Sam Spade's San Francisco

Eulogy for Senator Edward M. Kennedy

President Barack Obama

Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Boston, Massachusetts - Cardinal Sean O'Malley, OFM Cap, Archbishop of Boston, officiating

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Mrs. Kennedy, Kara, Edward, Patrick, Curran, Caroline, members of the Kennedy family, distinguished guests, and fellow citizens:

Today we say goodbye to the youngest child of Rose and Joseph Kennedy. The world will long remember their son Edward as the heir to a weighty legacy; a champion for those who had none; the soul of the Democratic Party; and the lion of the U.S. Senate - a man whose name graces nearly one thousand laws, and who penned more than three hundred himself.

But those of us who loved him, and ache with his passing, know Ted Kennedy by the other titles he held: Father. Brother. Husband. Uncle Teddy, or as he was often known to his younger nieces and nephews, "The Grand Fromage," or "The Big Cheese." I, like so many others in the city where he worked for nearly half a century, knew him as a colleague, a mentor, and above all, a friend.

Ted Kennedy was the baby of the family who became its patriarch; the restless dreamer who became its rock. He was the sunny, joyful child, who bore the brunt of his brothers' teasing, but learned quickly how to brush it off. When they tossed him off a boat because he didn't know what a jib was, six-year-old Teddy got back in and learned to sail. When a photographer asked the newly-elected Bobby to step back at a press conference because he was casting a shadow on his younger brother, Teddy quipped, "It'll be the same in Washington."

This spirit of resilience and good humor would see Ted Kennedy through more pain and tragedy than most of us will ever know. He lost two siblings by the age of sixteen. He saw two more taken violently from the country that loved them. He said goodbye to his beloved sister, Eunice, in the final days of his own life. He narrowly survived a plane crash, watched two children struggle with cancer, buried three nephews, and experienced personal failings and setbacks in the most public way possible.

It is a string of events that would have broken a lesser man. And it would have been easy for Teddy to let himself become bitter and hardened; to surrender to self-pity and regret; to retreat from public life and live out his years in peaceful quiet. No one would have blamed him for that.

But that was not Ted Kennedy. As he told us, "...[I]ndividual faults and frailties are no excuse to give in - and no exemption from the common obligation to give of ourselves." Indeed, Ted was the "Happy Warrior" that the poet William Wordsworth spoke of when he wrote:

As tempted more; more able to endure,

As more exposed to suffering and distress;

Thence, also, more alive to tenderness.

Through his own suffering, Ted Kennedy became more alive to the plight and suffering of others - the sick child who could not see a doctor; the young soldier sent to battle without armor; the citizen denied her rights because of what she looks like or who she loves or where she comes from. The landmark laws that he championed -- the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, immigration reform, children's health care, the Family and Medical Leave Act -all have a running thread. Ted Kennedy's life's work was not to champion those with wealth or power or special connections. It was to give a voice to those who were not heard; to add a rung to the ladder of opportunity; to make real the dream of our founding. He was given the gift of time that his brothers were not, and he used that gift to touch as many lives and right as many wrongs as the years would allow.

We can still hear his voice bellowing through the Senate chamber, face reddened, fist pounding the podium, a veritable force of nature, in support of health care or workers' rights or civil rights. And yet, while his causes became deeply personal, his disagreements never did. While he was seen by his fiercest critics as a partisan lightning rod, that is not the prism through which Ted Kennedy saw the world, nor was it the prism through which his colleagues saw him. He was a product of an age when the joy and nobility of politics prevented differences of party and philosophy from becoming barriers to cooperation and mutual respect - a time when adversaries still saw each other as patriots.

And that's how Ted Kennedy became the greatest legislator of our time. He did it by hewing to principle, but also by seeking compromise and common cause - not through deal-making and horse-trading alone, but through friendship, and kindness, and humor. There was the time he courted Orrin Hatch's support for the Children's Health Insurance Program by having his Chief of Staff serenade the Senator with a song Orrin had written himself; the time he delivered shamrock cookies on a china plate to sweeten up a crusty Republican colleague; and the famous story of how he won the support of a Texas Committee Chairman on an immigration bill. Teddy walked into a meeting with a plain manila envelope, and showed only the Chairman that it was filled with the Texan's favorite cigars. When the negotiations were going well, he would inch the envelope closer to the Chairman. When they weren't, he would pull it back. Before long, the deal was done.

It was only a few years ago, on St. Patrick's Day, when Teddy buttonholed me on the floor of the Senate for my support on a certain piece of legislation that was coming up for vote. I gave him my pledge, but expressed my skepticism that it would pass. But when the roll call was over, the bill garnered the votes it needed, and then some. I looked at Teddy with astonishment and asked how he had pulled it off. He just patted me on the back, and said "Luck of the Irish!"

Of course, luck had little to do with Ted Kennedy's legislative success, and he knew that. A few years ago, his father-in-law told him that he and Daniel Webster just might be the two greatest senators of all time. Without missing a beat, Teddy replied, "What did Webster do?"

But though it is Ted Kennedy's historic body of achievements we will remember, it is his giving heart that we will miss. It was the friend and colleague who was always the first to pick up the phone and say, "I'm sorry for your loss," or "I hope you feel better," or "What can I do to help?" It was the boss who was so adored by his staff that over five hundred spanning five decades showed up for his 75th birthday party. It was the man who sent birthday wishes and thank you notes and even his own paintings to so many who never imagined that a U.S. Senator would take the time to think about someone like them. I have one of those paintings in my private study - a Cape Cod seascape that was a gift to a freshman legislator who happened to admire it when Ted Kennedy welcomed him into his office the first week he arrived in Washington; by the way, that's my second favorite gift from Teddy and Vicki after our dog Bo. And it seems like everyone has one of those stories - the ones that often start with "You wouldn't believe who called me today."

