San Francisco, CA

What does game day mean to you?

Will the environment be a factor in who you decide to vote for in the 2008 Presidential election?
Sound off with this election survey.

If you ever travel north to Washington State, Check out the Mammoth of the Cascades.

Here is a great article on the stratovolcanic mountain in Washington State know as Mt. Rainier.

Read More Here

Ron Paul, 2008 Presidential Candidate will be coming to San Francisco for a fundraiser on September 13th, 2007.

While in San Francisco, he will attend two fund raising events sponsored by the San Francisco Ron Paul Meetup.com group.

 A “Breakfast with Ron Paul” will be at the Palace Hotel on New Montgomery Street, in the Presidential Suite, beginning at 9am -11am. Afterwards, around noon, he will attend a event entitled “Lunch with Ron Paul” at Palio D’Asti Restaurant, located in the Financial District, at 640 Sacramento Street.

If you love freedom and liberty, and you want to help elect someone who will truly make government smaller and lawful, come out and support Ron Paul for President in 2008.

If you haven’t yet made your plans for the weekend, here are some of the things you can think about doing:

FRIDAY:

The Ant Show - Indie Band Showcase at The Red Devil Lounge. Starts at 8 p.m. - $10.

Gutter Mob Record Release Party and Fecal Face Closing Party - both from 9p.m. - 2 a.m. at 111 Minna.

Sweet Baby Jai @ Biscuits and Blues

Jay Mohr @ Cobb’s Comedy Club. Starts tonight and goes through the weekend.

SATURDAY

CharitySmith Green Tie Fundraiser Event at Bimbo’s 365

Spreading love through art - fun lecture event tonight at 10.

Soul in the City fundraiser brunch in The Castro.

The Cinema of East Germany @ SFMoMA

Pre-Labor Day Part. Learn more from Craigslist.

SUNDAY

Hipwaders CD Release show @ 12 Galaxies

Hairrison Street Fair - for the bear inside you

Did you know that there are ghosts haunting San Francisco? If you believe in that sort of thing, it makes sense that San Francisco would be a place where spirits would linger since it’s a place that’s filled with rich history and some definite periods of trauma (such as the 1906 Earthquake). Even if you don’t quite believe in the haunted tales, they’re interesting to learn about. Here are some of the places where you can go to learn more about the ghosts of San Francisco:

- The Ghosts of San Francisco - Admittedly I know quite a bit about this book since I’m its author. But I’m not ashamed to spread the word because I worked hard to do a significant amount of research on the topic, relating tales gathered from a variety of different sources.
- San Francisco Ghost Society - This is one of the most extensive resources on ghosts in San Francisco. Make sure to listen to their podcasts which provide a wealth of interesting information.
- Walking Tours - There are walking tours in the area that show off the history and information about ghosts in San Francisco. Learn more from last week’s post on the topic.
- SF Heart’s list of haunted places in San Francisco gives you the brief story about a number of reported ghost sightings. See that here.
- About.com has an interesting article on one specific haunted location in San Francisco: The Queen Anne Hotel.
- Haunted San Francisco: Ghost Stories from the City’s Past is another book about the topic. This one is by Rand Richards.

Music is important to me and so is San Francisco so it’s no wonder that I’ve got something of a collection going of songs that are about San Francisco or which reference San Francisco in some way. Here are just a few of those songs:

I Left My Heart In San Francisco - I think everyone knows this song or at least that line from the song. Admittedly, it’s not even my favorite song but I reference the line every time that I leave the city and my heart leaps out and remains behind.

Little Boxes - This song by Pete Seeger was a favorite of mine as a kid, introduced to me by my dad. It wasn’t until years later that I learned that the ticky tacky houses references in the song were related to San Francisco. Go figure, the life in SF is less tolerant of a ticky tacky kind of mainstream way of living than it is of all the oddities to be found throughout the city.

The Village People song about San Francisco. What can I say, it’s the Village People.

Lyrics by local singer songwriter Shane Papatolicas reference San Francisco in a way that is familiar to people who have spent time recently in the city.

The Be Sure To Wear Flowers in Your Hair song by Scott McKenzie is all about the hippie days in SF. And it’s perfect this year on the 40th Anniversary of the Summer of Love.

Furry Sings the Blues by Joni Mitchell. I don’t actually know if this song has anything at all to do with San Francisco but I think of it every single time that I have a reason to be on Beale Street.

