Sam Spade's San Francisco

It is my practice to say goodbye to every passing year with a song from someone who left us in that year. This year the choice is clear and obvious. One of the greatest and most magnificent voices ever to grace this planet died in 2007.

Luciano Pavarotti was arguably the greatest operatic tenor in the world.

On February 10, 2006 Luciano Pavarotti appeared on stage for the last time. He sang Nessun Dorma, the sweeping aria from Puccini's Turandot, that had become his signature piece. On September 6, 2007 the great voice was stilled. Luciano Pavarotti died of pancreatic cancer.

To say farewell to 2007 I offer the great Luciano Pavarotti performing his stunning rendition of Nessun Dorma.

Thank you so very much for sharing your talent with us, Luciano, and farewell. Bravo. Bravo!

(If you have trouble watching the video, you can follow to see the performance on YouTube)

I have nothing against having sex with a Chinese man. I know I wouldn't want to have sex with a Chinese woman, or any other variety of woman for that matter. As for Chinese men, well, they would rank rather high on my personal scale and I'm willing to stipulate that old Chinese men need loving too - but not from me personally.

Snuggling up in bed with the small club of old Chinese men in Bejing who keep an iron-hand rule over one-billion-three-hundred-million Chinese citizens is not my idea of a fun sex party.

First of all the sex would be terrible. Those old bastards in Beijing are about as fond of hot sex as a castrated Assemblies of God pastor (of course some of those Bible Thumpers have turned out to be sexual looney tunes). Still, it would be a deflating experience, I'm sure.

Yet, that is precisely what hundreds of men in San Francisco's Chinatown are doing. They are snuggling up close and tight with those wrinkly old men in Beijing. They spend a lot of time in bed together.

Just look over the rooftops in Chinatown. Over some you will see the dark red and blue flags of Taiwan. Dr. Sun Yat Sen, who spent time here in San Francisco, was an early champion of civil and human rights in China. His struggle led to the creation of the Republic of China. Later, his successor, General Chaing Kai-shek, fought the Communist leader, Mao Tse-tung and lost. Communist China prevailed and Mao's forces drove the democratic Chinese leaders back to the Island of Formosa (Taiwan) where they remain today.

Over other San Francisco Chinatown rooftops you will see the bright red-orange flag of the People's Republic of China (Communist). It is peppered with small gold stars in the upper right field. Those flags are flown by the people who support Communist China. You'll also see the Communist Chinese flag flying over their Consulate building at Geary and Laguna.

Today's San Francisco Chronicle carried yet another story about a Chinese civil rights leader who was arrested and spirited away into some dark, dank cell where the poor guy will likely remain for decades to come. So much for freedom in China.

The old men in Beijing who are desperate to keep Communism alive and stay in control of China are collectively the single worst human rights violators on planet Earth. They hate everything we love in San Francisco. The old men in Bejing want gay, lesbian and transgender people either dead or very deeply locked away in prisons for life. (At least that's what they say in public - what they do behind locked doors is anybody's guess. Just look at the double-talking sex perverts running rampant in the U.S. Republican Party!)

So, it really bothers me when I see all those bright red-orange flags flying over San Francisco. Every time I see the flags I return to the politico-sexual metaphor: What kind of weird, old-men sex is really going on down there beneath those flags? Who is getting screwed by whom and just what benefit are we getting out of being Beijing's hustler-boys.

We're in bed with our enemy and they aren't even using lubricant.

With all the problems coming out of China these days, my message to those men in San Francisco Chinatown is this: be careful what you suck on. You might be swallowing high doses of lead. Keep those toys out of your mouths!

Story tools:
San Francisco Chronicle article of Dec. 30, 2007
Human Rights in China
Taiwan - Republic of China
Taiwan - Government Information Office
Chaing Kai-shek
Mao Tse-tung
Consulate of the People's Republic of China in San Francisco
Human Rights in China - Wikipedia
Human Rights in China - HRC
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch's China Overview
China Human Rights Practices - U.S. State Department
Beijing Olympics - Human Rights Watch
Chinese Police Shut-Down Gay & Lesbian Event - HRW
History of Homosexuality in China
China Development Brief - Police Close Gay Event
Int'l Gay & Lesbian Human Rights Commission - HIV/AIDS Activist Disappears
Yale Law School - Conference on Homosexuality in China
Beijing's Secret Gay Web Confab
Report on Human Rights Conditions in China - U.S. State Department

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SITE Intelligence Group has learned that a new message is forthcoming from Osama bin Laden, the head of Al-Qaeda, addressing Iraq and the Islamic State of Iraq.

The message is produced by As-Sahab, the multimedia arm of Al-Qaeda, and is titled, “The Way to Contain the Conspiracies”. The announcement of this impending released was posted to jihadist forums today, Thursday, December 27, 2007, and gave the duration of the tape as 56 minutes and 10 seconds.

It also stated: “May Allah demean the Front of Shame and Dinar, and may the Merciful One reveal the confusion of Al-Jazeera, the station of the infidels.”

Those Al-Qaeda writers are poetic sons of bitches, aren't they.