Ted Kennedy was the father who looked after not only his own three children, but John's and Bobby's as well. He took them camping and taught them to sail. He laughed and danced with them at birthdays and weddings; cried and mourned with them through hardship and tragedy; and passed on that same sense of service and selflessness that his parents had instilled in him. Shortly after Ted walked Caroline down the aisle and gave her away at the altar, he received a note from Jackie that read, "On you the carefree youngest brother fell a burden a hero would have begged to be spared. We are all going to make it because you were always there with your love."

Not only did the Kennedy family make it because of Ted's love - he made it because of theirs; and especially because of the love and the life he found in Vicki. After so much loss and so much sorrow, it could not have been easy for Ted Kennedy to risk his heart again. That he did is a testament to how deeply he loved this remarkable woman from Louisiana. And she didn't just love him back. As Ted would often acknowledge, Vicki saved him. She gave him strength and purpose; joy and friendship; and stood by him always, especially in those last, hardest days.

We cannot know for certain how long we have here. We cannot foresee the trials or misfortunes that will test us along the way. We cannot know God's plan for us.

What we can do is to live out our lives as best we can with purpose, and love, and joy. We can use each day to show those who are closest to us how much we care about them, and treat others with the kindness and respect that we wish for ourselves. We can learn from our mistakes and grow from our failures. And we can strive at all costs to make a better world, so that someday, if we are blessed with the chance to look back on our time here, we can know that we spent it well; that we made a difference; that our fleeting presence had a lasting impact on the lives of other human beings.

This is how Ted Kennedy lived. This is his legacy. He once said of his brother Bobby that he need not be idealized or enlarged in death beyond what he was in life, and I imagine he would say the same about himself. The greatest expectations were placed upon Ted Kennedy's shoulders because of who he was, but he surpassed them all because of who he became. We do not weep for him today because of the prestige attached to his name or his office. We weep because we loved this kind and tender hero who persevered through pain and tragedy - not for the sake of ambition or vanity; not for wealth or power; but only for the people and the country he loved.

In the days after September 11th, Teddy made it a point to personally call each one of the 177 families of this state who lost a loved one in the attack. But he didn't stop there. He kept calling and checking up on them. He fought through red tape to get them assistance and grief counseling. He invited them sailing, played with their children, and would write each family a letter whenever the anniversary of that terrible day came along. To one widow, he wrote the following:

"As you know so well, the passage of time never really heals the tragic memory of such a great loss, but we carry on, because we have to, because our loved one would want us to, and because there is still light to guide us in the world from the love they gave us."

We carry on.

Ted Kennedy has gone home now, guided by his faith and by the light of those he has loved and lost. At last he is with them once more, leaving those of us who grieve his passing with the memories he gave, the good he did, the dream he kept alive, and a single, enduring image - the image of a man on a boat; white mane tousled; smiling broadly as he sails into the wind, ready for what storms may come, carrying on toward some new and wondrous place just beyond the horizon. May God Bless Ted Kennedy, and may he rest in eternal peace.

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The Public Affairs officer, U.S. Coast Guard District 11 Hdq provided this today:

The U.S. Coast Guard, California Department of Fish and Game's Office of Spill Prevention and Response, and other partner organizations completed salvage operations of the Tug Wenonah, which sank at its berth on Pier One of Treasure Island Aug. 17, 2009.

Global Diving and Salvage subcontracted American Bridge-Flour Joint Venture's barge crane, the Left Coast Lifter, to assist in the rising and disposal of the 300-ton tug, Wenonah.

The surfacing process included:

• Preventative measures taken to ensure integrity of containment boom and increase absorbent materials around tug.

• Two access channels dug under the hull of the tug, fore and aft of the vessel.

• Two 90-foot segments of chain capable of lifting 450 tons will be positioned under the tug and winched together above the vessel by a crane.

• Left Coast Lifter will raise the tug to the waterline.

Coast Guard Pacific Strike Team members boarded the tug and commenced de-watering, compartment-by-compartment.The Treasure Island Development Authority, a resource trustee, will oversee the disposal of the tug. The unified command oversaw cleanup of any further oil discharge that occured during the surfacing of the tug.

The Left Coast Lifter is a 400-foot long shear leg crane used in the construction of the new east span of the San Francisco - Oakland Bay Bridge. The crane can lift up to 1,873 tons.

More photos from USCG D11

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I met President (then Senator) John Kennedy as a school child. I cast my first vote in a presidential primary election for Robert Kennedy. Those brothers were great sprinters, but the marathon was undeniably won by the brother who became perhaps the greatest member in U. S. Senate history.

He was a faithful and supportive brother and he was a faithful and supportive defender of the American people. He loved and took care of us all. Many of us would not be alive today were it not for the Ryan White Care Act and other progressive legislative change that has come about because he lived.

The Kennedy Family and the American Family have lost our uncle Teddy.

- Tom Dunn, Sam Spade's San Francisco

Resources:

Please check out:
Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act - Ted Kennedy, a life called to service

Visit the official memorial website created by the Kennedy Family and staffers:
www.tedkennedy.org

Get updates on the funeral and family statements from a Twitter account maintained by staffers and family at:

Statement from the Kennedy family issued August 26, 2009:

“Edward M. Kennedy – the husband, father, grandfather, brother and uncle we loved so deeply – died late Tuesday night at home in Hyannis Port. We’ve lost the irreplaceable center of our family and joyous light in our lives, but the inspiration of his faith, optimism, and perseverance will live on in our hearts forever. We thank everyone who gave him care and support over this last year, and everyone who stood with him for so many years in his tireless march for progress toward justice, fairness and opportunity for all. He loved this country and devoted his life to serving it. He always believed that our best days were still ahead, but it’s hard to imagine any of them without him.”

