Elvira always lied first to herself before she lied to anybody else, since this gave her a conviction of moral honesty. -Phyllis Bottome, novelist
No man was ever more than about nine meals away from crime or suicide. -Eric Sevareid, journalist
1. City plans to strip Jefferson Street block of trees - hearing Monday 27th
2. Green San Francisco Teach-In Tuesday Aug 28 - discuss wild corridors and guerrilla
gardens, from the Bay to Ocean Beach
3. Ruinous SF VA Medical Center Long Range Development Plan
4. Assembly passes bill to ban dogs in bear and bobcat hunting
5. Two from Economist: What does Romney believe?/self-assembling computer viruses
6. Feedback
7. That's the Tuolumne in my Tap education program - volunteers needed
8. Chinatown Sunday Streets and Ping Pong Tournament Aug 26
9. Cogito, Ergo Recyclo
10. Randall Museum has new hawk, opossum, & rabbit
11. Hiking the Inca Trail to Macchu Picchu Tues Aug 28
12. Conservatives to the rescue on climate change?
13. SaveTheFrogs poetry contest
14. More reflections on beauty and mathematics
15. American cookery, the broken mold - a new biography of Julia Child
16. Poems - Ruth Stone
1. Dear Nature New Readers:
DPW plans on removing all 25 mature healthy trees on Jefferson street from Hyde to Jones street south side, leaving no trees behind. no replacements to mitigate the hydrocarbon offset and particulate-cleansing aspects these mature trees provide, as well absorbing rain, reducing runoff and lessening the burden on sewer storm water systems as they stand there now. The sierra club local chapter met Monday and issued a resolution unanimous opposing the trees being removed from the 2 blocks on Jefferson street.
The 5 million dollar newly-widened sidewalk plan has not ONE living tree left in 2 blocks. No shade, and plans for replacing trees with flower baskets requiring maintenance and hetch hetchy water resources which then pour and waste down to cement. Enclosed please find the hearing order with date and time of hearing
Monday 5:30 pm Room 416 DPW order to" remove all 25 trees with no replacements" Jefferson street hyde to jones. enclosed are pictures of area and trees scheduled to be removed. These trees require little maintenance. The cost of removing the trees vs any small replacements must be huge financially in a cash-strapped city. The eco benefit of them remaining is what is at stake.
I hope you can attend the meeting Monday to speak of the benefits of leaving these hydrocarbon-offset healthy mature trees where they are: That street is one of the busiest in the whole of san francisco traffic and pedestrian-wise.
I hope I can count on you attending the DPW order hearing this coming Monday Aug 27- 5:30 pm - Room 416 City Hall
More information: From: Liveable City's website: http://livablecity.org/campaigns/greenway.html
Another relevant site: http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/pc/index?siteID=123112&id=17586581&remoteContentID=9247615
Kathleen Hallinan 415 - 531 - 4132 mobile
I make leather belts and have been a street artist for 38 years in fishermans wharf.
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2. Next Step in Sustainability / Greening San Francisco: Wild Corridors and Guerrilla Gardens, from the Bay to Ocean Beach
Amber Hasselbring is participating in a talk Tuesday August 28 at 7:30pm. It will be at Shaping San Francisco, 518 Valencia near 16th St. and is co-hosted by Planet Drum foundation.
anglewing, bee flies, long horned beetle, wild bee, and pipevine swallowtail larvae!
Green San Francisco Teach-In
Tuesday, August 28 * 7:30 PM
518 Valencia (at 16th)
FREE
Come on down to the Eric Quezada Center for Culture and Politics on Valencia Street to find out whatGreening the City really means.
Are you an Activist? Naturalist? Educator?
…or just curious about the City's ecology?
Want to learn about increasing habitat for local species?
…transformative programs and projects?
…Service learning for kids of all ages?
…foraging, gardening, urban sustainability?
Join Shaping San Francisco in welcoming Judy Goldhaft (Planet Drum Foundation), Peter Brastow (Nature in the City), and Amber Hasselbring (Mission Greenbelt Project) to discuss wild corridors and guerrilla gardens, from the Bay to Ocean Beach.
“...My heart is moved by all I cannot save:
so much has been destroyed
I have to cast my lot with those
who age after age, perversely,
with no extraordinary power,
reconstitute the world.”
Adrienne Rich
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3. San Francisco VA Medical Center Long Range Development Plan
Hi, Jake:
I’m forwarding the notice of the availability of the Environmental Impact Statement and Long Range Development Plan. I urge all to read these documents, which propose significant new construction that will impact both the Lands End and East Fort Miley sections of the GGNRA as well as the currently bucolic Lincoln Park (and its resident coyotes).
