Occupied in Oakland

The day finally came last week when I drew the short straw and was shipped off to cover the war zone known as Occupy Oakland. With my trusty camera and urine-resistant shoes, I was ready for deployment...


The Occupiers are a strange race: a mix between disenfranchised blue-collar workers and militant anarchist hippies. The ability for these two to cohabitate in one area is a fascinating sight... one filled with music, singing and the undeniable stench of marijuana, referred to in the camp as "The Devil's Lettuce".


Wandering through the makeshift city, one will find a variety of explanations for this movement: We need jobs! Banks are responsible for the recession! Death to capitalism! 9/11 was an inside job! Legalize the Devil's Lettuce! For what they lacked in direction, they made up for in gumption. And gigantic signs.


Without any general leader, planning seemed to be achieved through rumors and the occasional flier circulating through the crowd. Today's goal: March on the Port of Oakland and shut that sucker down! The problem with this style of planning is that it isn't very precise, leading many to wander along the 2 1/2 mile port looking for the designated site.


Eventually the entrance was discovered, and thousands converged on the port. To be honest, it was a somewhat frightening sight... that bridge was the only way in or out, and if the teargas started flying, it could get ugly really quick. Suddenly storm coverage doesn't seem worth complaining about anymore.


The best part of the day for me came shortly after this, as 10,000 people marched past my live truck (which says FOX on the side) and hurled F-bombs at me. Few stopped to talk and discover that a FOX affiliate is not the same thing as The Fox News Channel, but those who did shrugged off the answer and laid into me with some more anger and hatred. You know, I'm part of the 99% too, people! I just have a job.


But the port was eventually shut down as protesters swarmed the trucks and shipping crates. A line of cops kept them from entering the port itself, but otherwise they held back from engaging the crowd. It was a largely peaceful demonstration, and as the sun began to set, most of the folks made their way back out into the community.


Later in the night, some anarchists started breaking windows and the teargas began to fly... but fortunately my tour of duty had concluded, so I was on my way home for the victory parade. At the end of the day, they managed to keep a bunch of truck drivers from getting paid (part of the 99%), restaurants and stores in downtown Oakland are being forced to close (part of the 99%), and I cried myself to sleep after being cussed out by an army of my friends and neighbors. Also someone pissed on our live truck and a drunk guy almost pulled his wang out during our live shot.

Stay classy, Oakland.

The Day Foo Came to Town

Lets say that one day I become the drummer of a famous band. Let's also say that the singer of this band will be treated like a god. I gotta say, I might get a little jealous and wonder why I hadn't done things differently. Continuing with this hypothetical, let's say the afore mentioned singer leaves (one way or another) and the band breaks up, essentially granting me a mulligan. When forming a new band, should I continue with my drumming ways that led to my fame and fortune, or should I step out front and join the ranks of the mighty rock gods? Fortunately I have no musical talent, so this isn't a situation I ever imagine myself wrestling with.

On a completely unrelated note, ex-Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl brought his little song-and-dance production known as the Foo Fighters to town on Tuesday, where he was met by a respectably sized crowd at Sacramento's Power Balance Pavilion... and judging from their enthusiasm, Grohl should be considered among the top in his game.

Although I must admit, when compared to every other rock frontman on the scene today, Dave Grohl probably comes across as the biggest dork among them. I don't mean that in a demeaning way, I'm just saying that when he tries to banter with the crowd or chat with his bandmates, I can't help but picture an awkward, dorky guy in high school who is trying to act cool. This was punctuated by the fact that he would tuck his hair behind his ears every time he dropped an F-bomb.

But then he'd start playing one of their songs, and his rock god status seemed much more justifiable. Where'd that dorky guy go?

For over two hours, they tore through their catalog dating back to the mid-90s. There was a good amount of new stuff, which is usually a burden on any concert... but when the new stuff is solid (and is recognizable through regular radio play), there's really no reason to complain.

But make no mistake, Grohl was the one in charge on stage. Aside from some chatting and singing from the drummer, the rest of the band remained in their spots and had minimal interaction with the audience. Dueling guitar solos between Grohl and lead guitarist Chris Shiflett was an entertaining interlude half way through the show, but otherwise this was primarily the Dave Show.

That's not to say the rest of the band didn't sound great, especially when cranking out recognizable hits like "Monkeywrench" and "Pretender". After a 23 song set, including a 5 song encore that concluded with "Everlong", these guys justified their recognition in the world of rock. Really a solid, high energy show that left the audience more than satisfied.

Not bad for a dorky ex-drummer. Now if we could just get Krist Novoselic doing something again...

The Day Batman Came to Work

I always get a little nervous when I pull into a parking lot and see the flashing lights of a police car or ambulance. Clearly someting's going down, and (unless I'm on the clock) I don't need to be any part of it, so I have no problem turning around and peeling out to a safer location. That being said, I wasn't sure how I should react when I saw this parked out front of the office today...

