SANFRANCISCONEWSAUGUST9,2009
VI’S CORNER: "SIMBA"
SAN FRANCISCO—Hi, everyone!
My name is Simba. I'm a young little
boy who is only about ten pounds, and
I'm a Chihuahua mix. Everyone com-
ments on my satiny brown coloring,
and they also say that I have expressive
eyes! Well, seeing that I can't talk to
you in "people talk," I'm trying to tell
you, when I look at you, how much I'd
love to be a part of your family. Can
you tell what I'm saying when you look
at my picture? Well, I'm telling you to
please come to see me, take me for a
walk. and then, maybe you'll say that
I'm the one that you would like to take
home, and that we can all live happily
ever after! Oh, my gosh, that would be
so wonderful!
I was found by someone that had
dogs, cats and rabbits, and I think that I
was a little overwhelmed by all the different four legged creatures! So, when
they brought me in to the Friends of
Animals Foundation, they put on the
relinquishing form, in big letters(!) and
underlined(!), that I didn't get along
By Vi Logan
with cats and rabbits. Well, we'll just
leave it at that, for now. I definitely get
along with dogs, and I'm happy to
share all my belongings. So, if you
already have a dog that would like a
friend, or if you're the one that wants a
friend to hang out with, I'm available!
I"m not a barker, or chewer, or digger. I have no separation anxiety problems. I love to take walks and play.
I've had all my shots and have been
neutered. So, I'm ready, willing and
able to go to my new forever home,
right now! So, won't you please call to
see me?
Simba said that he wanted to share
some doggie quotes with you, so here
goes:
"It's funny how dogs know the inside
of folks better than other folks do."
- Eleanor H. Potter;
"A dog can express more with his tail
in minutes than his owner can express
with his tongue in hours."Anonymous;
"Dogs are my favorite people." Richard Dean Anderson;
"The Pug is proof that God has a
sense of humor." - Margot Kaufman.
This is Simba's favorite: "Handle
every stressful situation like a dog. If
you can't eat it or play with it, just pee
on it and walk away."
- Anonymous.
We won't take that as literally as
Simba does, of course, but you get the
drift, I'm sure.
Don't forget to call to see Simba, he
is such a sweet little dog and would
make a wonderful addition to any loving family. You can check our website
at: foafla.petfinder.com to see all of
our other dogs and cats waiting for loving homes.
Newsroom Staff
Publisher......................................Glenn Kelly
Assistant Publisher.......................Winter Kelly
Editor.......................................Susana Marcelo
Copy Editor...............................Susie Kopecky
Newsroom Assistant.......Patricia Piaszczymski
Graphics Director.........................Darshan Patil
Production/Online News.................Smitha Pai
Marketing Assistant................Skye Harrington
Ad Rep................................... Donna Vallerand
Ad Rep........................................Amy Johnson
Ad Rep..................................... Mike Ebrahimi
Admin.......................................Kimmi Stephan
Ask Deanna.................................Deanna Write
Assembler...............................Leanne Goggins
Faith.................................................Lily Kelly
Critic-at-Large................................Ruta Lee
Miller Time................................. Grady Miller
Point of View................................John Armor
Point of View........................ Henry Meyerding
Vi’s Corner..........................................Vi Logan
Travel.......................................Susan Michelle
Health...................................Mary-ann Cerruti
Star Gazing..........................Rose Quintiliano
Theatrical Musings.............Beverly Wilkerson
Entertainment...........................Tommy Garrett
Sports...........................................Todd Mayers
Reporter.........................LaDale Anderson
Reporter.................................Rosana Clarkson
Reporter...............................Stacey Zynen
Reporter.................................Dianique Ashley
Reporter...................................Bridget Kwok
Reporter......................................Nita Gandhi
Reporter...................................Lindsay Kramer
Editorial..........................Catherine Meyer
Editorial.....................................Kat Kazeminy
Declaration of Principles
We promise to:
1.) Provide a community newspaper that tells all the news honestly without any political agenda, slant or spin.
2.) Allow commentary writers the freedom to express their opinions and views without interruption, censorship
or persua sion.
3.) Provide members of the community (rich or poor) with the truth and a place to voice their concerns.
4.) Abstain from printing anything demeaning, calumniatory or potentially harmful to any living being.
5.) Maintain the highest level of journalistic integrity.
Readthenewsasithappens
without bias, slant or prejudice. We tell it like it is. For
freedom of opinion, See
Point of View which allows
allsidesofpolitics.
NEWS.....................................PAGE1,2
ENTERTAINMENT......................PAGE3
FEATURES...................................PAGE4
POINTOFVIEW.....................PAGE5
CLASSIFIED.............................PAGE6,7
BACKPAGE................................PAGE8
U.N. MOVINGIN TOBAY
AUGUST9,2009
VOLUMEIVISSUE32
UNITES NATIONS AND SAN FRANCISCO BUILDING GLOBAL WARMING CENTER
SAN
FRANCISCO—Mayor
Newsom announced on Thursday,
July 30, that the city and the
United Nations Global Compact
are teaming up to build a global
warming center at Hunters Point
Shipyard.
Gavin Power, Head of
Communications at the UN Global
Compact, told San Francisco
News, “Intense research will be
needed to address the effects of
global warming.”
In a press release from the
Office of the Mayor, it ia stated
that “The Hunters Point Shipyard
in San Francisco would provide a
key strategic location for global
United Nations center.”
Mayor Newsom said in the press
release, “Locating the UN Global
Compact Center in San Francisco
will reinforce our city’s commitment to global justice and sustainability.”
A press release by the UN
Global Compact states that the
center will be open in 2012.
Supervisor Sophie Maxwell,
whose district is Hunters Point,
was unavailable for comment as of
press time.
By Nita Gandhi
SAN FRANCISCO WINS HOMELESS SOCCER CUP
[email protected]
WEBSITE:
thesfnews.com
D.C. Through process of elimination, the competition made its way
to the final game on Sunday.
The team from San Francisco
will represent the USA as it goes
on to Milan, Italy for the international soccer tournament. Over
200 games will be played from
September 6-13. According to the
Homeless World Cup Web site,
“77 percent of players go on to
find a home, come off drugs and
alcohol, get into education, jobs,
training, and repair relationships
with friends and family.”
