MW Mobile Blog

For friends, family and the random search engine visitor. This blog started as an experiment in mobile blogging from my Palm TREO 600, 700, Prē, HTC Evo, Samsung 5, Pixel 3, Pixel 6 Pro. Now it serves as a simple repository of favorite activities. Expect bad golf, good fishing, great sailing, eating, drinking, adventure travel, occasional politics and anything else I find interesting along the way including, but not limited to, any of the labels listed here...

Thursday, January 29, 2015

Ed Lee for Glorious Leader of the People's Republic of San Francisco

Willie Brown and Ed Lee
According to the SF tin foil hat set, puppeteer Willie still runs the City. 
I'm good with that. 
 We'll have a mayoral election in EssEff this year, but it's not clear that we'll have a race. Our incumbent mayor Ed Lee has yet to attract any significant opposition. Quite a change from four years ago when we had a cavalry charge of 16 candidates running for Mayor. The mayor won handily, but with the uncertainties of ranked choice voting, it was not at all clear how the confused electorate would be counted. They had to go eleven layers deep to settle that vote.  I'll just quote the Argonaut again - "... let us express our complete and unqualified contempt for the city’s system of ranked choice voting and taxpayer financing of campaigns."

The mayor is not taking any chances this time. His strategy is to run hard, run early, and amass a campaign war chest that will provide a significant - to borrow tech terminology - "barrier to entry" for any competitors.  It appears to be working.  The 2015 Great Progressive Hope was Mark Leno.  He was definitely going to run. Then he definitely was not.

I was invited to attend an Ed Lee fund raiser at the Far East Cafe on Grant to help build that barrier before the January cutoff.  I can't say my politics align perfectly with Lee's and I can find much to complain about how his administration is running the City. But this is San Francisco. The choice is between Liberal Democrats,  Radical Progressives, or  Anarcho-Maoists. Ed Lee is the voice of what passes for practical politics and common sense in The City. I went to the event.


It was a sit down dinner. Cash bar. The food was unremarkable. Lee's stump speech was not bad. Good enough. I'll vote for him.


For this particular City voter, there is one wedge issue that separates the reasonable pols from the batshit crazy fringe in the Peoples Republic of San Francisco -  Sharp Park. Mayor Ed Lee has proven to be there when we need him to defend our civic jewel. If my small contribution helps build a barrier that keeps the pitchfork and torches at bay, I'm happy to help.

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UPDATE: 02-02-2015
 Looks like the plan is working, at least according Matier and Ross:
Ed Lee’s finances booming for November re-election drive
"Having no opponent this fall hasn’t put a damper on San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee’s fundraising, with reports being filed Monday expected to show he has amassed $625,000 for his November re-election drive.“That’s a pretty good run over the holidays,” said campaign spokesman P.J. Johnston. Lee has been holding almost daily meet and greets, often at $500 a head. The biggest was in Chinatown, where activist Rose Pak delivered $220,000 in donors’ checks... With the first-round money in the bank, the campaign will ramp up in earnest starting this month. The campaign will be run mainly by SCN Strategies, whose clients also include Gov. Jerry Brown, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf and Attorney General and U.S. Senate candidate Kamala Harris... There may not be anyone for Lee to run against just yet, but “we’re taking this very seriously and preparing for a fight,” Johnston said."
Willie Brown:
"Darius Anderson and the crew at Platinum Advisors turned out about 100 of their clients for a $500-a-head breakfast fundraiser for Mayor Ed Lee’s re-election at Original Joe’s the other morning.  That’s the way to do it. Everybody was in at 8 and out by 9. And trust me, the profit margin on eggs is a lot higher than with wine. Why is Lee bothering to raise money, when he probably won’t have any real opposition? For starters, he’s signed up a slew of consultants and campaign managers who need to be paid.  Plus, he’s sending the message to anyone who might still be considering a run that if they do take him on, he’s armed and ready to fight."
I guess all I can say is that "Ed Lee- He's for me!" 

Excuse me. I just threw up a little bit in my mouth.

Sunday, January 25, 2015

Not Live Blogging Sharp Park

Rick on the 10th green.
  Since there were only two of us, the starter had Joe join Rick and me for today's round. I don't think it is a good idea to submit  golfers I don't know to the distraction of my "live blogging" fetish.

Joe is not into selfies
I save that abuse for my golfing "friends"...

Rick out of the trap on 12.  In this case, "out" is a figure of speech.
... so today's post is just a few pics from the round. The day started cool and breezy and finished warm and windy.

View of the clubhouse on 14
 It was a great day on old course. The beer was cold. The Reuben was a little charred but still tasty.


My game is what it is. The scores are not important on a day like this. 

