good music, good hair

never a bad combination.



have a double with me...

big band jazz and me

when i started listening to jazz i thought that the sextet was as far as i would go. the big band appeared so archaic and from an earlier, less hip, time. swing music did not interest me.

i wanted the spare and hip sound of miles davis playing 'so what' and not jimmy dorsey or cab calloway jumping around a stage with a bunch of guys sitting down. every note planned out seemed the antithesis of what i wanted from jazz.

then i met gil evans and saw what he could do with miles davis and a big band. then i learned about evans' album, out of the cool. it took all the best of cool jazz and added a big band. the full sound of the band not cheesy anymore. not swinging away with a clarinet, but beautiful and sparse and full.

have a listen.

listen: junior parker - tomorrow never knows

beatles covers make me happy. especially this one. if you are truly bored, you can open up two tabs with this song and make a canon. just start one, wait about 10 seconds and start the next one. it works well and you just might feel a little like danger mouse, a little.

cute goats

from goat milk to goat cheese to mark wahlberg talking to goats to the fact that are just so cute. they can even be used, as google has done for their fields in mountain view, to replace lawn mowers.

bridges, bait, ballard and bullshit

the old lady in ballard wouldn't give up her house and although she passed away, and the general contractor owns her house, her humble cottage now sits in between LA Fitness and Trader Joes.


Now the bait shop in detroit at the intersection of urban decay and a new ambassador bridge.

interesting metro times story here

before 808s and heartbreaks. talking steel guitars, haunting songs and a little racism

Pete Drake - Forever

faces

DSC_0318, originally uploaded by PourLeCorps.

sammy...

DSC_0315, originally uploaded by PourLeCorps.

no pics in this shop of crap please

DSC_0312, originally uploaded by PourLeCorps.

little people and littler people

DSC_0281, originally uploaded by PourLeCorps.

greens

DSC_0254, originally uploaded by PourLeCorps.

dedicated northern california beach folk

DSC_0241, originally uploaded by PourLeCorps.

off centered lights card table v

DSC_0227, originally uploaded by PourLeCorps.

i'm late to all this grizzly bear wonderfulness.

but if you are too. enjoy. join me.

new technology old looking video

sunlight in windowless rooms. rad. makes you happy. less depressed.



company here - sunlight direct

doesn't like

that dave wears sweats all the time.

yelp thoughts

i don't like yelp. but, sometimes i like what yelpers write.

"The 19 is never on time, but it sure gets you where you are going HELLA fast. They must have magic bus juice in there, because I have no idea how I made it across town in under 20 minutes during rush hours, but cheers to the 19 polk."

i won't link to yelp, but if you want to see the full post just look up the 19 polk

April 1, 2009

Alice Waters Launches Frozen Food Line

Alice Waters’ office today confirmed reports that the doyenne of sustainable food has partnered with Dean and Deluca on a new line of frozen foods that, in a statement released to the press today, her office described as “a crossover product making sustainability accessible to a wider audience”. The “Simple Perfection” entrees, which consist of a oven-ready terra-cotta plate rubbed with garlic and sprinkled with salt are designed to be laden with seasonal vegetables by the user.
# The small bottle of olive oil included in each entrée can be used to dress the raw salad or to prepare your own seasonal vegetables for the oven. Planned for a May ’09 release, the harissa-rubbed bazaar entrée and evocative finocchio, which will be scented with burnt fennel pollen, will widen the line. A descriptive brochure included in each package describes suitable ways of procuring food for the entrees, including farmers’ markets, foraging, and growing or killing animals yourself. Asked why the entrees were frozen given that they consist mostly of a few condiments, Ms. Waters’ office stated “the vision was to fully replicate the simple convenience of frozen food – down to the last detail.” Priced at $19.99 per entree.

STORY HERE

damn NIMBY hater people

people complain about everything and affordable housing is one. but then try to build some affordable homes and look what happens. the people with the unaffordable housing complain that their houses may become more affordable.


From SFGate.com's On The Block by Betsy Schiffman and Tracey Taylor

Some Mountain Viewers Prefer Unaffordable Housing

A small group of Mountain View residents are riled up about a city proposal to build an affordable-housing development on a city-owned lot, according to the Mountain View Voice.

The concern, as one resident put it, is that the city is "building a ghetto" next to a fairly new condo development, 108 Bryant Street, and property values there will be shot.

