(A really big fish: as seen from above in the underwater tunnel, at the bottom of the four-story rainforest).

California Academy of Sciences
Press Preview Day
Thursday, Sept. 18, 2008
Words and photos by Jennifer Maerz

Better than: Staring at a leopard-spotted eel with 50,000 other people.

California Academy of Sciences designer Renzo Piano sees most museums as "kingdoms of darkness," our tour guide was explaining, standing next to the Cal Academy's "living roof." What he meant by that statement was that most museums have to block out the world to protect the art inside. But in a living museum like this one, light streams in from every angle and creatures of every size swim, fly, slither, and float in one of the hands-down most amazing science museums I've ever visited.

Of course, Cal Academy isn't just a science museum. It has an aquarium, a planetarium, a natural history museum, a rooftop garden, a four-story rainforest, a library, and a lot of other things I don't have the space or time to list here. But the best asset this revamped venue has in its favor is it feels like a modern monument in every sense of the word.

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Tobias Wolff at the SF LGBT Community Center
San Francisco LGBT Community Center (Market St.)
July 29, 2008
Notes and Photos by Edward Paik

Tobias Wolff has around 10 days to convince Iowa. He knows that if he can’t help spread word of Barack Obama, the senator will have little chance for serious contention in the coming democratic caucus, let alone the primaries.

So the civil rights lawyer and professor from University of Pennsylvania tours the state, speaking on behalf of Mr. Obama’s (and his own) stance on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues, in his capacity as the then-Democratic contender's chief policy adviser.

Seven months later he’ll remember these events and retell his story on a Tuesday evening at the San Francisco LGBT Community Center, but for now Wolff is on his way to Sioux City from Des Moines, a three-hour drive.

Headed to the northwest corner of Iowa, near the South Dakota border, Wolff asks a companion and Sioux City campaign staffer the question he always asks before visiting new communities.

“Tell me, what are the LGBT issues are and what people are talking about in this area?” he asked. “Tell me what is it that folks [there] care about? What do they want to hear?”

Wolff remembers the response till this day.

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Solrak of B-Side Players

"Yes We Can" Tour/Afrofunk Festival
The Independent
July 24, 2008
Notes and Photos by Alex Brant-Zawadzki

Thursday night was a wonderful night to support Barack Obama.

First, the San Francisco for Obama Meetup.com group held a get-together at Crossroads. Then, for the less-coffee-more-dancing set, the Afrofunk Festival came to town, complete with the "Yes We Can" pro-Obama tour.

Crossroads was a great time for those looking to get to know fellow Obama volunteers in an intimate setting. Old-school campaign veterans sat next to bright-eyes novices who were not just working on their first campaign, but attending their first political meeting ever. Desperate, cynical hope and naive, youthful vigor collided over coffee. Meanwhile members of the San Francisco for Obama volunteer committee, headed by Angelica Jongco, made short-but-sweet presentations, after which everyone introduced themselves. Half the point of the meeting was to be able to spot each other in crowds later.

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