Communications and Event
Director for the international
world cup Katherine Byles told
San Francisco News that the experience of becoming a part of a
team, representing a country,
standing in front of a crowd of
thousands of spectators and signing autographs, is life changing
for the participants after years of
being excluded, ignored or even
treated violently on the streets.
As a result, more than half of the
players are inspired to radically
By Stacey Zynen
SAN FRANCISCO NEWS
NEWSROOM:
HOMEDELIVERY$50
SAN FRANCISCO—From local
outlets to the World News
Network, people across the country watched San Francisco defeat
defending champion Minneapolis
in the final round of the Street
Soccer USA Cup Tournament on
August 2.
Sixteen teams, composed of
homeless people from coast to
coast, began competing on Friday
at Kastles Stadium in downtown
change their lifestyles and seek
help for a better life.
“It is a complete transformation
in circumstances, which creates a
change in the way they see themselves,” said Byles. “The players
realize they can do anything they
put their mind to.”
The teams are co-ed and participants must have been homeless at
some point since August 4 of
2007. A player can only compete
in two world cups. There were
about 500 participants from 48
different
countries
when
Copenhagen hosted the tournament two years ago.
Byles says the staff is really
excited for this particular year
because of how passionate Milan
is towards soccer.
“This is the first time the
Homeless World Cup has been in a
nation where football (soccer) is
the first sport.”
To follow the results of the 2009
international cup, visit the Web
site at homelessworldcup.org.
PAGETWO
SAN
FRANCISCO—Muni
inspectors were out and about on
Thursday, July 30, to catch people
riding the Muni trains without
paying the fare.
In an e-mail to San Francisco
News Judson True, a Muni
spokesman wrote, “On Monday,
July 27, the SFMTA Security and
Enforcement Division’s Transit
Fare Inspectors (TFI) began a concentrated Proof-of-Payment (POP)
inspection program using a large
‘Saturation Team’ to form a dragnet of fare enforcement at key
Muni Metro locations.”
True stated that starting on
August 1, adults that evade paying
for riding on the Muni Metro
would receive a citation of $75.
News
MUNI TRYING TO CATCH FARE CHEATERS
SANFRANCISCONEWSAUGUST9,2009
The citation used to be $50.
“106 citations [were] issued during Tuesday’s two-hour operation
at Folsom and Embarcadero,” said
True in his e-mail. Adding that “78
citations [were] issued during
Wednesday’s two-hour operation
at the same location.”
True stated that the operations
will happen daily at different locations for about three weeks, and
then continue once or twice a
week.
The SFMTA is conducting a survey of how much money the
SFMTA loses when people do not
pay their fare. The “fare evasion
study, which is set to be completed
by September,” wrote True.
By Nita Gandhi
SAN FRANCISCO—On July 30,
28-year-old Andrew Balamiento
of Daly City, who was accused of
stealing items from personal baggage at The San Francisco
International Airport, pleaded no
contest to felony embezzlement.
Balamiento is among three men
who were formerly employed at
the airport as baggage handlers,
and were suspected of misappro-
priating belongings from passenger luggage. The two others
accused, Daly City resident John
Emil Victoria, 21, and San
Francisco resident Tauailapalapa
Laulu, 28, had also previously
pleaded no contest to embezzlement charges.
Victoria was sentenced to 90
days in jail, and Laulu was sentenced to 30 days in jail.
The thefts were initially reported after passengers noticed items
missing from their luggage. In
September, 2008, a retired San
Francisco police sergeant noticed
that his handgun was missing from
his bag, and airport officials began
a sting operation in an effort to
locate the suspects, as reported by
prosecutors.
The suspects were presented
By Rosana Clarkson
with simulated baggage containing foreign currency, video game
equipment, a laptop and a gold
watch. The items were later found
missing, and discovered in the
possessions of the three men during a police investigation. The
handgun was found in Victoria's
residence.
Balamiento is scheduled to be
sentenced in September.
BART REACHES TENTATIVE AGREEMENT
SAN FRANCISCO—After several months of uncertainty about a
possible strike against the Bay
Area Rapid Transit (BART), officials reached a tentative agreement on a new four-year contract
that was announced on July 31.
The agreement is an attempt to
save the District $100 million in
labor costs while eliminating an
estimated $310 million four-year
deficit while at the same time jug-
By Stacey Zynen
gling a decline in riders, state transit funding and sales tax revenue
according to BART officials.
“It was our primary goal to
achieve a fair and equitable contract in the best interest of our riders, taxpayers and our employees,” said BART Board of
Directors President Thomas M.
Blalock. “This new contract will
help BART balance its budget and
will help put BART on more solid
financial footing for the year to
come.”
The contract protects base salary
pay, caps benefit costs and
reforms work rules to make BART
run more efficiently. It must be
ratified by members representing
all three unions and the Board of
Directors before it is finalized.
“We recognized that we’re living
in tough economic times,” said
Lisa Isler, President of one of the
chapters. “I’m proud that the tentative deal will protect jobs while
at the same time make BART a
more efficient and customer-oriented operation.
According to the Web site,
BART will continue working and
negotiating with its two police
unions which are not allowed to
strike. For additional background
information about labor negotiations visit bartlabor.com/.
THREE PEOPLE INJURED IN VEHICLE CRASH
SAN FRANCISCO—On August 1,
three people were injured in a car
collision in San Francisco's Park
Merced district, according to the
San Francisco Police Department.
The crash occurred early in the
morning on Brotherhood Way
By Rosana Clarkson
between state Highway 1 and Lake
Merced Boulevard.
Previous
reports indicate that the driver lost
control of his vehicle and that the
car slid sideways into a tree on the
passenger side.
Arriving police used equipment
to extricate the accident victims
from inside the crashed vehicle.
"The people injured in the accident were taken to San Francisco
General Hospital with life threatening injuries," Sgt. Wilfred
Williams, of the San Francisco
Police Department, told San
Francisco News. "There was one
person arrested for Felony DUI.
His name is Dane Johnson, white
male, 21 years old."
No further information on how
the victims are faring is available.
