Wyoming on "Meet the Press"

Turned on "Meet the Press" this morning, and realized that Tom Brokaw was in Wyoming! He intertiewed Gov. Dave Freudenthal (D-WY)...I've met and interviewed him before and he's terrific...and Gov. Bill Ritter, (D-CO). "Meet the Press" was on location at Jackson Hole, the site of the Western Governors Association Annual Meeting. Brokow asked both governors about hotbbutton issues in the West, especially ones surrounding the race for the White House. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-CA) was also interviewed.

But again, pretty neat to see Gov. Dave on "Meet the Press." Tom Brokaw ended his interview by saying something to the effect of: "...and folks this isn't a set, this is real." Their backdrop was the Grand Teton.

Seriously?

Sometimes I wonder if all those relationship columns are serious...do they write them specifcally for people who have never interacted with people before? Or perhaps, some do say or act like what columns say not to do.

This column caught my eye, because the headline link read, "I Spent Time in an Institution: Things you should never bring up on a first date." Haha...seriously?

http://msn.match.com/msn/article.aspx?articleid=4375&TrackingID=516165&BannerID=54188&menuid=6&GT1=26000

Hear Me Out...

I hate to post a gripe on Friday, but...it has to do with bad drivers. Having lived in big cities all my life, I never really had to drive much. In San Francisco I took the train and Muni, in New York I rode the subway, and in China, I walked and biked. In Wyoming, you pretty much had to drive everywhere to get anywhere. But I hated driving in Wyoming sometimes, especially during the winters. I always griped about how people in Wyoming didn't know how to drive on the highways, streets...that semi's went 80 mph on I-25. All of that was true, but bad drivers are everywhere. So sorry to Wyoming drivers for singling you out. Haha. Seriously folks, don't you hate it when you're driving and cars merge onto your lane without signaling? Or worse...when they speed to get into you lane, but then drive very slow. I haaaaate that. (Okay, breathe May, breathe.)

Rings of Fire

California is on fire! On Saturday, the heat gave way to lightning and thunderstorms which sparked more than 400 fires. Northern California is covered in a shroud of smoke. Fire is everywhere.

It's a Scorcher

Another hot one, hot night, hot weekend. Didn't sleep much last night...too hot, and some of my neighbors decided to cool off at 2 in the morning by drinking beers and setting off small firecrackers. Yeah, very smart. California is sizzling. Friday was the first day of summer and the mercury rose to the ocassion. Unfortunately, the heat is making for ripe conditions for wildfires, and it seems we've had an early and active fire season already. So for people like my neighbors who set off those little sparkle sticks -- stop.

Gotta Love This Guy

I woke up on the wrong side of the bed today. It's been hot again here in California, which makes getting a good night's rest difficult at times. I woke up late, frantically got ready for work and sped my way to work. Is sped an actual word? Anyway, I caught an episode of The Daily Show, and I'm happy. I love Jon Stewart. This is a funny episode, he pokes fun at how reporters have been covering the Midwest floods, oh, and Steve Carell is the guest. Enjoy.

http://www.thedailyshow.com/full-episodes/index.jhtml?episodeId=173998

Oh Ikea...

I'd only gone in to buy a lamp. Who knew it would become a 2-day adventure. I'm talking about Ikea. It's been several years since I last visited the Swedish home-furnishings mega-store. I went with my brother to the Ikea in East Palo Alto yesterday and I'd forgotten how humongous it was. We got lost looking for kitchenware. I got my lamp, assembled it when I got home, only to realize that it only took Ikea bulbs. So I returned today right when the doors opened. I picked up some other odds and ends along the way, and couldn't find my way back to my cart. I made a mad dash through the multi-level store in my flip-flops. Another reason for my heightened sense of panic was my cell phone, keys and Ikea coupon (yeah!) was in my cart...plus, I kept on turning the wrong corner. The ending to this story, I found my way back home.

Tim Russert 1950-2008

By now, you would have heard that Tim Russert passed away unexpectedly Friday afternoon. I was at work when I first got news. None of my co-workers believed it. It hadn't crossed wires yet, nothing on the internet. But after 10 minutes, a ping sounded from my computer.

