SolarCity's Lyndon Rive - His Vision for the Bay Area?

According to the New York Times, Lyndon Rive was born in South Africa around 1977. He first came to the state of California in 1998 to compete in his favorite sport - underwater hockey. He eventually decided that California is the place to go as Santa Clara County is home to the Silicon Valley.

From there, the article to me does not question about his vision for SolarCity - instead, the article rather questions about his Bay Area, and what he likes best about the entire Bay Area. Both the Rive brothers, Lyndon and Peter, certainly likes technology, which is perhaps one possible reason why the Bay Area is special to them.

The second thing that could be on their mind is the weather - California has plenty of sunny days during the summer with no rain in the forecast. South Africa also has a similar climate like California, but with December summers and June winters.

Besides just SolarCity itself, another possible reason for why the Bay Area is the Rives' favorite destination is the location and contribution to knowing to solve air pollution problems. Both of the Rive' brothers are aware of the growing traffic problems in San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara Counties, where traffic has been increasing. The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), Caltrain, SamTrans, and San Francisco Municipal Transit Agency (SFMTA) have been trying to improve their bus and rail infrastructure for many years to reduce the use of foreign oil, which seems to be SolarCity's mission and somewhat part of Rives' main vision for SolarCIty.

The Rive' brothers and their cousin, Elon Musk, who also is part of Tesla Motors, has a strong relationship between Tesla and SolarCity.

However, given that many articles seem to address the reasons behind Lyndon Rive's move to the Bay Area from South Africa, the public, including myself, won't actually know what the true reasons of why the Rive brothers chose the Bay Area besides just their vision for SolarCity.

NOTE: The above picture is a flyer given out to people addressing why SolarCity is proclaimed to be the top full service solar provider. Trademarks shown in the picture (including the flyer in the picture) belong to the respective owners.

Original Work: Kyle Chak
E-mail: chak595301@gmail.com
Twitter: @KyleSChak

INVESTIGATION - BART's Fare Alignment to Change? And More Coming?

Has anyone recalled seeing my previous blog on problems with fares on 511's website? The Bay Area's Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), which manages the 511 website in the Bay Area, has been under my microscope for at least a couple of years with my first mention about the MTC back in March 2014. If you did recall in my investigation, BART's fares has been inaccurate and still does not match the 511 website's trip planner, which could be several dollars off the actual fare paid in cash or Clipper card.

511's trip planner before my blog was up may have created a lot of embarrassment at both the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) and Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) in terms of fare alignment. The former is currently creating the latter's new tracks for the extension to both Milpitas and San Jose's Berryessa station, with construction currently in progress.

As I have been saying, most Bay Area transit agencies have a youth fare policy that defines between the ages of 5 to 17 or 18 years old, but BART's fare alignment and policy does not match that of what most Bay Area transit agencies utilize. Meanwhile, VTA introduced a new fare policy that would upgrade the upper age limit for youths from 17 to 18 years old.

Recent developments hinted by a BART employee at the debut of the Oakland Airport extension pointed to big debates at BART headquarters in Oakland not long after my investigative blog was up online. BART board members were aware of my blog's insight into how BART's fare table is not the same as how transit agencies are using a fare policy for youth, senior, and the disabled. This also applies to commenting on BART's website, which I exposed that the word limit for commenting is only 1000 words.

The employee at the event also told me that extending the upper age limit from 12 to 17 or 18 has been going on for at least a couple of years with no results. Currently, riders between the ages of 13 to 17 must pay the full adult fare to ride BART from one destination to another. Big debates on the fare alignment were at times fierce, pointing to similar fare policies that already took place on almost all transit agencies except BART themselves. There is still no consensus or timeline of whether BART even plans to change their fare policy to match the youth, senior, and disabled with those of most Bay Area transit agencies.

But still, BART has not yet consulted with other transit agencies around the Bay Area to see what their fare policies are, and how BART intends to improve their service based on the age structure and those that are seniors and/or disabled. Even at my last check-up on 511's website, most transit agencies have accurate fare information in all categories except for BART.

Even more disturbing to my findings after my repeated reviews of BART's three booklets that addresses reduced fares reveals that BART has never published a fare table for both the youth and the senior/disabled one review of the booklet after another (the most recent review was in September 2014), despite mentioning of the 62.5% discount mentioned on both BART's website and on several BART-related booklets obtained at the Fremont BART station. Instead, BART opts users to go directly to BART's website and figure out what the actual fare is, rendering 511's website information on BART fares for the youth, senior, and disabled completely useless. Furthermore, for instance, the difference between the two BART booklets between 2012 and 2014 revealed very little change except for the slight increase in adult fares.

A 511 spokesman told me via a private message in my earlier blog stated that BART may have introduced a fare table formula that is not in line with other Bay Area transit agencies, which still questions me about BART's accurate fare information discrepancies published on both BART's website and 511's website. BART's general manager, Grace Crunican, several of BART's board members, and other BART representatives have yet to respond to the fare discrepancies published on 511's website. Most recently, Caltrain and VTA has already passed their actions uniting the upper youth age limit to 18 years old as part of the Bay Area's effort to have a standardized youth age. Both of them joins Golden Gate Transit's standardized youth age on their buses, with possibly more transit agencies around the Bay Area to follow.

San Jose city councilman Ash Klara and transit advocate Chris Lepe offered no comment on my findings related to the structure of BART fares as BART extends to Silicon Valley. Meanwhile, Santa Clara County supervisor Dave Cortese also was involved in the investigation as he was part of the board at the MTC when I was at the groundbreaking for the Bay Area's first Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) at the Mexican Heritage Plaza in San Jose, as well as an event at the Bay Area Chrysanthemum Growers Association. At San Jose State University, San Jose City Councilman Ash Kalra offered no comment. But the question still lingers in the air on not only extensions of BART, but also BART's adjustment on their fare policy for the youth and the senior/disabled. It is still unknown whether BART wants to proceed with an improved look to their new fare policy. 

INVESTIGATION - Illegal Activities on Bay Area Streets - New Emergance of More Illegal Activity and Who's Behind It

You have seen many articles on sideshows from local Bay Area television stations. Sideshows in Oakland, taking place right in front of news choppers and the California Highway Patrol. But my blog also shows more disturbing examples of more illegal activity, including the possible filming of a movie that has been emerged from social media and possibly on YouTube.

His name is "MostCesar Perez" on social media. His Twitter and Instagram accounts are also active, though named differently. He often has done projects for "Go Der Magazine" (pronounced as "Go Dare"). He is often busy with his projects.

But while Perez is busy, I am investigating his most recent work that could be associated with dangerous and reckless driving, even filming on the streets where on some properties, it is not legal.

Today on 7th st...... with @Savagehabits_cc  Photo by @higginsbuilt  #oakland speedway #BARmovie #BayAreaRacing

A photo posted by respectmost (@respectmost) on Dec 12, 2014 at 9:47pm PST

The picture on Instagram shows the illegal activity that happened near the intersection of 7th and Maritime Streets near the port of Oakland. But Perez was unaware of his actions that could be the subject of a police investigation. The project that Perez is doing associates with Bay Area Racing, using the hashtag, #BARMovie on both Twitter and Instagram. He wanted to show that movie to his friends, including those that are participants of the potential illegal activity.

Newscasts that aired on local television stations over the Thanksgiving holiday showed illegal sideshows at the Port of Oakland. But the concern is not just on the sideshows. It is also the racing part that caught my attention when the Instagram post showed the nearly identical scene of where the sideshow took place. At least two of the television helicopters showed what exactly was on the scene, which some of the action may be on Bay Area Racing's YouTube page.

