LINCOLN, PG-13 ( 2 hr & 29 min )

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If you notice the date on this photo, it is from last week when I came here for the very first time to see a movie. The movie was Denzel Washington's FLIGHT. He did a good job of portraying a pilot who is an alcoholic and a drug addict. But I think that his character was just too much to be believable; it was more like a parody sketch, if you ask me. 'Sorry for the blurry shot. I will try and set my digital camera at 400 asa speed next time.

I went to see this today, Monday, November 12th, 2012, in San Francisco, CA, at the CENTURY SAN FRANCISCO CENTRE 9 and X-D on the 5th floor of the Westfield Shopping Center, for the 5:50 p.m. show in auditorium 1, 7th row, 9th column ( seat number 18--I count from the left ).

Quickie Review: With the Civil War into its fourth year, President Lincoln finds himself with the moral and ethical duty to get the 13th Amendment to The US Constitution, which guarantees freedom and equality for slaves, passed by the House Committee.

The audience liked this movie. And many of them gave this movie a "Hands Clapper" ending.

I liked this movie, too. It goes into the subject more than what any US History book could do. I would highly recommend this to all of you US History buffs out there.

Daniel Day-Lewis did a superbly stellar job in portraying our beloved 16th President--he even looks like the President! When you see this movie, you don't see Daniel Day-Lewis; you see President Lincoln, himself. How uncanny. He is a very strong contender for Best Actor in the upcoming Oscars.

The only thing that I didn't like about this movie are the last two scenes which, in my own opinion, should have been switched around. Better yet, the Assassination scene should have been completely cut-out and left on the cutting-room floor ( it just looked out of place, to begin with )!

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I had a chiropractor's appointment first thing in the morning, at 8:30 a.m.

After my spinal adjustment, I called my dentist to see if he could see me today for a tooth that had been bothering me for the last few days. But they could not squeeze me into their schedule.

Then, I went to the Dollar Tree Store across from my chiropractor's clinic on Sonoma Boulevard here in Vallejo, CA.

And I went to Max's of Manila Restaurant, just around the corner from the Dollar Tree Store, to have a Pilipino Buffet Breakfast.

I decided to see WRECK-IT RALPH once again, here in Vallejo, CA, as I waited for my food to get digested. There were a lot of brats in the auditorium with me because today is a Veterans' Day holiday. The brats and their parents really like the movie. The very annoying boy brat seated directly behind me kicked the back of my seat a few times. Why don't their irresponsible parents teach their brats some manners before they're forced to learn manners the hard way? The girl brat seated four seats to my right was dancing to the music during the Ending Credits--that was cute, I suppose.

As I stepped-out of the theatre, this is what I saw:

This van has Barbie Dolls--naked ones!!!--all over the rooftop and on its rear bumper. This van belongs to the owner of  a Barbie Doll Art Shop here in Vallejo, CA. The website is www.ooakbarbies.com. Go check it out! Any Barbie Doll fans out there ...?

I went home afterward to take a quick shower and to wait for the time when I will need to leave for my afternoon doctor's appointment in San Francisco.

I drove to the El Cerrito Del Norte Bart Train Station to catch the 3:16 p.m. San Francisco bound Bart train.

While the train was in transit, I got a message on my cellphone from a coworker of mine. But it was just too noisy in the train to hear what he had to say.

Presently, at one of the Berkeley Bart Train Stations, a beautiful blonde sat next to me, even though there were other available seats in that particular car. But I was not in a social mood since my tooth was really bothering me. Even though I applied some topical pain killer, Anbesol, on it before I left my condo, I was still in pain and was not about to chat-up anybody! I just sat there doing my Zhunti Mantra--I don't even think that my mantra work counted for any Karmic Merit at all since I did it while I was in pain, i.e. my mind was not really into it because of the pain.

When I got to San Francisco, I decided to while the time away at Posh Bagel Shop on Sutter Street before I was due for my 4:45 p.m. medical doctor's appointment. I bought a bottle of GT's Raw Kombucha Synergy Gingerberry to drink while I was there. I checked on my coworker's message once again.

