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.
PostedByMax DeNike
on Tue, Jun 21, 2016 at 11:21 AM
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March for Environmental Hope
A real thing, Jimmy.
If truth is stranger than fiction, it should come as no surprise that Friday marks the start of the first-ever pro-nuclear power march — probably in world history — and it all starts in San Francisco.
The March for Environmental Hope, a four-day trek from the City by the Bay to Sacramento, is being pitched as a family-friendly event — and in this case that means more than funnel cakes and bounce houses.
Organizers are hoping to tug on the collective heart strings of America by making this about the children, as in leaving them with a less-polluted Earth. And it might work.
PostedByChris Roberts
on Fri, Feb 5, 2016 at 1:50 PM
Earlier in the week, evidence of the good time we're all having with Super Bowl 50 washed up on the beach at Aquatic Park, where National Parks Service rangers spent a few hours raking up what appeared to be the empty shells and scraps from spent fireworks.
Environmental groups like S.F. Baykeeper have contacted who they believe to be the responsible party: a fireworks company hired by Macy's, which set off a bunch of fireworks earlier in the week to mark the opening of San Francisco's current crown jewel, the Baghdad Green Zone fortified encampment known as "Super Bowl City."
And tonight, when the retailer is expected to fund yet another pyrotechnics spectacular, Macy's totally promises not to trash the beaches again. Because the one lesson of Super Bowl 50 is this: learning from your mistakes. Right?
PostedByAdam Brinklow
on Mon, Dec 21, 2015 at 4:10 PM
Bay on the Brink
Warning signs.
If you were driving northbound on US-101 toward San Mateo last week, you may have noticed a new billboard with an alarming announcement:
“IN THE NEXT SEVERE STORM, THIS FREEWAY WILL BE UNDERWATER.”
This disconcerting news is brought to you by Our Bay on the Brink, a public outreach campaign cooked up by environmental groups and big businesses anxious about the potential for devastating floods that will inflict tens of billions of dollars in damages throughout the Bay Area’s low-lying regions.
Sometime in the next couple of decades, a storm the likes of which California hasn’t seen in a century-and-a-half is going to swamp us. But this isn’t about climate change or rising sea levels (although those greatly exacerbate the risk). These kinds of storm are part of Mother Nature’s business as usual.
"The sun, moon and the earth are in proper alignment," sayeth the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admistration's latest San Francisco weather alert, not to urge you to start a new fitness routine or get back in touch with an old friend, but to "encourage the largest tidal cycle of the season." The so-called King Tides, which began yesterday and will continue through tomorrow afternoon, have prompted coastal flooding warnings throughout California.
Tides in Northern California could increase water levels by as much as 8 feet, according to the California King Tides Project. The group (a coalition of government agencies and non-profits) wants Californians to use this opportunity not just to gawk at the admittedly exciting view of water spilling over the Embarcadero, but to imagine our future when the sea level rises — a future scientists generally agree is imminent.
The Marine Mammal Center in Sausolito has had quite a year. After spending the first 10 months of the year rescuing record-breaking numbers of seals and sea lions — more than ever before in its 40-year history — the center is now facing an influx of malnourished northern fur seal pups.
PostedByChris Roberts
on Wed, Nov 18, 2015 at 11:23 AM
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Pixabay.com
You knew about the mercury in your ahi tuna, the neurotoxin in your Dungeness crab, and the drought that's killing off the salmon population. Our delicious friends from the deep now face another threat, according to researchers at the University of California, Davis — your clothes and your washing machine.
And this is not due to a great Lululemon patch off of Hawaii. The fabric in the fish, according to the researchers, ended up in the ocean thanks to our washing machines.
We’ve known for a while that California is slowly sinking into the ocean, and, locally, we’ve heard a lot of speculation about what this means for San Francisco. One scenario, put forth by the Obama administration last year, has SFO’s runways potentially underwater by 2050. Another scenario, introduced last month, is that the bay could rise 16 to 55 inches by 2100, with torrential storms and “king tides” overwhelming infrastructure that’s not designed to withstand flooding. (And consider this your friendly reminder that climate change is really happening.)
Now, a major new report from theSan Francisco Public Press offers one of the most comprehensive and alarming views yet of what the future could hold for our fair city. Namely: A waterfront that’s more water than land.
A magnitude 3.3 earthquake rattle San Jose this afternoon. As Kron 4 reports, the quake happened at 4:07 p.m. along the Calaveras fault. It was centered 11 miles east of San Jose.
A multi-million dollar startup celebrating a big acquisition may have just launched themselves into the middle of the latest Dolores Park culture war.
A tipster tells SF Weekly that Twice, a Mission District clothing resale startup hot off being bought up by eBay, was out in Dolores Park yesterday in full celebration mode, drinking champagne, eating pizza, and launching confetti in the air. But when the party was over, the park remained covered in their refuse, with one Twice cofounder chalking the affair up to "#startuplife."
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.'"
