SF Cable Car To Be Out Of Service For 1st Half Of 2011

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SF Cable Car To Be Out Of Service For 1st Half Of 2011

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Story posted 2010.12.31 at 04:27 PM PST

The California Street cable car line will be out of service for six months beginning Monday, a San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency spokesman said.

Starting Jan. 3, the cable car route, which runs along California Street from the Embarcadero to Van Ness Avenue, will shut down for renovations and remain closed until July, Muni spokesman Paul Rose said.

The work is part of the California Street Cable Car Infrastructure Improvement Project, which began in September. The project is a collaborative effort between the SFMTA and the city's Department of Public Works.

Rose said the improvements initially started with sidewalk curb repairs, sewer replacements and curb ramp installations.

Although the line stayed open during the first phase of improvements, Rose said trolleys along the California line will be on hiatus as the project enters the second phase.

"Phase two will involve the replacement of the aging electronic system under the cable car tracks," Rose said. "It will also include the reconstruction and repaving of concrete streets."

The repaving will take place along 17 blocks of California Street between Van Ness Avenue and Drumm Street, Rose said.

Any lingering work from the first phase of the project will also be finished up, Rose said.

At least one traffic lane in each direction on California Street will stay open at all times during the construction. To mitigate congestion, a Muni shuttle bus will run along the route from 6 a.m. to midnight.

Rose said the Powell-Hyde and Powell-Mason cable car lines will be mostly unaffected by the construction at first, but will be shut down for four days each in March and April, and for as-yet unspecified dates in June.

"Cable cars are a key component of our tourism industry," Rose said. "And we wanted to make sure that some lines were still available."

The renovation work is scheduled to take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Rose said a project like this is crucial because maintaining transportation systems is key to sustaining urban growth.

"The care and stewardship of the cable cars is important," he said. "This program ensures that our system will be in a state of good repair. If we reinvest in Muni, ultimately we are reinvesting in the future of San Francisco."

Story posted 2010.12.31 at 04:27 PM PST

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Víctor Lei

New California laws to take effect Jan. 1

New California laws to take effect Jan. 1

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2011 new laws for California
Updated on: 2010-12-28 22:32:51

Story posted 2010.12.29 at 09:33 AM PST

We are going to see a number of new laws going into effect starting on the first of the new year and some of the new legislation aims at issues ranging from prisoners' problems to pot.

California starts the year by downgrading possession of an ounce or less of marijuana from a misdemeanor to an infraction.

Though the fine remains $100, there's no jail time or notation on your criminal record.

"It also unclogs our overburdened court system, which so often gets dragged down because they these simple possession for marijuana, and it's difficult to get into a courtroom," St. Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, said.

Also in a cost-cutting move, the state will be releasing severely sick or dying inmates through medical parole. That's causing public safety concerns among Republicans who call the guidelines too dangerous.

"It's going to allow for the release of sex offenders, murderers just because they got a note from their doctor; not because the judge that sentenced them has said they deserve to be let out early," Assembly Republicans Spokesman Seth Unger said.

New road laws help ring in the new year. The paparazzi, known to surround or block celebrities while driving, just to take their picture, may be liable for damages under false imprisonment. You also might see a Blue Alert on those highway signs telling you an officer is down and the suspect is still on the loose. It's similar to an Amber Alert for a missing child. And if you have one of those yellow hybrid stickers, you'll still be able to use the carpool lane as a solo driver six more months.

"When you're running late for work and you have a meeting, it's wonderful to be in that carpool lane," carpool sticker holder Kathy Lynch said.

California is also helping you be healthier. All those baked goods from breads to pastries that are made locally can no longer have artery-clogging trans fats.

"I'm a fan of the healthier tasting foods, and so I think it's a good thing. It'll help other people who maybe aren't too kind of jump on board," healthy eater Anna Shah said.

Lastly, lawmakers went after some Internet users. It'll be a misdemeanor to impersonate someone if the intention is to deceive or injure another person.
Story posted 2010.12.29 at 09:33 AM PST

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All material © 2010 ABC Inc., KGO-TV Inc. & 2004-2010 LSN, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Víctor Lei

San Francisco welcomes 2011

San Francisco welcomes 2011

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Large crowds expected in SF for New Year's Eve
Updated on: 2010-12-31 14:53:27

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Crews prepare for large crowds to hit SF
Updated on: 2010-12-31 22:01:22

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San Francisco welcomes 2011
Updated on: 2011-01-01 02:49:02

Story posted 2010.12.31 at 11:45 PM PST

The city prepared for large crowds for New Year's Eve in San Francisco. Along the Embarcadero, barricades were up to help police keep order -- with an estimated quarter million partiers expected to line the bay front.

San Francisco Police Chief George Gascon encouraged people to stay safe while celebrating the holiday.

"We want people to come to San Francisco; we want people to have fun. But we want people to be safe. There is going to be a high level of deployment for New Year's Eve. A lot of people from our administrative bureau have volunteered and are working that night. We have also moved around our shift to increase our deployment without having to increase our overtime expenditures because we don't have the money to spend," said Gascon.

In particular, officers said they would be cracking down on public drunkenness, open containers, underage drinking, driving under the influence and firearm discharges. Crowd control will be an issue in the city, and Gascon encouraged revelers to use public transit to get around.

San Francisco Municipal Railway service will be free from 8 p.m. today to 6 a.m. Saturday, with extra service provided on certain lines. Information on Muni's New Year's Eve service is available at www.sfmta.com .

