Litquake Crawl, October Calendar - October 15th

Lit Crawl - part of Litquake 07 in the Mission Saturday night. 200 authors in three hours in 35 venues. An ambitious undertaking. Huge success. How could you not succeed - culture, people, the hottest part of town and nice weather.

So much to choose from including reading in the Park from Bark Magazine - bring your pup! and readings in the Mission Laundromat.

I chose two places:

The Beauty Bar, 2299 Mission Street. Always wanted to go in there. Small, semi-tacky bar with decor including a couple of hair dryers with seats. Discussion was "Girls Tell All: Authors from the anthologies: Bad Girls and The Bigger the Better, The Tighter the Sweater". I wanted to go here because Joyce Maynard was going to speak. I have read all her books and she is famous for "Home in the World" (she had an affair with J. D. Salinger) and "To Die For".

The room was so small and hot, I was right up by the dj stand with a great seat (but it got so hot I thought I was going to faint so I had to get out of there and get some fresh air). If you stood outside by the open windows you could sort of hear. The first person talking read from her article about bikini waxing before having her twins. I found out later that Joyce Maynard didn't even show up.

The second venue was "San Francisco Chronicle: The Daily Dish" at 12 Galaxies, 2565 Mission Street. Huge room, huge crowd. Eve Batey the Editor for On Line for the Chronicle did a good job of introducing everyone by reading on line comments from the readers about each one of these individuals. (very funny).

Leah Garchik the columnist, Heidi Benson the feature writer, Michael Shapiro the travel writer and Mark Morford the columnist "Notes & Errata" spoke. Don Asmussen the political cartoonist drew cartoon and had people go on stage with paper bags over their heads and say semi-obscene things (so very funny - you had to be there).

Litquake is now on the map and a success. It will be a hard balance next year to come up with innovative, fun venues and deal with the crowds. Lots of effort went in Liquake. Worthwhile for independents bookstores, writers and San Francisco. Valencia/Mission/Guerrero Street is the best part of town!

October Calendar

October 15th - Monday

SPUR - "Muni Monday: Update on the Transit Effectiveness Project". Julie Kirschbaum project manager will discuss the first systematic overhaul of Muni service in three decades: 12:30 to 1:30 312 Sutter Street #500. $15 Non-Members: Information: 415-781-8726 http://www.spur.org/

Community: Mission Bay. A forum for UCSF and neighbors to talk about UCSF and the needs of the community. 6:30 to 9 p.m. UCSF Mission Bay Campus, Genentech Hall, Room 114, 600 16th Street, San Francisco. Information: 476-8318 bblopez@cgr.ucsf.edu

Gary Willis - discusses "Head and Heart" (famous for writing "Nixon Agonistics" )7 p.m. Free Gresham Hall Grace Cathedral, 1100 California Street, S.F. Information: 415-749-6308

October 16th - Tuesday

SPUR - Community Benefit Districts in San Francisco. (business improvement districts). Wharf, the Fillmore, Tenderloin, Castro/Upper Market, Central Market and Noe Valley. Marco Li Mandri will talk about how to form these CBDs. 12:30 to 1:30 312 Sutter Street #500, S.F. Non-Members $15 Information: 415-781-8726 http://spur.org/

San Francisco Gray Panthers - General Meeting 1 p.m., Unitarian Center, 1187 Franklin Street at Geary. Speaker Ahimsa Porter Sumchai. "Gentrification, Redevelopment and the Future of San Francisco" http://graypantherssf.igc.org/

San Francisco Board of Supervisors - Weekly Meeting 2 p.m. - Items include Golf Course Task Force, Iraq Mot atrium, Procedures for removal of Supervisor Ed Jew . Information:

http://sfgov.org/

Quintin Mecke for Mayor (great campaign slogan - "Because we Can Do Better") - Candidates Forum at Bazaar Cafe, 5927 California Street, S.F. 7 to 9 p.m. Information: http://qformayor.com/

October 17th through November 30th

San Francisco Jazz Festival - http://sfjazz.org/

October 17th - Wednesday

SPUR - Fred Blackwell new head of San Francisco Redevelopment . 5: 30 p.m. to 7 p.m. 312 Sutter Street, 5th Floor. Information: 415-781-8726 http://spur.org/

San Francisco Neighborhood Business Awards - Urban Solutions 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Rasselas Jazz Club, 1534 Fillmore Street, San Francisco, Ca. $50. Information: 415-346-0199http://urbansolutionssf.org/

Mobility, Access, and Pricing Study - San Francisco County Transportation Authority is conducting interactive workshop regarding the possibility of charging motorists a user fee to access congested areas or routes during the most congested periods. 5:30 to 8 p.m. Milton Marks Conference Center, 455 Golden Gate Avenue, S.F. Information: Zabe Bent: 415-522-4800 mobility@sfcta.org http://sfmobility.org/

October 18th - Thursday

Carl Bernstein - Discussion "A Woman in Charge" book about Hillary Clinton . Stacey's 12: 30 p.m. 581 Market Street, S. F. Information: http://www.staceys.com/

Japantown Better Neighborhood Plan Community Meeting - discussion about the future. 6 to 9 p.m. Japanese Cultural & Community Center, 1840 Sutter Street. Information: 415-575-9068

2007 San Francisco Beautiful Awards - City Hall Rotunda S.F. 6 p.m. $200. up. Information: Ron Wong 415-355-9988

October 20th - Saturday

Transit Effectiveness Project Community Meeting - Discussion on ways to make Muni more effective. 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monroe Elementary School, 260 Madrid Street at Excelsior Ave. Information: http://sftep.com/ 415-701-4599

Transit Effectiveness Project Community Meeting - Discussion on ways to make Muni more effective 3 p.m. to 5: 30 p.m. St Peter's Catholic Church 1200 Florida Street at 24th Street . Information: http://sftep.com/ 415-701-4599

Saturday Pedestrian Safety & Advocacy - Third Annual Peak to Peak Walk, 12 mile Challenge, Mt. Davidson to Coit Tower - 15 peaks. 12 miles 8:30 a.m. West Portal Tunnel Registration by Oct. 17th - $ 75. Information: http://www.walksf.org/ 415-421-walk

Light-Out San Francisco - Dolores Park 5:30 to 9 p.m. Live music including local banks and DJ's to Opera in the Dark Information:http://lightsoutsf.org/

Lights Out San Francisco" No lights from 7 to 8 p.m. Install one energy-efficient light bulb. http://sfpower.org/

October 21st - Sunday

Sunday Fiesta on the Hill - Bernal Heights Street Fair- Cortland Avenue 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.Sila and the Afrofunk Experience, pony rides, petting zoo, celebrity dunking tank. Information: bhnc.org and click Fiesta .

Information:

Absentee Ballots in Person City Hall (Early voting): Ground Floor, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 48. : 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday (the last two weekends before Election Day). 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Election Day .

Absentee Ballots must arrive at the Department of Elections' City Hall office or at any San Francisco polling place by 8:00 p.m. Election Day. Information: http://sfgov.org/

Java House - FYI - 15 year Lease with the Port of San Francisco is being finalized. $2,045 a month rent with 7.5% gross revenues.