Gallery: Empire Invades AT&T Park for San Francisco Giants’ Star Wars Day

• By Angela Watercutter
• From http://www.wired.com/

SAN FRANCISCO — A steady stream of Darth Vaders, Princess Leias, Boba Fetts and, of course, Stormtroopers descended on AT&T Park here Sunday as the world-champion San Francisco Giants played host to the Empire for Star Wars Day.

In a city known for its geek fascinations, seeing Jedi mix with hard-core baseball fans is not an uncommon occurrence, but the Giants' game against the Arizona Diamondbacks was the first-ever Star Wars Day for the franchise.

And the team went all-out. Fans got a pre-game costume contest, a post-game screening of Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back in the stadium, Stormtroopers guarding the field during the "Star-Spangled Banner," giveaway statues of Giants closing pitcher Brian Wilson — frozen in carbonite, Han Solo-style — and the opportunity to generally geek out throughout the game.

"We don't even know what the score is," said 33-year-old Ryan Flores, above right, who came in a Giants bounty hunter uniform. Flores told Wired.com that he and his Boba-Fett-meets-Giants-costumed friend, Robin Lopez, 31 (above left), were distracted from the game's play-by-play due to fans wanting pictures with the pair.

Not that Flores minded. He noted that he and Lopez had been happy to take pictures, making them each a Star for the day.

"I'm a geek and if I can make a little kid smile, that makes my day," Flores said.

During the game, Giants players were shown in Jedi garb in their photos on the stadium's giant screen. Between innings, the park showed Star Wars clips, including one featuring the team's mascot, Lou Seal, inserted into key scenes from the film franchise — changes that went over better with fans than last week's addition of Darth Vader screaming "No!" in the upcoming Blu-ray version of Return of the Jedi.

In the end, though, the Force was stronger with Star Wars fans than with the Giants, who lost to the Diamondbacks 4-1 after an 8th-inning rally by the Arizona team.

Click through the gallery above to get a taste of San Francisco baseball's geekiest day, and, as one fan's sign said, "May the SForce be with you."

World's only remaining 'Ghost Car' headed for auction... incredible images of the Plexiglas Pontiac expected to fetch almost $500,000

By Daily Mail Reporter

An extraordinary transparent car is set to fetch as much as $475,000 when it goes up for auction.

The motor, dubbed the 'Ghost Car', is a Pontiac Deluxe Six which, bizarrely, has been covered in the see-through material Plexiglas.

Built in 1939 by General Motors and chemical company Rohm and Haas at a cost of $25,000, it was the first transparent full-sized car to be made in America.

One of a kind: The 1939 motor is a Pontiac Deluxe Six which has been covered in Plexiglas, developed just a few years earlier in 1933

Innovative: General Motors and chemical company Rohm and Haas built the vehicle for $25,000 - an astronomical price during the 1930s

A BRIEF HISTORY ON THE PIONEERING PLEXIGLAS PONTIAC

• The collaboration between GM and Rohm & Haas was made for the 1930-1940 World's Fair in San Francisco
• At a cost of $25,000, it was the first transparent full-sized car to be made in America
• Two Ghost Cars were made but the 1939-1940 Pontiac Deluxe Six is the only won known to survive
• It toured the nation's dealerships and went on display at the Smithsonian until 1947, and was subsequently owned by a series of Pennsylvania Pontiac dealers
• This model has a three-speed transmission, a six-cylinder engine, coil spring independent front suspension, live rear axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs and four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes

Billed as a vision of the future, it was made for the 1939-40 New York World's Fair, where it became a sensation at General Motors' 'Highways and Horizons' pavilion; and it continues to cause a stir today.

Just two were ever made and this model, which has a three-speed manual transmission, and is thought to be the last of its kind.

It has clocked up just 86 miles in its lifetime; and now its set to go on sale for the first time since the early 1980s. It last sold for an undisclosed amount.

American auctioneers RM expect it to sell for between $275,000 and $475,000 when it goes under the hammer on July 30.

A spokesman for RM Auctions said: 'The car is in a remarkable state of preservation.

'It's a testament to the longevity of Plexiglas in an era when automotive plastics tended to self-destruct within a few years.

'Although it has acquired a few chips and cracks, it is structurally sound and cosmetically clear, showing off the Ghost Car's innards as it did in 1939.

'This motor still turns heads as much as it ever did. It is not, obviously, suited for touring but as a unique artefact from automotive and cultural history.'

Ready for the road: A Pontiac Deluxe Six as it would have appeared in car showrooms in the late 1930s

Seventy-two years of wear: The Plexiglas does have some chips and cracks but is mostly in good condition, according to auction notes

The car has was the result of a collaboration between General Motors and Rohm & Haas, who developed the ground-breaking material Plexiglas in 1933.

The material went on to be used in military planes during World War II and then expanded in to signs, lighting, fixtures, trains and other cars.

