Sam Spade's San Francisco

The following post contains clear and graphic language about something very serious in the gay community.

After years of hard work by many people, most particularly the remarkable volunteers and staff of the STOP AIDS Project, the sheer strength of lust is slowly regaining control over our collective thinking. Bareback is back!

READ THIS ...

Gay porn producer and director Kevin Clarke turned 55 last week and marked the occasion with a somber announcement: After years in the adult entertainment industry, he is retiring. The reason? Most sex in gay porn today is unsafe, which he called a "shameful insult" to all the people we have lost to HIV.

Clarke, whose resume includes films such as "The American Way" and "The Heartland," announced his retirement via email, most of which was published by GayVN News and BananaGuide. He cited the recent death of 26-year-old gay porn star Rocky (whose real name was Ernest Juarez) of HIV-related lymphoma as the final straw in his struggle to adapt within a changing industry.


"The disconnect in this business between HIV and what we do has, to me, become unbearable," wrote Clarke. "If one straight woman gets HIV, the straight industry gets shut down for weeks. On the gay side, bareback gets bigger every day even as we die."

He went on to mourn Rocky, who he said was "eaten up" by the porn industry. "When your 'friend' sticks his bare dick up your ass knowing he has HIV, no matter how hot he is, he is not your friend: He is your executioner," Clarke continued. "When your friend sees you are having a drug problem and he gives you more drugs, he is not your friend: He is your dealer."

Clarke also gave the evolution of gay porn from movies with plots and production values to amateur style all-sex vignettes as another reason for quitting the biz.

"I am not in the slightest bit bitter, but I am sad," Clarke concluded. "Sad that Rocky died and that so many will follow. I can’t and won’t be a part of it. When I know how to use the skills I have for the better, I will let you know. I have some ideas and they look very promising."

By heritage I am a BritMix. I have an about equal mix of English, Scottish and Irish. And it's sure no secret that I'm as queer as a queer can be. So ... I was absolutely delighted to discover this evidence that we queers are Star Performers in the Wide World of Soccer. Enjoy the video.

In January of 2006 I ran a story about the wild parrots of San Francisco. There are links in the story to a number of resources to learn more about the City's wild parrot population. Click here to go to the original story. (The page will refresh. Then, scroll down to read the original story. Scroll back up to continue reading this one.)

Once you have visited the original blog story, you will likely be in a better mood for the story I found this morning about a parrot with an amazing vocabulary of 950 words and an obvious sense of humor. It is "must" reading for anyone who appreciates our local parrot population. I found the story on a news site created by United Press International (UPI) titled Religion and Spirituality.com and you can read the full article here.

You may be wondering why a story on parrots appears on a news web site devoted to religion and spirituality. Well, the reason is obvious: some religious traditions have cardinals in high positions, so why can't others have parrots?

Seems reasonable to me.

Have a good day!

The Nation is America's oldest and most widely read weekly journal of progressive political and cultural news, opinion and analysis.

San Francisco is fortunate to have some of the most intelligent and progressive students anywhere in the United States at local institutions like City College of San Francisco (CCSF), San Francisco State University (SFSU), University of California San Francisco (UCSF), the University of San Francisco (USF) and the Academy of Art University (AAU)

The Nation offers a wide range of materials and services available to progressive students. I encourage all local progressive students to visit The Nation's student web site at: http://www.thenation.com/student/

Next week, after the first of the year, King George (President George H.W. Bush's less-intelligent son) is expected to announce his plans for a "surge", the latest Bushism to replace staying-the-course. It is essential that we do everything we can to send a message loud and clear to the White House. The question becomes: What is the best message and how to we deliver it?

Senator Barack Obama, whom I believe is destined for the White House himself someday, has an answer I particularly like, and here it is:

As the New Year approaches, we are told that the President is considering the deployment of tens of thousands of additional troops to Iraq in the desperate hope of subduing the burgeoning civil war there.

This is a chilling prospect that threatens to compound the tragic mistakes he has already made over the last four years.

In 2002, I strongly opposed the invasion of Iraq because I felt it was an ill-conceived venture which I warned would "require a U.S. occupation of undetermined length, at undermined cost, with undetermined consequences." I said then that an invasion without strong international support could drain our military, distract us from the war with al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and further destabilize the Middle East.

Sadly, all of those concerns have been borne out.

Today, nearly three thousand brave young Americans are dead, and tens of thousands more have been wounded. Rather than welcomed "liberators," our troops have become targets of the exploding sectarian violence in Iraq. Our military has been strained to the limits. The cost to American taxpayers is approaching $400 billion.

Now we are faced with a quagmire to which there are no good answers. But the one that makes very little sense is to put tens of thousands more young Americans in harm's way without changing a strategy that has failed by almost every imaginable account.

In escalating this war with a so-called "surge" of troops, the President would be overriding the expressed concerns of Generals on the ground, Secretary Powell, the bipartisan Iraq Study Group and the American people. Colin Powell has said that placing more troops in the crossfire of a civil war simply will not work. General John Abizaid, our top commander in the Middle East, said just last month that, "I believe that more American forces prevent the Iraqis from doing more, from taking more responsibility for their own future." Even the Joint Chiefs of Staff have expressed concern, saying that a surge in troop levels "could lead to more attacks by al-Qaeda" and "provide more targets for Sunni insurgents." Once again, the President is defying good counsel and common sense.

As I said more than a month ago, while some have proposed escalating this war by adding thousands of more troops, there is little reason to believe that this will achieve these results either. It's not clear that these troop levels are sustainable for a significant period of time, and according to our commanders on the ground, adding American forces will only relieve the Iraqis from doing more on their own. Moreover, without a coherent strategy or better cooperation from the Iraqis, we would only be putting more of our soldiers in the crossfire of a civil war.

There is no military solution to this war. Our troops can help suppress the violence, but they cannot solve its root causes. And all the troops in the world won't be able to force Shia, Sunni, and Kurd to sit down at a table, resolve their differences, and forge a lasting peace. In fact, adding more troops will only push this political settlement further and further into the future, as it tells the Iraqis that no matter how much of a mess they make, the American military will always be there to clean it up.

