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George Washington’s Farewell Address – Warnings For Our Times

From Washington’s Farewell Address – To The People Of The United States, written in 1796 with help from Alexander Hamilton and James Madison, around halfway in you read:

All obstructions to the execution of the laws, all combinations and associations under whatever plausible character, with the real design to direct, control, counteract, or awe the regular deliberation and action of the constituted authorities, are destructive of this fundamental principle and of fatal tendency. They serve to organize faction, to give it an artificial and extraordinary force—to put in the place of the delegated will of the nation the will of a party; often a small but artful and enterprising minority of the community; and, according to the alternate triumphs of different parties, to make the public administration the mirror of the ill concerted and incongruous projects of faction, rather than the organ of consistent and wholesome plans digested by common councils and modified by mutual interests. However combinations or associations of the above description may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely, in the course of time and things, to become potent engines by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion.
Washington’s Farewell Address – To The People Of The United States

Presidential farewell addresses are the exit interview, whereby the employee can be candid. Calling out systems that do not work. Noting people who are problematic. Reminiscing on administration successes. Ignoring failures and scandals. Predicting future problems. Eisenhower warned us of the “Military Industrial Complex.” Reagan embraced all sorts of immigrants and the “shining city on a hill” but warned that Americans would begin to take for granted their freedoms.  A book about presidential farewell addresses is overdue. It would be a great way to teach United States history.

It is eerie how George Washington in 1796 could have predicted the character of a man hundreds of years into the future – “…by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people” explains precisely the method of Donald Trump. And to think that Washington probably wrote the address with a quill pen and inkwell.

Download Washington’s Farewell Address. Print it out and read it. It is slow news that does not break. It is only twenty-six pages.

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On Tranquility of the Mind – Seneca Quote

We ought to take outdoor walks, to refresh and raise our spirits by deep breathing in the open air. Sometimes energy will be refreshed by a carriage drive, a journey, a change of scene, good company and a more generous wine. Upon occasion we should go as far as intoxication, half-seas over, not total immersion. Drink washes cares away, stirs the mind from its lowest depths, and is a specific for sadness as for certain maladies.
From The Stoic Philosophy of Seneca – On Tranquility of the Mind

Deep breathing, travel, company, half-seas over quantity of wine. Sounds like stoicism to me.

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Traffic Lights, Artificial Intelligence and Driverless Cars Stopped at Red Lights

Driverless Car is San Francisco

You see them everywhere is San Francisco these days – driverless cars. Waymo uses a Jaguar with cameras all over the place. George Orwell is probably mumbling “I told you so!” from his grave. Driverless cars are found on slow streets, going up and down hills in neighborhoods, in downtown during rush hour, on crowded streets by Golden Gate Park – sometimes two, one after another.  No one in the driver’s seat. Rarely a passenger in the backseat. They creep me out.

I was thinking about these cars that often clog up our busy streets, endlessly mapping the terrain, when at an intersection where everyone was going nowhere -everyone was waiting at a  red light. I thought: how hard would it be to put a little artificial intelligence (AI) into urban traffic signals? It seems now the traffic signals all are all on egg timers.

Like most things in large organizations, like cities and counties,  large companies and corporations, things move slowly when adopting new ideas and technology. This is both good and bad..

Half of San Francisco’s traffic signals were built more than 30 years ago.
– Traffic Signals Program

Half of San Francisco’s traffic signals were built more than 30 years ago. This means that they were built to last but the actual technology in the signals is from the 1990s or older.

The failure of many of the technological transformations of our society is that they are done without a very holistic mindset. The larger consequences are rarely considered. Economics and a quick buck seem to be the driving forces.

What if just 10% of the technology of the fancy driverless cars went into more responsive and “smarter” traffic lights? A traffic signal could sense that even though there is a left turn signal there are no cars there, and by the way, the through traffic is backed up due to a sporting event just ending. There are many more scenarios like this, and I would think that the actual programming would be pretty simple if/else statements.