Important Twitter note: The Kennedy Family has created a special Twitter account to cover the laying-in-state at the Kennedy Library, the funeral and personal messages and information from the Kennedy family directly. Find them on twitter at:

Important website note: The Kennedy Family also created a dedicated website and it is full of very good information. Go to: www.tedkennedy.org

From the White House:

As the new crescent moon ushers in Ramadan, the President extends his best wishes to Muslim communities in the United States and around the world.

Each Ramadan, the ninth month on the lunar calendar, Muslims fast daily from dawn to sunset for 29 or 30 days. Fasting is a tradition in many religious faiths and is meant to increase spirituality, discipline, thankfulness, and consciousness of God's mercy. Ramadan is also a time of giving and reaching out to those less fortunate, and this summer, American Muslims have joined their fellow citizens in serving communities across the country. Over the course of the month, we will highlight the perspectives of various faiths on fasting and profile faith-based organizations making real impacts in American cities and towns.

This month is also a time of renewal and this marks the first Ramadan since the President outlined his vision for a new beginning between America and the Muslim world. As a part of that new beginning, the President emphasizes that our relationship with Muslim communities cannot be based on political and security concerns alone. True partnerships also require cooperation in all areas – particularly those that can make a positive difference in peoples’ daily lives, including education, science and technology, health, and entrepreneurship - fields in which Muslim communities have helped play a pioneering role throughout history.

The President's message is part of an on-going dialogue with Muslim communities that began on inauguration day and has continued with his statement on Nowruz, during trips to Ankara and Cairo, and with interviews with media outlets such as Al Arabiya and Dawn TV.

As this dialogue continues and leads to concrete actions, the President extends his greetings on behalf of the American people. Ramadan Kareem.



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Let's get some of these local experts involved:

A few observations about Friday's (August 21, 2009) episode:

1) It was first noticed in the early afternoon in the Eastern part of San Francisco - along the waterfront. Is it coming from the Bay? A number of reports suggest so. However, there are a lot of official reports that came in early from the Outer Sunset and Outer Richmond neighborhoods. Either way - East or West - the finger points toward the Bay or the Pacific Ocean.

The source could be a chemical reaction caused by the introduction of some substance. If that turns-out to be the cause, then we need the Coast Guard out looking for the perps. The contact in San Francisco is USCG Sector San Francisco. They are the first agency we should be looking to. They have been saving lives and guarding the coast since 1790. They know what is going on in the Bay and along the coast. What do they have to report? Have they noticed anything unusual?

Or ... the source may be an algal bloom (Red Tide). Check out what the U.S. Global Climate Change Research Program says about the changes we can expect living along the coast. We're entering a whole new world.

If the cause is an algal bloom of some variety this may be one of many new experiences for humankind during our planetary climate change. The Scripps Institution of Oceanography, one of the most renowned on the planet, is a part of UC San Diego. Relatively speaking, that's right next door. I'll bet they could tell us if there is any strange anomaly along the Pacific Shelf.

2) The odor seems to dissipate quickly under a light breeze. That would suggest the smell is transitory - it's source is not present. That would suggest the smell arrived from ... the Bay? Some reports suggest the smell moved from the East toward the West. However, a number of early reports also came in from the folks living alongside Ocean Beach. If the smell is coming from the ocean it is reasonable that we would first detect the odor near the beach and alongside the docks of the Bay.

3) High tide on August 21, 2009 was at 1324 HRS (just about 1:30 PM). Do you think it's possible the high tide may have included some unwanted toxins or algal blooms? Has the Coast Guard observed anything unusual? What about the local fishermen - they are often the first to sense something unusual. Should we ask the fishermen?

4) What about the odor itself? Has the City consulted with an olfactory scientist and chemist to determine what kinds of chemicals might produce similar odors? That information might give us an important clue where to look. Olfactory scientists and chemists are easy to find in San Francisco. UCSF has one of the most highly respected Biomedical Sciences grad programs in the country.

5) This could be a warning sign for some potential future health issue. The San Francisco Department of Public Health is a key partner in one of the most advanced multi-agency disaster preparedness and medical services programs in the country. When that team goes to work there is a sudden influx of extremely capable medical scientists and medical professionals and technicians with a tenacity of purpose that makes pit bulls look like chihuahuas. What does it take to the pull the alarm and get those folks up and running? Maybe we should call in the A-Team if nothing else pans out and the smell becomes a recurring pest.
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Where to stay, where to park the car, what about transit, any good restaurants nearby? These are the questions not always readily answered - s0 - here you are - all the tips you need to make the 2009 Folsom Street Fair everything you want it to be - and a little bit more:

About the poster: click to enlarge in a separate window or tab

THE VENUE
When FSF began in 1984, the South-of-Market (SOMA) area was largely a collection of warehouses and railroad tracks. It was an isolated, out-of-the-way place for hot naked bodies to gather for a wild almost-anything-goes sex fest. Now, 25 years later, the railroad tracks and warehouses are gone. Today you will find million-dollar condos, fine-dining restaurants, the San Francisco Giants baseball park and the new multi-hundred-million-dollar UCSF Mission Bay medical research campus in SOMA, South Beach and nearby Mission Bay.

The venue is Folsom Street between 7th and 12th Streets. Take a look at the area through this . The area east of the venue becomes upscale. The area immediately adjacent to and west and south of the venue area is not so hot. Not much on Market Street either - which is north of the FSF venue area.