BART will extend its service until 3 a.m. Saturday, although trains will skip some downtown San Francisco stations to prevent overcrowding.

The Pittsburg/Bay Point and Richmond lines will stop at the Montgomery station but not the Embarcadero station, while the Dublin/Pleasanton and Fremont lines will stop at the Embarcadero station but not Montgomery.

Trains coming into San Francisco from the East Bay will stop at all stations, according to BART officials.

BART police Chief Kenton Rainey said the agency will have "a large contingency (of officers) on both sides of the Bay" and will have "zero tolerance" for law-breaking behavior on trains.

Caltrain will operate on a regular weekday schedule, and is adding four post-event trains that will take passengers down the Peninsula after the fireworks show. Those trains will leave the San Francisco Caltrain station at 12:45 a.m., 1 a.m., 1:45 a.m. and 2:15 a.m.

There is a chance of rain on New Year's Eve, which Gascon said could affect the size of crowds at the fireworks show and other open-air venues.

"But we have a hardy population and I'm sure people will still be coming out, and we want them to have a good time," he said.

Bay City News has contributed to this report
Story posted 2010.12.31 at 11:45 PM PST

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All material © 2010 ABC Inc., KGO-TV Inc. & 2004-2010 LSN, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Víctor Lei

Millions gathering worldwide to ring in new year

Millions gathering worldwide to ring in new year

Page 1 of 2

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Millions gathering worldwide to ring in new year
Updated on: 2010-12-31 15:23:58

Story posted 2010.12.31 at 10:52 PM PST

Enthusiastic Australians camped out at parks alongside the Sydney Harbour Bridge to win the best view of Friday's spectacular New Year's Eve fireworks kicking off celebrations around the world.

As the clock ticked closer to 2011, cities across Asia readied for midnight events ranging from traditional prayers in Japan to a massive pyrotechnic display in the shape of a dragon in Taiwan. Europeans were looking forward to celebrations that could help them forget their economic worries.

In New York City, nearly a million revelers were expected to cram into the streets around Times Square to watch the traditional midnight ball drop. The 20-inch snowstorm that blanketed the city will be just a memory thanks to work crews and warmer temperatures.

At least 1.5 million people are expected to line the harbor in Sydney, the first major city where the new year arrives. Celebrations began with aerial displays by vintage aircraft and a parade of boats around the harbor, while spectators set up fold-out chairs, picnic blankets and blowup beds.

"We know how to party on New Year back home, but Sydney is a bigger and better party than anywhere else," said Marcio Motta, a 26-year-old from Sao Paolo, Brazil, who is studying English in Australia.

At the Opera Bar Beach House, hundreds of people paid up to $500 for the view and a party with a beach theme.

"This has got to be the best place to be in the world tonight," said guest Marc Wilson, 41.

In New York City at midnight Thursday -- with just 24 hours to go -- hundreds of people milled around Times Square as crews finished preparing TV sets for New Year's Eve broadcasts and vendors sold hats and noisemakers.

Among the tourists were students from Grand Valley State University near Grand Rapids, Michigan, who were scoping out a good location for Friday night and marveling at the preparations.

"For sure, we're going to be here," said Ahmed Lachheb, 23, from Sfax, Tunisia.

"I'm going to be here near the closest restroom just in case," added Mohamed Azuz, also 23, from Tripoli, Libya.

In Christchurch, New Zealand, two minor earthquakes Friday did not shake plans for all-night celebrations.

"There is more reason than ever for people to get together and celebrate the beginning of a New Year," Christchurch's acting mayor Ngaire Button said, urging residents to celebrate in the central Cathedral Square, where workers were removing loose masonry after the quakes, which caused little damage.

A powerful 7.1-magnitude quake wrecked thousand of buildings in Christchurch on Sept. 4, but nobody was killed.

This year marks the first time Vietnam's capital, Hanoi, officially celebrates the new year with a countdown blowout, complete with a light show and foreign DJs in front of the city's elegant French colonial-style opera house.

Vietnamese typically save their biggest celebrations for Tet, the lunar new year that begins on Feb. 3. But in recent years, the Western influence has started seeping into Vietnamese culture among teens, who have no memory of war or poverty and are eager to find a new reason to party in the Communist country.

At midnight in Taipei, Taiwan, fireworks will form a spiraling dragon climbing up the city's tallest skyscraper.

In Japan, New Year's Eve is generally spent at home with family but those who venture out go to temples to pray for good luck in the new year. At Zojoji, a 600-year-old Buddhist temple in central Tokyo, thousands were expected to release balloons at midnight carrying notes with their hopes for 2011.

In the Philippines, powerful firecrackers have injured at least 245 people in recent days and Health Secretary Enrique Ona urged safety during Friday's celebrations, saying he feared up to 1,000 injuries.

