Seven victims, aged 15 to 30, were stabbed Sunday morning (June 22, 2008) at the Sierra Nevada World Music Festival, with one victim requiring a life flight evacuation for a wound to the upper torso, in yet another tragic episode of ‘why drugs are bad’. I called the Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital to find out if the victim was ok, but the operator was unable to give me any information. I learned from the message boards that the victim was in stable condition.
Meanwhile, on Friday afternoon (June 20, 2008), lighting had passed through the area, igniting over a hundred blazes that would quickly choke the sky with a thick, unhealthy smoke. The Santa Rosa local paper, the Press Democrat, has good local coverage of the blazes which continue to rage. The air was so bad I slept in my car one night, and it reminded me of the San Diego fires in 2003. The sun was caught behind a smoky veil for the entire day, an orange globe trying to penetrate the haze. It is now hazy over the entire SF bay area. I woke up last night gasping for breath and had to break out my inhaler to help breathe.
A day to honor the fallen. I visited the San Francisco National Cemetery yesterday, later in the day as the fog rolled in. I didn’t take any pictures. The road was lined with large flags, while each of the tombstones on this quaint hill tucked away in the Presidio was decorated with a flag. The chairs were stacked, ready to go for today’s morning ceremonies. It was quiet and still. Promo for Memorial Day on Current:
Raashan Ahmad (from the Crown City Rockers) debuted his solo The Push (Om Records), featuring Chali 2na and DJ Vadim among others, at Amoeba SF last Tuesday. Finally had some time this weekend to get some choice selects uploaded. My battery was running out though, so it’s just a snippet; but a good track off his new release.
Hot May days. Bay 2 Breakers. Can you smell it? Can you smell spring? I can’t; my allergies are wack. But I can smell the hint of some sick indie hip hop getting ready to bust. Tuesday’s instore at Amoeba is a don’t miss. And in case you do, pay your penance and make you sure you see dizzee rascal on wednesday.
According to officials, and officials at the SF Bike Coalition, “official” Bike to Work Day is tomorrow, May 15th. So they say it is official, do they? Well then, if this is indeed official, then I’m going to need to see some official identification. For that matter, anyone claiming an event, person, day of the week or inanimate object is “official” (and especially if they do that thing where they raise there hands to mimic the quote signs), will need to show proper identification as part of the certified, ‘Official List of Official Things Act’ of 2008.
I’ve got three important public service announcements:
1. If you’re driving today (…and always!), please be careful, courteous, and treat everyone on a bike as if they were your dearest love!
2. If you’re riding a bike to work tomorrow or any time you’re on the street with cars- i.e. all that momentum/mass unforgivably ready to collide with you in an instant-wear a helmet! …all it takes is a smack on the head, and you’re done. SF has some wicked streets. not as safe a city to bike around as pdx (…when I lived there I didn’t have a car for several years; rode my bike year round to work, through rain, sleet and snow. That’s right, I was a postal enthusiast …btw pdx is a fun city to bike around). In SF, deaths are up this year.
3. Check out this cool bike app (with full notes) that calculates the most bike-friendly, shortest, or balanced route from A to-(finish the pun please)-B in sf; complete with an elevation gain max you can set.
Lastly, a friendly reminder that this week is also bike to work week. Keep in mind though, this is only a friendly reminder. In addition to your economic stimulus checks showing up in the mail, don’t be surprised if a few plain-clothed men stop by your place and politely take your car keys for the rest of the week. You’ll get’em back, don’t worry. There might be a ding here or there, or possibly the enchanting odor of old spice, sweat from a long day at the bowling alley, or a Pomeranian or two. Never fear, no missing briefcases or homework from little Larry are wedged in the spilt coffee, decades-of-dirt encrusted crevasses of the seats.
Tree show IV opens this Saturday at Giant Robot SF, with an opening reception from 6:30 – 10. In the tradition of its predecessors, this group exhibition features arbor—inspired pieces by painters, illustrators, and other creators from street art, indie comics, printmaking, design, and crafty art backgrounds.
Artists include Bigfoot, Kelie Bowman, Jordan Fu, Matt Furie, Little Friends of Printmaking, Alexis Mackenzie, Albert Reyes, Keith Shore, Ryan Jacob Smith, Kelly Tunstall, Sarah Utter and more…
This year’s Tree Show will also be a fundraising effort for San Francisco’s Friends of the Urban Forest, a non—profit organization that plants over 1,500 trees a year to keep San Francisco communities green.
I’ve got three important public service announcements:
