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.
Just because you get to go on vacation or take a weekend in Vegas doesn't mean you have to drop your dog off at the modern-day equivalent of the orphanage.
PostedByJoe Eskenazi
on Tue, Nov 24, 2009 at 4:15 PM
'Jetson, until Dec. 15 and possibly thereafter, you are not fired!'
UPDATE, 5:30 P.M.: MAYORAL SPOKESMAN SAYS NO MONEY WILL BE SPENT TO STAVE OFF LAYOFFS; DETAILS BELOW
It'd be cruel to lay off scads of city workers right before Thanksgiving -- so let's think about axing 'em right before Christmas.
Okay, it's not that simple. But that's essentially the thinking behind the Board of Supervisors' actions today, in which they potentially staved off the possibility of laying off an indeterminate number of SEIU workers in the Department of Public Health -- until next month.
In order to keep the workers on the payroll until until at least mid-December, the city will siphon $1.8 million out of a "reserve fund" within the Department of Public Health. While the term "reserve fund" conjures up images of a Scrooge MacDuck-like bin of money sitting idly, this fund is actually already earmarked to pay other workers in the department. If it is not restocked, then they will be facing departure. But, assure SEIU officials and their governmental allies, worry not: State funds are on the way.
But let's get real. The primary reason the progressives supes are contorting themselves to save SEIU jobs is pure politics. After all, many of the supervisors owe their jobs to the city's largest union -- something that has been overlooked in news coverage about the latest layoff drama.
A person stabbed by a woman at 1:55 this morning in the 900 block of Sutter Street has died, according to the Medical Examiner's office.
Information is scanty -- and even the sex of the victim will not be released until his or her family is notified -- but the incident took place in the wee hours when witnesses watched a woman end a "dispute" by stabbing someone else. The alleged killer was later detained by police.
PostedByJoe Eskenazi
on Tue, Nov 24, 2009 at 8:30 AM
Joe Eskenazi
Hello Patty
In this city even a digital camera can't contain all the images of microscopic dogs outfitted in outlandish accoutrements. But this -- this is astounding. And, what's more, there's actually a good reason for it.
Meet Patty, a remarkably mellow Pomeranian. She's not bedecked in a Snuggie-like Elizabethan collar just because it looks adorable. She's recovering from leg surgery and this getup is meant to keep her from gnawing on herself.
Patty's owner -- well, actually these are her daughter's dogs, making them her granddogs -- Yuen Byun didn't want Patty to hog the spotlight, though:
PostedByJoe Eskenazi
on Tue, Nov 24, 2009 at 7:30 AM
This image is relevant to this story, amazingly
Parking in San Francisco is such a rare commodity that people have literally killed each other over a spot. Spend 45 minutes cruising around late at night looking to get out of the car and even the most mild-mannered milquetoast can be transformed into steam-snorting maniac. So when it comes to cajoling your passenger to make him or herself useful and run and "reserve" that spot for you -- it's hardly a decision.
But, you know, it ain't legal.
San Francisco Police spokesman Officer Samson Chan affirms that standing in a parking spot and waving off rightful parkers because you've "saved" it is a violation of California Vehicle Code 21954(a).
It's a short and relatively readable section titled "Pedestrians Outside Crosswalk":
PostedByJoe Eskenazi
on Tue, Nov 24, 2009 at 7:15 AM
Of course you know, this means war
In anticipation over today's pending battle at the Board of Supervisors meeting over whether or not to spend $8 million to save 40, 100, or 500 SEIU jobs at the Department of Public Health, the union has sent out a glossy, campaign-style mailer. And Gavin Newsom is the cover boy.
But the SEIU's goal isn't to praise Newsom, but bury him -- in phone calls and e-mails.
"Gavin Newsom's Universal Health Care Plan..." reads the cover caption alongside a campaigning Newsom. Within, the pamphlet queries: "His legacy? Or a missed opportunity?" In SEIU purple-and-yellow, the mailer features photos and testimonials from, among others, General Hospital's former chief of staff, Assemblyman Tom Ammiano -- the real father of Healthy San Francisco -- and Senators Mark Leno and Leland Yee. All of them question the mayor's wisdom in moving ahead with job reassignments and layoffs and imply that the Healthy San Francisco plan will be jeopardized. And those agreeing with them are encouraged to call the mayor or supes at the conveniently listed phone numbers.
PostedByJoe Eskenazi
on Tue, Nov 24, 2009 at 6:30 AM
Every once in a while, we give a call to a veteran San Francisco police officer with 20 years of patrol experience. Naturally we phoned him up to get his take on the weekend incident in which a BART officer removing a disorderly man from a train resulted in a YouTube video titled "Officer Breaks Window With Drunks Face."
"Look, all this stuff is just hair-splitting focusing on tiny things and missing the larger issue," he said. "People want the police to come in and make dramatic changes in drunken, violent people's uncooperative behavior in the short-term. In an ideal world, we'd clear out the train, bring in extra cops and a counselor and turn everything into a hostage situation where we minimize potential injury to everyone, including the cops. Unfortunately, the world doesn't work that way. People want a perfect, hermetically sealed resolution to all these things. But when you get violent and drunk people, this is what happens."
PostedByJoe Eskenazi
on Tue, Nov 24, 2009 at 12:01 AM
Readers may recall a series of stories about a bizarre course of events in which a man who publicly condemned BART's board of directors as "servants of the devil" was subsequently awarded part of a multi-million dollar contract by that very same board.
Well Merry Christmas and Happy Chanukah to BART. It turns out the state will fork over the money and the work will get done; neither BART nor the state will even have to pay any additional funds after all of this drama. Truly, BART has fallen out the window only to land on a discarded mattress -- and found 20 bucks under the dumpster to boot.
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.'"