Many Filipinos, influenced by Chinese tradition, believe that noisy New Year's celebrations drive away evil and misfortune. But they have carried that superstition to extremes, exploding huge firecrackers sometimes bigger than dynamite sticks to welcome the new year.
Next >>

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All material © 2010 ABC Inc., KGO-TV Inc. & 2004-2010 LSN, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Víctor Lei

My "2010 Year In Review" Part 6

How was my first week of internship? I can say everything that I did there for the first time is unforgettable. My very first day working in CBS 5 "Eye On The Bay" was Tuesday, September 21. I arrived the station around 9:15am and went straight to the office. When I arrived to the EOTB office, I met other interns there. Justin, Raymund, (someone told me that he is in his 40s. :S If he were working at a TV station in my country, he would be the News Director or some managing positions, not reporter, not anchor, not intern!) Honeybee and Danielle. About ten minutes later, they all packed up and ready to go, where were they heading to? They were about to go out and assist the producers and cameramen in the field. Unlike other lifestyle TV shows, almost every EOTB segment is produced in the field rather than in a studio, like in a restaurant, at a park, or a place that interests people. EOTB is a human-interest TV show. All interns were going out, but I had to remain in the office. Now I'm not afraid to say it right here, at that time I was feeling very unhappy with that arrangement, my new fellow intern Honeybee was also on her first week of internship, she could go out but I couldn't?! Did she have any privilege? I really didn't understand. My jealous thought was burning in my mind. Later, I understood that everything has both its good and bad, so I chose to work more in the office rather than outside in the following weeks. And because I mostly worked in the office, I could have more opportunities to learn a lot of different things. General speaking, I think I was working hard enough for them, but unfortunately I was always being overlooked in the office. 

Let me continue where I left off. I said I was asked to stay in the office, so what happened then? Sure, I was feeling tense at first when I heard that I was the only intern who is in the office, and it was my first day! But later I found out that the pace and the mood inside the EOTB office is not that hectic, although the producers are busy to work on their segment, the pace in the office is generally relaxed.

What did I do on Tuesday September 21? I was doing two assignments on that day. First, I help the Features Producer Henry Kaiser (he is such an awesome, fantastic guy with a lot of humor, he taught me a lot of things and gave me a lot of opportunities to help him. I was very happy to work for him during my internship.) on researching some old pictures of a few Bay Area restaurants or hotels that have been opened for more than a century. It seemed like an easy work, but it turned out not that easy that I think. Because I had to search the pictures of the past, no the current pictures of the restaurants or hotels, another thing was the pictures should be large and clear enough to be shown on a TV screen because EOTB is produced in HD. I actually found a lot of pictures (I guess thousands) of those restaurants by googling their names, but only a few of them can be used, other pictures were either too small (like a thumbnail) or not old enough (like taken a few years ago). It took me almost 5 hours to get that assignment done. Later, I went to the internet and do some other researches for other Bay Area's restaurants for about 2 hours, and it was 5:00pm! Then I typed what did I do during the day, printed out the working report and put it into the intern folder. My first day of work was finished.

On Thursday September 23, I was working with another intern Justin, who has been interning since last summer. Both of us were in the office that day because we didn't have to go out and shoot. First I checked emails and voicemails at the intern desk, then Justin showed me how to log video using the "CAT DV Pro". After he showed me how to do it, I was assigned to log Liam's video footage, A-rolls and B-rolls. First, I opened "CAT DV Pro", then I navigated to Liam's folder and open the folder that contains clips. I watched each of them and grouped the clips by giving them names, then I had to determine whether it was an A-roll or an B-roll, after finishing the sort of the clips, I was about to give each clip a description by watching them all one by one. I have to say that was really time-consuming because I had to watch the clip carefully and give a best and clear description of what I saw on the clip. By the end of the day, I could only finished giving descriptions for 2/3 of the clips. Now, I remember what Cassandra told us during the interview: she said logging video could be very boring, but everyone in the office including the Executive Producers have to do logging... But who knew, the duty that I worked the most during my internship was video logging, even on my last day of internship I was doing video logging.
 

After working in the EOTB office for the first week, that's my thought during that time: I think even though we don't have that much of heavy duties like the news interns downstairs, it still takes us several hours to get them done.

My "Year In Review" will continue on next Monday, which is January 3, 2011! Yes! 2011!

Today is New Year's Eve, and there's only about 7 hours until the New Year, I wish everyone have a safe, healthy and happy new year, all the wishes come true in 2011!

My "2010 Year In Review" Part 5

So, let me continue my "2010 Year In Review" on this New Year's Eve 2010 with my experience acquiring internship this fall.

During the summer, I have already planned to work in a TV station or video production house as an intern, I was thinking that would be a great enhancement to my future career goals. But when it comes to my search for internship, I can say it didn't go very well at first. About one week before the new semester began, I started sending out cover letters and resumes to my CCSF's TV station EATV, as well as some other internship sites. However, at the moment, I really wanted to focus an internship for EATV rather than an off-campus internship, so I didn't send resumes and cover letters to those internship sites. One week later, EATV Program Director, who is also an instructor for video production, (and I used to have his class, too.) contacted me to see if I had time to be interview in the following week, then I set up an interview appointment with him in the afternoon on August 26.

At that time, I was thinking that I could get that internship easily because I have many required experience and skills, on the other hand, I was also thinking that I may not quite ready for working off-campus. However, what you want doesn't equal to what you get. When I came to the interview that day, I felt so tense and I forgot anything that I wanted to tell Arthur, when Arthur asked me the questions, I couldn't even answered them clearly because I was so nervous. Arthur then told me that his station could only accept two interns at that time and each of them could only work for few hours a week. He said because of the short budget, he couldn't offer many hours to his interns. At the end of the interview, Arthur suggested me to gain real experience by working in the video production sites or TV stations, he told me that I should go out and explore the world by interning in TV stations rather than in my college. Then he showed me some listings of TV stations that were accepting interns. He told me to send resumes and cover letters to different TV stations, and I still remember what he told me when I left. He said the real meaning of internship is not about the money, but it is about the experience that can lead to the future job, $9 a hour looks good for some, but we have to think of long-term goal, the long-term goal is to find a real job.