I did inquire with the City or San Francisco and got a quick response. This is what they said:

“To your inquiry about traffic signals and AI, the majority of signals in San Francisco are pretimed, or the timing is predetermined based on minimum requirements and estimated demand.  Some locations have sensors that change traffic signals based on actual demand or presence of certain vehicles like buses.  But no set of signals operated based on algorithms that optimize based on artificial intelligence.”  – sfgov,org

In other words, almost all traffic lights are are on egg timers, or “pretimed.” If any of our readers know of any companies or municipalities developing more modern traffic signals, feel free to comment below.

 

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Notes From the Road – The Midwest and Montana

Except for an occasional freak warm day or two, San Francisco is usually pretty chilly in the summer months. In the morning, in many neighborhoods we wake up to the marine layer, otherwise known as fog. Sometime around lunch it can push back out to the ocean for a few hours, only to return in the early evening. Rarely do you get a glorious sunset. Various more inland and protected neighborhoods, like The Mission and Potrero Hill can go for days without ever seeing this fog. So around July I like to get out of town and travel to warmer climes.

The Goin’ to Madtown 300

In 2024 I once again did the bicycle ride from Minneapolis to Madison, Wisconsin an activity now called “bike packing.” I have chronicled this trip before.

Minneapolis to Madison by Bicycle – June 2022

This was my fourth year doing the ride.  One of the main differences in 2024 was the fact that the Mississippi River and other rivers were running very high. Entire campgrounds were flooded which made for some fun improvisatory sleeping arrangements. Thanks to Sarah and Dan at the Humble Moon in Stockholm for their hospitality. Indeed, in the hinterlands of the country it takes people consciously committing to community no matter the histories or differences to build community.  People and music over Packer games.

The Trempealeau Hotel is still awesome with delicious food, great beers and friendly people. Come to think of it – no televisions in that place too.  I had a few nights when it rained but my Nemo Hornet OSMO Ultralight 2P Tent worked great. Big shout out to La Mexicana restaurant in Sauk City that had some delicious lemonade and tacos that made me feel like I was still in San Francisco. The ride from Sauk City to Madison is actually pretty nice. I like to go through Marxville. One of the roads was closed and being resurfaced but that did not stop this bicycle.

Madison to Columbus Amtrak by Bike

This year I took a little different route to the Amtrak Station in Columbus Wisconsin. It is about a 40 mile ride and you can get out of Madison on mostly trails. Also, the best way into Columbus is weave your way on the farm roads like Marshall Road – a really sweet ride. As always before you get on the train cool off with a swim at the Columbus Aquatic Center. The Empire Builder heading west leaves Columbus Wisconsin at 5:55PM daily.

East Glacier to West Glacier

Riding a bike from East Glacier to West Glacier is very fun. Sure there are some climbs but the open spaces and amazing views make it all worthwhile. Last year I documented the ride.

I reunited with some friends that I met last year and made some new ones. At one point, at a campground I ran into Ernest and Jack from Switzerland. They were riding across the entire United States at a pace of about 80 miles per day. They were pretty hard core about it all, wearing red, white and blue jerseys emblazoned with a flag of the United States and some lettering “America Tour 2024” in hopes of being received congenially during their ride. I suspect they are either spies on a mission of discovery or players in an upcoming Netflix series. Later on my ride in Glacier, I camped with an interesting Czech fellow who has biked in over ninety countries. I shared my dinner of pasta primavera – all the food I had left. Below is the recipe. It was delicious after a day of riding the Going to The Sun road.

Glacier Zucchini Delight

1 zucchini
12 cloves of garlic – entire garlic bulb
1/2 bag of elbow macaroni
olive oil
1 teaspoon dried basil
salt and pepper

Directions
Cook up macaroni al dente and set aside
Chop up zucchini, garlic and basil and sauté in olive oil
Combine ingredients
Add more olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

The Empire Builder is Amtrak’s northern train through the west. It is good to reserve space for your bike ($20) beforehand however many agents at Amtrak are not very knowledgeable about bikes on trains.

