Oakland Focus News | Oakland News Online Blog

In today's running news, the Oakland Running Festival and Oakland Marathon are set for March 27th and March 28th in Oakland. Oaklanders know that Oakland's had a rich tradition of housing great runners and fostering a healthy running culture. Some, like runner Regina Jacobs, have achieved Olympic fame and stardom. But only once in over two decades has Oakland been the location of a major running event. The Oakland Running Festival and Oakland Marathon will change that when they get going in March. This blogger recently video-interviewed Oakland Marathon and Oakland Running Festival Producer Gene Brtalik at the columns at Lake Merritt on a windy Sunday, and learned about the origins of the running event. Gene Brtalik is from Baltimore and moved in Oakland last year. He worked for running race producer Corrigan Sports in Maryland and wanted to maintain employment with them. Corrigan Sports's representatives told him to check out the running scene in Oaklan

Last weekend, UC San Diego was the site of an off-campus party held that mocked Black History Month. The Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity was pointed to as the organization that held the party, but its president says that's not the case. California Assembly Speaker Karen Bass called for an investigation and issued this video statement : In the video, Bass said "It seems as though every single year this situation happens." That, in itself, is a chilling report on the state of race relations on California's college campuses. At the party, called "Compton Cookout" women were given these instructions: "Ghetto chicks have a very limited vocabulary, and attempt to make up for it, by forming new words, such as 'constipulated', or simply cursing persistently, or using other types of vulgarities, and making noises, such as 'hmmg!', or smacking their lips, and making other angry noises, grunts, and faces." Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity P

YouTuber iyannaw08, who filmed the AC Transit Bus Fight video, makes a new video blog to time to clear up some misconceptions in the wake of the video's viral status. First, she says that she did not take the bag that belonged to the Old White Man. iyannaw08 says that she took the bag to the front of the bus and left it for the authorities when they arrived. Second, she says was not dating or related to the black man in the video "I've never seen these two gentlemen in my life." She ends the video by apologizing to anyone who was offended. But what's offensive are some of the comments left on her video page. They call her terrible names and racial slurs, and present the very racist, crazy people I complained about . YouTube should step up efforts to have settings that erase those words all together if the channel manager so desires. It reenforces a statement I've made that if you want to see just how sick, just how screwed up some people r

According to the Daily Cal , and the The Blum Center for Developing Economies , Former President Bill Clinton will visit U.C. Berkeley. February 24th at 3:30 PM at Zellerbach Auditorium. Tickets for President Clinton's speech are available only online and one has to be either a student at Cal, or a faculty or staff member to obtain them. So if you're not any of the three, and know someone who is and haven't been nice to them you might consider getting on the phone to apologize to them first (no texting). Then ask for help with the Clinton tickets. Seriously, their are 2,000 tickets available, 1,200 free for students. You can get them here: berkeley.edu/clinton . The title of President Clinton's speech is "Global Citizenship: Turning Good Intentions into Positive Action" If you're reading the name "Blum Center for Developing Economies" and wondering who "Blum" is, it's Richard Blum, who's married to U.S. Sena

A AC Transit Bus Fight near Lake Merritt, in Oakland, California was captured on video and from two different perspectives. The AC Transit Bus Fight, which this blogger recognizes as starting on the AC Transit "N" route that serves the heart of Oakland into downtown Oakland, caused the bus to stop at the corner of Harrison and Webster Street, just one long block away from Lake Merritt and at the Kaiser Center's shopping mall area. The first AC Transit Bus Fight video below shows an at first, seemingly harmless and rather misguided and silly conversation apparently about what someone would do based on their race. One young man, black, said the older man white, should get "yo ass back up in there", meaning the front of the bus. Apparently the older white man came to the back of the bus to confront the younger black man. "Why you being so hostile man", was what the older white man said to him. Then the older white man went back to the front of th

The latest 2010 Megan Fox Armani Commercial is out today, Tuesday. Megan Fox is drawing rave reviews for the Armani commercial, where the stunning actress from Jennifer's Body and The Transformers movie series puts on Emporio Armani and becomes the face and body of Armani. Splash News observed that Megan Fox "teases" , while, Mail Online UK gushes... The Transformers star, shot in black and white, pouts seductively at the camera as it pans up and down her enviable figure that has made her an international sex symbol. The commercial is a 30-second-long trip along the semi-nude body of Megan Fox more than an commercial for Armani. To this blogger, it's playful, sexy, seductive, and just a tad boring. Not Megan Fox, the Armani commercial. Make no mistake about it, Megan Fox is a classically beautiful woman. But there's something about the Armani commercial that's missing and it's action. Megan Fox in stiletto heeled sexy shoes and walkin

Doc Gurley, the San Francisco-based physician and public health expert blogger, has made the greatest donation one can give to the effort of helping Haiti after the massive earthquake: herself and her time. Doc Gurley blogs about her first day on the ground in Haiti, and talked with this blogger about her planned Haiti relief trip before she left when we met for lunch at the Lake Chalet in Oakland: Doc Gurley will be posting updates on her Haiti relief trip. Stay tuned.

