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.
PostedByJoe Eskenazi
on Wed, Oct 21, 2009 at 7:22 PM
Hiya Swanhuyser
SF Weekly received calls from inconvenienced riders noting that a suspicious package has shut down the Millbrae station, curtailing all rail service (as you can see from the snap above taken at the Cal Trains station on Fourth and King).
Naturally, you should alter your travel plans, if possible, to avoid Millbrae station's rail lines.
Wednesday morning, at the unveiling of the city's new crimefighting tool, CompStat, San Francisco Police Chief George Gascon had the city say hello to his not-so-little friend and implementer, LAPD detective Jeff Godown.
Gascon intends to bring Godown onto his command staff to run CompStat, a part-management plan, part data-keeping system that will purportedly help the SFPD spot crime trends. Once a month, the 10 district station captains will report to Gascon and Godown and be held accountable for recognizing and understanding fluctuations in crimes reported, arrests, and instances of officers using force.
Compstat, while widely viewed as an effective law enforcement tool, has also been criticized for incentivizing the underreporting of crime. Police union members in both New York City and in Miami have been vocal about this, and Gascon and Godown are aware of the problem.
"Don't try to BS me," Gascon told the captains straight away.
PostedByAnna McCarthy
on Wed, Oct 21, 2009 at 3:59 PM
Fork over the money for the permit, water dude
San Francisco may be getting greener with the city's new mandatory composting rules, but that doesn't mean it's getting any "bluer." While the state is doing everything it can to make water recycling easier for homeowners by dumping restrictions, San Francisco appears to be doing just the opposite. Water conservationists flooded City Hall today for the Building Inspection Commission meeting to voice their opposition to code changes that would require anyone seeking to install a basic (single source) "greywater" plumbing system -- which recycles run-off from water-using appliances, like washing machines, to use in the garden or elsewhere -- to obtain a $160 permit first.
San Franciscans hoping to install such a system don't have to pay any state or city permitting fees -- for now. In August, the state loosened their regulations to facilitate greywater use by allowing the systems without permitting. The state ruling specified that local agencies may pass tighter constraints on greywater rules if they so choose. Looks like San Francisco might so choose.
San Francisco Plumbing Inspector Steven Panelli proposed that greywater systems should be inspected by city employees -- and called for the aforementioned permitting fees. The Building Inspection Commission punted on the matter today, leaving the door open for such fees to be implemented in the future.
Mirkarimi did not take to the hallways chanting "Si se pudo," but it was an important move nevertheless. The supervisor -- who was instrumental behind the city's internationally lauded plastic bag ban -- has said on numerous occasions that he does not consider paper grocery bags to be a panacea. Unfortunately, the city's laws do -- customers cannot tote away their groceries here in plastic bags, so they are automatically shunted to environmentally destructive, landfill-clogging paper. While Mirkarimi's stated goal has always been to get folks to start bringing their own bags, there's nothing but altruism to make you do so right now.
So by proposing that large grocery stores and chain pharmacies be mandated to put a dime in the pocket of anyone with a reusable bag, the city would finally take a step toward its stated goal. Unfortunately, however, it has chosen to do so in a way that continues to preach to the choir instead of seeking -- or forcing -- converts.
PostedByAndy Wright
on Wed, Oct 21, 2009 at 10:10 AM
Maybe it's something in the food?
This poster was hanging up inside a pet supply store on Valencia and 18th Street. The 14-year-old boy in me thought this was hilarious. Also, did I just trot out a Friendsreference? Oh, yes. Yes I did.
PostedByJoe Eskenazi
on Wed, Oct 21, 2009 at 8:30 AM
Joe Eskenazi
Yep, it's the only working fireplace in the San Francisco library system. Sadly, hot toddies are not permitted.
Make of this what you will: The Harvey Milk Memorial Library in Upper Market, which will reopen on Saturday after a 20-month retrofitting and renovation, looks as good as it possibly can.
The wood paneling on the ceiling and abundant natural light combine to make the library's smallish interior look much larger than it really is. The children's section is utterly adorable.
Joe Eskenazi
The interior of the Milk Memorial library no longer looks like a teacher's lounge
And there's even an adult's section -- sort of. A working fireplace adorns the library's entrance, sandwiched in-between long, rectangular counters that all but cry out for a row of mini-skirted platinum blondes fronted by a leering Hugh Hefner in a silk smoking jacket. It's a shame you can't puff away on your Cavendish blend and sip a fine single-malt scotch in the library anymore.
Finally, thanks to the retrofitting that went along with the renovations (total cost: $5.5 million), the building is no longer so nondescript and pedestrian that it'd be a shame to be crushed by falling debris within it. Now it'd be a perfectly acceptable building to expire in, but, odds are, you won't.
PostedByJoe Eskenazi
on Wed, Oct 21, 2009 at 7:30 AM
Fiona Ma's Tweets are getting a bit, shall we say, Freudian
Following Assemblywoman Fiona Ma's Twitter feed is sort of like panning for gold. Most of the time you're not finding anything that'd inspire a prospector's jig, but every once in a while -- score! And that makes it all worth the while. That being said, Ma has demonstrated a tendency to not Tweet about gold, per se, but another material that's worth less economically, but more comically.
When we last caught up with the San Francisco assemblywoman, she was Tweeting about her meeting with Chris Parker, a Democratic candidate for the state's Board of Equalization. Apropos of nothing, however, Ma noted that Parker had a background in the field of "shoveling manure."
day Fridays at Shasta Livestock Auction. Just found out why no one sits
in the front row. Good hay loosens them up.
Wait a minute -- is that so? Are the best seats in the house at livestock auctions really reminiscent of fecal Gallagher sets? If only there was someone we could ask about this. You know, someone with extensive experience in the manure trade. Wait a minute ... is that Chris Parker's music?
PostedByJoe Eskenazi
on Wed, Oct 21, 2009 at 6:30 AM
Joe Eskenazi
Meals on wheels?
Just in time for mandatory composting, an inadvertent green statement has been made by a tippler waddling past this stripped-down motorcycle. Instead of burning fossil fuels, now the bike is serving as a recycling container.
PostedByJoe Eskenazi
on Wed, Oct 21, 2009 at 12:01 AM
Prior to yesterday's Municipal Transportation Agency meeting, board member Bruce Oka told us "This will be interesting." Whether he meant that in the connotation of "Prime Suspect is an interesting show" or "May you live in interesting times" is up for debate.
What isn't up for debate is that more than 50 speakers lined up to offer their thoughts to the MTA board that will eventually vote on whether or not to extend the city's parking meter hours. At three minutes apiece, that's two-and-a-half hours of commentary, minimum. The 2 p.m meeting lasted until just about 8 o'clock (at least that's when board member Dr. James McCray, Jr. gave us a call and offered the following play-by-play).
As you'd expect, lots of people are upset about potentially feeding the meter until midnight. According to McCray, those opposed made up the majority of the speakers, and objected for three reasons: Merchants felt they were not properly consulted; merchants and others doubted the methodology of the MTA recommendations; and neighborhood people groused about having to run outside and feed the meter to 9 p.m. or midnight. Those in favor of extended meter hours primarily used the "it's time for drivers to share the pain transit riders are feeling" line.
There you go. By the way, that's 150 minutes of commentary in a paragraph. In any event, MTA staff will study the matter further and come back to the board in "a month or two" according to McCray -- so meter enforcement isn't going to change overnight.
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.'"