I walked across the street to the 7-Eleven Store to buy a top-up card for my cellphone so that I could call my coworker. I stepped outside the store and there, on the corner of Kearney and Sutter, I called my co-worker.

And as I walked toward my doctor's clinic, I talked with my co-worker on the 'phone. He wanted me to "walk him through" the Cut, Copy and Paste functions of his computer. You see, yesterday, I wrote a letter to his Pilipina fiancee in the Philippines in the Cebuano language to convince her to fly here to San Francisco, her port of entry, instead of to Chicago where her "Evil Witch" employer will wait and see her Fiancee Visa jeopardized and cause her to be refused entry. I sent the letter ( along with its English translation ) off to my coworker's Facebook page because I didn't have his fiancee's e-mail address. And I told him to just Copy and Paste it to an e-mail that he'll send off to her. But he didn't know how to do it so he called me on my cellphone.

( I just learned how to Cut, Copy and Paste last year, after I've been using my computer for four years! Well, at least, I learned it strictly on my own. )

I've got about three more weekly appointments with this San Francisco doctor. I'm not really at liberty to divulge the nature of my medical appointments at this time. Maybe, someday ....

On my way to the theatre, I almost got hit by some asshole on a bicycle! Three cyclists crossed a red light on Market Street just as us pedestrians started to walk across. One of these days, I will carry a stick with me and push it through a bicycle's rear wheel if some asshole, idiot cyclist decides to cross on a red light in front of me. The last time I checked, cyclist must also obey the rules of the road AND GO WITH TRAFFIC!!! Why don't the cops do something about this rampant traffic hazard?

When I arrived at the theatre, I noticed a long line of people over on the right side of the main lobby. I went to a concessions counter clerk to ask about it. He said, rather curtly, that it was for an advanced screening for a movie. Which one, I asked. He didn't know. He told me to go to the ticket counter to find out what the 7:00 p.m. advanced screening was for.

The box office clerk at the ticket counter didn't know what the advanced screening was for. He seemed annoyed that I would ask him about it. I suppose the idiot wasn't the one who sold tickets to a whole bunch of movie-goers waiting in line to see an advanced screening.

I went to the ticket-taker and told her that I was just entering first to use the men's room then I was coming back out to buy something at the concessions counter. And I asked her what the advanced screening was for. She said that it was for the movie, LIFE OF PI. Finally! a movie clerk who knew what was going on.

At the concessions counter, I bought a $6.50 Lite Bite. It's kinda like an "upgrade" from a Kid's Pack, but with more popcorn and one's choice of Jamba Juice Trail Mix or Beef Jerky. But, the drink still comes in a small size; I made myself a Diet Coke/Coke Zero combo with one piece of  ice cube in it! And I didn't go to the curt clerk's register to pay for my purchase; I went to a female concessions clerk's register, instead.

On the train ride back to the El Cerrito Del Norte Bart Train Station, the gum area around my # 5 tooth was really inflamed. I was in "near-tears" pain! The Anbesol topical pain killer wasn't doing its job.

I will have to go to my periodontist tomorrow morning and have this problem tooth removed!


*

WRECK-IT RALPH 3-D, PG ( 1 hr & 41 min )

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I went to see this today, Friday, November 2nd, 2012, here in Vallejo, CA, at the Century 14 Vallejo for the 5:20 p.m. show in auditorium 1, 4th row, 3rd seat.

Quickie Review:  Envious of his rival, video arcade game bad guy, Wreck-It Ralph, goes game-jumping to earn a hero's medal and prove to everyone that he is as good, if not better, than their hometown favorite do-gooder, Fix-It Felix, Jr. In his quest for the coveted medal, he develops meaningful friendships with other video arcade game outcasts/rejects and learns that deep inside of him is a good guy just waiting to get out.

The audience liked this movie. Unfortunately, nobody gave it a "Hands Clapper" ending. I don't know why ....

