A Fitting Tribute to Warren Hellman,
“The Prince of Humanity”

December 22, 2011 | 7 Comments

Guests in attendance included Rep. Nancy Pelosi; Mayor Ed Lee; Supervisors Sean Elsbernd, Mark Farrell, Malia Cohen and Carmen Chu; labor leader Tim Paulson; Chamber of Commerce director, Jim Lazarus; Police Chief Greg Suhr; United Way CEO Anne Wilson; conductor Michael Tilson Thomas; City Attorney Dennis Herrera; District Attorney George Gascon; Giants president, Larry Baer; and a huge contingent of musicians from all over the country. Filmmaker George Lucas was spotted in the upper side balcony.

Overheard in Fog City: Peskin to Name Goldstein Replacement on DCCC

December 20, 2011 | 4 Comments

Mirkarimi’s response stands in contrast to what he said when he was asked about the appointment when it was all but certified Mirkarimi had won election to Sheriff. At that time, Mirkarimi said he was “hopeful” Mayor Lee would contact him to discuss the matter.

Beautiful Mother Earth: Alive, Finite, Hurting,
Worth Dying For

December 18, 2011 | 1 Comment

It is dedicated to all who died fighting for the planet and those whose lives are on the line today. The cut was put together by Vivek Chauhan, a young film maker, together with naturalists working with the Sanctuary Asia network.

Gray Area Foundation Gala Showcases Sublime Talent, Raises Funds for New Technology Center

December 17, 2011 | No Comments

GAFFTA is the nation’s leading organization dedicated to furthering the use and advancement of art and creative technology for social good. GAFFTA maintains relationships with the world’s top academic researchers, innovative corporations, visionary artists and civic leaders. Indeed, GAFFTA Executive Director Melchor and Board Chair Peter Hirshberg introduced several high-profile individuals to the Gray-tie audience, including Aaron Koblin (Google Creative Lab), John Gage (former Chief of Research, Sun Microsystems), James Gosling (inventor of Java), Jay Nath (Director of Innovation, City Hall), and Chloe Sladden (Director of Content and Programming, Twitter).

Is Water Fluoridation Safe?

December 16, 2011 | 7 Comments

Fluoride can prevent and even reverse tooth decay by enhancing remineralization, the process by which fluoride “rebuilds” tooth enamel that is beginning to decay. In 1945, Grand Rapids, Michigan, adjusted the fluoride content of its water supply to 1 ppm and thus became the first city to implement community water fluoridation in a public water system.

Occupy Blockade Shuts Down West Coast Ports

December 13, 2011 | 6 Comments

Another trucker, of Russian descent, said he understood revolution was sometimes necessary, pointing to the 1917 revolutions in Russia that overthrew autocratic Tsarist rule and the French revolution in 1789 that overthrew the ruling absolute monarchy.

Wall Street of the Waterfront

December 11, 2011 | 1 Comment

This type of community picket action for political purposes has a long and venerable place in ILWU history. Back in 1939 longshoremen honored a picket line set up at the Port of San Francisco by the local Chinese community to stop a load of steel being sent to then-fascist Japan for its war effort, at that time focused on mainland China, but soon crossing the Pacific. Again it was used in 1977 against a South African ship in protest of that country’s apartheid policies, in 1997 against a ship loaded by scab labor in support of the dockers in Liverpool, England, in 2003 to stop a ship being loaded with war materiel bound for the just-declared war on Iraq, and most recently just a couple of years ago against an Israeli ship in protest of the Israeli military attack on the Turkish ship bringing medical and construction supplies to Gaza.

CCSF Joins Occupy Movement

December 11, 2011 | No Comments

Valdez will be the stalwart of the OccupyCCSF for the next few weeks because, as he explained, finals are upon the students and the occupiers had to pack up and go study. Valdez said that he could afford to skip out on the rest of his classes and was committed to continuing the encampment “until the cops come.” He’s running a 50 foot extension cord from his tent to an outlet of Smith Hall, and so far, the campus police “have not provided resistance.” Valdez expects more students to return in January. So far, all the feedback he’s gotten during this occupation has been positive.

Police Raid OccupySF Encampment
Outside Federal Reserve

December 11, 2011 | No Comments

Forty-five protesters were arrested for illegal lodging in the pre-dawn raid. Their belongings were confiscated. No injuries were reported.

