Berlin Wall: Palo Alto Edition

On Friday, a Palo Alto Weekly post began like this:

"The sleek, blue train zips on elevated tracks along Churchill Avenue, soaring high above passing cars, traffic lights, meandering bicyclists and the occasional pedestrian."

Of course, the subject of the article was California's controversial high speed rail project, which, if it happens, will follow the current Caltrain tracks with four street crossings in Palo Alto, including one at Churchill Avenue.

City officials say the most cost-effective method of implementation is an elevated track, but according to the article, tunneling (subway style) and something sinister called "open trenching" are also on the table.

The post goes on to explain architect James McFall's endeavor to create an accurate representation of the appearance and impact of such a track. Complete with a video that is now on YouTube, McFall's computer-generated rendering presents a bleak future, and not just because of the primitive graphics.

A 21-foot concrete wall runs adjacent to the Paly football field with a square tunnel at Churchill Avenue for street-level transportation. The structure is the width of four train tracks and projects significantly into the current location of the bike path, also parallel to the football field. Atop this gray "train aqueduct" stand telephone poles, almost doubling the height of the entire construction. The landscape resembles that of either Tatooine made entirely out of dirty styrofoam or a town in Alaska. The video ends with a voiceover. The voice (presumably that of the architect) says, "High speed rail: it's going to be here for generations. Let's do it right."

Mr. McFall, I may not know much, but I know a good job when I see it. I've seen high speed rail done right. And sir, that is not high speed rail done right.

Now, to be fair, the rendering is rudimentary, only meant to show the essential aspects of construction. A full Palo Alto backdrop for the desolate rendering would no doubt make the prospect more attractive. And a wall really is less expensive than a system of tunnels, something that matters in an economic environment such as ours. Also, if elevated tracks really are built, it is highly unlikely that they would stand on an unadorned gray concrete wall.

But the fact remains that historically, a concrete wall through the middle of a city has not been the answer to the city's problems.

Commenters on the post have already begun to make their objections, with 80 responses so far.

One responded, "This high speed rail project just sucks. I hate the idea of having an ugly looking thing like that literally 10 feet away from some people's homes and from Paly's football field." And just to reinforce the point: "Geez, it just makes me so upset."

Others were more rational with their responses: "this is really terrible...but it does not give a good alternative...what does underground look like?"

And my personal favorite, "Mr. Diridon, tear down that wall."

I am not opposed to all high speed rail. I am opposed to dumb high speed rail. I would welcome the opportunity to get from SF to LA in 2 hours just as much as the next person. But my desire for fast transportation is in no way worth a split community, a blight on the face of Palo Alto, and the effective realization of a Palo Alto version of the Berlin Wall.

TV: Beloved American Pastime or Thing of the Past?

"You don't have a TV? Dude, how do you live?"

How does one respond to that question?

"I read books"? Weird.

"I do homework"? Nerd.

But luckily for the handful of us whose parents were determined to deny us access to Elmo, Barney, and Miley Cyrus, there is now a moderately socially acceptable answer.

"I watch it online."

Thanks to online services that provide free access to full episodes of countless TV shows, we deprived children have been provided a chance at redemption.

Hulu, quite popular at Paly, invites you to "Watch your favorites. Anytime. For free." According to Hulu's "most popular of all time" section, those favorites include seven Family Guy episodes, 11 SNL excerpts, and, at #1, "Talkshow with Spike Feresten: Cable PSA." A click on the link to this last and ominous title leads to a video about an old lady who cannot figure out how to convert her analog television to digital. Given, it's quite entertaining, but the fact that this video is the most popular of all time may give some clues about general viewership demographics. 

But regardless of the average viewer's strange fondness for struggling old people, Hulu appears to be quite profitable; according to TVByTheNumbers.com, the company will rake in as much as YouTube in 2009.

And the resources hardly end there. More mainstream favorites such as Gossip Girl, House, and Dancing with the Stars can be found at CWTV, HouseMDEpisodes.com, and Fancast, respectively.

Not all of these sites are legitimate or legal, and some are downright sketchy. But they are rampant on the internet. Many networks have given up fighting copyright law altogether and begun posting full episodes on their official websites. NBC offers full episodes for the majority of its shows, as does MTV.

Of course, conventional television may still be the most convenient and immediate way to stay up to date on the hottest shows. And there is a certain connection among those who share obsessions for certain shows. Knowing that everyone in your time zone who cares about One Tree Hill is watching the exact same episode at exactly the same time as you is exhilarating. And it's quite difficult to scream about how Rachael left that dude at the altar last night on Friends when everyone watches the episodes at different times.

It remains to be seen if more networks will follow NBC and MTV in posting entire episodes online, but if they can net just as much from online advertisers as television ones, there may be a major shift in how the majority of America watches American Idol.