I liked this movie a lot, a whole lot! And that is saying a lot about a kids' movie.The underlying theme of this movie, about finding goodness in someone, might be lost on younger brats; hence, the reason for the PG rating. This movie is suitable for older brats. So, if you have such brats at home, take them to see this movie with you.

This movie has two "Tear-Jerker" scenes, a sad one and a happy one---And I'm not admitting that I shed some tears watching either scene! So, there ....


*

THE MAN WITH THE IRON FISTS, R ( 1 hr & 36 min )

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I went to see this today, Friday, November 2nd, 2012, here in Vallejo, CA, at the Century 14 Vallejo for the 11:40 a.m. ( Extra Dollar Off First Show Matinee ) show in auditorium 14, 4th row, 7th column.

Quickie Review:  A stranger ( RZA ) washes ashore somewhere in China, gets taken-in by Buddhist Monks and eventually becomes a town's highly-skilled blacksmith. He hires his services out to rival martial arts clans that want to get their hands on an anticipated shipment of government gold. After he gets involved in it, and pays a heavy price for his unwelcomed involvement in the matter, he decides to help the town put an end to the greed and bloodshed that is uncontrollably ravaging it.

The audience liked this movie. But there was no "Hands Clapper" at the end. And, speaking of the end, at least a dozen people waited 'til after the Ending Credits to see if there was going to be a Bonus Scene. Nope, there wasn't ....

I liked this movie enough to recommend it to people who grew up on '70s Martial Arts Movies and/or are fans of said genre with its bloody and over-the-top action scenes.

I liked Russell Crowe's two scenes:

1.) "Let's pretend we're Catholic,"

and,

2.) "I'm here for your duck."

Also, I liked the Secret Dessert Key scene.

I thought that Chum Lee was in this movie.

Chum Lee, famous star of the reality TV show, Pawn Stars. I found this on the Internet.

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I was wrong! It's some guy named, Cung Le.

Here are some things that I found wrong in this movie:  Why was the prostitute, Lady Silk ( Jamie Chung ), always available to him? I mean, if she was the best prostitute at the brothel, her room should have always been "occupied" and would have a "Take A Number" ticket dispenser by the door ( and don't forget to change the bed sheets before you have a "go" at it )! Ha, ha, ha. Preposterous amounts of blood squirt and splash all over the place in some scenes of this movie. His "iron fist" should not have smashed the steel anvil into pieces since iron is weaker than steel! And, even though this movie was filmed entirely in China, all of the Chinese actors and actresses with a speaking part spoke English well!

( I have this Chinese friend, from Hong Kong, who once said of someone, "He committed society [ i.e. suicide ]." 'See what I mean? LOL. Don't get me wrong. He is a very good friend of mine and I like him a lot, but his English can be such a "riot" to listen to at times--and he has been living in the US for over 12 years now yet he still retains his thick Chinese accent. Maybe he should learn to sing American songs like I did, as mentioned in my blog on HERE COMES THE BOOM. )

*

SILENT HILL: REVELATION 3-D, R ( 1 hr & 35 min )

I went to see this on Tuesday, October 30th, 2012, in San Francisco, CA, at the AMC METREON 16, for the 6:50 p.m. show in auditorium 11, 5th row, 7th column.

Quickie Review:  A father ( Sean Bean ) and his daughter, Heather ( Adelaide Clemens ), are constantly on the run, managing to keep a distance between them and some evil force. When her father goes missing, she is forced to make the choice of confronting the evil which seeks to capture her. And she learns some deep secret about her own self, in the process.

There were just about half a dozen people in the audience with me. And I didn't hear a reaction from any of them.

There is a Bonus Scene shown after the Ending Credits of the huge guy ( executioner? ) with a funny-looking hat and a big, bladed weapon. It is really not worth the time to stay and watch it.

This movie is so-so. Wait for it to come out on DVD.

