Posts Tagged ‘San Francisco Chronicle’

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Look at that S-Car Go! Comments Re: Today’s Bit on “Electric Cars” in the Chronicle – EL CHEVY VOLT NO ES UN COCHE ELECTRICO

Wednesday, March 21st, 2012

Here we go:

“After a year’s success in casting bankrupt Fremont solar maker Solyndra as the prototype for President Obama’s energy policies, Republicans now are targeting what they have dubbed “Obamacars.”

OBAMACARS? THAT’S A NEW ONE ON ME. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA INDEED HAS A PROBLEM ON HIS HANDS WITH THE VERY UNPOPULAR DETROIT BAILOUT. I’M NOT SAYING IT WAS HIS IDEA BUT HE CERTAINLY SUPPORTED IT AND IT WAS BAD IDEA, IMO. FOR SOME REASON, HAVING SOMETHING TO DO WITH OBAMA, GM MADE WILDLY UNREALISTIC FORECASTS FOR THE VOLT PLUG-IN HYBRID. OBVIOUSLY, THERE’S GOOD AND BAD FOR OBAMA TO BE SO INVOLVED WITH DETROIT.

For some GOP members of Congress, the Chevy Volt, made by General Motors, is a fire hazard and a job loser, while Palo Alto’s Tesla Motors is a crony capitalist purveyor of toy cars for Silicon Valley millionaires.

FIRE HAZARD? NO. JOB LOSER? NO. BUT CRONY CAPITALIST PURVEYOR OF TOY CARS FOR SILICON VALLEY MILLIONAIRES? YES! DING DING DING!

The campaign has tainted Energy Secretary and UC Berkeley physicist Steven Chu and his agency’s renewable energy loan programs, rupturing a consensus under former President George W. Bush, who started the programs to end America’s addiction to oil.

I DON’T KNOW IF THE CAMPAIGN DID THAT. WE’VE WASTED A LOT OF MONEY ON A LOT OF FEDERAL PROGRAMS – THIS IS TRUE WITH OR WITHOUT ANY CAMPAIGN.

But it may not stop the electric car. The assault has enraged General Motors. On March 1, the company opened an unprecedented campaign to re-introduce the Volt in California, the biggest U.S. auto market, even as it temporarily halted production because of slow sales.

THE CHEVY VOLT IS NOT AN “ELECTRIC CAR.” SORRY. IT’S A PLUG-IN HYBRID, IRL.

GM Chief Executive Officer Dan Akerson has complained about the political atmosphere that surrounds the Volt.

UH, DOESN’T HE OWE HIS JOB TO THE “POLITICAL ATMOSPHERE?” I THINK SO.

“Sometimes I feel bad for President Obama,” he said this month after an appearance at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco.

AWW. AND SOMETIMES SMITHERS FEELS BAD FOR MR. BURNS. SOMETIMES.

The automaker accused Republicans and the media of hyping claims that the car caught fire during testing, which forced temporary layoffs at the Volt plant in Detroit.

IF THE VOLT WERE WAAAAAY CHEAPER, IT WOULD SELL SOMEWHAT BETTER. THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH NEWS OF FIRES. GM, FOR POLITICAL REASONS, WAS WAAAAAAAY OFF ON PREDICTIONS OF SALES FOR THIS MODEL.

Tesla, which received a $465 million Department of Energy loan, has dropped pursuit of new federal loans, raised private cash and plans in July to start deliveries of its $50,000 S car, claiming it is on its way to the mass car market.

LOOK AT THAT S CAR GO! OR YOU COULD CALL IT THE TYPE S, AS TESLA DOES. AND HOW ABOUT $57,400 FOR THE BASE PRICE OF THE STRIPPER MODEL S, YOU KNOW, INSTEAD OF “$50,000?”

“We applied during the Bush administration, and we were approved under the Obama administration, so as far as we’re concerned, we at least had a bipartisan relationship for the loan,” said Tesla spokesman Ricardo Reyes. “We got one of first loans and we used it to build the car that is now going into production in a U.S.-based facility. … I’d like to think we’re pretty much a case study on what the loan program was designed to do.”

THE FEDS SHOULD NOT HAVE PUT ANY MONEY INTO TESLA. SORRY.

Showing photos of a charred Volt, a panel of the House Government Reform and Oversight Committee, chaired by Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Vista (San Diego County), held a hearing in January called “Volt Vehicle Fire: What Did NHTSA Know and When Did They Know It.”

NOW WE’RE INTO THE POLITICS. BUT I THINK ELEMENTS OF THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION PLAY THE EXACT SAME GAME, RIGHT?

“Without a doubt, the antics have hurt sales, which has probably contributed to the need to shut down the plant for a few weeks and temporarily lay off 1,300 employees,” said GM spokesman Shad Balch. “It’s just blatantly wrong information. You get some of these folks on national news shows making outrageous statements about batteries catching on fire and cars randomly exploding.”

THE “BLATANTLY WRONG INFORMATION” ABOUT THE VOLT MOSTLY COMES FROM GM. MOSTLY. THE VOLT IS AN UNPOPULAR CAR. DEAL WITH IT, GM. WHAT IF THERE WERE A HEARING SOMEWWHERE IN DC ABOUT EXPLODING APPLE IPADS? DO YOU ALL THINK THAT WOULD MAKE THE IPAD AN UNPOPULAR PRODUCT ALL OF A SUDDEN? THE EXPENSIVE VOLT IS THE EXPENSIVE VOLT. DEAL WITH IT.

