This year, 2010, once again this blogger is following (kinda) the Santa Tracker, but while tree trimming, wine drinking, and talking, and listening to Nat and Frank (Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra).
But here's my NORAD Santa Tracker Video, because I just had to!
This business of going to the NORAD website to track Santa Claus' trip around the World is rather cool, but I'm in the middle of watching It's A Wonderful Life, so I decided to embed the tracker right here in my blog:
As of 6 PM PST / 9 PM EST, Santa Claus is , well, he's moving really fast! (If the embed doesn't work in your browser, click on the NORAD link.)
Merry Christmas!
Friday, December 24, 2010
Oakland News: Councilmember Ignacio De La Fuente Gets DUI Arrest
Nacho was arrested, booked, released, and given a future court date to appear.
The CHP (California Highway Patrol) Officer said something that can and should do him in, in court: that "he believed De La Fuente was speeding" and that the officer "noticed impairment."
So, let's see here.
First, the CHP officer didn't have a speed gun to have evidence to back his claim of speeding. Second, the officer didn't have a Breathalyzer to record Ignacio's blood - alcohol level to back his claim that Ignacio was "impaired."
What the hell was this CHP officer doing? No speed gun. No Breathalyzer. And he just hauls Ignacio in, anyway. Near Christmas.
Nuts.
I don't care - not a big rats butt - if it happens to everyone; it's not supposed to happen to anyone. So, for those of you who applaud this news, don't. Stop supporting a screwed up system just because you love to see bad things happen to good people.
If the Alameda County Superior Court judges are worth the votes it took to get them into office, this case should be dismissed. It damn well better be.
It should be against the law for any officer to make a DUI arrest without instrument record to back his or her claim. That's just wrong.
Maybe now that Ignacio's got a taste for this crap, as I do, he'll become an advocate for a better system. The one California has in place is nothing more than a money-mill to maintain a California prison-industrial system.
Merry Christmas and don't drink and drive. Let's have a weekend where the cops have a ZERO arrest record. Don't give any CHP officer an excuse to arrest you. Oakland police have better things to do.
Get a limo, like I did in this video:
Oakland News: Top 21 Oakland Christmas Gifts
Normally, this would be a "top 10" list, but we have so many well deserving Oaklanders, and people who do business in Oakland, that I expanded it to 21.
Why 21?
Because once I started thinking about who deserves an Oakland Christmas Gift, the list just kept going on and on.
It's the by-product of knowing a lot of people in this town. A lot of people who deserve positive recognition. I could have gone on to 40, but had to cut it off at some point.
Here's the list!
1. For former Oakland Mayor and now California Governor-Elect Jerry Brown: patience and focus. He's going to need both.
2. For Oakland Teachers: $500 more per teacher, per month. That would help many, many well-deserving and hard working teachers in Oakland.
3. For Mayor-Elect Jean Quan: A Green Oakland Mayor's Bus so she can travel free of parking ticket worry, and get around in a socially-responsible way!
4. For Al Davis and The Oakland Raiders: A NEW STADIUM. The Coliseum was only refurbished to bring the Raiders back to Oakland, not to give the Raiders a state of the art stadium. I told this to the Oakland City Council in 1997, when I was Elihu Harris' Economic Advisor. Then-Oakland Councilmember and now Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley wanted to choke me. "We just spent $197 million and you're telling me it's not state-of-the-art?," he asked. Yep. It's wasn't then, and it's not now. The corridors are too narrow by five feet. The suites at the west side of the Coliseum need a big upgrade. And the places where slip-and-falls can and do happen are still abundant. The lights are not bright enough to be completely effective for night games. There's no after-game restaurant or hotel to take in patrons waiting for BART when they leave the games, let alone gain revenue. In short, and I could go on, and we're just getting by.
5. For The Oakland A's: An owner who cares about Oakland. It's hard to get anyone behind you in Oakland, when you're always trying to get out of it. The drive for a new stadium has nothing to do with any civic love for A's Managing Owner Lew Wolff, and everything to do with Oakland's love for the A's. Mr. Wolff can treat Oakland much better than he has to date. He's tried to leave Oakland almost since he took ownership of the organization; that has to stop.
6. For Oakland Police Chief Anthony Batts: 100 new police officer positions and the money to keep them.
7. For Oaklanders who's cars were towed because of the trollish parking enforcement system: $2,000 each toward a new car. Considering that you have to wait one year for Oakland to pay you back for its parking errors, you (er, we) deserve it.
