cyclocross race footage

From my last race ... cool overhead remote camera footage from Coyote Point Park, San Mateo County:

why the ports blockade is misguided

This is from my hometown newspaper. I'm pretty sure they don't serve any corporate interest:

http://www.gazettetimes.com/news/local/grass-seed-growers-burned-by-occupy-protest/article_4c93c61c-2530-11e1-92be-001871e3ce6c.html

I support the aims of Occupy. Occupy is the most significant social movement of the last few decades. I just don't want Occupy to alienate the working class it claims to represent. Occupy Oakland, in particular, is on rough ground. My recommendation: leave the ports alone. I've got an idea: let's march in downtown SF. Let's give speeches in front of the FRB. Plenty of hedge funds work on Montgomery St. Or the headquarters of Twitter, who claim to enable social revolutions, but who threatened to leave SF unless the mayor and the supes kicked down payroll tax exemptions. Then I'll pick up a picket sign. How about representing the unheard-of ICs who work in high-tech companies every day, but who are afraid to speak up for fear of losing their jobs? I once met an IC for Intel in Oregon who biked to work every day, but had to use a different employee locker room than the employees had. That's right, they enforced a difference between independent contractors (IC) and employees.

port occupation a tactical mistake

I feel like this article says it pretty well: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/12/13/BAFC1MBL7C.DTL

The ILWU shut down the port at the beginning of the Iraq War. They are a progressive union, especially the Bay Area locals. The Teamsters, not so much. I wouldn't stand in front of their trucks. I'm glad no one got hurt; that was a real possibility. I understand everyone's grievances, etc., the support of the miscategorized "independent contractor" (IC) drivers who aren't able to be represented by a union. As for the labor struggle in Longview, WA, I think the ILWU, not Occupy, is best able to represent themselves there.

In 2000-2001, I organized bike messengers under ILWU Local 6, although my company chose to shut down rather than face a union election (a typical tactic). I have the utmost respect for the ILWU and its elected officials, who helped us all along. Here's what the ILWU President had to say about the Occupy shutdown: http://www.longshoreshippingnews.com/2011/12/message-from-pres-mcellrath-we-share-occupys-concerns-about-america-but-egt-battle-is-complicated/

Here's something to think about: the Panama Canal is being widened to accomodate the larger container ships that must now dock in West Coast Ports. A recent issue of *Trains* magazine had a feature story about East Coast railroads getting ready to handle the shift of Midwestern and East Coast container traffic, specifically citing the "unstable" labor relations on the West Coast, and implicitly blaming the ILWU. The shift of port, longshore, warehouse, and railroad jobs to the East Coast or Canada won't help the working class, won't help Oakland, won't help the 99%.

Remember, The Man loves it when us working people squabble over tactics, yell at each other, accuse each other of being sellouts or politically impure.

this is what drives me crazy about Occupy

Occupy has targeted West Coast ports for labor actions on 12/12. This is a mistake, unless Occupy can learn something about the labor movement. Learn why the "general strike" of 2011 was not a general strike, compared to 1946 and 1934. Here's the link, if you're curious: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1934_West_Coast_waterfront_strike. The ILWU (International Longshore and Warehouse Union) and the Teamsters control the Port of Oakland. They are not the enemy.

This is the essential failure of the Occupy movement -- they target local governments for what is the fault of the Federal government. There is nothing the City of Oakland, or any other city, can do to change the taxation structure, or the austerity movement, of the Federal government. If you want to make your point, camp out on the Washington DC Mall, or in front of whatever Federal Building is nearby. Leave the cities alone. And blockading the ports is just a dumb move. The ILWU and Teamsters are your friends if you approach them correctly, but if you understand their history, they have never given ground to people who tell them what to do. Furthermore, they have a lot more longevity and muscle power than the Occupy movement does. Occupy would do well to make friends, and learn. The labor movement has been doing this for over 100 years.

http://www.longshoreshippingnews.com/2011/11/port-of-oakland-girds-for-blockade/

Or, correct me if I'm wrong. I keep reading about how this is in solidarity with ILWU actions in Longview, WA. The situation in Longview is definitely not right. A multinational is importing scabs to build a new facility after promising local jobs to the people of Longview. OK, that's messed up. But when the other ILWU locals are saying, don't blockade the ports, why are you doing it? Just to get arrested, and make a point? Do it in Washington, where it counts. Stop tearing up Oakland, stop tearing up other working-class cities. Go to where the 1% live, stop doing it where the 99% work. The Occupy movement needs to grow up, or become developmentally arrested.

Alameda Superior Court now closes at 2:30p

I hate missing filing deadlines. So please be aware that all branches of Alameda Superior Court close at 2:30p, every day. Also, no more "integrated justice system" -- all civil filings must be done at their originating branch, ie: Oakland filings only in Oakland, Hayward only in Hayward, etc.

sound familiar?

"Towns passed laws against their [International Workers of the World] speaking on street corners, and the word went out so that every loose Wobbly in five hundred miles grabbed the next freight, intent on climbing up on a soapbox long enough to get himself arrested. They jammed the hails, wore out the police, used up the city funds, and they kept on coming till the authorities buckled or they themselves were overwhelmed." -- Wallace Stegner, *The Preacher and the Slave*, page ix, 1950.

save the USPS

As someone who delivers packages daily, I have the utmost respect for the USPS and their employees. Please sign this petition to save Saturday delivery, and the jobs of a federal agency whose ranks are staffed with 22% military veterans.

riots etc.

