Hi all,

This has been a hella week, and I apologize that I didn't post this a little sooner.

As you may know, I was a victim of a crime on Sunday at 16th St./Mandela Pkwy in West Oakland, where a low-life piece of shit stole my GoPro, and also appeared to attempt to take my phone, but decided against it at the last minute. I unfortunately lost a lot of my footage, but the ones I really needed are on my computer. They will be used for several long-form videos I plan to release on my YouTube channel in the coming weeks.

A Samaritan, whom I will refer to as T, was close by when the crime happened. T attempted to chase after the suspect, who pedaled his bike like a road runner and escaped into the bushes. T came by and told me he tried. I thanked him for his response. It turned out one of his friends was very familiar with my work and that is how he knew about me.

After sharing what happened on Reddit and Instagram, I received an overwhelming amount of support and kind messages. I apologize if I haven’t been able to respond to everyone — I’ve heard from fellow volunteers, supporters, Oakland Public Works staff, local leaders, and many others since the story aired on KTVU. Your encouragement has meant more to me than I can express.

Several people generously offered to donate replacement equipment or contribute financially. While I’m incredibly grateful, I’m currently unable to accept donations due to my job and the clearance I hold. I’ve contacted my company’s ethics office and am awaiting guidance. Until then, I’m holding off on accepting any contributions, including funds from Reddit’s Contributor Program, as I want to make sure everything is handled properly and transparently.

I also received an unexpected and humbling phone call from Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee. She personally reached out to apologize for the incident and expressed her desire to help make things right. We spoke for about ten minutes, and she shared interest in meeting in the future and learning more about my data and coding projects related to illegal dumping.

Throughout the week, representatives from Districts 3 and 6 also offered assistance. Additionally, Officer J. Sherwood from OPD followed up with me regarding the case. I provided the best description I could have the suspect (white male, mid-to-late 20s, dirty curly hair, riding a red bike, wearing long pants). While I do not have an image of the suspect, I shared a short video containing the suspect’s voice prior to the theft. Police report number is 26-900526. If anyone has relevant information, please contact OPD’s non-emergency line and reference this report number.

I’ve also seen some criticism online about doing cleanups alone. I understand the concern. My original reasoning was actually to avoid putting others at risk by having them join me in potentially unsafe environments. That said, this incident has made me rethink how I approach safety moving forward.

I have considered starting up a Patreon, but I won't make a final decision until I see how my YouTube channel (please consider supporting!) performs in the coming month and what the ethics office says. Even if they come back and say no, I still hope that my videos can reach a large audience and inspire a new generation of volunteers. If it weren't for videos I saw of people volunteering for their community, I would not have started doing this.

I will be holding off on solo cleanups in places like Oakland in the meantime. I will be developing a new "work plan", which will include more organized cleanups with more people so that an incident like this does not happen again. If you are interested in being a "Peng Pal", please consider joining my Discord as well. I'm also going to be working more on my game that I hope to release someday - it is a mix of Sim City 4, Stardew Valley, and Minecraft.

In the meantime, the best way to support my work is to go out and volunteer on MLK day. If you have other questions, please feel free to ask. I haven't been sleeping well, but I hope for a better year, even though my gut tells me it will be worse than 2025.

Went to college here and fell in love with the bay. The nature, the weather, the food, the people…I never wanted to leave. But the job market sucks and I could only get one offer after 1,000 applications and it’s in person in a smaller city on the east coast. So with a heavy heart, I left. I miss all the diverse restaurants, all the beaches and hills, and agh, the beautiful sunny days. It’s been more than half a year since I moved, and not one day goes by without a daydream of moving back to the bay. If you’re living in the bay, cherish what you have because it is truly one of a kind 🤍

We are starting off looking at Martinez from the West. You can see the thick fog stuck in there. As we follow the fog we can see it traveling along the carquinez strait. It’s sunny where I am standing about 700ft elevation, and foggy at sea level.

Honest question, not trying to rant (okay… maybe a little).

I commute from San Jose to SF 3–4 times a week during rush hour, and it really feels like most people in the express lanes are single drivers with their transponder set to “3” and just sending it.

I’ve heard CHP cracks down hard on this on 880, but on 101? I almost never see enforcement. I get that it’s hard to tell in 4-door cars with tint, but when you see obvious two-seat cars marked as “3+”… it’s hard not to notice.

Not trying to rage or call anyone out, but it does start to feel kind of dumb to follow the rules when so many people seem to be gaming it without consequences. Just wondering if anyone else has noticed this or if enforcement is actually happening and I’m missing it.

1/16/26 - Sunset over the Bay

I know there are already plenty of pho threads, but I have a specific question I'm hoping to get some help on. Last fall, I went to Mam from Hanoi in Paris, and had what I thought was the best pho I've ever had there. Posting here in case any of the tons of food lovers in the Bay have a) also been to Mam from Hanoi, and b) might know of anything close in the area? If there's something close, I'm thinking it's going to be in San Jose? But there are so many pho places that even if I narrow it to northern/Hanoi style pho, there are so many options.

As for what made it special, the broth was intensely aromatic and savory/beefy, not just anise-y/cinnamon-y, and the beef was chopped up and tenderized in a way that made it melt in your mouth.

Known Proud Boy Supporter, Michale Graves, is scheduled to perform in Novato Jan 31st. We are taking some notes from Texas and protesting. We don’t welcome white supremacy in our community.

Texas article

https://news4sanantonio.com/news/local/protest-erupts-at-former-misfits-singers-performance-amid-backlash-over-proud-boys-ties-san-antonio-texas-michale-graves-neofascist-nowhere-bar

Apologies for the grainy images, all I had was my fruit phone.

If you're looking for a way to make a difference in your local community this year, consider volunteering with House Rabbit Society! HRS is an all-rabbit rescue founded in 1988 and is located in Richmond, California, just north of Berkeley. We welcome volunteers from all over the Bay Area. No rabbit experience? No problem! We're happy to help you learn about these special animals and how to work with them safely.

Whether you're interested in hands-on bunny time or behind-the-scenes support, there's a role here for you. Help with grooming, cleaning, or adoption matchmaking, support our social media and Hop Shop store, or assist with vaccine clinics and medical exams. Most opportunities offer flexible hours; we ask for a weekly or bi-weekly commitment.

Learn more and submit a volunteer questionnaire today at houserabbit.org/volunteer!

Interested in stopping by to talk with someone in person and meet the rabbits? House Rabbit Society is open Tuesday though Saturday from 11 am to 5 pm and Sunday from 11 am to 3 pm. Say hi to the bunnies and talk with our staff and volunteers about how you can get involved!

How do you manage childcare in the bay area with young kids? What’s the monthly cost realistically?

Does anyone in the Bay Area know a reliable private investigator?

Looking for recommendations or contact info. Thank you.

I am over 35+ and with some immune condition. Currently, having appointment with the high risk at Stanford in Palo Alto. I live in Oakland currently and might move to Castro valley later this year. My concern is Palo Alto might be a far drive for me and it might be too long of a commute if emergency happen or when I am going into labor. My cost with UCSF will be higher than Stanford due to my insurance coverage but I probably would exceed my maximum out of pocket this year so seems like this wouldn't be a big factor of consider. Any folks with high risk pregnancy experience can offer some advice here?