Yes Oakland...

A friend of mine was talking via email about SF/Oakland and some of the comparisons between the two sister cities. I thought about it for awhile and then came up with the following observation. After I sent it to him he suggested I blog it. Thanks Lenny for the idea. Sometimes you need old friends to inspire.

Both cities are heavily Asian influenced, both have great restaurants.
SF has the Giant’s, Oakland has the “A’s”.
SF has great museums and Golden Gate Park.
Oakland has some cool hiking trails that go on forever and you can let your dog run off leash but you have to watch out for the deer and the cougars.
SF has better night life but Oakland has the Oracle Arena and Raider stadium.
The hills in Oakland are on the outskirts of town while the hills in SF run through the city and make it a challenge to walk around.
Oakland may have more crime but there are parts of SF that are not too close behind.
The weather in Oakland is far superior, with less fog.
The home prices in both cities are dropping fast.
Oakland has more Soul.
Alameda is an island oasis between the two with cute Victorian houses and great shopping, good schools and home values that are surprisingly holding their own.
That is my quick read on it.

The Times They are a changin

Recently I have thought about Barack Obama and how his election and upcoming inauguration as President has made patriotism an in thing, the new trend. This is the strongest surge of feeling American pride that I have witnessed in a long time. When you see this happening it makes one feel that there is something positive happening in our country and "we shall overcome" whatever problems we are currently facing. I was talking to a friend back in Brooklyn who has been keenly involved in this campaign about this observation. Shortly therafter this article by politiical columnist Robert Creamer made its way to my inbox.
He elaborates and elaborates but it is a good read.

Happy Inaugauration day everybody!

Political organizer and strategist: Robert Creamer
January 19, 2009

It just doesn't square with the right wing narrative. They painted Barack Obama as an unpatriotic, "terrorist sympathizing" candidate whose values are foreign to the American way of life. How could it be that his ascendance to the presidency should be the occasion for the new patriotic spirit sweeping America?
Yesterday on the mall in Washington hundreds of thousands belted out "This Land is Your Land" led by 90-year-old labor activist and folk singer Pete Seeger who was blacklisted in the 50s. The eyes of white middle aged working guys moistened as they listened to a black children's choir sing "America the Beautiful". And throughout the crowd -- even among the aging 60s activists who had struggled against the Vietnam War -- there was a genuine, deep admiration for the men and women who risk it all every day in our armed forces.
And it's not just in Washington. As unlikely as it might seem to the right, the election of Barack Hussein Obama has caused an intense feeling of patriotism to well up across the country. I think there are four reasons why:
First and foremost, Obama and his call to service -- to commitment -- has touched our most fundamental self interest -- our desire for meaning. Obama understands that to have a real sense of significance, you have to have a commitment to something outside of yourself. You have to be willing to sacrifice. The right wing's belief that if every one simply pursues their own individual interest the "invisible hand" will assure that the public interest is served doesn't work in practice -- a lesson delivered graphically by the 2008 crash of Wall Street. But more important, it doesn't address our overwhelming need to live lives that mean something.
Eight years ago, my wife, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, decided that -- as painful as it was -- she should attend the swearing in of George W. Bush. I accompanied her and sat with the other Congressional spouses. Most of the spouses that year were Republicans women who were decked out in diamonds and furs. Bush's speech was pretty unremarkable, with few applause lines - at least until he called for tax cuts. With that the fur bedecked spouse section leapt to its feet and gave the new president a standing ovation. How far we had come from "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country."
The last eight years have demonstrated that true patriotism isn't about xenophobia. It isn't about "where's mine". It isn't about Bush's call on everyone to "go shop" after September 11. Patriotism is about commitment to other people - and willingness to sacrifice for the common good. And that's why President Elect Obama chose to commemorate Martin Luther King Day- his last day before taking the oath - by calling on Americans to participate in a day of service.
Second, Obama -- his campaign and his transition - have been unequivocal in their willingness to hold up and unapologetically celebrate the principles that lie at the heart of traditional progressive American values: unity not division; hope and optimism not fear and cynicism; tolerance not prejudice; that it's the right thing to help your neighbor not just yourself; that we're all in this together -- not all in this alone.
They have refused to allow the right wing to claim the symbols of America for their nationalistic, exclusionary vision of "patriotism". Instead Obama has reattached those symbols to the traditional progressive values that have always defined what is best in America. In his new book, The Progressive Revolution: How the Best in America Came to Be, political strategist and author Mike Lux documents that tradition and challenges us all to be part of creating its next chapter.
Third, the new patriotism results from relief. Americans are relieved that they once again can be proud of the way their government acts in the world. Obama has pledged unequivocally to end torture, secret prisons, the practice of capturing people on the streets of foreign nations to "rendition" them (or disappear them) to other countries. He has pledged to end the Neo-Con doctrines of unilateralism and pre-emptive war. In other words he has pledge to return America to its standing as a moral leader in the world -- a country that holds fast to the principles of human rights - a country that understands that if our children are to be prosperous and free, the children of every nation must have that opportunity as well. Americans are relieved that in our dealings with the world, we have returned to the progressive principles elaborated by John Kennedy in his inaugural address 48 years ago:
Now the trumpet summons us again -- not as a call to bear arms, though arms we need; not as a call to battle, though embattled we are -- but a call to bear the burden of a long twilight struggle, year in and year out, "rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation" -- a struggle against the common enemies of man: tyranny, poverty, disease, and war itself.
Finally, the election of Obama makes us proud of ourselves. We are proud that we have elected the first African American president. We are proud that from the all-white "Norman Rockwell" communities of Iowa; to the roadside bar with "Rednecks for Obama" on the marquee; to the suburbs of Philadelphia -- our fellow Americans have been willing to put centuries of prejudice behind them. And we are proud that we have reaffirmed America's founding principle: that we are a society that truly believes that all human beings are created equal; that America truly is a society where every child, of whatever background, can aspire to be President of the United States -- or anything else he or she wants to be.
Tomorrow will be a day that Americans will remember for years to come. It will be a day when most Americans -- whatever their partisan bent -- will feel particularly good about our country. But it will also be a day when people around the globe look at America differently than they did the day before. And they too will be inspired that everyday Americans mobilized successfully to take our country back -- that America did not fail them. The world will celebrate that we chose to chart a future governed by the American principles that they have long admired -- not the arrogance and selfishness they had come to loath.
So tomorrow the celebration will not be limited to the mall in Washington, or the inaugural events that that exploded across our country. America flags will be waved by people of every background, on every continent. Tomorrow will be a day to be especially proud to be an American -- an American citizen of a new World.
Robert Creamer is a long time political organizer and strategist and author of the recent book: Stand Up Straight: How Progressives Can Win, available on Amazon.com.

