Not quite “award winning”

But oh so close.

So I said I was probably going to blog about the school parcel tax until Tuesday, but it’s not every day when you get featured as “Blog of the Week” by the San Francisco Chronicle next to such internet luminaries as Stuff White People Like and Gone Fishing.

Accolades and speculations about the growing size of my ego can be placed here.

Things I enjoyed about the blurb, first that it was written by John Diaz, editorial page editor, who is an Alamedan (generational pedigree!) himself, and not one of those silly outsiders like me.   The second thing I enjoyed was the almost immediate comment posting from “antzv” who felt the need to correct any misconceptions that anyone might have had while reading the blurb that I was some anti-establishment observer that would rage against the proverbial machine, even though that was hardly what the very short blurb said.

I particularly liked the sentiment that was pushed by “antzv” that this town was a friendly one until I came strolling along with guns ablazing and collecting bullets to count the number of “casualties” I have felled during my short stint in Alameda.   Because, the “status quo” that did exist on the internet previously in the form of Alameda Daily News, was, I suppose, perfectly acceptable to “antzv” since it aligned with his/her world view.   Let’s take a trip down memory lane courtsey of the Wayback Machine, which unfortunately only categorized some, but not all of ADN’s greatest hits.   I shall borrow a much used “question” from poster AD on this site to try and understand to what purpose these particular posts served in furthering the discussion in Alameda in a “friendly” manner.   “To what end” were these particular posts on ADN made?   Are they simply acceptable because in general ADN represents the world view, or rather, Alameda view of “antzv.”   Or because they are perceived by “antzv” as being “anti-establishment” that the oftentimes snarky commentary is overlooked and, in fact, part of the friendly charm of the town.

Also, please note, if you click on any of these links that the interview roster for the Don Roberts show often featured such “status quo” establishment folks like: Beverly Johnson, Frank Matarrese, Barabra Kerr (who was a sitting Councilperson elected through a majority of Alamedans, status quo again), Tony Daysog, etc…  Also ADN and Don R. lauded former City Staff such as Bill Norton as the “best City Manager Alameda has had for the past several decades ” and continues to post, verbatim, press releases from the City. 

• Great Wall of Alameda OK’ed by Planning Board
• Council Majority Votes to Rename Atlantic Avenue After Appezzato, complete with snarky comment from Barbara Kerr which denounced Appezzato not a good mayor.  And that he had been rude to her.
• Staff Written Minutes Whitewash Boardmember’s Comments
• What is Jamba Juice and “Whippee Skippee”?
• Council Eviscerates Alameda’s Anti-Billboard Law
• Saturday, October 4, 2003: Alameda Times-Star Flip Flops on its Recommendation for Arnold Schwarzenegger for Governor
• Kevin ??? Ryan Applauds ??? Jean Sweeney ??? this one is a particular favorite of mine, rather than doing the editorial thing and correcting what is obviously an issue with the guy’s email — quotation marks into question marks — Don R. choose to leave them in.  You know, because that’s the “friendly” thing to do when someone is commenting on whether Jean Sweeney would be the best candidate for the Planning Board.
• Another Goof by the Alameda Times-Star
• Alameda Journal Reporter Susan “Retraction” Fuller Errs Again in Another Front Page Story
• Trained Dolphins to Carry Commuters Across the Estuary? this is another favorite, one that is so encouraging of thinking outside the box and finding a middle ground through mockery.
• Journal’s Editorial Writer Goofs Again
• Deborah Overfield Astonished by “Rob Ratto Screaming & Bellowing & Yelling at Pat Bail” at Planning Board Meeting
• Is Sox a Megaplex Opponent? 
• Like South Shore Center’s New Moniker, Names Proposed for Alameda’s Proposed Megaplex
• How Do You Spell Alameda? , same link as above
• Tuesday, April 25, 2006 Editor’s Note
• Ezzy Ashcraft Late for Her First Meeting as a Planning Board Member, this particular archive was a doozy.
• Another View of Ezzy Ashcraft’s Tardiness to Meeting
• An Amusing View of Ezzy Ashcraft’s Tardiness
• Former Councilmember Barbara Kerr Comments on Ezzy Ashcraft’s Tardiness
• Is Jeff Mitchell of the Journal Memory Challenged?