Also, I urge all who are concerned with the impact of increased vehicle traffic, animal and other research conducted by UCSF on the VA site, release of medical waste, or other concerns about the quality of life in San Francisco’s Richmond District to read the documents, comment on the documents, and attend the Sept 20 meeting.
The Long Range Development Plan is at http://www.sanfrancisco.va.gov/docs/SFVAMC_LRDP.pdf
Thanks for letting your loyal readership know,
Julie Burns, Ph.D.
Friends of Lands End
julieburns@sealrock.com
From: Mendonca, Kellie B. [mailto:Kellie.Mendonca@va.gov]
Sent: Friday, August 17, 2012 10:39 AM
Subject: Public Notice
The San Francisco VA Medical Center has prepared a draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in tandem with our Long Range Development Plan (LRDP). An EIS is required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and is a tool for decision making. In addition, a Finding of Effect (FOE) has been prepared to facilitate consultation with the State Historic Preservation Office and other consulting parties as required under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. The FOE will be made available for public review in an appendix of the EIS.
There will be a 60-day public comment period for the draft EIS and FOE from August 17 - October 16, 2012. For comments to be considered they must be received by October 16, 2012.
Comments may be provided:
1. At a public meeting:
September 20, 2012 from 5-7 p.m.
San Francisco VA Medical Center
4150 Clement Street
Auditorium, Bldg. 7, 1st Floor, Room 112
2. Written Comments:
E-Gov Web Site: www.regulations.gov. This site allows the public to enter comments on any Federal Register notice issued by any agency. Comments should reference “SFVAMC LRDP Draft EIS” or “SFVAMC LRDP Section 106.”
Mail: Allan Federman, Acting Facility Planner, San Francisco VA Medical Center, 4150 Clement St. (138), San Francisco, CA 94121. Comments should reference“SFVAMC LRDP Draft EIS” or “SFVAMC LRDP Section 106” in any correspondence.
Copies of the draft EIS, as well as the LRDP and FOE are available online at www.sanfrancisco.va.gov/planning. Copies are also available for review at:
San Francisco Public Library
Anza Branch
550 37th Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94121
San Francisco VA Medical Center
Engineering Office
4150 Clement Street, Build
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4. Sacbee - Assembly passes bill to ban dogs in bear and bobcat hunting - http://sacb.ee/PZSoKE
Dogs could not be used to hunt bears or bobcats under controversial legislation that was passed today by the Assembly. Senate Bill 1221, approved 44-29, now goes to the Senate for concurrence in amendments. The measure, by Democratic Sen. Ted...
However, someone raises a question:
Since the following is exempt, does that mean that "owners" of cows who pay (some crappy minimal fee) to have them range on gov't land can use hounds on that land? Or would the owners have to also OWN the land?
"SB 1221 exempts use of hounds in hunting bears or bobcats in cases of depredation, scientific research, or when protecting the owners' livestock or crops. "
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5. Two from The Economist
Next week the Republicans gather in Tampa to anoint Mitt Romney. In theory an uncharismatic but competent chief executive might be the president America needs. But competence is worthless without direction and character. Mr Romney could win an Olympic medal in flip-flopping and his economic plans are riddled with holes. In our cover leader, we ask Mr Romney to tell us what he believes and what he wants to do.
__________________
Self-assembling computer virusesSoon, the bugs in your laptop may assemble themselves from other bits of code
read more »
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6. Feedback
On Aug 20, 2012, at 7:06 PM, Leonora Ellis wrote:
And, of course, that was a quotation. But had it been me, I would have said sic.
re your corrections of errors in Astronomy mag. In your reply to the editor, you should have said "Had it been I" (not me) ;) lee ellis
Tee hee. Thank you, Lee.
Touche,
The Language Cop.
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7. Tuolumne River Trust is looking for new volunteers to help out with our That's the Tuolumne in my Tap education program.
This year, we hope to reach over 5,000 students through That's the Tuolumne in my Tap. That's a big goal, and we need the help of dedicated volunteers to achieve it. If you have a passion for water issues and enjoy working with children, then please consider volunteering for our Bay Area Education program.
That's the Tuolumne in my Tap is an hour-long presentation given to 4th, 5th, and 6th graders in San Francisco, San Mateo, northern Santa Clara, and southern Alameda Counties. The program is designed to educate local students about where their water comes from and to promote an ethic of environmental stewardship. The presentation focuses on the history and special qualities of the Tuolumne River, the animals that depend on the River, and what we all can do to help protect the River by conserving water.
