Grateful Dead

In this morning's SF Chronicle, Debra Saunders--the "token conservative" columnist, and hence arguably in showbiz as much as the information biz because that's what columnists do--has dug up apparent evidence that freeing the Lockerbie bomber was closely tied to BP getting an oil contract in Libya. I have no strong opinions one way or another on the freeing of the Lockerbie bomber, but when Debra Saunders is bashing BP, and in such button-pushing fashion, I think we've got a bit of a sea change, as it were.

Bob's in the US???

Telling other people they can't have what we've got is bad behavior.

You have to realize that this takes place against a backdrop of there being no known case for the last 15 years in which cops were brought up on murder charges and any of them was convicted of jack. This is the first instance I'm aware of in which a jury, and an L.A. jury at that, didn't just say, he's a cop, give him a pass. I'm really impressed with the judge and the jury on this case. The jury convicted him of manslaughter, to which he should have manned up and pled in the first place of course. AND they added a firearms enhancement which should at least double Mehserle's time. And they delivered a verdict on very solid ground that's unlikely to be reversed on appeal. Moreover, it will be invaluable to the Grants in their wrongful death lawsuit. In the world we live in, this verdict is an historic breakthrough of epic proportions, however much people who come into Oakland to seize the moment to loot stores may disagree.

it is huge progress that the jury convicted on something that carried prison time, would stand up under appeal, and added the firearms enhancement which at least doubles the sentence. This is essentially without precedent. I would expect Oscar Grant's mother to say what she said, but she was not speaking from knowledge of the law (and also the family has been coopted by some really sleazeball opportunists as well, which was only to be expected). As the law is written, I do not think her son was murdered. For one thing I don't think Mehserle is bright enough to form intent. I also believe his shock in the video. He is stupid and ill-trained (the latter much attested to in the trial) and that goes bad very quickly in a volatile situation when your work culture involves pushing people around (and yes, I find a culture that rewards pushing people around reprehensible). To convict on any of the higher charges they would have had to essentially prove intent, and based on the videos and testimony, that would have been very difficult as the versions varied wildly. It is far better for Mehserle to go down on charges that stick and send a message that this shit carries painful consequences than to have a smart lawyer get him off because he could convince an appeals court the jury was overreaching. Also, what is not clear to non-locals was that this was not the Oakland PD. Not that the OPD doesn't have issues, but it wouldn't have hired Mehserle on a bet. This was the transit police, which tends to attract power-tripping police wannabes no reputable PD would have as a gift. (Another BART cop Tased some loser for jumping a fare gate the other week. That didn't play too well either.) I've seen a great many rants online blaming the OPD for this, but this ain't their crime.

most of the people arrested were white nonresidents who style themselves as anarchists and show up to wreak havoc whenever an opportunity presents itself. I'm sorry, but looting stores and writing on the walls of businesses "Tonight Oakland Is Our Playground" has nothing to do with justice for Oscar Grant. Meanwhile the people who actually live here were holding peaceful gatherings elsewhere.

the professional troublemakers may live somewhere in the Bay Area. But they don't live in Oakland. We didn't have Rodney King riots in Oakland. This was perhaps in some measure because the looting was better in Berkeley, but it is also because Getting Along is pretty entrenched in a city where there is literally no majority ethnic or racial group. We don't appreciate these twits exploiting our local tragedies for their destructive antics, especially when the local economy has plenty of troubles already.

is definitely still there, and much the same as ever! My club days are pretty much behind me, but it was great to be there last year for Gans's Reptile Reunion. Fortunately for me, since essentially I don't drink, the coffee selection has improved over the years, but the place has not strayed from its roots.