1770 photographer

I actually applied for a job...I have not held a job for 24 years!  I was surprised they actually selected me to test for this job.  When I got to the test site I found there were like 200 other applicants lined up for this test.

 I was up all night chasing out this bum that's been sleeping in our circuit breaker room.  Called the police and all.  

Jacked myself up with coffee.  Hoping to get a ride from my daughter to find her sound asleep... I just took the 19 Polk bus to the test site. 

About 200 applicants taking this test!  How many jobs are there for this position? 

About a third of the people lined up were "old" meaning mid-age and up.  There were some of the most finest local photographers.  Some familiar faces.  All without enough work to stay self employed and ready to trade it in for a straight conventional eight to five job.  Taking orders from a supervisor.  Putting up with workplace politics, gossip, snitching, etc.

It's the same with me.  I kind of fell out of the wedding photography biz.  Portrait business was never significant and I don't have a regular studio space.  I hardly get hired to photograph events or anything.  The t-shirt printing business have pretty much came to a standstill.  The graphics and illustration business was never significant.  Even selling artwork is tough.

Putting the kids through college and then having this lawsuit on me by my brother has drained my savings.  

While many of my friends are now retiring or already retired... Here I am looking for a job at 63.  How sad.   But nevertheless I need money to pay my bills and expenses.  And to deal with this lawsuit.  I will not have a place to live if I don't deal with it.

The test was tough.  A lot about how to handle over 100 year old nitrate based negatives.  About 20% of the test I WAG'd it... Wild Ass Guessed it.  I doubt if I will get this job.  

If I do get this job it won't be easy too.  If I get projects going I'll be burning the candle at both ends.

The latest edition of screenprinting magazine

http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sp_20151201/index.php#/1

New Year's Day

Only about 30 minutes into the new year.

 Caught this guy blowing his nose without tissue.

Some images lately

The ol is on a throwing rampage.

Worker taking a break outside of Big Dish in Chinatown Oakland.

It's 7am.

Porkchop house on Christmas evening.

Christmas was busy for Porkchop House.  

City workers got the day off for Christmas.

 Super cool door latch in the restroom at Porkchop house.

My Christmas dinner courtesy of Suey Sing Tong at Porkchop House.

White People Love Chinatown

White people love SF Chinatown.  Everyone from the well heeled gentries to the young hipsters to the tourist to the homeless and mentally challenged.

This black tour guide hates Chinatown though.  

http://youtu.be/wesK3quatYE

Seems like the Chinese have abandoned Chinatown.  There are less and less Chinese living in Chinatown nowadays.  The are more and more Chinese enclaves all over the city and Bay Area.  Space is expensive and cramped in Chinatown.  New immigrants find our Chinatown old and distasteful compared to the mega malls throughout Asia nowadays.  

But perfect for gentries and hipsters whom can just walk to the financial district to work.  Not owning a car in the city saves a lot of money too.

The coming of the Central Subway to Chinatown will drastically change the whole character of the neighborhood too.  Jacking up land value, jacking up rents.  The future of San Francisco's Chinatown as a community is bleak.

Mou jahk ung

http://mp.weixin.qq.com/s?__biz=MzA5MTMyMDAxNA==&mid=200243453&idx=1&sn=d30f575d82d9f69fd7373b0d43189c95&scene=1&from=singlemessage&isappinstalled=0#rd

Utopia dragons

 It's been more than a week since I touched this nine dragon mural at utopia cafe in Chinatown.

I've been having to deal with taxes, accounting and the goddamn lawsuit.

Tonight I keylined dragon #4, #5 and #6. 

I'm gonna redo #7 a bit.  I don't like the left claw and body.  Gotta make that neck skinnier too.

In the meantime they're getting antsy at chsa about my mural there.  I need four hours straight of penciling in the image using the digital projector.

I've been a bit under the weather.  With the changing of the season, I had a sore throat the last few days and it was really difficult swallowing.  I've been really exhausted too.