The Trust will train volunteers who are interested in presenting this program to classrooms around the Bay Area. Interested volunteers must enjoy working with kids, have reliable access to transportation, own a laptop, and be available for at least one classroom presentation per month during the school year.
Interested volunteers will be invited to observe one classroom presentation before attending a training session.
For more information, contact me at karen@tuolumne.org
Ready to sign up? Click here to fill out a volunteer application.
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8. We are happy to announce the 2nd Annual Chinatown Sunday Streets, and Ping Pong Tournament! On Sunday, August 26, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., join thousands of Bay Area residents, families and visitors by walking, riding or rolling along car-free roadway! In a departure from last year’s ‘Walking Street’ version of Sunday Streets on Grant Ave, bicycles and people-powered wheels of all kinds are welcomed and encouraged. The route travels east from Grant Ave along historic Jackson Street and Washington to reach the Embarcadero, where participants can access the Embarcadero bikeway along the picturesque San Francisco Bay to reach the northern waterfront where August America’s Cup World Series semi final races are concluding. For a list of activities, please visit our website.
Like last year’s Chinatown Sunday Streets, community leaders are organizing the 2nd annual Chinatown Ping Pong Tournament to celebrate this iconic Chinese sport and provide opportunities for Sunday Streets participants to watch champions compete and participate in free play following the tournament in Portsmouth Square. The Ping Pong Tournament begins at 8 a.m., and runs until 12:30 p.m.
Founded in 2008, Sunday Streets creates miles of car-free space for people to get out and get active in diverse San Francisco neighborhoods. This is the fifth season for this popular program that opens streets to pedestrians, cyclists and people-powered wheels of all kinds by temporarily removing vehicular traffic on select Sundays, transforming street-space usually reserved for cars into recreational space for everyone to enjoy safely.
Sunday Streets 2012 features ten events from March 11 through October 21, 2012. These events occur from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. remaining routes include: Western Addition/Fillmore/North Panhandle/Alamo Square (Sept 9), and a new route in Outer Mission/Excelsior (October 21).
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9. http://kezargardens.com/2012/08/22/plastic-bag-bans-take-effect-in-october/
"Not all those who wander are lost." - J.R.R. Tolkien
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10.
HAWK, OPOSSUM, & RABBIT FIND A NEW HOME AT THE RANDALL MUSEUM IN SAN FRANCISCO
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: (SAN FRANCISCO, August 21, 2012) –The Randall Museum, a facility of the San Francisco Recreation & Park Department, is happy to announce the arrival of three new animals. A wounded Swainson’s hawk, a misplaced opossum, and a wayward desert cottontail rabbit have all found safe haven in the Randall Museum’s Live Animal Exhibit, joining more than one hundred animals that can no longer survive in the wild.
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11. Ted Kipping pot luck/slide shows
4th Tuesday of the month at 7 pm (slide show at 8 pm) at the San Francisco County Fair Bldg, 9th Av & Lincoln Way in Golden Gate Park
Served by Muni bus lines #6, 43, 44, 66, 71, and the N-Judah Metro
*Please bring a dish and beverage to serve 8 people
August 28 - Ron Breuch, Hiking the Inca Trail to Macchu Picchu
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12.
(JS: James Hansen offers a little ray of hope. Is it possible that conservatives will take the lead on this issue? James Hansen explains why he thinks they may. Listen to him at this site.)
James Hansen on climate change
Hot, dry or flooded
Aug 16th 2012, 21:42 by The Economist online
HOT summers, wildfires and drought are anomalies no longer. They are the visible products of climate change, and more can be expected, says James Hansen. One solution may appeal to conservatives.
http://www.economist.com/node/21560500
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13.
SaveTheFrogs poetry contest
savethefrogs.com/poetry
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14. Some more reflections on beauty and mathematics
In 1993 National Geographic proclaimed that a butterfly can, with a flap of its wings, change the world and that the ripple it sends out can spawn a hurricane. In another issue that same year Geographic stated, "...Beauty seems to be an intrinsic part of nature, and perhaps even the organizing principle of reality. Scientists, in testing their theories, invariably find that the simplest, most elegant, most beautiful equation, is the correct one. Rainbows, butterflies, and the periodic table are some examples of intrinsic beauty. The world will be saved by beauty."
“To see a World in a grain of sand,
And Heaven in a wild flower;
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
And eternity in an hour.”
William Blake
“Mathematics is the archetype of the beautiful.”
Johannes Kepler
“When I have to choose between the true and the beautiful, I choose the beautiful.”
