The San Francisco Chronicle continues to do its political chores for the entitled drivers of San Francisco with the tabloid style headlineand feature article whining on behalf of the motorists.
The San Francisco Chronicle needs a political spin attitude adjustment.
Hours before this incendiary and pandering to the motorists article was published an elderly pedestrian was cut down and killed by a motorist on the soon to be permanently car free Great Highway Park.
There is something mysterious and magical conveyed in this 1968 song at the height of the Vietnam war by San Francisco’s own Jefferson Airplane. Knowledge of and respect for the elderly is something today’s American social media reactionaries are unwilling to confront.
Even more disgusting than the Chronicle article are the responses to this tragedy on social media. Blaming the elderly victim for the carnage caused by the spoiled rotten entitled motorists.
Time Magazine had the effrontery to name serial liar and advocate of the most strident reactionary, some would call it, neo-fascist rantings is soon to become America’s President, again.
This is the same pathological liar who fomented an insurrection on January 6, 2021. He exhorted thousands of reactionary thugs to storm the American capitol and nullify the election he lost to Joe Biden. This criminal, now a convicted felon in New York State court, should be in jail.
Only in America could this convicted felon be President
Only in such a reactionary country could this criminal be elected President.
Only in America could an insurrectionist, rapist and convicted felon be elected President
January 6, 2021. Trump’s insurrection. A day which will live in infamy.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Hawk_Down_(film)The January 6, 2021 insurrectionists were no heroes. Just criminal thugs. Unlike those genuine soldiers who fought in the controversial failed 1992 extraction mission in Mogadishu, Somalia
Few if any of the learned WSJ editorial page audience are admitting that Trump is nothing more than a preening facsimile, akin to such extremist political parties as German the Alternative for Deutschland(AfD).
STOP THE AfD – photo Lee Heidhues
Elon Musk’s favorite German political party.The extremist far right organization currently polling at 19 percent in national polls. Prior to the February 23, 2025 election. Which was called following the collapse of the coalition government in Berlin. None of the German political parties will join in a coalition with the AfD.
It is beyond reprehensible that this Guy is going to be President, again. Look at Brazil where his soul buddy Jair Bolsonaro, who tried his own January 6th insurrection.
He’s been barred by Brazil’s judiciary from seeking the presidency for eight years for his abuse of power. Good luck with that in allegedly democratic America. Where the Republicans, the Courts and, yes, the Democrats bow down before this not so closet racist fascist.
Elon Musk, the world’s richest man and a close adviser to President-elect Donald J. Trump, on Friday December 20th endorsed Germany’s far-right party, a group with ties to neo-Nazis whose youth wing has been classified as “confirmed extremist” by German domestic intelligence.
“Only the AfD can save Germany,” Mr. Musk posted to X, referring to the anti-immigrant party, the Alternative for Germany, by its German initials.
In doing so, he is wading into German politics at a moment of acute turmoil, and at the very same time that he has wielded his influence in Washington to help blow up a bipartisan spending deal that was meant to avoid a government shutdown over Christmas. The German government recently collapsed, resulting in early elections, which are planned for next year.
German politicians criticize Elon Musk backing for far-right AfD
Anton Hofreiter from the Green Party called the AfD “traitors bought by billionaires” and “a band of fascists who have not only been bought by [Russian President Vladimir] Putin but are now being supported by a multi-billionaire-turned-right-wing-extremist.”
Asked about Musk’s comments, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said: “Freedom of expression also applies to multi-billionaires, but it also means that you’re allowed to say things which aren’t correct, and aren’t good political advice.”
Other German lawmakers from across the political spectrum criticized both Musk’s post and Weidel’s response, slamming “interference” and insisting that no other party will form a government with “fascists bought by billionaires.”
It’s a scary thought that Donald Trump will hold the fate of the planet in his hands, again.
Donald Trump’s the ultimate transactional guy. His understanding of global events only goes so far as his bank account. If there’s nothing in it for him his attitude is “I don’t care.”
I guess Trump never wanted to built a resort or casino in Damascus.
Trump may mouth the words “America First.” The reality In Trump’s world is, “Me, First.”
Excerpted from Associated Press 12.7.2024
WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump said Saturday that the U.S. military should stay out of the fast-escalating conflict in Syria, where a dramatic rebel offensive reached the capital and threatened the rule of Syria’s Russian- and Iranian-allied president. “THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT,” Trump declared on social media.
In his post, Trump said Bashar Al Assad did not deserve U.S. support to stay in power.
As world leaders watched the stunning rebel advance, with its potential to alter the balance of power in the Middle East, President Joe Biden’s national security adviser separately stressed that the Biden administration had no intention of intervening.
Trump says US should stay out of fighting in Syria as opposition forces occupy Damascus and Bashar Al Assad flees the country
“The United States is not going to … militarily dive into the middle of a Syrian civil war,” Jake Sullivan told an audience in California.