My investigation uncovered that Bay Area Racing had big secret plans, which all of those included posts that alerted fans only on the day that the illegal activity was due to take place and asking fans to repost on social media, especially on Instagram. Bay Area Racing chose Perez to direct the film that is still in the works, but the illegal activity portion is likely much of a concern to law enforcement.

Under California state law, sideshow activities are strictly prohibited as sideshows and other illegal activities poses a serious threat to the public. So far, however, Perez is unable to comment on my latest findings involving illegal activities, including sideshows, street races, drag races, and so on. Still, Bay Area Racing has chosen to break the rules by utilizing the Port of Oakland as a place to do illegal activities. It is unknown when Bay Area Racing has started, and if they were aware of who was really keeping an eye.

The Past - Remembering Chef Tyler Stone - Chef with Great Fun!

You probably could name all of the light rail stations going to San Mateo, where there is one chef that is one of my favorite attractions... Santa Teresa, Cottle, Snell, Blossom Hill, Ohlone-Chynoweth... Branham, Capitol, Curtner, Tamien, Virginia... Children's Discovery Museum, Convention Center, Paseo de San Antonio, Santa Clara... Then on VTA and SamTrans bus systems, arriving eventually at the San Mateo County Fair... The destination with all the fun and all the discoveries... That is how I got to the scene back in 2013. While not as large as the Alameda County Fair, San Mateo's version is somewhat large enough for a lot of fun, even for the whole family.

But how I got there was planned in part by using trip planning sites. For the three days I was there, my travel method is generally using my Clipper card from VTA's Santa Teresa station to downtown San Jose at the Santa Clara (Street) Station, which I transferred to a bus and eventually SamTrans and back, with the exception of at least one of my return trips being on Caltrain and VTA's light rail. The systems are part of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission's Clipper Card program, who currently serves most of the Bay Area, with more transit agencies to follow suit.

Bargain hunting was only part of how I spent my three days at the San Mateo County Fair. Yes, I meant hunting for the best deals around town. But out of my three days, none of the items were interesting apart from another cooking demonstration provided by an unknown chef that also have appeared at the Gilroy Garlic Festival.

In another hall is a cooking demonstration. There is no Jacques Pepin, who I wish that he would appear on stage for a public demonstration of his cooking skills, including my favorite part of how his method of breaking his eggs against a flat surface instead of a bowl would prevent contamination. But on the stage is not Pepin, who he is typically busy with other important things. Instead, there was a guy who was revealed to be Chef Tyler Stone, who his personal chef business is based out of California's state capital, Sacramento. The first time I purchased Stone's book, "The Kid's Cooking" (released in 2006), I read a little about his bio and learned that since he was four, his passion for being a cook grew dramatically. In addition, the front cover of his book revealed that their parents was part of Stone's dedication to his great passion.

Chef Stone was seen on national television programs, such as Top Chef. On local Sacramento television, he did cooking demonstrations - for instance, a search on KCRA's YouTube page uncovered at least three videos. Chef Stone does show great promise on his overall abilities. He did tell me at one time that he would love to do a gig in the future at the Gilroy Garlic Festival.

One of the most interesting things about the chef is that his mom is the manager! I recalled from my past that she was very polite and wonderful, as Stone was encouraged to follow his dream of being a chef.

In his off-time, when Chef Stone is not cooking, one of his favorite things to watch is anime, who his friend from Japan creates kitchen knives as Stone distributes them to consumers throughout the United States. I was unsure of Stone's favorite anime shows, though, but one example that reminded me of his cooking experience is Yakitate Japan. He would probably know something on food-related anime topics. Chef Stone probably never recalled seeing me on that day at the event, but I'll be surprised if Stone does read and rings me up via e-mail, or on my Facebook, Twitter, and/or Instagram pages. (For Facebook, keep in mind that I generally do not read messages unless the person is on my "Friend" list for my personal safety.)

But who knows if I'll ever see Chef Stone in person again, and if I will ever see him at the Gilroy Garlic Festival. The storyline will, at the least, continue whenever I do get a chance to see him. For now, I'll try one of his recipes from his cookbook. 

Happy Cooking to all! 


EDITOR'S NOTE(S):
1. You can connect with Chef Tyler Stone on Twitter and Facebook. He has an online site where anyone can purchase his products, including the lemon vinegar, various seasonings, kitchen knives, and his signed cookbook, "The Kid's Cooking." Those can be ordered online by clicking here.

2. Click here for the site of Chef Tyler Stone. Besides ordering his goodies, users can learn more on his cooking experience.


Original Work: Kyle Chak
E-mail: chak595301@gmail.com
On Twitter/Instagram: @KyleSChak

My Crowdfunding Projects - A Brief Look Back at the Projects I Backed & Future Backings

Kickstarter and Indiegogo are two of the crowd-funding projects, yet they are two competing crowd-funding projects. The first instance that I heard about it was a hint from one of my friends, who was asking for support on Kickstarter. That one is one of my high school classmates named Trenton LaPorte, who asked many of us to help support his brother, Wesley, on his PhoneSoap project. Despite being a San Jose State student, I have decided to support his big project for a good reason.

The following is a timeline of the successful projects that I've backed so far, not including those that have not successfully backed. While not all of my backings are from within the Bay Area, most of my backings were inspired by a lot of creative things never seen on my radar.

THE TIMELINE OF MY KICKSTARTER EXPERIENCE

I was simply watching my Facebook wall posts when one post caught my eye that seemed to be unavoidable, which eventually became my first Kickstarter backed project. The project is called the PhoneSoap, which Wesley LaPorte introduced after he has done extensive research on a solution of cleaning the phone. He found out that a simple UV ray is simple enough to clean the entire phone without the use of harsh chemicals or liquids that result in an electric shock. I did eventually backed 2 PhoneSoaps along with a book. By then, I have decided that I would be backing many of my friend's projects on crowd-funding sites. So far, out of all of my friends that has backed projects, only Wesley has started his own crowd-funding via Kickstarter.

The second project that I've backed was a food project created by Việt Nam Nguyễn on his idea of some days opening up a pizza place and making Neapolitan pizzas. The project was successful, and the response was big. Since then, Việt Nam Nguyễn has been married to his sweetheart. Originally, Nguyen was from somewhere in Indiana, but since then, moved to San Jose since he appreciates the community and has the talent to explore the great food. This was so far my only food backing on Kickstarter.

Wesley was a bit excited for his next Kickstarter project, which was called the Luna Lamp. He integrated technology with the lamp, and interestingly, added two USB plugs to charge up or power their mobile device. There were several members of the creative team that were involved in helping to design the lamp, as well as the shape and other important components that help power the lamp. Despite the cost of the lamp, I did manage to back Wesley's project and as of so far, I'm the only person among fellow high school students (other than Trenton) to have backed the project, as well as the only SJSU student to have supported Wesley's advances in technology.

A few months later, I successfully backed another project, which was in the inspiration of solar technology implemented into a device. That device is known as the StormTag, which had a major story within a weather segment on "Our Vancouver" shown on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) via the television side. CBC meteorologist and seismologist Johanna Wagstaffe at the end of the segment showed something that partially caught my attention, but what really caught my attention even more was the solar component, which was the big reason why I backed the project. 

Not long afterwords, another project involving headphones was on my radar that included Bluetooth technology. That project was called the VRB headphones, which so far, no such company have ever thought of adding Bluetooth to the headphones so that those become wireless. Many of the headphones that I've bought are not wireless, but the Bluetooth feature has particularly caught my attention, which was the reason why I have backed.

WHY SUPPORT SOME OF LAPORTE'S PROJECTS?