The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll

William Zanzinger who is immortalized in a chilling portrayal by Bob Dylan dies of natural causes at age 69.

This ballad always gave me chills reflecting the injustice of this world.

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/09/zantzinger-who-inspired-bob-dylan-ballad-dies/?hp

Personal Photo of 2008

It is the road and open sky that is ahead of us. Last year at this time I would have never thought that I would making this life change. It is the unexpected path that has been placed before me and I have chosen to take the walk. It has been a long drive across this country and eventually landing on a warm, comfortable island in the San Francisco Bay. So far removed from the harsh New England winter that my people back east are being forced to endure.

Not only geographical has these changes been but also the abrupt lifestyle switch. Wrapped up in this upheaval is searching and landing a new Social Work job and now looking for a new home to contain our dreams for the future in these strange economic times.

We have been a part of a social shift in which we witnessed our country elect a new leader who promises change and hope. The task before him and the rest of our world is filled with risk. We are all on the road moving forward toward a new era that can provide challenges and hopefully rewards and an improved life for all.

My Chanukkah Miracle

I think a miracle is when the force perhaps G-D makes the impossible, possible. This is a very minor miracle if one at all, but I do have a story to tell.

After recently relocating I have felt displaced from my community. Hanukkah crept up in me and I found myself looking to purchase candles on the first day of the holiday. There were no appropriate candles to be found in several stores and supermarkets. I said if I can't find the Hanukkah candles I am going to move back east. In desperation I phoned the local synagogue and asked the voice on the other end if they knew where I could buy Hanukkah candles. He said they are hard to find here but he could give me a box if I got to the synagogue in 15 minutes. I did not know where the place was but I located it on the map and off I went. I found the temple with no problem and there at the front was the box and a man who introduced himself as the Rabbi. I told him of the problem and he asked me to not be a stranger and off I went content with the knowledge that we as a family can celebrate the Holiday.

