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The Ghost and the Machine: Allen Ginsberg from Page to Camera to Metaverse

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:45 GMT

A new exhibition at Fahey/Klein Gallery asks us to consider the iconic Beat poet Allen Ginsberg in a new light — several new lights, actually. Beloved for his evocative, sparsely opulent, raw and refined words on the American soul and his personal status as a counterculture touchstone, Ginsberg was also periodically enamored of photography. First in the 1950s and again in the 1980s, the poet supplemented the observational portraiture and love of rebellious, enigmatic characters found on his pages for that which might be found behind a camera’s lens.Allen Ginsberg: Patti Smith & William S. Burroughs, The Bunker, September 20, 1995 (©Allen Ginsberg, courtesy of FaheyKlein Gallery, Los Angeles)In the rich, velvety tones of black and white film — with what proved to be impeccable instincts for composing pictorial space and perceiving depth of environment, the power of ordinary things, the impact of architectural space, and the dramatic playfulness of light — Ginsberg captured the qu...

Mac Sabbath Still Serve up a Salty Spectacle

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:45 GMT

We named Mac Sabbath the best tribute band in L.A. almost 10 years ago in this publication, and thankfully, Grimalice, the Catburglar, Slayer McCheeze and Ron Osbourne are still serving their hungry fans and spreading their greasy, groove-heavy Mc-metal experience all around the world.The Black Sabbath homage remains true to the nostalgic kiddie meal-era that inspired them in the first place and their output aims to reflect the past as it brings their music –and their message about the evils of fast food– to the present. You still won’t find them on Spotify or any digital platform because, as lead singer Ron says, he “travels back and forth in the time-space continuum in a wormhole” and likes to keep things old school. Their debut album, Drive-thru Metal, only comes in vinyl form and it is cleverly wrapped in a colorful, collectible pop-up book. There’s also a coloring book with flexi disc for their “Paranoid”-inspired single “Pa...

Two dead, three injured in three separate Oakland shootings

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:45 GMT

OAKLAND — Two women died and three other people were injured in three separate Oakland shootings on Wednesday night and early Thursday morning, according to authorities.The first incident took place around 8:45 p.m. on the 90 block of Lyndon Street in West Oakland. Authorities said a 40-year-old Richmond woman was killed and a 29-year-old San Francisco man was injured.The man remained in critical condition Thursday morning, per police.Initial reports were that people were possibly gathering in the area for a memorial service, police said.In an unrelated shooting, another 40-year-old woman was killed at 8:51 p.m. in a homeless encampment on the 1600 block of East 12th Street. A 40-year-old man was also shot and was in stable condition, police said.According to authorities, the two victims knew each other and both lived in the camp.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Alameda County DA charges man in Oakland domestic violence killing from February Crime and Public...

Map: Westbound Interstate 80 to be closed over Labor Day weekend

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:45 GMT

A six-mile stretch of westbound Interstate 80 will be closed for more than four days starting the night of Thursday, Aug. 31.The map above shows the closure in red: westbound lanes from Interstate 780 in Vallejo to Highway 4 in Hercules.Drivers will be rerouted on a 24-mile detour over the Benicia-Martinez Bridge (blue line on map).The closure will be in effect from 9 p.m. Thursday to 5 a.m. Tuesday.It will allow repaving of two lanes, the California Department of Transportation said. The complete closure of the road means the project will be completed months sooner than it would with intermittent and partial closures, the agency said.A similar strategy was used two years ago when Highway 99 in Sacramento was shut in both directions for 99 hours to replace a bridge.More information at the Caltrans website.Related ArticlesTransportation | Where to find EV charging prices: Roadshow Transportation | Caltrans schedules a 104-hour westbound I-80 closure near Va...

Photos: California landmarks glow under August’s Super Blue Moon

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:45 GMT

The full Moon rising Wednesday evening over the Bay Area is being called a Super Blue Moon.Related ArticlesScience | The moon will appear bigger Wednesday than any other day of the year Science | No need for a telescope: The right binoculars can help amateur astronomers get started Science | Perseids Alert: Best meteor shower of the year peaks this weekend Science | Meteors will streak across the sky in one of the year’s most anticipated celestial displays Science | Prepare for a stunning double-supermoon display in August Why super? Any time a full Moon coincides with the Moon’s closest approach to Earth in its 27-day orbit, that Moon is referred to as a perigean or Super Moon. The Moon at its perigee, or closest point of orbit, is approximately 226,000 miles from Earth, according to NASA. The last Super Moon was earlier this month on August 2.Why blue? Because it’s the second full Moon in A...