That is why I believe we must begin a phased redeployment of American troops to signal to the government and people of Iraq, and others who have a stake in stabilizing the country - that ours is not an open-ended commitment. They must step up. The status quo cannot hold.

In November, the American people sent a resounding message of change to the President. But apparently that message wasn't clear enough.

I urge all Americans who share my grave concerns over this looming decision to call, write or email the President, and make your voices heard. I urge you to tell them that our soldiers are not numbers to add just because someone couldn't think of a better idea, they are our sons and daughters, our brothers and sisters, our neighbors and friends who are willing to wave goodbye to everything they've ever known just for the chance to serve their country. Our men and women in uniform are doing a terrific job under extremely difficult conditions. But our government has failed them so many times over the last few years, and we simply cannot afford to do it again. We must not multiply the mistakes of yesterday, we must end them today.

May this New Year bring a turn in our policy away from the stubborn repetition of our mistakes, so we can begin to chart a conclusion to this painful chapter in our history and bring our troops home.

Sincerely,

U.S. Senator Barack Obama

The death of a former president of the United States is important to me. I am a patriot; not a right wing nut or a crazy war-lover, but a patriot none the less. It is important that we preserve and protect the traditions that have been so important and meaningful to this country from our beginning to our present day.

John D. Banusiewicz of American Forces Press Service contributed to the following. Additionally, information from Web pages of the Military District of Washington and Arlington National Cemeter was used in this article. Thank you to Air Force Link for bringing all this information together in one place and for the photo. Well done!

President Gerald Ford's three-stage state funeral will begin Dec. 29 with the former president's remains lying in repose at St. Margaret's Episcopal Church in Palm Desert, California. He then will be honored in the nation's capital, and finally in his home state of Michigan, where he will be buried.

President Ford's casket will arrive at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Dec. 30. A motorcade will travel through Alexandria, Va., where he resided while serving as a congressman and vice president. After a pause at the World War II Memorial -- the former president served in the Navy during the war -- the motorcade will proceed to the U.S. Capitol, where he will lie in state.

President Ford's coffin will be draped in a U.S. flag, with the blue field over his left shoulder. The custom began in the Napoleonic Wars of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, when flags were used to cover the dead as they were taken from the battlefield on a caisson.

On January 2nd there will be a formal funeral service at the Washington National Cathedral.

The Rev. Robert Certain, rector of St. Margaret's, has been pastor to the Fords since his arrival at the parish in 1998. Certain will preach the homily at the funeral service set for 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, January 2, at Washington National Cathedral, where Bishop John Chane and Dean Sam Lloyd are sharing in oversight of arrangements with the Washington Military District, which coordinates all aspects of all state funerals. Certain will offer the prayers of commendation, and Lloyd will provide the dismissal.

Chane will meet the casket at the doors of the Cathedral, where the body will arrive after lying in state in the Capitol Rotunda beginning at 8:20 p.m. on December 30 following the 7 p.m. state funeral there.

Graveside military honors in Michigan will include the firing of three volleys each by seven servicemembers. This commonly is confused with an entirely separate honor, the 21-gun salute. But the number of individual gun firings in both honors evolved the same way.

The three volleys came from an old battlefield custom. The two warring sides would cease hostilities to clear their dead from the battlefield, and the firing of three volleys meant that the dead had been cared for properly and the side was ready to resume the battle.

The 21-gun salute traces its roots to Anglo-Saxon England, when seven guns constituted a recognized naval salute, as most naval vessels had seven guns. Because gunpowder in those days could be more easily stored on land than at sea, guns on land could fire three rounds for every one that could be fired by a ship at sea.

Later, as gunpowder and storage methods improved, salutes at sea also began using 21 guns. The United States at first used one round for each state, attaining the 21-gun salute by 1818. The nation reduced its salute to 21 guns in 1841 and formally adopted the 21-gun salute at the suggestion of the British in 1875.

An Order of Arms protocol determines the number of guns to be used in a salute. A president, ex-president or foreign head of state is saluted with 21 guns. A vice president, prime minister, secretary of defense or secretary of the Army receives a 19-gun salute. Flag officers receive salutes of 11 to 17 guns, depending on their rank. The rounds are fired one at a time.

A U.S. presidential death also involves other ceremonial gun salutes and military traditions. On the day after the death of the president, a former president or president-elect -- unless this day falls on a Sunday or holiday, in which case the honor will rendered the following day -- the commanders of Army installations with the necessary personnel and material traditionally order that one gun be fired every half hour, beginning at reveille and ending at retreat.

On the day of burial, a 21-minute gun salute traditionally is fired starting at noon at all military installations with the necessary personnel and material. Guns will be fired at one-minute intervals. Also on the day of burial, those installations will fire a 50-gun salute -- one round for each state -- at five-second intervals immediately following lowering of the flag.

The playing of "Ruffles and Flourishes" announces the arrival of a flag officer or other dignitary of honor. Drums play the ruffles, and bugles play the flourishes - one flourish for each star of the flag officer's rank or as appropriate for the honoree's position or title. Four flourishes is the highest honor. When played for a president, "Ruffles and Flourishes" is followed by "Hail to the Chief," which is believed to have been written in England in 1810 or 1811 by James Sanderson for a play by Sir Walter Scott called "The Lady of the Lake." The play began to be performed in the United States in 1812, the song became popular, and it became a favorite of bands at festive events. It evolved to be used as a greeting for important visitors, and eventually for the president, though no record exists of when it was first put to that use.

The bugle call "Taps" originated in the Civil War with the Army of the Potomac. Union Army Brig. Gen. Daniel Butterfield didn't like the bugle call that signaled soldiers in the camp to put out the lights and go to sleep, and worked out the melody of "Taps" with his brigade bugler, Pvt. Oliver Wilcox Norton. The call later came into another use as a figurative call to the sleep of death for soldiers.

The casket is scheduled to leave the Washington National Cathedral at 12:15 p.m. to be flown to Grand Rapids Michigan, to arrive at the presidential museum at 3:30 p.m. Public visitation will follow through the night.

At Grand Rapids' Grace Episcopal Church, where the Fords were married in 1948, a funeral service is scheduled at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, January 3. The parish's interim rector, the Rev. Nixon McMillan, is assisting with arrangements. Burial will follow with full military honors at a hillside site north the presidential museum in Grand Rapids.