Today is Fat Tuesday or "Mardi Gras" and according to Wikipedia historically refers to the yummy ritual of eating richer, fatty foods before the fasting of the Lenten Season, which starts on what is called Ash Wednesday. But you know that Fat Tuesday is a synonym for "party Tuesday" in February. It's a day to wear beads and masks and do things you'd normally not do on a "school day" let alone a "school night". But where do you go if you happen to shuttle between Atlanta and the San Francisco Bay Area? Good question. In Oakland, Ozumo's on the corner of Broadway and Grand is hosting a celebration that starts at 5 PM PST and features the sounds of New Orleans by live entertainment and "DJ Gray". In addition there will be Fat Tuesday food specials and Brazilian drink specials. Right next door to Ozumo's free event, Pican's hosting a Fat Tuesday celebration, too, and that starts at 5:30 PM PST. Pican will ha

One month ago, singer Wycef Jean's "NGO" (for"Non-Governmental Organization) called "Yelle Haiti" raised just over $1 million to help victims of the 7.0 Haiti Earthquake. At the time, scores of non-profit organizations sprang up to announce some kind of effort to assist the quake-damaged country. But of all of them, Yelle Haiti received the most attention because of alleged past spending patterns, leading to the awful and unfounded accusation that Wycef Jean was using the money for personal use. In this video made one month ago, Wycef Jean answered his critics: Just after The Smoking Gun and The Washington Post blog posts were issued (and with no evidence of having attempted to personally contact Wycef Jean to give him a chance to respond to the accusations) and the rescue efforts ramped up, suddenly the American Red Cross became mentioned in commercial after commercial as the "go-to" nonprofit for donations. Ok, but where

The Oakland Tribune article on the possibility of a shared football stadium between the Oakland Raiders and the San Francisco 49ers is certainly exciting news, but lost in the hope that the Raiders get a new stadium - 49ers or not - is any attention to the process behind getting to that point. In this case, on Friday February 19th the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority is considering a proposal from CSL International, an event planning and stadium development consulting firm to write a feasibility study of a stadium for the Oakland Raiders. Great, but where's the competitive bid for the consultant? And what about minority involvement in the study's development? Now that the Oakland Raiders have finally succeeded in getting the City of Oakland to see that it needs a new stadium, it's important to make sure the Oakland Coliseum Authority doesn't screw it up. Where public monies are used, sole-source consultant contracts are frowned on and have been fo

Draeger Construction with Zennie62 launch an initiative called Draeger Construction FBI Haiti Program for education on the need for quake-safe construction worldwide. This video from Marc Zboch (not affiliated with Draeger) shows how Haiti buildings were built and why so much quake damage happened:

On the matter of retaining the Oakland A's in Oakland, an email was just released as part of an effort to have Oakland A's supporters contact MLB Commissioner Bud Selig. Here's what it reads: We're at a critical point in our fight to keep the A's in Oakland. Very soon, Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig will review the City of Oakland's proposal to partner with the Oakland A's to build a world class baseball-only ballpark near Jack London Square. In the coming days or weeks, the Commissioner will decide whether to keep the A's in Oakland. At this crucial time, we need to make sure that Commissioner Selig sees and understands the incredible level of support of tens of thousands of fans like you who have signed our online petition or joined us on Facebook Can you take just a few seconds, right now, to help? Click here to forward Commissioner Selig an email today: Tell him you want him to keep the A's in Oakland and that you would

In a day filled with John Mayer, Megan Fox, snow storms in New York and DC, and new 9-11 photos, it's important to stop and take a look at local citizens who want to make Oakland better. Don MacLeay is one, and he's the Green Party candidate for Mayor of Oakland. In the video above, created two weeks ago, Don and this blogger met at Merritt Station Cafe across from Lake Merritt and talked - really his platform - for 35 minutes, and 21 of that on the video above. What follows is a summary of a long, uncut talk. Don MacLeay is a computer consultant who does "small office networking" and a volunteer in a number of Oakland government activism activities. It was at that point that Don MacLeay first determined something wasn't right with Oakland, "I decided I was not in tune with where the Oakland Council and Jerry Brown were going," he said. When Ron Dellums became Mayor of Oakland in 2006, Don MacLeay became concerned again after Dellums said his

The latest twist in the ongoing Chevron Ecuador case finds Chevron claiming that Ecuador's court-appointed economist Richard Cabrera will be paid by Ecuador from a judgement against Chevron, should the American oil company lose its case. According to CBS Marketwatch : Recently uncovered records, from 2003 through 2008, show from 2003 through 2008, show Cabrera is co-founder, general manager, majority stockholder, and legal representative of an oilfield remediation company, Compania Ambiental Minera-Petrolera S.A. ("CAMPET"), which is registered to perform oilfield remediation and other services for Petroecuador. In a press release, Chevron Vice President and General Counsel Hewitt Pate said, "For three years, Mr. Cabrera has concealed clear financial conflicts of interest that disqualify him from acting as an independent and objective evaluator of the evidence in the case. While Mr. Cabrera's financial interests alone are sufficient grounds for his repor

