<a href="http://pigyard.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/chuck-close-SFjul16.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-3620" src="http://pigyard.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/chuck-close-SFjul16-200x132.jpg" alt="chuck-close-SF(jul16)" width="200" height="132" /></a>On my last morning in San Francisco I went with Clive to the <a href="https://www.sfmoma.org/visit/" target="_blank">Museum of Modern Art</a>. Clive had done some restoration on an electronic piece that used old-fashioned valves and so he managed to wangle a couple of free tickets.

There was some really interesting pieces and the whole building on 7 floors was really spacious and well set out but after a couple of hours I experienced sensory overload so we left before seeing everything.

<a href="http://pigyard.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/green-wall-SFjul16.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-3621" src="http://pigyard.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/green-wall-SFjul16-220x300.jpg" alt="green-wall-SF(jul16)" width="220" height="300" /></a>After lunch I went for a short walk along 14th Street to see one of the buildings that had a living wall. The longer grasses are like hair and blow in the wind. The building next to it continues with the garden theme with its graffiti.

Like most cities in the 21st century San Francisco is full of opposites with some wonderful, interesting buildings and then just across the road there's a row of tents on the pavement.
<a href="http://pigyard.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/homeless-SFjuly16.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-3622" src="http://pigyard.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/homeless-SFjuly16-220x300.jpg" alt="homeless-SF(july16)" width="220" height="300" /></a>
Some local charities have provided the tents and of course this has the effect of encouraging the homeless to live on the streets rather than in hostels. I know we bang on about our state benefits system and how much the government spends (as the fifth largest economy in the world) well the USA is the largest economy in the world, an almost non-existent benefit system and this is the result. Of course some people don't want to be helped but I cannot believe that all the inhabitants of these encampments prefer being out on the street.