After that night, I started thinking what Arthur said may be true, I have to have real working experience, and the best way to get those experience is to work in a TV station. Therefore, I began to send out resumes and cover letters to many Bay Area's TV stations, some organizations and companies, as well as some video production firms. Some of them responded me and asked if I could go for interviews, but many of them didn't get back to me at all.

But the things began to change. On September 9, Cassandra from the KPIX / CBS 5 TV station sent me an email if I was interested to come for an interview for the "Eye On The Bay" internship, then I set up an appointment with her on September 14 at 10:30 am, which was yesterday.

I came to the KPIX / CBS5 TV station around 10:30 am. Besides myself, two other new interns Rachel (I haven't seen her since then, and eventually she was not the intern during semester) and Honeybee (what a lovely name!) were also interviewed at the same time. The interview was going really good, I think it's more like a discussion rather than a formal interview. Cassandra, the producer (also the intern supervisor) who conducted the interview for all three of us, asked us to sit together and shared something about ourselves, what do we want to do as an intern, and what kind of skills we want to acquire on the completion of the internship. Then Cassandra told us that she was also started as an intern, and she also told us something important that we have to know and understand them. We also asked some questions about the program and specifically what the general duties are, and Cassandra answered them very clearly and understandable. After about half-an-hour of interview, Cassandra took all three of us for a tour around the station. First we toured the intern working area, and we met so many great producers and editors and other great people for "Eye On The Bay", and of course, one the hosts Liam Mayclem. (Liam is also one of the program producers) Then Cassandra took us to other departments in the station like the News Department, the Sales Department, the Business Department, just to name a few. Cassandra then brought us to Don's office, he is person who makes identification card for the interns. He asked each of us to sit down and took a "passport-style" picture, then we got our IDs few minutes later.

After we got our intern ID cards, we officially became the interns for "Eye On The Bay", and we started our jobs one week later. So how was my first day of internship going? I'll continue to post my story this afternoon (or early evening) with my "2010 Year In Review" Part 6!

San Francisco preps for NYE revelers

San Francisco preps for NYE revelers

Story posted 2010.12.30 at 04:18 PM PST

San Francisco police officers are ready for the quarter of a million party goers expected to descend onto city Friday night.

Police Chief George Gascon has one piece of advice for revelers, "leave your cars and your guns at home."

Gascon says there will be zero-tolerance for people firing off guns and fireworks, graffiti and public intoxication.

BART is splitting up service with trains on the Richmond and Pittsburg-Baypoint lines stopping at Montgomery but skipping the Embarcadero. Trains on the Dublin-Pleasanton and Fremont lines will be stopping at Embarcadero but not Montgomery.

Question of the Day: What are your plans for celebrating New Years?
Story posted 2010.12.30 at 04:18 PM PST

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All material © 2010 ABC Inc., KGO-TV Inc. & 2004-2010 LSN, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Víctor Lei

Job seekers pin hopes on 2011 looking up

Job seekers pin hopes on 2011 looking up

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Job seekers pin hopes on 2011 looking up
Updated on: 2010-12-30 22:16:35

Story posted 2010.12.30 at 07:14 PM PST

There is a glimmer of hope that the New Year will bring signs of an improving jobs picture. The U.S. Department of Labor said on Thursday the number of first time unemployment applications fell below 400,000 last week to the lowest number in more than two years. It is an important milestone in the economic recovery.

Amber Cowan who is unemployed and Stephen Levy who is a nationally recognized economist have something in common -- optimism. Even though national unemployment remains at a frustrating 9.8 percent, there's a positive shift in the labor market.

"I got three great job leads actually by networking with somebody, they ended up liking me, and saying, 'Hey, you know, I think my company might be hiring,'" says Cowan.

Many economists have been waiting for months for new jobless claims to fall below 400,000, so the fact that they came in at 388,000 is like an end of the year bonus.

The director of the Center For Continuing Study of the California Economy, Stephen Levy, says it's one more sign a sluggish economy is turning the corner.

"Exports and foreign trade are near pre-recession levels, the tech firms are obviously selling stuff off the shelf, it's been a banner year for new products," says Levy.

The Labor Department reports California is specifically benefiting from fewer layoffs than expected in the agriculture industry. Last week the state reported a drop in new unemployment claims of more than 7,000.

Managers at job placement agency Manpower say the activity goes beyond seasonal hiring and predicts growth early next year.

"Construction should pick up a little bit in 2011, manufacturing of both durable and non durable goods should increase. Also we're going to see an increase, I think, in information technology," says Thomas Baity, a Manpower branch manager.

Baity says more companies have budgeted for hiring in the first quarter of 2011 and that should offer relief for the unemployed.

"I actually have a job promised to me from one of my former company's competitors in February," says Frank Colli.

Whether you are one of the recession's statistics or just following the slow recovery with a watchful eye, there seems to be a collective sigh of relief.

"You're feeling people kind of going, 'Ooh, alright...2011. I can do 2011,'" says Cowan.