8. For the 10 Candidates in The Oakland Mayor's Race: a bottle of wine each for making Oakland politics fun again!
9. For Rod Dibble at The Alley: a $100 tip for being an Oakland treasure at the piano!
10. For Lara and Gar Truppelli, owners of The Lake Chalet Restaurant: the Oakland Foodies Change Award for having the courage to completely alter their menu and staff in just one year, and for opening up the Lake Chalet to fun events. That's a huge facility on Lake Merritt. A jewel nonetheless.
11. For Oakland Rapper Too Short: A "Too Short Day" by the Oakland City Council. Too Short put Oakland on the map as much as the Oakland Raiders have. He deserves it.
12. For East Oakland: A battery manufacturing plant. That area needs jobs as the unemployment rate is over 20 percent,and more. Such plants are springing up around America. Oakland needs one.
13. For Oakland City Attorney John Russo: an Oakland City Council that won't screw with his already tight budget.
14. For Oakland Gang Members: EMPATHY, in large doses.
15. For outgoing Mayor Ron Dellums and Former Oakland-Mayor Elihu Harris: Legacy Videos. Because their final years in politics - for Dellums as The Mayor of Oakland and Harris as Peralta Community College Chancellor - have marred their incredible political careers, the videos are a reminder of the great works they have done.
16. For Oakland's Media: ad revenue, from some source.
17. For Oakland Former City Manager and Legends Henry Gardner, Dick Spees, and Richard Winnie: Days for each of them by The Oakland City Council.
18. For New Oakland District 4 Councilmember and friend Libby Schaaf: Big Army Boots! To make sure she remains grounded, focused, and humble in her new and deservedly lofty position.
19. To Russ and the staff at Gaylord's Cafe on 41st and Piedmont: A Certificate Of Excellence In Late Night Cafe Operation! Gaylord's stays open until 12 midnight, and has become a focal point for Oakland's Internet-Based Workforce.
20. To Oscar Grant and His Family: An "Oscar Grant Day" by the Oakland City Council, to remind us of the need for a police force that's a friend to, and not an adversary of, the community.
21. To Grand Lake Theater Owner Alan Michaan: An all-day free-parking area of 40 cars and only for patrons of the Grand Lake Theater.
Merry Christmas Everyone!
Statue of Liberty Is Number One Trend, For No Reason
Maybe it has something to do with Santa Claus' fly-by the Statue of Liberty while delivering gifts in 2009?
But that was in 2009; this is 2010.
Or perhaps it's because David Copperfield once reportedly made it disappear. (This blogger didn't see that.)
Whatever the reason "Statue of Liberty" is number one. But since it is, how about this really neat video tour:
Merry Christmas!
Santa Baby 99ers Christmas Unemployment Song
Donalee King (in photo from Zennie62.com), who goes by Paladinette, at Zennie62.com, created this variation of the classic Christmas Song Santa Baby.
King, a blogger who also has her own blog called Jobless Unite, is one of the so-called "99ers," those who's unemployment benefits have ran out after the 99-week limit, and seek an extension of benefits, or better yet, a job.
In seeking both, the San Diego resident has become a tireless advocate for the jobless. Her work on this song landed her notice by the LA Times.
The video is below, followed by the lyrics, which are graphic but worth reading and singing...if you dare!
(In fact, if you're in Oakland, California, print out the lyrics, take them down to The Alley at 3325 Grand Avenue, present them to Rod Dibble at the piano, and ask he would accompany you in song. Santa Baby is a song he knows how to play.)
Lyrics to video song Santa Baby - 99ers Style 2010
Congress Baby, the 99ers need a tier 5......to survive
I know you’re HEARTLESS P@#*s But....so what?
My children need some dinner tonight!
The car got repo’d and the rent is awfully late...but wait
You only care for the rich that’s a B*@#H
there’s millions of us dying out here
We can’t afford a Christmas tree
While you’re all buying Cartier at Tiffany
You bailed out banks Greece and Haiti too
I think it’s time the 99ers heard from you
Obama baby, just help the 99ers please
and... don’t tease
Been a really tough year
Out here
I Hope Your change is comin’ tonight
Obama honey, you sold 99ers flat out
no doubt
and now it’s snowing out,
My stomach’s growling
I need some food and shelter tonight
Sherrod honey, Schumer and that Stabenow too
Were through we all trusted you
but senate baby your lies have left us hurtn’ out here
We’re not rich - guess we don’t count
The dirty little secret you won’t talk about
There’ll be no jobs again next Year
It’s time you kicked your senate’s butts into high gear
Congress baby just pretend to care for us poor
once more - come on it’s just a check - so what the heck?
there’s millions of us dying out here!
That’s right I’d rather work than fight
Hurry Congress there’s 99ers dying TONIGHT
Merry Christmas!
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