John Rizzo - He fixes problems, he has an engineering background.
London Breed – She was born in District Five. She was born in District Five. She was born in District Five. One imagines she’s still turbo-pissed at Mayor Ed Lie for not appointing her earlier this year. She’s raised the most money and has the support of Kamala Harris and Willie Brown.
Christina Olague - Pronounced ”oh law gee” with a hard “g?” News to me. (Does she have a cold or is that her voice? Wow.)
“Hello. My name is, uh, Christina Olague. I’m Supervisor of this District. I was appointed in January. And I’m very thrilled and excited to be, uh, serving the community as the district Supervisor.”
And oh, here’s the big pitch for supporters, which I’ll tell you I didn’t see any:
“We need your presence!!! Please come out to hold up signs, wear your Tee Shirts and pass out literature. All the Candidates will be there. We want them to see strong support for Christina Olague. Got Questions? Call 415-724-0136 – Shelley B. Bell”
So, the Olague campaign wants the other candidates to see Olague has lots of support? OK fine, if that’s the way you want to do it.
Anyway, she’s a big fat SELLOUT and that’s why she got appointed over a moderate like London Breed.
And oh, she’s lying about that whole perjury issue with the Mayor and Ross Mirkarimi. Oh well.
Thea Selby - ”I am super happy to be here…” Apparently, running for Supe is “hecka more fun” than you can imagine. And, apparently, everybody should consider running.
Julian Davis – “There are pro-development interests that are controlling the agenda of City Hall.”
This was the first attack against the Interim Supe during this forum.
“How do they get away with it? I’ll tell you – they get away with it by choosing your leaders for you. Over the past two years in San Francisco we have seen an appointed Mayor, an appointed District Attorney, an appointed Sheriff, and an appointed District Five Supervisor. Ask yourself is that’s participatory democracy the way we envisioned it? The answer is that it is not.”
Hope Johnson –
“…if those people are really representing you or if they are merely selling out to the highest bidder. And as Supervisor, I would hope to continue to ensure that government acts in our best interests and try to curb the abuse of authority some of which you’ve heard Mr. Davis talk about just a few minutes ago.”
And there you have it.
[UPDATE: Well, surprise surprise, Christina Olague got an endorsement last night. See Comments.]
It’s a great show. You (and your kin aged 12 and up) ought to go see it.
And oh, BTW, if you don’t already have tickets for The Book of Mormon, you know, the Best Musical of the Century (already!) per the New York Times, well, it’s time to start freaking out. You can’t buy tickets now because the only way to do that is to get a subscription for the 2012-2013 season (you know, Lion King, Wicked, etc.) but here’s the catch: SOLD OUT, baby! Already. So you’re going to need to move move move when individual tickets go on sale, whenever that will be. BoM, which is, fundamentally, a “love letter to religion written by an atheist,” however foul-mouthed it may be, will only be here for five short weeks. Every last show will sell out, just saying.
“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.”
“Well, I understand why that question would be asked, especially with today’s economy, but I also understand that medical marijuana is very important to help those who need it medically,” she replied. “I’m not sure if it should be legalized, if it would really affect, with the drug war,” she added. “I mean, it’s abused today, unfortunately, so that’s the only reason why I would kind of be a little bit against it, but medically it’s OK.”
“AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL ACTIVISTS CONVERGE IN SAN FRANCISCO TO CELEBRATE 50 YEARS OF HUMAN RIGHTS WORK —- Joan Baez, West Coast Co-Founder of the Organization, To Be Honored for a Lifetime of Human Rights Activism —- Model Christy Turlington, Grammy Winners Steve Earle and Saúl Hernández, Rapper Jahi and Actress Nazanin Boniadi Join Former Prisoners of Conscience to Tackle Today’s Challenges”
CT likes the Amnesty, but she doesn’t like the fur. Fair ‘nough:
All the deets:
San Francisco – Up to one thousand activists from across the country will converge in San Francisco from March 18-20 to mark Amnesty International’s 50th anniversary and tackle a range of pressing human rights concerns at the organization’s Annual General Meeting. The conference, “50 Years: Shining a Light on Human Rights,” will take place at the Fairmont Hotel and is open to the public. Registration fees range from $75 to $125 for the weekend and are $40 for Friday evening, which includes a tribute to human rights icon Joan Baez.
