All Photos by Randy Stern
I left the San Francisco Bay Area in 1996. I never returned. Until now.
Over the past 22 years, I tried my best to remember the good times and forget the rest. It was not because it was a not so great situation for me. Quite the opposite. It was a life-changing nine years spent living north and east of that 49 square mile center of the self-proclaimed universe.
San Francisco is on its own axis. If you read Armistead Maupin’s books, you get a sense of The City’s self-importance. Herb Caen’s columns and Alex Bennett’s morning shows confirmed this for morning commuters on BART coming from Fremont or Concord into The City.
Yet, it was conservative before it became liberal. It was racist before Willie Brown was elected to the state legislature. It was homophobic before Harvey Milk moved to The City.
It has always been hedonistic – going back to the Gold Rush. And, it always had a gravitational pull for those looking for a different kind of life, including who arrived for “The Summer of Love.”
I have roots in San Francisco. Continue reading
Commentary: Electrification or Just Electric Vehicles?
Photo by Randy Stern
Electrification is more than just a buzzword. It has become a battle cry in the premium/luxury vehicle segment.
This month alone witnessed the unveiling of two upcoming production full-battery electric SUV/Crossovers and a glimpse at another such future vehicle in the same class. These developments are happening, as another European premium/luxury brand is about to deliver on their full-battery electric crossover.
Neither of these introductions and production plans involves the only enterprise to set the benchmark in terms of full-battery electric vehicles with longer ranges – Tesla.
And, besides, Tesla has too many problems of their own to deal with.
While Tesla has been both revered and beguiled on many levels, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, BMW, and Jaguar have their sights on Elon Musk’s automotive-cum-technology enterprise.
Continue reading →