An independent analyst at TrueCar.com, a new-vehicle pricing and research firm, said what is slowing Volt sales is GM’s failure to tout its economics as gasoline prices soar past $4 a gallon.

TRUECAR.COM IS A BIG POS OF A WEBSITE. WHY IS IT BEING CITED IN THIS FASHION?

The Energy Department’s loan programs have been plagued by politicization, bankruptcies and bureaucratic bungling.

OH, HEY. HEY, THAT SHOULD BE THE HEADLINE. NOW YOU’RE ON THE TROLLEY!

Electric car maker Fiskar Automotive of Anaheim, which produces the luxury Karma in Finland and is aiming to produce a mass market “Project Nina” car in the United States, was approved for a $529 million loan guarantee. But it has drawn down just $193 million and was blocked in May by the Energy Department from further disbursements for failure to meet project milestones. It has stopped work at its Delaware plant.

WHAT A FIASCO. WHY DO WE GIVE MONEY TO CARMAKERS?

Toprak of Truecar.com said the 18,000 electric cars sold in the United States last year, mostly the Volt and the Nissan Leaf, make up just one-tenth of 1 percent of new car sales.

TO REPEAT, THE VOLT IS NOT AN “ELECTRIC CAR.” REPETICION: EL CHEVY VOLT NO ES UN COCHE ELECTRICO. IT WAS GOING TO BE, BUT THEN THINGS CHANGED.

OH WELL>

What the Chevy Volt looked like back when it really was an electric car. As seen on Market Street in San Francisco back in 2008:

Later on they added in a gas engine and they made it look lame and then they jacked up the price waaaaaay high.

Oh well.

That’s GM for you…

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CW Nevius Spanking Machine: The San Francisco Chronicle’s Dimmest Bulb Takes On the Ross Mirkarimi Case, Three Times

Monday, March 12th, 2012

San Francisco Chronicle opinion “reporter” CW Nevius should stick to his opinions, IMO. Cause it’s when he mixes up his opinions with what he considers facts, that’s when the trouble starts.

Anyway, I don’t question his ability to get people to answer his phone calls and then offer quotes, but I do question his ability to understand what those people tell him.

Oh well.

Here it is, a Nevius column three-way mash-up, starting all the way back in the month of January 2012.

(And, as always, please keep in mind that The Nevius is NOT biased on this particular topic, not at all, like why would you even think that?)

“The neighbor who called authorities with concerns (and good for her) learned that the hard way. She reportedly said she only wanted to express concern, not to release the photo or the cell phone texts.”

SO, SOMEBODY  CALLS THE COPS TO “EXPRESS CONCERN?” WHO DOES THAT? SOMEBODY WHO’S HORRIBLY NAIVE, LIKE IVORY MADISON? AND SHE DOES IT WITH HER VERY OWN PERSONAL IPHONE? SO YOU CALL THE COPS AND TELL THEM YOU HAVE SOLID EVIDENCE OF A CRIME BUT YOU’RE NOT READY TO TURN IT OVER TO THEM. I MEAN, HOW MANY MINUTES WILL IT TAKE FOR THEM TO BE BANGING ON YOUR DOOR? OH WAIT, YOU POLITELY ASKED THEM _NOT_ TO STAR-69 YOU? WELL IN THAT CASE…

There are many people in law enforcement who dislike him and don’t think he is fit for the job.

THE THOUGHTS OF “MANY PEOPLE” ARE ALWAYS CONGRUENT WITH CW NEVIUS IN CW NEVIUS-LAND. HOW CONVENIENT!

There is a school of thought that says Mirkarimi should step gracefully away from the job now and get on with his life.

SEE? MORE “THOUGHT” FROM THE NEVE. NEVE IS UPSET THAT ROSS MIRKARIMI WON THE SHERIFF’S RACE, SO NEVE IS HAPPY TO SEE ROSS GO, OF COURSE.

There is the possibility that Mirkarimi could be angling for something like a plea of “no contest,” which doesn’t carry the stigma of a guilty plea.

UH, NEVIUS, HOW SIMPLE ARE YOU? HAVE YOU HEARD OF THE TERM BEFORE? DO YOU EXPECT YOUR READERS TO NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT “NO CONTEST” MEANS? AND OH, IT MEANS “GUILTY,” MORE OR LESS, SO YES, THERE’S A STIGMA ATTACHED TO NOT FIGHTING WHEN A DISTRICT ATTORNEY IS TRYING YOU FOR DOING SOMETHING WRONG. FOR _MOST_ PEOPLE, SUCH A PLEA CARRIES THE SAME STIGMA OF A GUILTY PLEA. AND, AS GOES WITHOUT SAYING, IT’S OUR RIGHT TO PLEA THAT WAY IN CALIFORNIA. YOU SEE, THERE’S NO “ANGLING,” THERE’S NO DEAL STRATEGERY REQUIRED, DESPITE WHAT YOU THINK, NEVE.

But to Mirkarimi, that may seem like caving in.

AS IT WOULD TO ANYONE.

Fighting the charges and winning would be the sweet vindication for Mirkarimi. He would never get tired of saying “I told you so,” and no one could blame him.

