After you vote Tuesday, head on over to Starbucks, Krispy Kreme, and Ben & Jerry’s for your free goodies!

At Starbucks tell the barista you voted and receive a free tall (12 oz) cup of brewed coffee.

If there is a Krispy Kreme in your area, take your coffee with you to pick up your free star-shaped doughnut.

In the evening between 5:00 pm and 8:00 pm head on over to Ben & Jerry’s for a free scoop of ice cream.

Limit one per customer at all of the establishments mentioned (participating locations).

California Elections Code section 18521 (b) prohibits rewarding people for voting or not voting. The law was created to prevent any form of bribery for voting (or not voting) through free food, gifts, loans, or money. Thus, you need not prove you voted to receive the free item.

Starbucks locations: where isn’t there a Starbucks.

Ben & Jerry’s locations, check here.

Krispy Kreme locations:

Mountain View
2146 Leghorn Street, 94043
650-254-1231

Union City
32450 Dyer Street, 94587
510-471-6121

Pinole
1441 Fitzgerald Drive, 94564
510-262-6590

Daly City
1575 Sullivan Ave., 94015
650-985-5612

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission which operates the 511 service has added a new feature “511 Freeway Aid” that allows drivers to use their wireless phones to summon non-emergency roadside assistance on any freeway in the nine-county region.

A motorist in a non-emergency situation (out of gas, flat tire or mechanical problems) can dial 5-1-1 on their wireless phone (you may be charged airtime by your wireless service provider). At the main menu, the caller says “Freeway Aid” and the voice-recognition system will transfer the call to the privately operated call center that now handles incoming calls from the roadside call boxes.

Freeway Service Patrol tow trucks, which provide their services free of charge, will be dispatched to respond to 511 Freeway Aid calls during peak periods on the Bay Area’s busiest routes. Towing companies that operate on rotations under contract with Caltrans and the CHP will be dispatched at other times and will charge motorists for their services. You may wish to inquirer if there will be a charge.

If you are on a toll bridge or in a tunnel, the information will be sent immediately to Caltrans and/or the CHP.

You will no longer have to hike to one of those roadside call boxes.

The MTC nine-county regions: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, Sonoma.

“511 is a free phone and Web service that consolidates Bay Area transportation information into a one-stop resource. 511 provides up-to-the-minute information on traffic conditions, incidents and driving times, schedule, route and fare information for the Bay Area’s public transportation services, instant carpool and vanpool referrals, bicycling information and more. It’s available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.”

This weekend we turn our clocks back an hour as we return to Standard Time.

When do we do this? Saturday night before going to bed or Sunday morning 2:00 a.m., whichever comes first.

Does this mean we get to spend an extra hour at our favorite bar? No, bars do not stop serving liquor at 2:00 a.m., but actually at 1:59 a.m., one minute before the clocks are set back one hour. Those clever lawmakers.

It is also a good time to change the batteries in your smoke detector(s). Some inexpensive detectors also need to be replaced completely about every five years. Dispose those old batteries and alarms properly.

For the correct time of the day, you can call the Department of Transportation at 1-900-410-TIME. There is a charge for the call.

KFRC was home to Merv Griffin in the 40’s (swing music) and Dr. Don Rose in the 60’s (Top 40) when the station was on the AM dial at 610. The station has gone through a number of format changes over the years. CBS bought KFRC, leaving the AM dial ending up at 99.7 FM. More format changes with KFRC becoming Movin’ 99.7 playing dance music. About a year later CBS’ Free FM shock-talk format at 106.9 was dropped and 106.9 FM became the new home for KFRC playing a classic hits format. Got it so far? Try this.

If you have not already heard, Monday the KFRC on-air staff was told that they were history; KFRC would start simulcasting KCBS all news broadcasts beginning Monday, October 27.

This past season the A’s were on KFRC, it has been suggested that they helped lower the station’s ratings but were not at all the main reason for the poor numbers. Jumping around the dial and format changes did not help. Low ratings and KCBS wanting to expand its audience, younger listeners who hang out on the FM dial being a reason for the move.

KFRC’s Classic Hits have not completely disappeared; the classic hits will continue to be available as streaming audio at KFRC.com and on KFRC-HD2; however, you will not hear Dave Sholin, Celeste Perry, Sue Hall, Jay Coffey, and Ben Fong-Torres.