[Aimee Allison | OaklandSeen] For much of the time Sweet Jimmies was the heart of Oakland nightlife in the 90's, I would catch glimpses of nighttime boisterous dancing and singing at the spot through the grainy lens of Soul Beat TV. Now Soul Beat and Sweet Jimmies nightclub are a decade gone, and I find myself longing for that Oakland spirit. "Sweet Jimmie" Ward died Friday night at the age of 74 - a former longshorman who was one of hundreds of thousands who came from the South to work at the shipyards or on the Army base during World War II and stayed to raise families and start businesses and shape neighborhoods. Ward made Sweet Jimmies into the place to go - dressed to the nines - where old soul from Mississippi and Lousiana and Georgia was alive. Those in Sweet Jimmie's generation brought small town manners and blues and political organizing and art. They created a legacy and culture in Oakland that defines us today. Now, Oakland's black population has plumme

Miami, South Beach, Florida - Super Bowl time: Warren Sapp arrested; hot high car spotted (video above). It's Super Bowl time! This Super Bowl update is a mix of good and bad news. Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Oakland Raiders defensive star and NFL Network Analyst Warren Sapp was arrested after allegedly committing some form of domestic violence against his girl friend Saturday morning in Miami.  According to TMZ.com , Warren Sapp's explanation doesn't read any better than what his girlfriend told Miami Beach Police: According to the Miami Beach Police Department, Sapp is accused of attacking his girlfriend of two years at around 5:00 AM Saturday at the Shore Club Hotel. According to the arrest report, the alleged victim had "a swollen right knee and bruises on the back of her neck." She claims Sapp allowed her to sleep in his hotel room -- then came into the room early in the morning and pulled her out of bed. The alleged victim says they bega

The Howard Stern Show can certainly make a new celebrity and that's the case for Heidi Baron. After Thursday's Howard Stern Show appearance , Heidi Baron is now the most searched term on Google, but who's she and why?  (And why the other names like Jodie Starr and Belinda Bryant?) Heidi Baron According to the Heidi Baron fan site , this is Heidi Baron: Vital stats: 21 years old, 34C-24-33; 5'8" Hometown: Erlangen, Germany. Your favorite thing about your hometown: The traditional food and beer. You'd like to go to: South Africa. I've always wanted to go on a safari tour. Favorite foods: Spaghetti bolognese, sushi, seafood. Favorite drinks: Coca-Cola, margaritas, mojitos. Favorite sports: Track and field, soccer, American football. Favorite way to relax: Lying in bed eating chocolate, drinking Coke, and watching TV. Your biggest turn-on: Getting kissed on the neck and ear. The most daring thing you've done: Anal sex, but it's not real

Hayward, California and Calpine will have the first the plant with a Greenhouse Gas limit, ending years of talks, battles, and controversy. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District approved a "Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) permit" which is the final federal regulatory approval needed for the Calpine energy plant to be built. "Once again California is demonstrating leadership on greenhouse gas related issues. We applaud the BAAQMD and Calpine for going beyond existing federal law and being the first in the nation to require an enforceable greenhouse gas limit," said Linda Adams, California State Secretary for Environmental Protection. "This action furthers efforts at a statewide level to balance our economic needs while meeting our environmental challenges. Aggressive and early action like this is needed to fight global warming and is critical to our economic recovery." Hayward, California will get a new energy plant that will res

Hayward, California and Calpine will have the first the plant with a Greenhouse Gas limit, ending years of talks, battles, and controversy. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District approved a "Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) permit" which is the final federal regulatory approval needed for the Calpine energy plant to be built. "Once again California is demonstrating leadership on greenhouse gas related issues. We applaud the BAAQMD and Calpine for going beyond existing federal law and being the first in the nation to require an enforceable greenhouse gas limit," said Linda Adams, California State Secretary for Environmental Protection. "This action furthers efforts at a statewide level to balance our economic needs while meeting our environmental challenges. Aggressive and early action like this is needed to fight global warming and is critical to our economic recovery." Hayward, California will get a new energy plant that will res

Draeger Construction is going on a big push to let everyone know it's involved in Haiti. The earthquake damaged country has a problem in that many of its buildings were far less than quake safe. Now, faced with what could be the largest private construction project in the World, Haiti needs to remake its country. That's where Draeger Construction comes in. Draeger Construction is a San Francisco Bay Area builder. The SF Bay Area is one of the World's most active quake zones. What Draeger Construction will do, with the introduction of something called "The Freedom Builders Initiative" is announce their interest in rebuilding Haiti where they've already been involved for years. More on Draeger Construction's new Haiti "FBI" effort soon. Written by Cat of SomeRedCat.tumblr.com