PAGESEVEN
REAL ESTATE FOR SALE
720 A
REAL ESTATE FOR SALE
720 A
HOUSING FOR RENT
720 B
OFFICE & COMMERCIAL
720 C
CONCORD
DANVILLE
SAN MATEO
SAN CARLOS
$319000 OPEN HOUSE -SUNDAY
1PM TO 4PM
2 Bedrooms, 1.25 Bath
Upper End Unit
End-of-Court Location
Inside Laundry-Washer/Dryer Included
Separate Storage Room
Low Homeowner Dues: $240/month
975 Sq. Ft. (based on public record)
1440 Reganti Place, #15, Concord
300000 From the $300,000 - No Down,
- No Closing Cost
Call at 925-648-2311 Greg
Office: 925-648-2311
$1929 / 2br -EAT 2B2B APARTMENT
WITH CATHEDRAL CEILINGS!! GREAT
LOCATION!!
A vine-overed trellis, leafy trees and manicured shrubs create an elegant poolside environment for residents of Scotchollow. There’s
plenty of opportunity for R&R with 2 heated
pools, a spa, sauna and tennis courts.
contact Mollie at (650) 574-2300
RICHMOND
FORMER BAGGAGE HANDLER PLEADS NO CONTEST TO EMBEZZLEMENT
Classifieds
SANFRANCISCONEWSAUGUST9,2009
$465000 Office Condo for Sale
in Inner Richmond
New office condos in elevator building.
3rd floor finished shell space approx.
657 sqft ready for immediate possession/use or further improvements. This
unit is 1 of 10 units in building including 2 retail condos on ground floor. call
agent at 415-290-2927
$525000 Retail Space for Sale
Ground floor retail space approximately
715 sqft and 1 of 2 retail spaces in a 10
unit elevator building. This unit has
individual HVAC, ADA bathroom, 40
gallon hot water heater, and separate
gas, electric and water meters. High
ceiling for take-out restaurant/cafe.
agent at 415-290-2927.
FREMONT
$629950 Union City: Shows Like A
Model! Call to Preview.
4 Bdrm Single family house
2210 Mann Ave, Union City, CA
Year Built 1977
Sq Footage 1,378
Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 2 full, 0 partial
Floors: 1
Parking: 2-car garage
Lot Size: Unspecified
HOA/Maint.: $0 per month
Seller contact info:
Jerry Jacques
Coldwell Banker
[email protected], www.jerryj.com
!! First-Time Buyers !!
New Home Buyers
Start Building Equity!
Free Inside Report of Homes available
with no money down - no obligation.
Visit: www.srvFixerUppers.com
Beat others to Hot New Listings!
$689999 Beautiful Park-ike
Setting Backyard
~4 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms
Approx 1,479 Sq. Ft.
~Nicely Landscaped Front Yard with
Accent Trees, Plants, Shrubs, Lawn
Area, Vibrant Rose Bushes and a Rock
Garden.
~Tile Entry Joins Laminate Wood
Floors Which Carries Through Kitchen,
Dining Area, Breakfast Bar Area and
Down Hallway Which Offers Extra
Storage Closets.
~Living Room with Neutral Carpet,
Ceiling Fan Light / Combo with Remote
and Vertical Blinds.
For Additional Information About this
Property Call Greg McPherson with The
McPherson Team at (925) 242-0800 x
304.
Visit Our Website at
www.McPhersonTeam.net
$329950 BEST TIME OF YEAR TO
BE A HOME BUYER
2 bedroom 1 bath condo in San Ramon
for only $329,950.
Lovely gated community with pool, spa,
clubhouse, new carpets, fresh, paint,
breakfast bar, dining area, and balcony.
Close to good schools, shopping,
BART and easy freeway access.
Call listing agent to schedule an
appointment.
Angela Muetterties Keller Williams
Realty
925-785-6943 Cell, 925-833-555 Office.
$799950 4-Bedroom danville Home
with PRICE PROTECTION GUARANTEE!
Have you been looking for a 4 bedroom
in Danville under $800,000 with those
great San Ramon schools? This is a
wonderful home in a great neighborhood all ready for you to move in!
“12-Month Buyer Price Protection
Guarantee” on this home!
You can buy this home today without
risk of prices falling!
With our exclusive “12-Month Buyer
Price Protection Guarantee”
For recorded information about this
guarantee: call (888) 808-3853
SAN JOSE
$529900 LOW HOA Feel! Townhome
OPEN THIS SAT 1pm to 4pm
PROPERTY HIGHLIGHTS:
“ 3 Bed
“ 2 1/2 Bath
“ Sq. Ft. 1431
“ 2 Levels
“ 1 Car Garage + Carport
“ Gas Heat
“ Tile Roof
“ Attic
“ Partial
“ Hardwood Floors
“ HOA -$165
JOHN MEEKS
Realtor, Loan Consultant
Ph: 408-569-5471 / Web:
www.jmmeeks.com
$360000 San Ramon Condo
in Excellent Location
Name your price from $360-$370k.
Great offer for 1st time homebuyers,
small families or as an investment property. This Spacious floor plan includes
recessed lighting throughout, Pergo
flooring with Upgraded wall to wall carpet in bedrooms and family room. This
property is located in an established
gated community and conveniently
located within the San Ramon Unified
School District. Easy access to the
680/580 corridor... Stress free living!!!
Currently rented out and all offers are
being considered!!! Seller to negotiate
and pay for up to 6 months of HOA
fees.
Call for more details. Joe 925-525-9297
WILLOW GLEN
$1200 / 2br -Available for immediate
move-in
Choose a Decorator Accent Wall Color for
your New Apartment! Call at 800-518-2236
SANTA ROSA
$2300 / 4br -— GORGEOUS! NEWLY RENOVATED! 4 BEDROOM HOME
4BD/3BA New carpet, granite, marble and
paint! 2-—story with cathedral ceilings, fireplace in family room, breakfast bar in kitchen.
3BD/2BA downstairs with Master suite
upstairs. Central air and heat, 2-ar garage with
work bench, fenced yard.
$2300/mo rent plus $2300 security deposit.
Early pay discount. 408-219-1713
$1475 / 3br House in Rincon Valley Area
Nice Rincon Valley 3-bedroom house, 1 bath,
1-car garage. large yard.
Washer/Dryer hookups.
If interested call Mike (707) 332-586
SANTA CLARA
$3750 / 3430ft² -— R&D/Flex space w/4
offices + large open area + wrhse-ll HVAC
Please see our website for further information
at https://www.lbcproperties.com or call for
an appointment to view the property
at 831-24-1640.
309 Laurelwood Rd at De La Cruz Blvd
$1884 / 1013ft² -—One Office for lease on
Kifer Rd at flexible rates in Santa Clara
We have one commercial office space suite
for lease remaining:
* Central Santa Clara location
* Great window lines
* 1,013 sq. ft.