Sullivan said the U.S. would keep acting as necessary to keep the Islamic State — a violently anti-Western extremist group not known to be involved in the offensive but with sleeper cells in Syria’s deserts — from exploiting openings presented by the fighting.
The arrogance of Connie Chan is breath taking in piously claiming “She will invite proponents of of Prop. K to discuss if there is room for compromise.“
All San Franciscans who care about the environment and people’s democracy need to keep a vigilant eye on Supervisor Connie Chan.
This is the local ambitious politician who drove to victory as an environmentalist four years ago. Then proceeded to stiff the “progressives” who foisted her into office by 125 votes. Becoming the most car-centric and anti-environmental elected official in San Francisco.
Connie Chan’s hypocrisy is mind boggling.
It’s obvious that just reelected Supervisor Connie Chan has forgotten who won the citywide vote creating Great Highway Park by with a 55 percent majority.
Connie’s comment that she “will hold proponents accountable” flies in the face of reality.
Connie should be telling the opponents of Prop. K to stand down and shut up.
The people Connie should hold “accountable” are the screaming cadres of entitled motorists, a main prop in her successful reelection effort.Connie needs to tell these whiners to accept the will of the 55 percent majority.Connie has catered and bowed to the motorists since the day she took office as a Supervisor in January 2021.
Great Highway Park is coming. Soon.The message to Prop K opponents is simple. Deal with It.
Say, what??!! Sup. Chan “will hold proponents of Prop. K accountable the changes they proposed.”
The citizens of San Francisco cannot ever forget that it was Supervisor Connie Chan who has opposed Great Highway Park ever since it was closed to cars in spring 2020.
The citizens of San Francisco cannot ever forget that it was Supervisor Connie Chan who almost single handedly destroy JFK Promenade in Golden Gate Park. It’s a documented record that Connie Chan met with the lobbyist for the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco numerous times in their nearly million dollar effort to destroy JFK Promenade.
My message to the group of San Francisco west side spoiled rotten entitled motorists who are starting a Recall petition against Supervisor Joel Engardio.
Sore losers. All of them. Unhappy and refusing to accept the fact that the voters Citywide approved Proposition K on November 5th, 2024 with a 55 percent majority.
The creation of a Great Highway Park along the Pacific Ocean in San Francisco.
“Your involvement means the world to us, and we’re so grateful to have you on board. Together, we can make a real difference for District 4 and all of San Francisco.” The so called “world” is that of the spoiled entitled motorists. A group of sore losers who refuse to accept the 55 percent YES Citywide vote on Prop K..If you are unhappy with Joel Engardio vote him out in 2026. This misguided waste of taxpayer money when the City is staring down an 800M deficit is selfishness personified.
Quoted Language in blue border from the Recall website recallengardio.com and my response in the email seeking support for the Supervisor Joel Engardio Recall
Excerpted from the San Francisco Standard 12.3.2024
A group of Sunset residents is launching a campaign to recall Supervisor Joel Engardio over his support of Proposition K, the ballot measure to close part of the Great Highway that was successful in the November election but roundly rejected by his district constituents.
A recall petition letter, filed Tuesday morning with the Department of Elections, accuses Engardio of violating his “campaign promises of transparency” and betraying voters in his district.
Prop. K passed with 55% of the vote. But on the west side, including Engardio’s District 4, which encompasses the stretch of the coastal roadway affected by the measure, 64% voted against it.
The bicycle is now the motorists favorite political punching bag.
There was a time when the bicycle in America was a curiosity piece and the favorite delivery vehicle for another American icon, the morning newspaper.
Back in 1963 Frank Zappa, soon thereafter to become famous with his group The Mothers of Invention, appeared on The Steve Allen Show. His instruments of choice were a pair of bicycles.
FrankZappa earned enough money to allow him in 1963 to stage a concert of his orchestral music and to broadcast and record it.[11]: 74 In March of that same year Zappa appeared on Steve Allen‘s syndicated late night show playing a bicycle as a musical instrument[26][27]: 35–36 — using drum sticks and a bow borrowed from the band’s bass player he proceeded to pluck, bang, and bow the spokes of the bike, producing strange, comical sounds from his newfound instrument. – Excerpted from WIkipedia
A couple of years later Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention became musical icons. Their perhaps most famous album was the 1966 Freak Out! Which included the overtly political song “Trouble Everyday.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freak_Out! Composed after the 1965 Watts riots in Los Angeles.
It comes as a shock when I read the news that The Nutcracker may go a-glimmering this winter. Management and the unions are seemingly unable to reconcile their differences.
I am well familiar with The Nutcracker. It’s been an integral part of my family and cultural life.
Growing up in Pacific Heights, attending Town School.
The Town School annual Fall 2024 – About Town
Later living in Sausalito where I graduated from Tamalpais High in Mill Valley, my entire family was fully immersed in this holiday extravaganza. My mother worked at the San Francisco Ballet School. It seems every child with even a modest interest in dance was given a bit part in the cast. My sisters included.
