so I guess the sea breeze wafts the smell of urine away
Scaramouche Joness last blog post..Scaramouche’s Friday Facts 37
August 24th, 2008 at 1:47 am
Seraphine, darlin, if you live in San Francisco long enough, you’ll realize the smell of urine is pretty mild compared to what you could be smelling. Or seeing. Or stepping in.
August 24th, 2008 at 5:44 am
I have never been to San Francisco, but the more people tell me about it, the more I never want to go.
John J Savo, the Authoring Auctioneers last blog post..To Protect and Get Serviced
August 24th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
Right now I am listening to Beethoven’s 9′th Symphony live from Tanglewood, the summer retreat of the Boston Symphony. It is amazing how Ludwig pulled that one off just before his death, having no listening capabilities anymore… it’s gracefully eradicable, with some kind of Schiller lyrics souped upon it:
Freude schoener Goetterfunken…
It is heartbreaking and crashes through borders more than Punk and Trashmetal ever did.
I think we should “round up” all the homeless in a park in SF and play them this symphony.
Thereafter find the glory of some kind of solutions, with the upbeat of the music still in the back of every bodies head.
I suppose I am in my naive-sunday-afternoon-mood.
“Alle Menschen werden Brueder wo dein sanfter Fluegel weilt…”
All of human kind will be brothers and sisters where thy gentle wing stirs about …
Ah, what the heck, I am going to log off and listen. Was singing in two major performances of the 9th myself. Perhaps I’m just nostalgic…
But before I end, Beethoven was right. Joy, compassion, exuberance and dignity are the key!
Let’s do it brothers and sisters!!!!!!!!!!!
Zees last blog post..public alley - do not enter
August 24th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
Oh, I forgot to say Seraphine, that this girl with the white dress and the darker curly hair is awesome in the top bar! If I wasn’t such an old burnt down wig, I would try to entice her to follow me down to the valley below. But that ain’t gonna happen! Cheers Sera.
Zees last blog post..public alley - do not enter
August 24th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
San Francisco is fun to visit maybe once a year or so but its way too crowded for my liking to visit more often. It does have some great sites and food. Now if they just had a really good mass transit system so you don’t have to fight the traffic. I would go far more often then. As to the homeless, it is too bad there are so many but it never really bothered me to see them when i visited. That is to say i am not put off by it. Some people raise their noses at them and complain about them but sometimes people just have bad experiences in life and all you can do is try to help them help themselves. Just giving them food and blankets to continue living in the streets isn’t going to cure the problem. Then there are the ones who will not help themselves no matter how much you try. I can go on for quite a while on the homeless situation but i won’t. All in all San Francisco is still a great city to visit but i would not live there for anything.
August 24th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
it smells like urine? ugh!
oh, i added you to my links!
PMs last blog post..Model Cat
August 24th, 2008 at 6:58 pm
I’ m surprised to learn about those bad smells since as I had assumed because of San Francisco’s climatic influence the pacific ocean breezes would waft away odours. It’s portrayed over here as a very friendly place to visit on the West Coast. I wasn’t aware the homeless percentage was high although I note it’s still an expensive place to live/rent ?
Best wishes
lindsaylobes last blog post..Unfinished Superannuation Business
August 24th, 2008 at 9:29 pm
Ahh, but it is a beautiful city and when I was there I must have been lucky because I never had to use the clothespin once.
So many of the nation’s homeless people migrate to the West Coast because they aren’t likely to freeze to death out here.
susans last blog post..at last.. another story
August 24th, 2008 at 10:17 pm
I love San Francisco.
If i could afford it, I really would have packed my stuff to move this weekend and be living their tomorrow.
August 25th, 2008 at 5:15 am
San Francisco is one of the best places I’ve ever seen in my life. I guess I am something like a metropolitan girl, always preferring cities in the end. I found SF very mediterranean, less frantic than NYC, a place where I can still “take my time”. It’s on the seaside, which is always a good thing and the climate is ok in the end… If I have to say something awkard, I’d say that it’s like I dream my home town would become one day…
In case you’re guessing, Bari (Italy)
:
1. it’s not properly a place of natural beauty (tough in the surroundings there are many beautiful places)
2. definitely *not* wonderful neighbours
3. yes, it does smells of urine (or sewers most likely) when the wind is blowing from the east…
Have a wonderful week Sera, I love checking here
Eidurs last blog post..From The Edge Of The Deep Green Sea
August 25th, 2008 at 8:16 am
@ Zee - Ben Zander is currently touring SA - he conducts one of the Boston orchestras. I’m going to see him conduct the 9th next Sunday. The synchronisity of blogland.
@ Seraphina - we have signs in our 11 official languages requesting our folk not to pee in public places. But until we have decent public conveniences, who’s gonna pay attention when the world doesn’t?
Dolces last blog post..*Sproing* *Bounce* *Gallop*
August 25th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
all big cities has those things…
great point
a kiss!
Kiras last blog post..Fedoras: A classy and sophisticated accessory
August 25th, 2008 at 5:51 pm
I have the smell of urin, nasty!!
I’d love to visit sanfran someday!
Jens last blog post..BEIJING CLOSING CEREMONIES - LONDON HANDOVER
August 29th, 2008 at 12:59 am
I think these are the less nice aspects of prosperity and wealth. These can be gained only through a free market at its best, and by mafiosi / corruption practices at its worst. In this competition, governed by decent laws and rules, there are always people who refuse to play the game that way, or lack the abilities to play the game. Many of them we can only help by giving food and shelter, others (who want to play the game but for whatever reason have problems in trying to) we can assist by coaching programs. Drugs and alcohol are important hindrances. A problem with no clear-cut solution, up to now never solved in human history.
erik tjallinkss last blog post..The Party Snacks (True Story)