I am not a particularly religious man but I enjoy the rituals and traditions that keep the culture alive through the generations. To me having successfully be able to follow them is important.

The other more significant miracle is the fact the we have made this transition into a new location and are adapting to a new life in here in California. Yes miracles do happen to people everyday if you are able to recognize them.

What does it take to be a creative genius?

Thinking wisely & creatively is not easy, but for some it just comes naturally. What separates them from the rest is perhaps not innate intelligence but the ability it sharpen their focus. To whittle down to the core of an issue and develop a real passion for what you are doing.
For instance doing extensive research on a subject uncovering minutiae and discovering new information that may rattle you to the bone.
People that tend to be smart but scatter brained often lack this ability.
This brings us to the modern day issue of multi tasking... Does this decrease our ability to do be as smart as we can or because we are doing so many jobs at once does this juggling cause many to be a jack of all trades but master of none?

Tangential Offerings

There is a certain serendipity when people are connected by parallel lives who concurrently experience similar transitions. In this case two separate folks who have emigrated from New England with it's mirror frozen ponds, powdery snow and clear blue skies to islands with more temperate climates.

One in the Florida Keys so close to the musical Caribbean the other living in the SF bay reflecting Pacific sunlight.

The words laid down by both look at their island with their own senses seeing the beauty of life's metamorphosis's.

Steve is an old friend of mine from the days when are kids were young and we spent many summer hours floating in the thick lake water up in Goshen MA.

FM AUSTIN is my lifes companion who propels us in this current chapter.

~Stephen A. Rozwenc~

island sunrise
voluptuously mauve
a vague horizon invites the raindrop’s prelude
of ivory keys
trebling coral relief

the supine breathed as fish
breath water
as a wish reveals tangential offerings
to unburden clouds

no doubt
almost lushly imagined reef umbels
that release
3 promontories the size of desire’s shadowy embrace

their dressy moon profiles
encircling us
in belief

Only sometimes, not today

I see the shining ripples
Gleaming, shimmering
Through my vertical blinds
A secret paradise
We never knew
Until now

The water is cold
But swimmers dip an occasional foot or hand
Into the gray blue bay
A heron sits
Waiting for a fish
While I walk by, my eyes stunned by the sights
And sounds of alameda

Warmth replaces frigid winter, so distant
Yet so close to my whole thought
Do I have a regret to have left hearth and home so far across
Only sometimes and not today

FM AUSTIN

My Alameda

Although I am not soaring over San Francisco Bay I am living the high life in Alameda.
This is a wonderful island with all the imaginable amenities. I have had positive experiences with everyone that I meet. Not a rotten apple in the bunch so far.
I have explored most of the island from coast to marina, visited the inland lagoon and seen the colorful houses in its interior all by bicycle. There is even a more rural island connected by a bike path bridge which brings me along a a quiet country road eventually reaching a spot called Bay Island Point. Reminiscent of Race Point in P-Town except the horizon here exposes the San Francisco skyline.
Even the dogs have made an adjustment enjoying socializing at the dog park where they help introduce me to new friends.
Reality that I live here has not yet set in so when it does please do not wake me up.

A TIME FOR HOPE

I have been taken a break from my new life and am thinking hard about the election which has left us at a time with renewed hope but due to circumstances much less money in our pockets.
Will hope bring good food on the table perhaps eventually
I am very concerned about this concept because although it is a good feeling it can lead to disaster. In Greek myth, when Pandora opened her box, she let out all the evils except one: hope. The Greeks considered hope dangerous; its bedfellow can be delusion. Nietzsche later saw hope as the evil that prolongs human torment.
I have been corresponding with many people about the election and so many are elated, a few are most cautious saying that Obama is only man and that the future we face is filled with many dangers. Some foreseen others deeply hidden.
I trust my instincts about these winds of change and keep an eye out for the sun because at the end of the day it always sets but in the morning it rises.

ALAMEDA CALIFORNIA

Alameda is an Island located in the San Francisco bay, between SF and Oakland. It is about 23 square miles. The city has a small-town feel with its Victorian homes and tree-lined neighborhoods. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 72,259.

Even though the island is just minutes off Interstate 880, the speed limit for the city is 25 mph (40 km/h) on almost every road.

