Tom and Margot's Adventures in Photography

Saturday, July 3, 2010

And Now for Something Completely Different

On Sunday, after the excitement of the slide rule meeting we headed to San Francisco. Margot wanted to go to Chinatown and look at mahjong sets.

Click to enlarge.

Jill, our trusty GPS, plotted a route to get us there but we soon ran into trouble.

When we got to downtown we found the streets blocked off. What's going on we asked at the first parking garage we could find?

It's the GAY PRIDE PARADE!!!

I'll never think of the the king and queen of a parade in quite the same way!

Click to enlarge - if you dare!

All sorts of community groups participating.

The spectators were as interesting as the parade. Big crowd - hard to get close enough to the front to see or take pictures.

Some more spectators.

Sort of a Brokeback theme working here.

And of course, the gay policemen of San Francisco were represented.

I think this might be a Rocky Horror Picture Show theme.

A wonder about the source of their theology. There must have been at least a half dozen churches participating.

I don't know what this group is all about. The Imperial Court of San Francisco???

Here's a close-up if you didn't get the full effect in the picture above.

Come on! I dare you to click the picture!

Got to love the free speech in America. Here a counter demonstration group was giving the community hell - literally. A lot of dialogue back and forth. I am pretty sure no one changed their mind that day. Maybe some seeds were planted.

Overall, the whole crowd seemed to be in a good mood. While both sides were earnest, they didn't seem vitriolic.

Some people seemed to think that being outlandish would help make their point. Or maybe embarrass the other guys into leaving. It didn't seem to work.

We're taking a poll. Yes or No - Y Chromosome present or not?

This is the same ~~guy~~ pixie that was on the trash can a few pictures earlier.

I don't have a clue what this guy was thinking.

Belles of the ball.

Some political statements.

Another shot. It was a really big crowd. I have no idea how long the parade route was.

They're complaining about Hollywood something or another.

Margot don't you have that red sweater set?

No gay pride parade would be complete without Peter Pan.

The Long Awaited Slide Rule Convention Post

I know there is an intense amount of speculation about what goes on a slide rule convention. Now you know. It isn't really a convention - it is the West Coast Meeting of the Oughtred society. oughtred.org

There is a short business meeting but mostly it is about showing off new additions to your collection and buying and selling slide rules. Here I'm looking over another collector's rules.

I was not the youngest person there - believe it or not. I was pretty close, though.

It is a great opportunity to see things you likely will see nowhere else.

Bob is a legendary collector. He invited the group to his house for dessert after dinner at another collector's home. Driving down the street you would never imagine his home filled with 17 century mathematics books and an unparalleled collection of slide rules. Those ten rules under his name card might sell on eBay for $4000 or more. All quite rare.

Here Conrad looks over my display.

The meeting was held at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, CA. This is serial number 2 of a Babbage Difference Engine. It was designed in the early 1800s to calculate log tables. It was finally built a few years ago under the patronage of a Microsoft executive. Lots of interesting stuff there. I recommend it for the technology inclined.