There are many reasons why I support my friend's projects, such as all of the Kickstarter projects that he creates. Although I did not have the intentions of backing projects, there are several factors that comes into my mind. All of them are based on a scale of 0 to 10, with 10 being the highest (numeric decimals are also used). The first factor is the interest part. I ask myself a set of questions related to the interest of the product - those include promises, abilities, reliability, and durability. The second factor is the convincing part - in that case, another set of questions arise, which includes number of backers, the comments, and the layout of the product, including product description. The third and final factor is the proof of performance part - in that factor, that main question is about the testing of the product, which includes a disclaimer of which if the product is tested or not. For food, it's mainly about the quality rather than the quantity. If all of the three gets passing parks, I would be more than likely to support the product. So here's my grading breakdown. 

0 to 5: Fail

6: Questionable

7: OK

8 to 10: Pass

In Wesley LaPorte's PhoneSoap, for instance, I gave the "interest" part a 9.8, the "convincing" part a 9.6, and the "proof of performance" a full 10 - my overall score is rated a 9.8. The proof of performance was a big plus as he did his research on bacteria and how UV rays would kill those nasty germs. Both the interest and the convincing parts are high in part because many people want their bacteria to be as minimal as possible, which the study on UV Rays was high enough to spread the word about a clean phone. There were a few questions about the shipping and stuff by users, but those have mainly no effect on my reason to support Wesley's PhoneSoap project. The only minimal effect was the timeline for delivery, though I was pleased on how the product turned out.

Wesley's second project, the Luma Lamp, gets a really good score, though not as high as the PhoneSoap. In that case, my "interest" part was a 9.8, the "convincing" part a 9.6, and the "proof of performance" a 9.4 - overall score would be a 9.6. The performance seemed to be questioned by quite a few backers over the use of one accessory, though I did not seem to mind getting it. The most interesting of the score was that the light part contributed to my high interest, as saving energy through the use of LED lights was well more than satisfactory to me. 

While I have not met any of the creators of both the Luna Lamp and the PhoneSoap yet, I'll be surprised if Wesley and Trenton would ever thank me for my review in person and on social media, as I would like to see them in person sometime in the future. More projects that I plan to support are expected, hoping to follow Wesley's genius example of the PhoneSoap.

Original Work: Kyle Chak

E-mail: chak595301@gmail.com

Twitter/Instagram: @KyleSChak 

Solar Energy in Homes - Proof of Statistics and Lifespan of Solar Panels?

Solar - many people throughout the United States would love to see their electricity costs come down. People would love to see a solar panel on the top of the roof of their homes. But the problems are rather serious, especially those that have lower incomes and can't afford to purchase solar panels.

The cost of getting solar typically is in the tens of thousands of dollars to actually purchase one or more panels, despite that the cost of solar, including installation, are going down.

Many California residents are going solar, and that is many companies related to solar are doing business in California. At least three solar companies are based in the Bay Area - PetersenDean (Fremont), SolarCity (San Mateo), and SunPower (San Jose). All of them have one common mission - to help customers install solar panels and help people invest in their own electricity use. PetersenDean is also a roofing company in addition to solar.

Both PetersenDean and SunPower have long competed head-to-head since the mid-1980's - the former since 1984 and the latter since 1985. Meanwhile, SolarCity were determined to also help people cut their electricity bills - they've been in business since 2006 and backed by Elon Musk, who is also part of Tesla Motors based in the Bay Area. It is very interesting to also note that SolarCity's corporate headquarters is located next door to Nick Woodman's GoPro headquarters, as the address for GoPro is located near the College of San Mateo, which is also disclosed via several map websites such as Google Maps.

QUESTIONING THE COST, FACTS

All of the solar companies mentioned herein are having one major problem - that is, to provide statistics of their proof of performance in the form of their data of how many homes have solar and the percentage of people that have solar from a specific provider. None of the solar companies mentioned herein have so far provided any data to back their claims and give their facts and figures to the public. Therefore, I am unable to provide any proof of such data, so it's impossible to say anything about the solar companies' actual "proof-of-performance".

Meanwhile, my father does question the life-span of the solar energy to PetersenDean, SolarCity, and SunPower. Some websites does indicate that the solar cost does max out at $30,000. However, none of the solar companies does realize the actual life span of the solar panels, which can only go up to as far as 20 years. No representatives from the three companies are able to provide any information on replacement of solar panels in regards to the life span. PetersenDean, SunPower, SolarCity, and many other solar companies based in California have yet to develop a plan of how to actually replace solar panels when the life span of the panels expires, along with the cost of the replacement. I attempted to look for information on how to replace solar energy when the life span of the solar panels runs out, but with no luck at all. None of the local solar companies are able to disclose the information publicly.

While my father does not oppose the use of solar energy, he does question the cost of replacement of solar energy after 20 years of usage. He also notes that initial costs of the solar energy may be around as much as $50,000, which is not too worthy in the long term. My father says to me that he can possibly invest in a solar energy product only if the actual value of the solar energy is $10,000 or less, something that no solar companies currently sells for as of currently.

SunPower itself does not directly install rooftops to customers - according to it's website on the residential side, dealers that do business with SunPower does have a contract to install solar systems provided by SunPower itself.

For PetersenDean, what I found about them in regards to their solar use is that the so-called free installation lease is only a myth and not actually free, which is part of their campaign called "Solar4America". PetersenDean did make a comparison between the use of energy provided by PetersenDean along with a "solar lease" and utility bill provided by consumers. However, despite signs that the solar panels are made in the United States, I find that PetersenDean have never compared actual ownership of the solar purchased through PetersenDean to other companies such as SolarCity, which PetersenDean left out on their website.

Meanwhile, SolarCity did show promising signs about how much solar was installed in California, but so far, no proof was provided on their website or on social media that gained customer satisfaction, as well as any facts of whether solar panels are actually made in the United States.

EVENTS AND FESTIVALS

At the Gilroy Garlic Festival in 2014, I was looking at vendors to see how many solar companies or installers are available, but was only able to find one or two smaller companies. The same deal applied to the Pleasanton First Wednesdays Street Party held in downtown Pleasanton. Several smaller solar companies I witness did set up their booths along Main Street, but many were smaller solar companies. PetersenDean, SunPower, and SolarCity representatives are not among those that were involved in either of the events. I've noticed Pleasanton's First Wednesdays Street Party, which runs on the first Wednesdays between May and September, several more solar companies did set up their tents, but at least one tent have totally opposed the use of solar energy solely because of the concern about the actual cost to buy the solar energy and not other factors. Among all the solar companies that was both at the Gilroy Garlic Festival and the Pleasanton First Wednesdays Street Party, only the Solar Company (headquartered in Castro Valley), which is an "ellte" affiliate of SunPower, made the list. (Another affiliate of SunPower, SkyPower, is based out of the Tri-Valley (San Ramon, to be specific) with an office in San Mateo.)

I also evaluated the other five companies that did set up their tents at the Pleasanton First Wednesdays Street Party event, but only focusing on the city of the main headquarters, how many offices in California as a whole, and any offices in the nine-county Bay Area region. At least one of the companies that does business in California are actually based outside of the state; that one is RGS Energy based in Louisville, Colorado.

I compiled the facts and here's what I've noticed as shown in my visual among selected solar companies based in the Bay Area...

Some home improvement stores, like Home Depot, have partnered with solar companies such as SolarCity to help residents install solar. I testedout four different stores around the Bay Area, and out of the four stores, three of them have SolarCity booths. At a Costco store in Gilroy, a Sunrun booth was set up in one of the isles.

SUNRUN'S PRESENCE VS. SOLARCITY AND OTHERS?

For Sunrun, which is based in San Francisco, it is unknown if there is an office close to their home residence, but SolarCity's presence is even larger than Sunrun. There are many SolarCity booths per one Sunrun booth in a typical large city, though no calculations have been done to show proof, and the figures vary by city.