Story Tools:
SITE Intelligence Group Report
Al Jezeera - English language front page
National Terror Alert Response Center
Terrorist Website List
Terrorist Watch
Jihad Watch
U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security
The White House - Homeland Security Section
National Strategy for Homeland Security
Ready America - a Dept of Homeland Security web site
U.S. House of Representatives - Homeland Security Committee

Also check out the list of local government and public safety links along the lower right side column of this blog.

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They're back! Gray Whales have been spotted off Point Reyes!

Every year families of gray whales migrate south and they are beginning to appear off shore near San Francisco.

Whales have been spotted off Point Reyes, which juts ten miles out into the ocean. The Point Reyes National Seashore is planning to offer bus rides from the Ken Patrick Visitor Center at Drakes Beach to viewing areas such as Chimney Rock and the historic lighthouse.

Resource Links:
Point Reyes National Seashore
Whale Watching at Point Reyes
San Francisco Bay Whale Watching Boat Tours
Oceanic Society Gray Whale Watching Boat Tours
California Whale Adventures
Fisherman's Wharf Boat Tours
Butchie B Sportfishing Boat
Capt. Joe's Sport Fishing Charters
Lovely Martha Charter Boat
Fisherman's Wharf Merchant Association
Port of San Francisco
Sierra Club of San Francisco
Eleventh Coast Guard District- USCG
Air Station San Francisco, USCG
Station Golden Gate, USCG
National Weather Service Forecasts for San Francisco Offshore and Bay
Tides, Currents, Fog, Wind and Maritime Weather - San Francisco & Coastal Waters
Bay Crossings - the SF Bay ferry and waterway newspaper
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Dozens of San Francisco's most popular restaurants will offer creative yet affordable three-course prix-fixe menus at $21.95 for lunch and $31.95 for dinner - lunches and dinners that normally go for much more - exquisite, refined San Francisco dining! The savings are very impressive and the meals and restaurants even more so.


Dine About Town

Dine About Town is back for its seventh delicious year!

For a complete list of all the participating restaurants from A16 to Zingari visit the Dine About Town website.


San Francisco Restaurants

Other interesting food and dining-related links include:
Top 100 Restaurants in San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Ferry Building Marketplace - Complete Guide
SF Chronicle's Restaurant Roundup
CHOW's List of Recommended San Francisco Restaurants
SanFrancisco.com Restaurant Guide
Only in San Francisco's Restaurant Search Engine
San Francisco Menupages - see sample menus online
San Francisco Magazine's Restaurant Search Engine
Joe's Cable Car Coming to Network TV in January!
San Francisco's Best Hamburger
San Francisco Ferry Building Marketplace - Complete Guide
Presidio of San Francisco: New Developments


Driving Your Car in San Francisco

If you're visiting San Francisco - unless you are familiar with tight streets, intense traffic, rushing taxis, intimidating MUNI buses and confusing one-way streets - DON'T PLAN TO DRIVE IN SAN FRANCISCO. You will regret it.

San Francisco has more public transportation, more bus routes, more street cars, more light rail and more taxis than any other city north of Los Angeles (not to mention our Cable Cars and restored historic vintage street cars). There is no reason on Earth why you should feel you need to have your car in San Francisco. You simply don't need it.

Here's all the transit and public transportation information you will need to get anywhere in the City you want to be:


San Francisco Taxi Services

Taxis are the most common way for visitors to get around the City. Before you think about jumping in the back seat of a taxi, be VERY SURE you read this warning message first. You will also find a complete list of San Francisco taxi Companies with dispatch numbers and the taxi rates set for the City of San Francisco. This is a VERY valuable read: Taxicab Crooks & Scam Cabs in San Francisco


Public Transit in San Francisco

Public Transit in San Francisco:
San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (MUNI)
Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART)
California Rail Passenger Service (CalTrain)
Alameda - Harbor Bay Ferry
Alameda - Oakland Ferry
Angel Island - Tiburon Ferry
Blue & Gold Fleet
Golden Gate Ferry
Baylink Vallejo Ferry


Comprehensive List of All Transit Systems

Clearly, the most important public transportation link is 511.org

511.org lists all major transit systems throughout the greater San Francisco bay Area and includes bus systems, shuttle services, airport shuttle services, rail station shuttles, rail systems, ferry systems, commercial bus carriers, dial-a-ride systems, out-of-region transit systems and connections.

511.org will also give you real-time traffic info from Cal-Trans and the CHP in addition to best routes, maps, and ... when you get where you're going ... where to park the car (if you insist on driving your car).


San Francisco Car Rental

If you're planning on renting a car, forget the profit-hungry giants whose names we all recognize. Try City Car Share. They have cute fuel-efficient cars available for $5 per hour and 40 cents a mile. Gas, insurance and parking is included. Those of us who live in San Francisco absolutely know City Car Share to be your very best deal. Try all you like - you won't find a better overall car rental experience.

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For a few brief, shining days Harvey Milk and the 1970's will return to San Francisco's Castro Street. It should be quite something to see - time being rolled back.

A movie is about to be made about Harvey Milk's life and the producers plan to use the real Castro Street as it looked in the 1970's.

The film, to be titled "MILK", is directed by Gus Van Sant and will star Sean Penn in the title role.

Read the full story in the Bay Area Reporter, San Francisco's premier queer newspaper.

Resources:
San Francisco GLBT Historical Society
Harvey Milk article in Wikipedia
Time's 100 Most Important People of the Century
Uncle Donald's Castro Street Harvey Milk Pages
Harvey Milk San Francisco City Hall Memorial
San Francisco LGBT Community Center

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Update Notice: For an updated 2008 guide to the San Francisco restaurants, plus dozens of insider tips and links go to: Restaurants in San Francisco - Inside Local tips - The Ultimate Guide.

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In the past few years the restaurant scene in San Francisco has changed dramatically. The restaurants you once knew and loved may no longer be in the top 100.

If you would like to know today's 100 Best Restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area (59 of them are in the City of San Francisco) read the Top 100 Bay Area Restaurants published by the San Francisco Chronicle.

To see the latest list of recommended restaurants, see Restaurant Roundup, a recap of the Chronicle's restaurant critics reviews, published December 27, 2007. This is the most current list available as of this date.

Also try one or more of these:
CHOW's list of recommended restaurants (recommendations from local folks)
Menupages - see sample menus online before you go (a terrific service - give this a try!)
SanFrancisco.com's restaurant guide (lots of information and details here)
San Francisco Chroncile's Restaurant Roundup (cream of the Chronicle's top 100 list)

Here are some good reports from Sam Spade's San Francisco for you to check out. Most contain a lot of very good San Francisco links. Take a look at these:
San Francisco's Fabulous Lesbian Chefs
Garden Court at the Palace Hotel - San Francisco's Most Elegant Brunch
San Francisco's Best Beefsteak Hamburger
Coffee in the Castro
Taxicab Crooks and Scam Cabs in San Francisco
Presidio of San Francisco - New Developments
San Francisco Ferry Building Marketplace - Complete Guide
San Francisco City Hall - Architectural Masterpiece

If you are a member of the Queer Community, then you'll find a huge list of links with local inside tips in this article. Trust me, you're going to find just about everything you need and want in the following piece from Sam Spade's San Francisco: Folsom Street Fair 2008 - a complete guide

. . . and there are these San Francisco links through which you may wish to browse:
Alcatraz
Asian Art Museum
Cable Car Museum and Powerhouse
The Cliff House
San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers
San Francisco Bay Ferry Schedules
Fine Art Museums of San Francisco
Golden Gate Park map and info
Hornblower Dinner Cruises on San Francisco Bay
New Conservatory Theatre - Queer and enlightened straight theatre at its best
Theatre Rhinoceros - San Francisco's oldest queer theatre & 2008 GLAAD Award Winner
San Francisco Symphony under the direction of Michael Tilson Thomas
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SF-MOMA)
San Francisco Maritime Museum and Old Ship Wharf
San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) train service from SFO terminals direct to Market Street, downtown San Francisco.

Also, check out the list of San Francisco links along the right side column of this blog.

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Update Notice: Read the 2009 update of this story at: San Francisco Taxi Cab Scams

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Every year thousands of unsuspecting visitors to San Francisco are ripped-off and picked-clean by dangerous illegal scam cabs.

Scam cabs are unlicensed, un-registered, illegal cabs. They are nothing more than some crooks' private car that has added signage and a roof-top light to make them look like taxi cabs. The drivers are criminals and the passengers are victims.

This is nothing new in San Francisco. Back in the Barbary Coast days, which was the late 1800's, San Francisco was full of Shanghai joints. Bartenders would spike the drinks of selected victims with Mickey Finns (knock-out drops) and serve the unsuspecting victims. Before long the victim would pass out, be dragged into a back room, and hauled off to a waiting sailing ship. In the morning the poor victim would awake and find himself at sea! For the next number of months -often a full year - the victim would be a slave-labor sailor. Vacationing in San Francisco in those days could be a life-changing experience!

Victims of the taxi scammers don't end up at sea, but they do end up paying three or four times as much as they should and, in some cases, they may end up being dropped-off in dangerous parts of town where they may indeed become crime victims yet again.

The message is clear: When you come to San Francisco - WATCH OUT FOR SCAM CABS!

The San Francisco Taxicab Commission is a branch of the City and County of San Francisco with offices at City Hall. The Commission regulates all taxicab operations in San Francisco and has some very important information that EVERYBODY should know:

1) If you have a San Francisco Taxicab complaint (if inside the City of San Francisco) call 311. If you are calling from outside the City of San Francisco call .

2) Before you hail a taxi in San Francisco, be sure to read How to Spot a Real San Francisco Taxicab. The document is in .pdf format and I suggest you download, print and carry a copy during your visit to San Francisco.

3) Limousine companies and limousine drivers are also under the authority of the San Francisco Taxicab Commission. How to avoid illegal limousine services is also covered in How to Spot a Real San Francisco Taxicab.

4) Here is a map of all authorized San Francisco Taxi Stands throughout San Francisco. You enlarge and print the map for future use.

5) The Commission provides a complete and full list of all authorized, licensed and approved San Francisco Taxicab companies along with a link to a photo of each company's cab design that will show you what the cabs look like (markings, color, etc), the address of their principal office and the telephone number to their central dispatch as well as the phone number to their head office. You will also find the rates of fare for San Francisco. Remember: taxicab rates of fare are set by the San Francisco Taxicab Commission.

6) If you become the victim of a cab scammer, immediately contact the San Francisco Police Department Taxicab Detail. Call them at (available 24-hours a day).

7) You may leave comments for the San Francisco Taxicab Commission 24-hours a day at or send them a fax at .

8) To contact the San Francisco Taxicab Commission by email, send your message to:

9) To reach the Commission's web site, go to: www.sfgov.org/taxicommission

10) If all else fails, contact Mayor Gavin Newsom's office at or send the mayor an email at: . You may also visit the Mayor's Office online at: http://www.sfgov.org/site/mayor_index.asp

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Coming to San Francisco for the Emerald Bowl? Stadium Hotel Network is a resource every football fan should know.

Stadium Hotel Network takes the work out of looking for reasonably-price hotels that are close to NFL stadiums across the country. For example, the service lists more than 50 hotels near Candlestick Park, which is now unfortunately known by the ridiculous name of Monster Park.

You can browse their listings of hotels here.

Also read: Taxicab Crooks & Scam Cabs in San Francisco

Other Helpful Resources:
Top 100 Restaurants in San Francisco Bay Area
Candlestick Park (aka: Monster Park)
The Emerald Bowl
San Francisco 49ers
511.Org - Complete Transit Info for the SF Bay Area
Taxicab Dispatch Numbers plus rates of fare at SF Taxi Commission
BART - Bay Area Rapid Transit
San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
CalTrain (California Passenger Rail Service)
Golden Gate Bridge & Transportation District
BayLink Ferries (Vallejo - San Francisco)
Complete Ferry Schedules (all local ferries)
City Car Share

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Notice! Read this first:
You have been directed to the 2007 New Year's Eve listing. This post is out-dated. For the current 2010 listings please go to: Holidays in San Francisco.

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Here's a list of the 2007 New Year's Eve parties in San Francisco. For the 2008 listings go to: New Year's Eve 2008 in San Francisco.

In the first section you will find a list of events and links. The second section will provide links to San Francisco taxi companies (along with the fare schedule and rules). The third section is a link to a whole cornucopia of sexual delights in San Francisco for those of you who are hopelessly wicked.

1) Event List

Japanese Bell Ringing
At the Asian Art Museum, Civic Center
Sunday, December 30th at 11 AM.



St. Francis Hotel Elegant New Year's Eve Dinner
At the St. Francis Hotel, Union Square
Monday, December 31st, 6 - 10 PM

Ring in the New Year with a decadent three course meal of: Main Lobster Ragout with fennel and saffron cream sauce in a puff pastry shell; Pan Seared Veal Topped with Dungeness crab and served with asparagus; and a trio of desserts including cognac spice cake, white chocolate cranberry velvet and mandarin sorbet. Cost: $85. See the full menu here



The Fillmore Presents Les Claypool
Corner of Geary and Fillmore
Monday, December 31st, doors open at 8, show starts at 9 PM



The Warfield New Year's Bash
Eighth and Market Streets
Monday, December 31st, doors open at 8, show starts at 9 PM

A New Year's concert and party with Cake and The Lovemakers.
More information: The Warfield / LiveNation



New World Eve Celebration
3 locations - 1 passport
Monday, December 31st

Join Bissap Baobab, the Little Baobab and Bollyhood Cafe for a spectacular night filled with Djs, live performances, buffet, champagne, drinks and more. Buy 1 Passport to enjoy 3 locations, 3 parties, 3 different food types. Procceds go to local non-profits, CARACEN, Dia de los Ninos, Ecole des Enfants, Good Samaritan. More information: Bissap Baobab or call .



New Year's Eve with the Mannheim Steamroller
Post Street Theatre, Union Square
Monday, December 31st, 8 PM

Enjoy an evening of traditional Christmas and New Years music by the Mannheim Steamroller at one of San Francisco's intimate Union Square theatres. More information: Mannheim Steamroller or Post Street Theatre



Count Basie Orchestra at Yoshi's
1330 Fillmore
Monday, December 31st
Broadcast live on KQED and Jazz 911

The Count Basie Orchestra with special guest Ledisi. More information: Yoshi's San Francisco



Eclectic Fever: NYE Extravaganza
The Gift Center Pavilion , 888 Brannan
Monday, December 31st, 9 Pm to 3 AM

Featuring performances by Sila and Afrofunk Experience, B-Side Players, Native Elements, Nonstop Bhangra, DJ Jeremiah and the Afrobeat Nation, Sambadamora Dance Company, Roz, and DJ Felina. Dress in masquerade theme; costumes are highly recommended. Proceeds benefit House of Hope, a school for orphaned children in Uganda. More information: Gift Center Pavilion



John Lee Hooker Jr. at Biscuit & Blues
Union Square
Monday, December 31st, 8 & 11 PM

It's not the most sophisticated of concepts, but buttermilk biscuits smothered in gravy and authentic floor-stomping live blues smothered in sweat actually make for a mighty pleasurable combo. Biscuits and Blues pulls in big names from all over the world. More information: Biscuit & Blues



Kim Nalley Quintet with Kenny Washington at Pearl's
North Beach
Monday, December 31st, 8 & 10 PM

Jazz at Pearl's New Year's celebration may be the perfect party. It's elegant (yes, you should dress-to-impress) but comfortable (hey, you're among friends). It's nostalgic (think 1930s glamour) and auspicious (it's also one of the hippest clubs on the planet), and you can't beat the music. We can guarantee that you'll get kissed at midnight! Shows: 9pm & 11pm. Doors open 7:30 pm for 3-Course candle-lit dinner. The Second show is Cocktail's only. Kim Nalley Quintet featuring Kenny Washington will be performing together for both shows. More information: Jazz at Pearl's



Marga Gomez' New Year's Eve Show
Victoria Theatre, 16th and Mission
Monday, December 31st, 7 & 9 PM

GLAAD Award winning comedian MARGA GOMEZ returns to ring in her fifth Rhino New Year with special guest comic ALI MAFI - gay, Muslim and an Iranian president's worst nightmare. Expect down, dirty, and smart laughs as Gomez and Mafi take on 2007 in the queerest comedy event of the year. More information: Theatre Rhino



Mars Volta, the Eternals, Peanut Butter Wolf, Nobody, DJ Dennis, others
Bill Graham Auditorium, Civic Center
Monday, December 31st, 8 PM

A number of bands will take the stage during this New Year's Eve Super bash. More information: LiveNation



Comets on Fire and Triclops at Slim's
SOMA (South of Market)
Monday, December 31st, 9 PM

More information: Slim's



Mother of All New Years 2008
San Francisco Design Center, SOMA
Monday, December 31st, 9 PM

Featuring a balloon drop, champagne toast, chocolate fountain, hor d’oeuvres, DJs, go-go dancers, Cirque du Soleil-style performers, party favors, more. There's a lot to this event, so read all the details at: Mother of All New Years 2008



The New Morty Show at Bimbo's 365
Bimbo's 365 Club, North Beach
Monday, December 31st, 9 PM

With Connie Champagne and Vise Grip, Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys, Frisky Frolics, Ramshackle Romeos, the Girl in the Fishbowl. More information: Bimbo's 365 Club



Beach Blanket Babylon New Year's Eve Show
Club Fugazi, North Beach
Monday, December 31st, 7 & 10:15 PM
The longest running musical revue presents two New Year’s Eve performances. Guests receive champagne and Joseph Schmidt chocolate truffles. Second show ends at the stroke of midnight, followed by dancing. More information: Club Fugazi



New Year's Eve Carnaval Party
Pena Pachamama, North Beach
Monday, December 31st

Featuring Fito Reinoso, Sukay, Eddy Navia, Carla Zertuche’s Flamenco, Fogo Na Roupa Brazilian Samba, others. More information: Pena Pachamama



Hornblower New Year's Eve Dinner Cruise
Aboard the Hornblower Yacht on San Francisco Bay
Monday, December 31st, 8 PM

As the fireworks illuminate the sky, enjoy a New Year’s Eve buffet dinner, open house cocktail bar, including after dinner liquors and house champagne, festive New Year’s party favors, and a D.J. for dancing. Assigned Cruise Style Seating. More information: Hornblower Cruises



Top of the Mark - New Year's Eve Gala
Mark Hopkins Hotel, Nob Hill
Monday, December 31st, 6 PM

Four-course dinner including one complimentary bottle of Moët White Star Champagne per couple. Black Market Jazz Trio 6:00pm - 9:00pm Black Market Jazz Orchestra 9:00pm - 1:00am. The Mark is also offering several other related events. More information: Special Events at the Mark



Fairmont Hotel's New Year's Dinner
Fairmont Hotel, Nob Hill
Monday, December 31st

Full-course formal dinner with live entertainment. More information: The Fairmont



Phantom of the Opera in the Cathedral
Grace cathedral, Nob Hill
Monday, December 31st, 7 & 10 PM
Celebrate the New Year in grand style with a screening of the restored 1929 version of Phantom of the Opera, starring Lon Chaney in the title role. Famed New York organist Dorothy Papadakos will accompany the film on the cathedral’s renowned Aeolian-Skinner pipe organ. More information: Grace Cathedral



San Francisco Sinfonieta
First Unitarian Universalist Church, Geary & Franklin
Monday, December 31st, 8:30 PM

Beethoven's powerful Ninth Symphony performed in the historic San Francisco church. More information: San Francisco Sinfonieta



San Francisco Symphony New Year's Eve Gala
Davies Symphony Hall, Van Ness Avenue at Civic Center
Monday, December 31st, 9 PM

Ring in the New Year with a grand gala celebration. Michael Feinstein plays favorites from Gershwin, Kern, Berlin, and Porter. Enjoy party favors and complimentary champagne, savories, and desserts following the concert. Dance the night away on stage and in the lobby. When the clock strikes midnight, 2008 balloons cascade from above. Information: San Francisco Symphony



Sea of Dreams 2008
Concourse Exhibition Center, SOMA
Monday, December 31st, 8 PM
A costumed art and tribal event featuring live music by the Brazilian Girls, Kinky, the Vau de Vire Society, Madd Vibe Orchestra with Angelo Moore, Bassbin Twins, Syd Gris, others; a sculpture garden; a gallery maze; a bizarre burlesque; much more! Information: Sea of Dreams 2008



Wesla Whitfield and Mike Greensill
Plush Room, York Hotel
Monday, December 31st, 7 & 10:30 PM
More information: Plush Room



2) Taxis and Transportation

Important! First Read: Taxicab Crooks & Scam Cabs in San Francisco

511.Org - Complete S.F. Bay Area transportation information

San Francisco Taxicab Dispatch Numbers

Taxicab Rates of Fare

How to Spot a Real SF Taxicab - Beware of Scam Cabs! (.pdf)

BART's New Year's Eve Flash Pass

San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (MUNI)



3.) For the Hopelessly Wicked:



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Fifty years ago the young Queen Elizabeth II delivered her first Christmas Message and it was broadcast throughout the world on television.

In the photo: Queen Elizabeth II in a family room within Buckingham Palace, Christmas 2007

In 1957 television was a relatively new medium. "I very much hope that this new medium will make my Christmas message more personal and direct," she said in the 1957 broadcast. "That it is possible for you to see me today is just another example of the speed at which things are changing all around us."

Now, fifty years after that first message, the Queen has decided to broadcast her Christmas Message to the world on the Internet.

The video includes a black and white segment from her first 1957 message and some scenes of the Royal Family, as well as the Queen's 2007 Christmas Message.

Also read these earlier postings from this blog:
Queen Elizabeth II - England's Oldest, Longest-Reigning Monarch
and
The Queen's 60th Wedding Anniversary

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Oscar Peterson is dead at 82.

Peterson was one of the world's greatest jazz pianists. His career spanned seventy years and he performed with Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie and most of the great jazz musicians of the 20th century. Peterson won a Lifetime Grammy Award and was inducted into the International Jazz Hall of Fame.

Duke Ellington referred to him as "Maharajah of the keyboard," while Count Basie once said "Oscar Peterson plays the best ivory box I've ever heard."

Thank you, Oscar, for so many magical evenings and astonishing performances. Thank you so much.

If you're not familiar with Oscar Peterson's work, watch and listen to this performance:

Tesla Motors is reportedly raising $40 million in new funds to help it get its electric Roadster to a limited amount of customers in the first quarter of 2008.

The San Carlos company's Chairman Elon Musk told the Earth2Tech online site that the money is coming from him and other current investors.

The company has already raised over $100 million in funding.

Musk said the money is needed to help overcome a snag in the car's transmission, requiring it to find a new supplier. The first cars are now expected to have an interim transmission, which the company will swap out for another transmission later.

Founder Martin Eberhard was replaced as CEO last month by Ze'ev Drori, the founder of Sunnyvale-based semiconductor chip maker Monolithic Memories Inc.

This story was published in the Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal

To see the Tesla Roadster in action and hear the PC Magazine review of the car, watch and listen to this YouTube video:

Also see these related stories from this blog:

Tesla Roadster: You're going to Want One!

Chevy Volt and Tesla Roadster

Tesla Roadster and Steve Westly

What the blogs are saying about Tesla (from Tesla Motors)

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For those of you who live in the Ingleside District of San Francisco, I'd like to pass along this message from Captain Denis O'Leary of the SFPD. It seems there's a bad guy the SFPD would like to put in cuffs. If you can help them out, give them a shout.

Here's the story From Captain O'Leary:

On Wednesday, December 19, 2007 at about 8:40 pm an armed robbery occurred on the 400 block of Valley Street.

A resident parked his car inside his garage and was confronted by two suspects. One of the suspects was armed with a black pistol. The armed suspect demanded the victim's belongings and then struck the victim in the head with the gun. The victim complied with the suspect's demands but was stuck again with the gun. The two suspects fled and were seen entering a green pick-up with a green camper shell at Noe and Valley Streets.

The gunman was described as a black male, 18 to 25 years old, 5'8" tall and 160 pounds. He was wearing a dark baseball cap, a dark jacket with a hood and dark pants. His accomplice described as a black male wearing a white headband and dark clothing. There is no description of the driver of the truck.

The victim suffered lacerations to his scalp. He was treated at a local hospital.

Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact Inspector Wong of the Robbery Detail at or at . Anonymous information can be left on the Ingleside Station Tip Line at .

MIZAN DISTRICT, Afghanistan — In Mizan District this week, U.S. soldiers decorated their base with Christmas ornaments and helped locals celebrate Eid al-Adha — a Muslim holiday that is like a combination of Halloween, the Fourth of July and Thanksgiving.