RESTAURANTS
Good news! Because of the very rapid development of San Francisco's SOMA area, there is a plethora of great restaurants all throughout SOMA - and most of them are ready, prepared and have rolled-out the welcome mat to leather and boots. Don't worry about dress codes. No sensible business person is going to turn away thousands of hungry visitors with big wads of green cash. Don't worry - we do this every year.

The best way to find a restaurant is through MenuPages, a great service that allows you to look over the menu of San Francisco restaurants before you go. Here are the MenuPages for SOMA restaurants within general walking distance of the Folsom Street Fair.

TAXICABS
We have a lot of taxi cabs in San Francisco. They are licensed, supervised and controlled by the City - BUT - there are also a number of scam cabs. These are unlicensed scammers who roam the City looking for suckers - who they drive all over the city and charge twice what they should. Watch out for these crooks! Take the time to read: San Francisco Taxicab Scams - Read this warning!

PUBLIC TRANSIT
It is difficult to walk more than three blocks in any direction in downtown San Francisco without finding a bus line, streetcar, trolley bus, lightrail or cable car. San Francisco offers an automated transit information system that you can access by telephone by punching 511. However - it's a lousy voice-recognition system and you will spend a lot of your time repeating whatever you say to the damn thing.

Better idea: You will be able to talk to a real person and get fast, complete and very helpful information - almost instantly - by calling 311 from any phone within the City and County of San Francisco. Try it: 311. You can reach the 311 website here.

TRAVEL AND HOTEL DEALS
The Folsom Street Fair has arranged some very attractive airline and hotel packages. Find them here. Also visit the official website of the SF Convention and Visitors Bureau for more deals and offers.

PARKING IN SAN FRANCISCO
..
Ellis-O'Farrell Garage, 123 O'Farrell St.
Union Square Garage, 333 Post/Geary
Sutter-Stockton330 Stockton/Sutter
Fifth & Mission Garage, 833 Mission/5th St. 415-82-8522
Four-Fifty Sutter Garage, 450 Sutter Street
Chinatown Portsmouth Square Garage, 733 Avenue
St. Mary's Square Garage, 433 Kearny Street, SF
Vallejo Street Garage, Vallejo At Powell Street
Embarcadero Center Garages,
Moscone Center Garage, 255 3rd St./Howard St.
Museum Parc, Third & Folsom St.
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FOLSOM STREET FAIR - Main website
Folsom Street Events, which produces Up Your Alley, Magnitude and Bay of Pigs, maintains a very complete website that will answer just about every question you have. Go directly to: FOLSOM STREET EVENTS.

Have fun!

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What is a tsunami?

A tsunami is a sea wave generated by an earthquake, landslide, volcanic eruption, or even by a large meteor hitting the ocean. (The Japanese word tsu means harbor; nami means wave.)

The following link illustrates how an earthquake along an ocean-floor subduction zone can create a tsunami: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/savageearth/animations/tsunami/index.html .

Basically, an event like an earthquake creates a large displacement of water resulting in a rise or mounding at the ocean surface that moves away from this center as a sea wave. These sea waves can move more than 800-kilometers (500-miles) per hour. As they approach land and as the ocean shallows, these waves slow down, making them grow in height (amplitude).

What are the sources for and examples of tsunamis that might affect California?

Though damaging tsunamis have occurred infrequently in California, they are a possibility that must be considered in coastal, and even deep-lake shoreline, communities. There are two sources for California tsunamis, based on distance and warning time:

Local sources - Relatively local earthquakes and landslides off the California, Oregon, and Washington coast pose the greatest threat of tsunamis that can reach California’s coastline in less than an hour. An earthquake on the Cascadia subduction zone, off the coast of northern California, could trigger a tsunami that could reach land within minutes. Earthquakes off the rest of the California coast (south of Cape Mendocino) take place mainly on strike-slip faults, and because the movement they generate is mostly lateral, tsunamis from local sources are less likely to occur because the ocean floor and overlying water is not typically thrust upward. For more information regarding tsunamis from the Cascadia subduction zone, go to http://sorrel.humboldt.edu/~geodept/earthquakes/shaky2_tsunami.html.

The more likely source of a landslide-induced tsunami is a large submarine landslide triggered by ground shaking from even a moderate earthquake in the coastal California region. There would be little time for warning about such an event so close to shore. An extreme example of a landslide causing a large tsunami is the rockfall at Lituya Bay, Alaska, in 1958. The water splashed 520 meters (1,700 feet) up the other side of the inlet, and a wave about 30 meters (100 feet) high was created. In California, a magnitude 5.2 earthquake in 1930 off of Redondo Beach is thought to have caused a landslide that generated a six-meter (about 20 ft.) wave. For more information about tsunamis from landslides and rock falls, go to http://www.prh.noaa.gov/itic/library/about_tsu/faqs.html#4 .

Distant sources - A tsunami caused by a very large earthquake elsewhere on the Pacific Rim could reach the California coast many hours after the earthquake. For example, the tsunami caused by the recent magnitude 9.0 earthquake near Sumatra caused a sea level fluctuation in San Diego of about 22 centimeters (8.6 inches) a day later in San Diego. (See the latest West Coast & Alaska Tsunami Warning Center bulletins at http://wcatwc.arh.noaa.gov ) The magnitude 9.5 earthquake in Chile in 1960, the largest earthquake ever recorded, resulted in a 1.6-meter (5.2-foot) wave that reached Santa Monica about 14 hours after the earthquake (http://wcatwc.arh.noaa.gov/web_tsus/19600522/runups.htm).

