Posts Tagged ‘thursday’
Monday, August 2nd, 2010
From Rebecca Bowe comes the news of the No On 16 Victory Party / Workshop / Awards Show. You are welcome to celebrate the recent loss of Proposition 16 at an afternoon event coming Thursday, August 5, 2010.
Check it:
NO on PROPOSITION 16
CAMPAIGN VICTORY WORKSHOP
VOLUNTEER HERO AWARDS and
CELEBRATION PARTY AUGUST 5, 2010
Merchants Exchange Building
Julia Morgan Ballroom
465 California Street San Francisco
AGENDA OUTLINE
1:00-1:30 p.m. Registration Check-in
1:30 p.m. Welcome and Opening Remarks
VICTORY WORKSHOP
1:45-2:45 p.m. The Campaign The Victory
- Moderator: Nancy Miller Panelists :John Geesman; Gale Kaufman; Jim Pope
3:00-4:00 p.m. The Ongoing Challenges of Obstruction
- Moderator: Jim Metropulos Panelists: Ross Mirkarimi; Mark Toney; Jeff Shields
4:15-5:15 p.m. The Future: Common Ground for CCA and Public Power?
- Moderator: Cynthia Wooten Panelists: Charles McGlashan; Paul Fenn; Renata Brillinger; Dave Room
4:15-5:15 p.m. The Legal Team: Litigation, Regulation and Support
Panelists: Matt Jacobs; Ann Trowbridge; Dennis Herrera
** Ample time will be provided for Q&A, participant statements
VOLUNTEER HERO AWARDS and PARTY
5:30 p.m. Delicious Buffet Libations Talk & Play
6:30 p.m. Volunteer Hero Awards Presentation Mark Toney
Music and Party!
REMEMBER NO COST TO ATTEND IT’S FREE
Please distribute to your lists!
Tags: 16, 2010, 465, 5, ACORE, august, awards, bay area, buffet, building, california, campaign, cca, celebration, Chair, Charles McGlashan, Climate and Agriculture Network, Co-Chair, commissioner, Community Choice Aggregation, Coordinator, county, Dave Room, director, energy, Exec, Exec. Director TURN, Executive Director, former, Gale Kaufman, general manager, hero, Jeff Shields, Jim Metropulos, Jim Pope, John Geesman, Julia Morgan Ballroom, Kaufman Campaigns, Local Clean Energy Alliance, Local Power, marin, Marin Energy Authority, Mark Toney - Campaign Co Chair, Merchants Exchange, miller, music, Nancy Miller, NCPA, No on 16, Owen and Frost, party, Paul Fenn - President, pg&e, principal, prop, Proposition, Renata Brillinger, San Francisco, sierra club, South San Joaquin Irrigation District, street, Supervisor, thursday, victory, volunteer, workshop
Posted in politics | No Comments »
Thursday, April 15th, 2010
Oh it’s on! Grab a slot on one of these upcoming Friday nights, June 18, July 16, or August 13, 2010, and then head over to our fantastic California Academy of Sciences with your kid for an overnighter.
It’s a Night at the Museum, baby! Check it:
“Participants can take in the evening songs of the rainforest birds, sing “twinkle twinkle” to a sea star at the Discovery Tidepool, and watch the fish cruise under the moonlight in the Philippine Coral Reef tank. Then, guests can catch a special penguin talk, and become stargazing gurus during an after-hours planetarium show.
“Before bedtime, sleepover guests can grab a snack of cookies and milk and settle in for story time, featuring “Pierre the Penguin,” the true story of the Academy’s famous wetsuit-wearing penguin. When the lights go out, participants can unroll their sleeping bags in African Hall, next to the swaying kelp of the California Coast tank, or even at the Swamp window, face-to-face with Claude, the albino alligator. In the morning, it’s time to rise and shine, then head over to the Academy Café for breakfast before the sleepover event ends at 8:30 am.”
If you’re an Academy Member, then all this is just $99 per kid aged six and up.