* 2 private offices
* Large open area
* Storage/server room in suite
* CAT5 wired Please visit our website,
http://www.borelli-inv.com/craigslist, for
complete information and floor plans
Call us at 408-453-4700
Cheap Rents-lnut Creek/PH boarder
CHEAP RENTS
Spaces available immediately
Space from 276 sq. ft. to 5000 sq. ft.
Close to B.A.R.T. station
Extremely close to HWY 680 on ramps
Please call Anthony Kessler r. e. agent
925-627-2886
$1295 / 1br -— ***Great Loc-ool/Spa, GE
Appliances, AC, FP Avail, Fitness Center!**
(santa clara)
Address & Phone Number:
1901 Halford Ave
Santa Clara, CA 95051
(408) 241-8508
2250 / 900ft² -— Attractive medical, office or
retail space at Morse and Laurel
1000B Laurel Street, in downtown San
Carlos, offers one suite available for medical
office, office or retail use with immediate
occupancy. The space offers:
-—open buildout with restroom
-—excellent building signage fronting Morse
Blvd at Laurel Street
The building offers:
-—prominent downtown San Carlos location,
one block north of Brittan Avenue
-—high quality interiors built by contractor/owner
For tour or more information, contact:
Trask Leonard, Bayside Realty Partners,
650-949-0700
3200ft² - San Carlos Warehouse / Office
Space On Industrial
I have 3200 sqft of office/warehouse space
available in San Carlos. Unit has both glass
door entrance and large roll up automatic
door. It is on the 1160 block of industrial,
right behind Home Depot, and across from
Best Buy. If interested, please
call me at 650-339-3743.
$1650 / 1050ft² -— ELCAMINO FRONTAGE
COMMERCIAL SPACE ON THE EL
CAMINO IN SOUTH SAN CARLOS. IDEAL
FOR RETAIL. MANY POSSIBILITIES.
PLEASE CALL 650-400-0575
FOR MORE INFORMATION AND AN
APPOINTMENT TO SEE
OAKLAND
$1200 / 520ft² -Brand New Commercial
Space - Store Front!
Brand new commercial/store front space in
Oakland (near New Chinatown area) on the
ground floor with private bathroom!
Available for retail or office use.
Approximately 520 square feet. Move in cost
is first month’s rent plus security deposit.
Easy to show! Please e-mail or call Cindy at
510-381-4599.
Coin Laundry for Sale in Oakland
Coin Laundry for Sale.
Asking Price is $145,000.
Please contact me if you are interested in this
listing.
Jeffrey Ota (Agent)
BIM, Inc.
(415) 567-8002 ext.11
[email protected]
VACATION RENTALS
720 D
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE
$189 / 3br -RUSTIC LOG CHALET, JUST
REMODELED~ NEW AMENITIES~
CHRISTMAS AVAILA
CHRISMAS IS STILL AVAILABLE!!!
BOOK IT HERE TODAY:
More Pictures and detail descriptions are
available here:
http://www.laketahoechalet.com Please go
online and click on the nights that you want
to book and pay online. Once we get your
payment, we will confirm your booking asap.
$130 / 3br -home style cabin clean and cozy
This 3-bedroom and 1 bath cabin with knotty
Pine features and a wood burning
stove provides a cozy Tahoe ambience, centrally located in S. Lake Tahoe in a quiet
neighborhood. It is 3 miles from the Heavenly
Ski Resort,
4 miles to the casinos and 1 mile to the “Y”
shopping outlet center.
Winter rate: $165\per weekend night &
130\per wkday night
Contact Us:
408-306-8510 (Dan)
408-306-8511 (Roxanne)
see us online at http://www.thesfnews.com
PAGESIX
CLASSIFIED
DIRECTORY
ANNOUNCEMENTS............................101
SINGLE EVENTS................................102
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY..................203
FOR SALE.........................................304
COLLECTIBLES..................................305
AUTOMOTIVE.....................................306
LEGAL...............................................402
SERVICES..........................................407
MUSIC...............................................408
FREELANCE WRITER..........................409
HAULERS..........................................410
SECURITY..........................................411
HOME IMPROVEMENT........................412
HEALTH.............................................413
SPIRITUAL.........................................414
LIFE COACH......................................415
COMPUTER SERVICES.......................417
HUNTING..........................................418
PETS.................................................516
EMPLOYMENT...................................619
REAL ESTATE....................................720
OPEN HOUSE....................................722
COMMERCIAL RENTALS.....................723
HOMES FOR SALE.............................724
RESIDENTIAL RENTALS......................725
EVENTS
102
Classifieds
Beautiful, professional Celtic harp
music for your event
The magical music of the Celtic harp can add
a special touch to your:
*Wedding
*Social Event
*Dinner Party
*Art opening
*Studio Recording
Website:
www.flowinglass.com/princess/wed.html
call Margaret Davis at (510) 569-0437
BIZ OPPORTUNITY
203
Enthralling Summer Job Opportunity
Summer C ounselors Wanted
Please contact us through our website:
www.summerfun.com
FOR SALE
304
$575000 3 BED/2.5 BATH OPEN HOUSE
SAT/SUN 1-4PM (Fremont / Union City/
Newark)
Bedrooms: 3
Bathrooms: 2+
APX Sqft.: 1212
Year Built: 1997
Name: Gary Yip
TEL(D): 510-656-1188
TEL(F): 510-656-9868
[email protected]
AUTOMOTIVE
306
NEED AUTO MOBILE REPAIR
CALL 510 229 0715 (Oakland East)
WILL COME TO YOU,
CHECK ENGINE LIGHT,
FAIL SMOG CHECK
RADIATOR, WATER PUMP,
STATER, ALTERNATOR BRAKE,
ELECTRICAL,
OTHER ENGINE PROBLEMS
ANNOUNCEMENTS
101
LEGAL
402
BERKLE E MUSIC GRAD TAKING
NOTARY PUBLIC 1-800-820-0121
NOTARY PUBLIC ALL BAY AREA !!,
PLEASE CALL 1-800-820-0121
ALL OF SAN FRANCISCO,
ALL OF SAN MATEO COUNTY,
INCLUDING COAST.