I would like to mention the death of a man many of you may have never known, Mike Thomas. He was not a celebrity, a politician or otherwise notable, unless you have ever visited the First Unitarian Universalist Church in San Francisco. It is the stately stone church on the corner of Franklin and Geary ... not to be confused with the less architecturally distinct and far less historic Baptist church across the street.

Mike was not a minister at the church, which is properly titled the First Unitarian Universalist Society of San Francisco. They favor the abbreviation of FUUSF and the church is a member of the Unitarian-Universalist Association, one of the oldest denominations in North America. The San Francisco UU church is particularly distinguished because an early minister there, Rev. Thomas Starr King. Starr King, who was the UU minister from 1860 to 1864, traveled across California urging people to support the Union and bring an end to slavery. From 1862 to 1864, he raised huge sums of money for medical relief for the Union troops in the United States Civil War, and he is credited with "saving California for the Union." There is a mountain named after him in Yosemite National Park and another near his birthplace in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. He is also honored with two statues: one in Golden Gate Park and another in the Statuary Hall of the United States Capitol. San Francisco's famous Union Square, is so named because of the pro-Union rallies Thomas Starr King conducted at the site.

Mike Thomas was familiar to everyone at FUUSF and to most people who visited the historic church. Mike was employed by FUUSF, working out of his famously cluttered office and always being present and ready to help ... whether he was on duty or not.

Everybody dies, and in most cases, at a time when we least expect it. Mike had attended all the holiday services at the church and was at home with his wife Barbara. He felt a bit sick to his stomach and decided to rest for a bit. He is resting still and will forever be so.

Rest in Peace, Mike Thomas.

Today is the first day of Kwanzaa, the celebration invented by Ron N. Everett, who later changed his last name to Karenga and added the Swahili word Maulana, which means "master teacher". Everett invented Kwanzaa in 1966, as a black alternative to Christmas. He wanted African-Americans to celebrate an alternative to what he considered the Christmas-season exploitation of blacks.

Christmas, of course, does not exploit blacks any more than anybody else. That's a ridiculous idea. Christmas, as a commercial venture, exploits everybody quite equally.

Everett (or Karenga ... your choice) based Kwanzaa on a deception. Everett said, "I came up with Kwanzaa because black people in this country wouldn't celebrate it if they knew it was American. Also, I put it around Christmas because I knew that's when a lot of bloods would be partying." "Bloods" is a '60s California slang term for black people. (Paul Mulshine – Happy Kwanzaa, Dec. 24, 1999).

So, what kind of background does Ron "master teacher" Karenga posses to qualify him to create a celebration for a whole race of people? According to Mychal Massie, an African-American columnist who has appeared on the Fox News Channel, CNN, MSNBC, NBC and talk radio programming nationwide. "In 1971, Everett was sentenced to 1 to 10 years for brutally assaulting two of his (black) followers. After forcing them to strip, they were beaten with an electrical cord and a karate baton. He put a hot soldering iron in the mouth and against the face of one of the women and crushed the big toe of the other woman in a vice. He then put detergent and running hoses in their mouths."

Still, in fairness to Karenga (no wonder he changed his name), he served his time and was released from prison. He is presently a professor at California State University at Long Beach and the chairman of the Black Studies Department. So much for quality education in Southern California. It's a wonder they don't have the Hillside Strangler teaching "recreational hiking".

Karenga is a fully rehabilitated person today. I'll stipulate to that for the record. He may be a great instructor. He may be a sweet guy and blah, blah, blah. And, people in the United States have the freedom to follow any tradition they want. We do not legislate taste. We are all free to be a naive as we want to be.

Anyway, this story was supposed to be about Kwanzaa. When I decided to write the piece I thought it would be a nice addition to my other holiday stories, but the more I look at the origin of Kwanzaa, the less I like what I see. My parents used to tell me to say nothing at all if I have nothing nice to say. Because I can't think of a single nice thing to say about Maulana Karenga, I'll just end this now.

nuf ced

Today is Christmas Day.

Let's face it. Christmas definitely dominates the season in San Francisco ... but only on the surface. The Christmas theme is everywhere, not because San Francisco is full of devote Christians, but because the major retailers started shoving Christmas down our throats before they even cleared the Halloween supplies from their shelves.

Christmas in the City is all about Moolah ... Cash, Greenbacks, Big Bucks, Money!

Hannukah (Chanukah) is forced to take a back seat to Christmas in San Francisco thanks to the power of advertising and glitzy decorations, but how often do we even hear about Eid al-Adha (also spelled Eid ul-Adha)?

There are three major religious celebrations happening this time of year in San Francisco: Christmas, Hannukah and Eid. Kwanzaa, the fourth major celebration, is not only non-religious, but it has a dubious, dark and sinister origin (read: Kwanzaa's Dark Origin). In good conscience I cannot include Kwanzaa in a list of legitimate holidays.

Eid al-Adha is the Festival of the Sacrifice. It is one of two major Islamic religious celebrations and it occurs this year on December 31st which is the tenth day of the Islamic month Dhul-Hijjah. The celebration lasts for three days and takes place at the conclusion of the annual Hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca. Muslims all over the world celebrate Eid, not simply those undertaking the hajj, which for most Muslims is a once-a-lifetime pilgrimage.

Here's a good greeting to offer your Muslim friends and neighbors: Eid Mubarek! (pronounced: eed moo-bar-ak) and it means "blessed festival".

The right response is: Allah yabarek feek (may Allah bless it for you also).

Have you ever had a creepy nerd hold a branch of mistletoe in the air and then pucker-up for his kiss?

Yuch.

Mistletoe is a parasitic plant. Mistletoe is spread by birds. The birds eat the berries and their droppings stick to twigs. The seeds are coated with a sticky gum, viscin, which hardens and attaches the seed firmly to its future host.

The origin of the word creates the right visual image; "mistel" is the Anglo-Saxon word for "shit," and "toe" is the word for "twig."

Think about that the next time someone holds a "shit-on-a-twig" over his head and puckers up for a kiss.

Egad! Run for your lives!

When a big one comes, are you going to know what to do and who to call?

Or will you be All Shook Up?

