Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Women's Suffrage Movement in Cali

Goodd News for women & Asians alike:

California's voters granted women's suffrage in 1911, when they adopted Proposition 4. Clara Elizabeth Chan Lee (October 21, 1886 – October 5, 1993) was the first Chinese American woman voter in the United States. She registered to vote on November 8, 1911 in California

Yay, Chinese American women!

Friday, March 18, 2011

Candlestick Park

Let the wind blow in
Whoosh
Brrr
But that's the price y'all pay for being a loyal (or not that loyal-I went over the As when I though the Giants didn't had a chance in prayer, Ah well. Perservance paid off, right?)
I remember.... I watched my 1st Giants game in that ballpark that was another team  back then (sorry, they're were losers, but I stuck it out 'cos I thought they might win and now they've finally, FINALLY won! Now this is a winning team!

Now Candlestick-excuse me-Monster Park is used only for football games. 49ers games, to be precise. I remember when Candlestick Park was used for both baseball n' football games. As for me, I've never been to a football game, whether it's a 49ers (yay!) or Raiders (boo!) game. As I said before, 49ers once ruled the football field back in the 80s-that is one of the highlights of the 80s! Now they're in last place. :(

Castro: from working class neighborhood to gay epicenter

Writing about Britney being in the Castro district got me thinking, how did Castro became gay? It was a working class Irish neighborhood in 1930s until mid-1960s.
The Castro became a working-class Irish neighborhood in the 1930s and remained so until the mid-1960s.


There was originally a cable car line with large double-ended cable cars that ran along Castro Street from Market Street to 29th St. until the tracks were dismantled in 1941 and it was replaced by the 24 bus.
The U.S. Military offloaded 1000s of gay servicemen in SF during WWII after they were discharged for being gay. (It's wrong but what can you do about it?) Many settled in San Francisco, and so it began the outpouring of gays to the Castro neighborhood.
It became known as the epicenter for gays during the Summer of Love in 1967. The neighborhood, which was formerly known as Eureka Valley, became known as the Castro after the theatre at Market & Castro streets. San Franciscan gays move to Polk Gulch, where the rent in low or available for purchase for low down payment in the Victorian houses, after about 1970.
You heard of Harvey Milk? Well, he would become one of the most famous residents of the Castro. While he was running a camera store, Castro Camera, he started his campaign as a gay activist.
Included in Castro at that period was the 'Castro clone,' a mode of dress & personal grooming (nowadays, it's called metrosexual) tight denim jeans, black or desert sand colored combat boots, tight T-shirt or, often, an Izod crocodile shirt, possibly a red plaid flannel outer shirt, and usually sporting a mustache or full beard—in vogue with the gay male population at the time, and which gave rise to the nickname "Clone Canyon" for the stretch of Castro Street between 18th and Market Streets. There were numerous famous watering holes in the area contributing to the nightlife, including the Corner Grocery Bar, Toad Hall, the Pendulum, the Midnight Sun, Twin Peaks, and the Elephant Walk. A typical daytime street scene of the period is perhaps best illustrated by mentioning the male belly dancers who could be found holding forth in good weather at the corner of 18th and Castro on "Hibernia Beach," in front of the financial institution from which it drew its name. Then at night, after the bars closed at 2 AM, the men remaining at that hour often would line up along the sidewalk of 18th Street to indicate that they were still available to go home with someone (aka The Meat Rack).

Here's a video clip on how Castro became the gay epicenter:







Nowadays, Castro is still C-R-A-Z-Y. You never know what you might expect, what's waiting for you at the nest corner!
So beware n' have fun! Castro is party town!
You know you're in Castro when you see the rainbow flag around. Come pride month, the rainbow flag is around every pole in SF. Being gay is accepted. Some people who live in the City for awhile have turned gay.

Giants at Spring Training

Giants are so unstoppable!!!

According to the the stats, they've won 17 and lost 5 games at Spring Training. That's pretty commendable. I say, go team! They're unbeatable! Somebody try to stop 'em now!
I say, bring it on! They can take on any team (esp. LA Dodgers!)

Giants all the way!


Although I'm not a betting kinda gal, I'm betcha Giants'll take us to the World Series.

To the World Champs!


Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Britney Spears Sings on GMA on March 29 at the Castro Theatre

Breaking News: Britney Spears to Sing  on Good Morning America on March 29 at the Castro!


She will be filming @ the Castro on the March 27; it will be shown on Good Morning America on March 29.  (I like Britney, not! I got a love-hate relationship with Britney-she's a vapid airhead, good singer, bad choices.)  Traffic will be C-R-A-Z-Y; no place to park (like there are usually places to park!)

If you intend to go, be prepared! A word of caution: for those going to work, trains will be jam-packed (as if it isn't always!) Don't drive that day to see Brit-Brit or to work, take Muni. If you take Muni get up early.

On the bright side, Castro will get lots of media attention after Brit-Brit's mini-concert. I predict it will become a tourist trap (as if it isn't already!) since Brit-Brit will make it famous all over again.

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Coit Tower

Wanna know the history behind Coit Tower? I've never been there, but here's the lowdown:
Coit Tower was constructed at the request of Lillie Hitchcock Coit in 1933 for whom the tower was named. Coit was quite a character! Not only was she married into money, she was born into money. She was like the real Calamity Jane (only Calamity Jane was a fictional character and Coit was a real person). She was way ahead of her time-smoking cigars, gambling avidly, living on the edge. Cuz she was born into money and married into more money made her behavior more acceptable to others.
In her day, she wasn't known best for her antics instead she was known best for obssession w/ firefighting ever since she was rescued from a fire as a child. She grew up to become a volunteer firefighter for Knickerbocker Engine Co. No. 5 In those days, fires broke out frequently due to the material use to construct buildings at that time. Lillie Hitchcock Coit was always found helping put out fires.
Although she died in 1929 (right at the start of the Depression), she still had money to her name, using the money to commission Coit Tower in honor of the firefighters which she adored. She also wanted the area to serve as a beautiful spot (What a beauty!) for viewing the city which she loved.
IMHO, I think she was a girl ahead of her time-no one fault her because of her money. She did a noble duty helping fight fires amongst the other firefighters. I admire her spunk, spirit. Unlike some people, she didn't spend her inheritance on frugal things-she wasn't greedy w/ her money-instead she used her money to serve her community for generations to come-she gave back to the community. She had a good soul. I wish there are more like that nowadays. Maybe there are and we don't see it? But everybody is into commericalism. Buy, buy, buy! they tell us. And when we do buy, it just gets consume. Nobody will know our legacy unlike Lillie Hitchcock Coit. Her legacy is the Coit Tower. We must sustain (like that'll help, but whatever!) We must leave something behind, like some sort of legacy, kind of, sorta what dear ole Lillie Hitchcock Coit did way back in her day did-maybe a time capsule? Any suggestions?


Thursday, January 20, 2011

Notice

Sorry I get my info from other sources. I try to add my own opinion to these references but I need references! Sorry!