Due to its proximity to the Bay, wind surfers and kite surfers can often be seen along Crown Memorial State Beach and Shoreline Drive. From the beach there are also views of the San Francisco skyline and the San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge

Alameda is known for its large stock of Victorian houses; 9% of all single-family houses (1500) in Alameda are Victorians, and many more have been divided into two to four-unit dwellings.[9] It is said that Alameda has more pre-1906 earthquake era homes than any other city in the Bay Area.
Alameda is home to the official offices and training facility of the Oakland Raiders American football team. The training facility features practice fields, a full- featured weight room, locker room, player meeting rooms, an auditorium, a state-of-the-art television studio and spacious offices and is also home to The Raider Image, the merchandise arm of the franchise, to which all the public can visit.

NBA Star Jason Kidd attended Saint Joseph Notre Dame High School in Alameda.

At this point I am proud to say that we are residents of Alameda.

Arrival

Plants have the capability to adapt and grow out of rock. All that may be required to sustain their life is sun, minium nutrition and occasional bursts of water.

I respect the plant because I have survived and prospered during this mid life cross country journey. People that we encountered during the past 3700 miles seem astonished as I watch their jaw drop, asking me all sort of questions. Some need a brief lesson in geography, others ask about the weather or are more philosophical inquiring what it is like to make such a change.

Adaptation is next order of business for us. Making social contacts and friends is perhaps the most crucial and difficult. Orienting to the community, the stores, the parks, the restaurants and the weather is all part of the journey that has now has us settled in the little island community of Alameda CA.

Shoreline Apts where we are currently residing is directly across the street from a beach which overlooks the San Francisco Bay and of course the city itself. Down the road within walking distance is a 24 hour supermarket, all sorts of shops, restaurants and a US Post Office. I have not experienced this sort of convenience in 20 years. Is it easier to adjust to country life from the city or from the city to the country?.. The jury is still out on that one.

traveling with dogs, luggage & plants

Our journey is drawing to a close as we plan to be in the Bay Area tomorrow. We have covered over three thousand miles and seen many incredible sights. I have to admit that I have become somewhat road weary today and look forward to establishing a home base. Traveling in the car for over 8 hours a day, eating road food and not excercising is beginning to take its toll both physically and mentally. This has been a great trip with an exciting episode that brought us much joy with a Democrat getting elected as President.
Having our two dogs with us has brought us outside more often having to tend to our pets needs. People tend to interact with travelers walking their dogs around hotels and this has been a great way to have side conversations.
Suprisingly Ranger has adjusted well to being a nomad and has even pooped on a leash something he is not at all accustomed to do doing. I imagine that must have been difficult.
Tonight we have settled in Virginia City NV another cowboy town which seems like a throwback to another era. I threw some quarters in an old fashioned slot machine in a local saloon and of course it took my money like any other sucker.

ThE RED DESERT

One hundred and fifty years or so ago Cowboys on horses roamed this land of Moab Utah. Their numbers have dwindled but I am sure they still exist, although I did not see any while here for 48 hours a few days ago.
What I did see was the modern cowboy-daredevil who rides the steep hills careening on high end Mountain bikes. Trails like slick rock and poison spider beckon. They come to this outdoor mecca to fuel their passion for two wheel speed and lots of caffeine There are more coffee shops in the main strip of this town than bars. Try a double espresso or a G shot for a real kck in the cardio.
This town has a preponderance of white dreadlocked men and apparently a limited amount of women who are reckless enough to participate in this sport or love a man who will fly down what they call "the rock".
Meanwhile for the more tame, mature and sedate hiker I highly recommend Arches National Park to see some natural red rock creations that have been around for millions of years. The trails, throughout the canyons are almost too much to take in. An incredible vista around every corner. Watch out for the four foot ledge heading up to the delicate arch, it has a 4000 foot drop and on a windy day you can feel like it would take much to blow you right off of it. I wonder how many actually fell to their death while innocently hiking on these cliffs.

We gave em the big boot

As the nation watched the returns unfold it appeared pretty early on that we would see a big Democratic victory. To me it means more than that. It is a generational leap where we are passing the torch to a new wave of young people who have been energized by this historic campaign.
This is now a modern era one in which racial barriers have been broken. Journalism is supposed to be the first rough draft of history, but now it’s the second draft — blogging is the first. I see this as much of a positive milestone as the falling of the Berlin Wall, man walking on landing on the moon or the Beatles arriving in America. It proves to the world as President Elect Obama says that "America is a place where all things are possible."