PetersenDean currently has no booths set up at any of the events, yet my research shows that PetersenDean only operates in five states. No data has been retrieved in terms of offices other then their headquarters not only from Sunrun, but also from SunPower as well. Those two companies in either case operates what is so-called "affiliated" offices (dealers) that is run by another company. SolarCity's successes have continued to grow, with continued partnerships such as Tesla, as Elon Musk holds a seat in both cases.

ANY PROMISES IN THE FUTURE?

In the long term, solar prices are expected to drop enough so that homeowners can afford solar energy. But low-income residents are still vulnerable to the high cost of living, driven by the soaring energy costs that those must pay off in order to earn a living, which is still a continued problem in many low-income communities. PetersenDean, SunPower, Sunrun, and SolarCity, among others, are doing their best to have affordable options to people, though many PetersenDean's videos on YouTube does raise questions on the truthfulness of the definition of ownership and solar leasing in terms of who gets to own and repair the homeowner's solar panels. On the other hand, SolarCity so far has the most success with the most sign-ups for solar energy, though I have yet to see the actual facts.

A solar energy campaign at San Jose State University (SJSU) uncovered their group called "Solar For All", which the group is trying to spread their message through various means. The group started at SJSU and is currently the only CSU or UC system in the entire state in their quest to spread the word on solar energy. But eventually, solar energy will become affordable for many residents who want to own or lease their solar, and so the scenario on solar energy will continue, perhaps with help from many solar companies like PetersenDean, SunPower, Sunrun, and SolarCity.

Looking Back So Far: Soulful Obsession's Great Memories

Does any people around here remember Soulful Obsession playing their gigs at San Jose State University? It was August 2011. Lily Tran, Kosuke Okamura, Veno Bender, and Bennett Roth-Newell have come up together to form their band called Soulful Obsession. Their first recording happened nearly a year later, and eventually, their debut happened in 2013. Soulful Obsession to me represents a multi-cultural music element, in which one of the elements involves playing various instruments. My only music methods are my own voice and via playing the piano at a young age. 

From my late-elementary school years to about the mid-part of my middle school in the city of Morgan Hill, California, my listening music interest have increased as part of trying to relieve my stress, even long after my piano lessons stopped as a result of cost affordability. But my memories of listening to music still lingered on into my high school years, eventually going to Gavilán College and finally San Jose State University where music is still part of my effort to undo the stress despite being an English major.

My music listening evolution have increasingly included many anime-themed music sung by Japanese artists that were featured in many anime series; some of which have been made available for purchase online. Electronic Dance Music (EDM) and techno music also came on board not long after. However, Soulful Obsession has a unique ability - they represents different ethnicities and people of different origins, including their deep roots, regardless of their instruments or their singing abilities. 

I first met the Soulful Obsession crew not long after I made my debut at SJSU, though at that time, I was undeclared. The scene took place near the residential hall building on the main SJSU campus, with plenty to cheer about. The main attraction was the voices of both Veno and Bennett, whose rap effects on their voices have my greatest inspiration and have grooved me very well. 

One of my most surprising moments of Soulful Obsession is that I have surprised Lily during the show, and at the end, Lily treated me to a Treatbot dessert! Her great inspiration have lead me to follow her on social media. I do thank her for the food that she gave me that day, which was one of my memorable moments. I eventually have my favorite flavor at Treatbot which is fruity and delicious - Mango Pomegranate Sorbet. 

Whenever I'm at a venue that involves Soulful Obsession, I would like to share my experience on any of my social media pages. Although all four now follow me on my Instagram, I may from time-to-time tweet or Instagram about my experience whenever they are on the scene playing music. Only Lily, who is the lead singer, have so far connected with me on more than one social media page. 

I have often dreamed in my sleep that one day, Soulful Obsession would be inviting me over to their party when I graduate from SJSU, as I often miss them a lot, mainly because they are busy. I have often tried to cheer Soulful Obsession as they show great promise being a multicultural band with great talent. 

Will Soulful Obsession play again at SJSU anytime soon? Personally, I can't directly answer the question, but whenever they are ready to play again, I am always excited and ready. Perhaps Lily, Kosuke, Veno, and Bennett have a few words they would like to say to me as the four members of Soulful Obsession. My personal message to Soulful Obsession as a whole: "You are one local awesome band."

Original Work: Kyle Chak

E-mail: chak595301@gmail.com

Twitter/Instagram: @KyleSChak

VTA's Next Projects: Tamien, North-South Bus Study, El Camino Real, and Mountain View Double Track Project; Other Projects

The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) is trying to propose several different projects targeting various riders. The four projects that are either in progress or under study are the Tamien Parking Garage, the study of VTA's North-South routes, El Camino Real's Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), and the Mountain View Light Rail Double Track Project. More follow-ups on the 101 Express Lanes are also in this article.

TAMIEN STATION PARKING LOT PROBLEMS

In the project centered around the Tamien station, the major problem centered around the area is the overflow of parking on both the east and the west sides of the light rail and Caltrain station.

VTA plans to build a multi-story garage and attempt to move the cars from the Caltrain side to VTA's light rail side, located near the intersections of Lelong and Alma Streets in San Jose. The meeting was on the other side of Alma Street at Elk's Lodge, where I witnessed several VTA representatives giving the facts on what the project may mean to the public.

For a typical light rail trip, I normally use the Ohlone-Chynoweth light rail station as the station provides easy access to both 85 and 87 freeways. But sometimes, when needed, I may also use either the Santa Teresa or the Tamien stations.

For the project itself, the housing on the Caltrain side and a multi-story parking garage as transit would be very essential as severe congestion already exists on northbound 87 on a typical weekday from 6 to 10am.

I would recommend putting a five-story parking garage instead of four because the overflow of customers parking on the Caltrain side of the Tamien station would make it harder for people to have a space to park, and unfortunately, first time customers that needs to park there would be unable to find a space to park.

The same reflection would also apply on both sides of the Ohlone-Chynoweth station. A sample of pictures taken by me in the many times I have parked my vehicle has uncovered that some cars must also be parked at a space that is not supposed to be taken as a result of cars taking up all of the available space.

NORTH-SOUTH BUS STUDY

VTA is also looking at another project that is still trying to gather input from the public, known as the North-South Bus Study. In that part, VTA wants to modify several routes in the area that would improve service and address some issues in terms of ridership and other things.

For the most part, I think that may be a nice idea, though mentioning "Clockwise" in the front and side of the bus would be more helpful if the loop is planned. This would be the first time that VTA has ever put routes in a loop direction (must mention "Clockwise" or "Counterclockwise"). VTA would also need to study AC Transit's use of "Clockwise" or "Counterclockwise" in order for VTA to display those signs more properly.

EL CAMINO REAL BUS RAPID TRANSIT (BRT)

For the BRT in the El Camino Real portion, VTA has big plans to put the BRT in that portion to big use, much like the scenario that is currently building for the Bay Area's first BRT in the Alum Rock portion.

The only ongoing problem is if VTA has a severe deficit at least two years after the BRT opens to the public, it looks like that VTA may want to use the same headway method as what BART does currently, which is 15 minutes on weekdays between 5am to 8pm, and 20 minutes at all other times. As SamTrans has similar headways on weekdays and weekends much like what BART uses, VTA may be strongly urged to do the same, which is what I would strongly suggest.

In addition, when VTA buys new ticket vending machines for use at the new stations, VTA must provide the same type of day passes as on the buses. When I asked VTA about the day passes in terms of where it was purchased, VTA promised a comparison of why buying a day pass on board buses is not the same as buying a day pass at light rail stations. So far, in advance of the opening of the BRT stations, VTA board members are currently not talking about the day pass issue.

