Monday musings

Another new Muni bus driver, another request for "Where's my next stop?" as the bus driver moves into the right turn only lane, when he should be going straight.

Watched a bit of the Food Network awards show last night. That was painful. Luckily, I was doing taxes so I was able to mostly ignore it, my poor wife on the other hand got to watch and listen to it. Here is Bourdain's take - absolutely a must read!!!!

I should put this in a separate posting, but I don't really feel like it at this moment. Anyway, our illustrious Mayor and our Board of Social Engineers reached a compromise over the so-called "Healthy Saturday" indoctrination. In essence, the compromise cuts in half the total length of road that will be closed, makes it permanent that it will be closed 6 months out of the year (this year it starts on May 26, just in time for Memorial Day). On the one hand, it keeps open the path from 9th Avenue, through the park, and over to Arguello, a key cross-over point through the park (otherwise you have to go 19th and try your way on Stanyan), and will probably result in Richmond bearing the brunt of this closure, instead of sharing it with Inner Sunset. However, it's obvious that the Mayor and Board simply do not care about the people who live in Richmond and Inner Sunset, not to mention the two ballot initiatives that were rejected by the voters- roughly 70% of voters in Richmond and Sunset voted against the prior ballot measures. Instead, they continue to abide by the will of a vocal minority (that do not live near Golden Gate Park) that supposedly represent so-called San Francisco Values, which can be summed up as, no cars for anyone. Kudos to the Board and Mayor for compromising, compromising away the wishes of the people they supposedly represent.

Needless to say, this issue really gets to me. Almost as much as the Lands Commission and Coastal Commission's rejection of an LNG facility off the coast of Ventura County. The rejection by these two commission's virtually insures that the cost of electricity in this state will continue to rise. At this time, California does not generate enough electricity for its citizens, and relies on imports from Arizona, Nevada and Oregon. California also cannot build nuclear facilities, and, due to the brilliant piece of legislation passed by the previous Legislature, cannot contract for cheaper coal-fired electricity. So, we are left with natural gas fired (the predominant source of in-state generation), renewables and conservation/efficiency. A few years ago, an executive for a utility in New England said that people have moved from NIMBY (Not In My BackYard) to BANANA (Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anything), note, he was bemoaning the inability to get transmission lines built in order to get more electricity into New England.

Anyway, some sports related rants.

1) John Shea's article from Sunday's Chronicle about the demise of Saturday day games. Growing up, I used to love going to the Saturday day games, part of growing up in the Bay Area, choose between the sunny, but cold afternoon at Candlestick, or the sunny and not quite as cold afternoon in Oakland. But, surprise, money is again changing the game. As a fan, it is annoying that if I want to watch a Saturday day game, but that game is not a Fox game, I can't watch it (unless, apparently, it's the Cubs, because I was watching a WGN Cubs game on Saturday morning/afternoon last weekend). When the Nationals first played in D.C., wife and I lived about 10 blocks from RFK, so we would have friends over, grill and drink in the afternoon, then head over to the ballpark for the Saturday evening game. Of course, summer days are very different in D.C. than here in the Bay Area. But that doesn't really change my thought- would I rather go to the game in the afternoon, then come home and grill and drink the rest of the night, or vice versa. I can't help but say I'd rather go to the game in the afternoon, then grill and drink afterwards. Of course, I don't have to deal with 98 degree days with 90% humidity anymore.

2) How bout that Marco Scutaro? Quite a comeback by the A's on Sunday. I admit, I turned the game off once Joe Kennedy came in, because, honestly, I knew there was no way he was getting out of that inning without giving up a few runs, and give up a few runs he did.

Off to D.C. for a week on Wednesday. Should be fun seeing some old friends and going to some old haunts.