This morning’s trivia on KOIT:

Q: The Cannery in San Francisco was built in 1907 by which food processing company?

A: Del Monte, hence the name Del Monte square. The Del Monte logo is still on the building.

Del Monte used to can peaches there until the late thirties when the building was converted into a warehouse.  Would you believe it was slated for demolition in the early sixties? What a mistake that would have been! In 1966 a developer snapped up the property and turned it into the jewel that it is today.

Six Flags in Vallejo wants you! And the theme park is holding a job fair this Saturday (1/23) to fill over thirteen hundred openings they’ll have for summer employment.  It’s going to be held at the University of Phoenix, 5253 Business Center Drive in Fairfield  from 10-3. Openings include ride operators, games staff, tram drivers, among others. They ask that you fill out an online application here before coming to the job fair. Good luck!

This morning’s trivia on KOIT:

Q: The corner of Sansome and Green Streets in San Francisco is the birthplace of….

A:  Television.  The photo below shows a plaque on the corner honoring…..

…..Mr. Philo Farnsworth,  the inventor of modern television in 1927.

Farnsworth, who died in 1971, was asked late in his life why he no longer owned at TV.  It was the interviewers feeling that Farnsworth didn’t think there was anything worthwhile to watch.   Check out the plaque, then cross Sansome and head to Henry’s for some of the best Hunan food you’ve ever had.  Pot stickers, hot & sour beef, and a Tsingtao. Who knows. Maybe Philo would have gone for that.

Where have all the Pier 39 sea lions gone?  Vanished! Up until Thanksgiving, a record number (1,700+) of the loud but lovable critters occupied the docks at the tourist destination. In fact, since 1989, they’ve become the tourist destination. Researchers at the Marin Marine Mammal Center say the sea lions are just following the food supply, and some that had been tagged while taking up residence in San Francisco have already been spotted south of Monterey. More abundant herring,  they suppose.  The scientists are confident they’ll return. You can be certain the Pier 39/Fisherman’s Wharf merchants are counting on it.

Maybe you heard that the Bay Area Air Quality Management District banned fireplace fires Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Toast a marshmallow, go to jail.  Or at least get off with a warning. If you’d been warned before, a $400 fine. 47 warnings were handed out by the twelve inspectors making the rounds.  Lots of neighbors ratting out neighbors. Yeah, that’s the spirit.

Did someone say spirit?  On this very website, my wife Kim, weighs in on New Years booze consumption. Though she doesn’t actually use the word “booze” – no Registered Dietitian would in a clinical context – she does offer some excellent thoughts on the subject. Click here to jump to her page.

Today’s trivia on KOIT:

Q:  Christmas dinner usually consists of rice, peas, ox tail and curried goat in what country?

A: Jamaica. Actually, Kim and I had curried goat in Jamaica about 20 years ago.  Quite tasty.  Really!  If you’d like to find out about Christmas food customs from around the world, click here.

Sweets are a Holiday tradition just about everywhere,  so cutting down on sugar’s really tough this time of year….made even more difficult by the fact that sugar can take on many “aliases” on food labels.  My wife, Kim, has some ideas on how to spot those hidden sugars. Check out her blog right here.

I went to Union Square yesterday, and stopped by the flower stand at Geary and Stockton to buy some flowers for Kim, and the man who ran the stand looked so familiar, but I couldn’t place him. Finally, after chatting a while, I pointed to him and said “Tucker”! (It’s one of my favorite films .) He said, “…yup I was in that.” His name is Al Nalbandian, and he played the jury foreman. He then regaled me with a load of great movie stories, including what a joy it was working with Francis Ford  Coppola while filming “Tucker”.  Much of it was shot in San Francisco and Oakland. Well, twenty minutes just flew by. A real joy. If you’re ever near Union Square , stop by and buy some flowers from him. Terrific guy with quite a resume, which you can see here.

Speaking of Union Square, Angela Hill of the Oakland Tribune offers some very funny tips on where to go, and how to survive a Union Square shopping trip.

This morning’s trivia on KOIT:

Q:  What year were electric lights first used to decorate a Christmas tree?