Here are some things that I found wrong in this movie: They drove a car at night that looked like it had a very well-lit cabin. When the girl turned into a mannequin, an attachment joint formed in the neck area but not in the shoulders, wrists and hips. Why did the "spider" mannequin fondle the mannequin's right breast? I mean, what was there to feel--it was hard as a rock! The pistol shouldn't have that much of a "knock-down" power or else the recoil would have forced it out of her hand. Why did that thing allow her to stick her hand into its torso? It could have easily grabbed at her wrist and pulled it out. The father had to go back in; otherwise, there will be no sequel after this!

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Here is my San Francisco/Millbrae bound Bart Train arriving at the El Cerrito Del Norte Train Station.

When I got to San Francisco, I walked to the Posh Bagel Shop on Sutter Street to buy a bottle of GTs Enlightened Raw Kombucha Synergy Drink, the Strawberry Serenity flavor. I'm hooked on this line of raw kombucha synergy drinks! This is what I have for lunch at work, along with a banana, a slice of cheese and some mixed nuts.

I went back to the Chinatown in San Francisco to walk around in the daytime. I bought a fanny pack and something for my niece in Michigan.

I found a BofA ( Bank of America ) close to the hotel where I stayed. That will make it easier for me to go souvenir shopping the next time that I come here to Chinatown.

As I waited for a light to turn green. A brand-new white Ford Fusion crossed the intersection, making a strange rattling noise before it stopped running. A lady walking down the sidewalk behind me said, "That doesn't sound good." Well, of course. It's a Ford! What did she expect? Luckily for the embarrassed driver, his car started up again.

On the corner of Jackson and Grant, slightly up the hill, is an All-You-Can-Eat Dim Sum Restaurant. I gotta eat here the next time that I "mini-vacation" in San Francisco.

I went to my doctor's office for my scheduled 4:30 p.m. appointment.

This giant cube is in the courtyard between Market Street and Mission Street, and just across Mission Street from the Yerba Buena Gardens ( I gotta check these gardens someday ). I call this the "Energon Cube". And the immensity of its size would be enough to give Megatron a visual orgasm in his HARD drive! Ha, ha, ha.

Then, I went back to the Burger King Restaurant on Powell Street. I ordered an "Angry Whopper" combo meal ( $8.56 ) because I was still upset about last week when they wouldn't honor my buy-one-get-one-free Chicken Parmesan Sandwich coupon.

On Powell Street and on Market Street, street vendors were hawking World Series-themed memorabilia: t-shirts, baseball caps, banners, etc.; in anticipation of tomorrow's San Francisco Giants victory parade down Market Street at 11:00 a.m.

At the concession counter, I didn't order the Curly French Fries this time because I just had dinner at Burger King. I opted for the "Kid's Pack", instead--for the kid in me!

Behind me was a long line of parents with their little brats in tow, waiting for the advance screening of WRECK-IT RALPH.

They had three security guards stationed in the lobby, waiting to hold anybody's recording-capable device 'til after the show is over. A guard, a tall black man, said to me, "Your light is on."

I went, Huh ...?

"You have a light on in your jacket pocket," he said as he and his two fellow guards got ready to pounce on me.

I put my ticket stub and snack pack on the table as I reached into my left jacket pocket. Somehow, my pocket flashlight got turned on. I thank the guard for pointing it out to me. In the process, he forgot to ask me to surrender my recording-capable device ( cellphone ). 'See what happens if you practice common courtesy? You just learned something new from Cine-Man today.

At the Powell Street Bart Station, I forgot that there was no direct line to El Cerrito Del Norte in the evening. So, I didn't get on the Pittsburgh/Bay Point train--the train that I needed to get on to transfer to an El Cerrito/Richmond bound train on 19th Street in Downtown Oakland. My commute home was delayed for about 20 minutes in the process.

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About that vision which I saw, the one about a blue orb falling from the sky, as mentioned in my blog on PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 ....

I got the date right but the location wrong. It happened an approximate nine days after my vision of the falling blue orb. It was Super-Storm/Hurricane Sandy, which cut a huge swath of destruction in its wake along the Eastern Seaboard of the US.