The subject of earthquakes is back in vogue because of the two recent quakes under Berkeley. Neither were big shakes. The latest, which occurred a little before 11 PM last night, was just a little fellow ... a minor 3.7 on the scale.

All this may possibly be good news for Hayward Fault dwellers (and Cal Football fans). The Hayward fault may be letting off steam a little at a time, possibly preventing a devastating major quake. Maybe.

Either way, its a good time to make sure everyone knows where to get breaking news and fast, reliable earthquake information. The following collection of links may become very important to you ... assuming you will be able to get online after a shaker.

Maps of Recent Earthquakes in California-Nevada

SF Bay Area Earthquake Map and Emergency Info

24-Hour Aftershock Earthquake Map

Berkeley Seismological Lab

Northern California Earthquake Data Center

SF Bay Faultlines Map

California Integrated Seismic Network

And to prepare or learn what to do BEFORE a quake strikes ....

San Francisco Office of Emergency Services 72-Hours Site

San Francisco Fire Department NERT (Neighborhood Emergency Response Team) Training

American Red Cross, SF Chapter

U.S. Coast Guard Station San Francisco

National Homeless Persons' Memorial Day was marked by many communities throughout the country today, the first day of winter and the longest night of the year. The National Health Care for the Homeless Council and the National Coalition for the Homeless are co-sponsors.

I don't know what happened in San Francisco today ... but that is not the fault of any organizers ... I have admittedly been absorbed by my work lately ... I work for a law firm and we've been busy as we head toward the end of the year.

The point is this: San Francisco has always been ... not only on the cutting edge ... but well ahead of the curve when it comes to provision of services to the homeless. It does not matter at all whether or not you believe me and it really doesn't matter whether San Francisco is first in services to the homeless or last. It really only matters that people who are homeless get the help they need.

So,

What can you do that is not going to scrape any skin off your nose?


Well, sweetie, why don't you ....


Copy the list that follows
and include a $5 Safeway gift card
(or whatever amount you can afford)
and hand out as many of them as you can afford ...

NOT to the crack-smoking con-artists who rattle their cups under your nose, but give them to the lost and hopeless kids who sit against the buildings on the sidewalks by the stores ... the kids that look lost and alone and distant ... the kids who never make eye contact ... those kids.

Give your gifts to them.

Give them gifts with the same enthusiasm as you would give gifts

to your own

children.



- - - - - - - - - - - - -


Now ... along with your gifts, give them a copy of this list.

It may save their lives!


