The
evolution of same-sex marriage reached a crescendo when President Obama
finally moved from sympathy to support.
Although I don't know what all the fuss was about.
His position on same-sex marriage has been known for some time. The only
thing "evolving" was the question of when he would make it known.
And believe me, I don't buy the story that Obama was forced to speak out
last week because of a slip of the tongue by Vice President Joe Biden.
Everything the White House does has been polled and vetted.
When Obama realized that Republican super PACs were hauling in all those
millions to back Mitt Romney, he made his move. It may not be the most
popular stand in swing states, but there are a lot of same-sex marriage
proponents in the creative and financial worlds who have been
withholding dollars from Obama because they're angry with him.
Those wallets will now open big time.
Gov. Jerry Brown, who is madder than hell at the courts for ordering
that prisoners receive better health care than what a lot of citizens
receive, made a crack to one of the state's top judges the other day.
"Every dollar that the court orders us to spend on prisons," Jerry said,
"we're taking out of the court budget."
Typical Jerry Brown: bright, insightful, right on target and not likely
ever to happen.
But if it did ...
What a week! Clint Eastwood, legendary pianist Ahmad Jamal, Chris Tucker
from "Rush Hour," Robert Townsend from "Hollywood Shuffle," NAACP chief
Ben Jealous, state Attorney General Kamala Harris and 450 other people
enjoyed America's only original art form, jazz, at Bimbo's 365 on
Columbus Avenue.
The whole building was dressed to the nines by Stanlee Gatti, and the
food came from Charles Phan of the Slanted Door.
It was all a prelude to January, when the SFJazz Center will open on
Franklin Street near Hayes. It'll cost $63 million, all privately
financed, of which the Bimbo's party chipped in more than $1 million.
Eastwood was amazing. He's just finished a movie in which he plays an
aging baseball scout. Everyone thought that after he was brought onstage
to honor Jamal, he'd take a powder out the back door.
Nope. A true jazz fan, he stayed until the very end.
Speaking of music, this cat has been bugging me for months to check out
the Sunday band concerts at Golden Gate Park.
Last Sunday, I did, and it really is one of the secret treasures of this
city.
The best part is you can come and go whenever you wish.
I headed off to Valencia Street and the Marsh to catch political satire
from Will Durst, one of the best things going in this city.
His biggest complaint is that there's nothing to make fun of with Obama.
He's not slow like George Bush. He's not stiff like Mitt Romney.
On the other hand, he does have those ears.
Show over, I head out onto Valencia. The place was buzzing, with bikes
parked outside every joint.
By the way, how does one take out a date on a bike?
Tipping Point, the preferred charity of the young and rich, turned Pier
48 into a giant burlap bag the other day, draped floor to ceiling with
fabric.
Some 900 attendees helped make the goal of $8 million, in part by
matching individual grants from Chuck and Helen Schwab, the Google
Twins, and a husband and wife who shall remain anonymous.
And thanks to some high-tech credit card machines, they did it in about
five minutes.
Movie time: "The Avengers." I fell madly in love with the Black Widow in
spite of the danger she presents.
I'm convinced Robert Downey Jr. has elevated himself to the same status
as Harrison Ford, Clint Eastwood and Sean Connery. That's the A group.
And then to have my pal Samuel L. Jackson in command of Captain America,
the Hulk and Thor - it is worth more than one visit.
And finally, it was a joy to behold George and Charlotte Shultz being
delivered by horse-driven carriage to the naming of the horseshoe circle
between the War Memorial Veterans Building and the Opera House in their
honor.
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