UH, I DON’T THINK HE WOULD GO AROUND SAYING “I TOLD YOU SO.” AND IF HE DID, PEOPLE COULD AND WOULD BLAME HIM.

Until now, I’ve gone along with the idea of letting the Ross Mirkarimi misdemeanor domestic battery case play out.

HOW GENEROUS OF YOU. ARE YOU THE FOURTH BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT, CW NEVIUS? AREN’T YOU MERELY AN EX-JOCK MOVIE REVIEWER? I THINK SO.

It is time for Mirkarimi to cut his losses. Clearly he is fighting for his political life. But that cannot be the only consideration. What about what is good for the city?

IN NEVIUS-LAND, EVERY POLITICIAN IN TOWN SHOULD BE A REPUBLICAN OR BUSINESS DEMOCRAT. PER NEVIUS, THAT’S WHAT WOULD BE “GOOD FOR THE CITY.” AND SINCE WHEN DO YOU CARE ABOUT THE GOOD OF THE CITY SO MUCH? HEY NEVIUS, DON’T YOU ACTUALLY OPPOSE THE CENTRAL SUBWAY? I THINK YOU DO, OR AT LEAST YOU USED TO. REMEMBER HOW THE VERY THOUGHT OF IT MADE YOU “WINCE?” BUT YOU CAN’T VERY WELL OPPOSE IT NOW, CAN YOU, NOW THAT IT’S GOTTEN A LOT WORSE? WHAT WOULD THAT BE LIKE, NEVE, IF YOU WOULD VOICE YOUR CONCERNS OVER ROSE PAK’S SUBWAY TO NOWHERE, YOU KNOW, “FOR THE GOOD OF THE CITY?” ALL YOUR RECENT BEAT SWEETENER AND SOURCE GREASER COLUMNS, WELL, THEY’D BE FOR NAUGHT, RIGHT?

It wouldn’t be inconceivable that it would be the middle of March before a courtroom was assigned.

FRET NOT, NEVE, THE CITY OF SAN FRANCISCO ACTUALLY FOUND A PLACE TO HOLD A CRIMINAL TRIAL, BELIEVE IT OR NOT.

Although Ivory Madison’s biography says she attended law school, whether or not she was working as an attorney, or represented Lopez, is bound to be contentious. And that’s just one of the issues. The video is pivotal to the case, so there will probably be further challenges of that.

YOU KNOW NEVE, BY YOUR STANDARDS, YOUR ERRORS IN REPORTING THIS CASE AREN’T ALL THAT EGREGIOUS. HOWEVER, THIS BONER IS WHY YOU’RE IN THE SPANKING MACHINE AGAIN. IVORY MADISON NEED NOT HAVE BEEN ‘WORKING AS AN ATTORNEY” NOR “REPRESENTING” ANYBODY IN ORDER FOR THE ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGE TO APPLY. YOU TALK TO EXPERTS, THEY TELL YOU THE RIGHT THING, AND THEN YOU SCREW IT UP, OVER AND OVER AND OVER. DON’T YOU HAVE AN EDITOR BY NOW? OR ARE YOU EMPOWERED TO WRITE WHATEVER CRAP YOU WANT AS LONG AS YOU MAKE MONEY(?) FOR THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE? DO YOU EVER ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR MANY MANY MISTAKES? DO YOU EVER ISSUE CORRECTIONS? ANYWHO, THE “CONTENTIOUS” ISSUES YOU WONDERED ABOUT WEREN’T CONTENTIOUS AT ALL, AS IT TURNED OUT, AND AS SHOULD HAVE BEEN OBVIOUS TO YOU. YES EVEN YOU.

A reasonable suggestion would be for him to plead no contest to the charges.

A REASONABLE SUGGESTION FROM A SUBURBAN-MINDED REPUBLICAN SUCH AS YOURSELF, THAT’S WHAT YOU MEAN.

He should admit mistakes, apologize, and lay out a plan of rehabilitation – anger management, family counseling and personal guidance. He could say he has seen his errors and faced up to them. Therefore, he could say, he should be allowed to remain on as sheriff. Keeping the job would be a long shot. Personally, I’d oppose it.

OK, SO IT’S “DO EVERYTHING I SAY AND THE REWARD WILL BE ME, THE NEVIUS, OPPOSING YOU FROM FULFILLING THE WISHES OF THE VOTERS.” IS THAT YOUR CARROT-AND-STICK APPROACH, NEVE? MORE LIKE STICK AND STICK, IT WOULD SEEM.

Today it is a public soap opera, with trial-stalling delays, media scrums in the courthouse, and open snickering about ex-girlfriends’ panties.

I THINK YOU MEAN PAIR OF PANTIES, NEVE. LIKE ONE ARTICLE OF CLOTHING. YOU SEE, THE WAY YOU SAID IT MADE IT SEEM LIKE THERE WERE MULTIPLE GFS AND MULTIPLE PAIRS OF FOUND PANTIES. OH, I SEE, WE’RE IN NEVIUS-LAND, WHERE A “REPORTER,” SUCH AS YOURSELF ISN’T HELD TO THE SAME STANDARDS AS ANY OTHER REPORTER. OK.

It all could have been avoided. I understand if Mirkarimi and Eliana Lopez, his wife, feel wronged and want to fight the charges. But instead of having their lawyers challenge each piece of evidence, get up on the stand, make your case – Lopez does sound convincing – and let a jury decide.