If you are going through Portland on the Empire Builder you have to ride to Whitefish (you cannot get your bike on in West Glacier) and put your bike in a box (Amtrak provided for $10).  It is possible to to get your bike on the train in West Glacier but you have to go through Seattle. This year I rode an extra thirty miles to Whitefish where I put my bike in a box. Whitefish was nice with very good lake swimming, breweries and a farmers market.  There are probably more interesting bike routes than the one I took as I was advised to ride Highway 2 and I improvised some of the side roads to get away from the cars and trucks.

The Amtrak trains in the summer of 2024 are being delayed because of the heat and speed restrictions but I made my connection in Portland on the Coast Starlight. Amtrak comes through again!

Also see:

Bike Packing Gear Essentials – My Set Up

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Kamala Harris for President and Local SF Election Picks

Poster of Kamala Harris and Tim Walz at the San Francisco Democratic Headquarters.
Poster of Kamala Harris and Tim Walz at the San Francisco Democratic Headquarters.

Good Grief! As my father used to say. How is this presidential election even close! But then again we are living in what I like to call the “decade of delusion” where, with a straight face, Republican politicians have used the the phrase “alternate facts.”

Kamala Harris was our D.A in San Francisco. She grew up primarily in Oakland, California, with years in Montreal and Madison. She’s qualified and ready for this job. Unlike her opponent, she is not running from the law. She does not have to hire teams of lawyers. She’s buena gente and the only crime for some is that she is For the People and has pledged to tax the billionaires and corporations. Sounds like a good plan! The alternative is just appalling. Vote Harris-Walz 2024!

Even Dick Cheney, the ultra-conservative former Republican Vice President and congressman  is supporting Kamala Harris for president. You know things are getting desperate when Dick Cheney supports a Democrat from California.

THE MADISON CONNECTION

An interesting historical fact is that his daughter,  the former congresswoman from Wyoming,  Liz Cheney was born in Madison, Wisconsin in 1966 and lived in Madison the same time as Kamala Harris. In 1968 and 1969, Kamala Harris lived in Madison. Kamala was 5 years-old. It is unlikely that Liz Cheney and Kamala Harris ever played at the same Madison  playground as Liz would have been just two years-old, but anything is possible. Madison is a college town and center of state government with a population under 200,000.

Fields in Wisconsin near Madison
Fields in Wisconsin near Madison

Just think, in saner political times, they could have possibly been running for president against each other. Imagine!

Below is a video from an event in Ripon, Wisconsin, at the birthplace of the Republican party.


This is an open thread.

LOCAL ELECTION PICKS

Mayor

Aaron Peskin

Aaron Peskin with supporters
Aaron Peskin with supporters

District 11 Supervisor

Ernest Jones

Vote YES on Preposition K

While there are dozens of propositions on the ballot, one seems like it will have a large impact on children being able to ride a bike in this city of many people. Vote YES on Preposition K. Turn the Great Highway into pedestrian only space. The road from Sloat to Lake Merced will close in a few months anyway. The highway is falling into the ocean. The ocean always wins in the end.

Paul Lyons outside City Hall in San Francisco

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR: The San Francisco Journal is an online journal by Paul Lyons that focuses on Arts & Culture, Book Reviews & Politics. The endorsements above are those of Paul Lyons and not the supporters of the San Francisco Journal.

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Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2024

The weather is looking great for a weekend of Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, the free festival brought to you by the benevolent billionaire Warren Hellman who passed away a few years back but endowed HSB for an undisclosed amount of time. The free festival takes place October 4-6 in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. Some of the hardest working touring bands play the festival. It is some bluegrass, some country, some Nashville, some Northern California rock, a lot of Indie, some singer/songwriter, some folk and even a little New Orleans. It is people’s music and really all about the song.

Whether you like to fly solo, plan out your itinerary and carefully and catch a lot of different acts or hang out close to a big stage on a blanket with family and friends, it is festival where you can discover bands you never knew existed.

