The Bar 2014 Edition

[Elliot]

Good one!

In this case, Peter said "Get on the bus!"

And it's my bus!

We have fun.

[Elorrum]

Good one!

In this case, Peter said "Get on the bus!"

And it's my bus!

We have fun.

Have a great time, Elliot!

[FIGJAM]

Don't forget to take your homework!!!

[Sunbeam56]

Yeah Elliot
Do have fun. Bring back photos!

[Jovankat]

And I'll be spending a few days in New York seeing shows and eating delicious things.

My neck of the woods. East Coast has to represent. Let me know if you need any suggestions or just want to met up for a drink.

Both would be great!

There'll be a smallish soiree on the pier next to the Ferry Building on Friday August 1st to mark an epic Flaming Lotus Girls artwork, called SOMA, having been installed. They replaced all the fiery poofiness with multicolor LED's, and from sunset on each night it'll be an EPIC piece to behold. Almost as EPIC as the bay lights project (which'll be perfectly visible from SOMA, and make for great shots). Hooray for burners making big, groundbreaking art in actual cities!

In the diary, thanks!

You may also want to check into Eternal Return. They've got a FB page, there's information about volunteering - they're in the home stretch and working every day and can use a hand if you're able. Their workspace is on Treasure Island. If you're in the east bay you may also want to check into the NIMBY space. Lots of playa projects in progress there, including TASM (The Alien Siege Machine). Aside from getting to work on great art, a lot of times they'll gladly show you how to do the work, from basic metalworking to welding and carpentry and wiring stuff up.

I've gotten in touch with the Eternal Return folks and we might head to NIMBY next weekend (glass work at Crucible this weekend for me)

Sightseeing wise, there's the little park on Treasure Island... can't miss it, drive on the main road until you come upon the 55 foot steel sculpture that is Bliss Dance. That's the first in Marco Cochrane's series, Truth Is Beauty was chapter two.

Just mentioned this to American Boyfriend, he paused for a moment before he remembered he was a car now

The Ferry Building, the fancy looking 19th century building on the waterfront in SF, is also host to an AMAZING Farmer's Market.... one of the best in the country. Saturday is their big day with hundreds of vendors set up and an indescribably amount of deliciousness, but the building itself has a couple dozen permanent residents and it's open 7 days a week. They do a junior version of the market during the day on Thursdays, and I think it's also running on Tuesdays.

American Boyfriend says the Berkley one is better

Also worth checking out along the Embarcadero - The Exploratorium. Sort of a science center meets art gallery... fun and very unique. Fisherman's Wharf may also be worth exploring, it's a little touristy but if you're not in a hurry and enjoy a little cheesiness and campiness can be a lot of fun.

Yeah I'd like to check that out, I have a friend who works at Questacon in canberra which is more sciencey than art but similar I think.

"The Haight" is also a great place to explore. Lots of weird and eclectic places, some posh and some dodgy, but all kinds of awesome. Set your mapping device or transit app for the intersection of Haight & Ashbury. Once you get there, just explore. Lots of shops, lots of places to get stuff for the burn. lots of places to grab a bite

Yeah that sounds awesome

(including a place called, I kid you not, the pork store)

Jesusmotherfuck that sounds amazing.

Jovankat:



Sadie: Congrats on that economical ride

Aw thanks!

I'm doing some glass flame working classes at The Crucible, I wanted to do neon since I haven't done any in over a year but those classes started before I arrived. I also want to learn to weld. Not sure what I'd make since I won't be able to take it home but I'd like to learn.

Lamp work? Or are you getting to play with a glory hole?

Lamp work, I spent some time in front of a glory hole back in 2010. I'd like t do more of that but it's damn hard work!

Oh, jovankat... Learn to weld if you can. It's a fun and useful skill that you can always take with you.

Yeah my Dad can make pretty much anything. He says his specialty is turning pig shit into strawberry pudding. But like with metal I guess? I'm not sure if he will be happy/proud of me learning to weld or pissed that I'm doing it now myself after showing no interest as a kid in what he does...

[AntiM]

Just mentioned this to American Boyfriend, he paused for a moment before he remembered he was a car now

The American Boyfriend is a car? Chevy or Dodge? I know a Ford....

[Aurelia]

Good Morning All !

Warm day coming up ..but here is always pretty good.

East Bay is wondrous full of action .
JovanK I think the Crucible is great , see if you like some of the metal working for playawear,or everywhere.
have been intrigued by knitting it also..kind of like the idea.. only one utility belt pokes me sometimes.
Maybe connect with some of the NIMBY resident artists...

Family is coming to visit this week so I am trying to renew my maternal instincts enough not to mind missing the music and art making.
And of course I need to welcome my Navy son-in law and talk "right" with him. I need to learn some "right" anyway.

Happy summer day .
xoA.

[Jovankat]

Just mentioned this to American Boyfriend, he paused for a moment before he remembered he was a car now

The American Boyfriend is a car? Chevy or Dodge? I know a Ford....

