East Bay Express

Shit Oakland Says

Ellen Cushing — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:57:00 -0800

Well, it was only a matter of time: Now joining the venerable "shit [subculture] say(s)" meme is our fair city, with this video, starring self-proclaimed Oakland natives Kathreen Khavari and Jaevon Marshall and referencing such Oakland institutions as Lake Merritt, Bakesale Betty, Occupy, and the omnipresent smell of weed. Personal favorite line: "Hey, can you check and see if the riot's over?…

The Growth of Weed Apps Is Explosive (Despite Federal Finger-Wagging)

David Downs — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:27:00 -0800

Medical cannabis patients are increasingly turning to their smartphones to easily find deals of the day, scan dispensary menus, and even schedule some dispensary-provided yoga. A tour of the Apple App Store and the Android Market reveals a rapidly advancing world of weed apps, even amid the crackdown by the US Department of Justice.…

Tom Ammiano: Justice Department Has Gone Rogue

David Downs — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:37:47 -0800

Strong words from the assemblyman in yesterday's Chron, in response to the four U.S. Attorneys in California who have caused the closure of five permitted dispensaries in San Francisco, plus one in Fairfax. Ammiano also argues the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and mayor need to be more vociferous: "We cannot allow the wholesale dismantling of medical marijuana in the state by a rogue Department of Justice," he said.…

Another File-Sharing Service Bites the Dust: Goodbye, BTJunkie

Kathleen Richards — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:57:00 -0800

First it was MegaUpload. Then FileSonic, FileServe, and Uploaded.to dismantled sharing capabilities.…

NUGGETRY Announces first Annual 'Stoner of the Year' Awards

David Downs — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:48:00 -0800

Voting is now open for Nuggetry.com's shameless yet effective, page view-grabbing "Stoner of the Year Awards". Vote for Celebrity Stoner, ProStoner, Youtube Stoner, 4-Legged Stoner, Advocate Stoner and Athlete Stoner.…

Alameda Gives Green Light to Mobile Food

Jesse Hirsch — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 14:47:36 -0800

Last week the city of Alameda quietly passed one of the Bay’s most permissive mobile food ordinances, opening up virtually every city street to food trucks. Almost the only restrictions are a ban on parking 25 feet from crosswalks, 50 feet from driveways, or on the same block as elementary or middle schools while in session.…

“Completely Ignoring Our Valid Questions Is Deeply Disrespectful”

David Downs — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:36:12 -0800

That's from Law Enforcement Against Prohibition spokesperson Stephen Downing's “Silence Says a Lot: An Open Letter to Google About Marijuana Legalization”, after legalization-related questions were omitted from a recent YouTube- and Google Plus-enabled public chat with president Obama:

“Eighteen of the 20 top vote-getting [YouTube] questions were on drug policy; mine was the highest-ranked video question on the entire site and the second-highest vote-getter overall, trailing only a text question about online copyright infringement ...

[But] Google didn't present the president with my question.…

Drug War Budget Cuts Might Gut Prevention

David Downs — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:22:00 -0800

That's the take-away from "The Federal Drug Budget Under Sequestration" by the policy wonks at Carnevale Associates, in their December Policy Brief.

The federal drug war is starving for revenue and we're printing money to feed it — but it's still losing weight.…

Could BMI Live Help Local Musicians Get Paid?

Kathleen Richards — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:49:44 -0800

A year ago, the music licensing giant BMI launched a new endeavor called BMI Live, which allows songwriters to register for free and get paid royalties for their live performance (as far back as six months prior). Yet few musicians seem to know about the program.…

Friday's Best Quotes: On Komen, Using Taxpayer Funds to Lobby, and the Bay Citizen Merger

Robert Gammon — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:29:00 -0800

Best quotes of the day:

1. “We want to apologize for recent decisions that cast doubt upon our commitment to our mission of saving women’s lives,” tweeted by Susan G. Komen foundation.…

Friday’s Top Stories: Komen Changes Mind on Planned Parenthood; Bay Citizen and California Watch Are in Merger Talks

Robert Gammon — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:58:00 -0800

Today’s top stories:

1. The Susan G. Komen foundation, a breast cancer organization that was under siege for its decision earlier this week to defund Planned Parenthood, reversed course today, The New York Times reports.…

Weekender: The Top Five Things to Do Over the Next Three Days in the East Bay

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 06:23:00 -0800

Happy February, East Bay! Here's what you're doing this doing this weekend.…

Top 10 Least Googleable Band Names

Kathleen Richards — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:41:00 -0800

Today I got a press release for a band called Sauna. The trend of concrete-noun band names has apparently hit an all-time high.…

