September 14, 2008
September 2008
I recently went to San Francisco on business. I attended the Oracle Open World Conference, along with 43,000 other people. It was a good conference from a technology perspective and it is always great to get a chance to see San Francisco. As part of the conference, there are lots of activities in and around the city. It just requires jumping on a bus and off you go. I took along my handheld Nikon. It doesn't do a very good job and I would not recommend Nikon for a small camera, but I got a few images from the trip. It will likely take me a while to post the ones I want, but I can begin with these.
One of the first things I like to do in San Francisco is head for the Pier. The "F Line" off Market Street takes you to the center of the action for only $1.50. You can use the ticket all day if you like. Now that is a bargain. The view of Alcatraz is always impressive, and the sea lions are more than willing to pose for touristas. The Pier is definitely for tourists, but is fun and is a good place to see the Golden Gate, watch sailing boats, and ocean liners navigate in and out.
This is a nice view of the TransAmerica building and downtown toward the bay from my hotel at the Grand Hyatt. I went upstairs to the 36th floor and shot a couple of pictures out the window. Most didn't turn out but this one is okay. The TransAmerica building is a guidepost wherever you are in the heart of the city, and is frequently shown on TV shows shot. I always look for it in episodes of "Monk".
I love politics. I had a chance to hear Jame Carville and Mary Matalin speak on the election, lobbyists, and what the handlers are coaching McCain and Obama to do with their campaigns. The event was in one of the huge rooms at the Muscone Center, and was free to anyone attending the conference. I found the discussion interesting. Matalin was a bit more abstract than her husband. Carville loved the stage, and seemed more comfortable and earthy in his speech. I don't think anyone had a change of opinion from their talk, but it was still fun to hear.
This photograph was taken at the Oracle party Wednesday night. While the entire week was shoulder to shoulder, this event was unbelievable. It was impossible to go anywhere except with the flow of people. Everything was in motion and I tried to shoot this on the move. It does not do justice to the compression of people in front, behind, and on all sides. Hey, it sure made me glad to be a tall guy. At least I could see where we were being herded and get a breath of fresh air. It had to be tough for short people.
The payoff once we muddled through the crowd was access to some great music. Seal and Alan Jackson performed. I was able to get pretty close to the stage for both. The camera struggles with motion. Even worse, stage lights and darkness made any kind of picture tough sledding. Seal was outdoors. I had no experience with his music, but thought it was very good. He is a very charismatic performer. Alan Jackson and band were great also. They had an indoor crowd whooping and hollering throughout the show.
This image was a little soft originally. After all, it was a moving subject in an oddly lit environment. Still, a little digital magic produced kind of a neat image of the concert.
This is the Alan Jackson concert. It was too dark to photograph Alan directly, but I was able to catch him on the screen. You can see him at bottom left if you try.
The Oracle conference is huge. Vendors do anything they can to capture your attention and perhaps get a business contact through you. This was one of the more bizarre efforts. The gentleman in the subtle gold bodysuit, after passing tennis rackets around his body, folded into a tiny box. The effort was to show how a certain software can make you agile. It made my joints hurt.
This fountain was just outside my hotel at the Grand Hyatt. It had an Oriental feel. We were only a couple of blocks from Chinatown, so it is possible this was intended to be Asian. I thought it was great.
This is a shot of my room at the Grand Hyatt. I was playing with the automatic timer. The camera was sitting on a table. The room was nice. Accepting two double beds instead of a king got me on the 16th floor with a better view.
This was the view from my hotel window.
And here is the same view after dark...
One of the accidental perks of the trip to San Francisco was the opportunity to go to a Giants game. It was a beautiful night. We arrived early enough for a few photographs before darkness ended picture taking. It was fun to see the people in the boats just outside the park waiting for a home run.
There is certainly nothing profound with this image. I was thinking about the things we pick up along the way in our life. The possessions become mile markers in our lives and help us remember other times. I look around and for the most part remember where and when I picked up stuff that, at least at the time, seemed important to me. A lot of our stuff tells people what is important to us, what we identify with as a part of us. It also tells people what we think is funny.
We have lived here a dozen years. Everywhere we look, CJ and I have left our mark on this place. The PSU rock I bought at a local True Value hardware store. Everyone in this part of the world has KU or K-State merchandise. The Gorillas are more visible than they used to be, but still vastly under represented. I think the logo is cool and sets me apart from the local alumni warfare. The goose we bought in Parkville. We only bought one outfit, and the poor critter has worn it summer and winter for years. We keep saying we will replace it, but honestly that fancy has departed for us. The round stones represent a couple of weekends when we got obsessed with rocks for the yard as accent pieces. CJ and I had a great time fussing over each and every stone before hauling them home and positioning them strategically in the yard.
The bird bath I have had for years, also. It came from a Mom & Pop operation on Old Metcalf. It is a bit too deep and if we don't keep it flushed becomes a breeding ground for mosquitoes. I liked it at one time but now find it bulky and unmanageable. I really should dispose of it, but once I have something for a number of years it becomes so much harder to let go. I don't really know why. Maybe that says something, too. How about you? Look around you right now. What are you telling the world about you? Be careful, your personality is showing...
