Death

28 Dec 2022

What I Learned at an Active Shooter Workshop

“No guarantees,” said Deputy Chief Ken Craig throughout the evening. “You won’t know how you’re going to respond until it happens.” The ominous disclaimer hushed the room as one by one, we placed ourselves at the center of a worst-case scenario. What would you do if, on a night out

1
30 Nov 2022

Locking Up the Mentally Ill, Involuntarily, is Making A Comeback

New York City Mayor Eric Adams just announced his initiative to renew involuntary commitment. A “common misunderstanding persists that we cannot provide involuntary assistance unless the person is violent,” said Adams, with the New York Times reporting. “Going forward, we will make every effort to assist those who are suffering

1
22 Nov 2022

Fentanyl Crisis Claims Over 500 Lives

“As society degrades, a broader segment of it will choose drugs, moving images, dormancy. Yet this subset will cling, surprisingly, to a single public duty: that of electing a ruling class.” —Author Miles Klee, June 2012 A grim new statistic has emerged in the wake of 2022’s messy midterm elections.

2
22 Nov 2022

Satire: Waymo Officially Given License to Kill

Shortly before two o’clock last Friday, Waymo announced its autonomous vehicles now have license to kill.  “We’re very excited for this innovative new technology to hit the streets,” said California Public Utilities Commission representative Sarah Desk, “and some people.” Cal-PUC granted Waymo a Pilotless Permit pearlier this month, marking any

1
15 Nov 2022

Would You Share Your Intrusive Thoughts?

A recent trend with a storied past has emerged with a new phrase in its mouth. Intrusive thoughts are fetching social media buzz. Facebook groups, Instagram stories, BuzzFeed and YouTube videos, all getting it wrong. You don’t lose sleep, stop eating, and consider suicide because of some stupid impulse or

0
25 Oct 2022

Should You Get Married at Mission Dolores Basilica?

Sure, you can marry your fiancé in the Mission Dolores basilica, but should you? If you knew what really happened there, would you? Mission Dolores is a monument to the massacre of San Francisco’s true Natives. You shouldn’t want to get married there. Unfortunately, desecrating sites of unspeakable human tragedy

5
05 Oct 2022

Why I left Portland and Returned to San Francisco

While friends in both cities asked why I planned to return, they asked the same question two different ways. Portland asked with the doubt of a dysfunctional parent, one who knows the answer and resents it. “It’s so expensive there. Isn’t that why you left in the first place?” I

3
28 Sep 2022

The Other Unexpected Hazard on San Francisco’s Streets

San Francisco is not the Windy City, nor is it the state’s deadliest for pedestrians (that nefarious award goes to Concord, California). Nevertheless, the City by the Bay contains several spots where strange weather, extreme geography, and a rigid urban grid intersect. Two maps, one of our breeziest streets, the

0