Posts Tagged ‘pacific’
Monday, January 25th, 2010
Well there’s a whole lot I don’t know about this incident involving a purported cocaine smuggler killed on January 19th, 2010 somewhere in the “Eastern Pacific Ocean.” But, apparently, this smuggler and his boat weren’t too far away from Guatemala City because that’s where he ended up dying after the Coast Guard shot at his engine with a massive rifle mounted on a helicopter.
Feel free to read the account below – it was just released from the 11th District HQ in Alameda, They’re looking into the theory that the purported smuggler died due to “engine fragment or shrapnel injuries.”
Did this shooting get any coverage in Guatemala? No se. Did this shooting get much coverage in any English language publication? Not that I can see. Do the Coasties have video of all this? Oh yes, I’m sure. Does the Coast Guard even know this guy’s name? Maybe not, they haven’t released it, anyway.
Here’s your 21st century Coast Guard – a machine gun for warning shots…
…and when you ignore that, a massive rifle to take out your engine block, presumably a Barrett M82 .50 cal.
I don’t have a photo of one of those helicopter-mounted rifles, but how would you like .50 caliber rifle bullets like these sailing by your head from a chopper one at time?
Click to see the ammo - it’s the most powerful commonly available cartridge not considered a destructive device under the National Firearms Act. So don’t be surprised when the unarmored engine block of your “go-fast” boat blows up after you pretend not to hear all the warnings you’ve just been given:
Last year, the Alameda-based “maritime security cutter” USCGC Bertholf (WMSL-750), which is like a destroyer, basically, bigger and badder than anything else the Coast Guard has ever had in warm waters, was on a maritime security mission in the same area. So I suppose this is how the smallest branch of the military is spending part of its time these days, just hanging out near Central America looking for drug boats and submarines. It’s like Miami Vice, West Coast or something.
And that’s it.
Maybe the Coasties will issue a more-detailed report sometime.
Read all about it, after the jump
(more…)
Tags: 11th, 50, 750, Alameda, amercia, barrett, Bertholf, boat, caliber, california, central, chopper, City, Coast Guard, cocaine, colombia, dead, district, dolphin, drugs, guatemala, helicopter, killed, m82, machine gun, maritime security cutter, ocean, pacific, rifle, ship, smuggler, south, United States, USCGC, WMSL
Posted in vessels | 2 Comments »
Wednesday, November 11th, 2009
Word comes today from Anna Bloom of the NewYork Timeseses‘ Bay Area Blog about how production of NBC’s horrible Trauma TV series will shut down tonight.
Certainly, Trauma has been traumatic for NBC, but what about San Francisco? Would we have been better off without subsidizing this inchoate production? Did we really pay SFPD officers to just hang out around the set for the filming of twelve episodes instead of having the cops do their regular jobs?
Duboce Park as seen by Troy McClure SF. Click to expand:
How does the Scene in San Francisco scheme work? The TV people pay for the cops but then we turn around and give the TV people all the money back?
“What costs are eligible for refund?
- Fees paid to City Departments for the use or rental of City property, equipment or employees including: Port, MUNI, SPFD [SFPD?], SFFD, DPT, DPW, Treasure Island, Recreation and Parks, and all City buildings
- All daily use fees paid to the San Francisco Film Commission
- All payroll taxes paid to the City and County of San Francisco.”
So after Unfortunate, Innocent-Looking Whore In Tube Top and Flip Flops #5 cashes her minimum-wage paycheck for two days of temping (no benefits obviously) and we pay the cops full salary (or full salary plus?) to not do their jobs, what are we left with?
Certainly, Trauma was good for certain people in San Francisco, but was it good for San Francisco and San Franciscans overall? Is this the kind of thing we want to do again? Are there any Lessons to be Learned here?
Mmmmm….
