Oakland Focus News | Oakland News Online Blog

As Oakland's Downtown grows with places to go, increasing jobs and commerce, there are small signs of class tensions developing. This was evident in the wake of the Moneyball Premier at The Paramount Theater. No, this blogger did not have a ticket to the event, and considering the work that was to be done, attendance suddenly wasn't an option anyway. Still, around 10-ish, at night, after working on videos related to my new Atlanta VidBlogger Nation Show on Comcast XFinity in Atlanta, going down to check out the scene and have dinner seemed like a good idea. (So if you're in Atlanta, I'm on 24 and 7.) So, the first stop was Luka's for a great burger and fries. Got to say that Luka's burger is still consistently excellent, and the fries are a meal themselves. The crowd was the typically cool interracial mix the tap room is known for. But wanderlust set in and I headed off for other parts of the Uptown Entertainment District. It's best to divide Upt...

That the San Francisco TransBay Terminal Area Plan has been released, let alone that the new San Francisco TransBay Terminal is under construction (and forget for the moment Wednesday's press conference) is just plain remarkable. As the video from the press conference will show, this is a huge project, and a much needed one. When this blogger first saw plans for what this TransBay Center will be way back in 1995, I really never thought this was going to get off the ground. Then, the cost was estimated to be $2 billion, and now it's $4 billion, and all of the building complex that was the historic Transbay Terminal is gone. A thing of San Francisco Bay Area history. Its shocking, because I've used that complex so many times I forgot to count them. For those who are new to the area, or just growing up to become aware of what's happening, The Transbay Terminal was the place AC Transit Buses came over from the East Bay, and SamTrans buses came over from Marin County, b...

UPDATE: Kajeet updates service, offers new smartphones. If you're a parent who's wondered how to virtually corral the chance that your kids will use their cell phone for something called "sexting," you've probably pounded your head in frustration. Well, there's an answer: Kajeet , a cell phone service "for kids" located in Maryland, but funded by Silicon Valley investor Rick Bolander, who serves as managing partner. Bolander brought his experience in "working with digital content providers and service providers" to bear in his role in helping to form Kajeet. Why do I mention Rick Bolander first and before its CEO? Because under his direction, Kajeet has raised $82 million. Bolander is not just managing director at Kajeet, he's also "Rick Bolander co - founder of Gabriel Venture Partners." Bolander, together with Kajeet CEO Daniel Neal, are creating a new company that's right for the times. A period where it see...

Platinum is an Oakland dance group like no other. It's the all-women dance group product of Oakland's New Style Motherlode, and includes a friend of my from my Skyline High School days, Amy Larsen. If that name rings a bell, it's because she was in this space earlier just one year ago , talking about the then-upcoming New Year's Eve performance called "Heat." Since that time, Platinum has performed at a number of venues around Oakland and the East Bay. As Amy explains "The group grew out of a performance workshop program initiated by NSM (New Style Motherlode) about 5 years ago. We dance to stay in shape and because we love it. However we PERFORM to INSPIRE our audiences to do what they love to do, no matter the age, no matter the experience level, just get out there and dance! And dance is what this group of hotties does. Platinum's next stop: Oakland Pride, this Sunday, September 4th. The women will perform at the Uptown Stage at 1:20 P...