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.
According to Indian thought, we have seven centers of spiritual power on our bodies called chakras, starting from our reproductive organs all the way up to the top of our heads.
The world nearly stopped last year when rumors that this well-graffitied, deeply historied Market Street rock 'n' roll bar would be knocked down and turned into condos started circulating.
Last week, we wrote about how, after 18 consecutive rejections, the city's Ethics Commission finally took up a case forwarded its way by the Sunshine Ordinance Task Force -- and, in doing so, revealed the utter toothlessness of the city's Sunshine Ordinance.
This week it becomes clear the Sunshine Ordinance isn't just toothless, it's also gumless. It may not even have a mouth.
Here's the backstory:
Without getting into the nitty-gritty, of what the Sunshine Ordinance is,
it's a pretty clear violation of it for a commission president to shout
down a would-be public speaker. That's what Library Commission head
Jewelle Gomez did to Sue Cauthen, who, naturally, complained. Here's
where it gets interesting.
click to enlarge
While the Ethics Commission determined Gomez had, unabashedly, violated the law, it also found that it had no power of enforcement over her. Because of a freight train-sized loophole in the Sunshine Ordinance, the only people Ethics can actually punish for violating it are "elected officials, department heads, or other managerial city employees."
Gomez, a volunteer appointee of erstwhile Mayor Gavin Newsom, can -- and did -- break the law. But there's no provision for punishing her.
So much for "equal justice under the law"! Ethics' solution was to write to Mayor Ed Lee asking him to do something about this. That letter was sent earlier this week -- you can read it here. If you're looking for an example of strongly worded rhetoric, you'll have to look elsewhere.
"The Commission voted to recommend that you consider taking steps to remove Ms. Gomez from her appointed office in light of her actions," it reads.
If you're counting at home, that's three modifiers prior to giving Gomez the axe -- they recommend that Lee consider taking steps to do so.
Lost in all of this, as SF Weekly noted last week, is that Ethics was far more mesmerized by the video of Gomez behaving terribly at the Library Commission meeting than it seemed to be with the merits of the case (you can hear, but not see, the uncomfortable exchange at just after the 20-minute mark of the video below.
Ethics included the video of Gomez' infraction along with its letter to Lee. More than the technical description of the commission president not allowing a speaker to opine -- but allowing her to do so later, on a slightly different topic -- this video is what imparted the severity of the violation.
Huh. If you're looking for silver linings, here's one: Finally we have an example of irony that doesn't involve diabetics being run down by insulin trucks.
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.'"