Story posted 2010.12.30 at 07:14 PM PST

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All material © 2010 ABC Inc., KGO-TV Inc. & 2004-2010 LSN, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Víctor Lei

Bad gifts may be history with Amazon's idea

Bad gifts may be history with Amazon's idea

Story posted 2010.12.29 at 02:34 PM PST

For some, it's the red reindeer Christmas sweater. For others, it's the diamond-encrusted dreidel. Whatever your worst gift nightmare might be, Amazon may soon give you a reason to cheer.

The online retail behemoth that's the source of many presents -- may they be good, bad or ugly -- has patented a system that would let people exchange unwanted gifts for those they actually want. They could do this before they actually receive the gift.

Seattle-based Amazon.com Inc. recently patented a "system and method for converting gifts" on its website. It took nearly five years; the company had applied in March of 2006.

For now, though, it's just a patent. So until Amazon figures out how to implement it, you may be stuck with that itchy sweater.
Story posted 2010.12.29 at 02:34 PM PST

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All material © 2010 ABC Inc., KGO-TV Inc. & 2004-2010 LSN, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Víctor Lei

Skype adding Wi-Fi, 3G video calling to iPhone app

Skype adding Wi-Fi, 3G video calling to iPhone app

Story posted 2010.12.30 at 02:39 PM PST

A new version of the free iPhone app for Skype SA will let users make and receive video calls.

Users of the Internet calling and messaging service will be able to use both Wi-Fi and AT&T Inc.'s 3G cellular network. FaceTime software, which comes with iPhones, works only with Wi-Fi.

The app, which is being released Thursday through Apple Inc.'s iTunes Store, will let iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS users make free video calls to other Skype users who are using the app or have access to the feature using Skype on their computer or other video phone.

Those with the latest iPod Touch will be able to make video calls over Wi-Fi. The app allows the iPad and previous-generation iPod Touch to receive video calls, too, Skype said.

Skype's software offers free services such as voice or video calls to other Skype users.

Users pay to do things such as make calls from a PC to a landline or cell phone.

In the first half of 2010, video calls made up 40 percent of all minutes spent using Skype's free calling services, the company said.

The iPhone 4, which was released in June, was the first iPhone to include a front-facing camera for video chat. It includes FaceTime, which enables users to make video calls to others who have the iPhone 4, the latest iPod Touch or a Mac computer. So far, however, FaceTime doesn't work over the cellular network and doesn't allow calls to Windows-based computers.

Skype, which is based in Luxembourg, is not the first third-party app for the iPhone to allow free video calling over AT&T's cellular network. Apps such as Fring and Tango offer the capability as well, although neither has as many users as Skype.

The updated app comes about a week after Skype suffered a major service outage that lasted 24 hours and cut off service for millions of users. On average, 124 million people use Skype each month, though the total number of registered users is more than four times that.

In a Wednesday post on the company's blog, Skype's chief information officer, Lars Rabbe, said the problem was caused by a bug in a version of Skype's software for computers running Microsoft Corp.'s Windows operating system.
Story posted 2010.12.30 at 02:39 PM PST

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All material © 2010 ABC Inc., KGO-TV Inc. & 2004-2010 LSN, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Víctor Lei

K Lab Wood Behind The Scenes & Bloopers

This is the behind the scenes and the bloopers! of the Internet scam PSA. Every time when I watch it, I really want to laugh out loud!

[PSA] Beware of Internet Scams!!!

This is the PSA that I mentioned about this morning. Although it's only an one-minute PSA, we all put a lot of consistent efforts on it. It was hard, but at the same time we had a lot of fun.

Snooki's ball drop to ring in 2011 from New Jersey

Snooki's ball drop to ring in 2011 from New Jersey

Story posted 2010.12.30 at 12:25 PM PST

Turns out there wasn't room for Snooki in Times Square this New Year's Eve.

MTV's plan to put "Jersey Shore" star Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi inside a ball to drop from the network's Times Square headquarters has been dropped after an objection by the group that oversees the world-famous celebration.

But Snooki will still drop in as part of "The MTV New Year's Bash." Her stunt has been relocated to Seaside Heights, N.J., according to Diane Stabley, borough clerk for the Jersey shore town made famous as the setting for MTV's hit reality show.

"Like the ball that drops in Times Square, there's going to be a Snooki ball," Stabley said Thursday. She said an MTV network crew was in town to pre-tape the spectacle Thursday night.

"We love our Times Square home," MTV said in a statement confirming the change of venue, "and while we're disappointed there won't be a Snooki ball drop there, she cannot be denied!"

Snooki was sent packing earlier in the week by the Times Square Alliance, whose annual gala includes the century-old tradition of dropping its own illuminated ball at the stroke of midnight.

"It was never intended or requested for Snooki to be in the actual New Year's Eve Ball in Times Square," said Alice McGillion, the group's spokeswoman. "The request to have her in a separate ball on a set-back roof came too late and was too impractical to fit in to our outdoor events."

Even so, the remainder of the 90-minute special will stay put at MTV's Times Square studios, with other "Jersey Shore" stars expected to lead the multitudes in a collective fist pump in hopes of setting a world record. The program airs Friday at 10:30 p.m. EST.
Story posted 2010.12.30 at 12:25 PM PST

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All material © 2010 ABC Inc., KGO-TV Inc. & 2004-2010 LSN, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Víctor Lei

Tax time more complicated for laid off workers

Tax time more complicated for laid off workers

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Tax time more complicated for laid off workers
Updated on: 2010-12-29 22:12:58

Story posted 2010.12.29 at 07:46 PM PST

The tax year ends on Friday, and if you have been laid off in the past 12 months, filing your taxes will be a big change from years past.