And now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to watch Celebrity Apprentice.

Restaurant Review: Passion in Every Spoonful at Junnoon

       “Life is short; eat dessert first.” This well-known piece of lighthearted advice is rarely taken literally. Instead, those who subscribe to the dessert-first policy live life passionately for the moment, take risks, and enjoy every minute of it.

        As usual, a more concise translation can be found in another language: in this case, one word in Urdu: junnoon. The word stems from the Farsi junoon, meaning obsession, craziness, and passion, and the downtown Indian fusion restaurant of the same title takes its namesake seriously.

       Trendy Indian décor infuses the atmosphere at Junnoon and promises a vibrant scene – if you can get in the door. Entrance to the restaurant is a challenge; the heavy copper-plated wooden door blends into the building façade, and one might accidentally walk through the window unless directed otherwise. As a party of 11, there was a 20 minute wait for a table, but the glowing glass coffee table, crystal ceiling hangings, and stack of bamboo near the door in the entry lounge made for easy and engaging conversation.

      The main dining area was a deep carmine; dimly lit but comfortable and intimate. Almost as soon as we sat down, complimentary plates of the thin, round chips called papadum were placed before us, accompanied by a yogurt-peanut sauce. Although rather bland and unenhanced by the dense yogurt-peanut blend, the papadum came in handy later when trying to snag bites of curry from across the table.

     When ordering, a dining companion mentioned his peanut allergy. The young blond waiter with an intriguing but unplaceable European accent swiftly pointed out the menu items that contained the offending legume and conjured up a peanut-free yogurt and avocado raita, on the house.

     The temperature in the restaurant was warm enough to warrant comment; a nearby thermostat read 73. But all temperature concerns were soon remedied by passionfruit mango lassis ($6) and virgin mojitos (also $6). The lassi was full-bodied and velvety without being heavy. The sweetness of the mango was tempered by a light tart dash of passionfruit. The mojito, on the other hand, was downright sour. Refreshingly chilly and served in a tall tumbler, its raw flavors of mint, sugar, and lime did well to awaken the palate.

     Junnoon’s kitchen closes at 9:30 p.m., so to get our order in on time, our obliging waiter brought dessert menus along with our main menus. Both were printed in an uninspired but quite legible font on thick yellow parchment. All menu selections strike the balance between providing patrons with variety but avoiding an overwhelming inundation of choices.

    Appetizers  Lamb kebab rolls ($9) were terrifically satisfying. Served with a flavorful and zesty green mint sauce, the appetizer was outstanding in its balance of substance and taste.
Spinach paneer parcels ($8), despite their endearing name, packed in some serious spice. Six quiche-like cups of puff pastry filled with a piquant spinach-cheese mixture had no need of the even hotter red garlic aioli sauce, but the flavors served as effective preparation for the heat of the entrées.

    Entrées   Tandoori black pepper steak ($20), served with roasted sesame yellow sweet potatoes, was juicy and substantial, but it was nothing without the sweet and sour pomegranate molasses. The sauce poured more like ponzu than molasses and brought out bitter, savory, and intriguingly dark undertones in the meat while adding its own tang. 

     “Old Delhi Style Chicken,” ($19), was essentially a colorfully named chicken tikka masala, also known as butter chicken. A spicy red curry carried the tender meat well, although the former lacked definition and could have been improved by evoking a measure of sweetness to balance the spice. 

     Tamil chicken ($19) incorporated cubed chunks of chicken into a more temperate yellow curry. Unfortunately, the yellow curry leaned toward chalkiness, but members of our party with lower spice tolerance appreciated the respite.

     Sides   Garlic and rosemary naan ($4 and $3, respectively) had a crispy exterior and a warm, tender interior. Four pieces per order left only a taste for each diner, but the flatbread soaked up excess curry remarkably well.

     A side of black lentils took a little longer to arrive, but was well worth the wait; the lentils were suspended in a vaguely spicy mahogany sauce that provided a solid base for other more exotic dishes.

    Dessert  Dynamic and delicious though the appetizers and entrées were, the true caliber of a restaurant can almost always be measured by dessert. Here, Junnoon does not disappoint.
Because we had a birthday in our party, the icy vanilla kulfi (normally $7) was on the house. A wafer of caramelized sugar accompanied the rich vanilla ice cream, which carried hints of cardamom.

    But the pièce de résistance and quite possibly one of the best desserts I have ever tasted was the spiced molten chocolate cake ($8). A petit cylinder of chocolate cake was filled with heaven in the form of hot chocolate sauce lightly touched with cinnamon. Alongside the cake of joy and happiness rested several grapefruit slices and ginger vanilla ice cream that was more vanilla than ginger. Both were pleasant, but neither could match their divine companion.

