The San Francisco Citizen

This was the scene yesterday in the Western Addition, where hundreds of protesters blocked traffic in front of the Chinese Consulate. Drivers on the Geary Expressway, already wary of dangerous all-electric supercars, should experience a similar gauntlet today.

And then the action heads over to the East Bay.

This was yesterday’s schedule from Team Tibet SF:

In San Francisco
11:30-12:00 PRESS CONFERENCE
12:00-1:30 Peace Rally, Concert at Union Square
March to City hall
2:00-2:30 Rally at City Hall
March to Chinese Consulate
3:30-4:30 Protest at Chinese Consulate
4:30-5:15 Walk back to Union Sqaure
5:15-7:00pm Break. Food and Beverages provided by SF TEAM TIBET
7:00-9:00pm Candle Light Vigil w/ Cultural Show at Union Square

Here is today’s

August 24

12:00-3:00pm Protest at the Chinese Consulate

Evening event at Finnish Brotherhood Church in Berkeley on University Ave and cross
street at Chestnut Ave.

Program: 6:00-10:00pm Dinner, Annual Report, Film, Short Presentation

As promised, the Beijing Olympics has cheerleaders, and plenty. But sadly, the expected “sunshine boys” are nowhere to be seen, per the Huffington Post’s Ph.D on the scene:

What is interesting is that in last year’s test events, there were boy cheerleaders who were called yangguang nanhai (sunshine boys). They were received well by the audiences. This year, for whatever reason, only girl cheerleaders will be there.

HuffPo’s Dr. Hongmei Li has all the deets here. However, Tanya Enberg is not onboard this train:

What is unnecessary and rather bizarre is that women’s volleyball has scantily dressed female cheerleaders excitedly hopping about and wiggling…

Unnecessary? Bizarre? As always, you make the call. Click to expand:

They wouldn’t leave poor Kobe alone:

Kobe Bryant was there Monday morning. Famous as an NBA star and infamous as a womanizer, Bryant was pursued by a flock of barefoot, bikini-wearing, off-duty cheerleaders as he left the stadium.

Is this some kind of hoedown on the basketball court?

Via the awesome photostream of kk+

Extended coverage, after the jump

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Or Gumball Rally, or whatever. After starting up yesterday, there was a huge crowd today atop Nob Hill today. Was Willie Brown on the scene? Yes, he was. People came to check out Gumball 3000.  

Driving 3000 miles over an intense eight days, incorporating the cultural diversities of East and West civilisations; flying all cars and participants between Continents; witnessing the Mass Games in North Korea, the Olympic Games in Beijing; and partying each night fuelled only by adrenaline, amusement and amity, the 2008 route will undoubtedly be a real once in a lifetime adventure!

There was nothing politically correct about this event today. People saw all manner of products from Ferrari, Porsche, Bentley, etc… Check these photos from BERDERP / kap$hure / kapsure, why don’t you?

Let’s begin.

Good clean fun in San Francisco. A Ford Mustang, click to enlarge:

Taylor Street in Nob Hill:

Pirelli Scorpion Zero Asimmetrico 30 inch wheels. Yes, they’re 30″ in diameter. Each 315/30 tire (just the rubber) costs $2200. You want. 

Irina Slutsky of Geek Entertainment TV talks about “Saudi slippers” with one competitor.  Fortunately, nobody attacked her.

This Porsche Carrera GT was obscenely loud even before getting amplified with a bullhorn.

A Camaro RS entertains the crowd. Sargeant Colla of the SFPD put an end to this kind of smoky burnout right quick.

An all-electric Tesla Roadster just before it crashed. Oops, just kidding. The driver of this car carefully put it into position. But seriously, the kinds of drivers this car attracts are prone to go too fast so they have more than their fair share of accidents. Who will be the first to die in a Tesla Roadster?

It’s dreamy David Hasselhoff . Knight Rider’s KITT was there also. “Don’t hassel ‘the Hoff,’” or something, that’s his catchphrase.

Isn’t illegal to have flashing red and blue lights on your car? Anywho, this SFPD officer turned away from the scene.

Baby’s first Gumball Rally:

More after the jump!

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The Opening Ceremonies are going on right now in China, but this is how it looked on the Streets of San Francisco yesterday as a couple hundred marchers made their way to the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco’s Western Addition area.

Read all about it.

You can read about what happened today at the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco here - did somebody cut the rope of dangling trespasser Nyendak Wangden causing her to fall 15 feet or so? Well, it could have been worse of course.

But maybe these gentlemen here saw what happened and could help clear things up. You see, they like to hang out on the roof of the consulate when protests are going on. The State Department is looking into things right now. Click to enlarge:

Perhaps they just hang out there to enjoy San Francisco’s excellent air quality?

No matter. These are the same people who recently denied Bay Arean medal-winner Kendra Zanotto a visa to go to Beijing. Why? It seems her interest in Team Darfur played a role.

