the galileo observer - Galileo Academy of Science & Technology

Beach Blanket Babylon is unquestionably San Francisco’s own greatest show.Another more recent attraction that has very long lines is the California Academy ofSciences in Golden Gate Park. See the Planetarium and 3D shows. They willengage your mind and imagination.“You would prosper in the field of medicine.” -- message in a fortune cookie atGolden Horse restaurant, on the former site of (Joe) Scafidi’s Market. How didthey know I was pre-med in college?Two trivia questions: 1) Where is Wyatt Earp buried? 2) Where is Orson Wellesburied? (answers at the end of this column).Quote of the sports season: “You can’t turn fame on and off.” – Jim Rome(referring to Tiger Woods). And, wouldn’t you know it, 2010 is the Chinese Year ofthe Tiger.As if noise pollution weren’t enough, now Muni buses announce senior/handicappedseating in three languages!How far we’ve come: Postal mail was to the Pony Express as email is to postal mail.Generation gap: Recently I asked a 20 something person for some information.When she gave it, I said “Thanks for the dope.” She thought I was thanking her fordrugs.Coincidences: My late best friend Ben Dito (’51) and I used to play a game calledcoincidences back in the 40s. Once I lost the tiny knob of my wristwatch on FilbertStreet. We re-traced our steps up the street, and I found the knob in a crack on thesidewalk – a needle in a haystack. Recently on a drizzly evening I went to dinner at1550 Hyde (that’s the name of the restaurant. It’s a few doors down from EdBelasco’s (’50) boyhood flat). Searching for a parking spot, the only space I foundwas directly (I mean directly) in front of 1720 Hyde Street, where I lived during myGalileo years. Now, that’s a coincidence.My heart goes out to the people of Haiti who have suffered horribly during the 7.0earthquake a few days ago.When I was in Port-au-Prince 40 years ago, I stayed at the Villa Creole, a hotel sospic and span you could fry an egg on the floor. Just outside, however, was the mostabject poverty I had ever seen – children wandering about completely nakedwithout even shoes or sandals. A few hundred yards away lived Dictator “PapaDoc” Duvalier in utter splendor.Frank Clima (’51) was honored posthumously as the San Francisco Italian AthleticClub’s 2009 Man of the Year at a dinner on November 14 th . He was certainly that.