Tags: $28, 'Mercy, (AMTC), 2009, 22, 28th, Aimee Garcia, Air Medical Transport Conference, Air Medical Transport Conference (AMTC), all's fair, alley, amy chozick, Anastasia Griffith, angela bromstad, Anna Bloom, backlash, bad day at work, Bay Area blog, beaucoup explosions, big bang, Billy Lush, blogger, Boone, bowl, broadway, cancelled, CAS, Cast, casting, choppers, chuck, Cliff Curtis, commission, community, concourse, craigslist, Credits, Dario Scardapane, death watch, deathwatch, debut, Derek Luke, district, divisidero, doctors, Dr. Joe, drinking, dunnes, earthquake, emt, emts, episode, executive, Executive Producer, extras, filbert, film, Film 44, film commission, filming, financial, fresno, Friday Night Lights, gala, game, gigs, golden gate park, green, halloween, helicopters, hollywood, horrible, hospital, hulu, idiot box, idiot panel, Jamey Sheridan, jay leno, Jeff Reiner, july, just horrible, justin herman, Kevin Rankin, LLC, Marissa, music concourse, nancy, nbc, new york times, north beach, open 4 business, open 4 business productions, open for business, open4business, pacific, pacific heights, parks and recreation, party, Peter Berg, pilot, plaza, plot, police, police department, Polk, Producers, Productions, rabbit, ratings, sam, San Francisco, san jose, Sarah Aubrey, Scene in San Francisco, scenes, september, set, SFPD, southland, street, stuck, studio, suck. ems, sucks, taping, technology, television show, trauma, TV, twirlypopper, Tyler, union, Universal Media Studios, viewing, watching, Writer
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Monday, November 9th, 2009
Now, I’m not up to speed here – is Glenn the gay guy that just came out? Anyway, find out tonight on Channel 3.
“Glenn’s attempt to follow his heart puts his career — and safety — on the line. Meanwhile, Marisa gets a surprise visit from an old friend. Elsewhere, Rabbit helps a patient deal with his devastating loss.”
And guess what? Ratings are up a bit lately. If only certain judgmental people hadn’t been so negative, and if it didn’t cost millions and millions to film old-school, episodic, Hill Street Blues-style television in pricey San Francisco, well who knows, maybe Trauma could have gone a full season.
See this “delicious young lady doctor” tonight:
Click to expand
And see Aimee Garcia whenever you want, right here. (You know, some people were able to walk off the Hindenburg without a scratch - maybe A.G. will similarly escape Trauma without injury)
Read about the five reasons Trauma got axed here before you tune in tonight.
Set your Tivo for 9:00 PM.
Tags: $28, 'Mercy, (AMTC), 2009, 22, 28th, Aimee Garcia, Air Medical Transport Conference, Air Medical Transport Conference (AMTC), all's fair, alley, amy chozick, Anastasia Griffith, angela bromstad, backlash, bad day at work, beaucoup explosions, big bang, Billy Lush, blogger, Boone, bowl, broadway, cancelled, Cast, casting, choppers, chuck, Cliff Curtis, commission, community, concourse, craigslist, Credits, Dario Scardapane, death watch, deathwatch, debut, Derek Luke, district, divisidero, doctors, Dr. Joe, drinking, dunnes, earthquake, emt, emts, episode, executive, Executive Producer, extras, filbert, film, Film 44, filming, financial, fresno, Friday Night Lights, gala, game, gigs, golden gate park, green, halloween, helicopters, hollywood, horrible, hospital, hulu, idiot box, idiot panel, Jamey Sheridan, jay leno, Jeff Reiner, july, just horrible, justin herman, Kevin Rankin, LLC, Marissa, music concourse, nancy, nbc, north beach, open 4 business, open 4 business productions, open for business, open4business, pacific, pacific heights, parks and recreation, party, Peter Berg, pilot, plaza, plot, police, police department, Polk, Producers, Productions, rabbit, ratings, sam, San Francisco, san jose, Sarah Aubrey, scenes, september, set, SFPD, southland, street, stuck, studio, suck. ems, sucks, taping, technology, television show, trauma, TV, twirlypopper, Tyler, union, Universal Media Studios, viewing, wall street journal, watching, Writer
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Monday, October 26th, 2009
Leave us travel back in time to October 21st, 2009, when we last heard from NBC Universal Television Entertainment Chairman Jeff Gaspin and NBC Entertainment chief Angela Bromstad:
“Gaspin and Bromstad are expected to make their next key moves to boost NBC’s fortunes within the next few days, when the network will decide the short-term fates of newcomers such as ‘Mercy,’ ‘Community,’ ‘Parks and Recreation’ and ‘Trauma.’”