MOBILE SERVICES,24 HOURS A DAY,
CALL 1-800-820-0121 ,
CELL PHONE 415-215-2517
GUITAR STUDENTS
LEAN THE GUITAR STYLES OF
HENDRIX,CLAPTON,VAUGHN,JIMMY
PAGE,ROLLING STONES.
$25 HR. $50 HR HOUSE CALLS.
CALL CASEY 616-450-8191
Learn to play electronic keyboard
for free (Santa Clara)
Would you be interested to play your favorite
songs in music keyboard in a matter of few
hours?? Do you want to impress that special
someone by striking a musical note?
Mail me at [email protected]
for a trial free version of this new methodology for playing keyboard.
SAN FRANCISCO NEWS
NEWSROOM:
[email protected]
WEBSITE:
thesfnews.com
SERVICES
407
ONSITE COMPUTER & NETWORK
SOLUTIONS ($35/Hr)
Service Area: All San Francisco Bay Area,
Alameda, Oakland, Berkeley, El Cerito,
San Leandro, Castro Valley, Hayward, Union
City, Fremont, Moraga, Orinda, and Lafaytte.
Rate: $35 for Home Users; $45 for Small
Business 510-682-7598
AFFORDABLE TRADEMARK/PATENT/COPYRIGHTS ATTORNEY
Contact my law offices.
Sean Donrad, Esq.
1300 Clay Ave
Oakland, CA 94612
Phone: 510-387-482
Email: [email protected]
SANFRANCISCONEWSAUGUST9,2009
MUSIC
408
Sumac’s Soul Heaven B and
We have solid soulful sounds featuring a
dynamic vocalist in Soul, Blues and R&B. For
Bookings, please call 925-864-1403.
FREELANCE WRITER
409
FRE ELANC E INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER
FOR AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY
This is a part-time, telecommuting position.
Please send a resume, cover letter and three
published writing samples to
[email protected]
HAULERS
410
HAULING -- DUMP RUNS
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COMPUTER SERVICES
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File by: 1/19/2009
EOE
Entertainment
WHY I CAN’T STOP WATCHING “BIG BROTHER 11”!
SANFRANCISCONEWSAUGUST9,2009
SAN FRANCISCO—Admit it,
there’s not much on TV in the summer, but one show that I’ve watched
in the past during television’s summer hiatus is the CBS reality hit “Big
Brother.” This season has been one
of my favorites. At first I thought,
“It’ll be the same as the other seasons,” but the creators decided to
shake things up by placing the contestants in high school cliques. We all
remember the good and bad things
about high school, why be reminded?
The contestants on this season are a
fiery batch not afraid to say what’s on
their mind and to play the game. The
last person standing wins $500,000.
The cliques included the off-beats
(Lydia, Kevin and Casey), the brains
(Ronnie, Chima and Michelle), the
populars (Laura, Jordan and Braden)
and the athletes (Jeff, Natalie, Jessie
and Russell). The athletes have been
controlling the house, leaving everyone else begging for mercy. This
fuels my desire to have the power
shift to someone from one of the
opposing cliques.
Things got off to a huge bang in the
first week after Jessie (a contestant
from last season’s "BB" re-entered
the house and in power). We saw an
alliance formed between the brains
and the athletes, and what looked like
a normal week soon saw fireworks
after the power of veto was won by
Russell, a macho, bully in the house.
He called out fellow team member,
Jeff, who wasn’t afraid to speak his
PAGETHREE
By LaDale Anderson
mind, and already a rift between the
athletes has occurred. To shake
things up more, Russell took Lydia
off the block and she was replaced
with Braden.
Tempers flared between Lydia, Jeff,
Kevin, Braden and Jordan after
Braden unleashed some unkind words
to Kevin and Lydia. To top it off,
Chima declared war on Braden and
the rest of her houseguests after
revealing why she should stay over
Braden (she included a few curse
words in her speech). Since then
Braden, Laura and Casey have all
been evicted from the house.
There’s so much drama that you feel
obligated to tune in every Sunday,
Tuesday and Thursday night to see
what happens. A love triangle is
brewing between Natalie, Jessie and
Lydia. You can sense the tension
between these two women (they don’t
like one another), and Lydia is not
afraid to call Natalie out on her
antics.
Host Julie Chen released a bombshell last Thursday when she
announced the cliques would be no
more; some of the house guests were
ecstatic (Chima, Jeff), others not so
much (Natalie).
Jeff never felt quite welcome as an
athlete and he let that be known. After
getting into a verbal argument with
Russell, he kept contact with his
clique to a minimum. I applaud Jeff
because he didn’t feel compelled to
“align” and do whatever his clique
wanted; he was a leader not a follower.
With so much backstabbing, you
never know whom to trust. Ronnie,
the self-proclaimed dork had been
playing both sides of the house (the
brains/athletes
vs.
the
offbeats/populars), but sweet Laura
called the “rat” out on his antics
before she left the house. Ronnie got
burnt and found himself to be the
most hated person in the house.
Let me praise Casey, who finally
placed Natalie in her place after he
was evicted. He called her Jessie’s
pit bull. Casey, we’ve been praying
for someone to address the relationship between those two, and you didn’t bite your words. “Big Brother”
has been torturing this season’s
houseguests. Each week several
houseguests become “have-nots” for
the week (they have to sleep in an
extremely uncomfortable aluminum
bed, no hot water for showers and
they have to eat slop). With the
cliques dissolved it’s interesting to
see whether people continue to work
in their cliques or form new alliances.
The BB house is known for having
twists, and this week Julie announced
the return of the Coup D’état (a mystery power that allows one houseguest to overpower the head-of
household by replacing his/her nominees right before the live eviction);
that houseguest must keep it a secret
though. I’m praying that Jordan, Jeff,
Michelle or Lydia is awarded the
power. My gut tells me they’re not
afraid to shake things up in the house.
“Big Brother 11” is television at its
best; if you lock a bunch of strangers
in a house with no outside contact
what do you expect to happen? Plenty
of entertainment. BB is my guilty
pleasure of the summer, and if you
haven’t been tuning in, now is the
time because this is one reality show
that delivers.
MORE TO LOVE!
HOLLYWOOD—Reality television
can do a lot of things; it can turn participants into national celebrities as
seen in “American Idol,” and it can
also humiliate contestants, boosting
ratings.
