The semi-regular San Francisco Zombie Swarm has become a tradition in the City in recent years. Ever insistent that they are not a prank (unlike, according to the zombies, the San Francisco Pillow Fight is each year), the zombies’ ranks have ebbed and flowed throughout their appearances, this year swelling to an estimated 25-35 total undead, flesh-hungry participants.

In a new twist for this most recent swarm, ordinary humans and fellow would-be zombies alike were able to take advantage of a new Twitter feed to keep tabs on the roving revenants as they moved through their pre-ordained 2+ mile route through SoMa.

More pictures of yesterday’s zombie-rific event below:

The exhibit appropriately begins with an introduction to Andy Warhol through some of his earliest passions and experiences, and demonstrates the iterative process that led Warhol to move from his prolific childhood collection of Hollwood magazines to his renowned silkscreens of Judy Garland and Elvis Presley, among others. Moving through the thick black curtains that separate each of the dark, sparsely-lit rooms the exhibit unfolds into a presentation of some of the 50+ album covers Warhol created for a diverse list of performers including the Rolling Stones, the Smiths and of course, the Velvet Underground.

Quite a few of Warhol’s multimedia works are presented, including a huge wall projection of his epic, 8-hour film Empire, as well as an interesting set of plexiglass-encased CRT’s playing more of Warhol’s unique film projects in an unending loop. This area also features work from Warhol’s friends and occasional co-creators, explaining the evolution of classic Warhol pieces such as silkscreens of modern dance influencer Merce Cunningham.

The exhibition continues on (again through thick black curtains) to a very cool reproduction of Warhol’s Brillo Box pieces, then into a room displaying hundreds of behind-the-scenes photos of Warhol and his pop-icon co-conspirators from the 60s and 70s, and then into a room that attempts to recreate Warhol’s Exploding Plastic Inevitable, the infamous late-60s mutlimedia show that was likely an absolute blast for its attendees (at least, those who didn’t take the brown acid). Finally, the show ends with a dramatic self-portrait of Andy Warhol accompanied by loud booming music (a feature common throughout the exhibit) before spilling into the requisite gift shop (which, incidentally, had an amazing collection of Warhol items that would be the delight of any fan).

Overall, this is an excellent show that highlights a broad range of Warhol’s work, and much of the history behind the man and his art. The design of the exhibit is quite unique, and provides enough interactivity and types of artwork that even non-Warhol fans will find plenty to keep them occupied. Add to this that admission to the Warhol Live exhibit is included as part of your ticket to the DeYoung - which has a fabulous collection of contemporary art and one of the best views of San Francisco you’ll find in the City - and this is a show you shouldn’t miss. Hurry though, the circus leaves town on May 17.

Defeatism notwithstanding, a few weeks back we decided to at least try to make a dent in checking out aspects of the park that we had yet to see, and we decided that we’d start with the botanical gardens.

The gardens are arranged into themed, mostly geographic areas…from Australia to South Africa to East Asia - and even a prehistoric garden. Very cool to see, and great if you’re on a budget (’cause it’s like, free, and stuff). We give it 4 1/2 stars (would have been 5 if it was sunny out, but that’s not the park’s fault actually)…pics below:

I thought it was very interesting to see that a lot of the plants appeared to have GPS tags on them. Some we could see, others we couldn’t, but there were signs everywhere informing us that they were there. I suppose it makes sense, because some of the plants and trees are probably worth more than my car.

At Market and Powell today, there was a gathering held protesting the Israeli government’s actions in the current conflict between Palestine and Israel. The protest drew approximately 35 people at its largest between 3:30 and 5:00. We spotted a few SUVs driving around SoMa and the Financial district attempting to drum up support for the protest with bullhorn announcements from their rear windows.

We’ve seen no pro-Israeli rallies in the last few days, though there are reports that there have been a few skirmishes between pro-Israeli and pro-Palestine protesters here in the City in recent days. The group today was organized, enthusiastic and peaceful, and seemed to be drawing a sympathetic crowd near the historic cable car turnaround (and infamous protest location) across from the Westfield Mall.

Never one to be left out of a good protest, Frank Chu himself made an appearance at the protest around 5pm. When questioned about his position on the politics surrounding the gathering, Frank shrugged and referred to the ‘feckrowillions of populations’ (apparently, a recent addition to his ever-present protest sign) that are now somehow implicated in the scheme to rob Frank of his due compensation.

At the end of a long day though, you can’t blame a busy protester for making a quick stop in Carl’s Jr. for a Western Bacon Chee and some crisscuts.

1. Los Lobos headlined. Oh sorry, I had to answer the phone, 1982 was calling, and wanted to know why Los Lobos sucked so much. In 1982.
2. It screws up traffic. According to local sources, the whole thing makes traffic in an already traffic-challenged city that much more difficult. Feh, I say.
3. It happens on Mother’s Day weekend. At least this year…and I haven’t the energy to research whether this is typically the case. But regardless, what kind of asshat plans a concert on the eve of a day when we’re supposed to show up and celebrate momhood???
4. It inadvertently proves that capitalism is viciously accurate. Last year represented the first year that KFOG chose to charge for admission to its annual fanfest, and it seems that interest hasn’t waned in the slightest. Price elasticity y’all??
5. I was in LA when it happened. And sour grapes rule…

Pics to follow once I stop being lazy and watching John Adams on HBO every spare moment.

More soon on this topic…but for now, a message to all of you stage-3-mod-having-middle-age-crisis-drowning fools: I’m coming for you.

Yerba Buena is uniquely positioned for this very task. It’s East and North of the City, so the sun sets perfectly behind the Financial District, and casts a warm glow around all of the landmarks that make the SF skyline one of the most beautiful in the world.

I took the day off from work, and headed over to the island around 4:00 so that I could find a spot and set up my shot before the sun started to set around 5:30. After driving around the island for a while, I found a great spot on the side of a road near the highest peak around, and got to work.

As the time passed, the sun dipped lower and the shots became more intriguing. I got some beautiful shots with :30 exposures, taken with a remote shutter trigger of course so that there was no chance of moving the camera (save the odd earthquake of course…).

Probably the first time in my life that I’ve taken pictures that I truly am excited about every time I look at them. Hopefully not the last. And with this City as my omnipresent subject, I’m sure it won’t be.

For more photos from this shoot, click here.