Trauma? Don’t they film that in our little town, (the fourth-largest in the whole state, I’m proud to say)? Yes they do! Maybe NBC could commit to nine more episodes (the “back nine”) so we could have a full season of on-location shoots?
Well, here’s the news from last Saturday (the Day Without Wind, incidentally):
“NBC has picked up full seasons of Thursday night comedies “Community” and “Parks and Recreation,” as well as its Wednesday night medical drama “‘Mercy.’”
Well, what about Trauma? Hello-oooo, NBC? Hello-ooooooooo?
Uh oh.
No matter, twirlypopper pilot Aimee Garcia will still maintain her official website regardless of when Trauma gets cancelled. (You all seem to just love her.)
Click to expand
In light of recent developments, the unofficial NBC Trauma Deathwatch™ over-under date has been officially moved up to: November 30, 2009.
Adjust your wagers accordingly.
Enjoy it while it lasts – a new show (the Halloween one?) is on tonight at 9:00 PM.
[UPDATE: News tonight from the Hollywood Reporter is that Trauma is history as of today, October 28th, 2009. Oh well.]
Tags: $28, 'Mercy, (AMTC), 2009, 22, 28th, Aimee Garcia, Air Medical Transport Conference, Air Medical Transport Conference (AMTC), all's fair, alley, amy chozick, Anastasia Griffith, angela bromstad, backlash, bad day at work, beaucoup explosions, big bang, Billy Lush, blogger, Boone, bowl, broadway, cancelled, Cast, casting, choppers, chuck, Cliff Curtis, commission, community, concourse, craigslist, Credits, Dario Scardapane, death watch, deathwatch, debut, Derek Luke, district, divisidero, doctors, Dr. Joe, drinking, dunnes, earthquake, emt, emts, episode, executive, Executive Producer, extras, filbert, film, Film 44, filming, financial, fresno, Friday Night Lights, gala, game, gigs, golden gate park, green, halloween, helicopters, hollywood, horrible, hospital, hulu, idiot box, idiot panel, Jamey Sheridan, jay leno, Jeff Reiner, july, just horrible, justin herman, Kevin Rankin, LLC, Marissa, music concourse, nancy, nbc, north beach, open 4 business, open 4 business productions, open for business, open4business, pacific, pacific heights, parks and recreation, party, Peter Berg, pilot, plaza, plot, police, police department, Polk, Producers, Productions, rabbit, ratings, sam, San Francisco, san jose, Sarah Aubrey, scenes, september, set, SFPD, southland, street, stuck, studio, suck. ems, sucks, taping, technology, television show, trauma, TV, twirlypopper, Tyler, union, Universal Media Studios, viewing, wall street journal, watching, Writer
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Friday, October 16th, 2009
Pretty much. There are more bikes than cars on this stretch of one-way road to the Point Bonita Light House and beyond in the Marin Headlands.
The catch is that you have to ride your bike all the way up the two-way part from where the road starts near the North Tower of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Click to expand:
But otherwise, it’s a nice ride…
Tags: bicycle, bike, bikers, cars, conzelman, county, cyclists, ggb, Golden Gate Bridge, headlands, light house, lighthouse, marin, ocean, one way, pacific, point bonita, road, San Francisco, sausalito
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Monday, October 12th, 2009
Kitsesurfing around the Golden Gate Bridge can be dangerous, but that doesn’t seem to slow people down.
From last week. Click to expand:
Here’s what it looks like from below.
Let’s be careful out there…
Tags: area, Bay, california, county, dangerous, death, died, Golden Gate Bridge, kite, kitesurfing, marin, ocean, pacific, photo, Picture, San Francisco, surf, surfer, surfing
Posted in sports | Comments Off
Thursday, October 1st, 2009
All you need to know about the Yelp-rated lighthouse at Point Bonita is right here.
Did the lighthouse keeper’s wife really tie up the kids on a leash when they played outside to keep them from falling into the ocean? That’s the story, anyway.
