Category Archives: Science and Environment

SAN FRANCISCO TO STRAIGHTEN CROOKEDEST STREET

Sam Francisco's Crookedest Street
Sam Francisco’s Crookedest Street

San Francisco, California (The Adobo Chronicles) – A visit to San Francisco is never complete without photo opportunities by the Golden Gate Bridge, Coit Tower, TransAmerica Building, Alcatraz, Fisherman’s Wharf and of course, The Crookedest Street.

The famed Lombard Street section is famous for having a steep, one-block stretch that consists of eight tight hairpin turns. On either side of the street are homes that are probably among the top prized real estate in the City by the Bay.

Starting this summer, the city will close the street to weekend vehicular traffic in what it is calling an “experiment” to reduce congestion in the area and to provide the millionaire home owners a reprieve from the unending stream of vehicles navigating the brick pavement for the experience of a lifetime. (Apparently, many have not heard of Zigzag Road in the Philippines, leading up to the mountain city of Baguio).

Baguio City's Zigzag Road, Philippines
Baguio City’s Zigzag Road, Philippines

The Adobo Chronicles has obtained leaked documents from San Francisco’s City Hall that indicate the ‘experiment’ is actually a precursor to a more permanent plan to straighten the street to make room for homeowners to expand their existing real estate property. The city is poised to earn millions of dollars by selling part of the city street to the homeowners.

The documents also reveal an alternative plan – if the sale doesn’t work out – for the city to establish a toll gate at the top of the one-way street and charge each non-resident vehicle $10 to traverse the world’s crookedest street.

This plan could be up for a public vote as early as the next local elections.

Crooked or straight? Voters will decide. It could boil down to how straight and gay voters decide!

APPLE NIXES iPHONE 6, WILL UNVEIL iPHONE 7

imageCupertino, California  (The Adobo Chronicles) – The rumor mill is overflowing with lots of speculation that Apple will unveil its next series of its popular iPhone this August, a month earlier than its usual schedule in announcing its new products.

After speaking with very reliable sources inside Apple’s Cupertino headquarters, The Adobo Chronicles can now confirm that the Silicon Valley tech giant will indeed unveil the next generation iPhone on August 1, but it will not be an iPhone 6.

Sources said that Apple is skipping the iPhone 6 and will instead come out with the iPhone 7. The reason? Apple executives realize that the number ‘6’ is bad for business and that the company wants to be politically correct and sensitive to the religious and superstitious beliefs of its loyal customer base.

To add the number 6 to its smartphone, given that the current operating system (iOS) is version 10.66, Apple fears that it may be accused of promoting the Anti-Christ or the devil. In the bible and other literature,  the Anti-Christ and devil are represented by the numbers 666.

The good news for iPhone fans is that the new version of the smartphone is thinner, bigger, faster and transparent ( see photo).

In less than 24 hours since announcing the new iPhone 7, Apple said that the backorder and waiting time for the iPhone 7 is now estimated to be 666 days.

STATUE OF DAVID’S WEAK ANKLES: MILLIONS WORLDWIDE COME TO THE RESCUE

imageFlorence, Italy (The Adobo Chronicles) – It is one of the world’s most famous statues, representing the Renaissance ideal of the male physique, but Michelangelo’s David is in danger of collapsing because of its weak ankles, new tests have revealed.

The Telegraph (U..K.) reports that Italian scientists have found tiny fractures in the statue’s ankles which means it is at risk of toppling over. The tests by the National Research Council and Florence University confirmed what has long been feared – that the celebrated work has been weakened over the centuries by its great weight.

Since the report was published last week, the Accademia Gallery in Florence which houses the famed sculpture has been flooded with phone calls and emails from concerned citizens throughout the world – from Australia to Latin America. Unsolicited donations came pouring in, mostly cash clipped inside get well cards written in many languages.

For its part, the Philippine government launched a nationwide relief campaign to solicit in-kind donations for the beleaguered David. Former Philippine First Lady and now member of Congress Imelda Romualdez Marcos volunteered to head the campaign.  Marcos has always been known to be a “patroness of the arts.”

In less than 24 hours after the campaign was launched, hundreds of packages have filled the temporary campaign headquarters at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Donations included high-priced antique chairs, bar stools, kitchen counter stools, designer wheelchairs and gold-plated crutches.

Filipinos sure know how to come to the aid of the ailing David.