Be sure to take along your pigiami del pinguino, you know, something like this:
via amanky
This is going to be mega. All the deets:
“PENGUINS AND PAJAMAS” SLEEPOVER PROGRAM AT THE CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES LAUNCHES IN JUNE
Tickets for new summer sleepover events go on sale at www.calacademy.org May 1st
SAN FRANCISCO (April 15, 2010) — Why count sheep when you could count geckos, butterflies, sharks, and penguins? Starting this summer, kids can camp out for a night at the California Academy of Sciences—and see the museum in a whole new light. The “Penguins and Pajamas” sleepover program, for children ages 6 and over and their adult chaperones, will launch with three summer events on Friday, June 18, July 16, and August 13. Tickets will be available at www.calacademy.org beginning on May 1.
Doors will open at 6:30 pm, when sleepover guests are invited to come in and explore the Academy after it’s closed to the public. Participants can take in the evening songs of the rainforest birds, sing “twinkle twinkle” to a sea star at the Discovery Tidepool, and watch the fish cruise under the moonlight in the Philippine Coral Reef tank. Then, guests can catch a special penguin talk, and become stargazing gurus during an after-hours planetarium show.
Before bedtime, sleepover guests can grab a snack of cookies and milk and settle in for story time, featuring “Pierre the Penguin,” the true story of the Academy’s famous wetsuit-wearing penguin. When the lights go out, participants can unroll their sleeping bags in African Hall, next to the swaying kelp of the California Coast tank, or even at the Swamp window, face-to-face with Claude, the albino alligator. In the morning, it’s time to rise and shine, then head over to the Academy Café for breakfast before the sleepover event ends at 8:30 am.
The “Penguins and Pajamas” Academy sleepover package includes overnight parking in the Music Concourse parking garage as well as next-day museum admission, breakfast, snacks, and a special commemorative gift. Dinner is available for purchase at the Academy Café or the Moss Room.
What: “Penguins and Pajamas” sleepover program
Who: Open to children ages 6 and over; an adult chaperone must accompany every group of up to five children.
Where: California Academy of Sciences, 55 Music Concourse Drive, San Francisco, 94118
When: 6:30pm – 8:30am on Friday, June 18, July 16, and August 13
Tickets: $119 ($99 for Academy members), tickets available starting May 1, 2010 at www.calacademy.org.
Tags: 2009, 2010, 21, 45, academy, academy of sciences, Ambulocetus, and Most Amazing Mammals of All Time, August 13, biggest, birthday, cal academy, calacademy, california, california academy of science, California Academy of Sciences, camp, camping, campout, CAS, Center for Conservation Biology, complaints, crowded, Dance, day, dj, djs, elephant shrews, expensive, Extreme Mammals, Extreme Mammals: the Biggest, families, friday, golden gate park, half-whale, herbst, Hubble, ice age, images, january, July 16, June 18, kids, Kimball, Morrison, morrisson, museum, Museum of Natural History, night, night at the museum, nightlife, NightLife VIP Tours, overnight, pajamas, parking, penguin, penguins, Penguins and Pajamas, pierre, promotion, San Francisco, science, sciences, scrat, SLEEPOVER, Smallest, stanford, Steinhart, theatre, thursday, tickets, tours, V.I.P., VIP Tours
Posted in museums | 1 Comment »
Thursday, April 1st, 2010
The Cal Academy, our California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park, has a new exhibit opening Saturday, April 3 - it’s called Extreme Mammals: the Biggest, Smallest, and Most Amazing Mammals of All Time and it’ll run all the way through September 12, 2010.
Don Sanchez has all the deets – take the tour. See? There’s lots of stuff to look at.
And here’s a live one on display - this little treeshrew loves to screech and jump around, that’s all it did when I was there. Is it a dead ringer for Scrat from the Ice Age series? Through the glass with the tail on the right side:
A lot of the critters portrayed are no longer with us. Like this Ambulocetus, a sacrilegious, walking half-whale:
And of course, a huge diorama:
That’s the show, but I also got a chance to check out the climate-controlled catacombs of the Cal Academy today - here’s Research Associate Dr. Galen Rathbun showing off his collection of elephant shrews. He’ll soon be trekking to Africa for more research:
Your kids will love Extreme Mammals.