At first I was excited, as I am a fan of Batman and his extensive catalog of work (excluding Batman & Robin, of course). But then I realized Batman doesn't usually make public appearances, so perhaps he was here on business? Could a local TV anchor have a super-villan alter ego? Perhaps The Newsmaker, who goes out into the world and creates chaos so that there will be stories for him/her to cover in the evening news? It was so stupid, it just might be true....

But of course it wasn't, because nothing cool like that ever happens in the real world. Turns out there's a local guy that built this sucker as a hobby, dedicating it to the men and women of the US Armed Forces. It regularly makes appearances at fundraisers and such, along with local TV morning shows.

But that's not the guy's only ride... He's also got this beauty, tricked out in Fire Engine Red and dedicated to the fine folks in the line of duty for police, fire and EMT.

This one was always my favorite Batmobile. All the others seemed kinda silly, but this one was actually a car that I would be proud to drive. Tough to park, I'm sure, but when you've got machine guns mounted on the hood, no two-bit jerkwad is gonna be cutting me off in traffic!

A few years back I got the chance to check out the original Batmobile and chat with legendary designer George Barris. While I haven't seen the "Forever" model in person yet, I think I can honestly say that this ride was his finest work, and while the "Begins" model has its perks (that motorcycle is pretty sweet (this replica did not have one, by the way)), this classic is flat-out Batmobile perfection.

Batman was nowhere to be seen, but I know he's a busy guy and doesn't have time to meet all of his fans. At least, I assume that's why he hasn't returned any of my letters...

The rest of the work day was much less eventful.

Incubus Returns

Back in high school, I was a regular patron of rock concerts that came to town. In my various outings, I came across a band called Incubus twice... once as a member of the OzzFest 2000 line up, and once a year before as an opening act for the Black Sabbath reunion tour (along with Pantera). Both times they were outweighed by their metal counter-parts, and both times I was a little underwhelmed with their performance. To be honest, all I really remember is some dreadlocks and a bongo drum or two...

But that was a different time. I was much more of a metal-head back then, and it'd be nearly impossible for any young band to go on before a legend like Pantera and leave with any sort of dignity. That being said, I was curious to see how they'd do a decade later when they made an appearance here in SacTown.

I wasn't really sure what to expect all these years later... and to be fair, I often confused them with The Deftones (who I saw at OzzFest '99, around the same time). They managed to draw a decent crowd for an outdoor concert in October (it rained the day before). Several thousand showed up for the gig, and they seemed pretty amped to check out the band.

Screams of "Take off your clothes, Brandon!" were heard as I mingled about during the performance. I'm not really sure who Brandon was (I assume a member of the band?), but I am pleased to report that all males in the vicinity remained fully clothed.

And speaking of the audience, I couldn't help but notice that pretty much everyone in the crowd was at least in their 20's. That made me feel a little bit better, in that I'm not the only one who hasn't heard much from these guys since high school. But then, music these days isn't what it used to be... perhaps I'm just getting old?

But I will say... after checking out their performance, these guys have aged well. Their sound was solid and tight, with a good amount of energy and some quality audience interaction. I recognized a good handfull of their songs, which is saying a lot considering I was never really a fan, and those songs that I recognized sounded great.

They've got a long way to go before they reach Pantera Status (and let's be honest, they never will)... but they made fine background music to a beautiful Fall evening under a full moon in Northern California.

Plus I got my ticket free, so it's hard to complain! Check out my full photo gallery here.

Chasing Wendy

Working in the world of journalism can be a fascinating adventure, as every day brings with it a new challenge and experience. You never know where you'll be or what you'll be doing once you walk through those doors, yet you'll have to figure out how to sound like an expert on the subject by the end of the day. I've seen a fair amount in my years, but last week offered a challenge that I had yet to come upon... covering a story that I can't even pretend to be interested in.

Daytime talkshow host/DJ/former linebacker Wendy Williams was in town for a live show, and I was tasked with chasing her around town and formulating it into some sort of narrative. I stepped up to the challenge, but quickly realized that I am not really a part of their targeted demographic... mostly because I don't give a darn about shoes, celebrity fatness or wigs. But that didn't mean I wasn't going to give it my all. Let's do this!

The day started off with a visit to celebrity mayor Kevin Johnson, who declared it "Wendy Williams Day". What does that mean? I have no idea, but I assume it will be added to my calendar next year with other meaningless holidays like Boxing Day and Valentine's Day. But as long as I get the day off work, I'm in!

Then it was back to the station, where W.W. took a tour, snapped some quick pics with staffers and shot a few promos. In-and-out in about 20 minutes before she was on to the next stop. I'll tell ya, being famous must be exhausting!

Then it was off to lunch with contest winners before her show. As they ate, I wandered through the casino and found a massive line of rabid Wendy-ites waiting for the show to begin. They kept shouting "How ya doin?" as I walked down the line with my camera. "Fine!" I kept yelling back, wondering if perhaps I was looking ill or something. Probably just the exhaustion kicking in from chasing that woman around.