Middle class families have really been hit hard and even two-earner families are now without any income at all sometimes. However, that does not spare them from having to pay taxes.

These are tough economic times. Those who have been laid off are, for the most part, focusing on finding employment, but at this time of year, they need to start thinking about taxes too.

"People have to get a relationship with their income and their taxes," Mary Canning says.

Canning is the dean of the school of taxation and school of accounting at Golden Gate University. She says taxes are especially tricky for those who were pink-slipped this year. Unemployment benefits are taxable and the liability can be worse than many think.

"Also, they've forgotten, if they had been employed at the beginning of the year, they've sort of forgetten that income source. So, we have to incorporate that. So, what were your sources of income at the beginning of the year?" she explains.

The one bright spot of earning less is you could qualify for tax deductions and even tax credits now that were not available to you before.

"Taxpayers who live in the Bay Area are probably, because it is expensive to live here, for many of them their income was above the amount that phased out a lot of the different credits and deductions. Now, they may be at a place where they aren't being phased out and can be eligible for them," Canning says.

There is the Earned Income Tax credit, a credit for housing, and deductions for work and other expenses.

"Typical example of that would be medical expenses. We know that many people's sources of income have decreased, but I don't know of anyone where their medical expenses, medical insurance premiums have decreased," Canning says.

The IRS website has some great information, is easy to navigate, and believe it or not, it can really save you money and grief.
Story posted 2010.12.29 at 07:46 PM PST

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All material © 2010 ABC Inc., KGO-TV Inc. & 2004-2010 LSN, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Víctor Lei

Facebook creates problems for government workers

Facebook creates problems for government workers

Story posted 2010.12.29 at 04:14 PM PST

A string of viruses started infecting several computers in the government offices of Milam County, Texas. Judge Frank Summers was first elected 11 years ago and this was the worst he's seen it. So he had the IT Department do some investigating.

"We did a study back in November, early December and learned that the average Milam County City employee was spending about 5 hours and 15 minutes of every work day on Facebook," he said.

In fact, county workers spent more time on Facebook than they did working.
Story posted 2010.12.29 at 04:14 PM PST

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All material © 2010 ABC Inc., KGO-TV Inc. & 2004-2010 LSN, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Víctor Lei

Many retailers loosen return policy

Many retailers loosen return policy

Story posted 2010.12.27 at 05:59 PM PST

Many retailers have eliminated restocking fees and some have even dropped return deadlines. All that means you could find taking returns back to many stores much more pleasant and less costly.

Macy's already generous 180 day return policy has been changed to unlimited for most items with a receipt.

Target now allows gifts to be exchanged without a receipt, but your returns without a receipt can't exceed $70 a year.

Open cameras are now returnable at Office Max for the first time, but you'll have to pay a 15 percent restocking fee.

And Toys-R-Us has extended its online return policy from 30 to 90 days.

Story posted 2010.12.27 at 05:59 PM PST

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All material © 2010 ABC Inc., KGO-TV Inc. & 2004-2010 LSN, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Víctor Lei

My "2010 Year In Review" Part 4

I wrote on my Facebook wall that to write something like this "Year In Review" is such a difficult job. I think I'm telling truth, it's really difficult because I have to remember a lot of things at one time, and I couldn't write that much of things without a lot of brain energy. :) All right, let's move on.

Yesterday I talked about how did I come up with the idea for the Internet scams PSA back in April, after I had my idea, I had to write a storyline for PSA. Because that was a sitcom, the storyline should be playful and funny. What kind of storyline could be funny? I kept on asking myself this question, I used to think about those typical sitcom stories settings like Friends, finally I decided to have my storyline as a middle-aged couple who lives in San Francisco trying to look for an item on the Internet, (Oh shoot! Look for items! That's what EOTB's Friday Flea Market Team does!) but when they received the "item", they found out that the "item" was not as described and the "seller" fled. I had my storyline, then I sketch the setting. First, I was thinking to set the story inside a bedroom, but later I decided to set the story in a living room instead.

A lot of things to consider as a producer. After created a storyline, wrote the script, made a sketch of the setting, and so on. However, the hard thing was yet to come. Who would be the actor / actress for that sitcom-style PSA? I had a really tight schedule, so I could only find someone who were in my class to play the roles of husband and wife respectively. Another thing to consider was we were doing that without paid, it was for educational purpose, so there were not so many people in class wanted to work with me at first. Soon after, I have volunteers who wished to work with me, they were Cory, Hillary, Andrew and Sai, they were all my fellow classmates. Cory and Hillary play the couple, Andrew helped me as an editor, and Sai helped me as cameraman. Hillary was not only the "actress", but she also made her living room of her house to be our setting of the sitcom, so we didn't have to find a location anywhere else kudos to her!

After days of preparation, we had our production on Saturday, April 17 around 11am. Cory, Sai and I all arrived Hillary's house shortly after 11am that day. As soon as we arrived, we started setting up the scene, we also discussed the floor plan, the blocking, the script, the position of cameras, to see if anything should be revised a little bit. In fact, we did revised our floor plan and script a little bit before we started rolling cameras. Then we took a short lunch break after everything was set up properly.