VTA board members have yet to discuss of what to do in terms of adding a feature that would also dispense new adult Clipper cards in addition to day passes, which the same type of machines are already existent at several underground LR stations within the service area of San Francisco's Municipal Transit Agency (SFMTA, or MUNI).

MOUNTAIN VIEW DOUBLE TRACK PROJECT

As part of the Mountain View Double Track Project, VTA is currently building a second track in two phases that will include several things such as the permanent closure of the Evelyn light rail station, a station with the second fewest boardings in the light rail system. While VTA may be in discussions about the light rail project that could impact some residences in Mountain View, I view as the project very important for those headed to work or to Levi's Stadium. Residents must understand how double-tracking the light rail in the Mountain View area will make it easier for riders to get to their destinations faster.

OTHER PROJECTS IN THE WORKS?

On weekday mornings, KSBW traffic anchor Michelle Allen often sees 101 northbound from San Martin Avenue to Cochrane Road as a common bottleneck running through the city of Morgan Hill. City streets are also crowded during commute hours going from south to north. Caltrans is currently setting up metering lights from Gilroy to Morgan Hill in hopes of easing congestion on the freeways, but traffic continues to be a bottleneck with the metering lights not in operation.

VTA's response to the congestion is to build an extension of the 8-lane freeway from Cochrane Road to as far south as Tennant Avenue as part of the 101 Express Lanes Project, but that still may not be enough, particularly when traffic continues to increase. But with the metering lights scheduled to be on late 2015, the question is whether the express lanes is even worth it.

I personally want to see the 8-lane freeway along 101 to be extended to right near the Masten Avenue exit as my biggest personal concern is the continued congestion from as far south as Masten where most of the traffic enters NB 101. I would highly suggest that the 8-lane freeway would go there and construction's south end would be right at Little Llagas Creek, which is directly north of Masten.

Auxiliary lanes would also be helpful between East Dunne and Tennant Avenue exits in both directions as some drivers mistakenly change lanes from the right-hand lane to the semi-auxiliary lane when attempting to exit the freeway.

But will VTA ever do such a project like that? I will be watching...

UPCOMING BLOG PREVIEW - The Preview of Solar: More Worries for Customers?

Solar panels were not supposed to worry their customers. But that is what a report by KTVU Channel 2 said. In a video posted on November 10, 2014, residents were having problems with how the system worked and how defective materials are putting them in a big hole.

KTVU -

Home Depot was the provider for BP Solar panels. My review of the video report uncovered that SolarCity was not involved or mentioned in the video, but a March 20, 2010 release said that SolarCity decided to partner with Home Depot in 92 of it's stores in California.

My findings uncovered that SolarCity not only has operations at their regional offices in California like Morgan Hill, Livermore, Berkeley, and Foster City, but also maintains a huge presence at most, but not all Home Depot stores. In addition to seeing interesting items at Home Depot stores, I tried to see if some of my visits to selected Home Depot stores (Milpitas, San Ramon, Livermore, and most recently, Pleasanton), have actual SolarCity booths in them. The only location that did not have a SolarCity booth was in Milpitas in my several attempts to look for one.

So how did my things unfold? In my in-depth blog which is scheduled to be out on November 25, 2014, I took an in-depth look at the solar companies based in the Bay Area, including SolarCity, and heard voices from some people, including my father. Please do look forward to my blog then.

INVESTIGATION - The Inside of Baby Bash's Secret Operation: What You Don't See About His Other Side

Music is part of Ronnie Rey's life, though that is only one half of his life. The other half has more to do with his secret operation that I've uncovered on his social media pages. Rey's lifestyle have included going to games and activities that are illegal in some countries and in federal-owned lands here in the United States.

The secret operation involved Rey's work on the fields, other than just music. Coin the term "cannabis", which is also known as marijuana. Many law enforcement agencies around the world have really big punishments for such possession; some of which have long jail sentences and/or death penalties.

I'm here at work... @Californiafinest_420 headquarters...

A video posted by Ronnie  Rey (@babybash) on Nov 11, 2014 at 3:02pm PST

A video posted on Instagram shows the operation that has been ongoing at a business called California Finest, which is located along California State Route 25 just west of the Hollister Airport. I obtained this address as shown on the map below, where the main base of California Finest is reported to be located. It is unclear of how much that the business have made by selling their so-called "cookie packs", or sticks of marijuana.



TIES WITH A SAN JOSE MAGAZINE

There is more to than just Rey's secret life - he also has strong ties with a local San Jose magazine called "Go Der Magazine" (pronounced as "Go Dare") and it's online platform, "Go Der Digital".

A recording for "Go Der" also included Rey, which was described as shown below...

Did a new one for @babybash today stay tuned for the next @godermagazine issue he's on the next cover #goder #babybash #streetlow #mexican #music

A video posted by respectmost (@respectmost) on Jul 7, 2014 at 12:13am PDT

Rey is only one part of a group of people that is under my microscope. For several months, Go Der has been under my microscope for potentially allowing patrons to smoke inside Club Fiesta, which I first uncovered in one of my blogs about a person named Stephanie Smith, owner of Ambitious Ink in downtown San Jose. Smith is currently in jail for possible attempted murder and assault charges first reported by KSBW and KION television. It is also currently unknown the status of the other two involved.

NEW EVIDENCE OF ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES

As my investigation continues, illegal activities that are supported and/or sponsored by "Go Der" has surfaced, with more evidences of illegal activities showing up on social media that also involved Rey and several other people named in multiple posts. 

Rick Lee, a radio DJ for KMEL, is also under the microscope since he took part in an event of which either Go Der Magazine or Club Fiesta allowed patrons to smoke inside a business, which could potentially be violating smoking laws. While I was unable to bring my video cameras of any size (no television cameras were allowed), the video that I witnessed uncovered Lee and several patrons smoking inside Club Fiesta, something that is in serious violation of local San Jose smoking ordinance. All San Jose businesses are required under the ordinance requiring signs that remind people not to smoke within 25 feet of any building. But another video that surfaced on July 15, 2014, shows that there was evidence of smoking inside Club Fiesta. No one from Club Fiesta would talk about the smoking issue.

WE #GODER THE #MACDRE PARTY #SANJOSE #CA #THIZZ #GODER

A video posted by GO DER Magazine (@godermagazine) on Jul 7, 2014 at 1:51am PDT

PUNISHMENT COMPARISONS AND STUDY OUT OF BRITISH COLUMBIA

In the state of California, the punishment for possession of marijuana is less severe than those in Hong Kong or Singapore. Both Hong Kong and Singapore have similar laws against the importation or exportation of illegal drugs including marijuana. However, I find that Singapore has a very tough stance against drugs and does carry a mandatory "death sentence" (death penalty) for drug offenders if caught. Hong Kong has a slightly lesser harsh stance, but instead opts for a maximum punishment of "life imprisonment" rather than the "death sentence" for certain offenses.

Death penalty have long been abolished in most states in the United States, but the issue of death penalty is long from over. The truth about the use of cannabis has been uncovered in one article released in the Addition journal, which was on a long-term study based on a 20-year research. The research indicates that most hands point to serious addiction and abuse, including the combined effects of both cannabis and alcohol while driving a vehicle. Cannabis users also don't realize that the side effects are serious and may also likely to be involved in a crime.

However, those studies have not convinced Rey to stop growing and trafficking cannabis only to authorized dealers at their Hollister facility off of Highway 25. In addiiton, Go Der had continued to promote their DJs, models, and celebrities that have a history of drug use. But some of them have already ended up in trouble with the law. One of my written blogs have uncovered how Stephanie Smith, who shows her tattoos on social media, have another run-in with the law, which could have implications on how Go Der is run.