Condo owners at 108 Bryant Street worry that Mountain View's plan to build affordable housing nearby will hurt property values.

The city's plan for the affordable housing project could climb up to four-stories tall with 51 units, and would be built at a Caltrain overflow parking lot on Evelyn and Franklin Streets. The units will go to those who earn less than 60 percent of the area's median income, according to the report.

As it stands now, prices at 108 Bryant Street appear to be holding somewhat steady. The most recent sale we could find at that address was a two-bedroom unit which went for $650,000 in October 2008, and previously sold for $620,000 in November 2006.

STORY HERE

old fashioned

in honor of ariel's mom drink an old fashioned. i can't guarantee you'll like it, unless you go to Matty at NOPA. for the homey folks here is a recipe from The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks by David A Embury. some claim that the old fashioned is the first cocktail.

Old Fashioned

* 12 parts American whiskey
* 1 part simple syrup
* 1-3 dashes Angostura bitters to each drink

In an old-fashioned glass, add bitters to simple syrup and stir. Add about 1 ounce of whiskey and stir again. Add two cubes of cracked, but not crushed, ice and top off with the rest of the whiskey. Twist lemon peel over the top and serve garnished with the lemon peel and a maraschino cherry.

from the wikipedia entry

my home in jello

this artist, Liz Hickok, is somewhat famous in SF for her jello creations. this is where i grew up, in jello. very fitting considering the small earthquake we experienced this morning. HER WEBSITE HERE

portable potty pyromaniac

life makes me happy. from the AP.

Clorox offers $5K to wipe out SF 'toilet torcher'

Friday, March 20, 2009
(03-20) 14:49 PDT San Francisco, CA (AP) --
The Clorox Company is offering a $5,000 reward and a year's supply of toilet cleaning products for tips leading to the arrest of San Francisco's notorious portable potty pyromaniac.

The Oakland-based chemical company plans to deploy a "potty patrol" team in the city Tuesday to make residents aware of its offer marrying marketing and community service.

Since November, more than two dozen construction site toilets have been set on fire in San Francisco, causing an estimated $50,000 in property damage and leaving a trail of foul-smelling evidence.

Explaining Clorox's interest in wiping out the unknown prankster, company spokesman Dan Gagen quips, "You could say that it's a crappy job, but somebody's got to do it."

start ups

Over the Moon Diapers
This company may not deserve to be at the very bottom of this list, but it’s difficult to get excited about used diapers. Those who aren’t raising a child (that includes me, thankfully) may not be aware that used diapers are a huge source of waste, with each rugrat going through 5,000 to 10,000 diapers before figuring out the toilet. That figures out to 27.4 billion diapers going to landfills in the United States alone, according to the Real Diaper Association.

Over the Moon Diapers wants to help out, of course. But this seems a bit more like a marketing than a technology play. After all, reusable cloth diapers have always been available.

story HERE from venturebeat.com

recession notes

when i met david burkholder he was presented as a gifted designer who could help remodel my home. he was wearing two shades of green - green khakis and a lighter shade and completely non matching green shirt. it was hard to reconcile a designer who couldn't dress. his pant shirt combo appear to be minor problems. i heard over the weekend that burkholder had disappeared. well, he didn't excatly disappear, he was sent to federal prison for 4 years.

he was fraudulently scheming his parents in kansas to raise money from friends and their church to help payback debts he owed. including, and i'm not joking, money he owed barbara streisand and a debt to help the family of his partner (who didn't exist) who was killed in a tsunami.

story here

hiding from the dance bomb

The Jackson Square food court is such a ghost town that Mike Long needed to liven the place up a bit with some funky movin'. Where are the security guards? Answer: Hiding from the dance bomb. Tracie D keeps it real!

enjoy

bristol and levi are done!!!

bristol palin and levi johnston have split up. remember pregnant bristol during the election and levi with a ring finger tattoo of her name? remember how great it was that these young lovers were going to have a baby and get married and show everyone that life is so beautiful and that the palin family had such great values? they broke up and bristol refuses to levi access to the kid because she doesn't want the little guy around "white trash." family values.

salon discussion here.

keep an eye on...

van jones. from a local bay area activist to an obama advisor. civil rights and environmental rights together to "green the ghetto." he works to remove the perception that environmentalists are tree huggers and environmentalism has no place in low income neighborhoods.


sfgate article here

new yorker profile here.

represent

met kamila velan last night at a work event. check our her blog her progressiveangels.com

she talks about the finance world and the importance/lack of women in the industry.

ketchup and mustard

this article from 2004 changed my life. i realized that indeed there was no replacement for heinz ketchup. there are high end versions of everything. $40 mustard and the $100 lb coffee. but with ketchup, there is none other than heinz. this is also malcolm gladwell before he was blink celebrity talking head.