___________________________________________________

Resources to Assist Homeless People: Emergency.................................................................. 911 Police (non-emergency).................................................. Mental Health Crisis (24hrs)............................................. Drug/Alcohol Crisis (24hrs)............................................... Battered Women's Hotline (24hrs)...................................... Rape Treatment Center (24hrs).......................................... Family Shelter Services.................................................... City Clinic (sexually transmitted diseases)............................. Foot Clinic (St. Anthony's)................................................ Showers Dental: South of Market Health Center................................ Eye Exams............................................................... HIV/AIDS Testing and Counseling.......................... Needle Exchange: for locations call..................................... Homeless Outreach Services Centralized Referral for Shelters........................................ MOST (mental health outreach)........................................ MAP (First Response Teams)............................................ Marilyn Garrett :.......................................................... HELP LINK :Toll free............................................................ 1 :Chinese line....................................................... :Spanish line....................................................... :TDD (tele-digital device) line.................................... :Homeless Advocacy Project (HAP) of the Bar Association...... Homeless Death Prevention Outreach Workers....................... City Departments Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Services............................. Department of Human Services (DHS)................................. Joyce Crum, DHS, Deputy Director of Housing & Homeless Services.......... Laura Gerard, DHS, Homeless Single-Adult Programs Manager..................... Cindy Ward, DHS, Homeless Family Programs Manager.............................. Department of Public Health.............................................. Marian Pena, SFPH, Director of Homeless Programs..................................... Dept. of Public Works, Street Environmental Services...................................... Transportation Mobile Assistance Program (MAP) Phone: Open 24hrs/7days Provides transportation for emergency service systems. Municipal Railway (MUNI) 949 Presidio Ave., Rm. 110, 94115 Phone: Hours: Monday to Wednesday, 10:30pm-4pm For additional information about services call 923-6070 or 923-6340. Paratransit 544 Golden Gate Ave., 1st Floor, 94102 Phone (Taxi ): ;Phone (Applications) ; Phone (Complaints and general information) Hours: 9am-5pm Provides discounts for taxi services and individual and group lift-equipped van service. Drop-In Centers Bayview-HuntersPoint Hope Homeless Resource Center 2111 Jennings Street (@VanDyke) Phone: Open 24 hours Full Service Drop-in Center with Case Management, referrals, Laundry ($0.25 cent charge), Free Voicemail, Lockers, Mail service, restrooms, showers, TV, chairs, breakfast and dinner. Multi-Service Center: South of Market 525 5th St. (at Bryant) Phone: Open 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Showers, restrooms, referrals, and mail service McMillian Drop-in Center 39 Fell Street (at Market) Open 24-hours weekdays; Weekends closed between 9:30am & 12pm Phone: 6-8 hour beds for intoxicated individuals, drop-in with laundry, coffee/light snacks, restrooms, showers, referrals. South Beach Homeless Resource Center 288 Harrison Street (at Fremont) Phone: Open 24-hours Full Service Drop-in Center with Case Management, referrals, Laundry ($0.25 cent charge), Free Voicemail, Lockers ($5.00 Monthly charge), Mail service, restrooms, showers, TV, chairs, snacks (when available) Emergency Shelters Men 18+ (without kids A Man's Place 399 Fremont St. (at Harrison) Phone: Open 24hrs Show up by 2:30pm for lottery to win 1 night of shelter, 25 beds daily. Central City Hospitality House for Men 146 Leavenworth St. (near Turk) Phone: Open 24hrs Monday or Wednesday between 9-11am gets on waiting list for a bed. Dolores Street Community Services Phone: & Hours: Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm For clean and sober men, especially those who recently came from Latin America, 90 beds available in summer, and 120 beds in winter. Multi-Service Center: South of Market 525 5th St. (at Bryant) Phone: Open 24hrs Case management Monday through Friday 10 -11a.m, and 5:30 - 7pm. Sign-up for lottery is daily from 6:30 am -12 pm.146 spaces (beds and mats) available. Providence Foundation Shelter Services 1601 McKinnon Avenue (@ 3rd Street) Phone: Open 10:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. Intake for overnight shelter at the Bayview Hope Homeless Resource Center Women 18+ (without kids) A Woman's Place 1049 Howard St. (between 6th St. & Russ) Phone: Open 24hrs 7:30 a.m. lottery for 1 night beds, 4:30 p.m. standby sign ups. 5 crisis beds and long-term housing for HIV or multi-diagnosed women. Transitional Housing services available. Marian Residence 1171 Mission St. (between 7th & 8th Sts.) Phone: Open 24hrs 30 beds for single alcohol and drug-free women, showers are required every night, unlimited stay. Drop-in not later than 7pm. Battered Women (with/without kids) Asian Women's Shelter 3543 18th St. #19, 94110 (mailing address only) Phone: Hours: Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm Stay up to 9-12 weeks. Priority goes to Asian mothers with limited resources who don't speak English. La Casa de Las Madres 1850 Mission St. Suite B (between 14th & 15th) office address only Phone: 415.503.0500 Open 24hrs Stay up to 8 weeks but you must be alcohol and drug free.. Riley Emergency Shelter 3543 18th St. #4 (near Valencia St.) office address only Phone: Hours: Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm Adults may pay between $0-6 a day, and kids are free, stay is up to 8 weeks. Provides counseling, peer group and parenting support - services rendered are confidential. Also helps those with substance abuse problems. Both Sexes 18+ (without kids) Emergency Housing Program 1235 Mission St. (near 8th St.) Phone: Hours: Monday to Friday, 8:30am-4:30pm For people with medical emergencies. Note: not a drop-in facility. Next Door (formally Multi-Service Center North of Market 1001 Polk St. (at Geary) Phone: Open 24hrs A Transitional shelter designed to provide a safe and supportive living environment. No overnight accommodations or lottery. Clients must be referred. Call Next Door for information. Episcopal Sanctuary 201 8th St. (at Howard). Phone: Open 24hrs Intake 4-6 p.m. Stay 1 night on a cot or up to 30 days if a bed is available. United States Mission 1338 Sanchez St. (at Cesar Chavez) Phone: Hours: Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm Have a social worker call Monday to Friday 9am-5pm to ask for a bed for 1 night (for up to 30 days if beds available) -120 beds in the Bay Area. Also helps with job searches, personal counseling, medical, legal or any other required assistance. Families & Pregnant Women Connecting Point Phone: Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 9am-12pm, Tuesday & Thursdays 2-4pm Centralized intake shelter for parents, pregnant women, and their partners. Note: if there is a problem reaching them at this number try Hamilton Family Center at . Same sex couples accepted Hamilton Family Center (transitional) 260 Golden Gate Avenue Open 24 hours Centralized intake for this facility is handled by Connecting Point Hamilton Family Emergency Shelter 1535 Waller Street Phone: Open: 24 hours Centralized intake for this facility is handled by Connecting Point 30 day emergency beds and 20 overnight beds St. Joseph's Village 220 10th Street (@ Howard) Phone: Centralized intake for this facility is handled by Connecting Point Missionaries of Charity 55 Sadowa St. (between San Jose & Plymouth). Phone: Hours: 9am-noon, 3:30pm-6pm Call for an appointment or personal interview; substance abusers must be in or waiting for treatment. Raphael House 1065 Sutter St. (between Hyde & Lark) Phone: Hours: Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm Parents or pregnant women in their 9th month, call Connecting Point. Adults must pay $0-3 a day and children $0-2 a day. Youth Bay Area Family Center 627 Turk Street Phone: Diamond Youth Shelter 536 Central Ave. (near Grove). Phone: or Hours: Open 24 hours, Intake from 9:30pm to 9am. Guardians will be contacted. Ages up to 19. Huckleberry House 1292 Page St. (at Lyon). Phone: Open 24hrs Guardians