Lights, cameras, action! We began the production after the lunch break. There were a lot of expected and unexpected during the production, for example, we changed the script at the very last minute, that caused our actor and actress to memorize their lines again, they forgot who was on this line and who was on that line. That was so funny and we NGed ten times for one scene. Even though there were hiccups during the production, we still finished it in that afternoon, and it was better than I expected! After ingesting, logging and editing, our piece was ready to air on the second episode of IDTV series.

My story of 2010 continues on this New Year's Eve...

P.S. I'll re-post the PSA and the behind the scenes video right here later today, so you can review them. :D

I Have Completely Given Up Any Hope...

 This person is simply a pile of mud, the only thing that is important to him is online game, his meaning of life is online game, online game is his entire life. He won't listen to anyone's advice, he just thinks anything he is doing is right. No matter how you tell him, he is still a pile of mud, a silk purse cannot be made out of a sow's ear. I have completely given up any hope on this person, he has no hope to become a good person anymore! In few words, this person is hopeless!!!

My "2010 Year In Review" Part 3

My "2010 Year In Review" continues with something memorable. Speaking of something memorable, I have to talk about something happened in April, when I created a sitcom-style PSA very first time. That "first time" is still evocative today.

About a week after our first episode of IDTV 2010 season aired, Misha asked those who weren't producers on the first episode to make something for the second episode, and I was one of them. Honestly I didn't have any good idea when I was asked to "wear a hat of producer", (which I know by now is a "hat" that isn't easy to wear) moreover, I didn't have any real experience as a producer, so it was an extremely tough job to me.

The good thing was I had some time to think what to create for the second show, the bad thing was I had to spend hours and hours everyday to generate some ideas, from the Internet to the newspapers. After days of thinking, I hadn't had any idea yet, but when I inadvertently found a story about Internet scams, my ideas popped out from my mind. I could create a short PSA telling people beware of any Internet scams, I think although Internet scams are not something new, there are still lots of people fall in Internet scams everyday, therefore, making a PSA about Internet scams is always a good idea.

I came up with an idea, and it's time to do some pre-production. First thing first, I had to write a proposal for the PSA. At the time when I was writing a proposal, I thought my PSA shouldn't be too bureaucratic, because there have been a number of official PSAs about Internet scams, I should do something different. What about a sitcom? A sitcom-style PSA has both educational and entertaining, one stone two birds. I decided to define my PSA as a sitcom-style shortly after I wrote my proposal.

After I submitted my proposal to "Executive Producer" Misha, my pre-production started immediately. First thing to do was to create a storyboard... All right, I don't want to talk too much at one time. I still have more to tell tomorrow about the production of that PSA.

There're only three days until the new year, my excitement is growing stronger and stronger each day! What do you expect for the year of 2011?

7-Day Forecast for Latitude 37.79°N and Longitude 122.42°W (Elev. 197 ft)

Very stormy weather tonight and early tomorrow around the Bay Area!

7-Day Forecast for Latitude 37.79°N and Longitude 122.42°W (Elev. 197 ft)

My "2010 Year In Review" Part 2

All right. I told everyone my major event in January, now let's move on. Anything happened in February? I don't think there were "big" things at all... Let's jump to the next month.

But as I talk about something happened in March, it should be interesting, not only then, not only right now, but always interesting. I'm talking about my field trip with my IDTV production crew. Actually it was not really a field trip, because the purpose of that trip was to cover the mass protest outside the State Capitol about the budget cut on education. We were separated into three teams, one team was working to cover the event from a news perspective, (or doing a news package) and I was in that team (if I remember it correctly.) and worked as a field audio person, doing sound checks for the camera as well as the mics. We had another team working to cover the event from the POV of the protesters, and our third team was to cover the event from the POV of those "outsiders" who were not participating the protest. I can say that field trip was kind of interesting to me, but at the same time it was also stressful to me. Why stressful? Because at that time I was still learning the basics of sound recording, and I didn't know anything about field audio. (which I know what the heck that is by now!) It's always stressful to work on something that you have never worked before. Luckily, I was still able to handle it nicely. Another interesting thing about that event was that we had to meet and board the bus outside the CCSF Mission Campus at 7am in order to arrive to the event at 9am. Haha... I mean, I woke up at 5am on that day, tough... Nevertheless, that was such a great experience that I could write into my resume.

More interesting stories happened in April, you don't want to miss my "2010 Year In Review"!

Fwd: Hateful action, hateful behavior!

Here comes more…

Hateful action, hateful behavior!

Take a look!!!

Víctor Lei

My "2010 Year In Review" Part 1

There are only a few days until the end of 2010. I think it's the time to look back and do my own "2010 Year In Review". In the next couple days, I'll highlight something happened to me this year that had significant effects, or better to say, something that changed me a lot this year. There were exciting and depressing, laughs and tears, sweet and bitter... By the way, I will do my "Year In Review" chronologically, so everything began in January 2010.

Let me rewind my memory back to the beginning of the year. The most important thing happened to me in last January should be my joining of the CCSF's IDTV production team. IDTV is a series of 30-minute-long magazine-style TV program produced by advanced broadcast production students (which are BCST 148 and BCST 149, I was in 148) at CCSF in spring every year and the show is cable-cast to the San Francisco Bay Area via Comcast cable channel 27. I can say the joining of IDTV production team was such a great experience for myself, I gained even more understanding about the production process and program development, as well as teamwork within a tight production schedule. Those hands-on experience have been helping me a lot, especially my increasing enthusiasm about TV production and its related skills. Therefore, it was definitely a far-reaching thing.

