Despite my tardiness, I got to sit through three consecutive workshops. Some highlights:

• Intro to Digital Photography & Photoblogging: Maybe it was all the people going in and out, maybe it was my seat on the wall where I couldn’t see the projection, but I couldn’t concentrate during this one. I did get a glimpse of who exactly was attending this conference, as there were people who, say, didn’t know what Flickr was. That was refreshing, after having had my head dunked in this internet/social networking/weblogging/online forums/photosharing/blah blah blah et cetera stuff for years.
• DIY Marketing: Pretty good stuff, and I managed to take notes. (Maybe not totally coherent notes, mind…) Molly was really personable and kept it flowing.
• Podcasting 101: Eric Rice was really cool, though the info he presented may have been painted in strokes too broad. Then again, it does say “101″ in the title. What else… If you were there, you’ll know what I’m talking about when I say: what was up with that guy towards the front who kept asking these questions and leading the conversation off topic, and then about 15 minutes before the hour was up, took off and actually said goodbye on his way out? It wasn’t rude, per se, but it was almost as if the guy was oblivious to the fact that it was a workshop, not a personalized demo, and that there were thirty or so people sitting behind him. A little weird. Maybe I’m reading too much into that, but… hmm.

So am I learning stuff? Well, maybe… definitely in the marketing workshop, as that’s never been my strong suit. Otherwise, it feels like some review; I’m not at the beginner level in understanding a lot of these technologies. But that’s alright. It’s cool to see people coming to learn from square one, and it’s definitely been fun so far.

Well, I have nothing against the shirt, per se – the color is great, the design is fine, it’s the t-shirt maker I have a problem with. This is the first time either – earlier this summer I attended another convo where the shirts were similarly defective.

I thought about buying a Webzine shirt – who doesn’t like new t-shirts? But when one of the event MCs touted the shirts as being from American Apparel, I crossed “buy Webzine t-shirt” off my to-do list. Now, y’all don’t know me very well, but let me preface this rant by saying I’m hardly the gal who raises and waves the N.O.W. flag or takes offense easily to much of anything. But American Apparel (they don’t need a link, they get all the press they need and you can google them if you wish) – it’s leaders and his work ethic – well, they bum me out.

It’s hard to know where to start: sure, American Apparel does, from all accounts, treat its seamstresses and factory workers very well. Their no-sweat-shop cred is trustworthy. They still aren’t union shops, but at least they aren’t sweat-shops. But there’s the matter of the founder’s interesting and “liberated” sexual practices. Basically, he sleeps with his employees – but that’s okay, because they like it and they want to and yadda yadda. Except for the ones suing him. But no mind – I’m a law student and I know that meritless law suits get filed all the time, so who knows.

But what I do know is that American Apparel’s advertising campaigns generally employ the heroin-chic, under-aged girl, beguiling 20-yr-old school of thought and, the way I see it, the kids don’t need help being exploited. Or being sexualized. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with free, cutting-edge expressions of sexuality. But gape-mouthed, amateur porn shots of Helga the immigrant seamstress, plucked by hand to be an evocative photo spread for the selling of tube socks? Eh, I don’t know – I’m smelling something less fresh-cotton and more blatant exploitation.

The worst – well, at least, the most laughable – part of this whole money-making concept is that the randy, media-savvy founder explains his freewheeling, sex-with-consenting-employees business model as key to his creative spirit or some such nonsense.

Dear American Apparel – you make tube socks and tank tops. Deciding to make really small tank tops doesn’t make you bleeding-edge fashionistas. What you sell and how you sell it just makes you a bit sad and possibly just really exploitive. It’s certainly not healthy for girls or most grown women.

After Jacob’s presentation at Webzine, several of us felt the need to talk a walk and mark the presentation, so we headed over to Sparky’s Diner on Church St. near the Swedish American Hall, and we enjoyed a tasty burger. However, while waiting to get in, I noticed this lovely sticker. Can someone explain to me why condoms are being distributed at a restaurant? Drug store? Sure. Hardware store? Sweet. Shoe Store? Well, that’s pushing it. But a restaurant? I don’t get that. But hey, I live in DC, what the heck do I know?

All I was trying to do was hop a K, L or M from Castro to Church. I should’ve walked, but I thought, “Gosh, I’m in a hurry, MUNI will be speedy!” No, too many people trying to push onto the trains going towards downtown. And it was almost stereotypical what happened because of it, the stereotypical crowded public transit happening. All the people in line to use the dollar-to-dollar-coin machine because the guy right there in the booth wouldn’t take bills. The dollar-to-quarters machine that was busted, causing a long-ass line at the dolloar-to-dollar-coin machine. The people in the long-ass line that couldn’t figure out how to use the machine. The guy that managed to push his way onto a train, turn around to face us, and then smiled and waved at us with a “ha ha, I got on!” glint in his eye, even though the door wouldn’t shut on his toe. And then the one woman who compared our plight to catching a bus in Guatemala, where everyone is packing themselves on and fathers pass babies out the windows to mothers when trying to get out.