The Ketchup Conundrum
Mustard now comes in dozens of varieties. Why has ketchup stayed the same?
by Malcolm Gladwell
STORY HERE

love across borders

i keep seeing the four barrel guys at blue bottle.

high jump notes

who knew the fosbury flop was popularized in the 60s by dick fosbury. before the fosbury flop high jumpers primarily used the straddle technique. i always took the fosbury flop for granted. thanks dick.

old style vs. new style new style gold



fosbury flop

executive summary

i can do a great impression of a hotdog

blogging

me: i need to blog

mvongremp: get there

me: what should i write about

mvongremp: cats

me: what about cats

mvongremp: oh shit i dono i thought you would have smacked that one down right away

me: i just want you to suggest a smack down

mvongremp: you want me to suggest something you will smack down?

me: yes suggested smack

me: suggest some smack

mvongremp: heroin

me: i need more than the white horse

jindal jindal - miracles, exorcisms and crazy americans

this article frightens on many levels.

NY Times
opinion: By The Numbers
February 28, 2009
Bobby Jindal, the Exorcist
By Charles M. Blow

A day after Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal’s widely ripped Howdy Doody-meets-Mister Rogers response to President Obama’s address, Max Blumenthal piled it on with an interesting article on The Daily Beast reiterating some things not widely known about the “Bayou’s boy wonder.”

One of the most interesting facts in the piece, titled “Bobby Jindal’s Secret Past,” was that Jindal said he witnessed, and then haltingly participated in, the exorcism of his very close friend (a woman named Susan) when he was in college.

(It should be noted that other bloggers have been making hay of this fact for a while.)

In 1994 Jindal penned a piece for the New Oxford Review, under the title “Beating a Demon: Physical Dimensions of Spiritual Warfare,” in which he recounted what happened.

The account is straight out of the movies.
Photo by AMC
Linda Blair in the 1973 movie The Exorcist.

According to Jindal, Susan was a “charismatic Christian.” She had recently been diagnosed with cancer. Weeks before the diagnosis, one of her “closest friends from home” had committed suicide. She was hysterical and erratic (I wonder why), and started having “visions” and smelling like sulfur “which supposedly accompanies the devil.”

Everything came to a head at a prayer meeting organized for Susan. Here are some excerpts from Jindal’s article:

“Suddenly, Susan emitted some strange guttural sounds and fell to the floor. She started thrashing about, as if in some sort of seizure. Susan’s sister must have recognized what was happening, for she ordered us to gather around and place our hands on Susan’s prostrate body.”

“I tentatively ap­proached the group and placed the edge of my finger­tip on her shoulder … In a voice I had never heard before or since, Su­san accused me: “Bobby, you cannot even love Susan.”

“The students, led by Susan’s sister and Louise, a member of a charismatic church, engaged in loud and desperate prayers while holding Susan with one hand. Kneeling on the ground, my friends were chanting, ‘Satan, I command you to leave this woman.’ Others exhorted all ‘demons to leave in the name of Christ.’”

“Whenever I concentrated long enough to begin prayer, I felt some type of physical force distracting me. It was as if something was pushing down on my chest, making it very hard for me to breathe. Being a biology major at the time, I greeted this feeling with skepticism and rational explanations. I checked my pulse for signs of nervousness and wondered what could cause such a sensation. Shortness of breath is a common symptom that can mean very little or may signal the onslaught of a fatal stroke. Though I could find no cause for my chest pains, I was very scared of what was happening to me and Susan. I began to think that the demon would only attack me if I tried to pray or fight back; thus, I resigned myself to leav­ing it alone in an attempt to find peace for myself.”

“… the students dared Susan to read biblical passages. She choked on certain passages and could not finish the sentence ‘Jesus is Lord.’ Over and over, she repeated ‘Jesus is L..L..LL,’ often ending in profanities.”

