Uncanny Valley

I wasn’t sure if this place was quite right for my site or not. I’m not even sure how unique it is. But it is interesting, it isn’t super-publicized, and after all, I already have a Pirate Store, so why not post one for spies?

I was a little disappointed in the wares for sale here. The cafe is basically an out-of-place coffee cart in the corner. As far as the shop, there are a lot of joke items, a lot of books, and not many Q-type items. Atleast, that’s what I thought. Apparently one must make an appointment to see the high-tech stuff. Sounds a little cloak-and-dagger, but also seems like it leaves too much of a paper trail. Maybe I could make an appointment as Rusty Shackleford or something, but since there is a $125.00 appointment fee, I’d pass for now.

Still, this place is worth a walk-through. You’re bound to pick up something and play with it.

There sure do seem to be a lot of labyrinths in the Bay area. It did take me a while to find out about them though, even living here, so maybe there are labyrinths everywhere. This one is on campus to the East of the Cunningham Memorial Chapel. There is a large map at the entrance with a bunch of smaller maps you can take with.

Again though, this is a labyrinth-style labyrinth and not a maze-style. As much as I disagree with the poor coinage of these as technical terms, I realise that we do indeed need more exact words to differentiate these wandering paths. So yea, this thing has no forks in the road, just one path to the center. Though the paint is fading and the asphalt is cracked. The outermost part especially is a little hard to figure out. It appears it may be a student art project, so they get kudos for that. I made out a few names written on the lines: Patricia Hollis, Kristen Andreatta, Vanessa Ahern, Doris Arrington. There are also stations along the outside with virtues written along them, though those were harder to piece together.

So not that exciting on the whole, nor that horrible, but then again it is Belmont so what else is going on? I must say though that despite my skepticism labyrinths are growing on me. I still need to find a good maze though.

Not a collection that is more wild than the last, though it does include the brain of atleast one murderer. No, the collection is named after it’s founder, and one of it’s, um, participants, Dr. Burt Green Wilder. Also included in the 122 brains is one of John Ruloff, the aforementioned murdered and the namesake for an otherwise unremarkable bar in Collegetown.

Most of the brains are kept off display in zombie-proof containers. About 8 are in a display case on the second floor of the building.

Supposedly also in the collection is a piece of a pumpkin that was placed atop the belltower in 1997. This was no easy feat, as there is access to the top of the tower requires a few keys and quite a bit of agility.

I was raised Catholic. Many kids in my church raised money to go to MeÄ‘ugorje, Herzegovina and see the Marian apparition there. Even then I was a bit skeptical. I still keep an open mind, even though I have very much lapsed as far as being a Catholic. Sure it can always be pareidolia, but if people believe in all these other ghosts, why can’t Mary also come back from the beyond?

But, since I have no first-hand experience I can’t really give much of an informed opinion. Yes, even though I visited the cemetery and the trees where a vision appeared, I think I missed the boat. The person at the office informed me and my sister (after consulting with unseen individuals in the back) that the tree in question is in section D. So we putter over after checking out the Showfolks Memorial in another section. There are only two trees in section D, and neither one had anything that appeared to look like anything at all. We went to section E across the drive and didn’t see anything better than the above image. Supposedly the cemetery has or had two trees with Marian apparitions in them, but we found bupkis.

But I’m glad I went anyways. Part of why I put this site together is to get some real facts out there. If something disappears, people should know. And if I miss something, you can always post and let everyone know. So that’s my story.

This is a memorial to departed circus and carnival workers located in Olivet Memorial Park. It is in section J, lot 2A, which is marked, but maps are available in the office. When I went to the office to get directions, I was worried about seeming like some morbid freak, but the person I spoke too did not seem to mind that I was here as a tourist, even when i mentioned also looking for the Marian apparitions that were also here.

Not much to do here but look at the brightly-colored memorial and feel disappointed that the adjacent graves don’t say what profession anyone was.

Things made from hair can be kinda creepy. I don’t think they should be, I mean, hair is not an especially unclean part of the body. Plus people wear wool clothes, have cowhide chairs, and bearskin rugs. Atleast the human hair was given voluntarily and without killing the donor.

Personally I was not to impressed with the flag. However, when I came in to the salon and asked the receptionist about it, the very friendly owner came over and filled me in. He also showed me pictures of dresses made of synthetic hair, which impressed me. They were on a stage, in maybe a fashion show, and looked very stylish, and not hairy how you may be imagining. I asked him where he got his source hair from. He gets it from beauty supply stores, just like one would for a wig. I had guessed they were recycled clippings from customers, but this makes a little more sense.

So yea, there wasn’t a hole lot to do here, but it definitely was an interesting experience, and the conversation is good. The flag is hanging inside Michael’s Hair Design in a small shopping center. If I lived closer I’d get a cut here, the man is obviously talented.

The town of Brisbane, just south of San Francisco, paints each of their fire hydrants in different fun patterns. Kind of like those cows in Chicago or cod in Boston, but predating these and less cheesy. When the hydrants are no longer fit for fire duty, they get retired to a mini park here.

There are only 5 fire plugs here in an area of about 3 by 5 meters. There are metal tables and chairs like from a café for you to sit and relax. A plaque reads:

Note also that Visitacion Avenue is called Old County Road when it meets Bayshore Avenue.

Joshua Norton, an otherwise normal businessman in 19th century San Francisco one day became emperor. I don’t think there was a coronation or anything, but it worked out well because the His Imperial Majesty’s business interests had just taken a swan dive. There was, however, an imperial proclamation printed in many San Francisco papers on 17 September 1859 declaring Norton I emperor.

His Imperial Majesty was much esteemed the city, wandering around his domain in a blue and gold suit with a feather in his hat. Many citizens would pay for His Imperial Majesty’s meals, drinks, and even lodging. In return, Emperor Norton made decrees calling for the dissolution of congress and for the creation of a bridge connecting San Francisco and Oakland. I hear word that finally the Bay Bridge is to be renamed in his honor.

Every year, people still come here to celebrate His Imperial Majesty’s birthday on 7 January. Or thereabouts. Noone actually knows his actual birthdate.

Around the grave are the graves of other emperors and empresses. I’m not sure what their deal is, but E Clampus Vitus, a shadowy absurdist brotherhood what organizes the birthday fests.

To get to the grave you can get a map in the main office. His Imperial Majesty is in the Southwest of the cemetery, in section H. You will see a gravestone with a large ball on top. Next to that is the grave of the widowed Empress, and behind that is His Imperial Majesty’s stone.

What used to be a dump for garbage dredged from the bay has become an ever-changing guerrilla art space. Located at the end of one of the branches of the Bay Trail, the city (which owns the land) has been trying to keep the place unique but also make it safe. This has not been an easy rope to walk.

Basically what is here is a garden of junk, found art, and plants trying to reclaim it all. When I went I didn’t find any homeless people or any of the sketchiness that I have heard about. Many people were walking their dogs. This is at one end of a main walking and biking trail. All of the signage is geared towards the trail, and even some people I asked (unnecessarily) had no idea where the Bulb was. I just kept walking straight past the bird sculpture and I found it. There was a derelict bulletin board on the path that had a few rather dated postings, so if you see that just keep going that way.

Oh you heard me! You know you want to go! Screw all those other fancy tropical island locations.

You can’t get too close to the naval base, because of the security and because of the $10,000.00 fine for norteamericanos caught traveling to Cuba. There is a telescope to view the base at the Loma Malones observation point. From the scope you can see Camp Delta and so forth, but not too well. Basically the only reason to go here is to say you have. Atleast it will make you sound badass.