The most devastating tsunami to affect California in recent history was from the magnitude 9.2 Alaskan earthquake of 1964. Areas of northern California experienced a six-meter (20-foot) tsunami wave that flooded low-lying communities, such as Crescent City, and river valleys, killing 11 people. (The following link shows the travel time of the tsunami wave from the 1964 Alaskan Earthquake: http://wcatwc.arh.noaa.gov/web_tsus/19640328/traveltime.gif).

For more information regarding tsunamis that have affected northern California, see the chart at the following link: http://www.humboldt.edu/~geodept/earthquakes/tsunami!/n_coast_tsunamis.html.

The table appended to the bottom of this page contains information on some additional tsunamis in California from 1812 to 2000, compiled from the following website: http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/nndc/servlet/ShowDatasets.

How can I determine whether tsunamis are possible where I live, and what kind of warning could I get?

Tsunamis generally affect coastal communities and low-lying (low-elevation) river valleys in the vicinity of the coast. Buildings closest to the ocean and near sea level are most at jeopardy.

The OES provides generalized maps for projected tsunami inundation to coastal government agencies for emergency planning purposes (http://nthmp-history.pmel.noaa.gov/its2001/Separate_Papers/R-04_Eisner.pdf ). These maps are used as a basic guideline for what areas are prone to tsunami inundation. Efforts are underway by CGS and other organizations to consider the multiple tsunami sources affecting California in order to produce improved inundation maps.

In order to determine whether a tsunami has been generated following a large earthquake, scientists from the West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center monitor an array of buoys and tide gauges that measure vertical changes to the ocean surface (http://co-ops.nos.noaa.gov/about2.html#ABOUT ). If a potentially damaging tsunami is headed towards California, a warning can be broadcast through the Emergency Alert System and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Weather Service (NWS) Weather Radio (http://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/ ). Crescent City and the University of California at Santa Barbara have implemented a loudspeaker warning system to alert the public to the possibility of a tsunami. These monitoring and warning systems work ideally for tsunamis that are hours away from California.

In situations where tsunami-warning times are short (caused by nearby earthquakes or landslides), it is difficult for government agencies to identify and warn the public. Individuals should research their personal exposure and have a plan to evacuate if necessary. The public should contact their local city or county governments for help in determining whether they are at risk and what evacuation plans might be in effect.

Are there any warning signs of an impending tsunami?

One noticeable, but not universal, sign is the rapid receding of ocean water from the beach before the first tsunami wave hits. In many accounts (including the current Indian Ocean tsunami), this effect has caused greater loss of life because it became a curiosity that attracted people to the oceanfront.

Very strong ground shaking along the coast is an indication of an earthquake that could cause seafloor displacements and/or a submarine landslide large enough to generate a tsunami. Though many large earthquakes have occurred along the coast without causing a tsunami, you should still be aware of the potential and plan accordingly. In the event you are at the coast and feel strong shaking, it may be prudent to move to higher ground.

What should I do before, during, and after a tsunami in my area?

Education and preparation are the best ways to avoid injury and increase your chances for survival. Simply put, the best way to avoid a tsunami is to get to higher ground. Contact your local city and/or county government to see if they have an evacuation plan.

Check the following links for vital information regarding what to do before, during, and after a tsunami:

Are You Ready? by the Federal Emergency Management Agency:
English: http://www.fema.gov/areyouready/tsunamis.shtm
Espanola: http://www.fema.gov/spanish/areyouready/tsunamis_spa.shtm

What to Do When They Hit, by the National Atmospheric and Space Administration: http://observe.arc.nasa.gov/nasa/exhibits/tsunami/tsun_hit2.html

Tsunami Hazard Awareness by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/tsunami-hazard/tsunami_awareness.htm

Tsunami information by the American Red Cross:
http://www.redcross.org/services/disaster/0,1082,0_592_,00.html

Tsunami Safety Rules by the West Coast & Alaska Tsunami Warning Center:
http://wcatwc.gov/safety.htm

Links for additional information about tsunamis:

The following additional links will provide more information on the cause and effects of tsunamis, and help you determine your best plan of action during a tsunami.

General tsunami information:

Tsunami Hazard Awareness by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration:
http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/tsunami-hazard/tsunami_awareness.htm

Tsunami information by the American Red Cross:
http://www.redcross.org/services/disaster/0,1082,0_592_,00.html

Tsunami Safety Rules by the West Coast & Alaska Tsunami Warning Center:
http://wcatwc.arh.noaa.gov/safety.htm

Frequently asked tsunami questions answered by Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory scientists:
http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/tsunami/Faq/

Tsunami Event Database Search by the National Geophysical Data Center: http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/seg/hazard/tsevsrch_idb.shtml

University of Southern California Tsunami Research Group:
http://www.usc.edu/dept/tsunamis/linkspage.html

U.S. Geological Survey:
http://walrus.wr.usgs.gov/tsunami/

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San Francisco State University students got some bad news today. It came in the form of an email sent out to all registered students and copies to faculty. It's rough news in tough times.

Here it is:

This coming Friday, August 14, and the following Monday, August 17, SF State will be closed. This is the start of the furlough days - days on which faculty, staff and administrators do not work and are not paid - that will occur throughout the year in response to the enormous budget cuts imposed on all California State University campuses by the governor and legislature.

Every CSU campus is required to implement furloughs. Most full-time staff and administrators are required to take 24 furlough days in the course of the calendar year; most full-time faculty are required to take 18 furlough days on academic work days during the fall and spring semesters. These unpaid days off represent a 9.23% pay cut for employees. For SF State, the savings will be approximately $17.7 million, somewhat more than half of the budget reduction we need to make.