And for you non-kids out there aged 21 and up, I’ll remind you that popular NightLife picks up steam this month. They’re going to get extreme ‘n stuff, starting tonight. And don’t miss out on the real live cheetah they’ll have on Arpil 15. Check it:
“NightLife gets “Extreme” during April (Ages 21+) Thursdays from 6:00 to 10:00 pm
In April, NightLife gets “extreme” in celebration of the opening of Extreme Mammals. Highlights include a Yuri’s Night party with extreme robots (4/8); a celebration of our extreme home, Earth – the only planet known to support life (Earth Day, 4/22); and tales about white sharks, of one of the ocean’s most extreme predators (4/29). Every Thursday night, the Academy opens its doors from 6-10 pm for NightLife, a chance for adults ages 21+ to explore the museum in a whole new light, with DJs, bars, and provocative science programming. A valid ID is required for entry. Admission is $12 per person ($10 Academy members). California Academy of Sciences, 55 Music Concourse Drive, Golden Gate Park. (415) 379-8000. www.calacademy.org/nightlife.
4-1 – “Extremely Jurassic” with Paleontologist Scott Sampson and Miles the DJ
4-8 – “Extremely Cosmic” – Yuri’s Night, Extreme Robots, and the SpaceCowboys
4-15 – “Extremely Warm-Blooded” – All about mammals including a big cat show, with music by Aaron Pope
4-22 – “Extremely Green” – An Earth Day celebration with green games, interactive displays and DJ Michael Anthony
All the deets of the new mammals exhibit after the jump.
See you there!
(more…)
Tags: 2009, 2010, 21, 45, academy, academy of sciences, Ambulocetus, and Most Amazing Mammals of All Time, biggest, birthday, cal academy, calacademy, california, california academy of science, California Academy of Sciences, CAS, Center for Conservation Biology, complaints, crowded, Dance, day, dj, djs, elephant shrews, expensive, Extreme Mammals, Extreme Mammals: the Biggest, golden gate park, half-whale, herbst, Hubble, ice age, images, january, kids, Kimball, Morrison, morrisson, museum, Museum of Natural History, nightlife, NightLife VIP Tours, parking, penguins, promotion, San Francisco, science, sciences, scrat, Smallest, stanford, Steinhart, theatre, thursday, tickets, tours, V.I.P., VIP Tours, walking whale
Posted in Animals, museums | 1 Comment »
Friday, February 19th, 2010
Not literally or anything, but it appeared to be packed this past weekend. And I asked them, I says, “Is this a free day or something?” And they’re all like, no, it’s just a regular old three-day weekend, just business as usual.
Now, I’ve heard all the complaints. Let’s deal with them, below.
Become a member or get your tickets online ahead of time, and then you avoid this line around the building.
Click to expand.
“The CalAcademy is too small.”
All right, I’ll tell you I was never in there at the old building – I understand it had cool stuff that you miss. But some people, especially the NIMBY neighbors in the nearby Inner Sunset area, think the new building is too big, too popular. The Academy couldn’t continue with the old building due to earthquake concerns – what was considered a safe enough building before in the last century is no longer considered safe enough now. Sorry. (Damn you, San Andreas Fault, damn you.)
“The CalAcademy is too crowded.”
So they must be doing something right, right? What you’re saying, in a way, is that the CalAcademy is too cheap.
“The CalAcademy is too crowded with kids.”
Yep, especially when those school buses roll up. Oh well. The Academy has a mission of public education, does it not? That’s for the benefit of California’s kids. Does that directly benefit you today right now? Maybe not. Sorry.
“The CalAcademy is too expensive.”