Every holiday season The Nutcracker Suite by Peter Tchaikovsky blared forth in our home for weeks. It was a tradition that our family would go to the San Francisco Opera House on Christmas Eve morning to watch The Nutcracker Ballet.
Excerpted from The San Francisco Chronicle 11.27.2024
San Francisco Ballet’s contract for dancers and stage managers expires on Dec. 6 — the same day the company’s highly anticipated “Nutcracker” production is set to open — raising questions about whether the beloved holiday tradition will go ahead as planned.
S.F. Ballet’s “Nutcracker”
After five months of tense negotiations, the American Guild of Musical Artists says it has made limited progress in securing a new collective bargaining agreement for its members that addresses important issues like wages, safety and working conditions.
In an open letter posted on Tuesday, Nov. 26, union members said they were repeatedly told that the company’s budget does not allow for the requested changes.
“Management’s refusal to meaningfully engage with us risks the very foundation of what makes San Francisco Ballet one of the most respected ballet companies in the world,” the letter read.
San Francisco Ballet Artistic Director Tamara Rojo, left, talks with Yurie Pascarella and Dede Wilseyafter arriving at City Hall to attend the San Francisco Ballet 2024 Opening Night Gala on Jan. 24. Laura Morton/Special to the Chronicle
The union argues that current compensation classifies many dancers as low-income, as defined by the California Department of Housing and Community Development, in one of the country’s most expensive cities, and that the company’s refusal to meet their demands could threaten the future of the world-renowned institution.
The main points of contention include higher wages, guaranteed dancer positions to match the heavy workload, and protections for stage managers, who are often unpaid for overtime and work under strenuous conditions. The union also criticized the company’s use of unpaid student dancers from the San Francisco Ballet School to fill half the cast, though Ballet management says it has been long-standing practice to enlist students for minor corps roles.
Members of the San Francisco Ballet dance the role of snowflakes in Act I during a matinee performance of San Francisco Ballet’s “Nutcracker” at War Memorial Opera House on Dec.11, 2022. The company’s contract for dancers and stage managers expires on Dec. 6 — the same day the company’s “Nutcracker” production is set to open — raising questions about whether the holiday tradition will go on as planned.Laura Morton/Special to the Chronicle 2022
“We deserve a workplace that values professional standards — not one that relies on unpaid labor to cut costs,” the union said.
Benjamin Netanyahu has been indicted by the international war crimes tribunal. What will Germany do if The Israeli Prime Minister sets foot in Germany?
The German government is one of 124 countries who are members of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands.
Germany was perpetrator of the Holocaust which saw the extermination of six million, mostly Jews, during the Nazi reign of terror (1933-1945), Germany is in a tough position.
Since the Hamas terror attacks on Israel, which resulted in the deaths 1200 people, Netanyahu has led the ferocious reprisal against the people of Gaza. Nearly 50,000 people have been killed by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Supplied with American weapons.
There is no doubt unrepentant and compromising Netanyahu must be held accountable.
What will Germany do to hold the accused leader of the Jewish state liable for his war crimes?
Excerpted from Deutsche Welle 11.22.2024
The German minority government made up of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the Greens would definitely have preferred to avoid the issue, even if officials should have seen it coming a long time ago: The International Criminal Court in The Hague issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
The court said it had found sufficient evidence that both were complicit in crimes against humanity and war crimes as part of Israel’s ongoing offensive in Gaza. The military campaign began after Gaza-based group Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. An arrest warrant was also issued for Hamas military leader Mohammed Deif with the same charges, even though Israel says it killed Deif in July.
Germany is regarded as one of the biggest supporters of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, which began its activities in July 2002 and is supported by 124 states. However, it does not include globally important states such as the US or Russia.
What is important in the current case is that the court has no means of enforcing the arrest warrants itself. Member states — including Germany — are formally obliged to take wanted persons into custody should they cross their borders.
The Atmospheric River hit San Francisco, again. With a vengeance. After a three year absence.
A stormy fitting deluge on the 61st anniversary of the President John Fitzgerald Kennedy’s assassination in Dallas, Texas. Perhaps the higher spirits are sending us a reminder on this sad date. One of America’s darkest and most traumatic events in its violent history.
How do we remember the day? Trudging through the storm soaked streets near the Pacific Ocean to pick up our weekly cornucopia of fresh food from the San Francisco Marin Food Bank.
Liz maneuvered our well traveled shopping cart through the avenues and the flooded intersections to the distribution center at George Washington High School, several blocks from our home.
Liz with her heavy load of fruits, vegetables and a roasting chicken for Thanksgiving
Liz, the intrepid photographer, takes video of a flooded intersection
The #AtmosphericRiver has arrived. Prompting memories of torrential deluge 🌊 that occurred in late Oct 2021. Many crosswalks are now impassable🚶🏼♀️in my @sfgov ‘hood. This neglected @MySFPUC drain at Anza & 35th Ave intersection couldn’t take any more rain 🌧 It simply expired 👻 pic.twitter.com/zdU2gYi4cZ
Lee's Perspective 