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

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

A Big Change to This Year’s Voter Guide We’ve been doing voter guides for a really long time. I’m pretty sure we put our first one out in like 2010 or something. And I know that thousands of you rely on our voter guides to help you make decision. But

It all began here in Oakland 55 years ago: the rise of what would become a global movement for equal civil rights under the law, for oppressed brothers and sisters of every stripe. With a “radical” idea of what equality looks like and a 10-point platform, the Black Panther Party

Hi and welcome to the BAS Weekend Wellness Column! My name is Erynne Elkins and I’m a Well-Being Advocate and Certified Breathwork Facilitator. Every Friday I’ll share a holistic wellness modality available here in the Bay Area. Cheers to good health! The art of noodling around:  an aesthetic meditation for

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” If there’s any truth to George Santayana’s words, the future of the U.S. is remarkably bleak.  According to a new study commissioned by the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, young adults in the U.S. are woefully ignorant

It’s the 161-year anniversary of Emperor Norton declaring himself “Emperor of these United States” in the pages of the 1859 San Francisco Daily Evening Bulletin. While this bizarre move catapulted Emperor Joshua Norton I to status as a beloved local cult figure for centuries, our frequent celebrations and homages to

All That Glitters is an homage to the dreamers and schemers that make the Bay Area unique. San Francisco artist Kaytea Petro uses a homemade hibiscus ink to illustrate historic photos, lovingly depicting a bygone era. More of her work can be seen at kayteapetro.com or on her Instagram. All

by Xan Holbrook As much as the world loves to pretend it doesn’t give a shit about the US election, it is the one event in world politics which draws the most deserved attention (I say deserved, as people ought to fret at least a little bit about whatever Caligula