TWO RECOMMENDATIONS

The Bay Area’s own AJ Lee & Blue Summit is playing Sunday at Towers of Gold Stage at 1:15 PM. The band is some homegrown young gun slinger’s bluegrass. The band Fruition, who crashed the festival busking over 10 years ago is actually now on a stage! Saturday on the Swan Stage at 12:25 PM.

https://www.hardlystrictlybluegrass.com/

https://www.hardlystrictlybluegrass.com/schedule

SPECIAL NOTE

I will miss Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2024 as I have to attend a Celebration of Life for a cousin who passed away recently. There will be no awards this time around. If you want to read some of my Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival Awards, from years past see below.

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September in San Francisco – Photos and the Marine Layer

September 2024 has been a cold and windy month with a lot of fog and wind. If you plan on visiting San Francisco, definitely bring a light jacket and some warm clothes. Usually by this time of year we have some sunny autumn days but not in 2024. Festivals around the city have been a bit fogged-in and blustery. Flower Piano and the Haight-Ashbury Street Fair have taken place mostly on the fog.  Always best to head a bit east to see the clear skies and warmer temperatures. The Mission, Crane Cove Park and Potrero have been sunny.

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Kamala Harris and Tim Walz – How Myths and Fiction Become Reality

The national political scene, with all the pundits and polls, the constant news updates, the never-ending spectacle, the name calling, the disrespect all make for a wild and sometime entertaining ride for our modern-day, short attention spans. What often goes unnoticed is how art, in particular films, have often  predicted our political realities and the miraculous turn of events. This is rarely mentioned in the mainstream press.

ACT 1

When Joe Biden decided to retire I could relate. Eighty-one years old and all the slogging through the blizzards of bullshit, spin doctors, fundraising speeches, jet-lag, international turmoil beyond your control, family tragedies so grave and tragic most people would either hit the bottle hard or have just crawled under a rock. So Joe exited stage right and Kamala rode in on her horse.

It all reminds me of the movie Blazing Saddles where instead of Cleavon Little riding into town it is Kamala Harris. Like when another black sheriff rode into town on a horse named Hope, some folk still can’t fathom the concept of a black president. Now the additional shocker is that she is a woman.

And then there is the new sheriff’s sidekick, Tim Walz. Like Gene Wilder in Blazing Saddles, Walz can shoot a gun better than most and fortunately does not have a drinking problem. And in an even stranger similarity, in both cases the duos are in town to save the day from a wave of thugs, crooks, liars and big corporate railroad types wanting to buy and control little people’s pocket books and even their souls .

Once again, art becomes reality. Once again art foreshadows the future. Once again, art and imagination pave the way for justice. Mel Brooks was on to something.

“America and think about it. After all the promise of America is what makes it possible for [me and] Tim Walz [to be] together on this stage today. Think about that. Think about that. Think about it. Two middle class kids, one a daughter of Oakland, California who was raised by a working mother. I had a summer job at McDonald’s. The other a son of the Nebraska plains who grew up working on a farm. Think about it. Think about it. Only in America is it possible that the two of them would be running together all the way to the White House.”
– Harris and Walz rally Las Vegas, August 10, 2024

ACT 2

A few months back I was thinking about it… thinking about who would be the best person to run if Joe Biden dropped out. Who could possibly be the hero who saves the day. After much thought I came up with the only person who would easily win – Tom Hanks.

Tom Hanks has done it all. He has flown an Apollo mission and returned to earth with the help of a little duct tape. He has had AIDS. After his FedEx plane crashed in a violent  storm he survived for years on a deserted tropical island eating only coconuts and killing fish with a spear. He has saved Private Ryan. He has battled against Somali Pirates and won. He has jogged from one side of the country and back again. He has coached an all-woman baseball team. He is a person of mythic proportions and everyone would vote for him. He is someone who always seems to do the right thing. He could get us out of this political mudslinging and toxic delusional silliness. He seems to always play the hero.