I am not a great follower of reality television, especially the dating
genre, but I was intrigued to watch
“More to Love.” Now imagine having your weight in pounds printed
on national TV. It must have been
mortifying for those plus-size
women. While some of them admit
to having limited experience in dating, the majority of them said they
have no trouble getting dates. They
all seem so over-confident.
The show is set, of course, in a
mansion, where they had a chance to
size up one another at a cocktail
party in the first episode. As the
show progresses in the next coming
weeks, the women will compete for
By Rose Quintiliano
the attention of bachelor Luke
Conley, in the usual humdrum,
absurd reality show style to avoid
being eliminated. Sound familiar?
Unlike “The Bachelor,” in which
the object of affection is usually the
buff model type, Luke is 6 feet 3
inches and 300 plus pounds. He is a
real estate developer/subcontractor
who was an offensive lineman for
Arizona State University. While the
show suffers from originality, it
does inspire women of girth. We all
know that nobody’s perfect, and
love comes in all sizes.
"American Idol" Mr. Mean, Simon
Cowell is creating a new talent show
for rock bands. According to published reports, the as-yet-untitled
show will be a cross between
Cowell’s “America’s Got Talent”
and Britain’s “X-Factor.” The rock
band show is Cowell’s first venture
for his new entertainment company
with Brit billionaire Sir Philip
Green. It’s hard to believe that
Simon will turn 50 on October 7. He
looks great with his sculpted body
and that full head of hair.
Turning the Big 5-O, is Marie
Osmond on October 13. She didn’t
get an early birthday present from
the TV network. Her planned daytime talk show that was previously
scheduled for next month was
scrapped. Distributor Program
Partners confirmed a few weeks ago
that the hour-long syndicated show
will not premiere as previously
scheduled for next month. Osmond
is negotiating a long-term contract
to perform nightly with her brother,
Donny Osmond, at the Flamingo
Hotel in Las Vegas, according to
Variety. Susan Boyle who is a fan of
Donny Osmond, is more than willing to perform a duet with Donny,
and who knows? She might even
pop in.
Forty Love. Jennifer Lopez turned
40 a few weeks ago, and celebrated
her birthday bash with hubby Marc
Anthony, Liza Minnelli and Ricky
Martin in Manhattan.
Too busy for the Wedding. Karina
Smirnoff
and
Maksim
Chmerkovskiy have no time to think
about their wedding, since they’re
too busy burning up the dance floor.
The professional dancers best
known from ABC’s “Dancing with
the Stars,” are preparing for their
Broadway debuts in the ballroom
dance show “Burn the Floor.” For
the next three weeks they’ll be at the
Longacre Theatre.
Rose’s Scoop: Emeril Lagasse,
who will be turning 50 on October
15, was in Atlantic City the weekend
of August 1, at the Atlantic City
Food and Wine Festival.
PAGEFOUR
Features
“MY GIRLFRIEND IS AWAY TOO MUCH...”
Dear Deanna!
I’m having huge arguments with my girlfriend because she can’t seem to get enough
of her friends. We have a social life that’s
active considering our jobs and lifestyle. All
of a sudden she wants to go out three nights
a week and she’s hanging out on work
nights. The only time I see her is when she’s
on the phone making more plans or leaving
the house. How do I ask her to choose me or
her friends and her new party life?
Walt
Phoenix, Ariz.
Dear Walt:
There’s a possibility your problems are
more about the relationship than about her
friends. You should offer to join her when
she goes out and if she says no, then be prepared to have a conversation. Be direct and
ask her why she has the need to be so active,
By Deanna M
what can you do to improve your social life
and be willing to make personal changes.
However if her honesty hurts your feelings
don’t take it personal but use the feedback to
improve your situation.
Dear Deanna!
My high school sweetheart who is a senior in college dumped me. He told me that
he’s grown up now and ready to start a
career and doesn’t want a relationship to
hold him back. I was crushed because I didn’t see this coming. I supported him by
working two jobs and many late nights helping him study. He lied to me and I thought
he was going to marry me and support me as
I got my degree. How do I tell my parents I
messed up their money?
Foolish in College
Online Reader
Dear Foolish:
Your selfish boyfriend used you like toilet
paper and reaped all the benefits. There is
no way you could have been very close to
this man without an idea he was growing
apart from you. Unfortunately that’s the
way the college love story goes and you
could have prevented some of this by putting yourself first. You must tell your parents immediately because they’ll be more
upset and embarrassed if you wait and tell
them when graduation arrives without you.
Dear Deanna!
I’m worried about my sister because she is
the type of woman that has to be in a relationship. She recently ended a six-year
romance and after two weeks, already getting serious about someone new. I think she
needs to clear her head and realize she is on
SANFRANCISCONEWSAUGUST9,2009
the rebound. She has already told this man
she loves him and I want her to slow down.
What can I say to her in ,order to spare her
feelings but still get my message across?
Anonymous
St. Louis, Mo.
Dear Anonymous:
It’s good that you’re concerned because
this is your sister and you love her. If she’s
not being hurt and there aren’t any foul signs
of abuse or cheating from this man, you
should wait and see what happens.
However, it’s too early to see his true character and as an experienced dater, your sister should see the signs when they appear.
Share your honest feelings with her about
slowing down and let her know she has your
full support if things don’t work out.
THE COTTAGE CHRONICLES: QUEST FOR A PERFECT PORCH LIGHT
SAN FRANCISCO—The ghosts of past
residents—even those that leave the
ghost of their abject non-descriptness—
haunt all houses. In my case you could
see that the previous resident was at odds
with the small nature of the cottage: she
wanted baronial splendor while living in
Lilliputian squalor.
This much was evident in the massive
carved wooden door, apt for a sprawling
three bedroom hacienda in the Valley,
evident in the huge double-door refrigerator (please see "Tale of Two
Refrigerators," December 23, 2007), and
the pedestal porcelain basin in the crowded bathroom that must be circumnavigated to reach the commode.
Well, folie de grandeur loves company.
In the bungalow court where I hang my
cap, a majority of cottages boasted porch
lights out of proportion with their houses—fixtures designed for much bigger
places. I vowed to find a porch light in
harmony with the cottage’s size. The
only other requirement was that it not be
made in China. Only things made in the
U.S.A.—my patriotic, ethical, environ-
By Grady Miller
mental kick of the moment—would pass
muster. And till now the remodeling had
made a mockery of my "No-China" policy: my new doorbell was "Made in
China," likewise my new-old doorbell
(the one that burned out after two days,
proving the adage you get what you pay
for), the new medicine cabinet, also
made in China (it’s probably oozing
formaldehyde as we speak). An overwhelming number of items associated
with hearth and home are produced in the
growling archipelago of sweatshops.