In several social media posts such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, Go Der posted several images that includes the use of cannibis, which could be shocking to children and anyone seeing their posts. Many of the posts on social media by Go Der also may contain nude images, which is not appropriate for young children. Less than one out of every six images also contains promotions that involve the use of cannabis.

Despite efforts by the study that came out of the Addition journal, none of the activists or people named in the article that appeared on Global BC's website will convince either Go Der, Rick Lee, or Ronnie Rey to stop the cannabis operation and/or promotion. However, there may be more names that could appear later, so for now, the operation of Rey's business will continue.

@californiafinest_420 order your packs of the best invention in medical Marijuana(my other business) 100%organic  pre rolled ready to go! No mess no stress!

A photo posted by Ronnie  Rey (@babybash) on Sep 9, 2014 at 9:27pm PDT

The Week of Legacy Week at SJSU in 2014 - Follow-Up on Lucia Jimenez and The Issues of Solar Energy on Campus

So how did you think my Legacy Week (10/13-17) shaped up? Well, a mixed bag is my answer. So here's my explanation, divided into two parts in one blog...

THE FOLLOW-UP ON LUCIA JIMENEZ

Two surveillance videos - That is all what it took for me to uncover why a Mexican national died while in the hands of Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA). Yet it is viewed from Santa Clara County, California, nearly 1000 miles (1600 kilometers) from Vancouver International Airport (YVR) in Richmond, British Columbia. I first told readers about how hard it was to watch the surveillance tapes obtained by a Canadian television station on October 11, 2014.

Vancouver, British Columbia, television station CHAN-DT, currently known as Global BC, first reported on the death of Lucia Jimenez at YVR back in December 2013. Two exclusive videos in were then surfaced on Global BC's website in October 2014 - the first on October 1, and the second on October 2. When I first described her on my blog, it was hard to watch in addition to the video containing graphic content, noting that neither Univision, Telemundo, or their associated networks were able to report on what was going on affecting Hispanic-Americans or Hispanic-Canadians.

But what Global BC never knew about was the reaction that occurred far outside BC, as the topic of immigration in the United States are still ongoing.

After my blog, some San Jose State University (SJSU) students from both the MOSAIC and from groups that were part of the Legacy Week rally outside Clark Hall near the Tommy John statues could not even believe that the death of Jimenez, who was trying to seek refuge, may be something that is hard to watch. It is still unknown why Jimenez wanted to opt for Canada instead of the United States. It is still possible that she was trying to escape the war against drug cartels that has been ongoing in Mexico for many years.

Among SJSU students and staff, no comments were made at this point on the issue of immigration from Mexico or any Latin American country to either the United States or Canada now that the issue on immigration from Mexico or any Latin American country have surfaced with the shocking video posted first by Global BC. It is still unknown whether SJSU students do plan a rally in support of immigration issues in North America on the main campus of SJSU.


THE ISSUES OF SOLAR ENERGY ON CAMPUS

During the SJSU Legacy Rally held outside Clark Hall, a student named Willie Santos wanted to start a club called "Solar For All" and his belief on why he wanted to specifically want everyone to save on electricity costs. His three statements include affordability, the use of taxing oil companies that do business in California, and attempting to make solar a big business including to make thousands of new jobs plus enough wages to make a living and raise a family. Santos' speaking on solar has caught my attention, and in turn, I continued to investigate on solar companies, which I'll write up in a future blog.

Unknowingly to Santos, however, there could be some support from a Bay Area-based company, which a representative wants to speak to him directly, who he is a former SJSU student and one of the tenants that lived in the former Joshua House before it was torn down. The former Joshua House tenant was not the only person that was on the scene. I also met another representative of the same company, but based out of the Morgan Hill offices instead of the East Bay. I met that representative only a few weeks ago, who turns out to be the brother of one of my friends that does not live far from my San Martin nest, of which my family's property has been frequently the subject of vandalism by people who spray-painted the wall.

But for a solar company that has a big presence in Morgan Hill, I've seen it frequently and they'll find out what I'm referring to...

The Linkedin Requests (Short Blog, Statement); Update on Two of my Blogs

Here are some of what I've been up to lately...

LINKEDIN REQUESTS

It's not common for some of my Facebook friends to request me to have a LinkedIn account. But the requests have been more ramped up lately.

In the last few months, I've been receiving requests from some of my Facebook friends for me to join LinkedIn, which is a social professional networking site based in the Bay Area. The first time that I've been requested to join LinkedIn was back in September 2013, according to e-mail requests that I've been watching on my Gmail account.

Another person, who is a DJ that has family in San Jose, but is based in Las Vegas, also sent me a request, who goes by his name called Nicholas Camp, also NikkoC, or his current stage name, Hamsterdamm. He sent me a request in late-February 2014, according to my e-mail records.

The latest person to have sent me a LinkedIn request was Westley LaPorte, who is the person behind two Kickstarter projects, PhoneSoap and Luma Lamp. I not only have backed those two projects, but also four more projects on Kickstarter, plus a couple more on Indiegogo. I plan to write more on both the Kickstarter and Indiegogo projects in two phases including one on both the PhoneSoap and Luma Lamp; they will be up by the 25th of each month (the first one is on 10/25). When the blogs are up, I'll make the announcements on my social media pages.

I do personally appreciate those people sending in requests for me to have a LinkedIn account. However, I am currently in progress of my English major at San Jose State University (SJSU), which will be my priority. I am fortunate to say that I will have a LinkedIn account in the future, but I won't say when I will have one. I plan to announce only in one or more of my social media pages when my LinkedIn account is actually up so do follow me on Twitter and Instagram as well.


SHORT UPDATE ON TWO OF MY BLOGS

Normally, when I write up blogs, I typically average only 10 views per blog. But some of my blogs have been notable because my blog writing has scored a lot of views.

When I wrote on the blog on the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) 30-foot bus that was scheduled to roll-out, I have received over 100 views, the most of any kind in my history of writing blogs so far, as well as one of my first blogs to reach past the 100 mark. My social media pages have contributed to the unusual amount of views.

Another blog, which was on my own words on Alejandro Reyes, who is also known as DJ Alex Reyes, have received over 20 views in a 24-hour period. I have also received some rather wonderful praise from Reyes himself, despite not knowing when Reyes was diagnosed with Cerebal Palsy.


Original Work: Kyle Chak
E-mail: chak595301@gmail.com
Twitter/Instagram: @KyleSChak

DJ Alex Reyes in My Own Words - My Part of the Story on My Type of a Neurological Disorder

You may have seen him on the streets, or at parties. You probably have seen him on local Bay Area television. So what about his great talent and the talk about prevention of identity theft?

The man real name is Alejandro Reyes, or otherwise commonly known as DJ Alex Reyes. A longtime Fremont resident, his great ability to be a cameraman and his DJ ability puts him as one of the great talents that I think anyone can connect with.

Long before I met Reyes, I tend to be a bit confused on what to do next. I was concerned for example of identity theft, especially when purchasing items online with my debit card. Watching promos of Reyes made me think of how the Investigative Unit makes me aware of what I would need to be aware of. Reyes would also make my day special the moment that I first saw him.


HOW THE PATH CAME TOGETHER

So how did I manage to be aware of what I'm doing? Well, long before I met Reyes, I always have watched investigative reports on frauds, scams, corruptions, the political powers, and so on. That was my first foray into what my next scenario might do next. One of the most memorable reports exposed in the investigative unit is San Jose's public money, how it was spent, how people are abusing the use of funds, and one of my most memorable things, the tough questions to San Jose mayor Chuck Reed on the misuse of the data that even the city council wanted him the ask. Jenna Susko, one of the Investigative Unit reporters, has tackled that part, and eventually has won her honor.