Blue is not only the color associated with Shiva, it is also the color of the oceans. So, now, we know that a giant blue orb falling from the night sky is symbolic of an ocean-based calamity. And 30 degrees from the perpendicular ( from my Northern California perspective ) is associated with the Atlantic Ocean.

Whereas, my 2004 vision showed me a falling orb with the colors of fire and of the ocean. So, now, we know that a falling orb with the colors of fire and of the ocean means an earthquake and a tsunami. And 45 degrees from the perpendicular ( from my Northern California perspective ) is associated with the Pacific Ocean.

But why nine days? Easy. It is biblical in nature. Let me explain: 1 = God's Number; 2 through 6 = Days of Creation; 7 = God's Day of Rest ( we presently live in that "day" ); 8 = Day of a Blood Covenant or blood-letting ( the last century was called "Hemoclysm Century" ); 9 = The End of a Cycle of anything ( perhaps, even the day of Armageddon ); and, 10 = God's Supreme Number ( also, a multiple of 1 ), and God's Day of Reawakening. Of course, this is just my personal understanding of the 10-number system as it pertains to the Judeo-Christian tradition.


*

TAI CHI ZERO, PG-13 ( 1 hr & 40 min )

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where:  AMC METREON 16 in San Francisco, CA
when:  Monday, October 22nd, 2012
show:  5:05 p.m.
costs:  $12.00 Ticket + $5.00 Curly French Fries + $4.75 20.0 oz Powerade Mountain Berry Blast = $21.75
auditorium:  5, on the 3rd floor
seat:  4th row, 5th  column

synopsis/overview:  Yang Lu Chan ( Daniel Wu--or is it Jayden Yuan? [ I'm confused ] ) was born with an abnormal growth on his right temple which makes him the town's social outcast. But his mother ( Shu Qi ) sees potential in him and encourages him to master the Martial Arts. But his fighting skills come at a great cost: Each time he fights a great fight, the abnormal growth on his head gradually weakens his life force. A good doctor tells him to stop using External Kung-Fu because it is killing him slowly from the inside. He must learn Internal Kung-Fu before it is too late, according to the doctor. So, he travels to Chen Village, a remote nearly-inaccessible mountain village populated by legendary Tai Chi practioners in the Chen Tradition, in hopes of learning Internal Kung-Fu from its acclaimed grandmaster, the inimitable Master Chen ( Tony Leung Kar-Fai ), himself. But nobody wants the determined, unwelcomed stranger hanging around their village. Yang gets beaten in a series of duels, especially at the hands of Yuniang ( Angelababy---Yup! that's her name. And she's one hot babe! Shu Qi's got some serious competition here in the Looks Department. ). But the fool-hardy Yang is not discouraged and just keeps coming back for more "beat-downs". An old man takes a liking to Yang and gives him precious tips on how to better his skills at fighting. What Yang doesn't know is that the old man is actually Master Chen, himself, who also happens to be the father of Yuniang! When a railway company decides to demolish Chen Village in order to put a railway right through it, Yang joins forces with Yuniang to thwart the evil plan and to unleash the Tai Chi Warrior within himself.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) Rice; 2.) Three Blossoms On A Crown; 3.) Three moves; 4.) Internal Kung Fu; 5.) Night raid; 6.) Mountain village; 7.) Village meeting; 8.) Coffee; 9.) "I'm not a good match for you"; 10.) Village gate; 11.) Governor's place; 12.) "Power of Technology"; 13.) Tofu fight; 14.) "There's a monster"; 15.) Secret love; 16.) Diagram; 17.) Sworn enemies; and 18.) "There's only one person who can save him."

audience reaction: Somebody in the audience gave this a "Hands Clapper" ending. But, I don't know why ....

recommendation: I didn't like this movie at all. It was at times like a video game; and the wire-work ( i.e. Wire-Fu ) didn't help it any, in my opinion. Also, this movie is part one in a two-part series. Wait for this to come out on DVD unless you're a fan of Shu Qi and Angelababy!

spoiler alert! Why didn't the governor hear the "monster" approaching? So, the legendary Chen-style Tai Chi can be easily defeated by Clumsy-style Tai Chi. Ha, ha, ha. How was the "monster" able to get to the near-inaccessible Chen Village?

fyi: Back in the early '70s, the late Bruce Tegner, a martial arts legend, published a book on Tai Chi. The form that he illustrated in his book complements well the song, Kung Fu Fighting. See it for yourself if you have a copy of his book and have learned the form. But I guess any Tai Chi form will do.