Hermann Weyl
"The mathematician does not study pure mathematics because it is useful; he studies it because he delights in it and he delights in it because it is beautiful." Henri Poincare
On being Asked, Whence is the Flower?
In May when sea winds pierced our solitudes,
I found the fresh Rhodora in the woods,…
Rhodora! If the sages ask thee why
This charm is wasted on the earth and sky
Tell them, dear, that if eyes were made for seeing
Then beauty is its own excuse for being
Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1834
"Nothing happens in living Nature that is not in relation to the whole." –Goethe
Euclid alone has looked on Beauty bare
Edna St. Vincent Millay
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15. American cookery
The broken mould
A new biography of Julia Child
Aug 18th 2012 | from The Economist
Omelettes all roundDearie: The Remarkable Life of Julia Child. By Bob Spitz.
IN THE acknowledgments to this enthusiastic, heroically researched biography of Julia Child, Bob Spitz explains that he got to know his subject during a jaunt around Sicily lasting several weeks, and found her “exactly like her TV persona: warm, funny, outgoing, whip-smart, incorrigible and, most of all, real. If I have to admit to one prejudice confronting this book it is that I had a powerful crush on her. Sorry. Deal with it.” Join the queue, Mr Spitz.
Julia (it seems odd to call her anything else) had that effect on many people. Unlike the prefabricated, brand-conscious hosts of contemporary America’s popular food shows—smirking, mugging Guy Fieri, swooning Padma Lakshmi, grumpy Tom Colicchio—there was something eminently jaunty and intimate about Julia. She did not preen, bluster, condescend or intimidate; instead, she just spoke to her viewers, in much the same unfussy, confident way that Elizabeth David did on the page. What David did for Britain with Mediterranean food, Julia Child did for America with French cuisine.
Like David, Julia McWilliams was born in the 20th century’s second decade to a wealthy family and was completely uninterested in the social role laid out for her. She was an indifferent student at Smith College, though as one of her advisers noted, “She will not need ‘a job’, I do not believe.” And indeed, she avoided one for years, living the high life in her native southern California before turning serious when America entered the second world war. In 1942, when she was 30 years old and resolutely husbandless, she joined the Office of Strategic Services, the precursor of America’s Central Intelligence Agency.
Having ventured out of the United States precisely once (and then only to Tijuana), she was posted first to India and then to Ceylon, where she met a bristly aesthete ten years her senior named Paul Child. Paul was withdrawn and reserved where Julia was ebullient and outgoing, but they shared a certain frankness and, as it happened, a love of food—a passion they discovered in each other in China, where, to escape the horrible army slop, they ate their way around Kunming.
Julia did not get to Paris until 1948, when Paul’s civil-service job moved them there. She was then 36, without a career but with what Mr Spitz calls “a burning ambition to do something useful”. It took a sole—sparkling fresh, cooked simply in brown butter with nothing more than “a discreet splash of lemon and a dusting of parsley”—to direct her ambition. She enrolled in cooking classes at Le Cordon Bleu, where she realised that French cuisine was not about national origin, or some mythical connection to la France profonde: it was about technique. And technique could be learned and eventually mastered, even by an awkward, six-foot-three-inch housewife from suburban Los Angeles.
Just over a decade after her first Cordon Bleu class, Julia gave a demonstration on a staid programme on Boston public television called “People Are Reading”. She had never been on television before. She made an omelette. Looking on, quite bewildered, as the programme’s host, was a university professor who was more accustomed to discussing books for a small, refined audience composed of other university professors. The rest, as they say, is history.
Mr Spitz goes beyond mere history and provides a full, human portrait of Julia. This is no hagiography: she could be prickly, stubborn and unsentimental to the point of coldness. She was also delightfully foul-mouthed (to a protégée having trouble with Madeleine Kamman, a French chef whom Julia particularly disliked, she advised, “You need to follow my advice. Just call her up and say, ‘Madeleine, fuck you!’”), and fond of her wine. Mr Spitz offers the reader a portrait of an epicure, and of a life profoundly full, blessed and well lived.
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16. Poems
When you come back to me
it will be crow time
and flycatcher time,
with rising spirals of gnats
between the apple trees.
Every weed will be quadrupled,
coarse, welcoming
and spine-tipped.
The crows, their black flapping
bodies, their long calling
toward the mountain;
relatives, like mine,
ambivalent, eye-hooded;
hooting and tearing.
And you will take me in
to your fractal meaningless
babble; the quick of my mouth,
the madness of my tongue.
Ruth Stone
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