There are more San Francisco songs listed on this Amazon list and at SF Heart. There’s a list of California songs on Wikipedia.

I happen to be one of those people that loves Craigslist. I use it for everything. Craigslist was the way that I found my apartment, all of my closest SF friends, and the guy that I’m seeing along with some casual dates, some tickets to stuff, rides to different cities and information about area events. I’m a firm believer in the thought that if you know what you want and you can articulate it clearly, you can get it on Craigslist, at least in San Francisco. But not everyone agrees with me. Some of my good friends say that it’s great for getting certain things and not so good for others. Here are some of the things to use Craigslist for:

- Jobs. As a freelancer, I check the gigs and writing jobs on CL every day. I check other cities as well as SF. I also regularly check the creative gigs and I contact other artists through posts in the community section for collaborative work. But I’ve heard rumors that CL isn’t so good for getting work that’s more “normal” or “steady”. Apparently this is because the jobs posted there are highly competitive so people use bigger sites like Monster.com to get jobs. So they tell me.

- Rides. Many people I know say that they feel safe using CL for things like renting an apartment but not for getting rides from random strangers. I successfully used CL to get rides to other cities and states, but I’m fairly cautious about who I meet and how I screen them. I’ve found that it’s basically normal people just like myself on CL in San Francisco which may not be as true of others areas where online interaction isn’t as common. So I think it’s fine to get rides here if you’re safe and sensible about it but I don’t know that I’d do it everywhere that CL has a portal.

- Friends, casual dates, hook-ups and relationships. Worked for me on every level. Again, I screen carefully, make common sense choices and try to be very clear about what I’m seeking and what my boundaries are. And again, I think it’s common in San Francisco for a wide range of people to be on CL.

- Apartments. I actually don’t even know how I would go about trying to get an apartment in San Francisco other than by using Craigslist. It’s how everyone does it here.

- Tickets. I actually don’t think this is the best thing to use CL for. But I know people who do it. For me, I’d rather just buy my tickets to events straight out, rather than trying to scheme for a discounted rate on anything. But that’s just a personal preference.

- Free stuff. This one is hard for me because I don’t have a car in San Francisco and anything I’d want would be big enough that I’d need a car. I wouldn’t be opposed to doing a rideshare post to get a free item that I really wanted. For people who have time and transportation, the amount of free stuff you can get is endless.

What else do you use CL for?

Well, my travel plans changed and I ended up having to stay in Los Angeles for another week. Truth be told I had fun there despite how much I talked last week about the differences from San Francisco that I don’t like so much. But there were definitely still things in San Francisco that I missed seeing.

Here are some of the things that I could have seen last week in San Francisco that I missed out on:

- 2 Great Live Music Shows - A CD release party for bilingual singer-songwriter Tiffany Joy happened at The Purple Onion in North Beach and a general live music concert by local performer Kate Isenberg was the same night over in The Mission. I missed them both because I was in Los Angeles.

- The Mission Indie Mart. I just found out about this monthly event which happens in The Mission. It’s a clothing designer event in which inie designers and other artists come together to share their stuff. There’s also some organic food and lemonade - a down-to-earth DIY affair. I’ll let you know more about it when the next one takes place.

- Sunshine, supposedly. I heard rumors that there were a bunch of sunny SF days while I was gone. Meanwhile, there were actually a couple of cloudy days where I was at. Go figure.

- The Haight. For some reason I’ve been craving a trip to The Haight. I think it’s because I haven’t been there in awhile, but I’m definitely due for a trek up there. I want to catch a flick at The Red Vic, get some mashed potatoes at Asqew and spend too much money on thrift store clothes.

If you’re trying to figure out how you’re going to spend your San Francisco weekend, here are some of the events and activities happening around town, starting with those that are going on tonight.

FRIDAY:
• Afrosolution @ Madron Lounge. Learn more: http://www.madronelounge.com/calendar.php
• Shawn Ryan orchestral concert @ Herbst Theatre. Starts at 8. Learn more: http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/eve/390070464.html
• Timmy Curran @ Hotel Utah (concert)/ Learn more: http://www.thehotelutahsaloon.com/calendar.php.

