SFUSD has released the Round 1 Demand data for the 2010-2011 school year. The data is in PDF format, making it rather hard to do any analysis. For the benefit for myself and others I've converted the K-level data to spreadsheet format. For example, I used the data to generate the over/under-subscription chart below. I subtracted the number of first choice requests from the capacity to come up with the absolute over-subscription number.

It also shows that the top 10 school programs account for 72% of total number of over-subscription. Two third of the programs are balanced or under subscripted with respect to the number first choice. This includes the popular West Portal GE! It seems not that hard to find some good school with good confidence to get in. Of course the Diversity Index system makes everything unpredictable.

2010.03.15 [San Francisco] - comments (0)

SF Appeal has published the Muni onboard video recording of the collision between a Muni #19 bus and a pickup truck on Jan 5th morning. The intersection is controlled by four way stop sign. Question has been brought about who's at fault. I have reviewed the video frame by frame. I come to a clear conclusion that the truck driver was at fault. While the bus driver technically did not made a complete stop, it has the right of way. The accident was caused by the truck running the stop sign at a high speed.

The four frames below captured the action during a span of 2.8 s until the moment they collided.

• Frame 1 - 00:02:34.22
• Frame 2 - 00:02:35.02
• Frame 3 - 00:02:36.02
• Frame 4 - 00:02:37.02

At frame 1, using the trash can as a reference point, it shows the bus was right at the intersection. The truck was about half a block away. It should be immediately obvious that the bus has the right of way.

At frame 2, the bus rolled forward. The truck was still some distance away.

At frame 3, the bus proceeded across the intersection slowly. The truck still have not arrive at the intersection. It should stop and yield to the bus.

At frame 4, truck ran the stop sign at high speed and caused the collision.

Base on the video frames, I plotted the estimated position and the movement of the vehicles during this 2.8 s on a map. I estimated the bus has rolled through the stop at 8 mph. In contrast, the truck has flown through the intersection from half a block away at 32 mph.

The verdict is clear, the truck driver was driving recklessly and caused the accident.

San Francisco Chronicle has published an article with the release video titled "Crash video shows bus, pickup ran stop signs". It implies they are equally at fault. I think this is wholly a mischaracterization by failing to unambiguously call out it was the truck's fault. The bus had the right of way. Actually had the bus made a complete stop the same accident could still happen.

2010.01.07 [San Francisco] - comments (3)

Yesterday the car free event Sunday Streets was held in Mission. A section of 24th St and Valencia St were closed to traffic so that people can come to the street to play. Since I live nearby, I just rolled down the hill on my bike to check it out and then have lunch and go for a movie.

Even before I hit 24 St, I got a flat tire. I thought there goes my day. I am just going to walk the bike uphill, scrap my plan and stay home for the rest of the day. But then I vaguely recall there is a bike maintenance booth of some sort in this event. So I pressed on. Sure enough, the good folks of Sports Basement were there to help. They fixed my tire and I was good to go again.

The 24th St was filled with people! There were kids everywhere. Some are on tricycles, some are on scooters, some are in strollers pushed by their parents. There was Aztec dance performance, people riding bike with the boom box. Really there were activities everywhere. Previously Sunday Streets put a lot of emphasis as a biking exercise event. But in Mission you really don't get to do a lot of biking because of the density of people. The traffic was going at a pace only slightly faster than walking. So I shifted to the lowest gear. Bike strolling it is. And it is really a nice way to see the city in a way that I can seldom do.

I filled myself up with a burritos lunch in a local restaurant. I was so full that I literally cannot move, let alone to ride a bike. So I spent some extra time in the restaurant reading paper, and then walked around in the neighborhood streets. Finally I ended up in a park where there were soccer matches going on. I stopped to watch the Latino teams play. It was already too late for the movie and I no longer in rush to go home. Lately my life is so full of work and activities that I seldom have a downtime like this.

The sun was warm in the park. I think it was a good Sunday afternoon.

2009.06.08 [San Francisco] - comments (0)

While I have ridden my most favorite Golden Gate Bridge bicycle route great many times, today I have extended my range to the Larkspur ferry terminal. What promoted me to go is because bicyclists are offered free ride on the ferry in the weekends of May. This gives me a great excuse to explore the part of Marin County that I have not been to before. It delights me to find a bike path that goes nearly all the way from the Golden Gate Bridge to Corte Madera. The path goes through the mud flats along the bay. While it is not as spectacular as the Golden Gate Bridge, it offers me a quiet and nice diversion.

I returned to San Francisco by ferry. The ride was free as promised. They must have kept this promotion a secret, because I found only two bicycles on board. Despite it was a cloudy day, I enjoyed the relaxing ride home on the top deck.

While the popular Sausalito ferry offer a view of the former prison on Alcatraz, the Larkspur ferry offer a glimpse of an active prison in San Quentin as well.

2009.05.23 [San Francisco] - comments (0)

KFOG put up their kaboom fireworks show last night by Embarcadero. I always consider it the best fireworks of the year, trumping even the New Years Eve fireworks. This year I notice something interesting. The fireworks is reflect by the the newly raised glass tower of One Rincon Hill, making the tower itself a sparkling display. Too bad I can't get a good shot with my basic camera.

