Maze Collapse

For all you Bay Area residents who have been living in a cave for the past 24 hours, a section of the MacArthur Maze collapsed early Sunday morning leaving a section of east I-80 to eastbound I-580 in complete chaos. The story and pictures were plastered on every news station imaginable yesterday and a press conference was organized to inform the public of route alternatives and lasting impacts.

Yesterday evening, it was announced that all transit systems would be offering free rides all day on Monday to ease the congestion anticipated on the region’s freeways following the collapse. The daily commuter in me is very happy this morning that I will save approximately $5 over the course of the day. But the cynical tax-payer in me refuses to see how offering free rides for one day will help matters. Yesterday evening, Gov. Schwarzenegger announced that an emergency declaration would provide $2.5 million dollars to reimburse mass transit agencies for free rides today. It also provides overtime funding for Caltrans demolition crews. Now I understand that today is the real test to see how the entire Bay Area will be affected by the Maze collapse, but wouldn’t it have been more useful to have things return to as much normalcy as soon as possible while taking the litmus test? I mean, don’t get me wrong, I understand that allowances need to be made to help alleviate a possible traffic gridlock, but the people who would be riding mass transit or who would have had to plan on riding mass transit, would have been willing and able to pay for the ride (since they would have been planning on doing that anyway). And it doesn’t help that I saw some extra smelly homeless people sleeping on BART trains this morning taking up extra seats that should have gone to weary commuters willing to pay to ride BART. To offer a free fare day on all mass transit systems in all directions seems a little extreme and not very useful considering the $2.5 million could be used to help fund the rebuilding of the Maze.

Sigh.

Feeling Sick

For the past few days, I have been battling a mild case of food poisoning that I just can’t seem to shake. And trust me, it needs to be shaken. Food poisoning has got to be the worst punishment in the world! I’m nauseated, dizzy, sick and feverish all at the same time. It is definitely an effective torture mechanism that would make anyone crumple under pressure. I cry uncle and wave my white flag! Take me now.

So as I sit here trying to keep a variety of smells from causing me to upchuck what little lunch I actually ate today, I offer my deepest sympathies to those who have ever encountered a severe case of food poisoning and lived to see another day...filled with food.

Good day and happy eating.

Spring Is Here

March Madness is officially over. Props to the Florida Gators for a great game last night. They clearly were the better team and had no trouble defeating Ohio State. Not that I play favorites but I would award Lee Humphrey with the MVP of this championship for all his amazing 3 pointers. And Joakim, if you’re reading this, please please please cut your hair. The championship is over now and you can afford to take some time to relax and see past that Loch Ness Monster you call hair. As for me, I look forward to throwing a celebration for having a winning bracket this year. I must say that it’s an oddly unsettling feeling to know that my team actually made it all the way (granted, the eastern and southern section of my bracket died an early death). I don’t know how I achieved so much with knowing so little. But who am I to complain?

It's always a bittersweet day when college basketball is over. I look at March Madness as the last snowflake falling from the sky. A time when you can smell the spring flowers blooming. And a time when summer is just around the corner. Ah, yes. And now, when I look back, March Madness will not return again until the days grow shorter, the nights are longer and I am another summer closer to death.

Hey, speaking of summer, it's now baseball season! Opening day is today, and your San Francisco Giants are set for an interesting year. With Barry Zito on-board and Barry Bonds still around, we’ll be lucky if we make it to the playoffs. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a Giants fan and all, but you have to question upper management when they spend roughly $126 million dollars for a seven-year contract with a pitcher whose last biggest accomplishment was that he won the Cy Young Award in 2002. The Giants also spent roughly $16 million dollars on a left fielder who tries to intimidate the ball club but has trouble hitting, running and diving for balls…I don’t know, but it sounds like Magowan and Baer need a little advice. Like for instance, the Giants should start looking for younger talent. I mean, look at the active roster, you have Ray Durham at 36, Pedro Feliz at 32, Ryan Klesko at 36, and of course, the leader of the old mans pact, Barry Bonds at 43. I’m all for keeping around the old and experienced, but if they can’t hang with the young guys and bring home some wins, then they need to get out or play for cheap.

So congratulations to the Gators and good luck to the Giants.