For those who don’t participate, SantaCon is an annual spectacle, mildly disorienting and mostly foul. If you’ve ever seen a cluster of self-saboteurs in Santa costumes collectively heaving over a gutter or stumbling about in a daze, you’ve likely been privy to the awe-inspiring merriment of SantaCon.  As a writer

Although Shannon and the Clams’ new album was completed shortly before COVID-19 seized the globe, it wasn’t forged free of tumult. In 2019, Shannon Shaw, the Clams’ magnetic front woman, was driven from her Oakland apartment by a persistent peeping tom. Later, on the eve of the Clams’ tour with

Step into a world of adventure with the San Francisco Beer Passport. There’s no better way to explore San Francisco than to literally drink it in. This passport is amazing! Each one contains 27 coupons to buy one beer, get a second beer FREE at 27 of the finest locally

What do you associate with Bill Gates?  He’s the founder of Microsoft and one of the richest men alive. Nevertheless, you may think of him as a philanthropist. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is the world’s largest private charitable entity, after all.  When you think of Bill Gates, do

The Westin St. Francis Hotel looms on the edge of Union Square, bearing silent witness to flocks of tourists and shoppers who likely know nothing of its history. Built in 1904, the St. Francis Hotel is now known to be one of the most haunted hotels in California. Many notable

Last Tuesday, on November 23, Lush Cosmetics announced that it would deactivate its Instagram, Facebook, Tik Tok, and Snapchat pages until social media platforms “can provide a safer environment for their users.”  “We wouldn’t ask our customers to meet us down a dark and dangerous alleyway – but some social

On January 1, 2021, Daphne Gottlieb sent me a message on LinkedIn.  “Happy New Year!,” it read. “I will make this shortish and sweetish. My first novel is coming out on Valentine’s Day. It’s a mix of anonymous sex, po mo theory, Scheherazade and 1001 Nights, and the search for

Anarchism means different things to different people. For some, it’s synonymous with chaos. For others, it’s a compelling alternative to structural hierarchies. Either way, it’s a loaded term, resistant to tidy definitions and often crudely portrayed. Generally, though, anarchism is anti-capitalist, as it opposes “exploitation of man by man” and

We’re all familiar with Louis Vuitton. Despite its luxury status, the brand is everywhere. If you haven’t heard the name dropped on a hip hop track, then certainly you’ve seen the signature LV monogram on passing handbags. The authenticity of the bag doesn’t matter much. The logo speaks for itself.