2009.05.10 [San Francisco] - comments (0)

Two hospitals in my neighborhood both plan to build a helipad on their roof to transport patients. This draw some very vocal opposition in the neighborhood because they think it will give off terrible noise. UCSF has done the best thing by running a test flight this Sunday. I have taken a shaky video below. This is captured near the new children's playground on Arkansas St using a simple Canon A570 camera.

My camera is not a perfect recording device. But it should give you an impression. I'll add my subjective perception that I find it similar to other helicopters that regularly fly over our sky everyday.

2007.10.22 [San Francisco] - comments (1)

After all these years living in San Francisco, walking and biking the Golden Gate Bridge no less than 30 times, I have finally make it to Battery Spencer above the bridge. On the Marin end of the bridge I rode my bike up the sleep slope to get there. The reward is a most glorious view of Golden Gate Bridge and the bay.

2007.09.23 [San Francisco] - comments (0)

On the new year's day I caught this view of Bay Bridge in fog. The fog cleared up in the afternoona and we had a great day's out.

2007.01.01 [San Francisco] - comments (0)

The Chronicles has published this year's Bargain Bites restaurants. I think it would be so much better to put them on a map and see them at-a-glance. So I have made one myself using the Google Map. Check it out - the San Francisco bargain bites on google map.

2006.09.21 [San Francisco] - comments (0)

Since it opens in 1930s, over a thousand people have taken their own life plunging into the cold dark water under the Golden Gate Bridge. Should a barrier be built to stop people from attempting suicide? That is the rebate reignited recently. My first reaction is if people cannot jump from the bridge, they will find another way to kill themselves. A barrier is likely to be costly, ugly and not necessary effective. Like many people I identify the bridge as an landmark icon but have certain sense of apathy and even regard this as a myth.

I have eventually changed my position. A barrier should be elected. Think about it. The Golden Gate Bridge really has a magical spell to be the place to end one's life. Once we stop making it convenient, most suicidal people are probably not as determine as we would have thought.

The Chronicle is running a 7-part series on the barrier issue. By taking a close look at the people involved it gives another dimension to the issue. These are wrenching and anguishing stories about real people, many of them young, brilliant and promising. Let this be a wake up call, for we have really ignored the issue for too long.

2005.11.02 [San Francisco] - comments (0)

The news of San Francisco building a city-wide wireless network is getting a lot of attention these days. Broadbandreports runs several stories on this. While broadbandreports itself is a proponent of municipal broadband, I am surprise that the news draw torrents of criticism from readers. Many reject this because it is a 'liberal' thing. Other took the line of incumbent telcos that existing access methods is preferable to a public project.

While I think many posting are nothing but political fervent, I am also disappointed that people do not see the potential of universal connectivity as a big step forward (a departure from the usually 'hypish' technology sector). I have posted my reaction, which I include here:

Reader's post

Disgusting

It is pathetic how the flaming Left in this country has confused the term "right" and "entitlement." Sure, everyone has a "right" to Wifi. There is nothing stopping you from working, earning some money and buying the needed tools yourself. Its no different than there being a right to free speech and free press. Does this mean the government is required to provide you with the means to exercise those rights? Of course not.

Some other posters here have mentioned guns. Under Mayor Newsom's reasoning, the right to gun ownership requires that the government give free guns out to everyone.

My response

There is nothing stopping you from working, earning some money and buying the needed tools yourself.

True. There is also nothing to stop private entities to build railroads and toll roads and then charge everyone a use fee either. Just like what the country did a century ago. Do you find it disgusting that the government took it upon themselves to build roads and offer it for free to people?

Look there are no lack of proposals from commercial companies to offer the service, apparently costing the city little. People get access in the parks and schools and cafe and hopefully all pocket of households that do not yet have access. I don't understand what the objection is. Do you have a better proposal?

3G, if it is available at all, would cost a bundle. Imagine now that there is universal wireless access. You go to a shop and look at an item. You'll pull your PDA or cellphone and do a search on the UNC code. Immediately it turns out a list of reviews, links to other outlets, and recommendation for alternatives or accessories you'll need. You'd IM your wife. Once she sees the picture she'd told you you got the wrong stuff again! That's new commerce that will be enabled by universal access! You'd bet Google is working on that already!

You'd think broadband report readers are a bunch of smart guys. But when it comes to public project all the anti-government ideology would just overcome their judgement. Guys I'm off to hack the next big thing for the future of universal connectivity. Go on with your anti-government bashing.

2005.10.04 [mobile, network, San Francisco] - comments (0)

If you have been to San Francisco downtown's Rasputin Music store you have probably taken the elevator, a closet-size box christened the Transporter Room, to go between floors. You would probably have pity on the operator, who spends hours sitting in that claustrophobic box. SFGate.com took an interest on them and run an interesting story today. In the elevator you might find painters, poets and other intellectuals as well as a trained librarian, and someone with a Ph.D., as well as aspiring musicians running it.

Believe it or not, among the store's steady stream of job applicants, there are always some people who want to apply just for that gig.

2004.09.01 [San Francisco] - comments (0)