What I guess I’m saying is, “ditto what Nicole said” and downtown-bound MUNI’s tricky today, even for short trips. Jinkies.

So if you thought this weekend was crazy enough with Webzine, there’s also a couple of other things going on right now in the City that’s making Market Street a crazy crazy place to be. Namely, Loveparade, as well as a major Iraq war protest. Loveparade is a celebration of electronic music, which is expected to draw like 40,000 people, starts at 1 pm downtown, and culminates with a Green Day concert later at 7. As for the Iraq war protest, thousands of people grouped together in Dolores Park earlier this morning and marched down to City Hall. So imagine Market Street absolutely JAM-PACKED with electronica music lovers as well as war protestors, and you can understand why traffic downtown was an absolute nightmare today.

This weekend is probably The Busiest Weekend Ever.

This morning, we wandered down the Embarcadero after debarking the bus that brought us over from the Emeryville train station. We walked into the market building there and wandered through the restaurants and food vendors agog at the market stalls with beautiful produce and goods for sale. However, what was fantastic was the amazing egg and cheese sandwich on toasted bread. Of course, watching Jacob speak at webzine, while writing about having a good egg sandwich is just about the biggest conflict of rational thought that I can generate, so I think I’m just going to leave you with the pretty picture here.

I’ll warn you right now, in case you haven’t figured it out from Metroblogging Kahuna Sean Bonner’s recent postings here or, even better, Courtney’s announcement, that several of us SFMBers and a handful of other Metrobloggers from other cities are heading down to Webzine this weekend. The shindig starts in an hour and a few of us are probably over there already, either as volunteers, speakers, or panelists. This means that you should expect a bunch of posts about it over the next couple-three days, so if that’s too niche for you, steel yourself now. Me, I’m gonna be late as I’m waiting at the new digs waiting for Comcast to show up and install our cable/internet. They haven’t called me yet and the window closes in an hour, so I’m not holding my breath, but hopefully they’ll prove me wrong.

Before I moved in with my roommate for the past year and some change, who’s employed by the cable company so of course we have it, I hadn’t had cable in eight years. It’s mutated since then, and now it’s enticed me back with it’s temptations of built-in DVR which I can aim at the Game Show Network, and on-demand programming that let’s me check up on things like the huge anime convention in San Diego where they talk to Man Faye who is totally sexy and cute and OMG KAWAIIIIIIIII!!!

Er… *ahem* So yeah, I can make room for cable. And the new roommate (which is to say, Our Courtney) wanted the Food Network. Right on.

But assuming the cable guy doesn’t show up in the next… well, 50 minutes now… we’re going to have to continue to mooch off the neighbors’ wifi for the next few days. (Here’s a hint, neighbors: if it’s named “linksys” we’re gonna know we can jump on it.)

Update: Running late? Here by 1:30? Aw, maaaaan…..

Completely useless obersavation of the moment – in LA at any kind of event where there’s a few bloggers around you can’t throw a rock without hitting someone with a Treo650. In fact it’s the most common device used as far as I can tell – everyone has one. Sure there’s a person or two with a Sidekick but they are few and far between. So I’m here in San Francisco at dinner and at the great WebZine2005 party put on by SFist and it’s Sidekicks everywhere and I didn’t see a single person tonight with a Treo650. I’m sure you feel very enlightened by this news, especially that I’m staying up until 1am to tell you about it.

Well, I guess, this being SF and all, grannie might like that other, other street fair, too. But just in case grannie forgets her nitro pills, this Sunday Cole Valley hosts the third annual Heart of Cole Festival from 9am – 6pm on Cole Street between Carl and Parnassus.

The only leather at this Festival will be that tethering dogs to their owners. The only chains – those attached to various artisan jewelry and/or artworks. This is an artsy fartsy fair, kids – fine fun for the whole family in one of my favorite neighborhoods ever. The Festival’s website lists the various art forms and artists on display this Sunday, ranging from photography to ceramics.

Might I suggest making a day of it with breakfast at Crepes on Cole (try the Basil crepe) and a fine lamb burger for dinner at Kezar Bar? Or just grab coffee at the always tasty Reverie, a metblog author fav. Okay, at least this metblog author – but I’ve seen others there!

So if your chaps are chaffing or you’re just in a mellow kinda mood on Sunday – check out the kindler, gentler street fair – the 3d annual Heart of Cole Festival.