HouseSpeaker Nancy Pelosi's request last week to U.S. Attorney General EricHolder to relax anti-trust regulations so that another Bay Area mediaorganization might buy or financially prop up the ailing San FranciscoChronicle constitutes a well meaning, if not deeply flawed gesture.

A few months ago, a set of lawsuits challenging the state's Prison Healthcare systemcame into the public eye, apparently claiming that the overcrowding andother adverse conditions in California's prisons were leading tootherwise avoidable deaths among inmates. In response, the courtappointed a receiver to try and reform the system, vesting thatreceiver with copious amounts of power and zero accountability.

Arlen Specter is like the guy with two potential prom dates, though by the end of next year he could be sitting home alone.

In the massive field of proposed remedies for California's fiscal insolvency and politically problematic system, a novel idea has come down the pike from Fresno.

Remember that part in "True Lies" where Harry Tasker, as played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, tells his family he's leaving for a technology conference in Europe? Later in the movie, his wife is talking to a friend, explaining how talk of the tech business is incredibly boring. Yet the audience knows that Harry Tasker is no businessman, but is actually the world's number-one spy. Well, California's number-one executive just went to Europe for a business conference, too... or did he?!

Yes, he did.

Theleast-surprising news of the past week: Despite months -- or was it years? -- ofblood, sweat, arm-twisting and deal-cutting that led to February's budget dealto seal what was then a $42 billion gap, a new deficit has popped up.

That'saccording to a report by the nonpartisan state LegislativeAnalysts Office released Friday.

"48 Hours." "Princess Diaries." "Mrs. Doubtfire." These are just a few of the megahit movies that took place in San Francisco proper. Is San Francisco positioned to become the next Hollywood?

Just wheneverything seemed to be going so well, the budget legislative analyst'soffice had to puncture our little balloon of joy. Well, not joy, unlessone's overjoyed at tax increases and spending cuts, but hey, at leastsomething was punctured.

Open primary advocates posit that an open primary could produce more moderate candidates. But why would we want that? California's value at least partially lies in its ability to innovate, experiment, and grow from its progressive, extreme heritage. Not political extremism or religious extremism, but California's tendency to be at the edge of issues, for better and worse. California's national role is tied to this edgy state-identity, which would all be mournfully lost if an open primary pushed the state to be more moderate.

Don't believe the naysayers who pooh-pooh the idea that the The Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan will only help a small fraction of California homeowners: the data on that is not even readily available. However, the median home price in California a year ago was under $600,000.