My City By The Bay

From the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco the Drunken Fist performance.  Enjoy!

While I was hanging out at Pier 39 the other day I found this short clip of a time lapse video that the store Only In San Francisco was selling.  They had a tv mounted on the wall with an example of the video.  I thought it was pretty cool so I shot a short clip of it for all of you.  The short shows Pier 39, Alcatraz, The Blue and Gold Fleet and the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.  I wanted to shoot a little longer but some guy walked up right behind me to a point where I could feel him breathing on my neck and it spooked me.  So, I shut off the video camera, turned around, stared him down and started going through my pockets as if to say “did you just rip me off?”  he got the hint with my stare down and took off.  Maybe he was just a pervert or just wanted to see what I was shooting.  I don’t know but it’s always eventful on the streets of San Francisco.

Oscar Grant’s Mother held a news conference after the rioting on Oakland streets the other night.  She tearfully pleaded for peace asking that we keep calm and that justice will be served.  Her plea was heard, as there was only a few minor acts of vandalism last night on the Oakland streets.  I watched with tears as she made her plea and I felt for a moment her pain.  Her entire family is in agony and all they want is some justice.

There was a BART board hearing yesterday in which Oscar Grant’s family and many of the protesters attended.  They wanted answers and wanted justice.  Each board member apologized to the crowd but added that justice will prevail.  Many of the people attending the meeting wore simple signs taped to their backs stating “I’m unarmed, Don’t shoot me.”

The Oakland police department is now investigating the case and promised that they would come to some conclusion within two weeks.  They said that the conclusion may not be what everyone expects but it would be a thorough investigation.  That tells me that they’ve already come to a conclusion and that the murdering cop will probably only get a slap on the wrist.  I hope and pray I’m wrong.  If he does not get his just desserts I’m afraid we’ll be seeing another Rodney King situation.  And, the Oakland police are certainly not ready to handle that type of melee.  The Oakland police were not prepared the other night for the protest.  Most of them have only been on the force for two years.  There’s no way they could handle out and out rioting. 

Businesses in Oakland have boarded up their windows with many such as Wells Fargo and Kaiser letting their employees leave work around 2:00 pm just to keep them safe.   Many businesses are just closing until this is all resolved.

The attorney general’s office has now opened an investigation into the shooting as well.  And everyone is demanding that the cop be prosecuted.

On another note I’ve been wondering about Oscar’s 4 year old daughter and what if anything the public can do to help her.  I’ve contacted the local media and am waiting for a response.

I am going to be putting this story to rest until there are any major developments.  I will keep you updated with them.