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.
When day drinkers just could not stop pissing along the train tracks at Dolores Park, where every weekend tons of revelers gather to partake in booze and other inebriants, the city came up with a great idea to make public urination acceptable: install an outdoor urinal.
Nauseating apartment ads are a dime a dozen in San Francisco, but here’s one whose particular blend of tweeness, effervescence, and rip-offness achieves a kind of artistry.
You may have slept through last night's 4.0 magnitude earthquake, but at least one U.S. Geological Service scientist wants to make sure you don't sleep again.
Tom Brocher, a scientist with the USGS, told CBS that the Hayward Fault, which produced last night's trembles, is due to produce a major earthquake "any day now."
“The population is now 100 times bigger in the East Bay, so we have many more people that will be impacted,” said Tom Brocher, a research geophysicist with the USGS.
“We keep a close eye on the Hayward Fault because it does sit in the heart of the Bay Area and when we do get a big earthquake on it, it’s going to have a big impact on the entire Bay Area,” Brocher said.
While a 2008 report put the probability of a 6.7-magnitude or larger earthquake on the Hayward-Rodgers Creek Fault system over the next 30 years at 31 percent, Brocher said the reality is a major quake is expected on the fault “any day now.”
“The past five major earthquakes on the fault have been about 140 years apart, and now we’re 147 years from that 1868 earthquake, so we definitely feel that could happen any time,” Brocher said.
Bocher has been sounding the alarm on the Hayward Fault for a while now. In 2008, he was the lead author of a USGS report that described the fault as a "tectonic time bomb" and warned that a 6.8-7.0 magnitude quake could "could cause hundreds of deaths, leave thousands homeless, and devastate the region’s economy." Among the factors that lead the report's authors to suggest that the Hayward Fault is the country's most dangerous one are the facts that it is the "single most urbanized earthquake fault in the United States" and that "critical regional gas and water pipelines and electrical transmission lines cross." You can read the full report here [pdf].
PostedByBob Calhoun
on Tue, Jul 21, 2015 at 11:54 AM
Kate Haskell/Flickr
The San Francisco Bay Area must hold a special place in the heart of confessed philanderer and Quaalude connoisseur Bill Cosby. After all, one of the most famous stand-up routines from his 1960's heyday is “Driving in San Francisco.”
Beginning July 31, Muni’s subway system between West Portal and the Embarcadero will shut down every night at 10 p.m. so the city can replace outdated radio systems and blue light emergency phones. The $95 million upgrade is slated to last six months, according to SFBay.
In what some are calling a first, a U.S. Mint police officer on Hermann Street fired a weapon this morning to repel a pit bull that was allegedly attacking passersby.
AsHoodline reports, the dog attacked a female Mint employee who tried to fend it off with a cane. The dog then went after at least three other people, including a jogger, a police officer, and a person described as “possibly homeless.” A U.S. Mint officer shot the dog in the leg.
The 4.0 magnitude earthquake that rattled Fremont early this morning was the first activity along the Hayward Fault since 1868, according to the US Geological Survey. The quake, which lasted about five seconds, was felt in more than 250 zip codes, including places as far south as Santa Cruz. Twelve aftershocks were also felt (with more possible). Luckily, no injuries or damage have been reported.
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.'"