“Just as suddenly as she went into the trance, Susan suddenly reappeared and claimed ‘Jesus is Lord.’ With an almost comical smile, Susan then looked up as if awakening from a deep sleep and asked, ‘Has something happened?’”

Wow. That’s incredible. But is it politically problematic?

This came up to some degree in his race for governor, but it didn’t appear to raise many eyebrows. Then again, the election was in Louisiana, a state steeped in voodoo and hoodoo customs and full of charismatic Christians and religious hysterics. (Case in point, months before Jindal’s article was published, two sisters from Arcadia, La., went on trial for gouging out the eyes of a third sister in an apparent attempt to rid her of a demon.) The state also has a sizable Catholic population, and the church openly embraces the idea of exorcisms.

But how well would Jindal’s exorcism experience be received elsewhere should he consider a national bid? Probably not as badly as some might suspect.

Judging by the number of Americans who believe in the devil and demonic possession, it might turn out to be a positive in heavily religious areas, helping Jindal become more relatable to like-minded voters.

According to The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life’s 2008 U.S. Religious Landscape Survey, nearly 70 percent of Americans believe that “Angels and demons are active in the world,” and nearly 80 percent believe that “miracles still occur today as in ancient times.”

one day at a time

one approach, to help save the planet from global warming and the instability caused by the global oil market, is electric cars. tesla motors is the poster child of the this market. however, they produce a car that is not affordable to most of the world. their newly released roadster's price tag is a very earth friendly $100,000. hollywood celebs and silicon valley v.c.s who no longer feel special in a prius, make up the 1000 order backlog claimed by tesla. but the 1000 tesla roadsters soon driving your way will make no dent in our planets co2 emissions. they will make the afluent owners feel good about their carbon footprint, but 1000, or 10,000 electric vehicles will do nothing compared to the millions of internal combustion engines still pushing around your children and milk.

tesla has a response: their under design $60,000 sedan. sure, we can all argue that it is cheaper, less expensive, more affordable, than the $100,000 roadster. but i would guess that most of us think spending $20,000 on a vehicle is quite a sum. now, tesla, go ahead and make your roadster and sedan. nothing better than creating socio economic division among us that desire to help the planet. great business model. im sure they will argue that they are developing technology that will soon make it into a more affordable electric vehicle. yes, true. but there appears some conceit when the roadster is faster than a ferrari.

private companies can do private things, but the federal government just announced a $350 million loan to tesla, apparently to help in the design and production of the new, affordable, sedan. there are thousands of companies developing technology to help our world, help our people and help our economy. tesla develops electric cars for the rich. base price of $109,000, with economical options such as premium two tone leather seats, metallic paint and aluminum alloy wheels.

STORY HERE

2.26.09

 
photo:cara

february 26, 2009

 

cara at trieste.

recess thoughts

its time to kick the ball around. recession. virgin megastore on the corner of stockton and market, where i bought my first beatles cd, closing in april. i was preparing for my first trip to europe. 14 years old walking the aisles with the ballad of john and yoko overhead. a store clerk informed me, i was young enough not to know, that that was indeed the beatles. i was captivated; beatles as i had never heard them.

the red and blue albums traveled with me to denmark and i still listen to strawberry fields and think of walking the suburbs with my big headphones trying to find the beautiful danish girl who had the most amazing cordless phone i had ever seen.

chronicle story here

clean nuclear clean

there is an argument for the use of nuclear - no emissions and only that little problem of dealing with nuclear waste. the new jersey incident referenced below was three mile island. read more about the three mile island melt down HERE. nobody was hurt: no chernobyl. we apparently built thicker walls to keep our nuclear material contained. Chernobyl remains the nuclear disaster of the modern era. a complete disaster, the effects of which are still ravaging communities. read more here HERE.

but these two incidents do not define why nuclear shouldn't be considered as a clean source of energy. read HERE about arno penzias' take on the use of nuclear energy. he, by the way, was part of the team that proved the big bang. a small humble feat.

clean coal brought to you by the top name in coal: coal

scrub it down

mitchells' corn palace and other road trip treasures

i have driven past, through, near many strange and pointless curiosities on various road trips. my favorites are outside of ogalala, nebraska and include a protestant/catholic church with reversible pews. the folks couldn't afford to built two churches, so they shared. pretty amazing feat for the late 19th century.