A:  1882.  Edward Johnson, one of Edison’s pals,  used about 80 small light bulbs to decorate a tree in New York.  Electric Christmas lights started to be mass produced in 1890.

As we mentioned on the air this morning, so many people who donated last year to the various Bay Area holiday toy drives are now the ones needing help. The San Francisco Firefighters Toy Program, now going on 60 years old, is calling this year their worst ever.  Donations are down 60 percent, while demand is up 20. Donations to the Mayor’s Holiday Toy Drive in Oakland are off by half.  If you donate just ONE toy, that would make an enormous difference.  Here’s a partial list of places that’ll take  donations:

Fire stations around the Bay Area participate in toy drives. They’re looking for unwrapped, new or gently used gifts for children up to age 12. Suggested gifts include stuffed animals, board games, baby toys, puzzles and arts and crafts supplies.

The Coalition on Homelessness is collecting from 9-6  through Dec. 17, 468 Turk St., San Francisco.

The San Francisco Firefighters Toy Program, drop off gifts through Dec. 25 at any city fire station.

The Mayor’s Holiday Toy Drive in Oakland:  All fire stations, City Hall, the main library, the Oakland Zoo and other locations.

One, ONE toy would do the trick, if everyone who had the means could contribute.

This morning’s trivia on KOIT:

Q:  Of all the different ways to spell Hanukkah, one way begins with an…

A:  X

18 different ways to spell it, and here they are:  Xanuka, Hanukkah, Chanukah, Hanukah, Hannukah, Chanuka, Chanukkah, Hanuka, Channukah, Chanukka, Hanukka, Hannuka, Hannukkah, Channuka, Hannukka,  Channukkah, Channukka, and Chanuqa

Hanukkah, however you want to spell it, starts sundown tonight.  Since Kim’s family is Jewish we’ll celebrate it at our house. I can smell her dynamite latkes now. And since she’s a registered dietitian, she’s got some handy tips on how to keep the tonnage off during the holidays. Read all about it here on her blog.

This looks like fun. The San Francisco Jewish Festival will present a program of eight short films.  It’s called, and I  love the name, The Super 8 Hannukkah Festival. It’s tomorrow at the beautiful new Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco. You can head over here for more info.

Julie’s gonna take the Niles Canyon Railway 2009 Holiday Train of Lights this weekend. It looks like a blast. A 75 minute round-trip ride through Niles Canyon from Sonol to Fremont & you can board at either location. Two words…

Remember, the Bay Bridge repair lane closures start tonight. That’s the bad news. The good news is, that a full blown bridge closure won’t be necessary for this round. The official Bay Bridge website has the scoop on which lanes will be closed.  While you’re at the website, check out some of the video of the new Bay Bridge construction.  Some very cool stuff.

As long as we’re on the topic of the bridge-we-love-to-hate-and-can’t-live-without, let’s untangle the new toll structure on the Bay Bridge, shall we?

In July, tolls will be upped on ALL the Bay Area state bridges. The Bay Bridge, in a nutshell.. 6 dollars during the most congested hours 5-10a, and 3-7p. 4 bucks all other times on weekdays. 5 dollars on weekends. On all other state bridges the toll goes up to 5 dollars.  Carpools lanes, no longer free on ANY of the bridges, will pay two fifty. Drive an 18 wheeler? You’ll need a loan. I can see the confusion at the toll plaza now.

Have a fabulous weekend!

This morning’s trivia on KOIT:

Q: Halle Berry, Kirk Douglas, Sandra Bullock, and Steve Martin all have what in common?

A:  They were all high school cheerleaders!

Here’s the link for Free Shipping Day.  We talked about this this morning. About 500 retailers are getting together on Thursday December 17th to offer free shipping AND guaranteed delivery by Christmas Eve. Don’t know how they’re gonna do it.

I did some Union Square shopping yesterday, and one of the stops I had to make was Macy’s for a toaster on sale. This one’ll be the third or fourth toaster I’ve bought over last year or so. They’ve just been garbage. My fault,  I guess. I played it cheap, and they just stopped working. Well, I wasn’t going to make the same mistake again, so I coughed up 60 bucks – marked down from 80 – for a Cuisinart. I never in a million years thought I’d spend that much for a toaster. A TOASTER!  Of course, the Macy’s ten dollar off coupon I had with me wasn’t valid for “electrics”. Translation? Good for EVERYTHING except the toaster you wanted. I still love Macy’s, though.

