Critical Mass Has Become a Pain in SF's A--!

The monthly Critical Mass bike ride will take place today beginning at 6 p.m., according to San Francisco police.
Critical Mass is a bunch of idiots who feel like they’re making a difference by riding their bikes recklessly, clogging up traffic, antagonizing drivers and pedestrians and basically acting like obnoxious a-holes. For some reason, they think they’re making some type of statement about freedom and independence and the supposed rights of cyclists. But, in the end, all they’re doing is pissing people off.
I have witnessed at least half a dozen Critical Mass rides and I’ve seen how the event has changed. I love to ride my bike as much as the next person. And I agree that drivers in this city treat cyclists like second class citizens. But, when you block traffic and threaten people, you’re not making a statement. You’re just giving drivers more excuses to treat you poorly. Critical Mass participants truly believe that they’re helping their cause, and I don’t doubt that many of them have admirable intentions. But, in the end, Critical Mass is looked upon by the general public as a critical pain in the ass.
What started as a noble experiment has deteriorated into an excuse for people to do stupid things under the guise of a protest. It’s become a dangerous spectacle and has achieved absolutely nothing.
The loosely coordinated ride, generally a monthly event for the past 15 years, will begin at Justin Herman Plaza at the end of Market Street. Motorists should expect some delays, police said, particularly in the downtown area.
The route is not announced ahead of time and is chosen at the start of the ride by consensus.
Police are now sending out alerts about the ride because of a situation that turned violent in March. As the bike ride came to a close around 9 p.m. on March 30, cyclists got into an argument with the driver of a minivan. The vehicle's back window ended up smashed; cyclists said the driver was driving recklessly and hit one of the bikers.
Critical Mass is an event typically held on the last Friday of every month in cities around the world where bicyclists and, less frequently, skateboarders, inline skaters, roller skaters and other self-propelled commuters take to the streets en masse. While the ride was originally founded with the idea of drawing attention to how unfriendly the city was to bicyclists, the leaderless structure of Critical Mass makes it impossible to assign it any one specific goal. In fact, the purpose of Critical Mass is not formalized beyond the direct action of meeting at a set location and time and traveling as a group through city streets.
Because Critical Mass takes place without an official route or sanction, participants practice a tactic known as "corking" in order to maintain the cohesion of the group. This tactic consists of a few riders blocking traffic from side roads so that the mass can freely proceed through red lights without motor vehicles becoming embedded in the body of riders, allowing the mass to act as a single large (or very large) vehicle. Corking allows the mass to engage in a variety of activities, such as circling in an intersection, or lifting their bikes in a tradition known as a Chicago hold-up. The 'Corks' sometimes take advantage of their time corking to distribute flyers.
Critics argue that the practice of corking roads in order to pass through red lights as a group is contrary to Critical Mass' claim that "we are traffic", since ordinary traffic (including bicycle traffic) does not usually have the right to go through intersections once the traffic signal has changed to red, unless issued with a specific permit or residing in jurisdictions where bicyclists have this right. Corking has sometimes translated into hostility between motorists and riders, even erupting into violence and arrests during Critical Mass rides.
Critical Mass has been the subject of criticism from authorities and motorists in the various cities in which it takes place.
Critics have claimed that Critical Mass is a deliberate attempt to obstruct automotive traffic and cause a disruption of normal city functions, asserting that individuals taking part in Critical Mass refuse to obey the vehicular traffic laws that apply to cyclists the same as they do to drivers of other vehicles.
In the San Francisco Bay Area, there have been several incidents of violence during Critical Mass events.
On the evening of March 30, 2007 in San Francisco, toward the end of Critical Mass, Susan Ferrando of Redwood City, CA claimed to have found herself in the middle of a group of bicyclists and tried to drive through them resulting in hundreds of bicyclists surrounding her minivan while her 11 and 13 year old daughters watched from inside. Ferrando denies striking a cyclist but claims they banged on the sides of her car, "keyed" the paint, and threw a bicycle through the rear window of the vehicle, causing $5,300 in damage.
On May 11, 2007, a similar incident occurred in Berkeley, Calfornia. According to a Bicycle Civil Liberites Union press release, a "motorist with his wife deliberately ran into the side of the monthly Berkeley Critical Mass bicycle demonstration" and caused approximately $3,000 worth of damage to bicycles. However, the driver and two third-party witnesses told police that the bikers threw their bicycles under the vehicle. Subsequently, Critical Mass participants pounded on the hood and windows of the car and the windshield of the vehicle was shattered.
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, in April 2007, requested that Critical Mass riders "police themselves." "It does the bicycle-advocacy community no good to have people that are aggressive and dispirit the entire movement,” Newsom said. “I would encourage the bicycle coalition to say, ‘Look, we don’t put up with this, enough is enough.’”
Police in Oregon and New York have cited concerns that Critical Mass may delay emergency vehicles, such as ambulances, due to the traffic disruption. An expert retained by bicyclists suing New York City gave the opinion that such claims are without merit.
Some bicycling advocacy groups have expressed concern that the controversial nature of Critical Mass and altercations with motorists could weaken public support for bicyclists. Though it does not condone incidents of violence and rudeness, the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition credits Critical Mass with spotlighting bicycle issues and aiding their efforts in advocating for cyclists.
In San Francisco, a splinter event known as "Critical Manners," was created as a response to Critical Mass. Critical Manners also rides through the city on the last Friday of the month, but in contrast with Critical Mass, the riders obey all traffic laws, such as stopping at red lights and signaling.
(Portions of this article were taken from Wikipedia.)