So when Kamala Harris chose Tim Walz as her running-mate, you could tell right away that it was the right choice. Not some buttoned down careful politician whose family had been in the politics for generations. Not an Ivy League type. Not a show business person with perfect hair and a smile made for T.V.. Instead, someone a little like a fictional Tom Hanks.

Tim Walz grew up on a farm in Nebraska and was in the Army National Guard for decades. He has taught internationally and spent a year in China. In a small town in Minnesota he taught high school geography and social studies. The high school football team had lost 27 straight games when he joined the coaching staff as a defensive coordinator. Three years later, in 1999, the team won its first state championship. He sponsored a gay-straight alliance student organization at the small town high school after a student at the school wanted to start the group. You can’t make this stuff up.

In other words, his life is waiting for a Tom Hanks movie. Tim Walz is a Tom Hanks character – someone who deals with adversity and overcomes it through character, good decisions, common sense, great people skills, luck and hard work. And he has a rural way of speaking and communicating that has been missing in American politics since Jimmy Carter.

Hollywood. The script is still writing itself. I am not sure Tom Hanks plays the role but time will tell.

“We have some hard work ahead of us. But we like hard work. Hard work is good work. And with your help this November, we will win.”
– Harris and Walz rally Las Vegas, August 10, 2024

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News from San Francisco – The Quarterly Report – September 2024

The Quarterly Report: A brief synopsis of the news in San Francisco over the last three months. You are now reading “Slow News That Doesn’t Break” – the exotic internet.

National Politics

Kamala Harris, the former San Francisco District Attorney is the Democratic Party nominee for president. This turn of events happened quickly and San Francisco and Oakland are generally very proud and excited about her running and winning the election; it was in the nick of time. While Kamala Harris was D.A. of San Francisco I do not remember too many details but you can read an excellent piece What These Decisions Tell Us About Kamala Harris’ Approach to Criminal Justice.

Well I ain’t running from the law
Don’t know a lawyer I could call
And you won’t see me on the six o-clock news
Ain’t no money singing these blues
– Down By The Railroad Tracks – Paul Lyons 2024

In 2020, when Kamala ran for president,  I remember talking to some folks in their twenties who would not have anything to do with Harris. “My God! She’s a cop! I cannot vote for a cop!” But Kamala Harris, unlike her opponent is indeed not running from the law and seems like someone who wants to fight for justice, the little people and take on the corporate monopolies. This time around young folk seem to be onboard. Kamala Harris, the good cop is the right candidate at the right time. Vote Harris-Walz!

Sporting News

The San Francisco Giants are a five hundred club, meaning they win as many games as they lose. They play in a very tough division and it would be a minor miracle if they make the playoffs.  The Oakland A’s are a few games from the cellar in the American League West and playing out their final year at the Oakland Coliseum before heading off the to Las Vegas. Many people and loyal fans are going to the games.

Weather

In late August we are experiencing typical late summer weather.  Last weekend the fog pushed back and we had a few warm days where even the ocean looked glassy and inviting. The communal event, Sunday Streets took place on Valencia Street and it seemed everyone was out and about. Golden Gate Park was full of people enjoying the sun and warm days. Come Monday the northwest winds began to pick up and the marine layer hugged the coast making the weekend seem like a dream. In reality it was surely just a teaser for the Indian summer weather around the corner.

Actual Things That Have Happened in SF

It was observed that a young man in his twenties, while looking at his phone and walking north on Third Street, walked into a street lamp which gave off a distinct high metallic ringing sound like a bell (I think it was a C#).  He was uninjured but startled and seemed a bit embarrassed by the episode. In another era people would read books while walking and similar events must have happened.

King Street, Ancestry.com and Centaurs

I recently noticed some very interesting, and a bit humorous frescos of centaurs and mermaids, all with the theme of baseball, on a King Street building directly across the street from the Giants baseball stadium.

At some other point in history, baseball players evidently had four legs and tales, and women seemingly could play catcher and the outfield. My how things have changed over time! Ironically, the office for ancestry.com, the genetic testing website, is a few doors down. I wonder if anyone else sees the irony.