Thursday’s Best Quotes: On No Snow, SmartMeters, and HoJo

Robert Gammon — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:30:03 -0800

Best quotes of the day:

1. "It's time to be concerned," said Maury Roos, the state's chief hydrologist on the fact that this year's snowpack is only 37 percent of normal.…

Watch Bill O'Reilly Fail A Basic Statistics Class Whilst Discussing Weed

David Downs — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:46:33 -0800

The Dutch have lower levels of access to, and use of, cannabis among teens compared to Americans — and it's not because they're winning some insane War on Mind Alteration. It's because Bill O'Reilly doesn't live there and bum everyone out.…

In Light of the Komen-Planned Parenthood Flap

Ellen Cushing — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:48:00 -0800

Here's a friendly reminder:

(h/t Xeni and everyone else in the universe)

Also: everyone should read this great MoJo piece from '09 about pinkwashing!

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Thursday’s Top Five Stories: No Snowpack, No Water; SmartMeter Opt-Out Criticized

Robert Gammon — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:27:00 -0800

Stories you shouldn’t miss:

1. State water officials are worried about the meager snowpack in the Sierra as Northern California continues to experience a bone-dry winter.…

City of Berkeley Takes Steps to Move Its Money to a Local Bank

John C. Osborn — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:03:00 -0800

In what could well be one of the more significant consequences of the Occupy Wall Street movement, Berkeley may become one of the first cities in the country to pull its assets out of a major bank — in this case, Wells Fargo — as response to its role in the financial meltdown.

The city council unanimously decided to review the feasibility of transferring its $300 million or so in assets from the bank to either a local bank or a credit union, and whether an institution of that size would be able to handle the banking transactions required of a medium-sized city.…

10 Things That Cost Less Than Facebook's $5 Billion IPO

Ellen Cushing — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:28:16 -0800

As you've probably heard, Facebook filed a $5 billion IPO today — which makes it the biggest public offering in history, and which analysts say will push the company's total value to over $100 billion. Presented without commentary, here's a list of things that cost less than $5 billion:

-119,047,610 Big Macs

-2,666,666.67 of these (extremely ugly*) diamond Tiffany necklaces

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Mid-Week Menu: Chef Departures at Picán and Hibiscus, New Organic in Oakland and Alameda, Gratitude Closure News

Jesse Hirsch — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:10:55 -0800

Welcome to the Mid-Week Menu, a weekly roundup of restaurant openings, chef arrivals and departures, and other nuggets of gossip from the East Bay dining scene.

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The Oakland Zoo's Adorable Baby Giraffe Makes First Public Appearance

Cassie Harwood — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:15:00 -0800

If you’re in need of a cuteness overdose to get you through the rest of the week, stop by the Oakland Zoo tomorrow between 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. for the first public viewing of the zoo’s new baby giraffe, Maggie, who was born at the zoo in the early morning hours of Jan. 12. At eighty pounds, 72 inches, and immeasurable amounts of adorability, the long-necked tyke is reportedly the first female giraffe born at the Oakland Zoo in nearly a decade.…

City of Berkeley Files Lawsuit Against Rasputin Music Owner

Kathleen Richards — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:15:48 -0800

Via Berkeleyside, the City of Berkeley has filed a lawsuit against Ken Sarachan, the owner of Rasputin Music, in order to seize the empty lot he owns at the corner of Haste and Telegraph in order to pay back $640,000 in liens and interest Sarachan owes the city.

As we've previously reported, the city council decided last fall to pursue foreclosure proceedings against Sarachan in an effort to force him to pay the liens he owes, develop the land, or sell it to someone who would.…

Wednesday's Best Quotes: On Stay-Away Orders, Oakland's Finances, and Apple's Domination

Robert Gammon — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 11:30:00 -0800

The best quotes of the day:

1. "While we respect every citizen's right to protest peacefully, we will not tolerate individuals who come to Oakland with an organized strategy to riot, clash with police officers, vandalize property and wreak havoc upon the city," Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O'Malley said in a statement.…

Joan Rivers Gets Baked, Eats Munchies, Tastes Water From Shoe

David Downs — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:48:04 -0800

Last year we wrote about how hard it is for seniors to get safe access to medical marijuana, whether due to stigma or bans on dispensaries. Apparently, seventy-eight year-old actress and comedian Joan Rivers has no such problem.…

Rest in Peace, Don Cornelius

Rachel Swan — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:23:49 -0800

We're devastated to hear about the death of former Soul Train host and producer Don Cornelius, who passed away this morning from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, multiple news outlets report. He'll be remembered not only as an incubator of talent in funk and disco — given that his Saturday afternoon show helped propel the careers of James Brown, Michael Jackson and a slew of other mega-pop stars — but also as a de facto curator of the best dance moves to ever grace national television.…