Capitalism devours it own. Never mind that ThePeople need to eat.
Empty and abandoned. Where will the Safeway Western Addition shoppers go now?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AlbertsonsWith 2,253 stores as of the third quarter of fiscal year 2020 and 270,000 employees as of fiscal year 2019, the company is the second-largest supermarket chain in North America after Kroger. Albertsons ranked 53rd in the 2018 Fortune 500 list of the largest United States corporations by total revenue. Prior to its January 2015 merger with Safeway Inc. for $9.2 billion, it had 1,075 supermarkets located in 29 U.S. states under 12 different regional banners
Whether it be Safeway corporate greed, an epidemic of non-stop shop lifting or the failure of San Francisco leadership to guarantee a place for citizens to shop the reality is a 40 year neighborhood dining room table necessity is gone.
I took a walk by the site in the Western Addition today and it is a depressing view, indeed.
A large Safeway which would be packed with shoppers at midday now stands forlornly empty.
Empty deli shelves in the shuttered Western Addition Safeway
Safeway planned to shutter the store a year ago. Then Mayor London Breed, born and raised nearby in the Western Addition facing a tough reelection campaign prevailed upon Safeway to keep the store open another year. It was a short lived victory for all concerned. Mayor Breed was defeated last November. The supermarket is now shuttered.
The biggest losers are the customers, many of whom no longer have a readily accessible supermarket to buy their groceries.
Then Mayor London Breed in happier days at the Western Addition SafewayThe sign may read ‘STORE CLOSING – FEBRUARY 7TH (2025). It’s already gone.
ABC 7 SAN FRANCISCO REPORT WHEN SAFEWAY CLOSURE ANNOUNCED – 1.8.2024
SAN FRANCISCO – CORONATION OF THE AMERICAN NAZI REGIME
The felon Trump completes his Coup d’etat
Lee Heidhues 1.20.2025
“The Flag is Bleeding” Faith Ringgold (1967).There’s nothing else to say on this horrific day.
A San Francisco Chronicle article from December 2016 presciently predicted the future. J.D Vance “The Hillbilly Elegy” and Philip Roth “The Plot Against America.”
86 years later it’s really happening in America and not just for one night.
Elon Musk. Trump’s literal right hand man gives his Nazi salute.
January 30, 1933 in Germany – January 20, 2025 in America
SAN FRANCISCO – BALBOA STREET LUNAR NEW YEAR FESTIVAL
Lee Heidhues 1.18.2025
On a cool, crisp January afternoon in the Outer Richmond District of San Francisco a huge crowd turned out for the Lunar New Year Good Luck Parade.The Year of the Snake is fast approaching and this hip multicultural neighborhood wants to be in on the action.
There was plenty of action for a dedicated blogger to document.
Nearby the corner of 37th and Balboa where the speakers platform was erected for local dignitaries to address the throng
There were vendors, music and the to be expected contingent of local politicians.
San Francisco’s new Mayor Daniel Lurie, District One Supervisor Connie Chan, Board of Supervisors President Rafael Mandelman and Chief of Police Bill Scottjoined the festivities for a little hand shaking and politics.
A group of women beautifully dressed for the occasion.
A neighborhood resident greets Supervisor ChanA diverse crowd of all ages checked out the Lunar Fest.
The historic 99 year old Balboa Theater. A fixture in the outer Richmond District.
Chris Canning, Captain of the Richmond District Police Station chats with a young resident.
As night descended the Lion Dancers entertained.
The Lion Dancers on Balboa Street approach 37th Avenue.
The band with vocalists, keyboards and drums seriously got down for the crowd.A vocalist from the San Francisco Global Healthcare Lions Club rocked the fest goers.Michael Durand, publisher of the Richmond Review eyes the blogger
A car free space on Balboa Street between 35th and 39th Avenue
The evil anti-immigrant bullying Orwellian convicted felon Donald Trump presidency, act II, is soon to be a reality. The dispossessed and vulnerable are his targets.