Branson Real Estate is Hot Right Now!

There is a beautiful place in Branson, Missouri called Stonebridge Village. They say it’s nicer than Tahoe, Yosemite, Lake Shasta, and Yellowstone Park – places like that. Branson real estate has really taken off within the last few years – it’s a great investment, unlike much of the real estate here in Northern California, which is overpriced big time. Stonebridge Village has a professional level golf course, nearby streams, lakes and is conveniently close to the Silver Dollar Theme Park on Highway 76. It was recently voted one of America’s Best Master Planned Communities. For the great mountain air and a wonderful place to be – think of Branson and think of Stonebridge Village.

It's Just a Matter of Time...For all of Us

I am going on my annual houseboat trip next week. This year it’s also kind of my 30-year high school reunion. Today I’ll be getting all the things I need to bring on my trip – sun block, lotions, sunglasses, snacks, and, of course, incontinence supplies. That’s right – don’t be shocked. Sometimes when you get out on that lake and have a few beers, incontinence supplies can really come in handy. I especially like the tranquility protective overnight underwear and the fresh again incontinence spray. These are outstanding products that I would very highly recommend. One day I’m probably going to have to use incontinence supplies every day. So I might as well get used to using them now.

Pit Bulls Get a Bad Rap

I have a 7-year-old pit bull named Shelly, and she is the most wonderful, gentle animal I have ever owned. She has never attacked anyone and doesn’t show any signs of aggression. I am so tired of people treating her like a vicious beast. The misconceptions about pit bulls are totally unfounded and most people buy into them without doing any research on their own.

I am so tired of all the frowns and negative energy that I get from people when they see me with my dog. Landlords and insurance companies are also prejudiced against pit bulls. Good luck renting an apartment/house or getting homeowners insurance if you own a pit bull. In Denver, you cannot even own a pit bull if you live within the city limits. If they catch you with one, they’ll put it to sleep, no questions asked.

The way a dog behaves, regardless of what type it is, depends on how the animal is trained. Responsible dog owners will spend the time and money to train their pit bull and will act responsibly in raising and caring for the dog. If you train your dog (it does not matter what breed) to be aggressive and a fighter, that’s what you’ll end up with. Just ask Michael Vick.

Here are a few of the most common misconceptions about pit bulls:

The locking jaw. The pit bull's ability to grab hold of a target and not let go dates back to its role as a Butcher's Dog controlling cattle by grabbing cows by the nose. This talent gave rise to the myth that these dogs have a specially engineered jaw structure that "locks" onto an object. There is no scientific evidence that pit bulls have greater bite power than many other large-breed dogs.

Fighters make good guards. If a menacing reputation can help keep a person safe, then pit bulls are a shoo-in. But historically they've been bred as human-friendly and aggressive to cows and other dogs only. They are not bred to hurt people!