"NBC News has confirmed that Tim Russert, host of 'Meet the Press,' has died. He was 58."

I was -- and am -- still shocked. We sat there watching Tom Brokaw deliver the news of Russert on TV; his honesty and sadness came through as his voiced cracked at times during the announcement. I watched the special edition of Nightly News with Brian Williams, and I saw Charlie Rose's program last night: both were devoted to Russert. I cried while watching both the programs, especially Charlie Rose's. There will definitely be an absence felt on Sunday mornings.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/15/weekinreview/15leibovich.html?_r=1&ref=weekinreview&oref=slogin#

I Knew This Was Coming...

Harlem and gentrification. I saw it happen in San Francisco's Mission District and, to an extent, East Palo Alto. Interesting article in the Times today about Harlems "transformation. I especially like the quote from a neighbor: "...feta cheese instead of sharp Cheddar cheese. That’s a whole other world.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/13/nyregion/13journal.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Daredevils in The Big Apple

Another reason why I love New York.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/06/nyregion/06climber.html

Escape From Alcatraz Triathlon

(Photo courtesy of the BBC.)

It's that time of year again...two-thousand athletes competed in the "Escape from Alcatraz" triathlon in San Francisco. Participants swam 1.5 miles to the St. Francis Yacht Club, then biked 18 miles and finished off with an 8-mile run. This was the 28th annual race. This years winners were repeats from last year. Congratulations to and Leanda Cave from Mill Valley and Andy Potts of Colorado Springs.

I wondered from where the name Alcatraz came. According to the Federal Bureau of Prions Web site, "the name Alcatraz is derived from the Spanish "Alcatraces." In 1775, the Spanish explorer Juan Manuel de Ayala was the first to sail into what is now known as San Francisco Bay - his expedition mapped the bay and named one of the three islands Alcatraces. Over time, the name was Anglicized to Alcatraz. While the exact meaning is still debated, Alcatraz is usually defined as meaning "pelican" or "strange bird.""

More from the Web site: "By the late 1850s, the first military prisoners were being housed on the island. While the defensive necessity of Alcatraz diminished over time (the island never fired its guns in battle), its role as a prison would continue for more than 100 years. In 1909, the Army tore down the Citadel, leaving its basement level to serve as the foundation for a new military prison. From 1909 through 1911, the military prisoners on Alcatraz built the new prison, which was designated the Pacific Branch, U.S. Disciplinary Barracks for the U.S. Army. It was this prison building that later became famous as "The Rock.""

Perhaps you already knew this bit of history. A bit of a refresher course for me. :)

Pride Month

June is Gay Pride Month. Let's celebrate this and embrace this. I'm fortunate to have grown up in the San Francisco Bay Area to experience some of the events that occur this whole month. This is also the month when same-sex couples can legally marry. Last month, the state Supreme Court overturned Proposition 22, a ballot measure that banned same-sex marriage, and on June 17, couples can get gender-neutral marriage licenses and wed. (Unfortunately, there is an intiative on the Nov. 4 ballot to ban same-sex marriage in California, and if the measure is passed, it will overturn the state court's ruling.)

***On a side note, I forgot to mention that May is National Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Need to include that albeit a month late.***

Two Movie Recommendations

"Mongol" and "The Visitor." A.O. Scott reviewed "Mongol" in today's New York Times. Here's the link: http://movies.nytimes.com/2008/06/06/movies/06mong.html?8dpc

For "The Visitor," I teared up when I first saw the trailer at the theater. The Times has preview clips on the site, so you can get a glimpse of the movie's mood. http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/360770/The-Visitor/overview

Once Again...

...I lag on my blog posts. I do have a good excuse. Illness, catching up with errands...boys. I still have a slight cough, which my body happens to "turn on" during the most inopportune times. I feel bogged down with miscellaneous errands (mainly DMV license and registration and issues.) I need to do just cross off everything on my list and I'll be a happy camper, well sort of. I'm once again pining for NYC again; however, I am a bit hesistant with picking up everything and moving there. Ugggghhh! It's complicated...

Okay, I will write soon.