Friday, August 31, 2007
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Monday, August 27, 2007
A shoulda-woulda-coulda I'll regret for a long time
I made my list of some 80-odd favorite landmarks on both sides of the Bay, and ran from one to the other in a mad attempt to win my own scavenger hunt of memories...
One place I didn't make it to, but assumed would be there the next time I was in the City, was Red's Java House.
Now comes word that the Port of San Francisco is raising their rent five times over, thus ensuring that the best darn burger and cuppa coffee (and one of the best secret places to watch a sunrise when the East Bay is clear of fog) will be, no more.
There just wan't enough time to revisit all the places I knew in the City, I tried to tell myself. Choices had to be made; priorities to be followed. How was I to know?
If you've never been to Red's, or if you have, but not lately, you better get down there quick and enjoy one of those quintessential local experiences that is all too soon about to become a part of the past. And you'll get a damn good burger, too.
Then you will have the dubious honor of belonging to that illustruous club which can say with pride, "Ah, you should have been here back when..."
One place I didn't make it to, but assumed would be there the next time I was in the City, was Red's Java House.
Now comes word that the Port of San Francisco is raising their rent five times over, thus ensuring that the best darn burger and cuppa coffee (and one of the best secret places to watch a sunrise when the East Bay is clear of fog) will be, no more.
There just wan't enough time to revisit all the places I knew in the City, I tried to tell myself. Choices had to be made; priorities to be followed. How was I to know?
If you've never been to Red's, or if you have, but not lately, you better get down there quick and enjoy one of those quintessential local experiences that is all too soon about to become a part of the past. And you'll get a damn good burger, too.
Then you will have the dubious honor of belonging to that illustruous club which can say with pride, "Ah, you should have been here back when..."
Saturday, August 04, 2007
At least the Port of Los Angeles is safe... from reporters
The LA Airport police have already had their time in the spotlight wasting the public's dime (actually, about 10 million or so dimes). How ironic then, that right after Chief Bratton complained that the allocations for Homeland Security from the Feds shortchanging Los Angeles, some goon with the Port police should beat up what must be the smallest woman reporter in LA --on camera, of course. The sound of that thud as she hit the container sounded like a linebacker making a bone-smashing tackle.
I guess the Port will need those extra funds so they can beat up radio and print media as well.
The LA media has chased the story of the Mayor and his relationship squabbles to the exclusion of virtually everything else happening at City Hall. It can't be that slow of a news day, guys. And I seriously doubt that people in LA are that interested in the Mayor's marriage problems.
The questions hurled at the Mayor on Friday would have flunked me out of J-School. They weren't even worthy of paparazzi swarming around the latest celebrity scandal. Not even on Fox News. That said, no politician gets the privilege of control of what the press will cover (or not). But watching that goon smash that little woman against the cargo container might do more to hurt Mayor Villaraigosa's political standing than his impending divorce and relationship with a reporter.
At this rate, we can expect the police in Los Angeles to bash a reporter again about November 5th. And I'm not even gonna bring up the UCLA campus police incident inquiry. Oops --too late, I just did.
The distance from La City Hall to Terminal Island is about the same as from Miami City Hall to the Homestead airfield. That's a long way to go for a non-story. Aren't we glad that nothing more important or pressing was happening anywhere else in Los Angeles?
This was enough to make me relieved that I'm not on staff with a news outlet these days. However, what has me really concerned is, who's covering --or uncovering-- the real news stories while the LA media act like they've overdosed on South Park?
I guess the Port will need those extra funds so they can beat up radio and print media as well.
The LA media has chased the story of the Mayor and his relationship squabbles to the exclusion of virtually everything else happening at City Hall. It can't be that slow of a news day, guys. And I seriously doubt that people in LA are that interested in the Mayor's marriage problems.
The questions hurled at the Mayor on Friday would have flunked me out of J-School. They weren't even worthy of paparazzi swarming around the latest celebrity scandal. Not even on Fox News. That said, no politician gets the privilege of control of what the press will cover (or not). But watching that goon smash that little woman against the cargo container might do more to hurt Mayor Villaraigosa's political standing than his impending divorce and relationship with a reporter.
At this rate, we can expect the police in Los Angeles to bash a reporter again about November 5th. And I'm not even gonna bring up the UCLA campus police incident inquiry. Oops --too late, I just did.
The distance from La City Hall to Terminal Island is about the same as from Miami City Hall to the Homestead airfield. That's a long way to go for a non-story. Aren't we glad that nothing more important or pressing was happening anywhere else in Los Angeles?
This was enough to make me relieved that I'm not on staff with a news outlet these days. However, what has me really concerned is, who's covering --or uncovering-- the real news stories while the LA media act like they've overdosed on South Park?
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