Unfortunately, backyard breeding and hybridizing of pit bulls with large guardian breeds such as bull mastiffs and Rhodesian Ridgebacks may result in oversized dogs with the fighting skills of a pit bull and the aggressiveness of a guard dog.

Bad to the bone. There is no evidence that pit pulls are any more vicious than any other breed. In fact, in temperament tests on pit bulls for unprovoked aggression administered by the American Temperament Test Association pit bulls passed 83 percent of the time, which is above average.

A Jekyll-Hyde gene. When Seattle resident Heather Bauer was looking to adopt a dog last year, she was warned that a pit bull can "turn bad" at around 2 years old. Bauer decided on a Boston terrier. Like many myths, the warning is half-true. Pit bulls are extremely faithful and will not turn on anyone unless provoked, which is no different from any other dog.

"Most dogs begin to challenge for social position" at around 2 years old, says Dr. James Ha, an associate research professor in animal behavior at the University of Washington. "If behavioral challenges are anticipated and dealt with appropriately from the beginning, the dog quickly figures out their position and relationships and settles right down."

Outer Banks Vacation Rentals Are Tops!

Have you ever been to Outer Banks? I’ve had friends who have vacationed there and they have told me that the place is paradise. www.carolinadesigns.com has been providing vacation rentals for Outer Banks for more than 18 years! They represent only the very best, top-notch luxury beach homes for rent on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Their Outer Banks vacation rentals are in Corolla, Duck, Kill Devil Hills, Kitty Hawk, Nags Head & Southern Shores. On this You will find thousands of vacation home images, views, floor plans and much more when you visit their web site. Check them out and learn about one of the best-kept secrets in vacation rentals – it’s called Outer Banks!

Giada De Laurentiis: Cooking with Cleavage

There are some really great chefs hosting some amazing cooking shows on TV right now. They make great food and some of them aren’t too hard on the eyes. My fiancée won’t admit it, but I know she has a crush on Tyler Florence, who used to do a show called Food 911 on the Food Network and now hosts Tyler’s Ultimate. Whenever she watches his show, she starts to drool. And I have a feeling she’s not drooling over the recipes.

My personal favorite is Giada De Laurentiis. She makes wonderful dishes, primarily Italian cuisine, but she’s also really hot. One thing you’ll notice when you see her show is that she’s always wearing something featuring a plunging neckline. I’ve also noticed that they shoot her from above. Her producers aren’t stupid – they know that sex sells. That’s why you’ll never see Giada cooking in a turtleneck. Cleavage with a cleaver – it’s a winning combination.

I don’t understand why De Laurentiis isn’t as popular as Rachel Ray. Giada makes better dishes; her recipes are much more sophisticated, and she’s ten times better looking. Ray makes me ill with her corny lines and perky smile. Her 30-minute meals may appeal to housewives who don’t have time to cook, but any legitimate foodie won’t even eat that stuff, let alone cook it.

De Laurentiis has become a household name, and it's really not surprising. With an impressive background of culinary training combined with a unique personable charm, she has become a globally revered celebrity chef who continues to prove her skill and accessibility not only with her show on the Food Network but also with the great success of her cookbooks, "Everyday Italian" and "Giada's Family Dinners."

A multi-faceted personality, De Laurentiis has been a spokesperson for Barilla pasta for the past two years and recently forged an unprecedented alliance with the Pyrex Glassware brand, broadening the appeal of the brand to a younger generation. With much anticipation, De Laurentiis debuted her third cookbook, "Everyday Pasta" on April 3rd. This edition features family-favorite pasta recipes as well as inventive dishes using a variety of pastas.

De Laurentiis' first book, "Everyday Italian," showcases many of the delicious recipes from her cooking show of the same title on Food Network. As a follow-up to "Everyday Italian," Giada's second book entitled, "Giada's Family Dinners," quickly became a #1 New York Times best-seller. All three books are published by Random House/Clarkson Potter. Born in Rome, Giada grew up in a large Italian family where the culture of food was a staple in and of itself. As the granddaughter of film producer Dino De Laurentiis, Giada learned how to prepare many of the family's recipes, which were often made for festive gatherings.