Sorry Kendra, no soup for you!

Oh well.

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

Look ma, the optional tummy paddle let’s me drive around hands-free! Photo of “Anti-Terror Assault Vehicles” via knife tricks

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah!

Reports of the rise in China’s cheerleading prowess have been circulating for a while, but now it’s official - Western-style cheerleading is coming to the Beijing Olympics. No, not as a medal sport itself, despite the efforts of Beijing’s hardworking ”Olympic Sport Demonstration Cheerleading Volunteer Performance Demonstration Team.” But just as leaders of cheers, continuing the recent trend.

For example, check out this scene from 2004, when cheerleaders in Salt Lake City had a decidedly non-NCAA, “pro” look. (Oops, too many of you clicked over and wore out that link, try this instead) And in 2006, spectators in Turin, Italy saw moonbooted cheerleaders who looked like this.

Now, last year, people thought the 2008 Olympic cheerleaders would appear like this, or like these athletes in Beijing from a recent photo:

From Micah Sittig’s Flickrstream 

However, it now appears that BOCOG has selected uniforms like this for the 585 cheerleaders. That’s right, they’re in blue jeans. But hey, do you notice somebody in the background, behind the “lion-like character” Dongdong?

Isn’t that Jin Jing, everybody’s favorite torchbearing “angel in a wheelchair”? The very same Jin Jing who followed orders from the Sacred Flame Protection Squad to not give away her torch to anybody, and the very same sentinent adult who claims she never heard of the Tibet independence movement until participating in the torch relay? Signs point to yes.

And hey, speaking of torchbearers in wheelchairs, what about this guy, Andrew Michael, from this bit: Chinese Paramilitary Police Operating on the Streets of San Francisco. Shouldn’t he be famous too?

His actions on the streets of San Francisco are something to think about when you’re rah-rahing next month.

Just saying.

Here’s what’s missing in your life - bicycles from Cadillac or Lamborghini. Get yours from Amazon or the Costco today!

Now when you drive your Lamborghini, you won’t need to stop for petrol. And you can be assured that your bike is the Cadillac of Bikes. But as the Cadillac Man says:

“Our target customer is someone not necessarily bicycle-brand conscious, but brand conscious.”

Oh, snap! That kind of sounds like an insult.

randomduck via Flickr 

Perhaps your new Caddy won’t give you the street cred you so richly deserve, but these branded bikes seem to offer a nice alternative to spending 400 bones at Valencia Cyclery. Actually, it seems that these two-wheelers are all sourced from Taiwan, or China (or one of the Chinas anyway), so prices seem fairly reasonable.  

Plus, you can get a back rest (just like an office chair!) for the saddle of your full suspension ride. Wouldn’t that impress everyone at the next Urban Bike Training session put on by the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition?

Normally, teens never sit around on sidewalks in the Haight, but today was special so these kids made themselves right at home on Ashbury Street.

The favorite flavor of the thousands of patrons? That would have to be Cake Batter, one of the best ever. And almost definitely salmonella-free.

Check the video of Ben and Jerry’s recent visit to the Bay Area. Why not?

Happy 30th birfday, B&J!

News of the day:

Chinese torch officials have been warned their paramilitary “flame attendants” will be arrested and hauled away if they touch an Australian during the torch relay. 

So that’s clear. There’ll be no manhandling Down Under in the name of “protecting the sacred flame” or whatever job description these Men in Blue have.  

But check out this scene on the streets of San Francisco a few weeks back - at least one member of the Chinese People’s Armed Police Force (PAP) in a physical altercation with an American citizen, Majora Carter.

Apparently, the handler (a Chinese woman who sits in a car and issues commands via radio) of these so-called “goons“ didn’t get the message they weren’t to assault Americans during the visit to San Francisco. Wonder why.

Desmond Tutu, Richard Gere, and Majora Carter all happy as clams under the watchful eyes of Fake Bono during a pre torch-relay shindig in San Francisco

mcdolley via Flickr

Anyway, Coke now takes a dim view of the activist they recruited for the torch relay:

A Coca-Cola spokesman, Kelly Brooks, said, “It’s unfortunate that Ms. Carter used an invitation to participate in the torch relay as a platform to make a personal political statement. We firmly believe the Olympics are a force for good that celebrates the best in sports, and we are proud to support the Beijing 2008 Olympics.”

Were the 1936 Olympics “a force for good” also? It seems Coke might have had hand in that fiasco as well.  We’ll all just have to ponder that one.

But it turns out that Majora signed a “code of conduct” that prohibited torchbearers from displaying political or religious signs. So what’s Coke’s next move? Extradition to Atlanta, Georgia? Rendition to Beijing? How are they going to make Majora pay for speaking out, because after all, you know, she signed a piece of paper.

The world wonders.