The three-day event includes a roster of noted human rights defenders who have shown enormous bravery and commitment on a wide range of human rights issues, including: Hina Jilani, former U.N. Special Representative for Human Rights, who previously had been arrested and received death threats for her legal work in Pakistan; Michael Posner, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor and former AIUSA board member; Lydia Cacho, Mexican author and journalist who was illegally arrested and beaten for her work protecting women and girls; Luis Perez, the first undocumented immigrant in the United States to earn a law degree; and Charlotte Bunch, who was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 1996 for her global organizing for women’s rights.
Former President Jimmy Carter will commemorate the organization’s 50th anniversary via video address. Supermodel/maternal health advocate Christy Turlington Burns, singer/death penalty abolitionist Steve Earle, rapper Jahi, actress and AIUSA spokesperson Nazanin Boniadi, State Radio/Dispatch musician and activist Chad Stokes, Jaguares vocalist and activist Saúl Hernández, the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus, Amnesty International Secretary General Salil Shetty and others will raise their voices along with internationally known activists to carry the torch into a new era of human rights work.
“Millions of people worldwide live in fear of persecution by repressive governments or armed factions and millions more suffer extreme deprivation,” said Larry Cox, executive director of AIUSA. “But we are not powerless against this injustice. Amnesty International has proved for 50 years that collective action is a powerful force for change. We are thrilled to come back to San Francisco, which has long been a stronghold for Amnesty International activists, and honor those who have made the movement’s success possible.”
Friday evening will open with a tribute to folk legend and human rights activist Joan Baez, who devoted a full year to help establish Amnesty International chapters in the San Francisco Bay area in the early ‘70s, stayed active with the organization as a member of the National Advisory Board and later performed during the renowned “Conspiracy of Hope” tour. The Friday evening event at the Fairmont will feature tribute performances from Grammy winners Steve Earle and Saúl Hernández (of the Mexican rock band Jaguares) and musician/activist Chad Stokes (State Radio/Dispatch).
“Whether marching arm in arm with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., or stuffing envelopes in our first home office in San Francisco, Joan’s commitment to human rights has known no bounds,” said Cox. “It is no exaggeration to say that many attending the annual conference are direct descendants of a human rights family that Joan created. Her devotion is a constant reminder of what can be accomplished when one will put herself on the line to effect change. We are truly honored to be in her presence tonight and are grateful for her lasting legacy.”
A special focus on students and activism will be the core of AIUSA’s youth summit, designed for people aged 14 to 25, at the University of California, Berkeley, on Thursday, March 17. Attendees will hear from John Jackson, Vice President of Social Responsibility at MTV. Throughout the conference, activists of all ages will address a range of human rights concerns including the death penalty; maternal mortality; migrant rights; holding companies accountable for damage to human rights and the environment; journalists at risk; and the war on terror (for the complete program, please visit www.amnestyusa.org/agm).
The annual conference will also be the site for the launch of the Amnesty Global Ethics Series, a series of books on human rights from Amnesty International and W.W. Norton & Company, that includes some of the most distinguished scholars and writers today. Kwame Anthony Appiah, Princeton University professor and son of one of Amnesty International’s first prisoners of conscience, is the general editor of the series and the author of the books’ forward; he, as well as Elaine Scarry, author of How to Think in an Emergency, the first book in the series, and Rory Stewart and Philip Pettit, authors of future volumes, will speak. The weekend includes several other human rights awards. Hamza Latif, an undergraduate student at the University of Michigan, will receive the first ever Ladis Kristof Memorial Fellowship for Organizing and Activism. The fellowship was created in memory of Kristof, a founder of Amnesty International local group 48 and father of noted New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof. The conference will also showcase AIUSA’s newest high school essay competition winners, Catherine Lovrien of Minnesota and Mahsa Taskindoust of New York, who addressed the question, How Has the Promotion or Defense of Human Rights Changed Our World? Each is the recipient of a $1500 prize and a trip to the annual conference. The annual event is supported by the Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation.
“Amnesty’s 50th anniversary is a moment to celebrate the power of grassroots activism and to renew our commitment to build toward a world in which every person enjoys universal human rights,” said Rini Chakraborty, Western regional director for AIUSA. “Together we will continue our work to free the wrongfully imprisoned, end the death penalty and torture, promote economic justice and migrant rights and fulfill the promise of human rights for all.”