In light of the recent personal and public developments I interupt my travel journal

Madelyn Dunham, 86, died peacefully at her home in Honolulu.

How ironic that the woman who devoted so much of her life to raising a boy into a man was not able to stay around one day longer to see him elected President of the United States of America. How must Barack feel on this day before the nation decides whether it wants to move forward or stay mired in politics as usual . How can he take the time to grieve for his beloved Grandmother. We are holding our breath to see what will happen next.

Perhaps her death and her grandson's reaction will allow those undecided voters to see the strength that this candidate possesses.

This is truly historic times that we are currently living in while our country faces so many challenges and the leader we choose tomorrow will make a difference in all of our lives.

Currently we are in Moab and after hiking in Arches National Park I will be paying close attention to the returns, hopefully in some interesting restaurant with like minded folks celebrating an unprecedented victory.

The Plains Hotel

We have been traveling now for 5 days and covered allot of territory. No doubt we have seen and experienced some remarkable parts of this country. We have reconnected with 2 old friends who have left their former homes and successfully started again in other parts of America. This gives us strength and hope for our future.

The natural beauty of the mountains in Colorado is literally breathtaking and I experienced thin air at 9000 feet. Feeling a bit light headed as we hiked up lightly snow covered trails toward a spectacular waterfall. This passed as I learned that I had to breathe deeper than I am accustomed to get more oxygen per breath.

In Cheyenne Wyoming there is an old Hotel that was built in the 19th century and elegantly renovated restoring an historic luster that impressed me so. Although we did not spend the night there we did enjoy a delicious breakfast in its fine restaurant. Looking at the dinner menu there were some regrets (not by me though) that they did sample one of the house specials -Naturally Organic Bison Meatloaf.

Entering the west

Where does the western part of the United States actually begin. Is it when the radio stations change from WNEW to KNEW west of the Mississippi River? When people begin to call soda-pop? When the cashier in the grocery store says do you want a sack with that instead of a bag as we said in New England? Is it when the cattle are seen crowded in their corals like commuters on the subway at 5pm on a Friday? Or is it when the sky grows large and the fields go on as long as the horizon?
Perhaps it is all those things but it is a state of my mind when I walk the streets of Cheyenne Wyoming and see guys that have bowlegs, dusty old cowboy boots and appear like they wore that same cowboy hat their whole life as if it were a part of their natural anatomy .
Names like Stagecoach Avenue, Rattlesnake Saloon and Appalosa Motel are commonplace and I feel totally foreign wearing a Gloucester Lake Pond Ice Tee Shirt and a Red Sox baseball hat.

Trick or treat from the Heartland

There are some products that we don't see back east and one of them are ethanol pumps.
While traveling across the country I have seen vast acres of corn. I know that we are supplying grain to many countries around the world. However that amount of corn grown and harvested in the midwest staggers the imagination. In late October stalks are drying in the fields as far as the eye can see. This commodity is apparently not only used to feed people but now utiliized to power the engines and turbines of transportation of this region.
I have never encountered these ethanol pumps before and they are abundant here in Omaha Nebraska where I have landed on this Halloween night. A treat for the midwestern citizen because this energy source cost them a mere $1.79 at the local filling station. A trick because this food source has morphed into another use besides providing nutrition to a living 0rganism.
Omaha seems like a friedly place with people sitting on their Halloween decorated front porch awaiting the neighborhood kids and offering them hot dogs, candy and smiles. While walking my dog Ranger through the community he was also offered a roasted frankfurter. I respectfully declined for him. Happy Halloween everybody.

Day of contrasts

How interesting it is to travel the land during these waning days of the US Presidential election 2008. So many signs portray the divisions in this great country. The symbolism of these two structures that I have seen today epitomizes it for me as clearly as the colors blue and red. From the modern progressive commercial Rock n Roll Hall of Fame to a working dairy farm int the heartland.

I have seen allot in this 24 hour period, including the John McCain motorcade zooming by under heavy police escort on a usually quiet two lane Rt 6 in Rollerville Ohio. He was campaigning hard in this land of cornfields and cows trying to draw up some votes amongst the farmers and their kin.

On a more personal observational note I discovered how much I dislike the food that is found in restaurants on the road. It is as if peoples standards & expectations are lowered while traveling. I guess I was not born to be Gypsy.