WOW, SO WILLIAM WALLACE SHOULD JUST HAVE GIVEN UP TO KING ED BEFORE THE BATTLE OF FALKIRK EVEN BEGAN? BAD FORM.

Granted, the videotape of Lopez crying and pointing to a bruise on her arm doesn’t look good. But Mirkarimi and Lopez’s lawyers aren’t disputing the facts or saying it is a fake. They’re trying to remove it on a legal technicality. Just let them play the tape and respond.

NOW WHO’S THE FAKE ATTORNEY, IVORY MADISON OR YOU, NEVIUS?

Meanwhile, those who predicted a one-week trial are getting a lesson in the speed of justice.

WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE, NEVIUS? WHO ARE THESE STRAWMEN?

As weeks tick away, insiders estimate that Mirkarimi’s legal fees could be running into six figures.

WOW, “INSIDERS!” INSIDERS SUCH AS YOURSELF, NEVE?

Legally, everything turns on the video of Mirkarimi’s wife.

WOW, YOU EXPLAIN THE COMPLEX LEGALITIES SO WELL, PROFESSOR CONVENTIONAL WISDOM NEVIUS, JD. YOUR INSIGHT IS BOTH BOLD AND UNIQUE (OR NOT).

Lopez’s attorney, Paula Canny, says because the tape was made by a neighbor, Ivory Madison, who has a law degree, the tape would be violating attorney-client privilege.

NOT EXACTLY, NEVE. WHAT MATTERED IS WHAT LOPEZ BELIEVED, OF COURSE, UNDER CA LAW. THAT’S NOT ALL THAT MATTERED OF COURSE, AS THIS GAMBIT FAILED, BUT ANYWAY. YOU’RE PUTTING WORDS IN HER MOUTH, NEVE. YOU HAVE NO FRAME OF REFERENCE, DONNY. YOU’RE LIKE A CHILD WHO WANDERS INTO THE MIDDLE OF A MOVIE…

It may be a plausible legal argument but it stops the trial dead…

NOT REALLY, AS IT TURNED OUT.

Because now after months of these charges, those panties, and that tape of his weeping and bruised wife, this will follow Mirkarimi the rest of his life.

AND IF THE TRIAL HAD OCCURRED, SOMEHOW, IN FEBRUARY 2012, THEN THIS SITUATION _WOULDN’T_ HAVE FOLLOWED MIRKARIMI AROUND FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE? IS THAT WHAT YOU’RE ARGUING?

Keane compared him to O.J. Simpson, which sounded like a stretch.

YOU MEAN IT SEEMD A STRETCH AT FIRST, TO YOUR SIMPLE MIND? IS THAT WHAT YOU MEAN?

Simpson was charged with murder, not spousal abuse.

I GET YOUR POINT ON THIS, NEVE, BUT YOU’RE SORT OF WRONG ON THIS SCORE.*

But there are similarities.

WASN’T THAT HIS FUCKING POINT, NEVE? YOUR READERS ARE SMARTER THAN YOU, NEVE. SO WHY DO YOU THINK YOU HAVE TO EXPLAIN THINGS TO THEM?

After a long, painful, media-frenzy of a trial, Simpson was acquitted.

OMG, THAT CHECKS OUT TOO!

But he was a public pariah, his reputation in tatters. Simpson must wonder if it was all worth it. My guess is Ross Mirkarimi will too.

WOW, GREAT GUESS, NEVE. IT’S JUST LIKE WITH HITLER, WHO DIDN’T EVEN NEED THE REICHSTAG FIRE DECREE TO SEIZE POWER. HITLER MUST HAVE WONDERED “IF IT WAS ALL WORTH IT” OR LIKE WITH YOUR BUDDY, MAYOR ED LEE, WHO DIDN’T EVEN NEED STENCIL VOTING AND ROSE PAK TO WIN ELECTION. ED LEE MUST HAVE WONDERED “IF IT WAS ALL WORTH IT” AS WELL, HUH?

YOU’VE GIVEN US ALL A LOT TO THINK ABOUT, NEVE.

*Sort of. Actually OJ was charged with domestic violence too, before he was charged with killing that gal and that guy. I’ll give you just one guess what his plea was…

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CW Nevius vs. The Wiggle Bicycle Route, 2012

Monday, February 27th, 2012

The San Francisco Chronicle’s worst writer takes on The Wiggle here.

(As usual, his reliance upon quotes from rich, white, older homeowners leads him astray.)

Leave us begin:

Local residents sometimes sit at the corner of Waller and Steiner streets and place bets on the bicyclists as they approach the stop sign.

FALSE.

Worse, when she yelps, “Watch out!” when riders nearly hit her, the response is often, “F- you. Mind your own business.”

FALSE.

“Our message is that pedestrians always have the right of way.”

FALSE. THAT MIGHT BE YOUR MESSAGE, BUT IT’S NOT CORRECT. NOT IN CALIFORNIA, WHERE PEDS ARE ROUTINELY HELD AT FAULT FOR THEIR OWN DEATHS…

“You literally have to play peek-a-boo,” said Marshall.

FALSE. YOU DON’T LITERALLY HAVE TO PLAY PEEK-A-BOO, ONE-PERCENTER. WHY DOES THE MSM ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO BE CRYBABIES?

 The most likely solution is to create “bulb-out” corners for pedestrians.

