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

landlords who lose security deposits

Here at Docket Rocket, we seem to be serving more and more small claims actions against landlords who refuse to return their tenants' security deposits, sometimes for no reason at all. By San Francisco law, they're supposed to keep the deposits in a separate account. I'm wondering if they made bad investments, lost their tenants' deposits, and invent a pretext to avoid returning the $$$. I'm also wondering if anyone at the SF Chronicle or Examiner is interested in looking into this story.

bike.jpg

banksy_bike.jpg, a photo by chris_rocket on Flickr.

Can you name the artist and SF location?

follow this blog

Read my friend Irene's blog: thislittleplot.wordpress.com. We met in a writing class at San Francisco State years ago, and happily coincidence, she also knew my wife. Irene writes movingly about family, health, nature, and life.

bread

I am becoming a Bread fan. I'm not being ironic. I really like it.

triple rush -- bike messenger TV show

Looks like Triple Rush has flamed out after only three episodes. Keep an eye peeled for repeats on Travel Channel.

Rest assured that my company, Docket Rocket, is nothing like any of these companies.

All I could find on YouTube was this:

double rush / triple rush

I enjoyed watching "Triple Rush" on Travel channel. Like any reality show, it distorts reality and creates drama, and I doubt the people involved were too happy about how they came off, but that's the danger, isn't it?

I just found out that there was a short 1995 messenger sitcom called "Double Rush," featuring David Arquette. It actually made me laugh, in a good way. Reminded me of "Taxi." Check it out (the pilot is in 3 parts). I love the New York 90s look: body armor, full-face helmets... like Fly Girls and ski racers.