In the photo: Afghan men from the Mizan District gathered together to celebrate Eid.

The three-day holiday, that ended Friday, celebrates God’s test of the patriarch and prophet Abraham, explained Parwaiz Noori, an Afghan interpreter working with 1st Platoon, Company A, 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, at Forward Operating Base Mizan.

Abraham prayed for a son but when he had one, God commanded the new father to sacrifice him. Abraham took his son Isaac to the desert to kill him, but God sent a lamb to sacrifice instead. Abraham had passed the test, Noori said.

In Afghanistan, gunfire at midnight traditionally marks the start of Eid. The 1-4 soldiers got into the spirit by firing mortars to light up a hillside above the Mizan District center.

“We have two Eids. After 30 days of Ramadan there is a three-day Eid (al-Fitr) celebration. Then 70 days later is ‘Big Eid’ or ‘Sacrifice Eid’ (this week’s holiday),” Noori said. “At Eid anyone who can afford to buy a sheep or cow should sacrifice it.”

In one small village in Mizan District, locals gathered by a riverbank to watch an old man slaughter several sheep with a large knife as part of the Eid celebrations. Muslims with enough money should travel to Islam’s holiest place, Mecca, Saudi Arabia, at Eid and sacrifice a sheep there, Noori said.

In Mizan’s district center, local security forces personnel and the assistant district chief ate lunch — meat from a cow sacrificed by the Afghan National Army that morning — with U.S. soldiers to celebrate the holiday.

The Afghans dressed in their best clothes, which included gold-threaded turbans and, in a younger man’s case, new jeans and a fashionable yellow shirt. Some men wore perfume and eyeliner and painted their fingernails for the occasion.

“On the first day of Eid we pray in the morning at the mosque. After Eid prayers everyone hugs. Then the elders of a street will start from the first house and visit each house to say, ‘Happy Eid.’ After that we visit relatives and go to parks and the children also go to houses and get cookies and sweets,” Noori said.

At FOB Mizan the 1-4 soldiers are preparing for a religious holiday of their own — they’ve decorated their dining facility/television room with a Christmas tree, tinsel and stockings filled with sweets and cookies from care packages.

One of the soldiers who lives there, Spc. John Yanni, 31, of Rockford, Ill., said that if he were home for Christmas this year, he would visit his parents or, perhaps, go sightseeing in Chicago. Instead, he put the holiday out of his mind and focused on his mission.“You have family back home who are thinking about you and I think about that from time to time. It’s just a hard feeling but you just do your job and get on with life,” he said.

The 1-4 troops will get a Christmas service from a U.S. Air Force chaplain, who is at their base for the holidays along with a chaplain assistant, U.S. Navy Petty Officer Suchon Yi, 28, of Yokosuka, Japan.

“I don’t think anybody likes being here for Christmas, but it is something I volunteered for,” Yi said. “I was curious to see how life was out here.”

This story was written by Seth Robson for Stars and Stripes.

In this story you will find all the links and resources you need before visiting San Francisco's historic Ferry Building Marketplace. Scroll down to the bottom of the story for the links. But first:

Here's a complete list of all the fascinating shops and stores in the Ferry Building.

Opening in 1898 on the site of the 1875 wooden Ferry House, the Ferry Building became the transportation focal point for anyone arriving by train from the East, as well as from all the East Bay and Marin residents who worked in the city. From the Gold Rush until the 1930s, arrival by ferryboat became the only way travelers and commuters—except those coming from the Peninsula—could reach the City.

Today ferry terminals operate at Larkspur, Sausalito, Vallejo, and Alameda with plans for continuing network improvements and expansion. Extensive renovation of the Ferry Building is now complete. The Ferry Building redevelopment represents approximately 65,000 square feet of first floor Marketplace space, and an additional 175,000 square feet of premium second and third floor office space.

The Marketplace, organized along the central Nave, provides a distinctive space for bringing together the greater Bay Area's agricultural wealth and renowned specialty food purveyors under one roof. The exterior and main public hall have been restored to their original grandeur for use by ferry passengers and the public at large.

Important Links You Will Need:
Ferry Building Marketplace
Shopping & Dining at the Ferry Building
Ferry Plaza Farmers Market
Marketplace Guide (download and print this .pdf format guide)
Port of San Francisco (official City government site)
Waterfront Visitor's Guide by the Port of San Francisco
Transportation to and around the Ferry Building and San Francisco Waterfront
Alameda-Oakland Ferry
Sausalito-Larkspur Ferry (Blue & Gold Fleet)
Vallejo Baylink Ferry
Alameda - Harbor Bay Ferry
San Francisco Bay Area Water Transit Authority
Complete Guide to All Ferry Routes - SF Bay Area Water Authority
Parking at the Ferry Building
Amtrak Passenger Service to the San Francisco Ferry Building
San Francisco Taxicab Phone Numbers and Rates of Fare (SF Taxicab Commission)
How to Spot a REAL SF Taxicab (Watch out for the illegal robber cabs!)