"Everybody was Kung Fu fighting. Those kicks as fast as lightning." Oops, I got carried away. Sorry ....

In the mid-'70s, Mad Magazine came-up with a martial arts parody on how a movie director gets the fight started by yelling out loud that he doesn't have enough rice for everybody! I get a chuckle thinking about that now. And this movie reminded me of it!

word of advice: Don't impose your will on others.

tidbits:  I started today bright and early. I went to my chiropractor for a spinal adjustment at 8:30 a.m. Then, I went to the local BofA ( Bank of America ), US Bank and Chase Bank to make deposits.

When I got home, I waited until after 12 noon to leave for a trip because I was waiting for my mail to arrive. I missed the 12:20 p.m. bus in the process. Actually, I think the idiot bus driver came by too early; otherwise, I would have seen the bus approaching. I walked back to my condo after I called and placed a complaint with the transit line.

I got on the 1:20 p.m. bus and transferred to the El Cerrito bus at the main transfer station so I could go to the El Cerrito Del Norte Bart Train Station to board a San Francisco bound train.

At the MacArthur Bart Train Station, a young Mexican couple, with an infant in a baby stroller, got on the forward car. I was pretty sure about their nationality because the man had an accordion with him painted in the Mexican flag colors. He played his accordion for the passengers as they moved from car to car. His wife had a 30.0 oz cup in her hand that she held out as they moved toward the rear of the train. I gave her a dollar bill when she walked by at 2:52 p.m. By then, her cup was pretty full.

Maybe, I should give this a try someday. I gotta learn how to play the accordion first, though, then borrow someone's wife and baby. LOL

I went to San Francisco, CA, for a little bit of vacation time. I never spent some nights in San Francisco before; and today, Monday, was my chance to do so. So, I seized upon the opportunity.

I got off at the Montgomery Bart Train Station and walked up Montgomery Street on my way to the hotel where I placed my reservation. At 3:10 p.m., on the corner of Montgomery Street and Sutter Street, a crazy black man was in the middle of the intersection holding-up traffic as he yelled at the cars  and swung at them with an invisible sword!

This is the hotel where I stayed at, Grant Plaza Hotel, on the corner of Pine Street and Grant Avenue. I don't think I got my money's worth staying at this hotel that had seen better days ( probably back in the '50s and '60s ) and which has loose and creaky floor boards, plus thin walls, on top of it all. This is not the place to go to for some hot and wild passionate sex romp! Fortunately for me, I went by myself.

I paid over $100.00 a night staying at this place. Yup! Because my room, # 211, is a Double-Occupancy room. I placed my reservation too late and could not get a Single-Occupancy room at all! And this place doesn't even have a coffee maker, it doesn't have a mini refrigerator, they charge $0.25 for a small bucket of ice, and they charge $5.00 for every 20 minutes spent on either one of their main lobby computers. I think that there is a Motel 6 on Geary. I'll go there next time---Never mind ... I just now found out on the Internet that it is more expensive to stay over at Motel 6.

These are the twin beds in my room. Believe me, I alternated beds each night if only to get my money's worth on my stay, somehow. By the way, that's my backpack that you see on the bed, my only "luggage" for my entire stay. If my sister in Michigan sees this, she's gonna wonder why I always haul two or three luggages with me whenever I go to visit her for less than a two-week stay; yet, here I am with just a backpack, of all things! 'Sorry for the blurry shot. I guess that I was just too excited to have a Double-Occupancy room all to myself---Woo-Hoo! I could prance around in my room butt-naked. Oops, too much information. ( I hope that they don't have "Spy Cams" installed in each room or else I'll be famous--or infamous--on YouTube. LOL )

This is the staircase just two doors away from my hotel room. If you notice, the door is set flush against the bottom step. Obviously, this was an "after-thought" job.