will be contacted. Ages 11-17. Lark-Inn Youth Shelter 869 Ellis Street Phone: Open 24hrs 40-bed facility provides emergency and interim housing while offering residents direct access to Larkin Street's comprehensive continuum of employment, education and health services. Jeopardized Youth Now Secure (JYNS) 1270 Marshall Street (at Beach) in Redwood City Phone: Hours: Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm Male and female youth 18-23 years. To make appointment for an interview to get into Clara-Mateo Alliance Shelter in Palo Alto, and Maples Street Shelter in Redwood City. Free Food All Saints' Episcopal Church 1350 Waller St. (near Masonic) Phone: Hours: Saturdays 10:30am Crumbs 1050 Van Ness Avenue (21st -22nd Street) Phone: Dinner service Hours: Fridays 6:30pm City Team Ministries 164 Sixth Street Phone: Hours: Breakfast : Tue-Fri 8:45-10am, Ticket for Dinner: 4pm Saturdays 1-4pm Drop-in Center for food and medical care Dinner's Redi 2520 Bush St. (between Divisadero and Scott) Phone: or Hours: Mon-Tue, 12-1pm First AME Zion Church 2159 Golden Gate Avenue (at Masonic) Phone: Hours: Mondays 11am-12:30pm Friendship Banquet 930 Gough Street (between Eddy & Turk) Phone: Open every Wednesday except the 1st Wednesday of the month. Only for people with HIV/AIDS, proof required Glide Memorial Church 330 Ellis St. (at Taylor) Phone: Su-Sat 8-9am, 12-1:30pm; Mon-Fri 8-9am, 12-1:30pm, 4-5:30pm Haight-Ashbury Food Program 1525 Waller St. (near Belvadere) Phone: Hours: Tue-Fri, 12-1pm, Everyday 11:30am for families with children and people with disabilities Hospitality House Youth Program 288 Turk St. (near Leavenworth) Phone: or Hours: Mon-Fri 9-10am, 12-1:30pm Martin de Porres 225 Potrero St. (near 16th St.) Phone: Sunday 9-10:30am; Mo,Tu,Th,Fr Breakfast 6-7:30am; Mo,Tu,Wed,Th,Fr,Sat. Lunch 12-3pm Missionaries of Charity 1330 4th St. (at 3rd St.) Phone: Fri-Wed. 4-5:30pm No Penny Opera 601 Dolores Street (at 19th Street) Phone: Grocery bags Hours: Fridays 11:15am North of Market Senior Services 333 Turk St. (between Hyde & Leavenworth) Phone: Hours: Lunch 11:30am (weekdays sign up 8am, weekends and holidays 9am) Providence Baptist Church 1601 McKinnon Avenue (at 3rd Street) Phone: Hours: Wednesdays 12:45-2pm St Anthony's Dining Room 45 Jones Street (at Golden Gate) Phone: Hours: Su-Sat. 11am-12pm families and seniors; 12 -1:30pm everybody St Johns African Orthodox Church 351 Divisadero Street (at Oak) Phone: Hours: Sun,Mon 3:30-4:30pm, Wed. 12-1pm St Peter and Paul Catholic Church 666 Fibert Street (near Washington Square) Phone: Hours: Sun-Sat 4-5pm, sandwiches S.F. Central Baptist Church 1 Market (at Embarcadero Plaza) Sundays 5-6pm S.F. Rescue Mission 230 Jones Street (at Turk) Phone: Hours: Monday to Friday mandatory Bible studies and lunches 1-2:30pm, and 4-5:30pm. Saturdays 11am. Gives groceries where possible. Golden Gate Metropolitan Community Church Simply Supper 1508 Church Street Phone: Hours: Wed & Friday 4-5pm Third Baptist Church 1399 McAllister Street (at Pierce) Phone: Hours: Thursdays 12:30-1:30pm Bayview-HuntersPoint Hope Homeless Resource Center 2111 Jennings Street (@VanDyke) Phone: Open 24 hours Full Service Drop-in Center with Case Management, referrals, Laundry ($0.25 cent charge), Free Voicemail, Lockers, Mail service, restrooms, showers, TV, chairs, breakfast and dinner. Women's Community Clinic 2166 Hayes Street, Suite 104 Phone: Hours: Mon-Fri 10am-8pm, Saturdays 10am-1pm Medical Services Buena Vista Women's Consultation Center 3000 California Street, STE 200 (at Octavia) Free to women 2 weeks late with their Period Phone: or Hours: Monday to Friday 9am-5pm City Clinic 356-7th Street (at Harrison) Phone: $10 service charge, but no one turned away for lack of funds. Hours: Mon,Wed, Fr 8am-4pm, Tu 1-6pm, Th 1-4pm Drop-In Services Urgent Care Clinic Phone: Hours: Mon-Fri 8:00am-7:30pm; Sat, Sun, 9am-4:30pm; Holidays 9am-4:30pm (closed Tues. 12:30-2pm) Glide-Goodlett HIV/AIDS Project 330 Ellis Street, STE 518 (at Taylor) Phone: Hours: Mon-Fri 9am-5pm Cole Street Youth Clinic 555 Cole Street (at Haight) Phone: Hours: Mon,Tue,Thu,Fri 9:30am-5:30pm; W 9:30am-1pm Glide Health Clinic 330 Ellis Street, STE 418 (at Taylor) Phone: 673-1500 Hours: Mon,Tue,Thu 1pm-5pm; Wednesday 9am -1pm Haight-Ashbury Free Medical Clinic 555 Clayton Street (at Haight) Phone: Mon 1pm-9pm; Tu &Wed -9am-9pm; Th, Fri 1-5pm Jelani House Inc. 1522 Quesada Avenue (Bayview) Phone: Hours: Treatment for AIDS and HIV victims, 2-3pm Larkin Street Youth Clinic 1050 Larkin Street (at Sutter) Phone: Hours: Mon-Thu 11am-6pm; Friday 1:30-6pm. Closed on weekends. Lyon-Martin Women's Health Services 1748 Market Street, STE 201 Phone: Hours: Mon,Tu, Thu, Fri 8:30am-5pm; Wed 11am -7:30pm New Generation Health Center 625 Potrero Avenue (at 18th Street) Phone: Receive people up to the age 24 only. Hours: Mon 10am-3pm, Tu 11am-6pm, Thu 9am-4pm. Drop-ins on Wednesdays and Fridays 10am-4pm. Regular Medical Care Primary Care Clinics By Appointment Only. First come first served. Phone: Hours: Monday to Friday 8am-7:30pm; Sat, Sun 9am-4:30pm (closed Tues. 12-2pm) Tom Waddell Health Centre 50 Ivy Street Pyscho-social and Medical Services By Appointment Only Phone: Hours: (Medical) Mon-Fri and Weekends (for urgent care) 8am-8pm; Psycho-social Mon-Fri 9am-5pm San Francisco Free Clinic 4900 California Street (at 11th Avenue) Phone: By Appointments Only, only people without medical insurance. Hours: Mon,Tue1-4:30pm; Wed 1:30-4:15pm; Thu, Fri 10am-12:15pm Social Services Drop-Ins Phone: Hours: Monday to Friday 8am-6pm; Saturdays 9am-3:30pm St Anthony's Free Medical Clinic 105-107 Golden Gate Avenue (at Jones) Phone: Mon, Tu, Thu,Fri 8:15am-6pm. Wednesday afternoon closed. Podiatry clinic Tu,Th 1:15-til full Adolescent Family-Walden House 214 Haight St. Residential and out-patient behavior modification services Phone: Open 24hrs, Free Clothing Bay Area Women and Children Center (BAWRC) 318 Leavenworth St./627 Turk Street Phone: /1 Hours: Tue, Thu: 8:30am-1:30pm drop-in; Call Mon-Fri 8:30am-4pm for job listings United Council of Human Services Bayview Hunters Point Multi-Service Drop-in Center 2111 Jennings Street Phone: Hours: Thursdays 10am-1pm S.F. Rescue Mission 230 Jones Street (near Turk) Phone: Hours: Monday to Friday 1-2:30pm, 4-5:30pm Centerforce 64 Main St., San Quentin, 94964 Phone: Hours: Thursdays through Sundays Chinese Newcomers Service Center 777 Stockton, Rm. 104 Phone: Hours: Mon-Fri 9am-5pm Hospitality House Drop-In Center 146 Leavenworth Phone: Hours: Mon-Fri, 11am-1pm St. Anthony Foundation Distribution Center Clothing Distribution (lottery) 1185 Mission Street Warehouse: 211 12th St. (nearest cross street Howard) Phone: Hours: Women Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri, 2pm; Families with Children Mon, Fri 10:30 am; Men Mon, Fri 7:30am. Also provides furniture, dishes, and linen for those moving into apartments St. Vincent de Paul Ozanam Center 1175 Howard St. (near 7th) Phone: , (anytime) Hours: Mon-Fri, 8:00am-12pm, 1pm-3pm Women's Community Clinic 2166 Hayes Street, Suite 104 Phone: Hours: Mon-Fri 10am-8pm, Saturday 10am-1pm Alcohol and Drug Abuse Walden House Inc. Intake multi-services Phone: Hours: Mon-Fri 8am-4pm Walden House Inc. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Treatment Center 520 Townsend Street Phone: Hours: 24 hours for residential services; Mon-Fri 8am-9pm for day outpatient services. Adolescent Family - Walden House 214 Haight St. Phone: Open 24hrs, behavior modification services for adolescents of 14-18 years Jelani House Inc. 1522 Quesada Avenue (Bayview) Phone: (general line)/ (for intakes) Hours: 24 hours, 7 day a week for residential substance abuse treatment services for men, women with children. Day treatment services 9am-7:30pm AL-ANON/ALATEEN Phone: (to speak with a volunteer), (to leave a message), (meetings outside of San Francisco) Hours: Message phones available 24hrs a day (No dues or fees) Alcoholics Anonymous Central Office-1540 Market St. #150 Phone: Hours: Mon-Fri 8:30am-5:30pm. Phone staffed 24hrs a day (No dues or fees) Spanish speaking program 24hr Hotline, 383 Valencia, Adult Children of Alcoholics, (Recorded message on times of meetings.) Alcoholics Rehabilitation Association 1035 Haight St. Phone: Hours: 10am-4pm ($100 per week to start) American Indian Family Healing Center 1815-39th Ave., Oakland 94601 Phone: Hours: Open 24 hours, for women and their children only Asian American Recovery Services (main office) 965 Mission Street ,Suite 325 Phone: Hours: Mon-Fri 9am-5pm Asian American Recovery Services Residential program 2024 Hayes Street Phone: Hours: Open 24 hours Asian American Recovery Services Day Treatment program 2020 Hayes Street Phone: Hours: Mon-Fri 10am-5pm