The quest for the perfect porch light
started at Lowe’s in Burbank. Like many
men, I prefer buying to shopping. Lowe’s
seemed a promising choice for the porch
light of my dreams. They had a dazzling
array—but they were suspiciously cheap
(the China factor in full force). These
lamps came with a guaranteed flimsiness,
and what was worse, flimsy met gaudy.
The lights were bloated and Italianate,
crying out to cast their buttery glow in
the porticos of McMansions, the stylistic
objective correlative for the Wall Street
debacle and American obesity.
Unable to find anything at Lowe’s, I
was directed by a clerk to an electrical
supply store, across the street, that didn’t
handle porch lights. Thence followed a
trip to Pasadena—a vintage hardware
store.
This was the third store I’d visited
today, and it should be the charm.
Blooming in Victorian-esque light fixtures, Tiffany lamps and crystal doorknobs selling for $200, this store, too,
suffered from chronic ornate disease.
And if I had brought a magnifying glass,
I fear I may have seen "Made in China"
in tiny relief letters on half the inventory.
From that cloying emporium I went to
a mom-and-pop lighting store, where the
man didn’t smile. Lots of lighting fixtures too big, too ornate, too monumental. There was one plain one that I almost
settled on—it’s a classic number that
looks like a mason jar. One you can buy
at Home Depot for 99¢ and here in
Pasadena it was $99.
At this point in our story the unsmiling
man gave me two recommendations: a
store in Monrovia or one in Pasadena. As
it turned out, the fifth store was the
charm, located on Walnut Street in
Pasadena. The eager clerk came out to
show me what I wanted. I wasn’t there
20 seconds and I saw the right fixture:
small and spherical and you could feel
the solid cast-iron heft. It cost a pretty
penny, too, but it was worth every cent.
A light fixture is something you don’t
want to replace every year; you want it to
last for the ages, shedding its inviting
glow to generations of guests.
The fact that the display model was the
last one in stock confirmed its desirability.
The clerk unscrewed it from the display
rack. He merrily bee-lined for the cash
register and dinged his bald pate on a
low-hanging fixture. He managed to
smile as blood gushed from the fresh
wound. A couple hours later, exhausted
from miles driven in a furnace-hot June
day, I freed my new lamp from its packaging, felt its weighty heft and gazed at it
proudly. As I turned slowly around the
base, I glimpsed the silver decal:
"MADE IN CHINA."
LOOKING GOOD FOR LOTS LESS
SAN FRANCISCO—In the prior
columns, we’ve discussed the size numbering system used in the U.S. But different
systems are used in other countries. Many
of these are based on the metric system,
while the U.S. system is based in inches.
It can be confusing to see clothes labeled
in metric sizes that have been imported into
the U.S. Even more confusing are numbers
that are similar to the U.S. but are actually
different. Keep in mind that all sizes are
approximations and can vary widely.
Whatever numbers are on the labels, trying
on items of attire is the true test of what fits.
Your body will never lie or mislead you.
That is the best way to deal with any uncer-
By James F Brown
tainties about size numbers.
Still, being able to convert from foreign
to American sizes is helpful. And it’s a
smart strategy when you’re traveling overseas and doing a bit of clothes shopping.
There are some real bargains available. And
there are also a variety of styles, colors, and
patterns that you’ll seldom — if ever — see
here at home.
In the United Kingdom, fine, high-quality shoes such as Church’s are renowned
worldwide. Their shoe size system is like
ours — but not quite. British shoe sizes are
2-½ sizes smaller than American for
women’s shoes and ½ size smaller for men’s
shoes. Australia has a similarly numbered
sizing system, but it, too, is different from
the British and American systems.
Men’s suit sizes and shirt sizes in the
U.K. are the same as in the U.S. Throughout
the rest of Europe these sizes are in centimeters. Japan has its own unique sizing system.
To further complicate matters, women’s
clothing size numbers are all different in the
U.K., Europe, Japan, and Australia.
The best way to deal with foreign sizes is
to print out some clothing size conversion
charts and carry them with you when traveling abroad. You can google “clothing size
conversion chart” to find websites with
charts . Two excellent ones are:
www.overstock.com/international-apparel-sizing-conversions-guide.html
www.asknumbers.com/SizeConversion.asp
x Don’t let these different sizing systems
stop you from acquiring some wonderful
attire when you’re abroad. Keep in mind
that besides the different systems, clothes
may also be cut differently than those for
the American population. This can work for
you or against you, so be sure to try on
before buying.
This concludes our series about clothing
sizes. The next column will cover some tips
for savvy clothes shopping when you’re
outside the U.S.
Point of View
CASH FOR CLUNKERS, GATESGATE, PLUS A SPECIAL TREAT
SANFRANCISCONEWSAUGUST9,2009
WASHINGTON D.C.—Let’s begin
with the easiest subject to understand—economics. Last week two
important events happened: the Cash
for Clunkers program shut down
when it burned through money
planned for four months, in four
days, and based on a previously
passed federal law and minimum
wage went up again.
Now, the two programs are different in size. The minimum wage only
increased by 70 cents an hour;
whereas, the Clunker program is/was
giving away up to $4,500 per transaction. So, the change was both larger and faster in the latter instance. I
was on the road on family business
and saw a hand-lettered sign in a
Tennessee Tasty-Freeze that said,
“Prices have increased due to wage
increases.”
The bottom line is simple, and
every student who was awake during
the first day of Economics 101
knows it—when the price of anything goes up, people buy less of it.
For sure, assorted studies by economists hired by labor unions have produced “academic” studies showing
that raising the minimum wage does
not cost anyone their jobs, but no
honest studies support that conclusion.
By John Armor
A big jump, rather than a gradual
change, is easier to see and impossible to paper over. The experts in
D.C. expected that $1 billion for
Clunkers would last four months.
How ignorant do professors, congressmen, presidents have to be to
think when you give away anything
for free (try health care for example)
that you won’t have lines around the
block? Then total costs will go
through the roof until rationing is
imposed.
