Third worldification

Another sighting in the heart of suburbia.

I was sort of astounded this afternoon while parking at Trader Joe's (picture wide open expanses of asphalt) to see a man methodically working his way from tree to tree in the lot. I wondered, what the heck was he doing? Upon observation, I realized he was picking olives.

Those small decorative trees that the architect had specified between the rows were actually olive trees. My mind flashed back a couple hundred years to when the Spanish settlers had planted olives, some of those old trees were still producing. Yeah, but now it's the 21st century, and who knows what to do with olives picked raw like that anyway. There's a whole brine process involved to make them become what we think of as fit for eating.

When I lived in West Africa it was no surprise to see women gathering food (giant snails) in vacant grassy lots downtown. But this is not Africa, it's Walnut Creek for goodness sake! But we have people living in the interstices that have brought with them the knowledge to gather and process wild food and will do it no matter what the context. I guess the 21st century context doesn't really matter if your attitude is to see food and go get it. Doesn't he care about the Greek debt crisis?

Why do I care about Greece?

I see on the news this morning that in Greece there is (another) general strike protesting the cuts the government is making. The cuts are being made based on demands that the Greek government reduce spending in return for bailout money from other EU countries to try to prop up their banking system.

That's all sort of fancy talk, what has really happened? Greece joined the EU a while ago and started using the euro for it's currency (2002). Meanwhile the Greek government was running up huge deficits for salaries and pensions for civil servants, meaning government workers and everyone else under the sun. Being a Euro based economy meant that getting loans was easy. Now it's time to pay off the debt, and there isn't any money to do that. The EU has promised to pay off and delay some of the debt payments if Greece gets it's budget more in balance. These cuts are effecting Greeks who have become entitled to the money that's been coming in, so they are going on strike.

On the one hand, the ordinary Greek citizen that has been receiving government money feels put upon when it gets reduced. On the other hand the Greek government has been giving out money like crazy to get reelected and keep the citizens contented. The first round of cuts was May 2010 and now we're right back in the same place.

So who's to blame? The government that gave out the money or the citizens that demanded it? It's bread and circuses all over again. As the ancient Roman emperors had to support huge bakeries to supply the bread and put on the spectacular shows to entertain the masses, the modern politicians are also giving out the money and the citizens are demanding it in return for political support.

It doesn't look to me like this is a supportable system. Unfortunately for the Greek workers, the bankers keep good books. If the money was lent out, then they want it back. The bankers of the bankers will keep demanding the money back even if there is none. At this point the bankers need to be convinced that they can't get their money back without destroying the system. They will have to take a loss and it will have to be painful if the ordinary Greeks are willing to put up with their own pain.

Spending public money

You know what really gets me, when a government agency (or charity) that has been pleading for funds gets a new makeover. In Contra Costa County, the animal services agency is always after money. Used to be known as the pound. I drove by there last Saturday and there were a bunch of new flags hanging off the light poles. Labeled "Animal Services". This is not like a place where people driving by will see the signs and get in to donate. There are very few passerbys, this is across the street from the sewage plant after all, out in northern Contra Costa county at the end of the creeks that go into the bay.

If you want to donate, please check here. The shelter does good work, no doubt but I wonder. When I drive by on Saturday morning, the most striking feature is the "night depository". Like for a bank I guess where you can drop off a bag into a secure place. But is this case, it's a wall of stainless steel doors of various sizes. I guess for the cat, a small door will do. "See you later fluffy!" as you slam the door behind her. For the larger doors maybe you will be hoisting the big galoot in and hoping he's too tired to care. "Later, Adoph!"

The numbers for the shelter are really disturbing. So many killed and few saved. Total intake last year 15596. Returned to owner 2065. Killed 15442. These are listed as owner/guardian requested but I think if there is no guardian then the county becomes the guardian and requests the kill.

I guess the most disturbing thing is the bright new flags in front of this house of death. I don't see any point in it, but I may be wrong since Maddie's fund is throwing around money right and left to shelters. But I must say, a flag never saved a puppy or kitten at least that I know of.

Walk for this and that

I was out on my bike yesterday after a long time but it felt good. Along the canal trail I expect kids and dogs and strollers and the usual congestion of a Saturday morning and I'm OK with that. This time there were some signs along the way that said something like: Walk with Jerry for... well, something.

I was wondering if Jerry Lewis had a new thing going or what. There were a few people in yellow tee shirts with similar slogans at the intersections but they weren't doing much. In fact I startled a young girl along the path as I went by. Something enthralling on the iphone it seems.

I went out to my usual turn around and then came back the other way. Now there were bunches of these folks coming towards me. Some like the picture above, carrying jerry cans. Huh?

Their route on the path was just a couple blocks so I was soon clear of them. Except the professional looking photographer who was standing in the middle of the path with her back to me taking a shot of the oncoming walkers. Hello! Not a good idea to have you back to traffic leaning down and sticking your butt out to get the shot for your client! I yelled at her as I went by.

When I got home, I looked it up and it seems this group is raising money for clean water in Africa. That's a pretty good cause, but not always a good use of your money. The best thing they can do is a simple well, with a hand pump that provides clean water. Some of these overly ambitious water projects that use an electric pump with no certain source of the power are just a big boondoggle.

The jerry can idea is based on the fact that often these plastic containers are often used in Africa to transport water and not just in rural areas. Seems a little weird to me to carry an empty can for a couple miles in suburban California to collect some money. How about the African who gets out there with a 20l plastic jerry can full of water to bring back to the house when you're a 12 year old girl? That's the reality, and then wash the clothes when you get home.

