Bad Hotel? Bad Romance?

I can appreciate Lady Gaga in this format. Check it out and remember to double check on the labor conflict status of the hotels you're staying at this summer.

Loving San Francisco

I will admit this city took some time to grow on me. However, two years after moving here I have come to terms with the fact that I'm madly in love with this place. What's not to love?

1. The hijab friendly weather
• Summer? What's that? You can still find long sleeved shirts available for purchase here in mid-June.
  
2. The public transportation
• It costs me $6/round trip to work, in Oakland, every day. With gas, insurance, parking, idiot drivers and bridge toll costs to consider, this is definitely a bargain over driving.
  
3. The diversity
• When walking thru a "strange" area you get more "Salaams!" (from Muslims and non-Muslims) than stares, you can't help but to be happy about the world.
  
4. The politics!
• OK, I'm not sure how much the other items combined even compare to this. If I wasn't sure about my love affair prior to reading this story, after reading it I'm now ready to make a lifetime commitment to this crazy place:
  

San Francisco voters will be asked to decide whether to name a city sewage plant in honor of President Bush, after a satiric measure qualified for the November ballot Thursday.

Backers of the measure, who for several months circulated a petition to place the measure on the ballot, turned in more than 12,000 signatures on July 7, said organizer Brian McConnell. The Department of Elections on Thursday informed those supporters, the self-proclaimed Presidential Memorial Commission, that they had enough valid signatures - a minimum of 7,168 registered San Francisco voters - to qualify for the November ballot.

McConnell, who came up with the idea over beers with friends, often donned an Uncle Sam outfit to drum up support for the petition. The all-volunteer group of signature gatherers often carried around an American flag and blasted patriotic music from a boom box to attract attention. He said the campaign to pass the measure will be an equally grassroots effort.

The measure, if passed, would rename the Oceanside Water Pollution Control Plant the George W. Bush Sewage Plant. McConnell said the intent is to remember the Bush administration and what the group sees as the president's mistakes, including the war in Iraq.

Some people aren't laughing, including the San Francisco Republican Party, which sees the measure as an embarrassment, even to this famously liberal city. Chairman Howard Epstein has vowed to fight the measure with all means available to him.

A White House spokeswoman, when asked about the measure several weeks ago, refused to comment.

What's not to love? SF Gate

Earth Hour 2008

Come on: turn off the lights and hug a tree!

I'll be at a bridal shower tomorrow night, but I've already put in a request with the hostesses that we turn off the lights in compliance with Earth Hour. Hopefully they agree. I even bought 100 tea lights in hopes of coaxing them. insha'Allah.



As the video description says: "Do Something!" to make a positive impact.