my friend just moved to new york, another topic worthy of a blog entry. on her road trip out east she drove out of her way to visit: briteny spears hometown. in case you forgot, ms. spears grew up in kentwood, louisiana. a great stop between new orleans and florida. i guess the better question is why are they going to florida?

forget silicon valley

the east is taking over. tech valley in new york. from the border of quebec to just north of new york city. green corridor. TECHVALLEY.ORG

from banana peel to petrol

well close enough. municipal waste to ethanol in tahoe. feel less guilty everytime you throw away a plastic bag. FULCRUM BIOENERGY

jEFF sTOCKWELL

IS THE MOST FAMOUS ROLLERBLADER ALIVE.
OTHER NOTABLY FAMOUS ROLLERBLADERS INCLUDE ROBERT GUERRERO, TORI WITH A Y TRESEDER.

READ MORE AT ROLLERNEWS AND A SMATTERING OF OTHER FAMOUS ROLLERBLADER WEBSITES.

THEY MIGHT BE ROLLERBLADERS, BUT THEY ARE REALLY NICE.

bjork to save the world

iceland is like hungary after the wall and chile after the coup and any other completely destroyed country. amazing opportunity to start something. bjork will help you. NATTURA.INFO

gunslinger

bo diddley diddley diddley diddleydiddley diddleydiddley diddleydiddley diddley diddley diddley diddley diddley diddley diddley diddley diddley v diddley diddleydiddley diddleydiddley diddleydiddley diddley diddley diddley vvvvdiddley diddleydiddley diddleydiddley diddleydiddley diddleydiddley diddleydiddley diddley diddley diddley diddley diddley v v diddley diddley diddley diddley diddley diddley diddley diddley diddley diddleydiddley diddleydiddley diddley

liked to sing his name.

mid centruy modern madness

spending my days searching for the perfect occasional chair. learned that it is sofa, and not couch. room and board is overpriced. alameda antique fair with a super sized white truck carrying home only old silver and a bo diddley record. spending hours fantasizing about 1960s danish teak benches and any original from knoll. see more here!!!

clean green nuclear

hyperion power generation creates small nuclear modules which are buried in the ground and provide power anywhere you might need it. the europeans believe in nuclear power, but chernobyl and some other episodes, new jersey sometime before i was born, created a sheepish attitude among americans. there are questions about dirty bombs, but apparently a security detail, the grade of the nuclear material and the difficulty of sourcing shovels will preclude such bad p.r.
their website here

the smiths

are my friend

the flute

i am constantly met with frowns when i try to represent for herbie mann. jazz flutist? people chuckle. then they listen. it is not just that he plays the flute, but where he took the flute. check out rufus harley.

notes on the recession

JetBlue launched a program that guarantees a full refund to those of you who get laid off at least two weeks before you fly.
Program Details

* The person seeking to cancel the reservation for flight(s) and request a refund under the Program must:
* Involuntarily lose his/her full time job on or after February 17, 2009
* Be aged 18 or older as of February 17, 2009
* Be a traveler on the reservation/itinerary for which a refund is sought; and
* Have personally paid for the travel for which a refund is sought.

How it works

* Download and print Eligibility Letter and Terms
* Complete all sections of the Eligibility Letter, sign and have it notarized
* Fax completed Eligibility Letter AND Terms to 801-365-2440, Attn: JetBlue Promise Program (minimum of 14 days prior to first date of travel)
* Upon fax notification JetBlue will cancel your reservation

from fuckedstartups.com

dr. octagon and jedi and mike

Jedi Mind Tricks - On the eve of war

top headline of my life

Pedestrian Is Struck, Then Dragged 17 Miles
By AL BAKER and KAREN ZRAICK

A pedestrian was hit by an S.U.V. in Queens, then struck by a van and dragged into Brooklyn. He is dead.

story here

another sunny day in california

this past week 70 degrees temperatures provided the typical "this is why i live in san francisco" moment. i know my dear friends in detroit and toronto and new york are not having such moments. they are wearing overcoats and hats. the high school children in these colder locations are apparently not so into wearing appropriate winter gear. from the nytimes parenting blog:

JUST CHILL, DAD

By RANDY WEDIN

How cold is it? It’s so cold that my teenager wore a hat to school.

