The San Francisco Citizen

Well it’s still there on the 2008 Italian Heritage Parade website:

“We’re pleased to announce, the 2008 Parade Grand Marshal will be Tommy Lasorda!”

But alas, it was not to be. The whole thing is ably explained by North Beach Examiner Tony Long here and here. Perhaps Tommy will be invited back next year?

Now, on with the show. It’s called Columbus Day, or Indigenous People’s Day, or Italian Heritage Day, or Día de la Raza, or Discovery Day or even Día de la Resistencia Indígena. Take your pick.  

Popular San Francisco Supervisor and soon-to-be Assembly Member Tom Ammiano. Click to expand:

Ivy League lawyer / U.C. Berkeley-grad Gerardo Sandoval hot on the campaign to become a judge, despite the hostility displayed by the local Establishment, which feels offended by the very idea of an election. Oh well.

Supervisor Ross “the Boss” Mirkarimi:

Miss San Francisco 2008 Reny Lupo:

Of course, Birra Peroni was nella casa:

As was the Boudin Bakery alligator wrestler. That’s real bread, people.

What’s this? Hundreds of Falun Gong! They looked to be the largest entry in the parade by far.

Hey look, it’s the wholly unrelated New Tang Dynasty Televsion (NTDTV):

O.K., here we are, back to the parade:

So that’s it.

Here’s to you, Tommy Lasorda/ Our county turns it lonely eyes to you…

See you next year?

Seen on the streets of San Francisco - a young couple on a straight-out-of-Bolongna Ducati motorcycle. Well, that’s O.K., but check out the passenger’s choice of fashionable footwear. Her bare foot seems uncomfortably close to what could be a hot exhaust pipe.

Fashion has its place on motorbikes of course, but this might be going too far.  

Zoom zoom.