     Like most upscale restaurants, Junnoon automatically adds an 18% gratuity for parties of eight or more. With eleven high school sophomores to wait on, our server more than earned his tip. But despite the lateness of the hour and the high energy level of the customers, the wait staff was courteous throughout. There was never a moment when they seemed exasperated or even mildly annoyed, and for this they are to be highly commended.

    Indeed, there is little room for criticism at Junnoon. And although the “eat dessert first” philosophy evokes passion and a love of life, the overall quality of food, ambiance, and service at Junnoon merits a rather different aphorism: “save the best for last!”

Capitol Crisis

The California state legislature has been in a budget stalemate for the past eight months, but I never fully appreciated the gravity of the situation until State Senator Sam Aanestad (R-Grass Valley) began handing out toothbrushes to his senate colleagues Tuesday morning.

One of the privileges extended to interns for State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), besides calling him "Joe", is an open invitation to the state Capitol in Sacramento, and that is where I spent my Tuesday. 

The architecture of the building itself is actually quite fascinating; for example, the Capitol "dome" is really made up of two nestled domes, and if you know the right people, you can climb a spiral staircase through the gap between them to get a 360 degree view of Sacramento. On Tuesday, 30 mph winds and driving rain prevented us from making the ascent, but I am determined to get up there someday.

But by far the most intriguing part of my day was the part we spent on the floor of the Senate, listening to lawmakers yak about the final bill in the budget package, which concerned taxes. Always a hot-button issue, the subject of taxes tends to elicit hyper-partisan behavior on both sides of the aisle.

We were seated behind the press. "Don't say anything you don't want in the LA Times," Joe said with a wink, but the reporter assured us that everything was off the record.

The debate continued. The Senate was only one Republican vote shy of the required 2/3 to pass a budget, so the discourse was more procedural than substantive, and many senators left their seats to converse with colleagues or left the room entirely.

The most memorable quotes of the afternoon require the use of a broad range of adjectives.

Sincere: "Living within our means does not guarantee a meaningful life."

Cliché: "If we don't pass this, the California dream will become the California nightmare."

Failed analogy: "California is that plane. But this is no ordinary plane. This is the - big - jumbo plane."

Oh-screw-it: "Face it, we're in this mess because we didn't fix our fiscal a** back then."

The dialogue was interrupted by a brief appearance by Captain Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger III, the pilot who safely landed a plane in the Hudson after a run-in with a Canadian goose. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger had held a ceremony honoring the captain earlier. Several senators congratulated him on his courage and presence of mind.

"From one pilot to another, thank you," said Abel Maldonado (R-Santa Maria). Maldonado has a reputation for being a moderate Republican, and he was the one who cast the deciding vote on Thursday's ultimate budget compromise. Unfortunately, Gloria Romero (D-East LA) felt the need to respond to his comment with, "I'm not a pilot. I don't have a plane like some of my colleagues. But as a passenger, thank you, Captain."

We ended the day with a chat with Joe, who pointed to the air mattress he was going to be sleeping on that night as an illustration of the life of a legislator. Then the omnipresent loudspeaker on the ceiling announced the start of a Democratic caucus in five minutes, and Joe headed off.

Approximately 32 hours after I left the Capitol, our state had a budget.

And because the budget is effective until mid-2010, it's the earliest one we've ever had.

Spotlight: My Hero

The first sentence of my script was, "The name Desmond Tutu resonates richly with people all across the world," but I could guarantee that 90% of the 7,000 high school students assembled in the field house of the University of Maryland had no idea who the guy was.

If you are included in that 90%, let me be the first to tell you that Desmond Tutu is an archbishop from Cape Town, South Africa, 77 years old, and one of the most adorable people I have ever met.

But the man is more than his lovable name. As a vigorously anti-apartheid activist and an Anglican Archbishop emeritus, Tutu is incredibly knowledgeable on issues ranging far and wide, from the current Gaza conflict and the Vietnam War to what Mary said when the archangel Gabriel told her that she would bear God's son. 

Tutu was ordained to the priesthood in Johannesburg. In 1978, he left his post as Bishop of Lesotho to become the new General Secretary of the South African Council of Churches. This was the position from which he led a formidable movement for justice and racial reconciliation in South Africa. His tireless work was fully recognized in 1984, when he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. In 1996, President Nelson Mandela appointed Tutu to chair the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the association set up to investigate human rights violations during apartheid. Since 1998, Tutu has been a visiting professor at several overseas universities and has published several books, the most recent of which is entitled God Has A Dream.

Right before I stepped onstage to introduce him, I grabbed a pen and burst out, "CanIpleasehaveyourautographplease?" He smiled obligingly, gently took the pen, and wrote on the back of my speech, "God bless you. Desmond." I can tell you, I nearly melted.

