Post #49479 by AquaZombie on Wed, Aug 27, 2003 10:00 PM

Hello Tikivixen! (BTW, I called you back last week and your machine was full, you popular gal you, so give me another blast, maybe we can hook up this Saturday for Otto's gig - that was the original point of this post, right?)

Anyway, before we start a new thread called "Tiki? In Oakland?" (I'm already worn out on the subject, I guess that left-field SPAM crack took the wind out of my sails, at least in this pond), I agree that Oakland's worst enemy is Itself. I get equally fed up with the low self-esteem and lazy resignation of much of its citizenry. SF will ALWAYS attract more tourists, and will always be a world class city, so we need to get over it and just concentrate on our attributes, as I tried to do (nothing against Carmel, I love it down there, too). I don't particularly care for SF myself, it's too crowded and I lived there during a depressing period in my life, which may shade my opinion somewhat, but I totally see its many charms for others (and I certainly prefer it to LA, but it's no Manhattan, in my humble book.) I guess after all these years of SF shining in the spotlight at the expense of its kid sister across the Bay, I'm a bit too gleeful about Oakland's recent upswing. But to be honest, I'd rather live in Honolulu. My transplanted civic pride only runs so deep. The Tiki Goddess (my wife) is Oaktown's biggest cheerleader, though. Not sure why, since she's from Union City, maybe it has something to do the fact she's such a rabid devotee of the A's (I'm a baseball widower), but I think she also appreciates another unsung virture of Oakland: its cultural diversity.

Me, I dig the tiki stuff.

Wham bam, thank you, SPAM. I'm outta here.