After graduating from the University of California in Los Angeles with a degree in anthropology, Giada's passion for cooking remained. She eventually made the decision to commence a culinary career and began her professional training at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, specializing in both cuisine and pastry. Following, she returned to Los Angeles, where her training included positions at the prestigious Ritz Carlton Fine Dining Room and Wolfgang Puck's Spago in Beverly Hills. She also founded GDL Foods, a catering company in Los Angeles. Giada is one of Food Network's most recognizable faces.

Her half-hour daytime cooking show, "Everyday Italian," features quick, healthy and satisfying dishes using traditional Italian ingredients and techniques. "Everyday Italian" airs on Food Network twelve times a week at both 11:00 AM and 4:30 PM. This January, De Laurentiis successfully launched her new primetime television series, "Giada's Weekend Getaways." For thirteen episodes, De Laurentiis explores the various cultures within popular cities in and around the United States, such as Charleston, Santa Fe, Cabo San Lucas and Austin.

In June 2007, De Laurentiis will take her viewers on a journey abroad to dream locations, Santorini and Capri in a two-part special entitled "Giada in Paradise." De Laurentiis will explore the culture, food, and mesmerizing sights to these popular tourist spots. De Laurentiis also contributes as a judge on the wildly popular, "Next Food Network Star" and has the distinction of participating in a special 90-minute "Iron Chef America," competing with fellow chef Bobby Flay (marking the highest ratings the Food Network has ever received in the 18-35 demographic).

Giada's overall success and notoriety yielded her a role as spokesperson for Barilla, the world's largest producer and manufacturer of pasta. The relationship is an obvious one, combining Giada's love of traditional Italian cooking with the best products and ingredients available. Additionally, in a two-year product endorsement contract, De Laurentiis will partner with Pyrex Glassware, which shares a common appreciation for gourmet food and entertaining. This will mark the first time in Pyrex's 100-year history that it has contracted with a high profile celebrity to represent their brand. Following a guest stint as the "Today Show" correspondent during the 2006 Olympic Games in Torino, Giada secured a role as a contributing correspondent for the "Today Show."

Giada currently makes regular appearances on the nation's #1 morning show to highlight current trends in travel, cuisine and lifestyle. Giada currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband.

More Parrots

The parrots keep showing up 3-5 times a day across the street. It's become a neighborhood event. As soon as we spot them, we drop whatever we're doing and go out to see them. We've met a bunch of our neighbors who do the same thing. It's going to be sad when they stop coming by, probably within the next couple of weeks.

San Francisco is Going Bonkers for Bonds

The balls are being marked, City Hall is emblazoned in orange (see photo) and every move Barry Bonds makes is being chronicled throughout the world. Baseball fans, souvenir hunters and those who just want to be around baseball history will flock to San Francisco next week hoping to see Barry Bonds hit the big one.

The Giants slugger is only two more homers away from tying Hank Aaron's career mark of 755, perhaps the most well-known record in the world of sports. There’s a very good chance that he could break the record during a seven-game homestand starting Monday against the Atlanta Braves, Aaron's former team, and the jockeying for position to catch the home run ball at AT&T Park has already started.

The games next week against the Braves and the Florida Marlins are within a few hundred seats of being sold out, leaving fans with a hankering for history little choice but to wade into the online resale market or deal with scalpers on the street.

I hope Bonds breaks the record in San Francisco. Not because I’m, enamored with the guy, but because I believe it will be better for baseball. If he hits it in another city, it could be a very embarrassing situation. The fans will likely boo and it could get ugly. Bonds is a god in SF, but he’s not particularly liked by fans anywhere else in the country.

People are clamoring for these tickets for some simple reason – to see Bonds make baseball history. That has to be the one and only reason. After all, the Giants are in last place in the NL West.

"This is the hottest ticket sales have been since the All-Star Game," said Jennifer Swanson, spokeswoman for TicketsNow, which resells tickets to the public from licensed brokers. "It's reaching a fever pitch."

Seats in the arcade section behind the right field wall -- a common location for Bonds homers to land -- usually go for between $29 and $33, but they were being peddled online Friday for as much as $500.