Road Repairs, Parking Tickets, Do Not Parks Signs and Other Treacherous Endeavors

Mission Street is finally getting some love with new bus stops and asphalt. It is a slow process but much needed out on the edges of town.

 

That is The Quarterly Report – August/September 2024

Photo Gallery of SF

The Quarterly Report – August/September 2024

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Fort Funston – Fantastic Views of the Pacific Ocean

All the best things in life are definitely free and one of those free things is Fort Funston. Sonner or later every San Franciscan makes it to Fort Funston, the land at the edge of the continent, on  top of the bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Fort Funston is a favorite place to walk a dog, explore bunkers and tunnels from World War II, watch hang gliders soar high above the surf or simply look out into the abyss and ponder the meaning of life.  Along Skyline Boulevard, not too far from Westlake Shopping center, just past Lake Merced is Fort Funston. If you head south on Skyline, pretty soon you can veer off on Highway 1 and  drop down into the city of Pacifica.

Hold on to your hat. Fort Funston features 200-foot high sandy bluffs on San Francisco’s southwest coast where the winds blow reliably wildly. No surprise it is one of the premier hang-gliding spots in the country. A network of trails make it ideal for hiking and horseback riding. Dog owners will be happy to know they can take leashes off here. It is also home to the Fort Funston Native Plant Nursery, plus trails for hiking & horseback riding. – Golden Gates Nation Parks Conservatory

The cliffs are a bit steep on the edge so make sure Rover does not go over the side but besides that it is relatively safe. Fort Funston is a great place to go when the skies are clear and the sun is out. You can often see the Farallon Islands and all the way out to Point Reyes.

Hang glider Movie at Fort Funston
How to Get to Fort Funston

The easiest way is by car as there is a large parking lot. It is possible to get there by public transportation as the 58 Bus goes there. Best to get off at John Muir Drive and Skyline Boulevard and do the short hike to the cliffs. The trails are well-marked and obvious.

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Bob Garfield, Julian Assange and The Definition of Journalism

He was charming and playful as he interacted with the judge. npr -Julian Assange Pleads Guilty 

The release of Julian Assange after years in a UK jail made me remember an op-ed by Bob Garfield on the subject. Garfield’s key point is that Assange is not a journalist but a broker of stolen goods and that the press is under attack but not in this case. His op-ed is nuanced in a way you rarely see in this absolutist political world. I think that Assange, as the quote above illustrates, became a bit of a media darling with his premature gray hair,  his smooth, steady Australian accent and his nobel Robin Hood persona. In this case the loot was classified documents.

Indeed, the U.S government has many dirty secrets and does all kinds of immoral things. It has been this way from the beginning. Shining the light on the malfeasance is a small step in the right direction but I doubt it will truly change behaviors. It is better to simply follow the money. Much of that is in plan view. Journalists are simply too scared to bite the few hands that feed them.

The thing is press freedom, defined under U.S. Law and best practices, doesn’t permit libel or extortion or, by the way, burglary–digital or otherwise. With journalistic freedom, comes journalistic responsibility. And Assange, explicitly, disclaims that–at least where other people are concerned. While he preaches that all information, no matter its sources or dangers, is better public than secret, his own organization is shrouded in secrecy.
– Bob Garfield

Bob Garfield was fired from On The Media and NPR. He evidently had a short fuse and would yell at people. I do miss his opines.

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4742 Mission Street, The Old El Tapatio now Almost Finished

4742 Mission Street is now a five-story building. It has been under construction for a few years. It looks to be a mix of residential and first-floor retail but the end result is still a bit of a mystery. The windows are in. The paint has dried. Who knows? It may be fenced-off for months or years as that is what can happen out here in the hinterlands of San Francisco.

The location was once El Tapatio, a dance hall with live bands.  A few years back I wrote about this historic location in a piece – El Tapatio Closed for Good – Another Live Music Venue in SF Gone.

El Tapatio Closed for Good – Another Live Music Venue in SF Gone

Out with the old. In with the new. I still think the ghost of Perez Prado is somewhere in that place.