Blue Scholars play SF!

My favorite hip-hop duo from Seattle will be rockin’ the mic this Thursday at Pier 23 in a FREE show that starts at 9 pm! I will *so* be there.

Come meet me! (Did I mention that it’s free?)

California transportation woes

On his blog, Daniel Hernandez notes that there have been a couple really neat proposals for a proper subway system for LA.

The first one, designed by Numan Parada, would put a subway stop at 26th and Wilshire, about 2 blocks from my parents’ house. It would take two transfers to get there from LAX, which would be freakin’ sweet.

The second one would put a stop at 23rd and Santa Monica Blvd., about 6-7 blocks from my parents’ house, and would take the same number of transfers to get to LAX.

Still, they’re both fantastic ideas. One problem though, it’s highly unlikely that this will ever get built:

That led [Parada] to take a break from his studies to craft his own transit map last fall. The plan, circulated on public transit blogs and websites, would cost an estimated $31 billion to $38 billion, and add 378 miles of new rail to the existing system, he said.

Transportation experts said such an extensive network would cost several times that.

Still, one can dream.

In other news, the California High Speed Rail, may get (har) de-railed.

LA Times:
Schwarzenegger asked the Legislature in his 2007 budget to slash money for the California High-Speed Rail Authority. The governor also wants lawmakers to postpone indefinitely a $9.95-billion rail bond issue that is slated to appear on the November 2008 ballot.

Other than the fact that having a high-speed rail up and down the state would be totally sweet, safe, fast and convenient, here’s some more wonky reasons why:

LA Times Op-Ed:

There are dozens of flights each day, carrying 10,000 to 15,000 passengers, between the metropolitan areas of these two cities. Currently, one-third of the flights out of LAX and SFO are for trips of 350 miles or less. A high-speed rail system would be a viable alternative to some if not all those trips, easing traffic congestion and reducing pressures to expand local airports.

Shifting more traffic to trains would require expansion of stations and other infrastructure — as well as acquisition of rights of way. But if done properly, it would result in much less environmental impact on people than would airport expansion.

The governor has proposed a $110-billion transportation bond, mostly for highways. Total costs for the high-speed rail system are estimated to be about $35 billion, but this would be matched 50-50 or better by Washington. And the system could be up and running in eight to 10 years.

*sighs*

The only thing that looks like will happen is that within the next 12 years, Caltrain will get extended from the 4th/King terminus, going underground to the new, totally revamped Transbay Terminal. I imagine it’ll be something like the Grand Central Station of the West, but awesomer. 🙂

The design is supposed to be announced in August.

I can’t wait.

UC Hastings shut down, evacuated in copycat threat

My buddy Nate Cardozo just alerted me that UC Hastings has been evacuated and shut down due to an Internet posting, which might be this one (mirror here):

“Date: April 18th, 2007 1:35 PM

Author: Trustafarian

I went to bed all set for “Bloody Wednesday,” but when I woke — to sun, to flowers in bloom — I just couldn’t bring myself to suit up.

Maybe tomorrow; I hear rain’s in the forecast.”

The city’s wireless plan — unplugged!

My Q&A with Esme Vos of MuniWireless.com is now online. For some reason, the San Francisco magazine website sucks and my article isn’t available online. So, you’ll have to make do with Esme’s scan of the piece. If you do manage to get a print copy, apparently there’s a brief bio about me in the front of the magazine.

“This marvellous city, San Francisco!”

Two Years Before the Mast, 1869:

Late in the afternoon, as there were vespers at the Roman Catholic churches, I went to that of Notre Dame des Victoires. The congregation was French, and a sermon in French was preached by an Abbé; the music was excellent, all things airy and tasteful, and making one feel as if in one of the chapels in Paris. The Cathedral of St. Mary, which I afterwards visited, where the Irish attend, was a contrast indeed, and more like one of our stifling Irish Catholic churches in Boston or New York, with intelligence in so small a proportion to the number of faces. During the three Sundays I was in San Francisco, I visited three of the Episcopal churches, and the Congregational, a Chinese Mission Chapel, and on the Sabbath (Saturday) a Jewish synagogue. The Jews are a wealthy and powerful class here. The Chinese, too, are numerous, and do a great part of the manual labor and small shop-keeping, and have some wealthy mercantile houses.

Read more““This marvellous city, San Francisco!””

Are you a blogging Bay Area college student? Want to be on the radio?

In case you hadn’t heard, I have a new gig as a freelance (read: part-time) producer for Your Call Radio on KALW 91.7 FM (that’s San Francisco’s oft-neglected other NPR affiliate).

My first show as a producer, which will air on March 13, will be covering students’ views on sharing private information in a public, online forum, such as blogs, YouTube, MySpace, Facebook and the like.

So, if you’re a student at any Bay Area university, college, or community college, and are a blogger or have some sort of regular online presence, and are available to come to our studios in San Francisco on March 13 from 9:40 am – 11 am, please let me know ASAP.

See you on the air!

Farewell, Mr. Rove.

Here’s the full list, via Daily Kos.

Yes, and Mr. Seven-term Pombo (R-CA) from the 11th Congressional District of California lost!

And the Macaca race is still up in the air, but Webb is barely ahead for now.

And finally, in the most meaningless ballot measure of the night:

San Francisco was one of two Bay Area cities in which voters could call for Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney to be impeached. Neither San Francisco voters nor their counterparts in Berkeley were passing up the chance — San Francisco’s Prop. J won, 59 percent to 41 percent, while in Berkeley, Measure H was ahead, 66 percent to 34 percent, in early returns.

Bay Area, I love you always, but why do you have to do such stupid things sometimes?

Anyway, rock on, Madam Speaker!

Dave Cuomo plays two nights in the Bay Area!

When I lived in New York, I was invited to get cheap drinks and attend some great live music once a week at The Underground Lounge by my good buddy and Columbia cohort Jennifer Weiss. She had a regular gig rockin’ the back room on piano and killer vocals.

Jen and I also shared a radio class together at Columbia, and after having been exposed to various musical performances at the Underground, and in dire need of a subject for a radio documentary, she suggested that I do one on Mr. Dave Cuomo (pictured at left).

After spending hours with Dave, attending his shows and chatting with him in his Washington Heights apartment, I came to realize here was someone who was living his dream. Many kids fantasize about coming to the big city with a few bucks in their pocket and a guitar on their back, ready to take on the world with their music. Dave did it, and did it with gusto and style. He’s a fast-talkin’, passionate, grungy and romantic musicmaker and is just an all-around cool guy. You can hear him in my April 2005 radio documentary: “Music Man.”

So it is with great pleasure that I’ll be hosting Dave Cuomo for the next three nights, while he continues his 2006 tour.

He’ll bring the house down Tuesday night at Brainwash (1122 Folsom St., San Francisco) at 7 pm and Wednesday night at Mama Buzz (2318 Telegraph Ave., Oakland) at 6 pm for the low price of three bucks.