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This was the question being asked by everyone along the planned Olympic Torch route by fans and protesters alike.  Where was the torch!?  Nowhere near the original route (see map below) because the route was changed at the very last minute.  Even members of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors didn't know about the route change ahead of time.  There were people that came from all over the Bay Area to see the end of the torch run at Justin Herman Plaza who were denied because the torch never got there.  I was bummed that I couldn't leave work to go see the historic run, but I would have been really pissed if I got to the Embarcadero and there was no torch.  I guess it was a pretty good call not to go.  In all fairness, Newsom warned everyone that this might happen, but it still sucks.  It's interesting to see the national news coverage from CNN, not nearly as much detail as what you get from SFGate on a local event.

After the craziness in Paris and on the bridge, Mayor Gavin Newsom said the planned 6-mile torch route along the central waterfront and around Fisherman's Wharf could change up to and even during the relay.  I guess they are going to try and keep the fans and the protesters guessing as to the route until the very last minute.  I predict chaos and hope to be able to get away from work to see it first hand on Wednesday afternoon.

Three pro-Tibet protesters climbed the cables of the Golden Gate Bridge, reached a height of 150 feet above the roadway, and unfurled pro-Tibet banners earlier today.  One banner read "One World, One Dream, Free Tibet 08," and the second one read simply "Free Tibet." The stunt was filmed and photographed from every possible direction (the photo above was taken by a Chronicle reporter) and is sure to garner a lot of national attention.  This protest by Students for a Free Tibet comes just two days before the arrival of the Olympic Torch on Wednesday.

Protesters in Paris were so rowdy that officials extinguished the Olympic Torch and rushed it onto buses at least five times during the parade route.  The Olympic flame itself, lit from the birthplace of the ancient games in Olympia, Greece and used to light the torch, continued to burn in a small lantern inside the bus.  Things got so ugly that the last part of the torch relay was cancelled.  The torch was was to head into a sports stadium in south of Paris at the end of the relay.

Please keep in mind that the protests in London and Paris were in places where there isn't a large Asian population.  San Francisco will likely have many Chinese and Tibetan people organizing to support and protest the torch relay respectively. And it seems that nobody is on the wrong side of this issue, which makes it complicated. With charged emotions on both sides, expect there to be a brouhaha during the torch route on Wednesday.

The Olympic Torch relay in San Francisco will start at AT&T Park and will make its way up the Embarcadero to Aquatic Park.  It will then return through Fisherman's Wharf and down the Embarcadero to end its journey at Justin Herman Plaza across from the Ferry Building.  This short 6-mile route will be run from 1:00pm to 3:30pm on Wednesday afternoon.  Let's get ready to rumble!

Protesters in London tried to snuff out the Olympic Torch during relay but failed.  The torch goes on to Paris tomorrow and will be in San Francisco by Wednesday morning.  Stay tuned for similar mayhem when the torch arrives here.

We walked over to Union Square yesterday not to participate in the Human Rights Torch protest, but to check out the size of the crowd.  Surprisingly, there were only a couple of hundred people there.  There were a bunch of cameras and news crews, so the event was well publicized.  But the attendance was expected to be a couple of thousand.  The guy on the microphone was not very charismatic and couldn't seem to get the whole crowd excited about the cause.  It seems to me that  the whole protest was a big bust.

Today, the Chronicle ran a story saying that most Asians in San Francisco are fretting at the disrespect being shown to the Olympic Torch by these protests.  Many believe that the Olympic Torch relay should be a celebration of the strong cultural, historic and economic ties between San Francisco and shouldn't be disrupted by political demonstrations.  Maybe this explains the low turnout yesterday in Union Square which is only a few blocks from Chinatown.

Asians in the city are also not at all pleased about a resolution passed by the Board of Supervisors that called for Gavin Newsom to receive the Olympic Torch with "alarm and protest."  A local attorney and community leader said the following:

"We understand your rights of free speech, by all means, but be a gracious host, be sensitive to the fact that in San Francisco one-third of your inhabitants are Asians...Many of us, Chinese Americans, in the city, we may not be supporting the Chinese government, but to politicize this game and to use this torch relay as a platform to bash China to me is unacceptable."

