Grab Bag #60
The problems of man, more Barbary Coast history, and SFPD's first woman officer.
A reminder in this season of dog dental wipes, KPop Demon Hunters, and AI mashed potatoes:
“[T]he past is this place — it is this very place at a different time.”
— Bruce Sterling (from this 2004 address)
Some day people will try to describe us, make sense of us, and it won’t be easy. History is hard. My generation—infamous as proudly apathetic slackers—is now being hailed by... the New York Times?
How can this be? As Dr. Eleanor Janega says over at her fun blog:
“There is no such thing as revisionist history. Writing history is a constant process of re-evaluation of sources and attempts to control for the biases of the past as well as our own.”
So we are the best, fellow slackers. In true Gen X fashion, we scoff, say “whatever,” and put on our Walkman headphones to listen to our Kraftwerk CD.
Oh, and I think I made up AI mashed potatoes? Will ask ChatGPT later.
Guess Where
Enough nonsense. It’s time for the very important San Francisco place-guessing game. This humble hardware store below is still, improbably, in business, which is a clue for you.
Answer at the bottom of the email for Friends of Woody who can get there. 😄 (The shortcut to becoming one is here.)