When Tony Kovaleski, another one of the Investigative Unit reporters, looked on the issue of the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), I decided to then further my writing by investigating the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) and how in particular that their 511 online system is not giving out accurate fare information, and why BART chose a fare system that is not in line with Bay Area transit agencies that accept the Clipper card. Some readers may still be speculating after my write-up on whether BART has any plans to change their fare system to be in line with many Bay Area transit agencies.

The first sign of a person named Alex Reyes that I did see while surfing the web appeared in a local news report. In 2012, the Investigative Unit interviewed Reyes on the dangers of identity theft that affected him. A promo that included "We Investigate" in July 2013 also featured Alex.

The biggest piece of the puzzle never came in until somewhere in 2014, when a mysterious message appeared on my Facebook named Alejandro Reyes, and at first, I never knew who he was until my message on Instagram reminds anyone to not send messages if you were not friends on Facebook. The reason why I said that is for my safety of the Internet use, which I feared another identity theft on my page.

Eventually, Reyes and I got together for the first time on October 3, 2014 at his place, where he and I got together for lunch.


THE NEUROLOGICAL DISORDER 

I read the article from Alex Reyes who told readers that he does have a neurological disorder type of disability. For Reyes, he revealed to the American Disc Jockey Association that he has Cerebral Palsy, a disorder that could spell some communication trouble and social barriers. However, his passion for his music and whatever he loves to do has continued and despite his Cerebal Palsy diagnosis. It is still not known when he was diagnosed with Cerebal Palsy.

Reyes is not the only person that I know of that has a type of neurological disorder. In the summer of 1998, I was on my family vacation in Hong Kong. My mom and aunt ordered me to take a trip, across the Cross-Harbour Tunnel, to the Kowloon area to see a psychologist. The psychologist did an examination on me, which my mom and aunt claimed that I was going to get a flu shot, which in reality, it was not.

As soon as I got back from Hong Kong at that time, a release from the Morgan Hill Unified School District soon uncovered my psychologist's findings. The report indicates that I do have a type of neurological disorder associated with autism. That was my biggest trouble of learning in my life, which meant an unknown future for me at the time the report was released.

Since my fifth grade, I have gotten out of trouble starting to behave better in my elementary school in Morgan Hill, but my disabilities have a questionable future, even continuing into middle school at Britton. However, my improvement in my behavior occurred in two stages, which began in my fifth grade. The second milestone in my behavior improvement occured at the beginning of high school at Live Oak in Morgan Hill, which I learned to mature even a lot better than I did in middle school, with a special thanks to my aide who guided me the way out of big trouble.

My first foray into use of public transit occurred near my end of high school and the beginning of my college years, when in late-May 2007, I started taking BART from Fremont to the Oakland Colosseum station for my first ever baseball game. A short time after I first got my Clipper card (which was then called TransLink), I evenutually graduated from Live Oak High School. However, my use of public transit never came into frequent use until I started going to San Jose State University (SJSU). My neurological disorder, as well as being nervous, has continued to have some type of barrier that prevents me from doing all that I want.

Even with my type of neurological disorder today, similar to what Reyes have but in a slightly different mode, I have made some improvements on how I took transit, now with the addition of my SJSU Tower Card's EcoPass that allows me to ride VTA's buses and light rail. However, as of today, I continue to use my Clipper card as a backup in case my EcoPass is absent or if my trips do call for destinations outside of VTA's service area.


MY VIEW OF ALEX REYES SO FAR

I view Alex Reyes as a special type of person with a disability, but has a great passion for whatever he loves to do. Reyes and I have shared experiences with how his take on identity theft has affected me. The application of my experience on identity theft was definitely something that I take more seriously than before, thanks in part to Reye's motivation. The only time that I have experienced such a breach on identity theft is when my bank called me to let me know that there was a security breach, just as I was about to purchase new books for my learning at SJSU. I would be given a new debit/ATM card to keep hackers at bay. It was my scary moment, but Reyes has kept me in check.

Reyes has plenty of stuff at his arsenal ready to DJ at places that are open, so when I have time, I'll try to drop a visit to the booth. Perhaps when he might have time, he could see himself in a variety of places of what makes the Bay Area a great place to explore, such as the First Pleasanton Wednesdays and the Gilroy Garlic Festival - two of the places among my favorite place to entertain myself; the latter is also a few miles from my home nest in San Martin. But who knows when he is definitely on the scene - I'll probably have to check it out whenever DJ Alex Reyes is there.


EDITORS NOTE: Alejandro Reyes, also commonly known as DJ Alex Reyes, is connectable on social media - you can find him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You can also connect with him on his official website.

Original Work: Kyle Chak
E-mail: chak595301@gmail.com
Twitter/Instagram: @KyleSChak
NOTE: I am also connectable on YouTube, SoundCloud, and many more. You can inquire with me at any time for more info.

The Mystery Death of of a Mexican National at YVR - But any help for migrants between Canada and the United States? And what about the Bay Area?

This was was one of the stories that caught the attention of many Mexicans living in Vancouver, British Columbia. Most topics about Latinos, including Mexicans, often made national headlines on U.S.-based networks such as Telemundo and Univision, plus some local newscasts in Spanish in the United States. Most often, they cover everything from violence to finance, sports to weather, and anything in between that affects Latinos.

But in this blog, I am finding that the topic that is disused here is something that Americans could be discussing - a Mexican national, waiting to be deported from Canada to it's native country, ended a life in tragedy. This is a topic that never made headlines on major Spanish networks in the United States. In addition, I am also finding that undocumented workers are finding lesser services in Canada than in the United States. That also raised my eyebrows on whether Canadians could offer help to those that escaped their native country because of the ongoing drug violence in comparison to the United States.


WHAT HAPPENED TO LUCIA JIMENEZ AT YVR?

It was December 2013, at Vancouver International Airport (YVR) in Richmond, British Columbia. A woman, who is a Mexican national, going by the name of Lucia Vega Jimenez, was taken into custody in the Vancouver metro area at YVR by the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA), located at an undisclosed location within YVR. Jimenez was waiting to be deported back to Mexico.

But at one point, on December 20, 2013, Lucia Jimenez mysteriously died while in custody. At that time, no one ever knew what happened to Jimenez. That is, until Burnaby, British Columbia-based CHAN-DT, which is now called Global BC, started to ask the tough questions about what exactly happened. At that time, Mexican-Canadians were angry at the CBSA, and an corner's inquest was issued at the request of the BC Corners Service in late-February.

For several months, Global BC uncovered what was going on at the time of Jimenez's death at YVR. The first video of how Jimenez died debuted on October 1, 2014, during Global BC's News Hour when anchor Chris Gailus and his fellow team were shocked on what he saw. That video uncovered a 40-minute gap between the first part and the second part of the scene. The latter showed some disturbing images, showing two subjects checking on Jimenez and were frightened to see what was going on. Subsequent reports uncovered that there were frightening 911 tapes, and that Mexicans living in Vancouver wanted to speak on behalf of Lucia Jimenez as part of the corners inquest, but were denied, according to one resident who spoke with Global BC. The findings by Global BC were shocking, but in particular uncovering even more questions of why the CBSA failed to check Lucia Jimenez every 30 minutes as required.

The next day, a second video, also released by Global BC, surfaced on what was going on the day before Jimenez's death. That video showed what exactly happened the day before Lucia Jimenez died. The CBSA wanted to not release the videos shown on Global News' website, citing "security concerns", but never said a word on what it was. One of the likely possibilities was that the CBSA would possibly never release that video to the public because of a possible embarrassment among insiders, news stations, and the general public.


UNDOCUMENTED WORKERS - SERVICES BETWEEN THE U.S. AND CANADA COMPARISON, BAY AREA EFFECTS?