Another story from last week was
the brouhaha concerning the “distinguished” Harvard professor, Henry
Gates. This was not about race. This
was about Harvard. Seldom do I recommend other people’s columns in
full and provide a link, but my friend
Iowahawk has written a screamingly
funny and spot on analysis of
Gatesgate
under
the
title,
“Cambridge Police Profiling Still A
Grim Reality for Harvard Faculty
A**holes.” Here’s the link. Don’t
follow it you are offended by that last
word.
http://iowahawk.typepad.com/iowah
awk/2009/07/cambridge-police-profiling-still-a-grim-reality-for-harvard-faculty-assholes.html
By the way, I’ve seen Ivy arrogance
up close and personal at Yale. It is
even found at Princeton, though I’m
not sure why. (Hold that tiger.)
And now for dessert. For almost a
decade I’ve been working on a book
on Tom Paine. It’s researched and
finished. I got a stack of rejection
letters, some saying that it was an
excellent book, but there was no
market for it. My initial reaction was
that Glenn Beck’s book “Common
Sense” had smothered the market for
mine. Now, I offer a thank you for
Glenn and his book.
Mine is much heavier in history,
uses much more of Paine’s original
work, and mostly, demonstrates how
the ideas that Paine wrote down two
centuries ago remain true concerning
American domestic and foreign policies
and
challenges
today.
The success of Glenn’s book convinced at least one publisher that
there is room for the success of mine.
I call Tom Paine the “forgotten”
Framer. Without his works, the
United States would not have come
into existence, yet very few people
are familiar with his writings, and the
reasons for their effectiveness.
There is one aspect of Paine’s work
which no one else has discovered in
227 years of reading and research.
The power of Paine’s words come
from the same style that can be
PAGEFIVE
traced in American historical documents, presidential speeches, but
also in popular writing, songs,
movies
etc.
That chapter is for writers who want
to write better than they do now, who
want to learn why Paine was so successful.
My book will be published, with
original artwork done by Olga Calco,
a Russian-born and trained artist.
There is a chance, just a chance, that
it will be ready for the Rally on the
Mall in Washington, D.C., on
September 12. The title is “These
Are the Times that Try Men’s Souls.”
That is Paine’s most memorable
sentence. It begins the first chapter
of The American Crisis, which was
read to General Washington’s troops,
before they crossed the Delaware at
night in a snow storm to attack the
Hessians at Trenton. Washington
gambled the whole fate of the
American Revolution on that single
battle. His troops marched into that
battle with Paine’s words fresh in
their ears.
The subtitle of my book is,
“America – Then and Now, in the
Words of Thomas Paine.” Here’s the
initial Web site for my book, with
reduced rates for pre-publication
purchases: TheseAreTheTimes.us
AMERICA’S VERY OWN CASH FOR CLUNKERS
WASHINGTON D.C.— Congress goes
on break this month. It may be a good
thing, after all, when they are in session
they seem to argue as much about nothing as some of the show hosts of FNC
and MSNBC have been doing. Yes, one
is conservative and one is liberal. Neither
knows the answer, but together maybe
they can find it. Our problems cannot be
solved until there is a full understanding
about our economy, our capitalistic principles and then our leaders should agree
to put the nation’s interests and well
being before their own or their party
affiliation. Since grownups on the top
cable news stations don’t have to behave
like adults, that doesn’t mean we don’t
expect so of our paid politicians.
In the last few years, I’ve tried to tackle many issues in this column: mental illness in America and the lack of understanding or answers from our political
leaders in handling the crisis, our ballooning deficit spending while many
Americans still are screaming for more
entitlements and the lack of understanding our leaders have for our beloved military men and women. We won’t even go
into what I have often said about the
media. The lack of respect amongst these
By Tommy Garrett
overpaid bullies who spend their precious airtime discussing their dislike for
their contemporaries and competitors is
only interesting to right wing and left
wing viewers, listeners and readers—not
to the moderates. The actual disdain all
of these people feel for their audience is
palpable. Why are FNC and MSNBC
agreeing privately to halt or at least
lessen some of the vitriol toward each
other? What should be important to these
huge media outlets is giving Americans
unbiased news and keeping our political
class honest. Or at least as honest as we
can keep them.
However, for the past eight years it was
the Democrats in Congress doing the
very same thing to George Bush.
President Bush made many mistakes;
however, he never received credit for
some of the right decisions he made.
Going into Afghanistan was the right
decision, choosing a cabinet of diverse
racial makeup was brilliant and to his
credit, he was the first president in our
nation who did so without any thought
for political gain. He chose Colin Powell
and Condoleezza Rice because he
believed they were good for the country,
competent and brilliant. He also was
extremely right to cut taxes. If only his
economic advisors had convinced him
that following tax cuts, he also needed to
cut spending, not increase it. In addition
to steadily increasing his administration's
spending, he foolishly chose to add
another entitlement called prescription
drug care for current and future Medicare
recipients. Have any Americans bothered
to research how many seniors canceled
their current prescription insurance coverage simply because they could get it
cheaper through the government?
Cheaper of course is relative. It’s costing
tax payers and yes, future tax payers for
this political vote winner. Children who
have not even been born yet will be paying for our outlandish and selfish entitlement spending.
President Obama is new to the job. My
opinion of his decisions will have to be
an issue in an upcoming point of view
session. However, so far he’s fallen into
the same trap the previous president was
in by trying to scare the country into
accepting his choices and decisions.
Today it’s the fear that our healthcare
system is broken, when actually it is far
from it. It does need updating and retuning.
Let’s just hope it’s still early enough
into his term that he can recalibrate and
consider the socialist views and choices
he’s on the path to making. Let’s hope he
realizes that the real failure is not cutting
the deficit. By not taking a strong stand
to become the first president who actually tackles our national debt and sees that
it’s paid down without adding more to it,
our economic future is quite dire.
I suppose that it’s good the White
House, unlike Congress, will be working
through the summer. While Congress is
home meeting their constituents and
vacationing, they will also continue to be
paid. That’s the epitome of Cash for
Clunkers.
Please remember serviceman PFC
Bowe R. Bergdahl, who was kidnapped
by the Taliban and is being held while on
tour in Afghanistan recently. PFC
Bergdahl was serving with an Alaskabased infantry regiment. Pray for all of
our military men and women in harm’s
way on a daily basis while on the frontlines of the fight against terror.
Ever think about the national debt?
Click on this link to get the current tally:
http://www.usdebtclock.org/