Occupy turns violent ... no wait, these are Penn State students upset because the university fired their famous coach before his last home game ... a famous coach whose inaction protected a pedophile. Nice to see that Penn State students are willing to fight for something that matters. In this case they're mad at the media because they think the media turned their beloved coach into the scapegoat. I think the media should decline to broadcast their football game this weekend.

police/community relations in Oakland

For more insight on the trouble relationship between the Oakland police and the community, read the interview with ex-police chief Anthony Batts -- I wish he were still in charge.

more riots

Check out this shocking riot, burning rubbish in the middle of the street, hapless motorists assaulted ... oh wait, it's actually from 1 year ago when the Giants won the World Series.

Occupy the Port?

I'm confused how shutting down the Port of Oakland (apparently in solidarity with striking longshoremen in Longview, WA, but there's nothing on the ILWU site about it), or wrecking downtown Oakland accomplishes anything. Throwing rocks through the Men's Wearhouse window does nothing to improve Oakland's horrible unemployment rate. I wish the anarchists would go back to France, or Santa Cruz, and leave Oakland to the people that want to make it a better place.

In better news, Scott Olsen, the protester injured last week by a police tear gas grenade, has seen improvement in his condition, although I believe he's still in the hospital. Update about his condition here.

Update 11/30/11 -- the ILWU did *not* shut down the port. Apparently, only the ILWU decides when to strike or not, not when other people say they should.

http://www.longshoreshippingnews.com/2011/11/longshoremens-union-rejects-occupy-protestors-call-for-strike/

oakland PD critically injures Occupy protester

I was born after the 60s. I'm not used to this sort of thing. But what's going on in our country angers and disgusts me. Furthermore, I'm moving to Oakland, and this is how they treat protesters over there. The video is not for the faint of heart. The whizzing bullets are rubber, I'm told, although they can break glass and probably a limb, and certainly put out your eye, and the loud bangs are flash-bang (concussion) grenades, which can permanently deafen and blind, and yes, it sounds like a war zone because it is one. The injured protester is Scott Olsen, a Marine veteran of the Iraq war. He remains in critical condition.

A friend of mine was nearby, and said that after the disperse warning was given by Oakland PD and other (anonymous?) law enforcement agencies (CHP yes, BART police maybe?), they commenced a barrage of tear gas canisters, one of which probably fractured Olsen's skull, then one officer threw a flash-bang grenade at the protesters who tried to carry Olsen to safety.

See it here:



and here:

help is on the way

help_is_on_the_way.jpg, a photo by chris_rocket on Flickr.

It's nice to know help is only a button away. But the last time I accidentally pressed the "help" button, I got someone's voice mail.

messengers must not loiter

messengers_loiter.jpg, a photo by chris_rocket on Flickr.

This sign is posted by a freight elevator, and you have no choice but to "loiter" by it while you wait for the very slow elevator.

Messengers are often forced to ride the freight, which can take longer than actually riding from pickup to delivery.

sabormetrics

Dogs, a photo by (ariel) on Flickr.

As my beloved Giants turn "torture" into "waterboarding," I propose a new way of enjoying baseball -- sabormetrics -- the quantitative analysis of ballpark food. At AT&T Park in San Francisco, everyone knows (and fears) the garlic fries, but I'd like to return to the value of the humble hot dog, or ballpark frank. Photo courtesy of Ariel.

There is one, and only, Doggie Diner at AT&T that has hot sauerkraut. Combine that with grilled onions, and you've got a tasty frank. My friend Cris, who has been to many ballparks, thought it was delicious. I give it a EDA (Earned Drool Average) of 1.02.

Across the bay in Oakland, there's cheaper beer, of course, but also delightful grilled burgers! During an afternoon game, the scent of sizzling meat drifts from the BBQ outpost in left field. I thought the double cheeseburger was amazing, Cris thought it merely average. My favorite O.co treat: two tacos with a tallboy of Corona Light.

More sabormetrics photos here

baby blue heron

It might be gone by now, but the last time I made a delivery to the Old Post Office in Oakland, 201 13th St, there was a noisy baby blue heron demanding food, in this tree right about here:

http://tinyurl.com/4xzx9ff

It was making a noise like a crazed homeless person, audible about a block away. I hope it got some food.

words not to say

Two things I'd like no one to every write or say again:

-- "app" for appetizer. It's bad enough that "application" is now shortened to "app" for mobile devices, and we have to hear about "killer apps" constantly, but the Chronicle food writers should just give it up. Call it by its right name. Actually, what the hell is an appetizer these days anyone? It's like an entree, but more $$ per ounce.

-- "vacay" for vacation. I shouldn't have to explain this.

SF superior in jeopardy

This is serious. This could really mess up justice in SF. I'd rather see the city ditch the Zoo than the court system. After all, if someone owes you money, and the court won't help you, your only alternatives are the mafia, or street justice. Not to mention 15 months for a divorce.

Read about it here and here

bike jock

Watching Dodgers v Giants tonight. Never thought of myself as a jock, but I guess I am. A skinny little bike jock. My friend Deuce pointed out that watching baseball is calming. I agree. You should follow his blog 2+2=2, a truly gritty chronicle of the NorCal road racing circuit. Tour de France minus the steroids, podium girls, and 6-digit contracts. Racing for the pure love of testing yourself and your machine.

Austrian messenger wins Race Across America`

28-year-old bike messenger from Austria wins the Race Across America (RAAM) ... to learn just how difficult that is, read on