Amnesty International — today the largest grassroots human rights organization in the world with nearly 3 million members worldwide — has helped win the freedom of tens of thousands of individuals jailed for expressing beliefs or defending basic rights, shut down torture chambers, halted executions, and established laws and treaties to protect the freedom and dignity of people around the world — and in the United States. Amnesty International was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1977.
Now I’ll tell you, I can think of a few reasons as to why San Francisco’s District 2 might have more than its fair share of the City’s 38,000 (or so) yet-to-be counted absentee ballots, and why Mark Farrell might do better with those voters than the people who actually showed up in person on election day. Then you throw in some Instant Runoff Voting ballots that went Abraham Simmons #1 and Mark Farrell #2, Kat Anderson #3 or Abraham Simmons #1, Kat Anderson #2 and Mark Farrell #3, and then toss in some wild-card provisionals and what you have is an interesting situation on your hands.
Of course, a difference of 2.75 percentage points is large and of course it’s tough to catch up to the leader using other candidates’ voters under IRV, but Mark just might have a chance to do just that.
That’s D2.
Now, as for D10, what about Malia Cohen? She appears to be the only candidate in D10 who, at this point, could possibly benefit from his/her official endorsement from the San Francisco Democrats. (Of course, she’d need to make it past Lynette Sweet as well.)
Here’s Malia using substantially less than the allotted time to memorably introduce herself to the Recording Academy at Yoshi’s on Fillmore. Now, I found the affair, or at least the part I saw, to be on the twee side, but, whatever, MC did a good job of standing out from the crowd of a dozen or so invited candidates:
We’ll just have to wait and see how it goes, huh? (And just say to yourself, “No recounts, no recounts…”)
Here are all the contestants: Christine Lim 李汶娸, Kristina Owyoung 歐陽坤怡, Samantha Chin 陳冠曄, Leilani Soon 孫愛蘭, Anna Chiem 詹佩盈, Christina Zhang 張子倩, Crystal Lee 李萬晴, Gloria Mui 梅主恩, Angela Wang 王兆蓬, Chang Liu 劉暢, Li Li 李欣燃, and Tong Qiao 喬彤:
How many peacocks had to die for this outfit? None, I s’pose:
Miss Chinatown U.S.A. Coronation Ball Friday, February 26, 2010 San Francisco Hilton & Towers
333 O’Farrell Street, San Francisco
(415) 982-3000
6:00 pm No Host Cocktails
7:00 pm Dinner and Dancing until midnight
Tickets: $120
The newly selected Miss Chinatown USA and her court will be crowned at the annual Harrah’s Coronation Ball. The black tie dinner/dance, attended by many community leaders, promises to be a highlight of the Lunar New Year festivities.
Anyway, it’s all turning around for Y.K. Turns out he went to Stanfoo and Yale (an experience he considered “depressing” – oh well) and he’ a lawyer ‘n stuff, so the Federal Communications Commission just appointed him Deputy Chief of the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau.
The CGAB “develops and implements the Commission’s consumer policies, including disability access” and “serve[s] as the public face of the Commission through outreach and education, as well as through our Consumer Center, which is responsible for responding to consumer inquiries and complaints.”
Will this be the last we in the bay area hear about Yul? Oh no - he’s on his way to elected office, it would appear.
Bon courage, Yul!
“Mr. Kwon’s diverse career spans across law, technology, business, and media. His government experience includes lecturing at the FBI Academy, drafting science and technology legislation as an aide to Senator Joseph Lieberman, and clerking for Judge Barrington D. Parker on the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals. In the business and technology sector, Mr. Kwon has held positions at McKinsey & Company, Google, and the Trium Group. He also practiced law as an attorney at Harris, Wiltshire & Grannis and at Venture Law Group. In 2006, Mr. Kwon became the first Asian American to win the CBS reality show, Survivor. His subsequent media activities include working as a special correspondent for CNN and as a co-host for the Discovery Channel. Mr. Kwon obtained his B.S. degree in Symbolic Systems from Stanford University and his J.D. from Yale Law School, where he served on the editorial board of the Yale Law Journal.”