The Giants still have standing-room-only seats available for some games for $10, team spokeswoman Staci Slaughter said, but those too are expected to turn into gold as soon as the Giants head home from their series this weekend in Milwaukee.

Tickets for games next week are selling for an average of about $80 at the various online sites, including the Giants' own Double Play Ticket Window, which allows season ticket holders to squeeze the ticketless masses for all they are worth.

Home run fever officially started Thursday when Bonds whacked two dingers into the ferocious winds at Wrigley Field during the Giants' 9-8 loss to the Chicago Cubs.
The blasts were his first in 16 days, and they awakened the slumbering national media.

"We definitely noticed an uptick in ticket sales after he hit the home runs," Slaughter said. "Everything kind of calmed down after the All-Star Game, and then he hit the two home runs, and my phone has been ringing off the hook."

Sean Pate, spokesman for StubHub, which charges a 10 percent fee to buy and a 15 percent fee to sell tickets on its Web site, said prime seats for next week's games are selling for upward of $300. He figures that's just the beginning.

"It's going to be very crazy," he said. "People are going to want to be there for the tying or record-breaking home run. When he's on 754, each game is going to be a premium game."
The Giants, San Francisco police and the Coast Guard are preparing for the craziness by beefing up security in and around AT&T Park.

The Giants normally sell several hundred standing-room-only tickets for big games, and many of those ticket-holders congregate in the arcade section. That's going to be harder to do this homestand, Slaughter said.

"We will be checking tickets for people with seats in that area and allowing in a limited number of standing-room tickets," Slaughter said.

All the baseballs pitched to Bonds now are stamped with a special logo for authentication. The fan who emerges from the inevitable scramble for the record-setting ball will be hustled away by security guards, Slaughter said.

"We want to make sure they are in a safe spot," she said. "If they want to watch the rest of the game, we will put the ball in a safe for them. It's really up to the person who catches the ball to determine what he wants to do with it. We usually meet with them and try to figure out if there is anything they would be interested in to trade for the ball, but this is going to be a pretty valuable ball."

Outside the park, people will be able to watch the game through the right field knothole fence for three innings at a time, the usual limit at big games.

The Coast Guard will keep an eye on the regatta of rafts, canoes, kayaks and other watercraft expected to congregate in McCovey Cove in case the record-breaking tater is a "Splash Hit." Bonds has hit 34 of those in his career.

There is no plan to have boaters preregister or to limit their numbers, as was done during the All-Star Game, said Lt. Anya Hunter, the spokeswoman for Coast Guard San Francisco.

Hunter said the Coast Guard's primary concern is the barge outside AT&T Park loaded with fireworks for the moment when Bonds hits No. 756. She said boats will be kept 1,000 feet from the barge.

"The problem with this event is we don't know when it is going to happen," Hunter said. "All of our crews out there are on alert, and everyone knows that this is pending, but they can't sit out and wait for days at a time. As soon we know that the fireworks show is going off or if there is a safety concern because of a large number of boats, then we will respond."

The record-setting home run will be a spectacular conundrum for a nation in which many people view Bonds as a cheater whose home run power is tainted by the use of performance-enhancing drugs, something the Giants slugger has denied doing knowingly.

Aaron isn't planning to show up for any of the games or, it seems, even acknowledge the record. But it still amounts to big business in the city by the bay.

"Just like the stock market, these games are hot, so people are going to start asking higher prices," Pate said. "It is going to be pretty busy around here for the next week or 10 days."

(Thanks to http://www.sfgate.com/ for some of the quotes in this article.)

A New Hoodia Diet Patch Will Suppress Your Hunger

I’ve tried all the diets. I was on the Isagenix program for a while, and it was actually very good. The one thing Isagenix could not do, however, was help suppress my hunger. I’m hungry all the time. I wake up hungry and I go to bed hungry. I’m hungry five minutes after eating. And it doesn't help that my fiancee Angelina is training to be a chef and makes all these great dishes all the time! So, I’ve decided to try something that has really worked well for many of my friends. It’s called a Hoodia diet patch and from what I’ve heard – it really works! It takes away your appetite so that you aren’t always thinking about food all the time. I’m going to give it a try and I’ll let you know how it works. Wish me luck. I know if I’m not hungry that I can lose what I need to drop (around 70 lbs.)