Now let me tell you something I think that I was somewhat stupid but funny here. I was really nervous at the first few class sessions of the advanced TV production class, (IDTV) why? Because I needed to meet the people that I was never seen before (except for two classmates who were taking the basic video production class in the previous semester), and also I didn't what to do and how to do for that class, it really seemed like stressful at the beginning. When Misha (the teacher) asked us to practice with the production switcher.. Man! That was killing me! I didn't even have enough opportunities to operate the switcher during my basic video production class, how could I do some advanced effects with it? Afterward, I practiced and practiced, finally I know how to do some complex effects with a production switcher, and I was also appointed to be a Technical Director for both second and third show of IDTV last season.

Haha, that's me! Nervous at the beginning because of lack of experience, but when I know something better, I can do it even better than anyone. I'll continue my "2010 Year In Review" tomorrow.

SF Christmas tree recycling to begin in Jan.

SF Christmas tree recycling to begin in Jan.

Story posted 2010.12.26 at 03:10 PM PST

San Francisco residents can start recycling their Christmas trees beginning the first week of January.

Trees will be picked up curbside from Jan. 3 through Jan. 7 and again the following week, from Jan 10 through Jan. 14.

The trees should be removed of all decorations and placed next to the trash cart before 6 a.m. on the regularly scheduled pickup day.

From there, the trees will be taken to recycling center Recology San Francisco, where they will be chipped. The wood chips will then be sent to Tracy, where they will serve as biomass in a waste-to-energy facility.

Residents can also drop off their trees at Haight-Ashbury Neighborhood Council, located at 780 Frederick St. until Jan. 17, or at Recology Golden Gate, at 900 7th St., or at Recology San Francisco at 501 Tunnel Ave., until Jan. 15.

A tree chipping celebration will kick of post-holiday "treecycling" services at 11 a.m. Monday at Civic Center Plaza in front of City Hall.

For more information, call Recology Sunset Scavenger at (415) 330-1300 or Recology Gate at (415) 626-4000.
Story posted 2010.12.26 at 03:10 PM PST

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All material © 2010 ABC Inc., KGO-TV Inc. & 2004-2010 LSN, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Víctor Lei

Despite weather, retailers roll out sales

Despite weather, retailers roll out sales

Story posted 2010.12.26 at 04:51 PM PST

An East Coast snowstorm put a damper on after-Christmas shopping Sunday. But shoppers across the rest of the country searched clearance racks and spent gift cards in the afterglow of the best holiday season for retailers since 2007.

Blizzard warnings stretched from New Jersey to Maine. Forecasters expected up to 20 inches of snow in Philadelphia and Boston and up to 16 inches in New York City.

"The forecast will tend to keep (shoppers) at home. It's not the best day for shopping," said Scott A. Bernhardt, chief operating officer at weather research firm Planalytics.

Several large malls, including MacArthur Center in Norfolk, Va., and three Tanger Outlets in Delaware and New York closed early because of the snow.

The timing could have been worse for retailers. Last year, a snowstorm hit the East Coast the Saturday before Christmas, costing them about $2 billion lost sales.

"People will just wait a day to do exchanges and use their gift cards. It's no big deal," said Greg Maloney, CEO of the retail practice of Jones Lang LaSalle, which manages malls across the country.

Besides the East Coast, shoppers came out in force on Sunday. The nation's largest mall, the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minn., expected 100,000 shoppers. A respite from heavy snow that's battered the Twin Cities brought in the big crowd.

The mall expects its stores' holiday revenue to rise 8 percent over last year, mall spokesman Dan Jasper said.

So far, it's been the best holiday season for retailers since 2007, which was a record year. The week ending Jan. 1 makes up less than 10 percent of the Nov 1-Dec. 31 season but accounts for more than 15 percent of holiday spending, research firm ShopperTrak says. Analyst say holiday season spending is on track to rise 3 to 4 percent, the best percentage increase since 2006.

The snow will send some shoppers online, where sales have been strong compared with last year. Online spending rose more than 16 percent the week ending Christmas Day, IBM Coremetrics said. The average order rose 13 percent to $192.52.

From Nov. 1 through Dec. 19, total online spending rose 12 percent to $28 billion, according to research firm comScore Inc.

At Atlantic Station in downtown Atlanta, shopping picked up in late morning as a rare snowfall began melting.

Shelly Melby, 43, said her family will likely spend $400 to $500 on post-Christmas deals.

"Just looking at the sales," she said. "The kids are looking for clothes."

Some shoppers couldn't find what they wanted. At Best Buy at Atlantic Center mall in New York, Marie Brown was disappointed that a laptop computer advertised at $200 was no longer available.

"We should have come earlier," she said. She bought a different laptop at $60 off. "We still saved money."

But others were pleasantly surprised. Joelle Lee, 33, and her cousin, Rebecca Jardine, 18, hit Pembroke Lakes Mall in Pembroke Pines, Fla., early. They were looking for half-price Christmas ornaments and New Year's Eve outfits. Jardine splurged on a watch at Guess marked down 40 percent.
Story posted 2010.12.26 at 04:51 PM PST

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All material © 2010 ABC Inc., KGO-TV Inc. & 2004-2010 LSN, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Víctor Lei