Articles Posted by Ralph E. Stone
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Discovering Simón Bolivar
Venezuela President Hugo Chávez pictured with a painting of Simón Bolivar in the background. Photo: AP By Ralph E. Stone March 28, 2010 In 2007 and 2008, my wife and I traveled to the Bolivarian…
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Nordic Mysteries: The Millenium Trilogy
The movie and the book introduce Lisbeth Salander, played by Swedish actress Noomi Rapace. She is a unique figure in fiction. She is Goth-like in appearance, autistic and bisexual with a distrust of authority, an amazing ability with a computer, a photographic memory and astonishing physical courage, and while not physically attractive, is sexually appealing to both men and women. And yes, she has a large tattoo of a dragon on her back. She is a rare example of a feminist heroine who doesn’t hate men, just men who hate women. Throughout the Trilogy, Larsson weaves in her background of childhood abuse and violence. My minor quibble with Ms. Rapace is that she is too pretty. But otherwise, Ms. Rapace and Michael Nyqvist, who plays Mikael Blomkvist, the other main character, are well cast.
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Constitutional Convention Needed
to Address California Budget CrisisCartoon courtesy Daryl Cagle, MSNBC.com By Ralph E. Stone March 22, 2010 Fasten your safety belts. It’s budget time again in Sacramento. Prepare for a repeat of last year’s contentious budget battle. California is still…
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Israel’s Snub of US, Mid-East Peace
Heard Around the WorldVice President Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. Photo: Flash 90 By Ralph E. Stone March 14, 2010 In President Obama’s June 2009 Cairo Islam speech, he called for a Palestinian state and a freeze…
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A Toast to Saint Patrick
San Francisco’s 159th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Festival will be held on Saturday, March 13th, 2010 at Civic Center Plaza, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The Festival takes place at Civic Center Plaza and on Grove Street, from Polk to Larkin Streets. The Parade will be held on Saturday, March 13th at 11:30 a.m. The Parade begins at the corner of Second & Market Streets, and continues on to City Hall.
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Time for a Study of the Effects
of San Francisco Rent ControlAll San Francisco properties with a first Certificate of Occupancy that was issued prior to June 13th, 1979 are subject to rent control. If a rental unit was in regular use prior to June 13th, 1979, but does not have a Certificate of Occupancy — an illegal unit — the San Francisco Rent Board will still find the unit subject to rent control. This means rents can only be raised by certain amounts per year, which is tied to inflation. Landlords can also petition for other increases, e.g., for capital improvements for a maximum of 10 percent or for increased operating and maintenance costs for a maximum of 7 percent. In addition, tenants can petition the Rent Board to decrease their rent if the landlord is failing to provide agreed upon or legally required services. Tenants can only be evicted for one of fourteen “just causes.”
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Tiger Woods’ Mea Culpa
Tiger Woods By Ralph E. Stone February 20, 2010 I am not a golfer. I have never watched a golf tournament live, or on television. Yet, Tiger Woods became a worldwide phenomenon that transcended any…
The Hunger Site
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