Well, this ties in with the first complaint. How can it too expensive if it’s packed all the time? You know how much the Monterey Bay Aquarium is these days? $30. If you live in San Francisco, you’re entitled to something like 20 days of free admission per year plus a free NightLife entry on your birfday (assuming the stars align and they’re having a NightLife around the time of your birthday.)
“Them free days, they’re even more crowded.”
Well, yeah. Get there early, why don’t you? (Or get there late in the day, when there’s less of a line (tho your chances of getting into the Planetarium and/or rainforest dome will be lower). The Bernard Osher Foundation Third Wednesday of the Month Free program is open to all, so of course it gets crowded those days. But the zip-code based free days are less crowded, so San Franciscans, including you born-and-raised-San Franciscans, you old goats, get six of those not-so-crowded days a year.
“The food’s too expensive.”
Check out the nearby Inner Sunset area for food if you want. It’s walkable. Get yourselves a perfectly cromulent fat burrito at Gordo’s at 1239 9th Avenue near Lincoln. Get it to-go and have an outdoor picnic.
“The rainforest was closed when I was there.”
Yep, sometimes. Life’s like that. They don’t keep this kind of info a big secret, however.
“There’s no place to park.”
Maybe - that’s by design, in a way. Actually, you’re lucky to have that underground parking garage whether you use it or not, so count your blessings. Whatever you do, don’t drive into Golden Gate Park, big mistake on busier days. Think Fulton, think Lincoln, think about spending ten minutes walking through the park to get the CalAcademy. That’s not a bug, that’s a feature. And on Sundays, all parking is free in the surrounding Inner Sunset and Inner Richmond areas – it’s totally wide open. Might not be as easy to park as you’re used to, but you can deal. And there’s plenty of bike parking since they added in a bunch of new spaces.
Here’s the thing – you gotta work the system, baby. Plan ahead, try to figure out when the place has fewer patrons, check the schedule, make a beeline to the Planetarium to get your free show passes as soon as you get in, monitor the rainforest line to see when it’s shorter.
So, if you’re unhappy customer, you gotta think:
1. Maybe your expectations were too high because you didn’t plan ahead (which isn’t the CalAcademy’s fault), or;
2. Maybe the CalAcademy isn’t for you (which isn’t the CalAcademy’s fault)
And all you NIMBY neighbors, please realize that the CalAcademy was here even before you.
Let’s thank Gaia we’re not saddled with some big hulking wreck that nobody wants to go to.
See you there!
Tags: 2009, 2010, 21, 45, academy, academy of sciences, Aquarium, birthday, blue bottle, cal academy, calacademy, california, california academy of science, California Academy of Sciences, CAS, Center for Conservation Biology, complaints, crowded, Dance, day, dj, djs, expensive, golden gate park, herbst, Hubble, images, january, kids, Kimball, Morrison, morrisson, museum, Museum of Natural History, nightlife, NightLife VIP Tours, parking, penguins, promotion, record, red bull, Ritual Roasters, San Francisco, science, sciences, stanford, Steinhart, Tasting, tea, Telescope, theatre, thursday, tickets, tours, V.I.P., Valentine’s, VIP Tours
Posted in museums | 5 Comments »
Thursday, February 18th, 2010
These days, if you don’t have young people and DJs mingling about your museum on Thursday or Friday nights, you isn’t a museum. So, just as the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park has NightLife and the de Young has Friday Nights at the de Young, our Asian Art Museum has nighttime MATCHA. And, bonus, if you go tonight, February 18th, 2010, you can also see Shanghai.
“2010 is the Year of the Tiger! MATCHA kicks off the Lunar New Year and special exhibition Shanghai with dynamic tiger-style kung fu (martial art) demonstrated by Shaolin Temple USA monks. Each mode of Shaolin kung fu is associated with an animal, and in Chinese culture, the tiger is king and symbolizes bravery. Its kung fu style involves footwork, acrobatic kicks, and unique fist positions, relying solely on internal power, simplicity, and explosive force. The evening also includes art activities (make your own good luck poster), Shanghai dumplings available for purchase in the museum cafe, cash bars, music by DJ Friendly Traveler, docent conversations, gallery tours of SHANGHAI, and mingling and merriment with friends!”