Oh dear, that was a typo but a pretty good one if I do say so myself.

He HAS a car now. We can do ALL THE THINGS!

East Bay is wondrous full of action .
JovanK I think the Crucible is great ,

I spent some time in downtown Berkley last night, it was so alive an full of awesome things! I love it here!

And the crucible is AMAZING I popped in briefly yesterday and was blown away. We have nothing even remotely similar in Sydney.

[magicmarty]

Hey, Jovankat, try to see some of the Redwoods while here in the SF Bay Area. There is a grove in Mill Valley near the Library that are beautiful and close by or at Samuel Taylor Park. Muir Woods is the best, but parking there is very difficult and it does get crowded on the weekends. But it is truly magnificent.

At the Palace of the Legion of Honor (a wonderful Art Museum) is a show of Impressionist Paintings that ends on August 3. The views of the Golden Gate from the museum grounds are also quite spectacular and definitely worth the time. (We went on Wednesday)

Oh yeah, welcome!

Gonna be a hot one today. Good Playa prep!

[ygmir]

*wanders in, makes tea*
wow Jovankat, lots of action for you! yay that! I have a glass blowing friend, who has described some of the process.
sounds interesting.

I can only imagine the hard work, at the glory hole......

HI AntiM! Are you guys still getting smoke there?

HI Marty!!

heads for IBBOD*

[AntiM]

Most of the smoke we have now is local. Fireworks and dry lightning yesterday did a lot of damage.

[Elliot]

Hey MagicMarty.... How does Armstrong Woods in Guerneville compare with those other redwood groves? I enjoyed a few miles of walking in Armstrong just a couple weeks ago. Further from SF, granted, but with opportunity for a swim in the river.

Last time I showed somebody around in SF we went to an "adult evening" at Museum of... (*scratches head*) Natural History (or some such) in Golden Gate Park, near the DeYoung Museum of Art. I believe the DeYoung also has such evenings. And I know the Exploratorium has.

[Aurelia]

JovanK, of course if you can, come across the bridge to Marin ; like Marty says it is wondrous indeed.
The full moon on August 10th would be the time to walk out to the old light house to catch the full benefits.

Meanwhile I am suffering from a sort of "Seasonal Affective Disorder" brought on by the proximity to the burn .

xoA.

[Aurelia]

The DeYoung has incredible programs for Friday nights..,'

Art dancing ,live music perfection.

About redwoods; I think they all feel just a bit different . There is a certain majestic aura in Muir Woods different from the stabikity of the Armstrong
. Maybe it is the people who have been there !
xoA.

[magicmarty]

Don't recall having been to Armstrong, but likely I have. To me, Muir Woods is sort of a cathedral. A very spiritual place in which the sunbeam shafts magically pierce the canopy above in an unspeakably exquisite and ethereal way. Very special. There are walking trails through the grove and alongside the drought afflicted stream. Truly wondrous when there are not too many tourists visiting. Deserves a long slow walk with time to sit and ponder and be, in the quiet along the way

[VultureChow]

New York, New York; it's a hell of a town.

So I'll avoid the main museums (since they're all wonderful and you could spend a whole day at the MET, MOMA, Whitney, etc) and add some hidden gems. The Cloisters is a medieval art museum in a park in north Manhattan overlooking the Hudson River. Gorgeous medieval buildings disassembled in Europe and reassembled in NY. They have the unicorn tapestries.

Museum of the Moving Image is a bit more off the beaten path in Astoria Queens. Still easy to get to via public transit. They have a Chuck Jones animation exhibit I've been wanting to get to.

If you want to stay in Manhattan though, there are some smaller museums I really like. Museum of Art and Design has lovely exhibits and is right in Columbus Circle. I love the American Folk Art Museum as well.

Event wise... Not sure what days you'll be there, but Bryant Park has an outdoor movie every Monday and if you're interested I might be able to get you free VIP passes to that(if they're still doing the VIP section).

Food....not sure what you're interested in, but it's basically like the UN. Just about every ethnicity has a section of the city or outer boroughs. There are tasting/walking tours of the Lower East SIde that will involve both European Jewish delicacies and Chinese ones. Russ & Daughters for smoked fish, Katz's for pastrami. Chelsea Market is great to walk around especially if it's not so nice out. Union Square Greenmarket on Saturday for farmers goods.

A little more adventurous would be to take the B or Q subway all the way to Brighton Beach and get every type of Russian food you can imagine. Buffalo grass flavored vodka, pickled everything....
Then there is a trip out to Flushing if you want the real Asian scene and not just Chinatown. The New World Mall is unlike anything I've seen before in the US. A vertical mall with all asian goods and food stalls. 7 train goes directly there.

Also, if you are a bit boozed up late at night, I recommend K-Town for Korean Army Soup. It's in midtown Manhattan, about two city blocks in size and the restaurants there are basically open all night.

If you have a chance, walk a bit in the High Line Park. They took an old elevated train platform and turned it into a greenspace. It's amazing.