Rohm & Haas used drawings for the Pontiac four-door Touring Sedan to create an exact replica body out of the transparent acrylic.

It was completed with structural metal underneath, which was given a copper wash, and chrome-plated hardware.

Rubber moldings were made in white, as were the car’s tires. The only recent mechanical work has been replacement of the fuel lines.

The model also boasts an L-head six-cylinder engine, coil spring independent front suspension, live rear axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs, and four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes.

According to the GM Heritage Center, a second car, on a Torpedo Eight chassis, was hurriedly constructed for the 1940 Golden Gate Exposition on Treasure Island, a man-made island in San Francisco Bay.

Not for touring: The collectible is unlikely to be seen on the road

Transparent: Wires and a spare wheel can be seen through the trunk of the car

Once their respective showcases had closed, both 'Plexiglas Pontiacs,' or 'Ghost Cars' as they were sometimes known, toured the nation’s dealerships. The 1939-40 Deluxe Six is the only one known to survive.

Following the dealership tour, it went on display at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. and was reportedly there until 1947.

It was later owned by a succession of Pennsylvania Pontiac dealers. It appeared at the first annual meet of the new Pontiac-Oakland Club International in 1973 and was purchased by Don Barlup of New Cumberland, Pennsylvania. Barlup commissioned a partial restoration from S&H Pontiac of Harrisburg and sold it to collector Leo Gephart in 1979.

The current owner’s father purchased it from Gephart in the early 1980s, and it has remained in the same family ever since.

Not surprisingly, it has no conventional vehicle identification number; even the machined boss for the engine number is blank.

A collection of period photos and other memorabilia accompanies the car, which still turns heads as much as it ever did.

Mechanics: The model has an L-head six-cylinder engine, coil spring independent front suspension, live rear axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs, and four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes

Turning back the clock: The dial on the 1939 car shows the wear of its 72 years

At the wheel: The steering wheel features rings of chrome-plated hardware, and Pontiac's insignia in red

Artefact: The car has clocked up just 86 miles in its lifetime; and will to go on sale for the first time since the early 1980s

Sensation: Billed as a vision of the future, the car was made for the 1939-40 New York World's Fair in San Francisco, pictured here

Vintage: The Transparent Car, on display at General Motors' 'Highways and Horizons' pavilion in 1939, has continued to cause a stir since its debut

American Airlines Switching From Paper to iPads, Will Save $1.2 million In Fuel

by Jaymi Heimbuch

from: http://www.treehugger.com/

Photo by lrargerich via Flickr CC

American Airlines is eyeballing iPads as a light-weight way to carry flight charts. And the company guesses the change will save it over a million dollars a year in fuel costs.

The move towards digitization and dematerialization is hitting the airlines now. MarketWatch reports that American Airline pilots have started testing out US-approved iPad tablets as a way for going paperless. A 1.5 lb tablet device will carry maps and other paperwork that can weigh as much as 35 lbs, saving space in the cockpit as well as removing excess weight from the flight.

The airline estimates a savings of $1.2 million a year in fuel costs alone -- not to mention how much will be saved in paper. Plus, the pilots will likely have an easier time accessing the information with the ability to zoom in on maps or easily find particular data.

The transition also marks a change in allowing electronic devices to be turned on during take-off and landing. According to MarketWatch, this will be the first time use of the device is allowed during all phases of flight. But that certainly doesn't mean passengers will be allowed to use their own iPads during these times.

Meanwhile, Alaska Air is looking to go the same route, providing iPads to its pilots for manuals, though maps will still be provided on paper.

The carbon footprint comparison of tablet devices vs paper is getting a whole new component with this use. Normally we hear about issues such as electricity consumption, durability, and lifespan, but now we'll also have to weigh in how much fuel is saved during travel by carrying a tablet instead of piles of paper.

Apple Insider reports that Samsung is also wanting to help airlines go paperless, with Galaxy Tab devices offered as entertainment devices for passengers. However, they aren't able to replace flight charts like iPads can because they aren't able to run the FAA-approved flight charting app.

One man, 100,000 toothpicks, and 35 years: An incredible sculpture of San Francisco

flickr.com — The elaborate sculpture is comprised of multiple “tours” that move pingpong balls through neighborhoods, historical locations, and iconic symbols of San Francisco, all recreated with a little glue, some toothpicks, and an incredible amount of ingenuity.

CLICK HERE FOR SLIDESHOW: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tinkering_studio/sets/72157626359200567/show/

Scott Weaver's Rolling through the Bay from Learning Studio on Vimeo.

Scott Weaver's amazing piece, made with over 100,000 toothpicks over the course of 35 years, is a depiction of San Francisco, with multiple ball runs that allow you to go on "tours" of different parts of the city. It will be on display in the Tinkering Studio until the end of June!

tinkering.exploratorium.edu

Mmmm….Fresh Bread at San Francisco’s Boudin Bakery

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From: http://www.vivaboo.com/

There’s something about the smell of freshly made bread. Before you even get there, you can smell it….the freshly made sourdough French bread. The smells flood your senses and you are drawn in as if you were being pulled along. Keep walking, it’s not far…San Francisco’s renowned Boudin Bakery is just ahead.