Here in Minnesota, in the suburbs of the Twin Cities, high school students choose their daily outfits very carefully. Many different factors can go into the decision-making process, but weather appropriateness is not one of them. For some reason, at my son’s high school, more than 90 percent of the students refuse to use their lockers. They insist on carrying all their books, supplies and outerwear around with them from class to class. Parkas, boots, mittens and snow pants just don’t figure into the fashion equation. (Maybe we should install space heaters in their backpacks and shoulder bags.)

Our educational system here in Minnesota (just like everywhere else) is becoming more and more cluttered with standards and assessments — for math, science, writing and reading. I’m tempted to start a citizens’ revolt to demand sartorial standards, too. (”The student will learn to observe the weather conditions, using electronic information or actual physical observations. The student will learn the properties of rain gear and cold weather gear. The student will choose the appropriate outerwear at least 70 percent of the time.”)

But since I can’t wait until the educational system does my parenting job for me, I have to draw the line somewhere, even with teenagers. It’s my moral, legal and paternal obligation. So here are my tough rules:

*My son can’t wear shorts when it’s below freezing (that’s 32 degrees Fahrenheit). Sometime in late fall, he has to switch to long pants or jeans.

*I insist on a hat when the wind-chill temperature drops into the frostbite zone — at -20 degrees or lower. At these temperatures, my childhood memories take over, and I can still hear my fifth-grade teacher, Mrs. Mathre, saying, “Wear your hat at recess. You lose two-thirds of your body heat through your head.”

*My rule for wet weather? Well, I gave up on that one. If they want to get soaked, suffer wet hair and wear soggy clothes all day, then go right ahead.

According to the National Weather Service Web site, this morning’s air temperature is -27 degrees Fahrenheit, and the wind chill temperature is -41 degrees. Scientific studies have shown that, in these conditions, exposed skin will begin to suffer frostbite in 10 minutes.

Just to put that amount of time in proper (teen) perspective — that’s about the time required to read seven status updates on Facebook, write four text messages or listen to three songs on an mp3 player. I would hope that frozen skin might be a disincentive for teenagers. But if that isn’t enough, they should also remember that those bitterly cold temperatures aren’t too good for cell phones, iPods and body piercings, either.

Maybe if I make a YouTube video about frostbite, set it to some hip-hop music and release it to the Internet, my teenager will finally get the message.

FULL STORY HERE

15 outhouses torched and counting - one still hiding

another porta potty hits the dust. this time on the 1200 block of washington. 15. does the poop burn. short, but full, story here. the good story is the hidden honey bucket. hidden from the arsonist, potty torcher. the address is secret, but the story is here.

anarchy madness continued

always dependable to bring in a star of david, reference to fascism, and faceless figures. we are all oscar grant. except we did not all get killed under strange circumstances on new years morning by a 27 year old cop who was arrested today in nevada, was a suicide risk and has not made a peep about what happened that fateful night which subsequently caused rioting and this long sentence.

posted at sfist.com

oscar grant

a little context for the post below. READ HERE

anarchists

at the '99 WTO protests in seattle i experienced "anarchists" for the first time. faceless window smashers with a deep political philosophy. almost ten years later oscar grant was killed under strange circumstances by a BART police officer. the anarchists step in and smash the windows of the fruitvale BART station, site of the shooting. a discourse about non-violent protest and the overall madness of responding in "solidarity" to a shooting by smashing windows deserves a few paragraphs. someday that effort may come, but for the time being here is the anarchists statement posted on indybay.org:

In memory of Oscar Grant and all who are murdered at the cold hands of the police.

In the early hours of Thursday morning, all the windows of the North Berkeley BART station were smashed in and the name of Oscar Grant was scrawled across the walls. This action was taken out in response to the murder of Oscar Grant by BART police and in solidarity with the riots that have been taking place in Oakland. Our hope is that this action will inspire others to rise up against this atrocious police state in which we live.

This action was very easy to carry out and took no more than a few minutes to get done. We approached the BART station fully masked and carried stones, bricks, and spray paint in our gloved hands. We painted first as to not make much noise, and did so in block letters to not reveal any personal handwriting. We spent no more than 20 seconds smashing in the glass windows and then vanished into the night.

In action you see not only our obvious rage, but our chance to begin life and liberation. This is not just revenge for the death of Oscar Grant, but for all of us who suffer at the brutal hands of the cops everyday. This is revenge for every morning we are forced to wake up to this oppressive system.

