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I got into a conversation with this person (who didn't want to be named) on Oakland and politics, when she started talking about why she supports Senator Mike Gravel for President. This was so frankly unusual -- because so many people mention Obama or Clinton or Giuliani or Ron Paul -- that I asked her if I could get her to talk on camera. She agreed and this was the result.

Governor declares state of emergency Coast Guard scrutinized for response time, investigation continues By Kristin Bender and William Brand STAFF WRITERS - Oakland Tribune Article Last Updated: 11/10/2007 02:37:05 AM PST IMPACT TO BE FELT FOR YEARS Oil spoils plans for weekend As the governor declared a state of emergency Friday that will bring state money to oil spill cleanup efforts, hundreds of crews and a hefty amount of oil-skimming equipment had soaked up about 30 percent of the oil that gushed into the San Francisco Bay on Wednesday. As cleanup of the 58,000-gallon oil spill in the Bay continued full-bore, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger came to Fort Mason and signeda proclamation of a state of emergency. This allows the state to deploy emergency personnel and equipment and gives officials the right to tap into a state trust fund to ensure that resources are being used to expedite the cleanup, Schwarzenegger said. Officials estimated that roughly 17,500 gallons of bunker fuel oil had...

As I was leaving a visit to the then-new Oakland headquarters of Obama for America, I literally ran into Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson. He was kind enough to stop and talk with me on camera about the presidential campaign, Barack Obama and the youth vote, and his issues of concern.

Since the new Whole Foods opened on 27th and Harrison, it seemed to me that there were fewer people at the Lake Merritt Farmers Market. On Saturday, I decided to take camera in hand and ask the vendors for their views. What I learned is that overall vendors feel it's too early to tell, but off camera two people said "Yes." But two others, also off camera, said it may be a seasonal development. One other person said that the Whole Foods was too far away to have an impact on the Farmers Market.

Oakland- Bay Area Women In Black v. SF Voice For Israel - Grand Avenue War Part One Part Two Each Saturday morning on the corner of Grand Avenue and Lake Park, and in front of the historic Grand Lake Theater, two groups stage a protest against U.S policies in Iraq and The Mid East, and against each other. I titled this "Oakland Culture War" because that's really what it is. Two groups of people who -- even though some may not live in Oakland -- picked this corner in Oakland to protest, and who have such differing views on The Mid East, they have agreed to stand away from each other, on opposite sides of the street to avoid arguing. After walking by these groups and saying nothing -- like everyone else -- I decided to take camcorder in hand and get information. The video contains some very interesting information, particularly by SF Voice for Israel. What was also of note, and comes out in the video, is how the Bay Area Women Against War seem afraid to talk to ...

Phil Tagami Hosts Bill Clinton According to the Oakland Tribune, Bill Clinton is the featured guest of a cocktail reception thrown by Phil Tagami , Managing Partner of California Commercial Group, and to be held at The Rounda this evening. The details from the Trib are below... Former President Bill Clinton will headline a cocktail reception tomorrow night at the Rotunda Building in downtown Oakland’s Frank Ogawa Plaza to raise funds for the presidential campaign of his wife, U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton , D-NY. It’s $500 a head, or $2,300 to get into the VIP reception starting half an hour before the 7 p.m. main event. The event’s co-chairs include Clear Channel Outdoor executive and noted Democratic politico Michael Colbruno ; Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums ; attorney Kenneth Katzoff ; state Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata , D-Oakland; Assemblyman Sandre Swanson , D-Oakland; and developer Phil Tagami . And among the hosts for the evening are Oakland City Council P...

Novometro.com | Novometro On Uptown Night Club Reopening Novometro's VSmoothe -- whatever the hell that means -- is back with a review of the reopened Uptown Night Club near the corner of Telegraph and Thomas Berkeley. It's good to see the establishment alive again. Perhaps the new management will focus on concerts and live performers.