Yang Wins the Whole Ying

Jerry Yang, a 39-year-old psychologist who uses his professional training in his card-playing arsenal, won the $8.25 million top prize Wednesday at the World Series of Poker.

Hats off to Jerry Yang, the 2007 World Series of Poker champion. He beat the odds as one of the low-money participants entering the final table and took home a mess o’ cash. Anyone who has ever played poker knows how hard it is to win a tournament like this, and Yang did it in spectacular fashion.

The fact that he got into the WSOP by winning a $225 satellite tournament shows that anyone can gain the top spot in a sport where the common man is on the same footing with the established pros. Eat your heart out -- Hellmuth, Brunson, Chan and the rest of the clan!

Here’s how the Associated Press reported it:

Yang vaulted quickly from eighth to the chip lead soon after play began Tuesday afternoon.He knocked out seven of the eight other players at the final table, reminiscent of last year when Jamie Gold ran over his opponents. The main difference, Yang did it from the back of the pack."The only way I would win this tournament is to be aggressive from the very beginning and that's exactly what I did," he said.An ethnic Hmong who grew up poor in Laos, Yang said before the final table began that he would donate 10 percent of his winnings to charity, including the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Feed the Children, the Ronald McDonald House and his alma mater, Loma Linda University.He won his way into the main event from a $225 satellite tournament at the Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula and only began playing poker two years ago.Despite his 5-foot-3 stature - often standing up from his seat to move chips or stare down opponents - Yang was an intimidating force at the table from the beginning.He aggressively raised pots and became the first player at the table to go all-in. On the ninth hand, he forced Lee Childs, a 35-year-old software engineer from Reston, Va., to fold pocket queens, face up, on a board with a seven, four and deuce.Yang began heads up play with a giant chip lead against Tuan Lam, a 40-year-old professional online poker player from Mississauga, Ontario. Yang had 104.5 million in chips to Lam's 23.0 million.On the last hand, with a huge mound of cash deposited on the felt, Lam moved all-in with an ace and queen of diamonds and Yang called with pocket eights.When a queen, five and nine came on the flop, it looked like Lam, waving a Canadian flag, would be on the verge of a miracle comeback, making a pair of queens for the lead.But a seven on the turn and a six on the river gave Yang a straight, sealing a win in which he dominated the final table from the moment the nine finalists sat down."I've seen the miracles of God with my own eyes," Yang said. "I did a lot of bluffing, also."Lam, who earned $4,840,981 for his second place finish, was also a refugee who found his way to Canada from Vietnam. He said he'd be returning to his village, Bao Trinh, to help those who need it."I was patient and waited for the big hand, but the cards came out different," Lam said. "I have been through a hard life. And I will be going back to Vietnam and giving back."Play at the final table began at noon in Las Vegas and didn't finish till nearly 4 a.m.The finalists ranged in age from 22 to 62, and hailed from five nations: the U.S., Canada, Russia, England and South Africa. By birthplace, players also were from Laos, Vietnam and Denmark.Each had their section of fans in the audience, and the arena took on the air of the Olympics as supporters broke out into national songs every time their player won a big hand."The final table says a lot about the globality of poker and the globality of our fans," said Jeffrey Pollack, World Series of Poker commissioner for event owner Harrah's Entertainment Inc.Yang burst out of the blocks shortly after play began. But 31-year-old Dane Philip Hilm made a stand with a flush draw and a pair of fives on the flop, pushing all-in against Yang. Yang made the call holding an ace and king for a pair of kings and Hilm never improved, finishing ninth for $525,934.Lee Watkinson, a 40-year-old poker pro from Cheney, Wash., pushed all-in before the flop with an ace and seven, but Yang read through the show of strength by calling with an ace and nine and Watkinson fell in eighth for a $585,699 payday."I was playing for the bracelet," Watkinson said. "I wasn't going for third, fourth or even second. I wanted to make a play and be a contender."Childs, who quit his job a month ago to play poker for a living, finished seventh with $705,229 when he went all-in with a king and jack against Yang, with a jack and eight. Childs lost when an eight came on the turn.