More about Herb Caen:
Herb Caen - Wikipedia article
Herb Caen - a Tribute from the San Francisco Chroncile

Recent stories from the blog that may interest you:
Presidio of San Francisco - New Developments (see what we have to offer you!)
Taxicab Crooks & Scam Cabs in San Francisco
Ice Skating in San Francisco
Harvey Milk Movie Rolls Back Time on Castro Street
Top 100 Restaurants in San Francisco Bay Area
Hotels Near San Francisco's Monster Park (Candlestick Park)
Naked Bodies, Hot Sex and Foggy San Francisco Nights


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CAMP PHOENIX, Afghanistan, Dec. 20, 2007 -- It was the "Show in the Snow" for the USO performers here today.

Navy Admiral Michael G. Mullen brought the Chairman's USO Holiday Tour to Afghanistan today. A C-17 carrying Robin Williams, Kid Rock, Lewis Black, Lance Armstrong and Miss USA Rachel Smith landed in snow at Kabul International Airport.

In the photo: Kid Rock performs at the USO Holiday Tour, Dec. 20, 2007. Photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley, USN. Click on the image to enlarge in a separate window.

The temperature was right around freezing, and snow was falling. After shows in Kuwait and Iraq, the change in the weather came as something of a shock to all.

The show was sticking to cars and the grass, but not to the road as the motorcade moved to Camp Phoenix. More than 2,000 servicemembers from all U.S. services and many of the 14 countries that mentor and train the Afghan National Army and Afghan police gathered in the snow to see the performers.

"This crowd is up," Williams said as he watched Black perform. The snow and the wet didn't dampen anyone's enthusiasm, and the show was one of the best so far in the trip.

This story was written by Jim Garamone for the American Forces Press Service.

Also read: Robin Williams Headlines Iraq USO Tour

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Last month a story appeared in this blog about the 60th wedding anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II and Phillip Mountbatten, Prince and Duke of Edinburgh. You can read the original story here.

Today Queen Elizabeth II officially became the oldest and the longest living monarch in the history of the British monarchy.

The line of kings and queens of England dates back to the sixth century. In all that time no British King or Queen was older and none sat upon the throne longer.

For more information about Queen Elizabeth II or the British Monarchy, try these links:

History of the Kings and Queens of England

Official Website of the British Monarchy

The Royal Family

The Diamond Wedding Anniversary

The Queen's 80th Birthday

The Royal Residences: Palaces, Castles and Estates

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Organizers for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund couldn’t ask for a more perfect winter morning for their annual Christmas Tree at the Wall ceremony.

The sun was shining bright, the skies were blue and the cold breeze was bearable on Thursday for the VVMF’s annual ceremony on the East Knoll of the National Mall.

A small crowd attended the ceremony to witness the decoration of the tree with greeting cards sent to VVMF from Americans of all ages. The tree was also decorated with handmade cards and ornaments made by school children and teenagers from as far as El Cajon Valley High School in El Cajon, Ca., and as close as White Oaks Elementary in Burke, Va. The ornaments and cards are dedicated to Veterans and active-duty military personnel. This year marks the 25^th Anniversary of The Wall.

“It is definitely a nice day but it wouldn’t have made a difference whether it rained or snowed because this event is held regardless of the weather,” said Lisa Gough, VVMF Director of Communications. “And this year we received more than 6,000 messages.”

Brief remarks were made by Navy Capt. Eugene Smallwood Jr. who shared a touching story about his father, Lt. Col. Eugene Fenton Smallwood, who was killed in the Vietnam War and is remembered on memorial’s wall. Smallwood remembers getting up early to catch his father in the act of putting him and his siblings’ toys together on Christmas morning.

“He always had a great explanation,” he said, “that Santa Claus was in such a hurry because of all the houses that he had to get to that he had come up, woke my dad up and had asked him to help put the toys together. And when we would glance over at the table, we would see that half of the glass of milk and most of the cookies were gone, we knew that Santa had been there and we had no reason not to believe my dad.”

Smallwood’s father was career Army Officer who served in WWII and the Korean War. Smallwood last he saw his father from the window of the Greyhound bus as it drove away, taking him to a summer scout camp in New Mexico.

“He was very proud of me because I had just achieved a rather distinguished honor as being one of the youngest Eagle Scouts in Northern Virginia,” he said. “I waved to my father on the way out. What I did not realize at the time was that it was the last time I would ever see him.”

With the ambition of moving up in rank, Smallwood’s father, 42, volunteered to accept an assignment with the military advisory team in Vietnam. He was killed two months after arriving in Vietnam.

“I can still vividly remember those two Army officers standing in our front door,” Smallwood said. “I can also remember my mom huddling up all the children, taking us down to the basement and telling us, ‘your daddy is not coming home.’ ”

VVMF founder and president Jan Scruggs reminded the crowd to take time this holiday season to remember friends whose name are on the memorial’s walls and those serving currently in the middle east.

“They are in great deal of danger,” he said, “and they are serving to keep us free and we just appreciate their efforts on our behalf.”

This story was first published in Stars and Stripes and was written by Rick Vasquez.