ASSUMING FACTS NOT IN EVIDENCE, ASSUMING THAT BULB-OUTS WILL “SOLVE” THE ISSUE YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT, NEVIUS.

“Bulb-outs reduce the length of the crossing and also forces the bicyclists to slow down because they make the corner sharper,” Hodge said. “And (police) enforcement is increasingly important. We want to work with the police to identify space and behavior that are dangerous.”

UH, IS THE SAN FRANCISCO BICYCLE COALITION TELLING PEOPLE TO STOP AT STOP SIGNS? IF SO, THAT’S NEWS TO ME.

While those sound like good ideas, there is a school of thought that says the more accommodations the city makes for bikes the more entitled the riders become.

OH, IS THERE ALSO A SCHOOL OF THOUGHT THAT SAYS THE MORE ACCOMMODATIONS THE CITY MAKES FOR REPUBLICANS, SUCH AS CW NEVIUS, THE MORE ENTITLED THOSE REPUBLICANS BECOME?

“I’m no angry motorist. I don’t even own a car,” Marshall said. “But once they completed the bike lanes and made it a complete route, in the minds of cyclists it has just given them the license to just go.”

UH NEVIUS, JUST BECAUSE SOMEBODY SAYS SOMETHING AND BELIEVES IT, THAT DOESN’T MAKE IT TRUE. IMO, THE POPULARITY OF FIXIES HAS HAD A GREATER EFFECT. AND OF COURSE, THE WIGGLE HAS BEEN A “COMPLETE ROUTE” SINCE THE 1800′s.

Bike advocates would probably disagree, but Beckstead suggested a simple test.

WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU SAYING, NEVIUS? WHAT THE FUCK DOES THIS MEAN? THE WORLD WONDERS. BIKE ADVOCATES DISAGREE THAT BECKSTEAD SUGGESTED A SIMPLE TEST?

USE YOUR WORDS, NEVIUS.

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Posted in bikes | 5 Comments »

“Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour” Finishes Up in Oakland Tonight – A Few Tickets are Still Available

Wednesday, January 18th, 2012

Last night’s show at the huge Oracle Arena was 90%-plus full, so I imagine it will be the same thing tonight. The seats aren’t cheap, but this is the official show from Michael Jackson’s family, so there you go.

Fundamentally, this is a Michael Jackson show for Michael Jackson fans (as opposed to it being a Michael Jackson-themed Cirque du Soleil for a more general audience, if that makes sense.) For more on this topic, Chloe Roth does a good job of explaining things here in the Culture Blog of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Here’s another opinion: “It’s amazing. Long, yet spectacular.”

Photo: OSA Images - ©2011 Cirque-Jackson I.P., LLC

Anyway, you’re never going to see the THIS IS IT Tour, so this is it, tonight is your last chance to see the substitute, your last chance to soak up the experience.

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Posted in theatre | No Comments »

OMG, It’s Time to Enter the California Academy Sciences’ LoveLife Photo Competition – Deadline is February 1st – Prizes!

Friday, January 6th, 2012

It’s easy to play.

All the deets.

A 2011 submission from Donald Chan:

“The LoveLife photo competition returns for a second year with two new categories and many more prizes! Submit your loveliest photos of Academy life and conservation photography to be judged by top photo editors and experts. Then vote for your favorite photos online to be entered in the People’s Choice Award. All winners will be announced at the March 1st Nightlife. Visit the new Love Life Photo exhibit in the Children’s Gallery to see last year’s winners.

Entry deadline: February 1st, 2012

How to Enter

From January 1st, 2012 through February 1st, 2012 post your high resolution photograph entries on Flickr and tag your photos “lovelife2012″.

Categories

  1. Land life: butterflies, snakes, alligator… all life on land
  2. Aquatic life: fish, sea stars, coral… all life underwater
  3. Family life: people at the Academy
  4. NightLife: the Academy at night
  5. Mobile life: the Academy captured by smart phone
  6. Protect life: photography that encourages awareness or action for the natural world

Categories 1-5 must be photographed in the Academy between February 14, 2011 and February 1, 2012. Category 6 may be taken anywhere.

Judges

  • Michael Carabetta, Chronicle Books Design Director
  • Eric Chang, Lytro Director of Photography
  • Suzi Esterhaus, Wildlife Photographer
  • Greg Farrington, Academy Executive Director
  • Russell Yip, San Francisco Chronicle Photo Editor

Prizes

  • Grand Prize winner: Dinner and hotel getaway in San Francisco, including a room at Hotel Vitale and dinner at 54 Mint, a Lytro 16GB Light Field Camera, Adobe Photoshop, and an Academy Conservation Photography Excursion
  • Six Category winners: a Lytro 8GB Light Field Camera,Chronicle photography books, and an Academy Conservation Photography Workshop.
  • People’s Choice Award: Adobe Photoshop and Chronicle photography books.

Awards presentation will take place at March 1st NightLife. Winning images will be projected onscreen.

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Posted in museums | No Comments »

OMG, Now CW Nevius is on KGO Radio!

Tuesday, December 27th, 2011

Well here’s the news, CW Nevius has taken to the air, once again.

Here’s an early review, from Rich Lieberman 415 Media:

“I heard Chronicle metro writer, Chuck Nevius’ new report on the 810 “news” Tuesday. It was plain horrific and god-awful. Nevius’ forte is as a writer. He’s NOT a radio guy. His voice was tantamount to listening to wallpaper. He tried in vain to be funny. He was not. The subject matter was the lights going out at Candlestick at the 49ers game Monday Night. It would have been merely bad if the segment ran a couple minutes. Nevius’ piece droned on well past four minutes. If this is supposed to draw listeners, then some moron needs to get his head examined.”