“The police came out of nowhere,” said a citizen journalist who documented the raid live on Ustream. “I was standing here, literally just a few feet from here when they [SFPD] came running from around the corner, up the side in a mass attack.”

SF Public Defender’s Office Celebrates Nine Decades
of Delivering Justice

December 10, 2011 | 1 Comment

In 1921, the California Legislature passed the Public Defender Act after Clara Foltz, California’s first female lawyer, spent years advocating for the creation of Public Defenders’ offices to provide legal assistance to poor people in criminal law cases. Later in 1921, responding to the Public Defender Act, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance creating the Office of the Public Defender.

Matt Gonzalez Interview with Artist Joana Ubach

December 09, 2011 | 1 Comment

My artist background comes from a very traditional school, both in terms of an emphasis on figure drawing and classical composition. I am influenced by the old masters, and the acquisition of knowledge has enhanced my understanding of the direction that I want to take my art in. I feel that composition and color management are important elements of the classical tradition, and my art strives to embody traditional principles of depth and perspective. My fascination with capturing light goes beyond trying to enhance form, but also tries portray light as a form interacting with other forms. One aspect in my painting comes from the interaction of the viewer with the painting. Depending on the position of the viewer, the forms interacting with the light will change. I found this element relevant to much of the classical tradition, the ability to connect with the art from different viewing angles and receive a different experience from the art depending upon perspective.

Abolish the Death Penalty,
Replace With Life Without Parole

December 09, 2011 | 4 Comments

Thirty-four states impose the death penalty, including California and there are 41 Federal capital crimes for which the death penalty can be applied. Each state has its own list of capital crimes. For example, in 1977 California reinstated the death penalty for first degree murder under special circumstances, including murder for financial gain, murder by a person previously convicted of murder, murder of multiple victims, murder with torture, murder of a peace officer, and murder of a witness to prevent testimony.

OccupySF Protesters Retake Plaza, Police Back Down

December 08, 2011 | 2 Comments

Police moved in and ordered the protesters to leave the space, stating the plaza was closed for renovations. Most of the protesters complied with the SFPD order but a defiant group of 30 protesters remained following an SFPD clearing operation. One protester, Chris Jones, was injured during the forcible removal action. He was treated at the scene by SFFD paramedics and taken to hospital.

Pulling Back the Curtain on the Wall Street Money Machine

December 07, 2011 | 1 Comment

The Fed, it seems, was doing only what banks and the money market do for each other every day: making “liquidity” available at very low interest rates. In 2008, bank liquidity dried up after Lehman Brothers collapsed, and the banks could not get the cheap, ready credit on which their lending scheme depends. The Fed then stepped in as “lender of last resort,” doing what it had to do to keep the banking scheme going.

OccupySF: Defiant, Not Defeated

December 07, 2011 | No Comments

At noon today, activists held General Assembly in front of the Federal Reserve. Despite the ransacking of the encampment, spirits were high, and speakers were defiant. Activists made the point that there are several alternative locations for OccupySF already. A new focus on foreclosures is leading to the occupation of vacant bank-owned houses. Petitions were being circulated in support of “Josephine,” who is being evicted by Bank of America.

OccupySF: The Week That Was, Or Wasn’t

December 06, 2011 | No Comments

It is in moments like these, and probably ONLY in moments like these, that experience with police riots comes in handy. The secret is to focus on small goals and try not to get hurt. I somehow inserted myself to the center of the struggling knot of humanity at the barrier, and I positioned myself at Hacker-Camper’s ear: “You can’t get arrested until you return my phone!” Hacker-Camper releases the barricade, hands me the phone, we trade the briefest of warm smiles, and he then dives headfirst back into the fray. I look down at my phone… he had somehow installed Ustream and I was recording live!

SF Bicycle Coalition Celebrates 40 Years,
Sells Humans for Good Cause

December 05, 2011 | No Comments

A crowd favorite was the live auction of a bike ride and lunch date with District 11 Supervisor John Avalos. Making the sound of a sheep, Supervisor Avalos announced his “BAAA” legislation: the Bike Access and Anti-theft Act, to be introduced in January. This Act will require commercial buildings to either provide space for parking bikes or to allow tenants to provide such space. The intent is to keep the sidewalks clear of bikes, and to keep bikes secure for their owners. (And, yes, there is a bike room in City Hall.)