Beautiful Bridges All Over the World

Russian website with dozens of bridges, from ancient to modern, from stone to high-tech. http://planeta.rambler.ru/users/wwwtanushka/14346850.html

Greentea Design - Craftsman Cabinetry with Recycled Wood

Greentea Design manufactures beautiful kitchen cabinets, tansus, tables, shelves, and chests out of recycled wood in Korea. "Large beams are reclaimed from older structures like country homes, barns and warehouses in Korea. This ensures that no trees are felled and that the wood is already seasoned. The wood is then milled, sent to our Korean cabinetry shop, where we hand-build everything ourselves using from start to finish. This process gives each piece a unique character that will last generations to come."
http://www.greenteadesign.com/

Nori Seaweed Translucent Green

I often pick up seaweed to use in omelets. I put this in the window to dry and the next day this is what it looked like with the afternoon sun shining through it.

Hookah Experience in San Francisco

I spent the night in a hotel in San Francisco last week, since I had to be at the hospital at 6 AM the next morning for wrist surgery. I had no car, so set out on foot in and around Union Square. It was unusual, since I always have my truck in the city. It was like when I go to NYC, the random discoveries of wandering. At one point I walked past a place on Jones that had the atmosphere of a café in the Middle East. There were aromatic smells from people smoking hookahs ("fruit-scented smoke…contain only a fraction of nicotine.") I had a Turkish coffee (organic). A nice place. Unique. Nile Cafe, 544 Jones.

Detroit Photographer James Griffioen

>Website of a young photographer from Detroit, James Griffioein, with about 15 slide shows. Little houses in the country, architecture, vacant schools. He's got a wonderful eye, each of these slide shows is like a film. http://www.jamesgriffioen.net
-Sent us by Marcia Miner

San Francisco Natives Only

I spent the first 18 years of my life in San Francisco. It never occurred to me that the city had its own language until these many years later when a high school friend sent me a column by Carl Nolte, longtime SF Chronicle reporter. It's wonderfully insightful. If you're a native (of sanfensisco), you'll not only be laughing, but going…that's right, that's right! Here's a link to Nolte's classic column: http://www.sfnativejamboree.com/native.html

Lowell High School's Hot Quartet of the 50s

This is our Lowell High School quartet, the Uncalled Four, in 1952. (I wish the name was original, but it wasn't.) From left, that's me, Bill Bixby, John Lodmell, and Don "Whitey" Schaller. I played the ukulele and we sang Coney Island Baby, Ain't She Sweet, Five Foot Two, Jada, When You Wore A Tulip and the like. We sang at school rallies, parties and once on KPIX TV, which marked Bixby's first TV appearance. He of course went on to fame and fortune in My Favorite Martian and The Incredible Hulk.

Wild Magnolias Mardi Gras Band in San Francisco

The Wild Magnolias have been around since the '50s. Since I was in SF Monday night I went to see them at Yoshi's. I wish I could say they were good, but they seemed mediocre in spite of the gorgeous feathered costumes. Ah well, you just never know what live music will be like. By the way in Yoshi's lobby, there is a fascinating display of the Jewish roots of the Fillmore district, which predates the black culture of the Fillmore from my high school years. Yoshi's is at 1330 Fillmore at Eddy and has almost always got great musicians.