It might be simpler to just find the right charity and give them some money. Except in this world of donor fatigue (yes, that's a word) charities need to come up with new gimmicks all the time. I wonder is we can come up with a simpler way?

Harrison Street

Maybe named after President Harris but considered more likely to commemorate Henry A. Harrison, who was a member of the Ayuntamiento, or Town Council, in 1849-50, and a member of the pioneer mercantile firm of DeWitt & Harrison.

The city directory of 1850 lists:

Harrison, Henry A., of Dewitt & Harrison, com. merchant, San b P and Bdway .

The second street is most probably Broadway, but what's San b p? I'm guessing Sansome, since between the current Broadway tunnel and what was then the shoreline that's the only street name at all close. Also the advertisement mentioned here from the "Alta California" in 1849 lists photographic equipment for sale at the store on Sansome street.

The store is also mentioned as being in operation in 1848 in a nearly deserted city. More mention of Dewitt here than Harrison however, but the scene of a town developing into a city is quite compelling. In 1899 Dewitt's obituary ran in the New York times and listed Harrison as a "business friend".

In this transcript of an oral history interview Harrison is mentioned only is passing as having "died or something" after the store was founded and a Mr. Kittle took over as partner. This link to a New York historical society newsletter lists the store address more exactly at 187 Sansome street which would put it at Pine street. That sounds more like where the city was at that time, I wonder if the numbering system changed along the way? And sure enough, in 1861 the numbers were redone starting everything at Market street and heading north and south from there. Now again, looking at other addresses in the guide, I think the store address can be decoded as Sansome, between Broadway and Pine.

Harrison street is another of those SOMA routes that takes a big bend southward after crossing Tenth street and peters out in Bernal heights. Not much in the way of restaurants or entertainment listed on Harrison, but I can recommend the (relatively) cheap and convenient parking lots between Bryant and Harrison at Second street, under the freeway. Noisy but dry enough to provide a bedroom for the two to four vagrants that I walk by every morning.

Bryant Street

To my point of view the first of the real SOMA streets, it's south of the freeway, at the top of Rincon hill and the beginning of the downward slide to the bay. Named for Edwin Bryant an early settler and newspaperman. He came across the plains from Independence, Missouri in 1846 as a Second Lieutenant in John Fremont’s expedition. (more about Fremont when we get to his street). Appointed the successor of Washington A. Bartlett as the second American Alcalde in February 1847.

As Alcalde he started the layout of the city grid with Montgomery street along the waterfront. Today's is quite a bit inland but still historic what with being my preferred BART station and all. The next Alcalde George Hyde had all the lots surveyed and then sold off over the next few months.

After his California adventure, Bryant returned to the "East". There he wrote and published "What I saw in California". Bryant's book describing his journey and California became the guide for the later Argonauts (gold seekers) who traveled the overland route and was updated with maps and mining information by the publishers. It makes for very interesting reading today when the landscape he described has mostly disappeared. Elk in Elk Grove? Today only in the name.

For me personally, Bryant street is where my Dad had his own business. Known as Power Mac supposedly because the lawyer that was registering the name had abbreviated Power Machinery on his notepad it was a great joy to us kids and sometimes more of a worry to Father. The address was 1999 Bryant which is way out west almost under highway 101. There is still some state money there to be claimed if you can prove you are owed it.

Dirty Harry had a scene or two on Bryant street since the county (city) jail is there. Whoops! Should have been termed the Hall of Justice. "Do you feel lucky?"

Here's a 1906 earthquake photo between Bryant and Brannan.

South Park, the real park.

When I first arrived in the SOMA scene in 2000 this was still a pretty disreputable area that had started out with gold rush bravado, gone along and then way down and was climbing back up. Laid out between 2nd, 3rd and Bryant and Brannan streets in 1857 it's now a techy millionare dream with houses going for prices above the clouds. I can't really include any links here because they will all be broken so soon. One ad I found described "South Park, a lush green park encircled with interior designer showrooms, boutique shops, notable restaurants and cafes." Perhaps the usual realtor hyperbole but certainly more promising than just a few years ago.

Originally developed in 1865 as an American version of the English crescent it briefly flourished as desirable real estate but industrial development and the influx of foreigners and working people (for God's sake) doomed the location to tenement housing and factories.

George Gordon, the original developer of South Park was in Philadelphia when Brannan declared "Gold, gold" but soon came out west with two groups of adventurers, one by ship and a second land party to prepare the way to Eldorado. They never really managed to meet up as promised since things had changed to much while they were on the way over.

Gordon died in 1869 and is celebrated in one of the curiously dense obituaries typical of the time. One cause of death being "excessive labor".

These days besides the park which is pretty well kept despite the amazingly high dog population there are several notable restaurants and meeting places. I have no actual knowledge of these only that I walk by them everday. There's:

• California Grilled Cheese Kitchen - which you can look up since I refuse to link to yelp and similar. I guess that's what the sell, I do know that the guy who hoses off the sidewalk every morning is not that considerate of walkers like me.
• 21st Amendment - which I will link to despite annoying flash page. Real beer actually made here, I've watched the grain trucks blow their load up to the bins on the roof in the early morning. Right across 2nd street from the above.
• South Park Cafe - supposed to be good, it's right at the actual park.

Of these three above web sites all are just wrong in so many ways. But that's what this area is, a web driven economy that thinks twitter etc is the new gold rush. But maybe they're right, Twitter's main office it right near here too. Working to destroy the world at just a 140 characters at a time.