(Meesa say, “How wude!”)

Anyway, listen for yourself:

SF Chronicle columnist CW Nevius has joined the KGO 810 news team as a daily news commentator.

Nevius is well known to Bay Area readers for his unique look at the Occupy Movement, San Francisco politics, and even street toilets. His first commentary for KGO is a sad farewell to Candlestick Park, where Monday Night’s blackout during the 49er’s game may have signaled the end of the stadium.

C.W. Nevius has been a columnist at the San Francisco Chronicle for over 20 years, covering sports, reviewing movies, and spotting trends. He is currently a metro columnist, appearing on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

As a sports columnist he climbed the ski jump at the Norway Olympics, ate bee larvae in Japan, and skied in the French Alps. In all he covered eight Olympic Games, from Australia to Spain to Korea. (And the strangest place of all, Los Angeles.)

He also wrote about riding the “Straight Talk Express” with John McCain during his first presidential bid, parachuting out of an airplane, and running the Boston Marathon. Although he only reviewed movies for a year, he did rate a blurb with his byline on the DVD box of “Santa Clause II,” to the undying embarrassment of his kids.

He co-authored “Splash Hit,” about building the Giants’ new waterfront stadium with Joan Walsh. His latest book is, “Crouching Father, Hidden Toddler. A Zen Guide for New Dads.”

News and Program Director Paul Hosley said, “We’re thrilled to have a journalist of CW’s caliber join the news team. We look forward to hearing his perspective on the Bay Area’s news stories.”

Realize that this might mean that you’ll have less Nevius to kick around, SF Chronicle-wise.

Oh well.

Invisible airwaves crackle with life 
Bright antenna bristle with the energy 
Emotional feedback on timeless wavelength 
Bearing a gift beyond price, almost free 

 

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Posted in media, paranormal | 1 Comment »

USC Annenberg Predicts Death of the San Francisco Chronicle Newspaper, and Others, By 2016 – But “Big Four” Survive

Friday, December 16th, 2011

Via Ron Russell’s newsblog, SFBayAreaObserver, comes this from the USC Annenberg Center for the Digital Future.

Ouch:

“5. Most print newspapers will be gone in five years.

“Circulation of print newspapers continues to plummet, and we believe that the only print newspapers that will survive will be at the extremes of the medium – the largest and the smallest,” said Cole. It’s likely that only four major daily newspapers will continue in print form: The New York Times, USA Today, theWashington Post, and the Wall Street Journal.  At the other extreme, local weekly newspapers may still survive.

“The impending death of the American print newspaper continues to raise many questions,” Cole said. “Will media organizations survive and thrive when they move exclusively to online availability?  How will the changing delivery of content affect the quality and depth of journalism?”

But we’ll always have the SFGate, so there’s that.

Bye-bye empire, empire bye-bye:

Courage.

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Posted in media | 1 Comment »

“The False Promise of Cheap Water” – San Francisco Chronicle Editor Goes Ballistic Over Simple Article About Expensive Wine

Friday, November 11th, 2011

San Francisco Chronicle “Wine Editor” Jon Bonné is on a tear after seeing this bit in Slate.

Here’s his screed:

The False Promise of Cheap Wine

See that? Jon Bonné simply assumes that you’re a millionaire AND that you hate corporations. He sounds like an industry representative, non? Remember when George Bush would rail against the harm of low oil prices? It’s the same thing.

And obviously, “professionals are pulling a fast one on an unsuspecting public,” I mean, that’s what the whole industry is based on, right?

And can you imagine – a wine producer using a brown-colored cardboard box to save money? Is that so offensive?

But let’s substitute water for wine, you know, reverse-Jesus style:

“Last week Slate published a piece titled “Drink Cheap Water.” Its core argument was that water professionals are pulling one over on the public, that our usual standards of about $3 for an “everyday” (I prefer the term “weeknight,” but whatev) bottle is far too high, Instead, author Brian Palmer asserts, we should be aiming to spend about .003 cents per bottle. Any more than that is just splitting hairs on aesthetics.

Oh, please.

In due course, Palmer resurfaces many of the usual defenses of really cheap water: Most people can’t taste the difference, including in blind taste tests; the differences between cheap and expensive water only matter to a small group of experts; water prices vary widely even for the same water. (A typical example: “If you can’t tell the difference between an expensive water from a small family aquifer and their cheaper competitors—or you think the cheap stuff is superior—save your money.”) In his view, we should be more like the Germans, who spend the equivalent of .002 cents per bottle on water.

This same faux-populist argument has come along many times before. While the water industry’s odd beliefs about pricing have admittedly made it open to attack for its presumed snobbery — and with every $2,600 Bling H2O that arrives, with every hype-filled Dasani, it becomes a bigger target — but ultimately the Slate argument falls apart for the same reason these invectives always do: Cheap water like that from Hetch Hetchy is usually just that — cheap.

Usually I ignore these screeds. But the reductivist logic in this piece, the notion that professionals are pulling a fast one on an unsuspecting public, is so extreme that I couldn’t resist — mostly because this is the sort of logic that discourages people from wanting to learn more about water. I wasn’t alone. Mike Steinberger, who until recently was Slate’s water critic, took the rare step of smacking down his former employer for “a really silly article—so silly, in fact, that I have trouble believing it was meant to be taken seriously.”

