Oldest State Was “Test Run” for Repealing Prop 8
by Paul Hogarth‚
Nov. 06‚ 2009
I’ve been very discouraged by Question 1 passing in Maine, because our side ran a great campaign that did everything it was supposed to do. And after losing in California, we all believed that marriage equality was “meant” to prevail this time. But the story is not that we failed to learn the lessons of Prop 8 – we were simply fighting on tougher terrain. I always knew that Maine was an old state, but it wasn’t until last night that I realized it has literally the highest median age in the country. “No on 1” did a terrific job turning out its base – and while we could have done better in a few places, there were just too many old people in the rural areas. Losing campaigns rarely get credit for what they did right, and the lessons from Maine – (a) respect your base, (b) find supporters all over the state, and (c) don’t let the opposition take the offensive – are key to what will help us win in California. And for that reason, I’m proud to have been a part of it.
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Strike One for Hotels in San Francisco
by Carl Finamore‚
Nov. 06‚ 2009
Every once in awhile we hear about big Lottery winners who lock their doors, close their shades and cut off their phones right after hitting the jackpot. Stories abound of distant relatives and long-lost acquaintances showing up unannounced on their doorsteps with their hands out.
In fact, there was a Cable TV program exclusively devoted to documenting the horrors faced by the newly crowned royalty who seem to run out of luck faster than a bride who passes a funeral on her way to the wedding.
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Steve Gadd & Friends Coming to Yoshi's
by E. "Doc" Smith‚
Nov. 06‚ 2009
A well-respected drummer who has appeared in many types of settings in many genres, Steve Gadd's impressive technique and flexibility have been influential during the past 20 years. He started playing drums at the age of three, sat in with Dizzy Gillespie when he was 11, and after extensive study and a stint in the Army, Gadd became an important studio drummer beginning in 1972. Among his more significant jazz associations have been with Chick Corea (starting in 1975), Bob James, Al DiMeola, Tom Scott, Grover Washington Jr., David Sanborn, the group Stuff, the Manhattan Jazz Quintet, and his own impressive band (the Gadd Gang) which recorded for Columbia in 1986 and 1988. Next week, Gadd brings an all star line-up to Yoshi's in San Francisco with keyboardist Joey DeFrancesco, saxophonist Ronnie Cuber and guitarist Paul Bollenback.
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Destry Rides Again - “Great Fun!”; Ashford & Simpson – “A Comet Ride!”; Wing - “Fascinating!”
by Buzzin' Lee Hartgrave‚
Nov. 06‚ 2009
DESTRY RIDES AGAIN IS HIGH CAMP FUN
This is a classic Western treat that will put you back in the saddle again. A new cowboy rides into this corrupted hick town on a dusty road. The Cowboy is a down-to-earth, very laid-back kind of guy. His name is Destry. Shucks, he doesn’t even wear a gun on his belt. The new Sheriff has brought Destry in to help clean up the town, where a former Sheriff has disappeared.
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Book Exposes Pro Wrestling’s Cocktail of Death
by Randy Shaw‚
Nov. 05‚ 2009
When we think of the most dangerous jobs for young men, professional wrestler does not come to mind. Since wrestling matches are staged, and there is a history of stars like Freddie Blassie and Lou Thesz performing into their 60s, the assumption is that while wrestlers break bones and incur great pain, that the job itself is not life-threatening.
But as Irv Muchnick shows in his new book, Chris & Nancy: The True Story of the Benoit Murder-Suicide & Pro Wrestling’s Cocktail of Death, successful careers in wrestling today often require the ingestion of a dangerous, and often fatal, level of steroids that would never be tolerated in a normal business. Wrestling impresario Vince McMahon, however, has built perhaps the nation’s only billion-dollar entertainment industry that is unregulated, which means that there is no public entity to prevent wrestlers from taking drugs that lead to their own deaths and even the lives of others. 21 wrestlers died before the age of fifty in 2007 alone, and Muchnick’s book is a powerful call for action.
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School Beat: Talking About Schools and Test Scores
by Lisa Schiff‚
Nov. 05‚ 2009
November is here, which means that it’s time for the public school fair. Every fall, as families with children already in the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) already know, our city’s schools come together at an enrollment fair, where each school has a booth staffed by the principal and some combination of teachers, staff and parents so that families can have a convenient opportunity to get an overview of many schools at once.
This year’s enrollment fair is Saturday, November 7, 2009 from 9am to 2:30 pm and will be at the Concourse Exhibition Center at 620 7th Street. Families will be able to do an initial round of one stop shopping, visiting booths of schools they might be interested in to get a quick impression of the style of the principal and other people associated with the school. The district will have information and workshops about the enrollment process and community organizations like Parents for Public Schools of San Francisco (PPS-SF) will be there, where families can get access to a wealth of information and a network of parents who can talk about their experiences at specific schools and offer advice and guidance on the process in general.
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Watch FOX News Lying About NY District 23 Congressional Race
by Randy Shaw‚
Nov. 05‚ 2009
Jed Lewison of Daily Kos has once again outdone himself with a brilliant eight minute clip of FOX News coverage of New York's District
23 Congressional Race. This is guaranteed to put a big smile on your face. See http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/11/4/800678/-Engineering-defeat
Despite Massive Voter Turnout, Maine Defeats Gay Marriage
by Paul Hogarth‚
Nov. 04‚ 2009
I hate losing elections, but what I REALLY hate is losing after a high turnout. Losing because our base didn’t vote is depressing, but at least it tells us what we need to do to win next time – and progressives can take heart in the fact that “the people” are truly on their side, if only they showed up. Last night, Maine’s Question 1 passed 53-47 – despite a much higher turnout than expected (we matched last year's Obama level at the University of Maine in Orono, winning the campus 81-19.) The “No on 1” campaign also had a far greater field presence than the opposition, and superior financial resources. It reminds me of 2004, when Bush won despite the progressive base voting in record numbers. When California’s Proposition 8 passed last year, everyone could tell that our side ran an awful campaign. It was painful, but gave us many lessons to learn – lessons that the “No on 1” campaign in Maine took to heart, and performed beautifully. That’s why this loss is so much worse than Prop 8. I don’t know what we could have done differently, and am too sleep-deprived to think it all through.
Separation of church and state in Texas? No way!
by Tommi Avicolli Mecca‚
Nov. 04‚ 2009
The concept of separation of church and state apparently doesn’t have much meaning in the good old boy state of Texas. Consider the case of Khristian Oliver, found guilty of murder during a 1998 burglary. Oliver is set to be executed on November 5, despite appeals by Amnesty International and other human rights organizations.
More people are executed in Texas than in any other of the 35 states that have the death penalty. Since 1976, 1,175 inmates have been murdered nationwide, 442 of them in Texas. In 2009 alone, 18 of the 39 executions in this country have been in Texas.
Oliver’s case illustrates the travesty that is justice Texas style. According to the testimony of jurors, they used the bible to justify their decision to allow the state to kill Oliver. In fact, several copies of the religious book were present in the jury room during their deliberations.
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Guest Editorial: Three Questions for the Central Subway
by Peter Lauterborn‚
Nov. 04‚ 2009
It's all green lights for the Central Subway to move forward, and this is a good thing: one of America's densest transit corridors will get a significant investment. Yet while a worthwhile project, certain changes to the existing plan could at once improve the performance of the subway while lowering the costs (and thus feasibility) of future transit enhancements.
November 7, 2009