The California Supreme Court announced today it will decide whether excluding same-sex couples from marriage in California is a violation of the state's constitution.

Plaintiffs in the case, which includes EQCA, appealed a lower court's decision in November. The couples and organizations involved in the lawsuit are represented by lead counsel from the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), Lambda Legal, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Heller Ehrman LLP, and the Law Office of David C. Codell.

Geoff Kors, EQCA Executive Director, said: "This is an important day for same-sex couples who are excluded from marriage under existing California law. Same-sex couples deserve the recognition and protection that comes only with marriage. With California's commitment to treating all people equally regardless of their sexual orientation, we are hopeful the California Supreme Court will rule that discriminatory marriage laws are unconstitutional. The time has come to end the barrier to marriage for same-sex couples."

Founded in 1998, Equality California is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, grassroots-based, statewide advocacy organization whose mission is to achieve equality and civil rights of all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Californians. Please visit our ( yes ... our ... Sam's alter-ego is a contributing member of EQCA) website at www.eqca.org.

Have you ever known someone of such quality that you wanted to introduce them to your family and all your friends? Barack Obama is such a person to me.

I have written about Senator Obama in this blog a number of times and the postings include numerous references and outside links. You can see all the Barack Obama postings together on one page by clicking on this link.

For the present, however, I want to share the Obama family's holiday greetings card with everyone. This family may one day be sending out their holiday greetings from the White House. Don't wait until then to get to know them. Start now!

Sunday's San Francisco Chronicle is running a story reporting that "Black people in San Francisco are arrested for felonies at nearly twice the rate they are in Sacramento. They are arrested at twice the rate of black people in Fresno, three times the rate in San Jose, Los Angeles, Long Beach and San Diego, and four times the rate in Oakland."

The article is carefully crafted to be subjective, but still leaves the impression that San Francisco is targeting black people. Bullshit!

SFPD Chief Heather Fong explained it clearly when she said: "San Francisco officers arrest criminal suspects as they find them, not based on the color of their skin."

Additionally, it is essential to note that San Francisco not only draws the wealthy and the beautiful. It also draws the poor and the ugly. It is no secret that we are awash in pandhandlers, shoplifters, crack addicts and winos. Just ask any San Francisco business owner!

The majority of those folks have something in common ... not the color of their skin ... but the fact they are not San Franciscans. They are transients!

According to Chief Fong's staff, over 60% of African Americans arrested in the Tenderloin were not from San Francisco! They were not local; they were transients who came here from someplace else. Like most San Franciscans they chose to come to this City for a better life. Unfortunately that hope of a better life has eluded them, crack dealers and corner liquor stores enticed them, the foggy nights under cardboard boxes chilled them ... and guess what? They turned to crime. Is that really a big surprise to anyone?

The answer is to focus on the problem, not on politically sensitive statistics that help sell newspapers for the Hearst Corporation.

Mayor Gavin Newsom, with his Care Not Cash initiative has done more to change and improve and heal these injustices than any other San Francisco mayor I can recall and four generations of my family have lived here in San Francisco and I am less than a year away from my 60th birthday. I can recall a lot of San Francisco political history. I know what past mayors have or have not done. Mayor Newsom has been the best so far. Nobody else is even close to his record.

The Chronicle (Hearst Newspapers) should not spin the truth and divide our community in a transparent attempt to sell newspapers. It isn't our fault the Internet is putting them out of business and it is absolutely reprehensible that the Chronicle takes aim at black people in order to peddle their papers.

Happy ChrisHanuWanza!

As we light the candles on the menorah or the lights on the tree we are once again faced with the need for POLITICAL CORRECTNESS.

Egad! Political Correctness.

Bah! Humbug!

Run for your lives!

