The California Independent System Operator has declared a Stage 2 Electrical Emergency, effective between 1 PM and 9 PM today. In a Stage 2 emergency, certain customers who have agreed to have their electrical service interrupted during high-load conditions in exchange for lower rates could lose power intermittently. This article on SFGate cites an ISO spokesman as saying that a Stage 3 emergency–rolling blackouts for all customers–is possible this afternoon.

The ISO’s current status and alerts are available online. As of this post, California is using 48,795 megawatts, and usage is forecast to peak at 51,164 megawatts. There’s a Wikipedia article that can put this in perspective if you’re interested. California’s generating capacity varies depending on how much auxilary, or “peaking, “capacity is online, but is less than 56,000 megawatts.

Conservation ideas are appreciated!

I realized I’ve started doing some things to conserve energy. OK, and I did get my PG & E bill yesterday too.
- air-drying clothes
- turning off speaker power when not playing music
- turning off printer
- turning off everything during the day
- carpooling

What are you doing? Nothing is too small!

Yes, that’s the fog rolling into San Francisco, this morning at 7:45, as viewed from Bernal Heights.

However, because hundred-plus temperatures are still expected in most of the state, a stage 2 emergency is expected, with “stage 3 rolling blackouts” possible. Also: it’s another Spare The Air Day, only this time without free transit. Check Cal ISO system status — if you can get through.

Can I tell you what a cranky mood that I was in on Saturday? Ok, I will. I was hot. I was worn out from a blah night of CrushLab and then Steps of Rome the night before. And I admit that I was having a little pity party about being a single girl who had to drive up to the city that night, once again, all alone.

But as I drove around the warehouses around Hunter’s Point, on the phone with Anna trying to figure out if she was going to make it, I started getting excited about my first Ghetto Gourmet experience.
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Ack! This sucks. I love National Product and drop many dollars on superb artist-made clothing every time I visit, odds and ends and all kinds of cool stuff (like Vampire Kitty t-shirts). It’s like a hip store for urban art makers — visit before they close shop on August 7.

Read more at SFGate’s “Culture Blog“.

The only reason I distinguish this post in the subject, is due to the fact that there will be 2 posts about it… Lauren and I went to the same event! In fact, we sat next to each other! You can contrast and compare and realize that yes, she has a rockin’ camera! And she has connections with Beringer and brought a tasty Merlot.

Ghetto Gourmet was so much fun! Many thanks to guys who put it on (Jeremy, with assistance from his roommate David) and the fabulous chef — Chef Cody– who offered his space and skill. I had a bit of an issue realizing that I was confirmed since my spam filter got the directions. I was a bit wary of driving to HP without knowing exactly where I was going. Turns out Chef Cody lives in this great artistic community- a few blocks on the otherside of 3rd street with tons of interesting projects going on. We dined at Cody’s ArtsFactory then piled into a modified Fire Truck and whisked off to the Burning Man sculptures near the Ferry Building for some brownie cake.
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We have the world’s best window displays in the Castro. Went out drinking with friends tonight and had to snap a few pics; more after the jump.
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I took my own advice last night. I went to the Hoover Theatre and saw “The PornoZombies”.
It was perverted, abnormal, sick, tainted, twisted and unnatural. It was exactly what it was meant to be; a perfectly wonderful experience. Most of the jokes hit the bullseye and those that didn’t at least hit the target.

The cast seemed to be enjoying the play as much as we, their audience, was. Evangeline Maynard was superb in her role as Detective Karla and her awesome energy kept the play up and humming. Peter Canavese was flawless and quite skilled, with his Twilight Zone-ish take on the Narrator.

After the perfectly timed intermission, we were treated to the unrestrained orgy of Act II. Though “The PornoZombies” is definitely not for the uptight, or children, I would have felt comfortable seeing it in the company of either my mother or my 18-year old daughter.

The Hoover Theatre has good seating and the oh so important, in the South Bay, air conditioning.

The Historic Hoover Theatre
1635 Park Ave.
San Jose, Ca.
408-351-4440

Last show is July 29th

Four construction workers were injured today, one seriously, at the huge One Rincon Hill project. A platform they were standing on collapsed as they poured concrete.

The project, which is building two towers at the SF end of the Bay Bridge, includes a 55-story tower — to be completed in 2008 — and a smaller one to be built later.

More after the jump.
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This looks amazingly awesome: Angry Waiter 4am is running a little thing they call “Fun With Videophones: The Hookup” at the Make-Out Room tonight. It’s going to be a sort of live-action reality show: volunteers will go out into the San Francisco dating scene as someone follows them with a videophone. The videographer will send clips back to the Make-Out Room, where the audience will vote on how the picker-up should proceed. As the site says: “It’s a live interactive dating show! It’s fun with video phones! It’s reality art! It’s a spectacle! It’s embarrassing! It’s ridiculous!”

For my part, I’m going to be at CrushLab (thanks for the tip, Violet), but if you want a different sort of high-tech dating (ah, San Francisco, is there nothing you won’t apply technology to?), this should be on your A-list.