Trump plans large immigration raid in Chicago on Tuesday – Reuters 1.17.2025
The People must refuse and fight the incipient Fascism of convicted felon Donald Trump and his thoroughly bought and cowed into subservience shameless MAGA Republican party.
Trump fascism will be in full force on Day One, January 20th in a day of total perversion of democracy. This racist thug will become President on Civil Rights icon Martin Luther King’s Federal holiday.
Now that Thug Trump is Triumphant he can unabashedly show his true colors with sycophant Steve Bannon, his Josef Goebbels, giving the salute
Can America’s version of the 1933 Reichstag fire in Germany, after which Adolf Hitler consolidated his power and began his 12 year reign of terror be on the near horizon?
Trump Officials Plan Immigration Raids in Chicago Next Week
The size of the planned operation is unclear, but it would be the opening step in the president-elect’s goal of overseeing the largest deportation program in history.
Even David Lynch couldn’t fathom and did not want to witness this fascist bully’s return to power.
While I only saw a couple of his films, ‘Lost Highway’ and ‘Mulholland Drive’ one song from ‘Lost Highway’ best encapsulates Lynch is wild, crazy, mind bending style.
‘You are the Perfect Drug’ written and performed by Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails specifically for ‘Lost Highway’.
Lost Highway is a 1997 surrealistneo-noirfilm directed by David Lynch, and co-written by Lynch and Barry Gifford. It stars Bill Pullman, Patricia Arquette, Balthazar Getty, and Robert Blake in his final film role. The film follows a musician (Pullman) who begins receiving mysterious VHS tapes of him and his wife (Arquette) in their home. He is suddenly convicted of murder, after which he inexplicably disappears and is replaced by a young mechanic (Getty) leading a different life.
The mainstream media and the political world is blazing with scorn.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who happened to be in Ghana when the fiery conflagration broke out, is being politically burned at the stake for the deadly disaster engulfing Southern California.
A typical headline.
“Stone-faced LA Mayor Karen Bass refuses to answer questions about absence as wildfires rage across her city“-New York Post headline – 1.8.2025
Of course the mainstream media, corporate world and their bought politicians are picking on the softest target. Why?
The mainstream goes hard after LA Mayor Karen Bass
The real culprits are the corporations. They have ruled California for decades and are responsible for the area’s water supply and fire prevention infrastructure.
More properly stated, criminal lack of it.
Don’t expect the billionaire class to be pilloired in the media or raked over the coals in any legislative investigation.
The luckless Mayor will be driven from office and the ruling class will breathe easier. If that’s possible in the toxic air of Los Angeles.
Excerpted from The People’s World 1.14.2025
LOS ANGELES—Remember the movie Chinatown?
That 1974 epic starring Jack Nicholson told how politics and greed, mixed with more than a little violence, led to a fortunate few early in the last century seizing control of the Los Angeles water supply at the time when the city was starting the sudden and phenomenal growth that has made it the nation’s second largest.
“People are gonna be mad when they find out they’re paying for water they’re not gonna get,” an undercover source tells the Nicholson character in one of the movie’s key scenes.
Which pretty much sums up the situation Angelenos—and, indirectly, the rest of us—now face: Despite spending millions of taxpayer dollars over decades to construct one of the world’s most-extensive infrastructure projects to transfer water from naturally rainy Northern California to naturally parched Southern California, there’s not enough available water to fight the monster fires now ravaging L.A.
The lack of the water needed to provide fire hydrants that provide water rather than fail has nothing to do with Mayor Karen Bass, as the new York Times and much of the corporate media claims but has much to do with corporate greed instead.
And climate change only makes things worse, scientists report. It’s fueling the out-of-control winds that have made The City of Angels a flaming hell on earth.
The fires have left federal, state and local Fire Fighters dazed, frustrated, short-staffed and exhausted, at least 23 people dead so far and sent billions of dollars’ worth of homes and businesses literally up in smoke.