Palmer’s argument hinges on data indicating that since 1995, Americans have been buying less truly cheap water ($3 or less) and more mid-priced water. Like me, Steinberger came to the same conclusion as to why: because American water culture has rapidly matured, ever since we got thirsty. We want to drink better water and we are willing to pay for it.

But in the Slate view, price is all that matters. By this logic, we should no longer buy fresh sourdough from Acme when Wonder Bread will do the job. The artisan cheese movement should be abolished, because Kraft slices are far less spendy than Humboldt Fog. Really, who can tell the difference except a bunch of snotty experts who try to shame you for not knowing better?”

What’s the difference between water and wine? Why is wine so important? Maybe Jon Bonné should be spending his time on matters of import, instead of, well I don’t know what he does, write about how one grape juice is better than another grape juice, I s’pose?

Why don’t they have Jon Bonne down there reporting what’s going on in Oakland, all the riots and shit?

TURKEY TROTS TO WATER GG RR THE WORLD WONDERS

“Jon Bonné is the wine editor of the San Francisco Chronicle, responsible for The Chronicle’s wine and spirits coverage as well as the annual Top 100 Wines. He writes about wine, spirits and other libations throughout California and around the world.”

I mean, how much of your income does JB think you should spend on wine? Ten percent? One percent? It’s not clear. Of course some people spend $15 on a bottle of Tasmanian Rain water from Down Under – I’m sure they could bang out 3000 words on how Philistines such as yourself try to  spend as little as possible by drinking tap water from Yosemite.

Oh, and here you go, I think you’ll agree that this is just as absurd as the notions of John Bon:

The Award for Best Water in the World Goes to…

H2Om Water with Intention wins the Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting Awards

Los Angeles, California (PRWEB) February 27, 2009

The Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting Awards released further details today regarding the final results in the 2009 International Water Tasting Competition. Eleven media judges spent hours tasting nearly one hundred waters from sixteen states and eight foreign countries. Bottled water came from all over the globe to compete, including for the first time water from Japan and Ecuador. Other international waters included those from New Zealand, Macedonia, Israel, Canada, and Bosnia. The Gold Medal, and prestigious honor of being named, “The Best Water in the World” was awarded to Los Angeles based company, H2Om Water with Intention, an eco friendly, and award winning company whose natural spring water emanates from the pristine Palomar Mountains of Southern California.

Arthur Von Wiesenberger, author and founder of BottledWaterWeb.com once again served as the event’s Watermaster. “In its nineteenth year, this is the longest running and largest water tasting in the world, the Grandaddy of them all.” he said. The Gold Medal winner, H2Om Water with Intention, is a natural spring water recommended by the Environmental Media Association and recognized by the Wall Street Journal and Time Magazine. Their specially designed interactive labels empower individuals to create positive intention in their lives. Voted as one of Style.com’s 5 Great Enhanced Waters, they are a socially and environmentally responsible company, whose mountain spring, bottling facility, and offices are all local to California. Through their partnership with Carbonfund.org they offset their carbon footprint on the planet, while proceeds from revenues benefit organizations creating education on recycling and awareness relating to world water issues and our environment.

“We are so happy to have received the title of ‘best water in the world’. It is in alignment with and reflects the rest of the work we do as a company as well. As part of our mission, H2Om Water supports organizations working to heal water issues on local, national and global levels. We believe that by providing a clean, delicious, water source with a focus on positive energy and education via our packaging, we can motivate people to participate in recycling and take part in the protection of our most precious resource on the planet ~ water.” said H2Om co-founder and visionary Sandy Fox.

The Water Tasting Awards’ eleven media judges were instructed by Von Wiesenberger to look at, sniff and taste each water under guidelines like those in a wine tasting. The waters were rated for attributes including appearance (it should be clear – or slightly opaque for glacial waters), aroma (there should be none), taste (it should taste clean), mouth feel (it should feel light), and aftertaste (it should leave you feeling refreshed with no aftertaste). Hundreds of waters were tasted in four separate flights over two full days.

Lex Lang H2Om’s co-founder and President said, ” For over three years H2Om Water with Intention has inspired people across the globe to create positive intention in their own lives and encouraged them to actively participate in creating positive change on the planet. We’ve been acknowledged for so many company achievements over the years, so it’s really nice to have H2Om recognized for its award winning purity and taste as well. It’s an honor to receive an award of this magnitude, and we are very grateful for it.”

In 2010 the Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting Event will celebrate its twentieth year. For more information on the event and a complete list of awarded waters visithttp://www.berkeleysprings.com/water/awards2.htm. To learn more about H2Om Water with Intention visithttp://www.h2omwater.com/home.php. H2Om is available nationwide through natural health distributors, Tree of Life and UNFI.

For Further Information Contact:
POSITIVE PR 818-602-4539
Berkeley Springs Press contact: Jill Klein Rone – 304-258-3302
H2Om Water- Sandy Fox / Lex Lang 818-761-5288
http://www.H2OmWater.com 

Up next week, ”Denim Editor” John Bon on why you shouldn’t buy those $12.97 blue jeans at the SoMA Costco.  You know, because cheap jeans are cheap.

