Travels of the Fighting Kitten

Saturday morning I was lagging after the Giants game I didn't wakeup early and my phone was ringing off the hook. I was planning to do some OT for work and I really needed to get there early but I didn't. When the weather is beautiful who wants to be stuck in a windowless room?

Fortunately, one of my tasks of the day was starting a 7 hour backup which can execute without human intervention. During the backup I took a break and headed over to the Eastside Alliance Malcolm X Jazz Festival, my favorite Oakland festival, great music and poetry plus a mellow crowd with familiar faces. I ran into an acquaintance from elementary school, that doesn't happened everyday!

I missed Amiri Baraka, but was able to see Black Dot Collective and the Brown Fellinis. Friends, conversation, entertainment and warm weather......that's how to spend a Saturday.
|

Friday, the sun finally came out, thank goodness, I was afraid the weekend was going to look like Thursday misty and wet. Work was fine, rather quiet, I was definitely living for the weekend and this evening I was going to enjoy my first baseball game of the season.

I met some of my co-workers after work at SBC previously known as PacBell Park for the Giants versus Oakland A's. game. I went to the stadium before the tailgate to pick up my chapper, the evening give away. Walking through the stadium prior to the game provided me the opportunity to enjoy the park without the crowds, seeing the pre-game players warm up and the vendors preparing their over priced goodies.

Afterward I walked to the stadium's parking lots and checked out the tailgate, my first tailgate experience. Everyone was hanging out around the car eating and talking. I was starving, hadn't eaten lunch again and boy I was hungry for a hot dog. I have them so infrequently that they're a treat. My co-worker who organized the tailgate brought tons of goodies, peanuts, cracker jacks, soda, chips I was in junk food heaven and to top it off I bought cotton candy.

Well the group was split between Giants fan and Oakland fans the Oaktown folks had their evening in the Midnight sun. The Giants didn't look very good, without Barry Bonds the fans seemed to lack at certain energy. I stayed true but my Giants but needed the energy of many to help pull them through. I was taunted that evening by rowdy A's fans but remember the words of wisdom "She who laughs last laughs best"

Revenge shall be mine and the three game series




Giants Pre-game warm-up -SBC Stadium


Looking for Barry -Giants pre-game warmup
|

The alarm rung this morning and for a moment I thought freak, how did I set my alarm on the weekend. Then I remembered today was Bay to Breakers Sunday and I needed to get up and get going.. My walking partner was late waking up so we actually started the run/ fun walk around Van Ness Ave. we missed the first 2 miles. For those who don't know Van Ness Ave. is a main passageway in San Francisco. It runs north to south; driving north will get you to Fisherman Wharf / Golden Gate Bridge. The Southern route will take you through various San Francisco neighborhoods, I believe it ends in the Mission District renamed South Van Ness.

Starting late was ok we traditionally finish the race early veering off the path to our neighborhood diner, the Video Cafe for breakfast. Today since we started late we actually finished the race by walking to Ocean Beach. For the majority of the participants Bay to Breakers is really an excuse for a nice morning walk and site seeing, there are folks wearing costumes, walking butt naked or sharing music from their homes.

I really like listening to the different types of music as we walk through San Francisco neighborhoods. I heard James Brown more than anyone else today but I also heard Parliament, Sex Pistons, and the Ramones so you really get a mix of high energy tunes.

The sun didn't come out today in San Francisco, at least not on the West part of the City. But we didn't get rain and the fog was a cool canopy as we transverse Golden Gate Park. Afterward, we relaxed with our meals
and cups of coffee a little sore but already thinking about next year's walk.


Hayes Street Hill, a horde of humans as far as the eyes can see


What's Bay to Breakers without a group of nudist jogging around?


My favorite political sign - Arnold in full Pension Raider Glory


Bison trying to sleep in Golden Gate Park
|

I went to see Crash tonight, I hesitant after reading the critics reviews which are pretty mixed. The first 30 minutes had me wondering if I was going to enjoy the film. I felt beat up by all the overt racism and the multitude of characters being introduced in the film. Also the scenarios are so over the top as the language of the actors. But the film comes together with so much power.

The acting throughout the film was top-notch, Michael Pena was wonderful and I got another chance to see Terrence Howard who is one of my favorite actors. The complexity of the script provides a good framework to explore racism as the central theme of the film. We see characters from different perspective and through them we can see ourselves and others we know. Sometimes people criticize films for not answering life questions. Crash isn't a film that will provide the answer or the means to end racism. But it does remind us how interconnected we are, how we judge others and focusing and holding on to anger can make us lash out and emotionally takes us down.

See this movie you'll have something to talk about afterward.
|

I'm finally getting over my Jet_Lag that took a little too long for comfort. Still working on transcribing the China trip. I've been busy organizing the pictures.

Hey check out the link and let me know if it's streaming properly

China Trip Photos (part 1)
|