See you there.
The “fourth room” of the Shanghai exhibit:
“See SHANGHAI in its opening week. This epic exhibition explores, through the mirror of its art, the tumultuous history that has resulted in one of the world’s most dynamic and cosmopolitan cities.
Don’t know what MATCHA is? Find out here
Wanna try to win tickets to MATCHA? Click here
Check it out, share with friends, and show your support on Facebook!
4:30-7 An Evening for Educators at MATCHA
5–9 DJ Friendly Traveler, Artmarking: Create a Good Luck Poster, Shanghai Dumplings (available for purchase in museum cafe), Cash Bars
6-6:30, 7-7:30 Docent Conversations: SHANGHAI
6:30 & 7:30 Shaolin Temple USA Monks: Tiger-style Kung Fu
8:00 Docent Conversations: Lunar New Year
Tags: 18th, 2010, arts, asian art museum, California Academy of Sciences Golden Gate Park, China, chinese, de Young, DJ Friendly Traveler, docent, dumplings, February, Friday Nights at the de Young, kung fu, kungfu, Lunar, martial, matcha, monks, new year, nightlife, nighttime, Northern California Chinese Culture Athletic Federation, shanghai, Shaolin, style, Temple, thursday, tiger, tiger-style, tonight, usa, year of the tiger
Posted in art, museums | No Comments »
Wednesday, January 20th, 2010
The people behind the popular NightLife program at our California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park know that you kids (21 and over) just love your coffee. So tomorrow’s NightLife will be heavily caffeinated:
THE GREAT SAN FRANCISCO COFFEE TASTING
“Coffee should be black as Hell, strong as death, and sweet as love” – Turkish Proverb
This week’s piping-hot party features a coffee (and tea) tasting with an opportunity to learn more about the science of coffee and how it can be harvested and produced sustainably. Some of the Bay Area”s finest local producers, including Blue Bottle, Ritual Roasters, Equator Coffee, Barefoot Coffee, Om Shan Tea, Samovar and Four Barrel Coffee are participating.
NightLife @ The California Academy of Science w/ Coffee tasting and music by Future Universal
time: Thursday, January 21st, 6pm – 10pm
location: California Academy of Sciences
admission: Tickets are $12 ($10 for Academy members)
You’ll get so hepped up that you’ll just want to dance, dance, dance the night away in the atrium
All the deets. See you there!
FUTURE UNIVERSAL DJs
This week is Future Universal’s much anticipated return to NightLife. They are a collective of seasoned electronica DJs, artists, and promoters based in San Francisco. Focusing on exposing local talent to the world, it acts not only as an event production company, but also a talent agency. Working with local venues and groups, FU’s produced events include Super Ego, Bump, Robotronika and more.
Future Universal DJs on the Main Floor:
Sarah Delush
KidHack
Mario Muse
Matt Haegan
Future Universal DJs in the Aquarium:
Kirin Rider
PETE
Age 21 and over, with valid ID. Tickets are available online or at the door. General $12, Members $10.
Upcoming Installments:
1/28: Music by Aaron Pope and Expedition Medicine with Dr. Matt Lewin
2/4: Music from OM Records’ J-Boogie and Fred Everything and the Insect Discovery Lab
Become a fan of NightLife. Share your comments and experiences and get the latest updates.