Solidarity means attack. Don't get caught.

From the East Bay to Greece - WE ARE EVERYWHERE!

potty camo

the honey bucket arsonist has hit 14 times. drastic steps are now being taken across san francisco to protect potties. READ HERE

economy down; teen pregnancy up

all the great things that happen during a recession (higher crime, less sun, more yogurt, less chocolate). at least if you live in mississippi you have friends. READ HERE

happy old year

in hawaii nobody says "happy new year" until it is actually the new year. up until midnight, everyone says "happy old year." at least that is how it goes down in hana. i shouldn't speak for the other islands or anything outside of the small piece of maui upon which i said goodbye to 2008.

kahlil and i finished out evening at a block party. aside from the fireworks exploding everywhere around us - under cars, under feet, under children - there was a great band. it took a bit of investigation, but not really too much considering everyone in hana is related, but the band's name is Simply Solid. CHECK THEM OUT HERE

against development or just an old stubborn woman...

ballard, a neighborhood in seattle, has a trader joes and a LA fitness. in between the two new structures is a little bungalow owned, until her death in june, by a mysterious old lady who refused a million dollars for her home. NYTIMES ARTICLE

modern uses for phone books

1. phillip seymour hoffman in happiness masturbating to randomly called women selected from the phone book.

2. testing your strength by ripping the phone book in half. as they become more obsolete and less used, therefore skinnier due to less advertising, this will become easier.

3. furniture

4. child seat

any more ideas?

with google on your iphone

who needs phone books? unless all the power in your world is down from an airstrike, i can't think of any reason to use a good old fashioned phone book. SFCITIZEN

erections against terror

appears that a failed war can always be propped up by sex. READ HERE about the US's new strategy against the Taliban.

i miss muni

muni diaries will make anyone who rode, or rides, muni smile.

READ HERE FUNNY TIME CRAZY LADY ON 1 CALIFORNIA

I hope a bus runs you over and you DIE!

my favorite arsonist

the porta potty arsonist has struck again. the seventh attack in the past two months. the police are unsure of his, or her, motives and SFFD has asked russian hill neighbors to "keep a closer eye on porta potties and report any suspicious activity to 911."

during the recession keeping an eye on portable toilets could be a refreshing break.

full story here

musica

i love emeryville

but the shopping mecca is hurting. anyone who grew up in the bay remembers when all those great stores likes sports authority popped up. driving over there with moms for new shoes was always a monthly highlight. now they are hurting. even the nytimes is noticing.

my first barbie

would be this. amazing.

it's a wonderful life

i want an old film projector and a screen. recession relieved by shameless 50s cinematic optimism.

musica

social graces

at dinner tonight a young man told a story. an interesting, although slightly standard, tale of cops and drugs. the typical elements were present: associate taking a rap, someone getting off, random family connections. the problem with the story was the length. dinner service was postponed as the young man continually repeated the itemized lists of illicit substances in the back of the datsun pickup. the intermission occurred while everyone sat down. as the story bled into dinner entire plates, possibly seconds, were consumed as he continued. the young man finished, but left out a obviously dangling part of the tale - what happened to the guy who was led off in handcuffs. once asked to clarify, he said "oh, the story gets really good from there." most of us shuddered thinking coffee would be cold by the time the second part of the second movement would finish. as he finally wrapped up he glanced around, paused for the moral of the story and said "to make a long story short."

humankind

on california street around 6pm a woman was parking her car. parallel parking. the street sloped downward and a car attempting to drive down california street honked at the parking car as it pulled around. i thought to myself, "why would this person, who assumedly parallel parks on occasion" find it at all appropriate to honk. probably not reasonable to expect people to treat others as they would like to be treated, but nevertheless i just hope that obama invests in green energy, international diplomacy and a little kindness.

hours later after crying through Milk, feeling great pride in San Francisco and enjoying the life of cabs and no parking i came home to this wonderful story:
Supermarket Defends Itself over Adolf Hitler Cake

fast pass beauty

2008 in fast pass.

chatting about san francisco with cara

me: do you know what kmel is?
Cara:no
me: 106.1 radio station
urban music
something you should know
just because you live here
now
Cara: ok, because I have a car with a radio?
me: no
just because you should know these things
Cara: not too much radio happens in my life
me: like the local radio stations
because such things are local and important
and foster community and mutual understanding
and someday when you meet some cute guy who is from san francisco
and he talks to you about
growing up
listneing to chuey gomez and renel on kmel
and the wake up show with sway and king tech
you will know what he is talking about
Cara: ok I get it
already
me: and he will be impressed
Cara: will he?
me: yes

centrist realist leftist dumbist

obama has taken a lot of shit recently. i've been on a siesta from intensive coverage of the campaigns, but it strikes me that much about obama's recent moves has been overblown. let gail collins do a better job than i.