The only things missing now that were in the movie are its violence, the ultimate identity of some of the biggest beneficiaries–Corporate farmers and, Greenpeace says, fossil fuel firms—and the downwind impact as dangerous smoke from the monster fires drifts eastward over the continental U.S.
SAN FRANCISCO – BACK TO THE FUTURE EDITION- JANUARY 11, 1968
Lee Heidhues – 1.11.2025
Peace demonstrators fill Fulton Street in San Francisco April 15, 1967 during their five-mile march through the city. The march winds up at Kezar Stadium where a peace rally will be held. San Francisco City Hall is in the background. (AP Photo/Robert W. Klein) Blogger Lee was there.
Liz reminded me this morning that it was 57 years ago today that while I inexplicably was dining with Vietnam war apologist Secretary of State Dean Rusk people rioted outside the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco.
Going Back – That’s how I feel composing this edition of Lee’s Perspective
I was a student journalist at San Francisco State University and went to the protest expecting to be amongst the protesters. Things worked out in a completely different way as my journal entry for the day memorialized.
JANUARY 11, 1968 – Journal entry – Fairmont Hotel SAN FRANCISCO
Well, of all the things to happen this is the day that it all occurred. For this evening well documented in nine pages of notes is my encounter with Secretary of State Dean Rusk at the Fairmont Hotel. A crowd of 1200 ate a fancy dinner and heard the Secretary defend our foreign policies. Sitting approximately 50 feet away and with a good view. An excellent one. I had one of the best experiences, ever. It all came about as Sam and I went to see a protest against Rusk at the Fairmont. The folks shouted and waved placards and the police stood about later engaging in some harassment. I went into the lobby which I thought would be closed to spectators. I said hello to the Time Magazine SF bureau chief who seemed in a hurry at the end of the hall. I saw a person scurrying about with tickets to the function. I inquired where he was going and he said to the banquet and invited me to come along. The folks were certainly well dressed and security types couldn’t really believe it but there we were with tickets. One policeman wanted to know where we got the tickets but had to let us go on. Once inside it was a grand room and the people we sat with at the tables were really nice. And even when the hostesses badgered us the folks at our table defended us. It seems we were the celebrities of the evening and I felt like some little kid meeting baseball stars. As we left the police outside did a real double take. I had on my boots, green corduroys, white sweater, suede coat and neck scarf. And that makes it one of the classic things of the evening. My companion Scott Johnson was dressed in tennis shoes though he had a sports coat on. After I met Governor Brown who looked harmless. More details are given in the nine pages of notes (since lost)..which are a historic memento.
Kezar Stadium in San Francisco where the peace rally was held. Groups came from Los Angeles and the Northwest to join in the march and rally. April 15th, 1967 (AP Photo/Robert W. Klein)
Luckily for me I was able to find an accurate accounting of what transpired outside on the streets of San Francisco.
“DEAN RUSK COME S TO SAN FRANCISCO” – Bruce Hartford
New York Times article – January 11, 1968
Pete Seeger covered the Country Joe and the Fish Vietnam War protest song ‘I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ to Die Rag’ in 1970. There were initially plans to release his version as a single. Some copies were sent out to DJs. But according to Seeger, distributors refused to handle it, and it was never officially released. It eventually found its way onto the Internet. It was also included as a bonus track on a reissue of his 1969 album Young vs. Old.
Top photo caption. Policeman uses his club to subdue a girl demonstrator at the Fairmont Hotel, San Francisco, Jan. 11, 1968. Demonstrators were protesting the Vietnam War while U.S. Secretary of State Dean Rusk was inside the hotel giving a speech. (AP Photo)
SAN FRANCISCO OUTER RICHMOND DISTRICT – BALBOA THEATER
Lee Heidhues 1.10.2025
The historic 99 year old Balboa Theater in the San Francisco outer Richmond district is the perfect venue to watch the biopic ‘A Complete Unknown’ chronicling the rise, circa early-mid 1960’s, of cultural icon 83 years young Bob Dylan. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Complete_Unknown
Sitting in the old theater on a January late afternoon with a group of mostly folks who survived the 1960’s was a magical mystery tour in the cultural way back machine.