I am writing to let you know what our current furlough schedule is and what it means to you. In developing this plan, we sought first of all to minimize the impact on the academic calendar. As much as possible, we have scheduled furlough days adjacent to planned holidays, weekends or such closures as Thanksgiving break.

Eighteen of the 24 furlough days that staff and administrators must take between August 1, 2009, and June 30, 2010, are fixed. On these days, the campus will be closed, though the University Police department will be open. Staff and administrators will schedule their remaining six furlough days in consultation with their supervisor.

Six of these campus closures fall on days when classes were scheduled and represent fixed furlough days for faculty. The other 12 days that academic year faculty must take are flexible - to be arranged by each faculty member in consultation with her/his supervisor. Faculty will let you know when their furlough plans affect class meetings, office hours, and the like.

A few things to note at the outset:

Spring break has been moved. It is now March 29-April 2, 2010.

Library hours will change. Check this library Web site: http://www.library.sfsu.edu/about/hours.html for detailed and updated information.

Many offices, including student services, may have shorter hours on some days when staffing is lower than normal. If you have time-sensitive business to conduct, I suggest that you check with the office you need ahead of time.

Both faculty and staff will be taking furlough days in addition to the campus closures listed below.

Following is the current campus closure schedule:

August: Campus closed August 14 and 17

September: Campus closed September 4, 7, 8 (includes Labor Day)

October: Campus closed October 23 and 26

November: Campus closed November 11 (Veterans Day) and during Thanksgiving week, November 23-27.

December: Campus closed December 23-31

January: In addition to New Year's, campus is closed January 15, 18, 19 (includes Martin Luther King Day)

February: Campus closed February 19 and 22

March: Campus closed March 29-31 (includes the first part of spring break and Cesar Chavez Day).

April: Campus closed April 1-2 for the remainder of spring break.

May: Campus closed May 27-28, and May 31 (includes Memorial Day).

June: Campus closed June 1.

Our furlough plan, developed after extensive consultation with deans, chairs, the Academic Senate and others, is as balanced and responsive to student and employee needs as we could make it.

Furlough is an unprecedented action for SF State and it will be hard on all of us. Please know, though, that we will continue to do our best to minimize its impact on you, our students. I am confident that we will move ahead in the same positive and practical spirit that has characterized SF State in other challenging times.

-- Robert A. Corrigan, president

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Message to San Francisco Giants:

I know the Dodgers just busted us up a little last night, but maybe we should take a clue from their marketing people - even if we don't care much for the team - this IS a GREAT idea!

Here's a great little post from this today's LAmag.com

I know, I know—it feels like just yesterday we were flabbergasted by the idea of a truck serving anything more than straightforward tacos. But now, with sushi, burgers, dosas, fries, and everything else available curbside, why not Dodger Tickets? Today, the baseball franchise debuts its .

The mobile booth will travel around to different neighborhoods selling tickets to fans for upcoming games. You can, of course, follow its route on . The inaugural drive was captained by none other than Snoop Dogg. Awesome.

As of now, there are no plans to sell Dodger dog’s or $7 beers from the truck, but hey, you never know.

Kimberly Banford deserves to be on World's Dumbest Criminals. Some people are just too stupid for social networking. Get this:

Kimberly uses Twitter under the name @

On August 10th at 12:07 PM Kimberly tweeted: "Just got on MUNI and didn't pay. That's my inner Samsam :)" Great. Now we all know she is a cheapskate and a fare evader.

Today, August 11th she tweeted: "Just found $15 in the dryer! Woo!" So, if you're missing $15 and you live in Kimberly's building - you know who pocketed your money.

Two hours ago Kimberly tweeted: "I just stole my first parking spot! Ahh!"

Now the whole world knows Kimberly Banford (hopefully she is not using her real name) is a fare dodger and laundry money thief and a parking place robber. They are all minor little issues, but her acts tend to say so much about what kind of person she is.

If Kimberly ever decides to go out and get a job it is very likely that her prospective employers may want to do a Google search on her. Guess what's going to pop-up - - information like this. The prospective employer is going to read whatever is readily available on the Internet and, quite probably, pass over Kimberly in favor of someone who is a little more mature and a whole lot more honest.

Poor Kimberly. She doesn't get it.

When you front yourself off to the world as being dishonest in your daily affairs, that message is likely going to follow you around for years to come.

Don't be stupid. Watch what you tell the world. You may end up regretting it.

Privacy, as we knew it the the 20th century, no longer exists today. We all need to put on our thinking caps and come to terms with this new reality of the 21st century.

Remember: when you post details about your dirty little deeds and include even your photo - it is thrown out into the vast universe of the Internet. Who knows what use may be made of it!

By the way, I decided not to include Kimberly's photo, even though I could have very easily plastered her face on this blog. Instead I inserted the harmless Loser stick-men you see above. Kimberly, being the dim-wit, posted her own photo on her Twitter page - a snapshot of her in a head rag standing in a public bathroom - maybe not the best choice.

Had I chosen to include Kimberly's photo I would have created a permanent record of this young woman's early life that would have had the potential to follow her around for the balance of her life. Is that fair?

Well, "fairness" is not a part of the harsh new reality of social networking.

So, listen kiddies:

THINK . . . before you act!

Social networking may wreck your resume and ruin your future - and the only person to blame will be YOU!

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Capt. Bret "Pops" Batchelder made his 1000th arrested landing aboard a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier when he touched down on the deck of USS Nimitz. Few people on the planet have ever relaized such an accomplishment. Congratulations, Captain!