Image by wallyg
It started way back in 1849, when the Boudin family opened the original Boudin French Bakery. Just a tiny little bakery, amongst many others in San Francisco, the Boudin Bakery brought something new to the table….a little bit of old world taste. As the story goes, it was the wild yeast that make their bread a little tart. It was that same tartness that brought into existence what is affectionately known today as “San Francisco sourdough French bread”.
Keeping true to the Boudin family heritage, that sourdough recipe is still used to this day. And unbeknown to many, a small portion of the original “mother dough” is used to start each and every day’s batch of sourdough bread.
Something else that makes the Boudin Bakery a place to go…besides the fresh sourdough bread, wonderful clam chowder in sourdough bread bowls, etc….is the fact that they make their bread in all shapes and sizes, right before your very eyes.
There are sourdough turtles, lobsters, crabs, teddy bears, alligators and more. There is even a 5-foot sourdough alligator…try taking that guy for a walk.
So, follow your senses (or your GPS) the next time you are in San Francisco and you’ll be sure to come across the wonder that is the Boudin Bakery.

Images by Loren Javier and Nemo’s great uncle

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Image by Steel Wool

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Image by wallyg

Image by Nick Busse

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Image by danielabsilva

Image by foreverdigital

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Image by cheukiecfu

Image by greychr

Image by Steel Wool

Image by Steel Wool

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San Francisco Circumcision Ban Aims to Spice Up Your Sex Life

By Joe Eskenazi
From http://blogs.sfweekly.com/

Soon to be punishable under modern law?

​
Read full text of proposed circumcision ban at bottom of this article

If a San Francisco man named Lloyd Schofield gathers a shade over 7,000 signatures, San Franciscans will actually get the chance to vote on whether or not to ban the practice of circumcision.

Coming on the heels of this month's Happy Meal ban, it seems there's nothing this city can't prevent you from putting into or taking off of your body.

Our calls and e-mails to Schofield have not yet been returned. But, based on the material he submitted to the city attorney's office, the foreskin crusader is undertaking his quest to stamp out "genital mutilation" for a number of reasons. One of them is that he wants to spark up your sex life.

See Also: San Francisco Circumcision Ban Unconstitutional, Professor Says

See Also: Meet the Man Behind the S.F. Circumcision Ban

"Genital mutilation constitutes a major yealth risk, violates, human rights and has lifelong physical and psychological effects," he writes in his Notice of Intent to Circulate Petition. "Complications due to male genital mutilation include hemorrhage, infection, excessive skin loss, skin bridges, nerve damage, glans deformation, bowing, meatal stenosis, loss of penis, and death. Long-term complications include sexual dysfunction, decreased sexual sensitivity, increased friction and pain during sexual intercourse, and lifelong psychological trauma." (our emphasis)

Schofield, it seems, is a proponent not only of banning circumcision but of foreskin restoration. Yes, foresin restoration -- a movement in which men undergo long, painful, and outlandish treatments to once again render their genitalia "intact."

Here's the man himself at the Folsom Street Fair expressing hope for "a flood of legislation protecting baby boys from forced genital mutilation."


Of course, if his proposed measure were to be voted into law -- and
survives inevitable lawsuits -- there'd be fewer severed foreskins to
restore. Per Schofield's legislation:

ARTICLE 50, GENITAL CUTTING OF MALE MINORS

Sec. 5001. PROHIBITION OF GENITAL CUTTING OF MALE MINORS.

...It is unlawful to circumcise, excise, cut, or mutilate the whole or any part of the foreskin, testicles, or penis of another person who has not attained the age of 18 years.

Anyone violating this provision -- say, a mohel taking the law into his own hands -- will be guilty of a misdemeanor and "punished by a fine not to exceed $1,000 or by imprisonment int he County Jail for a period not to exceed one year, or by both such fine and imprisonment."

You can read the full text of the proposed circumcision ban here: Initiative 10-06 male circumcision-2.pdf

Expect to hear more about this down the road. This is just the tip ... of the iceberg.

Find a Sweet Stoner Housemate on 420 Room Search

By Ashley Harrell

Apparent dilemma: Where can San Franciscans find other pot smokers?

​Are you tired of being surrounded by clear-headed people? Do you resent the fact that only every other Craigslist roommate posting includes the phrase "420 friendly"?

Now there's a better place for all you reality-resistant folks to congregate! 420 Room Search will help you "find people you actually want to live with," the Web site explains. "Low key land lords and easy going roommates."

We found 420 Room Search advertised on its competition, Craigslist.org, in a Bernal Heights Housing ad entitled, "alternative roommates situations." Gotta say, it would be more alternative to find a place to live in San Francisco where nobody smoked weed.