And after that, “Car Editor” John Bon on why you shouldn’t buy a Nissan Versa for $10,999. You know, because cheap cars are just that, cheap.

On It Goes…

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Corrupt Randy, Pugnacious Tony, and Taciturn Bill: City Family Shows at Leland Yee CCDC Presser

Monday, September 26th, 2011

Thank Gaia Wheezie gave me time off from the Help Center this week, else I would have missed the big Senator Leland Yee Central Subway press conference.

And look who was there. See ‘em?

1. Taciturn Bill Barnes - Ed Lee for Mayor Campaign Manager

2. Pugnacious Tony Winnicker – Ed Lee for Mayor Campaign Spokesperson (Boy, you give him your money and he won’t just sit around – he’ll hit the streets to fight for you.)

3. Corrupt Randy Shaw – Dictator for Life, Tenderloin

4. Others

I don’t know, if Ed Lee held a news conference about alleged corruption involving the San Francisco “City Family,” would a bunch of Leland Yee for Mayor managers show up to coach the media on what questions to ask (mind you, this is during the press conference) and also listen closely to every last syllable? Maybe. I kind of doubt it though.

Anyway, all the deets are below, but there’s no satisfying ending to this one – you’ll have to cool your heels to wait for the response from City Hall.

Senator Yee is giving The Powers That Be* ’til the end of the week to start turning over documents.

Click to expand

“Yee calls for sunshine into waste, fraud and abuse at CCDC - Says without full disclosure, Central Subway project could be threatened

SAN FRANCISCO – Senator Leland Yee, along with several city residents, today called on interim mayor Ed Lee to make public the details of all contracts for the past five years between the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (MTA), city departments and Chinatown Community Development Center (CCDC) regarding the Central Subway.

Today, Yee also submit public records requests for all correspondence between the Mayor’s office or the City Administrator’s Office and CCDC or powerbroker Rose Pak.

Yee’s request comes after the San Francisco Chronicle unveiled several instances of waste, fraud and abuse by the nonprofit, including charging taxpayers $750 an hour to attend project meetings, $578 per visitor for outreach, and $25,000 to host a single community meeting.

By comparison, city contracts show payment to other entities for meeting attendance does not come close to what was received by CCDC. In fact, one contract for the city’s Arts Task Force showed a charge of 80 percent less, at $125/hour.

On the steps of City Hall and using a “golden” chair to represent the exorbitant cost the City paid for CCDC to attending meetings, Yee said, “As a strong supporter of the Central Subway, I am very concerned that possible malfeasance may jeopardize this important project. We need to get to the bottom of this immediately and the interim mayor needs to give the public the facts about these contracts.”

Yee said he expects Lee to provide the public documents regarding the Central Subway by the end of the week, at which time he will consider further action

This is not the first time Yee has fought to disclose public documents. Yee has become one of the State’s staunchest open government advocates, and last year, Yee made national headlines when he demanded the release of Sarah Palin’s speaking contract at California State University. Subsequently, students found parts of the contract along with shredded documents in the administration’s Dumpster, and Californians Aware successfully won a lawsuit against the University to fully disclose the contract.”

*Have you seen this one from Anonymous,** via writer John Cote, from deep inside the CCDC itself?

 

Wow.

**Somebody within the CCDC who doesn’t approve of its recent dealings, I’m forced to assume…

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Hot Ticket: INFORUM Hosts Phil Bronstein and Jose Antonio Vargas at the Commonwalth Club On July 11th

Thursday, June 30th, 2011

This one will sell out for sure, perhaps by the end of the day.

Via Campus Progress

All the deets:

“Jose Antonio Vargas Shares His Story for the First Time with INFORUM

Journalist and Pulitzer Prize Winner to Talk about his Struggle as an Illegal Immigrant

San Francisco – June 29, 2011 – Commonwealth Club’s INFORUM, today announced that Jose Antonio Vargas, successful journalist and Pulitzer Prize winner best known for chronicling his life as an illegal immigrant in the Unites States, will share his story in one of his first public interviews Monday, July 11, at the Commonwealth Club’s SF Club Office, 595 Market Street, 2nd Floor, San Francisco.

Vargas has been living illegally in the United States since the age of 12. In conversation with Phil Bronstein, The San Francisco Chronicle’s editor-at-large, Vargas will share his impressive story of struggle to belong and find success in the United States. Raised in Mountain View, Calif., Vargas started his triumphant career working at the San Francisco Chronicle while attending San Francisco State University. In the summer of 2001, Vargas got his first internship at the Philadelphia Daily News and continued on to intern at publications such as the Seattle Times and the Washington Post. Vargas wrote a series on Washington’s H.I.V./AIDS epidemic, covered the role of technology and social media in the 2008 presidential race and even visited the White House. In April 2008, he was part of the Post team that won a Pulitzer Prize for the paper’s coverage of the Virginia Tech shootings. Vargas also founded Define American, an organization seeking to change immigration reform.

Vargas accomplished all this while dealing with immigration problems. You can read more on Vargas in his piece “My Life As an Undocumented Immigrant” on the New York Times’ site: http://nyti.ms/m5rbZU.

The special program takes place at the SF Club Office on 595 Market St., 2nd floor in San Francisco on Monday, July 11, at 6:30 p.m. PT.  For more information and to buy tickets, call (415)-597-6705 or register online at www.commonwealthclub.org.”

 

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