About the photo:

Capt. Bret Batchelder, commander, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 11, makes a high-speed pass in an F/A-18C Hornet assigned the Warhawks of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 97 over the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) before his 1000th arrested landing. Nimitz and embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 11 are underway for their scheduled 2009 deployment to the western Pacific Ocean. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Matthew A. Hepburn/Released)

About the Nimitz Group:

Nimitz CSG, commanded by Rear Admiral John W. Miller, is comprised of USS Nimitz (CVN 68), the guided-missile destroyers USS Pinckney (DDG 91) and USS Sampson (DDG 102) of Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 23, the Ticonderoga-class cruiser USS Chosin (CG 55) from Commander, Naval Surface Group, Mid-Pacific and the Perry-class frigate USS Rentz (FFG 46) from DESRON 1. Squadrons from Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 11 include the "Black Aces" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 41, the "Tophatters" of VFA 14, the "Warhawks" of VFA 97, the "Sidewinders" of VFA 86, the "Indians" of Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron (HS) 6, the "Black Ravens" of Electronic Attack Squadron 135, the "Providers" of Fleet Logistics Support Squadron 30 and the "Wallbangers" of Carrier Airborne Command and Control Squadron 117. Detachments from the "Easy Riders" of Helicopter Anti-submarine Squadron Light (HSL) 37, the "Battle Cats" of HSL 43, the "Wolfpack" of HSL 45 and the "Scorpions" of HSL 49. Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 11 and USNS Bridge (T-AOE-10) embarking the "Wildcards" of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 23 also accompany Nimitz CSG.

Nimitz was commissioned in 1975, making it the first Nimitz-class, nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in the U.S. Fleet. The ship is named for World War II Fleet Adm. Chester Nimitz.
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The Techgeist blog did a very good job putting into perspective the tsunami of bullshit offers flooding Twitter from half-wit marketers who irritate Twitter users. Now these plague-carrying rats are expanding their social disease to the publishing industry. Please - someone call Terminix and get rid of these cockroaches!

If you're new to Twitter do yourself a huge favor and take the time to read the following post:

Yes, that’s a real book cover, and it’s a real problem. In fact, this is one of many books on the subject of using Twitter for marketing. Just looking at the hurts my eyes.

If you have enough presence on Twitter, you’ll start to notice that a lot of the people who follow you are professional marketing people who have a big user following. If you follow them, you’ll receive a stream of updates on all the ways they believe that you can acquire new followers and make everyone love you and blah blah blah. As strange as it sounds given their invisibility in the real world, marketing types are probably the most overrepresented demographic on Twitter.

I don’t blame them. To them (and really to anyone else who stops and thinks about it), Twitter is a way of directly talking to people in an attempt to exert some sort of influence. In addition to using Twitter to communicate with friends, users post stuff that they think their followers will find interesting. Marketing people recognized this behavior immediately, so they decided to jump onto Twitter and use it to their advantage.

Immediately, the influence of these people can be felt as a massive annoyance to anyone who tries to use Twitter for something aside from acquiring followers. A lot of people send automated direct messages to people who they just started to follow because some marketing shlub made them think it was a good idea. AutoDMs are some of the most annoying things in the world. A lot of the people I communicate with on Twitter, including myself, have a standing policy that if we get autoDMs from your account, we will immediately cease to interact with you.

And that’s not to mention the content that gets sent out by these people. When I tweet a Techgeist article, sure, that’s advertising, but nothing so blatant as “11 Ways to Improve X, Y, and Z,” which always encourages you to go out and buy some book or pay for some service. I can’t imagine that there’s much of an audience for barrages of advertising, yet there are people whose entire Twitter identities is nothing but ads.

In a way, the fact that there are so many books on the subject of Twitter shows just how much more growing Twitter has to do: it’s like the mainstream flocking to the Internet has begun again, only this time it’s a flocking to Twitter. I suspect that a few years down the line, we’ll see the marketers begin to recede back into the waters from whence they came, but for now it’s really annoying. Perhaps the most ironic part of all this is that having millions of people proclaiming themselves marketing experts only serves to harm the businesses of those who are actually good at marketing. Sure, I’d be really interested to learn about marketing on Twitter effectively, but like hell am I going to pay attention to any self-proclaimed guru.

Original post from .

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I'm in the same age group as Cheech and Chong. I remember watching their first flick, Up in Smoke (1978) in the theater stoned out of my mind on either Acapulco Gold or Panama Red. I don't remember which. It's the only way to watch a Cheech and Chong movie.

Since then I've been puffing pipes.

I gave up on using paper when Zig-Zag wheatstraws went out of style. I've been using plain brass pipes. I keep a couple on hand. One seems always to be soaking in alcohol. The cleaning is always so messy.

But, now my life has changed. Oh, my, how it has changed!

Some friends of ours invested in a vaporizer and invited my husband and I (that's husband as in Registered Domestic Partner because the goddam conservative religious-nut Republicans in California won't let same-sex couples marry) to come try it out.

We really liked it and we bought one. It was a boxy-looking contraption in a wood housing that was touchy and not always successful. Still, it was less harsh than a pipe (even a new pipe with a nice fresh screen). But the boxy wood job was a pain in the ass to set-up and use.

Then came another call from our friends. They made another investment and this time it was a home run! We were introduced to the Volcano vaporizer by Storz and Bickel. I won't bother going into a description. Go direct to their website and see it yourself.

For the record: Screw the pipe, damn the papers - from here on out it's the Volcano for us!

The bad news: Volcanos are EXPENSIVE. Plan to pay about $600. (ouch! - but it is WAY WORTH IT)

Here's a good tip from our friends: forget about buying the smoke bags from the company. Save yourself some money (you'll need to after paying $600) and buy regular turkey-size roasting bags at the grocery store. They actually work better, last longer and are much cheaper than the factory stuff.

