When the ancient Polynesians invented surfing, they often used a paddle to help them navigate. Fast-forward a few millennia, and Stand-Up Paddleboarding, or SUP, finds itself trendy again. Part of its increasing popularity is that standing upright allows surfers to spot waves more easily and thus catch more of them, multiplying the fun factor. Paddling back to the wave becomes less of a strain as well. The ability to cruise along on flat inland water, surveying the sights, is another advantage. Finally, it’s a good core workout. If you’re sold on the idea, schedule an intro SUP lesson, free with board and paddle rental, and you may find yourself riding the waves like a Polynesian king.More
Many of us remember coming home from our elementary schools with freshly glazed pinchpots, cups, or whatever else our young imaginations could conjure up. Saturday mornings at the Randall Museum can bring that memory back, or create a new one for the youngsters. Ceramics make great gifts — especially on Mothers' and Fathers' Day. Hop on board for the Randall's once-weekly class, and for $6 and two weeks to have your work fired and glazed, you'll have all the materials you need.More
December is almost over - the New Year is coming up and everyone is busy drying off from the rain or holiday shopping. Let's take a look at what's happened this month.
In case you've been TaskRabbiting your way through life and haven't had the chance to leave the micro-loft to stroll the alleys and streets of central San Francisco, the number of homeless tent encampments in town is approaching epic levels — as in Hooverville and Great Depression levels.
While much of Southern California is currently blazing away like an old Christmas tree, we've got a little bit of a fire going on up here in San Francisco, too. It's a four-alarm blaze under John Hanley's collar.
The head of the San Francisco firefighter's union is incensed that the SFFD has spurned pleas from the State Office of Emergency Services to send a "strike team" consisting of five fire trucks and 22 firefighters to SoCal. Instead, the city has sent a single truck.
"If the city of Vallejo, which is in bankruptcy court, can send one engine down, San Francisco ought to be able to send five," said Hanley. "Our neighbor's house is burning and we've got well-trained, well-qualified guys but the chief won't let them go. It just doesn't look very good."
San Francisco's neighboring counties, meanwhile, sent multitudes of vehicles and personnel southward. Alameda County dispatched a pair of five-vehicle strike teams, as did Santa Clara, Solano, and Monterey. Santa Cruz, Contra Costa County and Marin also sent a strike team apiece, according to Emily Hopkins of the Contra Costa County Fire Department, which coordinated the regional effort. She confirmed that San Francisco has not sent a strike team.
Our calls to the San Francisco Fire Department have not yet been returned. Hanley, however, said this was a black eye for the department and blamed Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White for not stocking enough reserve vehicles for the department to be able to spare the men and machines.
"When I first came into the department [in 1980] there were 15 relief pieces. So if we sent a strike team, we would still have additional apparatuses so San Francisco doesn't get short," he says. "Well, the chief has failed to buy fire engines. We only have three to four extra relief pieces a day. That is a sad state of affairs."
This isn't the first time San Francisco has denied assistance to its burning neighbors; Hanley notes that two weeks ago the city sent only "two or so" engines to Santa Cruz instead of the requested full strike team.
The union boss lamented that a shortage of extra fire vehicles would also be disastrous in the event of, say, a major San Francisco earthquake.
In such an event, the city's neighbors would doubtlessly send help -- wouldn't they?
Bio:
Joe Eskenazi was born in San Francisco, raised in the Bay Area, and attended U.C. Berkeley. He never left.
"Your humble narrator" was a staff writer and columnist for SF Weekly from 2007 to 2015.
He resides in the Excelsior with his wife, 4.3 miles from his birthplace and 5,474 from hers.
Sub Pop recording artists 'clipping.' brought their brand of noise-driven experimental hip hop to the closing night of 2016's San Francisco Electronic Music Fest this past Sunday. The packed Brava Theater hosted an initially seated crowd that ended the night jumping and dancing against the front of the stage. The trio performed a set focused on their recently released Sci-Fi Horror concept album, 'Splendor & Misery', then delved into their dancier and more aggressive back catalogue, and recent single 'Wriggle'.
Opening performances included local experimental electronic duo 'Tujurikkuja' and computer music artist 'Madalyn Merkey.'"