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Monday, January 12, 2015

That's a wrap for the first EssEff Bad Golfer Invitational



With today's round at Lincoln we complete the first annual EssEff Bad Golfer Invitational. At least from my perspective, it was an unqualified success. I played four great courses in four days (Lincoln, Sharp, Harding & Stanford). Enjoyed the rounds with new and old golfing buddies (Brad, Zach, Mike, Mike, Richard, Geno, & Will). Brad deserves special mention for immediately signing up to play all four rounds.  I met my usual goal of breaking 100 at two of the four courses - Stanford and Sharp. Missed it at Harding, and the Lincoln score was accidentally lost (see below). More importantly, with four full rounds in 2015, I am maintaining a pace to meet my 2015 Golfing Resolution of playing more golf this year than the President of the United States. At this point, I expect we are tied.


Unfortunately, I had to leave as soon as we finished the last round at Lincoln, so did not have an opportunity enjoy a beer with Brad and Will and to post the traditional 19th Hole wrap-up and final scores for today's round. To make up for that oversight, I was going to post the scorecard here, but due to a series of unfortunate circumstances the scores for today's round are virtually unreadable. The scorecard had coffee spilled on it, then I accidentally applied the "Impressionist" filter to the photographic image I took of it in my phone, then a rabid dog ate the scorecard. 

To the best of my recollection:

BK  79
MW [UNREADABLE]
WH 105*

All I recall is that with my 47 on the front, it would have required a complete collapse on the last three holes for me miss breaking 100, but since the scorecard is lost, I can't be sure.

 After playing 4 rounds in 4 days, plus driving range and  9 hole practice rounds for the four days before that, I think I now need to spend a few days determining if my marriage can be salvaged. I'm sure she'll get over it eventually.

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Lincoln Park 17th Tee on a beautiful San Francisco day





Nuff said.


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Will "wins" the Cider Hole


I accidentally brought an extra hard cider instead of a beer. Nobody wanted it.so we competed for it on the 12th hole. The worst score had to drink it.Congratulations Will!

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After a pair of birdies on the back...


... Brad tees off on the par 3 12th.

Which he does not birdie. Or par. 

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At the turn



BK 43
MW 47
WH 50


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The golf gods are smiling on us on the 6th tee


...or so we thought.

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Will tees off on 2


Will has only been playing for 3 months. This is his first outing in the bad golfer Association. Based on his drives I am putting him on probation immediately.

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Live blogging Lincoln...


... and the fourth and final round of the Ess Eff Bad Golf Invitational. Playing with Will and Brad. We've got the course to ourselves.

Early it looked like a white out in Ess Eff, but the fog has burned off.

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Sunday, January 11, 2015

19th Hole at Sharp


Not Mike: 86 45 41 Bacon Burger
Mike 96 50 46* Patty Melt
Mike 97 52 45   Reuben
Mike 105 45 41 BLT

*Includes an asterisk birdie.

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Three Mikes and One Not On The 18th Tee


We needed to speed up play, and it was a good opportunity to practice for the Synchronized Golfing event at the 2016 Olympics.

Mike is holding us up...


...and Mike is complaining, so Mike's blog is suffering.


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Traditional 17th tee portrait at Sharp



Mike, Mike, Not Mike and Mike.


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Mike tees off on 10




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Mike tees off on 8




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Mike lines up his birdie putt on 7 ...


 ...after his miracle approach shot.


And he gets a par. Just like me after my miracle putt.

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Mike tees off on 7




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Not Mike tees off on 6




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Mike hitting in glorious light on 4


Not a bad shot either. - BK (aka Not Mike)

Live Blogging Sharp Park...


... and round two of the EssEff Bad Public Golf Invitational.

Foursome of Mike, Mike, Mike and Not Mike.


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Saturday, January 10, 2015

19th Hole at Harding Park


Brad K 45 38 83
Don Q. 42 42 84
Mike W 52 54 106

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Brad and Zach duel on approach from the traps on 18


Which Brad won.

He hit the shot of the day to 5 feet. Then missed the birdie putt.

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18th tee at Harding


Mandatory selfie.


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16th Green


... and the site of yet another infamous putting duel.  Brad and I parred the hole. Don Quixote did not. It wasn't in the same category as the John Daly miss, but close.

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Somewhere after the turn


ZN 42
BK 45
MW 52

I've done worse. 

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Semi Live blogging TPC Harding..


...at the First Annual EssEff Bad Public golf Invitational.

Playing with Brad and Don Quixote. 


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Friday, January 9, 2015

19th Hole at Stanford


RH 81 37 44
GV 82 40 42
BK  86 44 46
MW 99 52 47

Obviously, I was out of my league with this foursome. But I have to be happy breaking 100 my first time on the Stanford course. I had a five stroke differential between the front and back.

There was a beer in between.

Just sayin' ...

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Rich bringing us home on 18



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12th at Stanford

MW

Rich

Geno
Brad


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At the turn


RT 37
GV 40
BK 44
MW 52

It could be worse.

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