Yep. Canine blood donation. I ... I can't make up my mind. Is this good? Is this terrible? I didn't even know this happened, and I am what you might call a reglar at the blood bank. Jokes about doggie bags spring to mind (I can't help myself), but mostly I'm trying to decide if people should be taking their dogs in to donate. For one thing, it's about 1/5 of a greyhound's blood volume (compared to about 1/8th of mine). And I think we can assume they're not capable of consenting?

Regardless, if you're capable of consenting, I am totally in favor of humans donating. Red Cross or other places. It is National Blood Donor Month, after all.

Just last week, the S.F. Board of Supervisors took a look at the idea of raising the price of parking meters and parking fines to cover a $15.1 million shortfall in the MUNI budget. The proposal hopes to generate $9.5-10 million in increased revenues:

It already costs $2 an hour to park at a meter downtown. Sonali Bose, the agency's chief financial officer, said charging that price across the city could generate another $4.5 million to $5 million. Boosting the cost of a parking ticket by $5 could add another $4 million to the pot, she said. Parking illegally in a street-cleaning zone, for example, now costs $40.

Today's Matier and Ross, however, contains an interesting little tidbit (you need to scroll down below the HP story) -- the most expensive meters in town aren't generating their anticipated revenue. In fact, the $3.00/hour financial district meters are collecting only $2.61/day.

While the Supervisors are scratching their heads trying to figure out why the collection rates are so low, I believe that they have simply priced themselves out of the parking business. At $3.00/hour, that's $24.00 for an 8-hour day, which is more than what some of the bargain private lots will charge. Private parking also adds the benefit that a lot space doesn't expire like meters, and parkers don't run the risk of being fined for an expired meter (this is even more attractive, when tickets increase in price as well). Even in the neighborhood where I grew up, where parking is scarce, the jump in the meter price from $1.00/hour to $1.50/hour was enough to lead to increased circling, and plenty of empty meters. While street parking is valued, it's only worth it, if it's less costly than private alternatives.
Also, who these days totes around $3.00+ in small change in their pockets or the dashboard ashtray?

I am sorry, sometimes, that the entire Civil Rights movement, all of Black-American history, the tragedies of racism and the triumphs of progress, the gates thrown open for me and mine--I am sometimes a little sorry that these things get only one day in our national calendar, and headlined under only one name. But it's a pretty great name, and if I had to pick one, I guess I too would pick Dr. King.

In these dark times, and our first observation of the holiday without the help of Coretta Scott King, it's hard to viscerally understand how much better things are. I think it's vitally important to spend a little time and meditate on the profound progress American society saw between the 1930s and the 1970s. That is not to diminish how bad things might be now, but to remind ourselves that positive change is possible.

People love railing against the deification of Dr. King. They point to various personal flaws, some quite real. I agree that those should not be painted over. But I do not think they are any cause for lessening our memorial celebration--quite the contrary. They are reminder to all of us that we need not attain Buddha-like personal perfection to jump into the fray and do that which is right and necessary. And as I said, I also wish there was more to our celebrations than the focus on one man. That is because the tapestry as a whole is more inspiring, and more likely to show us where we could have fit in, and where we might fit in today. But a person is a useful anchor point--you can start with him and see who connected with him, and read their stories, and then see who connected with them, and read their stories. Eventually we will find someone who is like us and say, "Ah yes, I'd like to do something like that. I could do something like that. What's like that which needs doing today?"

For example last year Joel Pomerantz wrote a beautiful open letter in memory of Coretta Scott King (Coretta the Insurrectionist), and I bet that some people will identify more with her story than her husband's, and might get that same inspiration he thanks her for. (My God, what an amazing woman.)

The shadow of war that swirled around Dr. King's death swirls around us still. Over at Tiny Revolution Jonathan Schwarz points out that "every year since 1967 we've been blowing up somebody," and links to Dr. King's Break the Silence speech. In these blogospheric times, silence is perhaps the last thing we have, but in our actions the silence continues. We just have to keep trying to make that dream a reality, I guess.

That's James Brown, who's not in Children of Men. Want to know the connection? You can go read my review of the movie. Sorry for the shameless plug, but after I wrote my review, I just felt like it's such an appropriate movie to mention here. It deals with political problems around the world in an intellectually and emotionally effective way. I think anyone who's reading this blog should go see it.

P.S.: That still is from a short film called Beat the Devil, and there's your hint for finding the connection without reading my review. In Beat the Devil, it is revealed that James Brown made a deal with the the Prince of Darkness many years ago, and the Devil is ready to collect. But the Godfather of Soul isn't gonna go that easily! Eternal youth will be his!

So don't be surprised if we soon find ourselves hearing about some hard-working bright young funkster...

P.P.S.: Oh sweet, Beat the Devil is no longer available for download or purchase from BMW, but it is on YouTube.

Secret agents, samurai, shades of the rainbow, sins, sages, solar system objects seen with the naked eye. The most popular random number. Plus a couple grand, and some spare change. It's 2007, and I hope this year brings you all good things. Happy New Year!