Since the Olympic Torch is only visiting San Francisco in North America, if public demonstrations or public officials do something to insult the Olympics it will only further sully the image of San Francisco in the eyes of the rest of the country, and the image of America in the eyes of the rest of the world.

According to Matier & Ross (see third story in the following link), the Gettys will be hosting a $2,300 per plate fundraiser for Barack Obama in their Pacific Heights mansion this weekend where 400 people are expected to attend.  This makes the event the "hottest ticket in town."  Amazingly, the story claims that Mayor Gavin Newsom will not be attending because he supports Hillary Clinton.

What!?  The Mayor is basically biting the hand that fed him for years and helped make him a multi-millionaire and a political force.  It it wasn't for the Gettys, Gavin would be successful, but he would not be nearly as wealthy as he is now, let alone be Mayor of The City.  I wonder what the Clintons did for Gavin that makes him feel he owes them his loyal support in Hillary's campaign.  It must have been something pretty good.  Oh if only walls could talk.

Keith Olbermann had the balls to say what the main stream media has only been slightly hinting at over the past couple of weeks. The fact that the Clinton campaign's racial undertones are outrageous and appalling, and that Geraldine Ferraro is a vile and ignorant old hag that has a twenty-year history of spewing racism as part of political discourse.  Click on the "Olbermann Uproar on Ferraro Uproar" video after following the link. I applaud Keith Olbermann for his spot-on analysis and candor.  We need more journalists like this guy.

Barack Obama's charisma and influence extends beyond international boundaries. Obama wrote a letter to the residents of the Japanese town that shares his name. The residents of Obama were overjoyed and are rooting for Obama to win the democratic nomination later today.

Matt Gonzalez, former president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and mayoral candidate, was tapped by Ralph Nader to be a vice-presidential running mate. It's good to see Mattie G getting back into politics! I know that many of his supporters were heartbroken when he lost the Mayor's race to Gavin Newsom back in 2003. So much so that, as of this writing, his website is still displaying the loss to Newsom.

With wins in Wisconsin and Hawaii, Obama has made it 10 contest wins in a row against Hillary. My friend that lives in Hawaii said that the turnout at the Hawaiian democratic caucuses were 4 to 5 times more than expected. At his local polling place, there were 500 people that showed up to vote for Obama. So many people in fact that the polling place ran out of democratic registration forms. I guess only about 100 people were expected to show up. Obama's message of hope even inspires the seemingly disenfranchised to show up and vote! That's something!

What a difference a weeks makes! Obama has won the last eight contests since Super Tuesday and is now leading Hilary in delegates, even with all of Hilary's super delegate support. If she doesn't stop Obama in Texas and Ohio she could be done. Obama has the momentum!

The democratic presidential race is so close that analysts are speculating that an old school back room deal at the Democratic National Convention in August is likely. This would mean that the primaries, caucuses, and the delegate votes will not matter at the end. It would be up to the superdelegates, the delegates that are not chosen by voters but make up 40% of the total, to pick the nominee. The superdelegates are elected officials and high-ranking party operatives who are free to pick whomever they like, regardless of who won what primary. It could be crazy--stay tuned.

After Super Tuesday, Hillary Clinton has a slight lead in the delegate count over Barack Obama. Obama won more states, but Hillary won more votes because she won California. They both claimed victory last night, but the battle continues.

I am reading through the news on my way to the polls and can't help but notice that everyone seems a little depressed in this country. It's not just Britney Spears that needs help, but her life is one of the few that gets played out in the public stage. With the housing sector in trouble everyone that owns a home is going a little crazy, and some are bringing those stresses into the office. It looks like everyone in America is in need change in their lives and are looking for more than lip service.

Even people from around the world are upset with America, mostly because of President Bush, and especially in Turkey. Yes, in Turkey, a country that is, or was, one of our staunchest allies hates President Bush with such passion that a new President will be most welcome. Many analysts agree that if Obama is elected, a President of African descent with a Muslim name will go a long way in easing relations and perceptions of America around the globe.

Just because there are two strong Democratic candidates doesn't mean that it's a difficult choice. If you are a Democrat and want constructive change then you have to vote for Barack Obama. Mark your ballot with confidence. Even the Kennedys agree that Obama is the best democratic candidate to write the next chapter for America. I am heading to the polls to vote for Obama and so should you.