The Audacity of Listening
By GAIL COLLINS
NY Times 7/10/2008

We have to have a talk about Barack Obama.

I know, I know. You’re upset. You think the guy you fell in love with last spring is spending the summer flip-flopping his way to the right. Drifting to the center. Going all moderate on you. So you’re withholding the love. Also possibly the money.

I feel your pain. I just don’t know what candidate you’re talking about.

Think back. Why, exactly, did you prefer Obama over Hillary Clinton in the first place? Their policies were almost identical — except his health care proposal was more conservative. You liked Barack because you thought he could get us past the old brain-dead politics, right? He talked — and talked and talked — about how there were going to be no more red states and blue states, how he was going to bring Americans together, including Republicans and Democrats.

Exactly where did everybody think this gathering was going to take place? Left field?

When an extremely intelligent politician tells you over and over and over that he is tired of the take-no-prisoners politics of the last several decades, that he is going to get things done and build a “new consensus,” he is trying to explain that he is all about compromise. Even if he says it in that great Baracky way.

Here’s a helpful story: Once upon a time, there was a woman searching for a guy who was ready to commit. One day, she met an attractive young man.

“My name is Chuck,” he said, grinning an infectious grin. “I’m planning to devote my entire life to saving endangered wildlife in the Antarctic. In five weeks I leave for the South Pole, where I will live alone in a tent, trying to convince the penguins that I am part of their flock. In the meantime, would you like to go out?”

“I have just met the man I’m going to marry,” she told her friends. She had been betrayed by poor listening skills, which skipped right over the South Pole and the tent. Of course, after five weeks of heavy dating, Chuck flew away and was never heard from again.

A year and a half of campaigning and we still haven’t heard Obama’s penguins, either. It’s not his fault that we missed the message — although to be fair, he did make it sound as if getting rid of the “old politics” involved driving out the oil and pharmaceutical lobbyists rather than splitting the difference on federal wiretapping legislation. But if you look at the political fights he’s picked throughout his political career, the main theme is not any ideology. It’s that he hates stupidity. “I don’t oppose all wars. What I am opposed to is a dumb war,” he said in 2002 in his big speech against the invasion of Iraq. He did not, you will notice, say he was against unilateral military action or pre-emptive attacks or nation-building. He was antidumb.

Most of the things Obama’s taken heat for saying this summer fall into these two familiar patterns — attempts to find a rational common ground on controversial issues and dumb-avoidance.

On the common-ground front, he’s called for giving more federal money to religious groups that run social programs, but only if the services they offer are secular. People can have guns for hunting and protection, but we should crack down on unscrupulous gun sellers. Putting some restrictions on the government’s ability to wiretap is better than nothing, even though he would rather have gone further.

Dumb-avoidance would include his opposing the gas-tax holiday, backtracking on the anti-Nafta pandering he did during the primary and acknowledging that if one is planning to go all the way to Iraq to talk to the generals, one should actually pay attention to what the generals say.

Touching both bases are Obama’s positions that 1) if people are going to ask him every day why he’s not wearing a flag pin, it’s easier to just wear the pin, for heaven’s sake, and 2) there’s nothing to be gained by getting into a fight over whether the death penalty can be imposed on child rapists.

His decision to ditch public campaign financing, on the other hand, was nothing but a complete, total, purebred flip-flop. If you are a person who feels campaign finance reform is the most important issue facing America right now, you should either vote for John McCain or go home and put a pillow over your head. However, I believe I have met every single person in the country for whom campaign finance reform is the tiptop priority, and their numbers are not legion.

Meanwhile, Obama has made it clear what issues he thinks all this cleverness and compromising are supposed to serve: national health care, a smart energy policy and getting American troops out of Iraq. He has tons of other concerns, but those seem to be the top three. There’s definitely a penguin in there somewhere.