Denver Airport Three Hour Flight Delay - Not On Flight

Well, after all that, the flight was so overbooked, and I was on standby, I did not get on. So, I've got to get a hotel room and stay in Denver for the night.

Denver Airport Three Hour Flight Delay - Bad Weather

As I upload this new video I am still at DIA - Denver International Airport - and Gate B56 where the flight to Atlanta, United 7515, was to have departed at 6:56, but will not leave until 10 PM. The reason: bad weather in Iowa

Oakland Budget deficit could reach $113 million by 2012 - SFGate.com

More at SFGate: “Dellums said the city's deficit, which was $42 million this year, could balloon by 2012 to nearly $113 million, with revenues that year projected to be $456 million and expenditures at $569 million.

The city has relied heavily upon property transfer taxes which have dwindled with the mortgage meltdown. Retail sales taxes are floundering while the costs of providing police and fire service and maintaining parks and other basic city services are rising.”

-- This is a great time to create new Redevelopment project areas, if only to capture whatever property tax revenue we can, otherwise it had to be shared with BART, AC Transit, and other entities. Regardless, the zero-sum game is not fun and will lead to their loss. The end answer is a going to be a total bailout by the Federal Government, in some kind of way.

Oakland Budget crises threatens lives of Oakland shelter animals

Tails Of The City : Budget crises threatens lives of Oakland shelter animals: “CORRECTION: Oakland Animal Services will now be exempt from the holiday closure and will remain open in order to protect the welfare of animals.

More than 180 adoptable animals at Oakland Animal Services may be euthanized during the week between Christmas and New Year's Day because of a City-ordered shutdown. Because no animals can be adopted during the mandatory shutdown, and stray animals will not have completed their state-mandated holding period, the shelter will be forced to euthanize more than 20 adoptable animals daily from December 26 through January 2.”

Wade Sanders - California Lt. Gov. adviser pleads guilty in child porn case - Inside Bay Area

California Lt. Gov. adviser pleads guilty in child porn case - Inside Bay Area: “SAN DIEGO — An adviser to Lt. Gov. John Garamendi has pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography on his computer.
The U.S. attorney's office says Wade Sanders admitted Monday in federal court in San Diego that he possessed a computer with more than 600 sexual images of minors. The computer also had a 21-minute sex video depicting prepubescent girls.
The 67-year-old Sanders was Garamendi's senior adviser for veterans and military affairs at the time of his arrest. He also served as deputy assistant secretary of the Navy under President Clinton.”

-- All I ask is why do that?

Wayward Sea lion rescued near Oakland airport runway - Inside Bay Area

/More at Inside Bay Area: “OAKLAND — An emaciated-looking California sea lion that wandered to the edge of an Oakland International Airport runway was sent to a marine animal hospital Tuesday.
Marine Mammal Center workers recovered the animal by 1:30 p.m., after airport workers had noticed it a few hours earlier.
"Our rescue workers waded through the water and found the animal acting pretty lethargic until they netted it," Marine Mammal Center spokeswoman Mieke Eerkens said. "It doesn't appear to have any other major injuries, but we'll check it out when it arrives in our Sausalito hospital."”

Obama's Choie Of Rick Warren Caused Warren To Move To Center

Contrary to Dave Winder, I think President-Elect Barack Obama's choice of Rick Warren was brilliant in that it's forced a dialog America's not had, and will cause Warren to move to the center on the matter of Gays and Lesbians ans Gay Marriage.

Oakland's White Blogger Get-Together Not In The Sprit of Oakland

I have to write with more than the usual amusement regarding the postings I've seen on the recently-held "Oakland Blogger Get Together " because this blog you're reading is the only one that's updated daily, gets more traffic than the others, and doesn't ignore parts of Oakland, and has the only writer who actually worked in Oakland politics -- me.  


So, as they do, they formed their own meeting -- an entire "White's only" gathering.  That's sad.  Perhaps I'll host my own gathering, but it will be of a different kind to be sute.  First, racially mixed.  Second, reflective of those who are at the cutting edge of New Media in Oakland, and that's beyond the small group of bloggers that got together. 


As I said to Paul Cobb , there's a "White Blogger group" and true to form, these folks proved it.  And its not as if they don't know who I am; they do and could have invited me.  In fact, that's the problem: they recognize me in a room, but I've got no idea what those folks look like at all.  I'm serious.  That's what happens when you're on television and YouTube.  But more to the point, the first time I realized this was during the primary election at Sean Sullivan's party.  But I don't want to get off the track here.  


The old Oakland way is not apparent with them.  Of course, someone will say "We voted for Obama!" But that's not the point.  Many of them are new to Oakland and thus don't reflect the true soul of the city.   Diversity is not important to them -- being around people who look and think like they do is.   


Between the low number of African American bloggers, perhaps two and definitely this one, and the self-segregation practiced by the "Oakland White bloggers", it's a sad future for a great city.