If this turns out to be a positive move for KCBS, will KGO and KLIV be next?

The morning commute will not be the same beginning this mid-December as KFOG’s morning host Dave Morey is leaving the airwaves after 26 years at the station.

Morey has spent about 39 years in radio. He was the first voice heard when KFOG 104.5 in San Francisco and now in the South Bay at 97.7 switched from “beautiful music” in 1982 to Album-Oriented Rock (now Adult Album Alternative).

I think his longevity is due to his keeping the chatter to a minimum and not going the shock jock/morning zoo route.

His show has a very popular feature called 10@10, “10 great songs from one great year.” What makes 10@10 special, along with the songs from the year featured that day, are the jingles, news clips, commercials, TV theme songs and historic/political speeches. 10@10 is heard weekday mornings at 10:00 am and repeated that evening at 10:00 pm. He will continue to do the 10@10 segments from his new lakefront home in Michigan after his retirement.

Give Dave Morey a listen at 97.7 on the FM dial weekday mornings before Friday, December 19.

The National Hockey League season is under way. Tonight the Anaheim Ducks of Southern California near Los Angeles visit the Tank for the home opener against the Sharks of San Jose.

The Sharks will begin their quest to make it past the second round of the playoffs. Last season everyone and their puppy said the Sharks would be Stanley Cup champions. That assumption, I believe, was based on the outcome of a video game. This season the so-called experts have them dueling it out in the Pacific with Anaheim and Dallas.

But wait, do not despair. The Sharks have added three new defensemen to help improve on last season’s suspect defense. Dan Boyle, Brad Lukowich, and Rob Blake are the new additions. You remember the L.A. Kings’ Rob Blake; he is the guy you booed every time he stepped out on the ice.

If Marleau plays as he did last season after the trade deadline, Cheechoo finally gets off to an early start scoring, and Joe is, well Joe, then there is an excellent chance to see some exciting hockey. No, I was not going to say they would make it to the finals. I no longer hold my breath in anticipation.

Jeremy Roenick is back! Kyle McLaren is gone.

We will once again be mesmerized by the outstanding saves by Evgeni Nabokov.

We will cheer for Ron Wilson and Vesa Toskala in Toronto.

With the current economic situation, some of you may need to watch the pocket book and stay home. At least you can listen to Randy Hahn, Drew Remenda (TV) and Dan Rusanowsky (radio).

For the real story about the Sharks visit the Sharks’ website, Broadcaster Blog, and our friends at Sharkspage.

From the group's July 13 performance at the San Jose Obon Festival.

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Hi everyone!

I’m Sarah, a new author for the San Jose Metblog. I’m very excited to contribute and to start off, I’d like to tell you a bit about myself (it’ll be short – I promise!)

– Journalism was my first love. I studied Journalism at SJSU, graduated with a degree in the fabulous subject in 2005, worked for local weekly newspapers for two years, then decided to leave the business. Not because I didn’t love reporting, but because I figured I should get out while I still had the choice. Anyone who’d like to have a conversation about the current state of Journalism in the Bay Area is absolutely welcome to leave a comment and let me know. :)

– I’m currently back at SJSU in the teaching credential program to be a high school English teacher. Yes, I left a poverty-inducing career where getting laid off is a possibility, to enter another poverty-inducing career that is also in danger financially. But what isn’t these days?

– And last, I love photography. I take photos around San Jose all the time, so I’m making it a mission to bring photos to each of my entries, starting with this one!

OK, enough about me. What I really want to tell you all about is the Spirit of Japantown Festival that is planned for next Saturday, Oct. 4. As a Japantown resident, I love telling people how much I love it here and how they should come by and check out some of the delicious food. Sushi Maru is my personal favorite, but Japantown has lots to offer.

The Spirit of Japantown Festival will go from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the heart of Japantown (Jackson and Fifth streets) and will be packed with activities for people of all ages. Shoppers will enjoy the Main Street full of Japanese fine arts, crafts, food for sale, as well as wares from other local merchants. Festival-goers will be able to enjoy entertainment that ranges from a hula to bellydancing on the Main Stage (Jackson Street between Third and Fourth streets), as well as Martial Arts demonstrations, free Anime movies, and other activities for kids. The San Jose Taiko group is scheduled to perform on the Main Stage, and I have to say they are a must-see. I’ve watched the group perform at the last two San Jose Obon Festivals and they are phenomenal.