Tutu is a spectacularly charismatic speaker with calm amiability and warm South African accent that immediately puts people at ease. He connects with crowds artfully and quotes scripture effortlessly. He spoke about how, again and again, God chose young people to be, as he put it, "God's collaborators," citing examples like Jeremiah (a prophet), Francis of Assisi (founder of the Franciscan friars), and, of course, Mary (Jesus's mother). 

And yet, the strict and uptight manner one might expect from one who has spent nearly his whole life in the clergy is just not there. At one point, Tutu, assuming both roles in a conversation between God and Jeremiah, said, "Jeremiah, before I formed you in the womb, I knew you." Jeremiah responds, "Oh, God. You don't seem to know very much about human biology." 

Desmond Tutu is one of those rare souls who radiates pure and simple joy to all those around him. Indeed, Tutu exemplifies the ideal religious leader: one who is at once deeply pious, inspirational, wholly morally upright, and a true advocate and activist for peace.

He stepped off the stage to a thunderous standing ovation. 90% of the people had just learned who Desmond Tutu was, and 100% loved him.

Everyone's Favorite Topic

Ahhh. That wonderful Winter Break rhythm.

10AM: Roll out of bed wrapped in a soft blanket with fuzzy slippers.

10:15AM: Eat breakfast.

10:30AM: Laze around, go on Facebook, speculate on prospective holiday gifts.

12:00PM: Eat lunch.

12:15PM: Maybe go to a friend's house. Maybe go ice skating. Nah. Too much work.

6:00PM: Eat dinner.

7:30PM: Option A: Open a Hanukkah present, play dreidel, and eat chocolate gelt (the ones made in Israel, not China, because Chinese gelt has melamine in it)

Option B: Check Facebook. Speculate on prospective holiday gifts. Then watch a movie.

12AM: Go to bed. Unless you're at a party. In that case:

3AM: Stumble into bed.

So, obviously, the one and only subject that everyone wants to think about right now is FINALS, right?

Congratulations to those of you have already taken (and hopefully passed) those dreaded exams. Unfortunately, all we Paly kids have yet to partake in this infamous institution of higher education.

Several experts sounded off on whether the administrative decision to have Winter Break preceed finals is doing any favors for GPAs. And by experts, I do not mean the school administration (although they do perform the crucial functions of legislating, enforcin

g, AND interpreting school policy), nor do I mean those parents who remember exactly what it was like to be a high school student at finals time.

I mean us. We, the students, have spoken. And here is what we said.

So there you have it. The raw facts. This is straight talk, everyone.

Now that that's all over with, go out and have a stupendous, fantastic, fabulous, (relaxing), WINTER BREAK!

Winter Migratory Habits of the Palalius Studentis

Palalius studentis

common in Western Coastal suburban environments, usually in communities proximal to prestigious universities

12/18/08

Startling new evidence has come to light that the migratory habits of the Palalius studentis are evolving and changing, as published in a recent study. More and more of these rare creatures are resisting their innate urge to embark upon a ritual and traditional migration during the approximately 2-3 week period before the Great Study Session, which precedes the tribal evaluations that mark the Semesterial End of Academic Cognitiation at the Tribal Academy.

Several members of the species, using a combination of sign language and grunts, were able to convey their own feelings on the subject of migration and whether or not they will be performing this sacred ritual. 

NOTE: Translations may be slightly irregular due to the bulk of research having been performed in Kazakhstan.

Specimen 1, age 17: We will linger within our cottage and merely journey out of doors to locations that rest near at hand.

Specimen 2, age 15: I betake of myself to Beirut which is conveniently situated inside the sovereign state of Lebanon.

Specimen 3, age 14: I will not venture to a foreign clime, but rather reside directly in this spot.

Specimen 4, age 14: Los Angeles. (English: the village where habit the divine messengers and also the VIPs)

Specimen 5, from a neighboring tribe, age 16: Whilst at present I exist lodged in the interior of Oregon, I forsee myself proceeding into the zone encircling this city of the Sacred Mento. The reason I forsee myself voyaging to this location is owing to the fact that it is populated by my granny.

[Seventeen more specimens were interviewed, but they were unable to coherently answer interview question. Several became violent and began uprooting trees and flinging nearby objects at our researchers. It was concluded by the Kazakhstan lab team that this clearly signified that the specimens were in fact staying in their village during the winter months.]

Experts are worried by the implications of this extreme shift in what appeared to be a static societal institution in the classic hierarchy of this civilization. Several even went as far as to question the credibility of the data. However, Dr. Onevorschkiyeviblinsk, the head researcher in the Kazakhstan lab, has assured his fellow scientists that there could not possibly have been any discrepancies in the data collection processes nor in the subsequent translations that yielded the final conclusions, nor were any Palalius studentis specimens harmed in the research performed.

- Dmitri Gulyible, Kazakhstan News Service