I knew a woman conservator who worked closeup restoring the statue. She said she furtively squeezed the backsides more than once.

Would love to read the story but the link returns a 404 message. Got an alternate?

#history San Franciso, April 18, 1906: Police Report: 'On Third St. a collapsed building pinioned a man to the ground. Realizing he would be burned to death he begged bystanders to kill him. A large man stepped forward, whipped out a revolver and shot him through the head, killing him instantly.'

I believe that’s an F-19 Strike Pigeon flying shotgun in the sky.

Thanks for the nice words, Campbell. I considered using OD for the ambulance, like in your photo, but really wanted to try the blue scheme. After finishing I noticed one major error: I put the American Field Studies decal on the wrong strake. It should be one board higher. Maybe I'll build another?

#histscalemodels #scalemodels Finished weathering the 1917 Model T ambulance. Muddy tires and fenders created using Vallejo's "Thick Mud" and Tamiya "Clear" to give a wet effect. Also, a touch of AK's "Fresh Mud" (which is really a wash) applied using the toothbrush splittering technique.

Thanks! I'll post updated photos after I apply weathering -- if it comes out OK, that is.

Thanks! I'll post updated photos after I apply weathering -- if it comes out OK, that is.

The "crackle finish" on the wooden sides is the unintentional result of applying a layer of hair spray. But I kinda like it. Gives the paint job an aged, sun baked look.

#histscalemodels #scalemodels This is my "palette cleanser" after a long building spree of WWII tanks and aircraft: a 1917 Model T ambulance. Still needs post-shading and weathering.

The blue color was a challenge. I ended up using Vallejo's Model Air IDF Blue with a drop of flat black.

How does James Comer have Hillary testify but not Melania?

We even had goats.

No, but watched many times as long lines of ice cream seekers snaked down the sidewalk.

#photography #sanfrancisco Just for fun, one of my favorite streets in San Francisco: Seal Rock Drive near El Camino Del Mar. It drips of post-war, mid-century architecture.

My wife and I lived in the redwoods above Fairfax for over thirty years. Wonderful, magical place. We used to call our neighborhood "the home of the big black dog in the back of a pickup truck" and "where old hippies go to die."

They just won't give up. I'm an Alcatraz historian and former park ranger on the island. The initial estimates for fully restoring the prison are around $2 billion. And that doesn't include operating costs, which were astronomical in the 1960s when the Bureau of Prisons closed the island.

They just won't give up. I'm an Alcatraz historian and former park ranger there. The initial estimates for fully restoring the island are around $2 billion. And that doesn't include operating costs, which were astronomical in the 1960s when the Bureau of Prisons closed the island.

Here's mine.

Here's a 1926 photo of the wrecked oil tanker "Lyman Stewart" at Lands End with Klan graffiti painted on the side.

Thanks Badger!

which AI program do you use? I want to experiment -- carefully.

Harold's books "The Face of San Francisco" (1960) and "The Natural World of San Francisco" (1967) were two of the most influential books in my young life, opening up for me the cultural and natural histories of our amazing city. Met him in later years and it was like greeting a rock star.

#history A friend tried to clean up historic photos using AI and forwarded me examples for review. I was startled to see the program had added nonexistent features, like below…

Original photo shows a lone soldier but the AI program added 4 more soldiers at right. Total fabrication

Scary stuff.

San Francisco to Long Island -- by myself. I was transferred from Honolulu to New York, and my wife had gone ahead to set up our apartment. My car was off-loaded from a cargo ship in Oakland, I immediately took off for Oyster Bay, NY. Drove four days straight, only stopping to sleep and eat.

B.S. I had double the amount of federal Law Enforcement training as ICE agents get, and was never instructed on how to operate a metal detector or wand a tourist.

The idea is still alive, although not talked about much. I think the realization of outrageous costs and physical challenges has cooled off everyone except Trump. I don't think the concept will fully die until he leaves office.

Alcatraz penitentiary closed today in 1963 after 29 years of operation. It’s been a historic site for 53 years.

Ziggy before & after.

Ziggy’s is a bit more extreme. But it’s way too hot here in California.