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.
Mashing up different world cuisines is usually a popular conceit for new quick-service eateries and food trucks to make a quick buck and gain Instagram fame, but Volta has shown how well global cross-pollination works on a refined plate without stretching for novelty or pretense in the process.
PostedByLauren Smiley
on Mon, Oct 4, 2010 at 4:59 PM
The mother of Issiah Downes, an inmate in San Francisco County Jail who suffocated while being restrained by sheriff's deputies, is now suing the city for $50 million, arguing that city employees killed her 6-foot-1, 307-pound son by using excessive force.
Last month, the medical examiner concluded that 31-year-old Downes' death was a homicide from "probable respiratory arrest during prone restraint, with morbid obesity." The case is still under investigation, and the district attorney hasn't charged anyone. Yet Downes' mother isn't wasting any time. In the suit filed Friday in San Francisco Superior Court, Downes' mother, Esther, alleges that the sheriff's department knew its restraining policies used on her son were dangerous, killed him, and conspired to cover up the true cause of his death.
PostedByPeter Jamison
on Mon, Oct 4, 2010 at 4:20 PM
Henry Therkield
One of two key witnesses in the hate crime assault and criminal threatening case against Chris Brymer -- the former University of Southern California and National Football League offensive lineman featured in the current SF Weekly cover story -- now denies that Brymer threatened him, contradicting the statements of police and prosecutors.
Police had claimed in sworn court testimony that Henry Therkield told them Brymer threatened to kill him or somebody else during an encounter at a soup kitchen on July 19. But Therkield, a homeless drifter and registered sex offender, said in an interview with SF Weekly on Friday that Brymer never made such threats.
Warner's alleged Saturday arson spree took place in the 400 block of Mission Bay Boulevard at around 7 p.m.; a witness saw him hop a fence and later identified him to police.
PostedByJoe Eskenazi
on Mon, Oct 4, 2010 at 2:30 PM
Earlier this year, San Francisco Giants broadcaster Duane Kuiper -- who can't turn off the games when they become unwatchable -- turned to broadcast partner Mike Krukow and uttered "Giants baseball: Torture."
It's a phrase fans have taken to in describing a low-scoring team that drove nailbiting supporters insane -- en route to 92 wins and a divisional crown. But is it a phrase Kuiper could trademark and use to turn torture into profit? An attorney SF Weekly contacted has an answer:
PostedByJoe Eskenazi
on Mon, Oct 4, 2010 at 1:59 PM
When Elvis Costello's in town, people can be forgiven for missing some peripheral details and focusing on the artist formerly known as Declan MacManus.
That being said, it was hard to miss Hardly Strictly Bluegrass impresario Warren Hellman's Semitic Sergeant Pepper jacket, complete with sequins, Stars of David, and Hebrew. This is not the sort of attire one expects a man richer than Croesus to wear. What's it all about?
San Francisco-based bag-maker, Chrome Industries, offered free tattoos at the recent Interbike show in Las Vegas. Of course, this all depends on your definition of the word "free": The promotion apparently included a logo-tattoo-for-schwag deal whose meager rate of exchange suggest the possibility of a Black Tuesday-like plummet in the value of skin-based advertising.
In 1999, taqueria Casa Sanchez offered free lunch for life to customers with a company logo tattoo. Back then, taqueria owners gagged when they realized that the four dozen or so tattooed customers could theoretically eat $5.8 million worth of lunches. Fast-forward to the less-for-more present. The blog thebikebrothers says Chrome offered a bag and a pair of shoes -- total value just over $200 -- for trade show attendees willing to get a Chrome logo tattoo. If true, that suggests that, in just 10 years, the value of a logo tattoo has dropped by around $99,800, representing a possible 99.997 percent decrease in on-skin ad rates.
PostedByJoe Eskenazi
on Mon, Oct 4, 2010 at 11:59 AM
Bernal Heights residents were witnesses to a first date gone horribly awry Friday, as a woman drove past her suitor -- and into more than a dozen parked cars.
Eyewitnesses described a scene less resembling a night on the town but a demolition derby. Residents in the 500 block of Ellsworth watched a driver identified by police as 28-year-old Denina Goldberg drive past her intended date -- and into a brand-new Volkswagen Jetta. With her paramour and the owner of that car in pursuit on foot, Goldberg careened into a dozen vehicles. At one point she purportedly reversed, left her fender -- and license plate -- lying in the middle of the road, then motored off to hit more cars.
While employers nationwide expected they'd have to let go employees hired under the federal program, more than 100 workers at San Francisco's biggest user of the program, the Internet Archive, will continue scanning books into the digital library today like there is, indeed, a tomorrow.
PostedByJoe Eskenazi
on Mon, Oct 4, 2010 at 8:05 AM
Snoop's a fan of USC -- and the Supreme Court, it would seem
A 13-year-legal battle over a pair of letters from the alphabet ended today when the Supreme Court declined to hear a case between USC and USC determining which school owns the right to market paraphernalia emblazoned with the "SC" logo.
PostedByJoe Eskenazi
on Mon, Oct 4, 2010 at 7:25 AM
You know where Horacio Toure will be this morning -- even without the aid of a high-tech iPhone with a tracker on it.
Toure, the man who made international headlines as perhaps the world's unluckiest thief, is in court today for Day Two of his criminal trial. He is accused of stealing an iPhone -- but not just any iPhone. Toure is charged with yanking the phone of David Kahn, CEO of Mountain View's Covia Labs, right in the midst of a demonstration of its new real-time tracking program, "Alert and respond."
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.'"