Storz and Bickel is originally a German company and in 2005 opened a production facility in Oakland. Their workmanship is first rate (German engineering!). The Volcano is tough, well-designed , durable and gets an overall rating of A-1 EXCELLENT.

Here's a map to Storz and Bickel if you're in a hurry and here's the rest of the Storz and Bickel contact info, including phone numbers.

Back in 2007 I posted a story in the blog about a UCSF study that said vaporizers are best. If you're into the science behind the whole thing, try this out:

Results of a UCSF study, which focuses on delivery of the active ingredient delta-9-tertrahydrocannibinol, or THC, are reported in the online issue of the American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (ASCPT) journal Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (must be an ASCPT member to access the Journal).

“We showed in a recent paper in the journal ‘Neurology’ that smoked cannabis can alleviate the chronic pain caused by HIV-related neuropathy, but a concern was expressed that smoking cannabis was not safe. This study demonstrates an alternative method that gives patients the same effects and allows controlled dosing but without inhalation of the toxic products in smoke,” said study lead author Donald I. Abrams, MD, UCSF professor of clinical medicine.

The research team looked at the effectiveness of a device that heats cannabis to a temperature between 180 and 200 degrees C, just short of combustion, which occurs at 230 degrees C. Eighteen individuals were enrolled as inpatients for six days under supervision in the General Clinical Research Center at San Francisco General Hospital Medical Center, part of the San Francisco Department of Public Health.

Under the study protocol, the participants received on different days three different strengths of cannabis by two delivery methods—smoking or vaporization—three times a day. Plasma concentrations of THC were measured along with the exhaled levels of carbon monoxide, or CO. A toxic gas, CO served as a marker for the many other combustion-generated toxins inhaled when smoking. The plasma concentrations of THC were comparable at all strengths of cannabis between smoking and vaporization. Smoking increased CO levels as expected, but there was little or no increase in CO levels after inhaling from the vaporizer, according to Abrams.

“Using CO as an indicator, there was virtually no exposure to harmful combustion products using the vaporizing device. Since it replicates smoking’s efficiency at producing the desired THC effect using smaller amounts of the active ingredient as opposed to pill forms, this device has great potential for improving the therapeutic utility of THC,” said study co-author Neal L. Benowitz, MD, UCSF professor of medicine, psychiatry and biopharmaceutical sciences. He added that pills tend to provide patients with more THC than they need for optimal therapeutic effect and increase side effects.

Patients rated the “high” they experienced from both smoking and vaporization and there was no difference between the two methods by patient self-report of the effect, according to study findings. In addition, patients were asked which method they preferred.

“By a significant majority, patients preferred vaporization to smoking, choosing the route of delivery with the fewest side effects and greatest efficiency,” said Benowitz.

Co-authors include Cheryl A. Jay, MD, UCSF neurology; and Starley B. Shade, MPH; Hector Vizoso, RN; and Mary Ellen Kelly, MPH, UCSF Positive Health Program at San Francisco General Hospital Medical Center.

The study was funded by the University of California’s Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research.

The General Clinical Research Center at SFGH is funded by NIH. The UCSF Positive Health Program is a program of the AIDS Research Institute at UCSF. The AIDS Research Institute coordinates all of the HIV/AIDS research, treatment, and prevention activities at UCSF.

Combining the best basic science, bench-to-bedside research, behavioral studies, direct care services, and policy development, the ARI at UCSF is one of the premier HIV/AIDS medical, education, and research institutions in the world - and it's right here in San Francisco.

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Join the Westin St. Francis and The San Francisco SPCA to toast the Dog Days of Summer with your two- and four-legged friends. Help us officially announce the 2010 Bark & Whine Ball (produced and supported by Critter Lovers At Work, The SF/SPCA's fundraising arm) with fun and games for you and your pet.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

6:30 pm – 8:00 pm

Westin St. Francis Grand Ballroom
335 Powell Street, San Francisco
(Special red carpet entrance on Post between Powell & Mason)

Tickets: $25 each*

Purchase Tickets Now

Dog owners and their four-legged friends will be treated like VIPS (Very Important Pets and Persons) as they enjoy:

• A red carpet filled with "pawparazzi"
• Music by DJ Josh Dukes
• Signature cocktails & hors d'oeuvres (Purina gourmet snacks for doggies)
• A fashion show sponsored by posh pet boutique Cheeko B.
• Photo portraits of the owners with their dogs
• An on-site adoption center hosted by the SPCA.
• A raffle to win a Westin Heavenly Dog Bed®
• Special "doggy bags" filled with goodies for you and your pet.
  
  

* Ticket price includes two specialty drinks and light hors d'oeurves.
Crowd friendly, leashed dogs are welcome.

Tickets must be purchased in advance; for more information, call The SF/SPCA Events line at or email us at .

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The San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) is hosting an open international design competition for ideas responding to sea level rise in San Francisco Bay and beyond.

Nearly every day, we learn more about sea level rise – one of the most critical impacts of global warming. Individually and collectively, people are seeking solutions to this climate challenge.

The issue of sea level rise is clearly of global importance, and both simple and complex design interventions will be needed to sustain quality of life, preserve the environment and ensure continued economic vitality of shoreline communities throughout the world. Challenges include:

• Rethinking how to build new communities in areas susceptible to future inundation

• Retrofitting valuable public shoreline infrastructure

• Protecting existing communities from flooding

• Protecting wetlands

• Anticipating changing shoreline configurations

At the intersection of rising seas and our coastal human settlements, your ideas are needed. The Rising Tides ideas competition is open to everyone. All are encouraged to bring forward their vision of a future estuarine shoreline that is applicable to San Francisco Bay and beyond.

To learn more visit the Rising Tides Competition website.

Also see:
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