Over-spending for a toaster makes me hungry, so I decided to get a quick Union Square bite.  Last week, the Chron published a list of some of the best places in and around Union Square to get something to eat – fast or slow – while shopping.  I went for fast and delicious and a Stanley Steamer hot dog. It was….sublime.  My wife, Kim, is a registered dietitian, so I don’t eat hot dogs that often. But when I’m really in the mood for one, I can’t pass it up. Just one, and that was enough. In fact, Kim has some really good thoughts on keeping the weight off over the Holidays, and I’m proud to let you know she now has her very own blog on the topic right here on the KOIT website. Click here to check it out.

This morning’s trivia on KOIT:

Q:  In what country is braised carp the traditional Christmas meal?

A:  Austria, and it’s served with beer sauce and gingerbread, which makes it sound just a little bit better.  In France,  crepes  &  oysters are authentic holiday fare.  In Australia, where it’s early Summer during the Christmas Holiday, any kind of barbecue will do.  Wikipedia has a great list of Christmas food traditions from around the world.

I started putting the Christmas lights up around the house over this past weekend. I’m hoping to finish up this afternoon. Over the years, the decorating process has evolved into a three or four day ordeal.. I mean tradition.

But if I didn’t love it so much, why on Earth would I do it to begin with? I ask myself that query every single year. And I’ll ask it again next year. Here’s another question I ask every year:  How does a string of lights, in perfect working order when I packed them up after last Christmas, not work so well when I unpack them the following year ? Can anyone tell me? Anyone?  Over the years I’ve learned to keep several new sets of the lights I use on hand in case a set decides to fail me. As much as I like Target, I really hate having to go when I’m in the middle of a project.  Except our local hardware store. I love that place. My wife loves our local farmer’s market.  I love our local mom & pop hardware store.  If two consecutive weekends pass without me showing up, they call the house to make sure I’m OK.

This morning’s trivia on KOIT:

Q: What was San Francisco’s FIRST coffee  roasting house?

A: Folger’s. An employee of SF’s first coffee roaster, bought out his boss. The employee’s name was J.A. Folger. MJB and Austin and Reuben Hills  came later.

For info regarding the massive crib recall going on, head to the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s website.

This morning’s trivia on KOIT:

Q: According to Consumer Reports, what percentage of us have already finished our Christmas shopping?

A: about 3%.  A number that’s almost too small to measure. I’ve already started. I try to get things finished by the second week in Dec. It’s a practical matter, really, because most of my family lives on the East Coast, so I need to get the stuff shipped so it can be delivered on time.

Do your kids have the whole week off for Thanksgiving? Ours do. When I was in school we got out early on Wed then had Thurs  & Fri off.  I think what’s happened over the years is that kids took of the whole week anyway, and the schools just gave up and said “take the whole thing”.

Both our sons were away from home Saturday night, so Kim and I actually had a date. We had a nice dinner at Portelli Rossi in Novato, then went to see “Precious”. We knew going in that it wasn’t going to be a “feel good” movie, but little did we know….VERY intense! Wonderful acting & soundtrack.

Went to fill up Sunday, only to discover that I’d left my credit card at the restaurant the night before. Glad Portelli’s is open Sundays.

This morning’s trivia on KOIT:

Q: In which country is tipping at a restaurant considered an insult?

A: Iceland

Speaking of tipping, I couldn’t believe this when I read about it. A couple was arrested in Northeastern PA when they refused to pay the mandatory 18% gratuity added to their restaurant tab. Hauled off in handcuffs! They didn’t feel that they should have been forced to tip at all. And who could blame them? Service from their server was practically non-existent! How awful was it? Click here to get the whole story. If I could be accused of ANYTHING, it would be OVER tipping. I’ve always felt that being a good server is an art, and if I ever tried it, it would be a disaster! But I think the restaurant and police were WAY out of line on this one. Taken away in handcuffs? Please!