The CFB Hot 25 rankings: The most influential (behind-the-scenes) people in the sport, from media executives to labor lawyers

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:45 GMT

Welcome to the inaugural Hot 25 ranking — the Hotline’s look at the 25 most influential people in college football, with a twist.These are the key movers and shakers behind the scenes. Athletic directors, coaches, players and front-facing media members were excluded from consideration (with one exception).Did we miss someone? Probably.Will readers take exception to the order? Assuredly.The intent of this exercise is not to forge unanimity but to lift the curtain on the sport’s complicated, layered machinery and identify the people and issues that shape the terrain.Comments? Suggestions? Searing criticism? Hit me via email at [email protected] considered: Jennifer Abruzzo, NLRB general counsel; Trace Armstrong, agent for Athletes First; Eddy Cue, Apple senior vice president of services; Jim Cavale, founder of Athletes.org; Brian Davis, founder of California Power Athletes; Bill Hancock, CFP executive director; Mark and Kym Hilinski, Hilinski’s H...

Larry Magid: Managing privacy on Facebook

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:45 GMT

There’s an old saying, “Everyone complains about the weather, but nobody seems to do anything about it.” The same could be said about Facebook privacy, but unlike the weather, there are things you can do to control how Facebook uses and shares your information.I’m not saying you’ll have 100% privacy on Facebook or any other commercial site or app that makes its money from targeted advertising, nor am I taking them off the hook from privacy missteps that have gotten them into trouble with regulators. But there are tools you can use to limit what they collect and who can see it.Privacy CheckupThe best place to start is with a privacy checkup at facebook.com/privacy/checkup. Here you’re able to see who can see what you share, how people can find you on Facebook, how to keep your account secure and configure data settings and ad preferences.The “who” section lets you decide who can see your phone number, email address, birthday, year of birth, hometown and relationship...

2 alleged robbers arrested after pursuit across SF

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:45 GMT

(BCN) -- Two 18-year-old men were arrested after allegedly robbing people in San Francisco last weekend and then leading officers on a pursuit across the city, police said Thursday. Francisco Zamora, of Oakland, and Darren Nguyen, of Alameda, were arrested after officers initially responded around 2:30 p.m. Saturday to a report of an attempted armed robbery of a handbag in the area of Van Ness Avenue and Sutter Street. Windows shattered in several parked vehicles in Nob Hill: photos The 911 caller said she was walking on the sidewalk when she felt someone grab her purse, according to San Francisco police. A struggle for the handbag ensued, causing the woman to fall to the ground. A bystander came to her assistance and the suspect let go of the handbag and fled in a vehicle. Police received a photo of the vehicle that was shared across the department. Then at about 4:15 p.m., an officer spotted the car in the area of Hyde and Chestnut streets and police in plainclothes who were...

Lanes reopen on Hwy 4 after fatal collision in Pittsburg

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:45 GMT

(BCN) -- The California Highway Patrol reported at least one death early Thursday morning in the area of state Highway 4 in Pittsburg. The CHP said that shortly before 2 a.m. Thursday, officers learned a collision between a van and a big rig occurred in the eastbound lane of Highway 4 near San Marco Boulevard in the city. According to the driver of the big rig, the van hit the semi-trailer of the truck. Beyoncé gives ‘Beyhive’ a show to remember at Levi’s Stadium Eastbound lanes of state Highway 4 in Pittsburg have been clearedThe highway's eastbound lanes just west of San Marco Boulevard were initially blocked due to the collision, the CHP said.Copyright © 2023 Bay City News, Inc.

‘We will do better’: Howard Co. schools head apologizes for bus cancellations

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:45 GMT

The superintendent of Maryland’s Howard County Public Schools is apologizing after 20 school bus routes were cancelled, which led to a tough start to the new school year for over 2,400 students.Howard County Public Schools Superintendent Michael Martirano held a news conference Wednesday, after the school system apologized Monday, when it said one of the county’s independent contractors, Zum Transportation, announced it did not have enough drivers to cover the 20 routes for the remainder of this week — the first week of the new school year.“I apologize for the transportation challenges you have experienced,” Martirano said. “It is not lost on me that as we start the year talking about the importance of attendance, that Howard County failed as a school system to provide on-time, reliable transportation to many of our students.”While shouldering some of the blame and promising the community he’s ready to solve the school system’s transportatio...