DIG IF YOU WILL THE PICTURE PART I

The Presidio

Downtown Shadowplay

Portals to the Past - the old Hostess Bakery

The Golden Gate Bridge

Condo Conversion

A bridge at the bottom of the now empty Nacasio Reservoir

St. Francis Yacht Club Lighthouse

Embarcadero Center

Here are a few of my favorite shots taken over the last several months.

Not bad for a cell phone camera, huh?

DIG IF YOU WILL THE PICTURE PART II

Mission Dolores at sunset

San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge

Sutro Tower

Burlingame Caltrain Station

AMC Metreon

Middletown, CA

Petaluma Vistors Center

And here are a few more.

LIKE A VIRGIN

Before there was Twerking, there was Madonna, seen here dry humping the stage of the venerable Radio City Music Hall, as she performed the title track from the best selling album of her career (10 million copies) at the very first MTV Music Awards.

Our 30 Years of Madonna celebration continues with her Number 1 hit, Like A Virgin.

It should be noted the show was co-hosted by Bette Midler and Dan Aykroyd.

MTV GIRL

Sometimes when I'm watching a movie, I can tell that I'm watching a performance that will earn the actress an Oscar nomination. I knew this when I saw Whoopi Goldberg in Ghost, Diane Ladd in Wild At Heart, and Jodie Foster in Silence Of The Lambs. However, I have to admit that even though I knew I was watching an amazing performance, I also remember thinking that Foster wouldn't win because actresses don't win for these kinds of films.

It was one of the few times in my life when I was wrong.

Anyway, I'm bringing it because it was the same feeling I had as I watched my longtime girl crush Amy Adams sashay her way through one of the best films of this year, American Hustle.

Time to start writing your acceptance speech, Amy.

HOW LOVELY ARE YOUR BRANCHES

Merry Christmas from the staff of The Steaming Poop blog.

MUSIC FOR THE MASSES

Arcade Fire - Reflektor
Their fourth effort is, like every album they've dropped so far,
fucking awesome. The track that caught my
attention was the 11:16 minute Supersymmetry. Sublime.

Best Coast - Fade Away
There's a reason this Southern California-based
group is one of my favorites - they never disappoint. I saw them
at The Fillmore in August - Fucking Awesome! The track that
has my attention is Who Have I Become.

Black Leather Motorcycle Club - Specter At The Feast
This group was recommended by Amazon as a
group that I might like. Good Call, Amazon. The track that
has my attention is Let The Day Begin.

Company - Bird Skulls
Former office mate Ryan posted this on Instagram and
since his recommendations are always spot-on, I gave
it a test drive. Ryan's record still stands at a perfect
100%. The Curse is the track that has my attention.

Solange - True
Although this is was released in November 2012, I didn't get
a chance to listen to True, until 2013, so this counts as a
favorite of 2013. This EP rocks my world and the
track that has my attention is the reflective 
Looks Good With Trouble. So beautiful.

Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of the City
I can't decide if Worship You or Finger Back are my favorites
but the entire album is damn good.

Washed Out - Paracosm
This release presented a problem - I had a real hard time picking out
which track caught my attention the most because the whole album is so
 damn good. However, Great Escape is the song that has me hitting
 the REPEAT button the most.

BAD WORDS

When Hollywood treats its movie-going audience like adults, I feel like it should be applauded so it happens more often.

I present to you a so-called Red Band trailer (trailers approved for adult audiences only) for the upcoming release Bad Words that I caught last night.

Looks good to me.

FOOT IN MOUTH DISEASE

“The politically correct crowd is tolerant of all viewpoints, except those they disagree with. This is a free country and everyone is entitled to express their views. In fact, I remember when TV networks believed in the First Amendment. It is a messed up situation when Miley Cyrus gets a laugh, and Phil Robertson gets suspended.”

-- Louisiana Governor and (alleged) civil rights activist Bobby Jindal

Gee, it sounds like someone is in need of a tutorial on the constitution, something I'm always happy to provide and here it is: 

Free speech protects American citizens from being silenced by an act of Congress and the last time I checked, A&E (the television network that broadcasts Duck Dynasty) is not a part of Congress.

Bobby, go to school, go learn something.

I DO

"It's gonna happen, whether you like it or not."

-- Gavin Newsom

It's the ultimate ironic twist that after the pivotal role Utah played in the passage California's Proposition 8 back in 2008 (Okay, it was the Mormon Church but you know what I mean), our 45th state became the 17th to allow same-sex marriage.

Boy, the lord works in mysterious ways, huh?

DRESS YOU UP

The latest entry in our 30 Years of Madonna celebration is Dress You Up, from her 1984 release Like a Virgin. 

I have a particular fondness for this clip, although I'm not sure why.

Anyway, it should be noted that her opening act on the aptly-named The Virgin Tour was The Beastie Boys.

You're welcome.

LAME DUCK

"Where we lived was all farmers. The blacks worked for the farmers. I hoed cotton with them. I'm with the blacks, because we're white trash. . . They're singing and happy. I never heard one of them, one black person, say, ‘I tell you what: These doggone white people’—not a word! Pre-entitlement, pre-welfare, you say: Were they happy? They were godly; they were happy; no one was singing the blues.”

-- Civil Rights spokesperson and Duck Dynasty "star" Phil Robertson

I'm not sure how pissed off you're allowed to get when you ask a redneck a question and you get a redneck response.

But don't get me wrong. He's still an asshole.