The Visitors Have Arrived

If you haven't been made aware, there's a re-imagination of the 80's cult classic "V", the TV show. I first heard about this a few weeks ago after seeing a trailer and nearly fell off my couch with excitement. It's a show I grew up with and ignited my imagination with the creative possibilities of the human mind.

The Pilot aired last night, unfortunately, I was not able to watch it. Since I cancelled cable, catching it on demand is no longer an option. That it won't be available to view online until Saturday is frustrating. In the meantime, I'll be checking out the recaps and changing the background on my laptop settings.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

On a spur of the moment decision, inspired by living in the moment, a friend and I checked out the Yeah Yeah Yeahs at the newly renovated Fox Theatre in Oakland Wednesday night. Fronted by Karen O and her uniquely sounding vocals, it's a band we've both wanted to see for some time. The image was taken with my Palm Treo and it's ok. The image above is Karen O singing Cheated Hearts, a personal favorite, with the all seeing Eye in the background.

Bay Bridge Construction Continues

I wasn't living here in 1989 when the 6.9 Loma Prieta earthquake rattled the bay area. In fact, I was 250 miles away watching the San Francisco Giants get ready to take on the Oakland A's in the World Series on TV--and I felt the quake.

It's perplexing to realize that 20 years later, the eastern span of the Bay Bridge is still under construction. On the one hand, it's kinda cool to see the bridge rising from beneath the bay waters. On the other hand, it's disturbing to see how political egos (Mayors Willie Brown and Jerry Brown), state budget issues, 2 recessions and dependence on foreign steel have elongated the timeline and costs for completion.

Over the Labor Day holiday, starting Thursday September 3, the Bay Bridge reaches another milestone on its' Evolutionary Path. The eastern span, which connects to Yerba Buena Island, will be replaced with a 4-year temporary S-shaped bridge. This will allow for construction to begin on the self-anchored suspension span (SAS), a critical piece of the new construction.

But this is the part that scares me. As you can see in the second image, commuters will have to slow down in order to safely exit the S-path. And if there's one thing we can count on, it's that some drivers will attempt to cross going at full speed.

What's a commuter to do? This might be the best time to avoid carpool and stick with the transbay buses. I only take BART as a last resort because because the fear of taking a train underwater and getting stuck far outweighs the fear of sharing a bus. What will you do?

Stuck on Repeat

Have you ever found yourself stuck on repeat? Not on a particular song like Little Boots above, although it is a gem, but in life? Perhaps repeating mistakes, repeating patterns, repeating a cycle you want to get out of? Awareness certainly helps but I think it comes down to acceptance.

Accepting what IS vs. what you wish. Accepting what IS vs. what you hoped. Accepting what IS instead of what is not.

Sometimes, we need to accept things repeatedly in different forms and from different angles. It is only then, that we can truly embrace what is.

Chris Brown Finally Apologizes

It only took 5 months for Chris Brown to apologize publicly for his assault on Rihanna. I will be the first to admit that I actually liked his "hip-pop" music, until news of this incident first surfaced back in February. However, I'm a bigger fan of Rihanna. If he was genuinely sorry about his behavior, he should've voiced these sentiments 5 months ago--regardless of what his lawyer advised him to do. As such, I'll voice my discontent with my blog and my wallet.

Rihanna herself isn't excused in my eyes. She has to understand that she is a role model for many young women and should have released some statement acknowledging and addressing this situation; even if the words were selected by her attorney.

I can't imagine what it's like to be a celebrity, but it must be challenging to deal with your dirty laundry in front of a national audience.

Domestic violence, for that matter any violence, in a "civilized" society should not be tolerated.

Now back to the music...

Dollars & Nonsense

Everyone has an opinion--especially on the California state budget. Think you know what cuts and/or tax increases should apply to resolve the ~$23 billion deficit we face? Alright smarty pants, here's your opportunity. Take a crack at it by following the link provided by the LA Times.

Once your done, you can copy the link and paste it in the comments or print your results. Who are you willing to cut services to and/or who are you willing to tax to close the gap?

My thoughts on potential cuts and tax increases are here.

Bart Train Strike

Bart union contracts expired last week, however, we've been fortunate that thus far no strikes have taken place. This is a relief given that the unions involved have given their leadership authority to call a strike, if warranted.

I've just received news this morning that there is a possibility of a strike Friday morning, which is the deadline for the current extension. I don't ride Bart so this is not something I'm overly concerned about. However, given the lack of a state budget, the current economic conditions of California, the reduction of Bart trains operating and the increased fares, now just seems like a terrible time to have a strike. I'm a firm believer in shared gains and shared sacrifices so if the unions have to compromise, so too should Bart management.

And what happens if there is a strike? Well, there is casual carpool, bike commuter vans and buses are certainly an option. But if history is any indicator, you can be sure that most bay area folks will be taking to their cars. Just what we need in the middle of a hot summer with more "spare the air" days expected.

Civil Disobedience

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Ayatollah Ali Khameneni's speech this morning was disappointing, but not a surprise. Claiming a "definitive victory" is hard to believe given the 30 million+ votes that were hand counted in a few days time. It's also difficult to believe that the opposition candidates, and Mousavi in particular, received fewer votes in their respective districts than Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. That information, coupled with the huge turnout of protestors, implies something is amiss.

I assumed Khameneni's objective was to calm the masses, persuade them to accept the validity of Ahmadinejad's presidency and continue with the daily tasks of a spiritual leader. His efforts proved fruitless when the protestors grew in number after he proposed a partial recount. When protestors were killed at Tehran University, the voices of change spoke even louder. And now, as he threatens the protestorswith a crackdown, one can only wonder what this effect will have.

Ayatollah Khameneni, the President and others representing the status quo in Iran, need to know that civil disobedience prevails. The people are asking for what Henry David Thoreau wrote about so long ago, not to abolish government, but to improve it. Improvement begins by accepting the will of the people.

As we wait to see what happens in the coming days, I'll show my support for Mousavi by wearing green as well.

Be My Embrace Now

Starbucks can't measure up to the addiction of this track. Enjoy and I'll be back when the broken bones heal.

pnau - embrace songs
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Yo Yo Ma

One of my resolutions for the new year (in fact, the past few years) has been to give up the addiction that is Starbucks. Specifically them delicious tall, non fat, no whip, extra hot mochas. I've been making great progress until today when I felt the need to reward myself for such great behavior. Plus it's a Friday--why the heck not.

I got my drink, and a heated butter croissant (yummy in my tummy!) and headed to the office. As some of you may know, there are quotes on the cups by various individuals. In the past I've read quotes by Madeline Albright, Andy Roddick and random customers as well. To my delight, this morning, was a quote by Yo Yo Ma. You may recall he performed at the inauguration last month and I've been a fan since he began collaborating on movie soundtracks.

The quote:"What I look for in musicians is generosity. There is so much to learn from each other and about each other's culture. Great creativity begins with tolerance."

I couldn't agree more with this quote. In fact, you could replace the word musicians with any noun and the quote would still be equally true. Well done Ma, well done.

Now back to that tasty cup o' joe.

Hail to the Chief: President Barack Obama

You can catch Obama taking the Oath of Office (and link to his full inaugural address)

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