Finally the show was ready to begin, so I slipped backstage (with famed celebrity journalist Alfonzo Beta) and caught her for a brief interview before she hit the stage.

The show was interesting... basically the same as her TV show, with gossip and such mixed in with personal stories.

After about half an hour, I slowly got to the point where I just couldn't take any more talk about who's-dating-who and what kind of handbag is in this season, so I slipped out and headed back to the shop. After all, it was getting late, and I still had to figure out how to craft this into something that perhaps non-fans would be willing to sit through.

While her show and subject matter aren't quite my cup of tea, I will say she was lovely and left her fans happy and excited. As for me, I'm just amazed that after running around at that pace all day, she could still get up on stage for an hour and perform with the same intensity that she does on TV. I really don't think I have the stamina (or patience) to be famous.

Bees. Why'd It Have To Be Bees....

Being a journalist on the front lines can be a dangerous job. Few of us can hold a candle to the war corrospondents of the world (and their photogs behind the lens!)... but those of us who don't go to war have our fair share of occupational hazzards as well. Don't believe me? Just drop in on the Schmuck Alert! website, where you can find an endless array of photog dangers.

But those of us who have been "In The Biz" for a while have learned to stay on our toes. There are certain stories that require an extra layer of caution and awareness to make sure we don't end up... well... on the Schmuck Alert! victims list. They are generally few and far between, but they are out there.

Now on the "Caution-O-Meter", your run-of-the-mill grass fire is not something that raises red flags. They happen all the time, usually beside a freeway from a careless cigarette or some guy who hit a rock with his lawnmower. It's what we call in "The Biz"... well... a common grass fire. And that's where I was shipped off to yesterday.

So I drove my live truck along a gravel backroad into the boonies, singing along to a classic Beastie Boys album (Licence to Ill, a necessity to any serious photog), ready to phone this one in. But as I rounded the corner towards the flashing lights, I realized something didn't seem right. Usually at grass fires, there are two things you'll see: grass and fires. This one had a bunch of white boxes stacked around the area. What is this about?

Turns out this fire, which consumed all of one acre, happened next some sort of bee farm (bee-ery?). Well, this certainly changes things!

So, under the threat of attack, I did what any good war corrospondent would do... I hit reverse and backed right the hell down that gravel road.

After a quick re-grouping, I designed a new strategey. I grabbed my camera, drove back out there, and shot everything through the windows of the live truck. Am I a coward? Some may call me that... especially given the firefighters battling that inferno among those stinging bastards....

But hey, I'm alergic to bee stings (at least I probably am...), so I wasn't about to take any chances! And besides, bee stings hurt! Like, really bad! So they can settle for shakey video from inside the truck. If they don't like it, they can come back out here and do it themselves.

That being said, I suppose the bottom line here is that I won't be headed to Lybia any time soon. Because seriously... the bees are big over there.

Yosemite's Burnin'

Every time I hear someone talking about Yosemite (although lately it hasn't been for the best reasons), I think about how I really oughta go check that place out. I've lived in Northern California for most of my life, and yet I have never visited one of the nation's great treasures. So... I decided to go.

And it turns out that it was just as glorious as I had heard: beautiful waterfalls, lush forests and blackened mountains. Wait, that doesn't seem right.


Oh right, turns out some jerk's camper caught fire and burned the place down. Bummer, eh?

The "Motor Fire," which is still burning as of press time (a week after starting), is proving to be one stuburn bastard (as far as fires go). This is primarily because it has spread into a hard to reach area, among some of "the most treacherous terrain in the country." Better call in the big guns!


Yes, I am referring to myself. I was called into action and got shipped off to this wild wilderness in the name of News... it was a 4 hour drive to the fire's command post, only to discover that the fire had burned over a ridge that couldn't be seen from where we were. Bummer.


But that didn't mean there wasn't news to be made! We lucked out and happened to stumble upon a river where helecopters were filling up their water supplies to attack this raging inferno.


Now every journalist has those days where they question their career path, whether it's because they're covering a story that they don't want to cover or witnessing somehting they don't want to see. But every now and again they get to cover something that is just flat out cool, and those days are what keep us going. This was one of those days for me, with three helicopters cycling over us to refill their water supply and dump on the hill we were standing beside. How many people get to see that in their average work day? I really have no reason to complain.


Although I must admit that every time I saw that helicopter, I couldn't help but think that it looked like the Dukes of Hazzard car, in helicopter form. Am I wrong? If they only honked the horn...

Anyway, we took off the next day, with the fire mostly under control and evacuees returning to their homes. We were never exposed to the crazy inferno that I had pictured on the way out, but that doesn't mean there wasn't still an element of danger to the whole endeavor...

Hey, it comes with the territory... but still, why'd it have to be snakes?