While there is usually plenty of street parking in the area, during festivals, the streets fill up fast. However, those who are lightrail savvy will be interested to know that the Japantown/Ayer stop is just a few blocks away from the action. The stop is on First street near Jackson, so just a quick walk and riders can be in the heart of the action.

So if you’re interested, I’m sending you a personal invitation to my neighborhood to enjoy all it has to offer. See you at the festival!

For more information about the Spirit of Japantown Festival, visit their website.

Leonardo: 500 Years into the Future represents the pivotal unity of art, technology and science of Leonardo da Vinci, Filippo Brunelleschi and the Sienese engineers of the Renaissance.

This is a world premier and exclusive U.S. showing at the Tech Museum beginning this Saturday September 27 and running through January 25, 2009.

Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (1452 – 1519) was an astronomer, sculptor, geologist, mathematician, botanist, animal behaviorist, inventor, engineer, architect, musician, and painter. Leonardo is probably best known as the painter of the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper. Leonardo’s formal training in the anatomy of the human body and skill as an artist allowed him to make more than 200 drawings of the human body, visible anatomical features as well as internal organs. As an engineer, he drew plans for the submarine, helicopter, parachute, human powered flying machine, toothed wheels, pulleys and pulley blocks, crankshafts, flywheels, springs, shock absorbers, scissors, and the list goes on.

The exhibition, covering 30,000-square-feet in Parkside Hall, has a plethora of exhibits including art, sculptures, drawings, architectural projects, machines and mechanisms, anatomy, and aviation.

The life-sized and scale working models are based on conceptual drawings and designs by Leonardo, Francesco di Giorgio, Mariano di Iacopo (Taccola), and others. These models recreated using tools and materials common in Leonardo’s time. Most of Leonardo’s machines were never built in his lifetime, as many could not have been built due to the lack of suitable parts.

On display is a model of Leonardo’s Flying Machine where the wings are driven by back pedals, which the flier operates with alternating leg motions. The effect of this thrust is amplified by the hand-operated crank, which powers a hoisting device. Bring your wide-angle lens.

There is a cool planetary clock designed by Lorenzo della Volpaia. A planetary clock is not to keep time but to show the position of the heavenly bodies relative to the Earth, so that astrological influences could be calculated with precision.

Two Renaissance paintings by Leonardo’s disciples are included in the exhibition – Leda and the Swan and The Virgin and Child with St. Anne.

The curator of the exhibition is Leonardo da Vinci expert, Paolo Galluzzi, Director of the Institute and Museum of the History of Science – Florence, Italy.

Advanced “timed” tickets are required. Allow a minimum of two hours for the exhibition, as there are numerous displays and multimedia presentations.

Advance ticket sales have already exceeded last year’s Body Worlds exhibit.

This is a must see for the entire family.

The Tech Museum of Innovation
September 27, 2008 – January 4, 2009 extended to January 25, 2009

Tickets and Operating Hours

Directions, Parking and Public Transportation

Click for photos…

On Monday September 22, people from around the world get together to celebrate a day without cars. With gas prices at an all time high, Carfree Day is the perfect time to leave your car at home and get around your neighborhood and the region by foot, bike, bus, and train or by sharing the ride.

I did not find any events listed for San Jose nor did I find any information on the VTA site saying what a great day to take public transit. Carfree Day is not mentioned on the San Jose Green Vision site. People asleep at the wheel. You and I knew about World Carfree Day, right?

If Metblogs is a city, hub.metblogs is the playground. We kept hearing from people that one of their favorite parts of Metblogs was meeting and interacting with readers and writers from other parts of the world, as well as getting requests for more ways that readers could be involved besides just posting comments. We thought about this for a while and decided that with a network like this, a giant community area where folks from all over the world could hang out, post photos and videos, talk with each other, form groups, play games, send messages, and do about a million other things was probably a pretty fun idea. The Hub is that.

If you have any tech ideas or suggestions join this group and speak up. See you on hub.metblogs!

San Jose Group