If you go to see a movie at an AMC theatre, forget about getting the Popcorn. Have the Curly French Fries, instead. You'll definitely get your money's worth on it because they give you such a generous serving of the fries.

After the movie, I walked on over to the Burger King on Powell Street because I had a "buy one, get one free" Chicken Parmesan Sandwich coupon with me. But, would you believe it? They don't honor their own coupons. I guess only franchises outside of Big Rip-Off San Francisco honor such coupons! I spent $8.77 for a Whopper w/ Cheese Meal with a medium Diet Coke. And I really didn't enjoy that meal because ....

On my way back to the hotel, I took a photo of this window display of a clothing store on the corner of Bush Street and Grant Avenue, just one block down from my hotel, because a mannequin is posed with its panties showing---That's a first, I think. Don't worry, I didn't leave you perverts hanging. There's a better daytime shot of this window display below, just scroll down to it.

The night was still young so I asked the desk clerk if there was a MacDonald's Restaurant nearby, for the next day's meals. She said that there was one just two-and-a-half blocks down on Pine Street. I walked down Pine Street until I got down to Market Street. And there was no sign of a MacDonald's at all!

I just walked back up to Grant Avenue and I made a right turn to go do some window shopping in the Chinatown District. But it started raining hard. So, I just walked back to the hotel with my clothes soaking wet because I left my umbrella in my hotel room--"smart", really "smart" ....

As soon as I got back into my hotel room, I turned-on the TV set just in time to see the San Francisco Giants win the game. Hurray!

Tuesday, October 23rd, 2012:

This is the Pine Street view from my hotel room. The man you see outside the window is one of three Parking Enforcement Authority personnel checking the parking meters.

Here's the better daytime shot of the mannequin, as promised. Now, aren't you glad that you were patient with me?

This is the corner of Bush Street and Grant Avenue, the gateway to Chinatown in San Francisco, CA.

This is Maiden Lane, on weekdays. They actually close this side street to vehicular traffic during lunch time so that people can dine out in the middle of it. Don't have your GPS find Maiden Lane for you on a weekday at noontime or else!

And here's the first pair of dining patrons! The next pair of dining patrons will probably order a couple of Pigeon dishes!

I made a twelve-second movie clip of the corner of Bush Street and Grant Avenue, quite by accident, if you must know.

This is inside of a bakery, Eastern Bakery, the first bakery in Chinatown. That is former President Bill Clinton in the poster. He visited this bakery in 1996. I bought one of those rice-dishes-wrapped-in-leaves "thing".

I ate at the Food Court on Grant Avenue, and which was just three blocks away from the hotel where I was staying. I was in Chinatown for about 1 1/2 to two hours.

Wednesday, October 24th, 2012:

The topless guy in the picture is me, Cine-Man. And this is as "naked" as I'll ever get for you guys. It's not a Vanessa Hudgens, Miley Cyrus, Scarlett Johansson or even a Demi Moore publicity stunt photo but it will just have to do. So, use your imagination! Ha, ha, ha.

This is the shower stall in my hotel room. Anyone who weighs 300 pounds or more WILL NOT FIT IN THIS STALL!!!

Here's one more shot of the mannequin, for good measure. "Third time's a charm," as they say.

And this is my "Two Second" movie--what you end-up with when you edit all of the superfluous stuff! This beats all of those "5-Second" movies you see on YouTube by three seconds! What can I say, I'm Cine-Man; and I'm good at what I do. Yeah, right ....

Okay, that's it! I can't afford to spend any more of my vacation time and vacation money in Big Rip-Off, Highly-Congested, Overly-Rated and Undeservedly Romanticized San Francisco!

I left my ---- ( rhymes with "Part" ) in San Francisco.

*