Dem Bums Gone Rise Again!

Just when you thought the LA Dodgers were dead and gone, they come back! After the all-star break, the Blue Crew went on a bad run, losing 13 out of 14. Now they're in the midst of a nine-game winning streak and the team has found a whole new way of winning. Just when things were looking bleak, this team is back on track. With the Giants, Rockies, Padres and D-Bax playing mediocre baseball, the race to the finish in the NL West is about to get really interesting. Watch out Cardinals, Mets, et al -- this team is young, aggressive and pumped up!! With a nucleus of rookies and veterans, and the addition of guys like Maddux, Lugo and Betimet -- the Dodgers are rolling and poised to make a run. Jeff Kent who? Nomar who? We would like our injured vets to come back, but in the meantime the young kids are getting it done. It should be a fun MLB season the rest of the way!

It's Jerry Garcia Day Today in San Francisco

Today is Jerry Garcia Day in San Francisco. Jerry, as most of you probably know, was the leader of the Grateful Dead. He would have been 64 this week. Here is the press release on the event today:

On August 6th, 2006 the Excelsior Cultural Group, Excelsior District Improvement Association, and the San Francisco Parks Trust will present the 4th Annual Excelsior District Jerry Garcia Birthday Celebration (Jerry Day 2006) at the Jerry Garcia Amphitheater, located at 40 John F. Shelley Drive. Jerry Garcia, as most people know, was one of the biggest musical icons of our time, the leader of the Grateful Dead, and a native son of the Excelsior who grew up at 87 Harrington Street. This community celebration of Jerry Garcia originated in 2002 and has since gained a wide range of support across the Excelsior District and Southeast Community of San Francisco. Due to its success we are seeing a tremendous amount of increase in the use and awareness of the Jerry Garcia Amphitheater, as well as a great deal of positive press! Once again, we look forward to filling the Jerry Garcia Amphitheater with a great community event celebrating the Excelsior District's Native son - Jerry Garcia on August 6th! Stay tuned for details on some cool fundraising events in the near future. For more information (or to get involved) please feel free to contact the Jerry Day Committee at jerrydaysf@hotmail.com.
Fiscal Sponsorship for Jerry Day is provided by the San Francisco Parks Trust
Come and celebrate the life and music of Jerry in the Excelsior District, the neighborhood where he grew up!
Created By: Hitesh N. Chudasama

The Secret is Out: "The Girls Next Door" is NOT a True Reality Show

Angelina and I are hooked on reality TV. It makes sense -- I've always liked non-fiction more than fiction. It just seems like real life is so much more interesting than anything the human mind can conjure up. We like "Kathy Griffin -- My Life on the "D" List", "King of Cars", "Growing Up Gotti" and "The Real World", just to name a few. That's why I get upset when I see reality TV that isn't real. Several of the shows in this genre are frauds, because the stories are contrived and manipulated. There isn't any reality in many of these so-called reality shows. "The Girls Next Door", the story surrounding Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner's relationship with his three "girlfriends" -- Holly, Bridget and Kendra -- is a prime example of phony reality television. Hefner must have final say about anything that goes into the finished product, because this debacle is essentially a series of public relations videos for Hef. We see the girls hanging out with celebrities and assorted hangers-on at the mansion, running around in lingerie and skimpy oufits, doing photo shoots, going to parties and pretty much fawning over this rickety old man. You just know they're leaving out all the really good stuff. You mean to tell me that there aren't any catfights amongst three girlfriends? No animosity or jealousy? Does he actually sleep with these girls? (You don't have to show us, Hef -- just wink if you are!) And surely these beautiful young women have considered cheating on this old dood at least more than once. I hate unreal reality TV. This show smells, and it's not the girls' bath gel I'm referring to. "The Girls Next Door" is a bad home movie for Hugh Hefner. He should be watching it in his pajamas in the mansion's movie room for his and his friends' enjoyment only. The public should be spared this kind of drivel.