There’s a lot of plot and music to unpack in this two hour-twenty minute extravaganza and it’s more than the continuous pulsating music. The old school Balboa Cinema does justice to the soundtrack with its hi-octane speaker system.
The iconic cover of 1963 ‘The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan’ with Dylan and Suze Rotolo walking through New York City arm in arm
Dylan’s professional and personal relationships with a number of people who influenced his career is explored; Pete Seeger, Woodie Guthrie, Johnny Cash, Albert Grossman to name several.
In all this is a fast paced film which is an illustrative and entertaining high volume look at the people, politics, culture and music of a long gone era.
A collection of Dylan music in The House of Heidhuesput together by Liz
Bob Dylan’s portrayal by Timothy Chalamet is almost too real. His impersonation of Dylan is realistic in the extreme. Timothy sings numerous Dylan classics and plays acoustic, electric guitars, harmonicas and more. Including a Kazoo in the great song “Highway 61 Revisited.”
Top photo. Liz stands in front of the Balboa Cinema marquee for ‘A Complete Unknown’after the movie. Liz helpfully directed two patrons to the nearby bus stop. They had traveled from a distant part of San Francisco to see the film at this neighborhood theater
It was a beautiful sunny day in Civic Center as the new Mayor Daniel Lurie was sworn into office and the large crowd feasted on lox and bagels in the City Hall rotunda.
A crowd of over 2600 people including Da Mayor Willie Brown watched Mayor Daniel Lurie be sworn into office. Followed by his inaugural address. Many of whom then entered City Hall for the food and music festivities.
Da MayorWillie Brown, dapper as always.
The crowd looks on at Civic Center Plaza.Service Employees International Union (SEIU) workers whose three months strike against San Francisco Hotels was settled with the intervention of Mayor Lurieshow their appreciation.The Philip and Sala Burton High School Marching Band performed in front of City Hall.Leung’s White Crane and Lion Dance Association entertained the inaugural crowd.Everyone was welcome at Mayor Lurie’s inaugural.The inaugural crowd in the City Hall rotunda.The SFJazz High School All Stars entertained the inaugural crowd in the City Hall rotunda.Mayor George Moscone whose life was tragically cut short by Dan White on November 27, 1978 as he sat in the Mayor’s office. After assassinating Mayor Moscone, the assassin walked to the Board of Supervisors offices where he assassinated Supervisor Harvey Milk.
The crowd waiting to greet Mayor Lurie in his office.
City Attorney David Chiu greets a well wisher in the City Hall South Light Court.Law enforcement was a heavy presence including this trio of bicycle riding SFPD officers
Willie Brown and blogger Lee in front of San Francisco City Hall
Inaugural attendees were invited to complete a ‘My wish for San Francisco’. This is Blogger Lee’s contribution.
Liz ’75’ and a hand crafted birthday card. Artistic creations by her dear friend Charly
An extensive blog post is coming.
As we were leaving the Museum late in the afternoon we talked with a woman visiting from “West Sonoma.” She asked where we are from and told us we are both “very chill.”
Lee created a birthday card for Liz. A work of collage art. It is a yearly tradition.
Native San Franciscan Liz and Urban Alchemy ‘Practitioner’ Chester, another native San Franciscan. Gave the birthday lady a big huga block away from the Asian Art Museum.
Lee couldn’t resist purchasing Liz a ‘Squid Game’ t-shirt – Begin the Next Game
The Hallyu exhibit included a ‘Selfie’ spot where Liz, showed off a pair of earrings given her by one of her Korean ESL students
Top photo – A collection of gifts and memorabilia from Liz’s birthday trip to the San Francisco Asian Art Museum.
Lee's Perspective 