Beware of young women in formal wear.

Four women dressed in formal attire carjacked a Suisun City man from the parking lot of a Suisun City 7-Eleven late Saturday night, according to police.

The victim had pulled into the parking lot at the 7-Eleven at 801 Sunset Avenue around 11:30 p.m. and was opening his car door when four women approached him, one of them pushing into his lower back something he suspected was a gun, Suisun City police reported.

The group of four, who were in their early 20s, forced the man back into the driver’s seat and made him follow another, black-colored vehicle to Fulmar Drive.

At that point, the women started to beat the victim with their hands and feet and an unknown object, according to police.

source: SFGate.

I swear, never a dull moment in the Bay Area. Be careful this prom season!

Dorkbot SF, where people do “strange things with electricity” is having several awesome presentations and demos tonight at rxGallery — and since being featured ot CNN in the article Unleash your inner geek at ‘Dorkbot’, we’re really going to be getting our dork on tonight! Like being featured on Geek Entertainment TV wasn’t enough…

At the rxGallery (132 Eddy, 21+ over only; free but donations make dorks happy) starting at 7:30, be prepared to see some major dorkage from:

Mikey Sklar – DIY RFID Implants; Craig Latta – Quoth: Interactive fiction meets musical livecoding. Plus, open dorking from Wendy Tremayne – DIY workshop and creative reuse of clothing; Nigel Helyer – sound art currently at the Exploratorium; Fuze Factory – a/v break-pop live act from Switzerland; Bill Jarrold – humans as feedback to AI systems; and some kind of surprise…

* Full disclosure; I’m a 2x Dorkbot presenter.

Last week, construction began for LEED-certified condos at 300 Berry St. called Arterra. That means that they will meet standards for “sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.” Plus, they will be right next to the CalTrain station and Muni.

They sound very cool and not your typical, boring new housing development:

The three-level complex will be the first San Francisco building clad in Trespa, smooth and colorful panels produced with recycled materials. It will have natural coastal grass-covered roofs on parts of the fourth, sixth, and tenth floors, a high thermal insulation glazing system with operable windows and a water-efficient landscape design. Interiors will be built with rapid renewal materials, like bamboo and cork, and energy-efficient appliances.

San Francisco Business Times via SFHomeBlog.com

I read with disbelief and a wee bit of ire that the Supes have voted to close large chunks of Golden Gate Park to vehicle traffic on weekends for a 6 month period.

Initial passage of the legislation — which would shut the main drags in the park’s east side on Saturdays for a six-month trial — was a victory for cyclists, joggers and advocates of green space. The streets already are closed on Sundays.

The ordinance was vehemently opposed by Inner Sunset neighborhood and Richmond District residents concerned about the impact it would have on demand for already scarce street parking just outside the park. It also was fought by advocates for disabled people, who see barring cars as tantamount to putting up an unwelcome sign on the city’s signature greenbelt.

The measure as well drew the ire of supporters of cultural institutions lining the Music Concourse who worry about a loss of visitors and who mounted campaigns that helped to defeat earlier efforts to close park roadways

[jump] The six-month trial closure would affect 1 1/2 miles of roadway and mimic the Sunday closure of John F. Kennedy Drive between Kezar Drive and Transverse Drive, a routine that has gone on for 39 years and is favored by bicyclists, runners and other parkgoers.

During the period, city officials would gather information on changes in park usage, traffic and parking patterns, and adjustments that could be made to public transit to support the program.

It’s not law yet and even if so, it’s a short term test. I think it’s a bad idea. Especially given the parking strapped neighborhoods (like mine) that would be most hurt by the ban. Kudos, however, to my neighborhood Supervisors Fiona Ma (across the street) and Sean Elsbernd (my house) for again casting the thoughtful vote to preserve park access for everyone.

The title reads “A new sexual health cell phone text messaging service for young people in San Francisco” on the front page of sextextsf.org. A new website from the folks at ISIS or Internet Sexuality Information Services. The site’s stated purpose is “to give info and advice to San Francisco youth about STDs, HIV, birth control, sexual health services, and more” but seems to be pretty thin so far. Take for example you can read the entire codex of knowledge in one single page and not have to pick up your phone at all. And take for example that they only have 11 questions that you can possibly ask but have 16 people on their advisory board. Honestly. A website hacker and a sex-ed book could have developed this and put in more useful and pertinent info and probably even designed a better looking website in an afternoon. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for sex info for the kids. I just get a little pissy when it’s tax dollars creating a crappy product in the website capitol of the known universe is all. There is more info in this Chronicle article including the estimated cost of the program at $2500 a month. Weak.