In the United States, there are some services that were meant to help undocumented workers achieve their dream. Approximately 950 miles to the south of Vancouver, BC, at San Jose State University (SJSU), their MOSAIC unit discussed about a service meant to help undocumented workers. A long discussion ensued between participants and MOSAIC presenters on the DREAM Act, who were also involved in viewing YouTube videos on such issues. A search on YouTube turns out a lot of videos giving viewer input on what was going on.

I personally have never recalled any services that were meant to help undocumented workers from Mexico trying to get a better life in Canada. Mexicans living in Vancouver do probably want to change that, after I viewed several Global BC news reports. In comparison to the United States, Canada currently does not offer the same level of service meant to help undocumented workers, if any.

From what I've seen in my entire life, headlines on immigration in the United States in the English language are not usually covered in local newscasts, such as for example, the time of when I watched KNTV (NBC Bay Area) reporter Damian Trujillo on local issues affecting immigration in the United States, as well as his life on the fields. However, I have never seen him covering the the subject of such immigration from Mexico to Canada and the reactions/effects that part of the issue has in the Bay Area.

After viewing the video posted by Global BC, I still do question what Lucia Jimenez could have been offered if an act similar to the DREAM Act in the U.S. could have been implemented, and if any, what offers does Canada have for Jimenez. That is what Canada would have to decide, and CBSA would need to get involved. On both sides of the border, however, Mexicans and Latinos living in both Canada and the United States may have plenty to talk about, and that could include the Bay Area. The city of San Jose, California, for instance, has a large Hispanic population among the nearly one million people living in the Bay Area's biggest city. Vancouver, BC, on the other hand, has less population than San Jose or even nearby San Francisco overall, and has a handful of Hispanic population living in the Vancouver metropolitan area.


So after all the videos were surfaced by Global BC on the death of Lucia Jimenez, even I was shocked of what happened.

Question to Readers (please explain by comment, e-mail or Tweet): What reaction do you have after seeing video posted by Global BC? Would justice be needed for Jimenez?


Original Work: Kyle Chak
E-Mail: chak595301@gmail.com
Twitter: @KyleSChak

EXCLUSIVE: VTA's New 30-Foot Hybrid Bus; How I Got There; The Experience

The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) debuted their bus earlier on September 24, 2014. If you remembered VTA's post on social media about the new 30-foot Gillig hybrid bus, VTA wanted followers to see who has the photos to share to followers on VTA's social media. So the question is to what route VTA's bus was on and who can prove it visually and share it on social media. In my exclusive blog, you'll find out that there was one person out there that has the capability to do that, and that one came from a fan of VTA, as well as the only San Jose State University's Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) student...

So the question pertains to how my adventure began by finding that lone 30-foot bus.  It actually began like a typical day, and I was getting ready for a class at SJSU. Although I ended up coming in late, I did manage to get some lecture time from one of my imstructors before attempting to solve the problem. At the end of my class, I went to go get my lunch at a downtown San Jose Chinese fast food eatery. I then went inside the garage and drove my hybrid to Ohlone-Chynoweth light rail (LR) station. I sat on a bench for about 20 minutes eating my lunch to find out if VTA line 13 was the one with that 30-foot bus - which it turned out to be only an older community bus. 

And Ohlone-Chynoweth was just my starting point of what turned out to be a timed scavenger hunt for that new 30-foot bus that was numbered 4101. I took an Alum Rock-bound light rail to Convention Center Station and almost immediately transferred to the free DASH shuttle, which was three minutes later. I kept an eye on line 65 to see if they were the ones that appeared with that new 30-foot bus. But it turned out that it was not true, and so is my scavenger hunt. 

I decided to quickly dash myself to the Winchester LR platform to wait for that train to take me to the end of the line, and my new iPad Air was part of the marathon with pictures to show proof that I was there. However, it took me over 20 minutes to get the next Winchester-bound train to appear. But it turns out that the train was my very lucky lead-in. I witnessed two community buses going to Los Gatos. But neither of those buses were that 30-foot bus that I was looking for. 

So my chances were running out quickly and fast as the afternoon progressed. I tried to make guesses of all the possible community bus routes. Lines 13 and 65 were out of the question. Lines 14, 17, 18, and 19 are all located in Gilroy (line 18 goes to Gavilan College), and line 16 serves Morgan Hill's Live Oak and Sobrato High Schools only in the morning and mid-afternoons on weekdays; for those routes, I would have travelled 20-35 miles on the freeway from Ohlone-Chynoweth station. Lines 32 and 34 were possible to get to, but that was far from Ohlone-Chynoweth. Line 39 only goes from Eastrdge to The Villages, a residential neighborhood in the Evergreen District of San Jose, but I would be wasting 10 miles of fuel driving to the east side of San Jose. Line 42 only goes from Santa Teresa LR and Evergreen Valley College, which would have been another time-waster. I also looked at line 45, but that route goes through the north-east side of San Jose between Alum Rock and Penetencia Creek LR stations serving the Alum Rock neighborhood. Line 88 with all variants was not even feasible at all to go to as it serves Palo Alto, and no LR stations serve Palo Alto. 

I remained vigilant until the miracle happened. Route 37 was likely the only choice since I needed to get back to Ohlone-Chynoweth and prep for my other assignment requested by my instructor. The route in the West Valley College direction was not the one that I wanted, and not the 30-foot bus. Five minutes later, at 1:24pm, the 30-foot bus pulled up to the Winchester LR station and it was headed in the Capitol LR direction. Taking advantage of both the transfer at Capitol LR station and the 30-foot bus, I quickly pulled out my iPad to take a quick picture. My first ever ride on VTA's new Gillig 30-foot bus was a success, which my only fare that I paid was an SJSU EcoPass (that, along with Clipper card fare, translates into a valid pass as defined by VTA, which in turn translates into "no cash fare needed").

Most of the riders on the new bus were riding home from West Valley College, but VTA was for the most part unaware that there was an SJSU student as well. To show proof that I was actually on the bus, I decided to take a few timelapse videos and a couple more regular videos (all 15-seconds; timelapse video was 3 minutes long, but fast forwarded to make it 15-seconds long; all in HD format) from my iPad showing that I was on the scene and on the bus between Winchester and Capitol LR stations.

So what was the ride like inside and outside the bus from my vantage point? The bus is 30 feet long, manufactured by the Gillig Corporation based near one of three AC Transit's bus yards in Hayward. The inside of the bus seats 26 passengers, plus 12 "hand holders" and several poles to let riders hold on to in case all the seats are taken. There is only one door for entry and exit, plus windows in case of emergencies, which is similar to the current 40-foot express buses manufactured by the same company (VTA's express buses have more seats, however). On the outside, the 30-foot buses are designed in a similar way to what SamTrans currently employs on their hybrid buses by comparing the front of the bus, through their "Hybrid Power" labeling instead of "Hybrid". It anyone really wanted to know how VTA purchased most of their buses, my only hint is that I've learned for myself that they really only need to travel 25 miles from their main headquarters! 

And finally, what did I think of the driver that drove the new VTA 30-foot bus? I thought that she was very patient on the roads, and well-knowledgeable driver. While on the bus, I did see another bus in the same route headed to Capitol LR that had to drop off a wheelchair passenger at Almaden Expressway and Foxworthy Avenue. That bus may have been a bit behind schedule due to their bus specifications. At the end of my ride, I did give a thumbs up to thank her for inviting me on board the new 30-foot bus! So therefore, I do happily look forward to riding more of the 30-foot hybrid buses whenever the ride on transit requires riding on one. 

Original Work: Kyle Chak 

E-mail: chak595301@gmail.com

Twitter/Instagram: @KyleSChak

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