And if you want to add another state to your list of places you've been, I'd love to show you my home state of New Jersey and it's most treasured landmark: A place that deep fries hot dogs. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rutt%27s_Hut

[Foxfur]

I used to take Cal-Train up to Frisco from San Jose to go to the exploratorium when I was a kid. There's no place like it on earth. Except in my shop

[^Rhino!]

Vulture Chow, when you talk about deep-frying hot dogs, that's just wrong.

We do it different in the midwest. try this for an artery-clogging treat:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_fried_bacon

See the video here:

[media]

I HIGHLY recommend it.

[Foxfur]

I HAZ TICKET!!!
I wasn't worried but I did chew on my claws a bit
I just put a new rear differential in my truck so as not to pull a repeat of the 2012 breakdown on the way to the burn.
Ain't no way I'm gonna miss y'all fuckers this year <3

[magicmarty]

The new Exploratorium is really wonderful, Foxfur, you should check it out. Happy to know you got a ticket!. VC, your tour sounds delicious. as an ex New Yorker (60 years ago) I know just what your talking about. Guess a few things might have changed a bit since then??? I have been back to visit many times over the years, but never regretted coming to live here in the SF Bay Area.

[MyDearFriend]

I used to take Cal-Train up to Frisco from San Jose to go to the exploratorium when I was a kid. There's no place like it on earth. Except in my shop

***adds FoxFur's Shop to list for "Cave of Wonders" tour***

(((((((((((hugs)))))))) & *smooches* all around

Miss you guys so bad, worse and worse as we get closer to meeting again.

[VultureChow]

It's changed a bit.

Both parents are native new yorkers, but moved out to Jersey before I was born. I love Jersey, but it helps to have a sense of humor about it.

SF does waterfront much, much better than NYC. You forget there's an ocean or river nearby when you're in Manhattan. Fucking Robert Moses.

But the more things change, the more they stay the same. Each new wave of immigrants puts their stamp on a neighborhood. Churches became synagogues and synagogue became Buddhist temples.

[theCryptofishist]

The Ferry Building, the fancy looking 19th century building on the waterfront in SF, is also host to an AMAZING Farmer's Market.... one of the best in the country. Saturday is their big day with hundreds of vendors set up and an indescribably amount of deliciousness, but the building itself has a couple dozen permanent residents and it's open 7 days a week. They do a junior version of the market during the day on Thursdays, and I think it's also running on Tuesdays.

American Boyfriend says the Berkley one is better .

Saturday? Tuesday? Michael Pollen Thursday?

I'm doing some glass flame working classes at The Crucible, I wanted to do neon since I haven't done any in over a year but those classes started before I arrived. I also want to learn to weld. Not sure what I'd make since I won't be able to take it home but I'd like to learn.

Lamp work? Or are you getting to play with a glory hole?

Lamp work, I spent some time in front of a glory hole back in 2010. I'd like t do more of that but it's damn hard work!

I guess I didn't notice when I did it those two times, too psyched. Now, if I could find a place, at least I'd get to sit down like a real gaffer.

[theCryptofishist]

It's changed a bit.

Both parents are native new yorkers, but moved out to Jersey before I was born. I love Jersey, but it helps to have a sense of humor about it.

SF does waterfront much, much better than NYC. You forget there's an ocean or river nearby when you're in Manhattan. Fucking Robert Moses.

But the more things change, the more they stay the same. Each new wave of immigrants puts their stamp on a neighborhood. Churches became synagogues and synagogue became Buddhist temples.

My grandparents Polish National Catholic church in Buffalo is not a mosque.

But that waterfront thing. It's very hard for me to imagine a European town that didn't value its waterfront. Well, okay, maybe Innsbruck wasn't real showy with the Inn. But it was a poor sort of river when I was there, rather like a California stream wandering between its banks. But it didn't look navicable, so I may have given it a pass.
Minnepolis/St. Paul didn't seem comfortable with it's rivers either.

[^Rhino!]

Crypto, some of it had something to do with the oriiginal immigrants in an area. That observation got hammered home for me when I realized that there were a lot of Germans who settled on the BLUFFS of the Missouri, as opposed to the French, who settled in the bottoms. St. Genevieve and Soulard were both built at lower elevations, perhaps akin to the Seine or the Loire in France they thought they weren't dealing with a badass mud river. The Germans built on the bluff in Herrmann< Missouri, and would have even been well above the 'Great Flood' of 1993. They also recognized the loess soils of the area as being like grape-growing soils of home, and we have more than a few wineries and vineyards as a result. One source of mild consternation for Californians is that the USDA's Viticultural District #1 is Augusta, Missouri, and not the Napa Valley. I guess the locals here got their application in first.

[theCryptofishist]

That's alright. They laugh as they sip their award-winning cabernets...

[tatonka]

Finally tasted a Red Bull vodka mix , was very good . Had the buzz but wasnt sleepy

[theCryptofishist]

[theCryptofishist]

I love this museum. I wonder if I'll ever go again. There were costumes that seem to fit within the whole "Wild Man" thing...

[theCryptofishist]