Take one iSight camera, one car, some tape and presumably a laptop. Combine these with a drive across the city and you get this cool little video tour. It starts off at the ball park (I have no idea what they’re calling it this week) and goes all the way to the Golden Gate Bridge. I don’t agree with the musical choice but the tour lets you get to see the city without actually having to sit in traffic. I sold my car a year ago and use public transportation 99% of the time now but for some reason my palms got all sweaty as he drove through city traffic. I guess I’m not over my traffic trauma just yet.

In 1994, Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley Jr. were convicted of the vicious slayings of three eight-year-old boys in West Memphis, Arkansas. Had it not been for two HBO documentaries, and help from such celebrities as Winona Ryder, Henry Rollins, Eddie Vedder, Supersuckers and Metallica, the world might have thought justice was served. But the camera revealed the two highly publicized trials to be bizarre, twentieth-century witch-hunts. The three teens were convicted with no physical evidence in what should have resulted in mistrials. The police botched the investigation, and lost evidence that might have exonerated the defendants. Echols awaits death by lethal injection in solitary confinement. Baldwin received life without parole, and Misskelley got life plus forty. To learn more about the WM3, visit wm3.org.

111 Minna Street Gallery will be hosting a reception for death row inmate Damien Echols of the West Memphis Three on May 12th. “Skeleton Key” will be premiering pieces by Damien Echols as well as several other artists to raise funds for his defense. This one-night-only event includes music, speaking, and poetry readings by punk legend Henry Rollins, veteran rocker Jonathan Richman, former Misfits front man Michale Graves, Penelope Houston of The Avengers, Jacob Pitts of Comedy Central’s Strangers With Candy, former San Francisco Supervisor Matt Gonzalez. Jello Biafra is tentatively scheduled. The gallery showing starts at 12:00 PM includes works by artists of international fame. Pieces by Grove Pashley, Shepard Fairey, Ford Minton, Chad Robertson and Emmeric Konrad are just a few of the exhibit’s many surprises. Local DJs Marco Vega and DJ Evil Justin will spin tunes between sets. Minimum $10 donation advanced tickets at Ticketweb.com. Visit 111minnagallery.com or call 415.974.1719 for more information.

“Hooping” has been around for literally thousands of years. The first hoops were made out of vines and stiff grass, and used by ancient Greeks and Egyptians to loose weight. The term “hula” was added much much later when sailors noticed the hula dance of the Hawiaans was similair to that of a hooper.

In 1957 the Hoop was re-invented for the masses, by toy company Wham-O. A recently invented plastic, called Marlex, helped speed production along. Known as the one of the biggest fads of the ’50′s, Wham-O sold more than 100 million hoops in just two years. The fad faded away, and a little later the World Circus added (many) hoops to their circus acts.

Today hooping has taken on a new identity. I am sure if you are a resident of Black Rock City you’ll know what I am talking about. What’s great about this new identity is that hooping now in incorporating tons of dance styles and even creating new ones – while giving you a kick-ass workout.

I have had the pleasure of watching the fabulous Christabel Zamor (above) perform several times, and each time I am more and more mesmerized. Her performance is just goddamn beautiful. Christabel incorporates her own unique style of groovin’ with West African, Afro-Cuban, Middle Eastern, and Indian temple dancing. Sometimes using two hoops or even another dancer, she puts on a show you don’t want to miss. She also gets that killer workout I mentioned, and offers classes in two levels to show you how to get your ass in shape, with just a little wiggle in your hips. The next beginner class starts on May 16, so sign up now!

Related: Christabel Zamor – http://www.hoopgirl.com.
Photo by Ashton Boni for Nitevibe.

I am so excited about going down to Coachella this weekend! I know this topic is more appropriate for blogging.la, but I figured, if folks like me are going to take two days off of work and drive all of the way down there from the Bay Area, then it counts here too!

This is what I love about living in the Bay Area. I can be snowed in at Kirkwood and miss a day of work one weekend, then go to a music festival in the desert the following weekend.

The skateboarding world (and San Francisco) lost one of it’s most prolific personalities last weekend. Fausto Vitello died from a heart attack while on a bike ride with his best friend. May he forever rest in peace and continue to inspire generation after generation with his incredible accomplishments.

In the words of his son: “He was skateboarding’s saving grace. When the industry was in the gutter, he gave it mouth to mouth. When corporate types tried to step, he remained independent.”

Read Tony’s (his son) incredible morning after obit.

Having buried my father way too early, I can feel his loss in an incredibly personal way. I grew up skating myself, and the skate culture of San Francisco was a major pull for me in choosing to move here. I proudly live on one of SF’s finest skating hills, 9th Avenue. Thank you Fausto, thank you Dad.
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