Click to expand
Looks like that house might get sprayed with salt water sometimes.
See you there!
Tags: bridge, children, county, daughter, department, Family, federal, golden gate, headlands, hostel, interior, keeper, leash, light house, lighthouse, marin, National Park Service, nps, nps.org, ocean, one way, pacific, point bonita, pt bonita, San Francisco, sausalito. conzelman, tour, visit
Posted in architecture | Comments Off
Tuesday, September 8th, 2009
The second Sunday Streets at Ocean Beach in 2009 went off without a hitch over Labor Day weekend. There was a bigger fog situation and a smaller crowd this go around, but that was to be expected.
The Yelpers loved it, anyway.
District 6 supervisorial candidate Rafael Mandelman was spotted on his bike in Golden Gate Park, and of course, Zackdaddy was there with his “football” at the skating area near Fulton and 6th Avenue:
So let’s give kudos to Mayor Gavin Newsom for enabling Sunday Streets in San Francisco. Read all about it, below.
See you next year!
”MAYOR NEWSOM ANNOUNCES SUNDAY STREETS BECOMES PERMANENT PROGRAM”
“San Francisco, CA—Days before the final 2009 Sunday Streets event on
September 6, Mayor Gavin Newsom today announced the continuation of this
popular event as a permanent program in San Francisco.
“This Sunday’s event is the finale for 2009, but Sunday Streets will be
back in 2010 with more routes, longer hours, more San Francisco
neighborhoods and more programs at each event,” said Mayor Gavin Newsom.
“We have created a new tradition in San Francisco that will improve our
quality of life for years to come.”
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), co-sponsor of
Sunday Streets 2009, will be the lead agency for the Sunday Streets program
starting in 2010. The San Francisco Mayor’s Office will continue to provide
leadership support for the program, and Livable City, a sustainable
transportation advocacy non-profit, will continue as the fiscal sponsor.
“The SFMTA has been proud to join with our City partners and Livable City
to promote healthy family outdoor activities this summer. Working together
on programs like Sunday Streets, we can increase the use of sustainable
transportation to protect the environment and to ensure the City’s
sustainability for future generations,” said Nathaniel P. Ford Sr., SFMTA
Executive Director/CEO.
Sunday Streets creates safe, fun car-free space on City streets that give
San Francisco residents and visitors an opportunity to get out and get
active. Temporarily closing some streets to automobile traffic opens them
to people for walking, cycling, skating and playing. Sunday Streets events
create a stronger sense of community in every neighborhood they touch and
throughout the City.
San Francisco’s program began in 2008 with two inaugural events. This year
Sunday Streets featured six events along four different routes throughout
the City: April 26 from Fisherman’s Wharf to AT&T Park along The
Embarcadero; May 10 from AT&T Park to the Bayview neighborhood along the
Bay Trail; two events in the heart of the Mission District on June 7 and
July 19 (the latter coincided with the SF Symphony’s free concert in
Dolores Park); and the last two near the ocean, with a route through Golden
Gate Park and along the Upper Great Highway on August 9 and September 6.
Sunday Streets Main Event Area: Lincoln Way at the Great Highway
- Free bike rentals provided by Bay City Bike Rentals and Tours
- Sports Basement ‘Lube Fairies’- free basic bike maintenance and information
- Sunday Streets main information table and media check-in
- Sunday Streets Sponsor booths
- Community Based Organization information tables
- Food vending from local Sunset Merchants
- California Academy of Sciences “Penguins to Penguins” activity center
- Solar Telescope Viewing, 11am-1pm, presented by Morrison Planetarium
(note: this event is dependent upon weather, clouds or fog cancels)
- Historic displays from “Playland-Not-at-the-Beach” museum
- Cyclecide pedal powered amusement rides made out of recycled bikes
- Kid’s Activities- see list
- Fitness Activities- see list
Kid’s Activities: Main Event Area (Lincoln/ Great Highway) and Great Highway at Sloat
Presented by the YMCA of San Francisco, and Stonestown Family YMCA
- Heroix 4 Kids
- It’s Yoga Kids!