SATURDAY:
• RebelGrrl Dance Party @ Rickshaw. Learn more: http://rickshawstop.com/phpEventCalendar/eventdisplay.php?id=1143.
• Rhythm at the Palace (http://www.cityboxoffice.com/eventperformances.asp?evt=1116&c=9&pg=) – The Palace of Fine Arts is a beautiful place and they’re going to have some beautiful sounds to make it shine.
• San Francisco Birth and Baby Fair (www.birthandbabyfair.com). Hey, if that’s your thing, it’s a during-the-day affair.

SUNDAY:
• Arab Cultural Festival. Day-long event. Learn more: http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/eve/361854267.html.
• Cabaret d’Amour @ Café du Nord featuring Mademoiselle Kiki and Kitty Kitty Bang Bang (http://www.cafedunord.com/?temp=calendar).
• Family Festival from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Learn more: http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/eve/392241524.html.
• Jill Sobule concert @ Red Devil Lounge (http://www.reddevillounge.com/calendar_july.html).
• Open House and Film Screening @ San Francisco School of Digital Filmmaking (http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/eve/381845312.html).

If you aren’t afraid of getting a little bit afraid, there are some tours in San Francisco that you might think about taking. We’ve got ghosts, vampires and some terrifying history here in the Bay Area and if you want to learn more about them we’ve also got the guides that can tell you. Here are four tours to take if you want to find out what’s out there.

• Alcatraz Night Tour – This is the least scary of the four tours because it’s the one that’s not geared towards the supernatural. It’s just the history of the small island that was best known for its time as a federal prison. The night tour is really more of an evening tour; you aren’t there after dark. But the place is pretty spooky anyway. And the tour is worth checking out.
• Haunted Haight Walking Tour (http://www.hauntedhaight.com/) – Get yourself some interesting history about the historical Haight neighborhood – history with a twist. This area was filled with horror from cult activity to murders and there are said to be some spirits lingering. Do you dare to learn more?
• San Francisco Ghost Hunt Walking Tour (http://www.sfghosthunt.com/) – If you want to learn about the ghosts that haunt San Francisco, this is one of the tours where you can do it. You just show up at the assigned location at 7 p.m. any night of the week and you’ll get your local tour of the spots that are reported to be haunted. Make sure that you wear a jacket; there’s going to be an eerie chill in the air.
• San Francisco Vampire Tour (http://www.sfvampiretour.com/) – If you love Anne Rice and you wish you drank blood, you might get a kick out of this tour. Take it and find out!

If you want to get a sense of the creative spirit of San Francisco, you really only need to step outside. It’s in the air. But if you’re seeking something a bit more organized or focused, there are a number of places that you can go to see San Francisco’s artwork. Here are nine choices that you might consider checking out:

1. 111 Minna – This SoMA gallery has some sort of event going on nightly. You can see art while checking out DJs, fashion parties and magazine launches.
2. Cartoon Art Museum – Come on, San Francisco has a cartoon museum; why wouldn’t you go check it out?
3. Clarion Alley in The Mission – This is an actual alley located in the Mission neighborhood. It’s got a changing array of murals and you can often see people working on their art. It’s beautiful and interesting and interactive and wonderful.
4. DeYoung Museum – Located inside of he massively beautiful Golden Gate Park, this museum has all sorts of different stuff going on during different times of the year. Friday nights feature special events at a lower price if you want to see some of the gallery without paying for it all.
5. FLOAT – Well, this one is over in the East Bay but it’s worth noting. It’s actually a flotation center where you can go to immerse yourself in relaxation but there’s a gallery there as well.
6. Gallery 444 – For a smaller art gallery that has some beautiful paintings, this is a good choice.
7. SF Camerawork – This is a non-profit gallery that supports the work of local artists.
8. SFMoMA – There’s a reason that people go check out San Francisco’s Museum of Modern Art. It’s an amazing art space that has changing exhibits and a lot going on. You can see it for free on the first Wednesday of every month. Or simply go check out the bookstore and the building itself since there’s no charge to do that and it’s pretty neat.
9. Space Gallery – It’s as much a bar as it is an art space and there’s always something interesting going on.