So, in the spirit of the Season (which "season" might that be?) I am offering this absolutely delightful poem sent out by the ACLU to its membership.

Enjoy!

An Overdue Visit

by the American Civil Liberties Union staff

'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the nation
Friends of Freedom knew it was a special occasion.
Lady Liberty stood taller just off the shore
Her torch shining brighter than a few weeks before

But it wasn't the flame turning her cheeks all rosy
It was thoughts of Snowe, Feingold and Nancy Pelosi
And leaders from every side of the aisle
Who would soon bring the Bill of Rights back into style.

The Amendments had all hurried out of their beds -
Which was no easy task, they were nearly in shreds
And they rushed to the window on papery feet
As a jolly old man flew right over their street.

Just about everyone in San Francisco nervously followed the tragic story of Senior CNET Editor James Kim 's desperate attempt to save his family's life. To read the stories that appeared in this blog, please click on the James Kim label at the end of this posting.

As CNET Staff Writer Declan McCullagh points out, "The tragic death of CNET colleague James Kim and the wilderness rescue of his wife and children last week have prompted many of us to wonder if we're prepared enough for bad weather and other emergencies."

The result is an excellent three-part story that began today on CNET News. Here's your link to part one of the series. There is important information for us all in the story. Read it!

If you would like to help the Kim Family at this most difficult time in their lives, please follow this link to a special page set-up by CNET Editor in Chief and Senior Vice-President Jai Singh.

If you would like to contact the Kim family directly, please go to http://jamesandkati.com/

Senator Barack Obama!

Barack Obama's journey to the White House seems to have begun ... and it's the best news we have had since Nancy Pelosi's election to Speaker of the House.

Maybe this time, our time has finally come!

Barack Obama was a guest at the New Hampshire Democratic Party's 2006 Election Celebration. A record crowd turned out to honor the historic victory that turned a red New Hampshire to solid blue for the first time since 1874.

Addressing a crowd of more than 1,600 in Manchester, Obama urged Democrats to harness the momentum of last month's election and craft an agenda that reaches beyond party lines. After years of partisan bickering and "slash-and-burn politics," Obama said, Americans are yearning for a new style of leadership.

"There's no reason why we can't create a system where everybody has decent health care. There is no reason why we can't have energy independence in this country," Obama said. "There is no reason why we can't craft a national security strategy that is tough and smart, because what we've seen is tough and dumb.

"That's not a Democratic agenda or a Republican agenda," he said. "That's an American agenda."

You can also watch his speech in Manchester, NH online:
http://www.barackobama.com/media/new_hampshire_celebration/

To learn more about Senator Barack Obama please visit his web site.

You will also find more articles about Barack Obama on this site by clicking on the Barack Obama label below.

This morning I read something disturbing on the MSNBC web site.

In 2004 the U.S. Coast Guard patrol boat Matagorda was fleeing Hurricane Ivan off the coast of Florida. The Island-class ship had just undergone an $11 million upgrade that included extending its hull from 110 feet to 123 feet. Not long after the Coast Guard discovered a six-inch crack in the deck and also discovered the entire hull was buckling.

The Coast Guard then decided to abandon plans to rebuild its entire fleet of 49 110-foot Island-class boats. The eight boats already "upgraded" were put on severely restricted duty. They were not permitted to venture out into the ocean if the seas were likely to be greater than eight feet. Today, by example, here in San Francisco, there is a high surf warning. Seas have increased to the 14 to 17 feet range and are expected to continue through Sunday. If anyone was in trouble in the surf or in a small boat, and needed to be rescued by the Coast Guard ... if we had any "upgraded" Island-class USCG boats assigned to our station, they would be unable to help. They are not sea worthy.

Last month, the Coast Guard found new structural problems beneath the main engines of some of their ships. All eight of those vessels were pulled out of commission.

The multibillion-dollar effort to modernize the Coast Guard's fleet has suffered delays, cost increases, design flaws and, most recently, the idling of eight 123-foot patrol boats that were found to be not seaworthy after an $88 million refurbishment. Congressional critics warn that early mistakes in the 25-year modernization program, called Deepwater -- the Coast Guard's largest contract ever -- are hobbling the service's transformation into a front-line homeland security force.

"Deepwater is a mess. Over the last five years the Coast Guard procurement has been riddled with problems," said Rep. David W. Obey (D-Wis.), incoming chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. "The Coast Guard needs to put in place a plan to fix this problem immediately."

Deepwater, awarded in 2002 and modified in 2005, lays out an ambitious plan to modernize and greatly expand the Coast Guard's aging fleet of ships, planes and helicopters, equipping the fleet with more modern technology in the process. The aim is to carry out expanded homeland security missions, including offshore patrols, port protection, and vessel boarding and escorting duties, which the Coast Guard said will consume 68,500 operational hours a year for its Island cutters. In that time, Deepwater's cost grew from $17 billion to $24 billion.

The condition of US Coast Guard equipment is extremely important to the safety and well-being of absolutely everybody in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Coast Guard's 11th District is headquartered here. We need decisive action to correct this growing problem and we need it quickly. The support given by Speaker Pelosi to the immediate and full and properly done upgrading, overhaul and new construction of US Coast Guard vessels must be a top priority. Our lives depend upon it!

To read the full report from MSNBC News please follow this link. It is a riveting story.

Following is a US Coast Guard report of completed Deepwater upgrades and additions to Coast Guard inventory here in the 11th District, headquartered here in San Francisco Bay at Coast Guard Island, off Alameda.

(Note: The 11th District includes a large area of the Pacific West. Not all cutters are stationed in San Francisco Bay.)

HH65C

Air Station San Francisco - 4 HH65C Delivered

Air Station Los Angeles - 4 HH65C Delivered

C4ISR Upgrades

CAMPSPAC Point Reyes, CA - Upgrade Complete

CGC MUNRO - Alameda, CA - Upgrade Complete

CGC MORGENTHAU - Alameda, CA - Upgrade Complete

CGC SHERMAN - Alameda, CA - Upgrade Complete

CGC BOUTWELL - Alameda, CA - Upgrade Complete

CGC CHASE - San Diego, CA - Upgrade Complete

CGC HAMILTON - San Diego, CA - Upgrade Complete