- Hula Hoops, obstacle course, and kid’s games
- “Penguins to Penguins” activities, presented by the CA Academy of Sciences and SF Zoo
- Zoomobile and “Leaping Lemur” game, penguin crafts, SF Zoo- Great Highway at Sloat
Fitness: “Athletes Burn Rubber”
Human tire pull with live music by the Brothers Comatose
Presented by Bianchi Fitness
- 11a.m. & 12:30 p.m. Rock and Pull
- 11:30a.m. & 1 p.m. Rock and Juke
Pets: MLK/South Drive near corner of Lincoln Way and MLK/South
Presented by Happy Hounds Massage
- Pets Are Wonderful Support (PAWS) adoption information
- Grateful Dogs Rescue adoption and pet service information
Roller Skating: JFK Drive in Golden Gate Park, near 6th Ave
Presented by RollerSoccer International Federation
- RollerSoccer Demonstrations and games all day
- Free skating lessons all day
Dance: 2 locations: Lincoln at Great Highway and JFK Drive at 10th Ave in Golden Gate Park
Presented by Cheryl Burke Dance, Boomercize (Great Hwy) and Lindy in the Park (GG Park)
- 10:00-10:30 Learn to Waltz with Cheryl Burke Dance at Lincoln and Great Highway
- 10:45-11:15: Rhumba with Cheryl Burke Dance
- 11:30-1:30 pm: Dance workout with Boomercize
- 1:30-2:00 pm: Brazilian Samba with Cheryl Burke Dance
- 11:00-12:30 pm, free swing dance lessons with Lindy in the Park
- 12:30-2:00 pm, Swing Dance in the Park following lessons
Yoga and Martial Arts:
MLK Drive near Lincoln in GG Park
- Yoga Presented by Sunset Beacon Center
Live Music:
Presented by Riptide (Taraval), Rock the Bike and Young Performers International (GG Park)
Rivera Seawall, Taraval Street Fair, Golden Gate Park/MLK
- Golden Gate Park- MLK, Pedal Powered stage by Rock the Bike
- Young Performers International band: “Where’s My Toothbrush”
- Rivera seawa;;, Bluegrass Jam with the Barbary Ghosts
- Taraval Street Fair- main stage acts 12:00-6:00 pm
Taraval Street Fair: Taraval Street between 46th and 47th Avenues
Presented by the Riptide
- Live music on the main stage, 12:00 to 6:00 pm
- The Shi Tones (members of the Mermen)
- All of A Sudden
- Burning Embers
- Arts and craft by local Sunset artists and merchants
Bike: Taraval and Upper Great Highway
Presented by the Presidio Community YMCA Bike Program and the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition
- 150 free bike rentals by
- Bike & Roll (Taraval)
- Bay City Bike Rentals and Tours (Lincoln and Great Highway)
- Bike & Roll’s ‘fun cycle, a bicycle built for seven!
- Sports Basement “Lube Fairies” (Lincoln and Great Highway)
- Youth Bike Rodeo by Presidio Community YMCA (Taraval)
- SFBC’s Freedom From Training Wheels (Taraval)
- Adult Bike Education hands on lessons (at Free Bike Rental Stations)
- Electric Bike Demonstrations (Lincoln and Taraval)
Cross-park traffic, use:
- Chain of Lakes Dr., 41st Ave. in the Sunset or 43rd Ave. in the Richmond
- Crossover Drive, 19th Ave. in the Sunset or 25th Ave. and Park Presidio in the Richmond
- Stanyan St. east of Golden Gate Park
For more traffic and transit information, go to: www.sfmta.com
The intersection of Great Highway at Lincoln will not be open to vehicle traffic on Sept. 6 from 10 am – 2 pm.
Tags: 2008, 2009, 6, 6th, aikido, august, bicycle coalition, bicycles, bikes, carmen chu, cars, commission, cyclists, debra Walker, elect, fog, foggy, fulton, golden gate park, great highway, lincoln, mta, Muni, n judah, northern, ocean beach, outer, pacific, richmond, San Francisco, september, SF, sfbc, skateboards, sports basement, sunday streets, sunset, Supervisor, sur, surfers, tow, traffic, trolley, waterfront
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