You don’t want to be a tourist but you do want to see the things in San Francisco that art worth seeing. Skip the annoying tourist traps (like the stores and restaurants located all along Fisherman’s Wharf) but make sure to make a stop at these tourist attractions that even a local things you should probably see:

• Alcatraz – It’s true, this most popular of attractions is worth checking out. It’s filled with history and information and the ferry ride over there is pretty nice too.
• Cable car rides – They’re kind of fun and you can say you did them. If you’re savvy about it, you can even take one to where you really want to go so you can do the tourist thing in a functional way. See this article on how to ride them like a local.
• Chinatown – It’s overwhelmingly amazing, you should go get dim sum and some souvenirs.
• Fisherman’s Wharf / Pier 39 – I wouldn’t spend a lot of time there but you should check it out to see what it’s all about. Get clam chowder in a bread bowl from a street vendor, peek at the seals, stop at the arcade museum and move on.
• Golden Gate Park – It’s massive, there’s tons to see there, check it out.
• Sutro Baths – Located over at Ocean Beach, these ruins are interesting and you get to see your San Francisco version of the Pacific Ocean.
• Twin Peaks – Drive up here in your rental car and get one of the best full views of the city.

You’ll notice a few obvious things missing off of this list. The Golden Gate Bridge is a big one. If you want to say you’ve been there, go for it, but you can see it from afar and not really have missed anything by not walking it. Union Square is good for function (it’s near a lot of stuff, it’s great for orienting yourself if you’re lost in the city) but you don’t need to make it a point to stop there. Coit Tower is a good place to go if you’re looking for another stop on the list but it’s just a good view so if you’re going to Twin Peaks, you can skip it. And Lombard Street; it’s really just a curvy street, you don’t have to see it.

Well, the truth is that I didn’t see a whole lot of San Francisco last week because I was away for the week visiting my brother down in Los Angeles. I did see the Bay Bridge and all of the construction going on around it as I left the city and then returned again. That also means that I saw that monstrous green building going up over there which seems to be a blight on the usually beautiful San Francisco city skyline. I also saw an inordinate number of “green cars” advertising the benefits of environmental friendliness. Sounds good to me.

While in LA, I saw a lot of things that I don’t normally see in San Francisco. Just a few of these things included:
• Road rage. I never see this in San Francisco, I saw a lot of it down south.
• Smog. There was no fog down there but the sky was thick anyway.
• Traffic. It’s cliché but it’s so annoying. There were also parking lots. We don’t have too many of those around here.
• Celebrities. Well, I think so anyway. I’m not very good at eyeing them but I thought I saw a few. Although, since I occasionally see some around here, I can’t really say that’s something I don’t see in San Francisco.
• Sunshine. Yes, there’s occasionally sunshine in San Francisco but there was a whole lot more of it in Los Angeles and I have to say that was pretty darn nice.
• People swimming in the ocean. Without wetsuits. What a concept!

I don’t love Los Angeles. In fact, there are times I’ve been there that I downright disliked it. But I suppose it has its perks. Still, I’ll take the things I see in San Francisco any day over the things I saw when I was down in LA.

Trying to find something to do this weekend in San Francisco? Here are a few of the things that you might want to check out, starting with events that are happening tonight:

FRIDAY:
• Bluegrass Bonanza (http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/eve/391117133.html) @ Plough & Stars. Starts at 9 p.m. and costs $6.
• Femina Potens (www.feminapotens.com). New location celebration for this local women’s art gallery.
• Friday Nights @ DeYoung Museum (http://www.thinker.org/deyoung/calendar/day.asp?calendarid=3206&day=8%2F17%2F2007). Circus art and museum exhibits. Starts at 5 p.m. and only costs $5.
• La Leche League Trunk Show (http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/eve/381143413.html). Starts at noon and goes until four.
• Persian Girls: A Memoir book reading (http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/eve/388719227.html). Starts at 7 p.m.

SATURDAY:
• Bay Area Tap Festival and Rhythm Exchange. Learn more: http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/eve/388670130.html.
• Drag King Contest (http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/eve/389257874.html). Girls will be boys. Starts at 8.
• Hot Mamas on the Mic @ Purple Onion (http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/eve/390069195.html).
• Juxtapoz magazine party at 111 Minna. Starts at 9 p.m.
• Mission Indie Fest. Designers get together in the Mission to show off their clothing and accessories. 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
• Rock the Bells – The big Rage Against the Machine plus more concert that’s touring is coming here this weekend. Tickets may be available on Craig’s List to the sold out show but they’ll be pricey!
• Roller Derby @ Kezar (http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/eve/393685610.html) is starting up again. Watch those gals rock!

SUNDAY:
• Summer of Love Celebration in Golden Gate Park. Free concert all day long. Head to Speedway Meadows to be in the midst of the action. Seriously, it’s free and it’s interesting, why list anything else?