Check out our Facebook page
Tags: 2009, 2010, 21, 45, Aaron Axelsen, Aaron Pope, academy, academy of sciences, Aquarium, Barefoot Coffee, birthday, blue bottle, cal academy, calacademy, california, california academy of science, California Academy of Sciences, CAS, Center for Conservation Biology, coffee, Dance, day, dj, djs, Equator Coffee, Four Barrel, golden gate park, herbst, Hubble, images, january, Jeff Stallings, Kimball, Morrison, morrisson, museum, Museum of Natural History, nightlife, NightLife VIP Tours, Om Shan Tea, penguins, promotion, record, red bull, Ritual Roasters, Samovar, San Francisco, science, sciences, stanford, Steinhart, Tasting, tea, Telescope, theatre, thursday, tickets, tours, V.I.P., Valentine’s, VIP Tours
Posted in museums | No Comments »
Thursday, January 14th, 2010
The popular NightLife program at our California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park is back for 2010, starting tonight at 6:00 PM.
This is what it looks like.
What’s new for 2010?
-Special V.I.P. tickets for $59 each.
-Free entry on the Thursday night closest to your birthday! (This special deal starts up February 4, 2010)
All the deets are below.
You can mingle with people on the dance floor…
Click to expand
…or with the animals in the rainforest dome:
via Alumroot
Or go downstairs with your drink and attract a predator or two:
See you there!
WEEKLY “NIGHTLIFE” EVENTS AT THE CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES RE-LAUNCH FOR 2010 ON JANUARY 14
Every Thursday, visitors ages 21+ can experience the museum at night
Exciting new programming, VIP Tours, and resident DJs are part of 2010 lineup
NightLife, the California Academy of Sciences’ popular evening event series, returns in 2010 with an exciting new programming lineup, resident DJs, VIP Tours, and a new birthday promotion. Every Thursday night, the Academy transforms into a lively venue filled with provocative science, music, mingling, and cocktails, as visitors ages 21 and up get a chance to explore the museum from 6-10pm. Tonight, NightLife’s 2010 lineup begins with performances by The Un-scripted Theater Company, and music by accomplished DJ and producer Michael Anthony.
What’s New?
Programming details for each week are available at www.calacademy.org/events/nightlife. Highlights in the upcoming three months include:
January 21: The Great San Francisco Coffee Tasting, with music by Future Universal DJ Collective. Sample the wares of local sustainable coffee roasters including Blue Bottle, Ritual Roasters, Equator Coffee, Barefoot Coffee, and Four Barrel Coffee, and try your hand at “Coffee Jeopardy.”
February 11: Romance and Reproduction, with music by Resident DJ Jeff Stallings. In honor of Valentine’s Day, roam the Academy and learn about some of the animal kingdom’s most amorous creatures and unique sexual behaviors. The species with the world’s largest sexual organ? The snake you might find at the center of a “breeding ball”? Gender-bending clownfish? Find them all at the Academy.
March 25: The Science of Love, and music by Zach Moore & Deckard. Join Scientific American’s Editor in Chief Mariette DiChristina for a fun and engaging multimedia discussion on the psychological, physiological, chemical and social effects of love, including the latest science on emotional intimacy.
In honor of NightLife’s upcoming first anniversary, the Academy is announcing a new NightLife birthday promotion. Effective February 4, visitors can get into NightLife for free within 7 days of their birthday by showing a valid photo ID at the door. The offer is good for a single admission ticket only.
NightLife VIP Tours now offer visitors the opportunity for a more exclusive Thursday evening experience. Tickets ($59 per person) include admission to NightLife, a one-hour behind-the-scenes tour featuring the Academy’s renowned gem and mineral collection and interaction with Academy researchers in the lab, express entry into the building, an open bar in a reserved cocktail area prior to the tour, VIP access to the rainforest, and a reserved pass for the 8:30 planetarium show.
NightLife continues to feature a range of San Francisco’s most popular DJ acts, and is now home to three resident DJs, who will each perform once per quarter:
Aaron Axelsen— Live 105 music director, and founder of SF indie club Popscene
Aaron Pope—The Academy’s own environmentalist by day, eclectic and energetic DJ by night
Jeff Stallings— An SF club fixture, whose sets feature Balearic, African, Bedouin and Latin beats
Every Week
Each Thursday evening, NightLife features entertainment and bars stocked with food and drinks available for purchase. Visitors can explore the Academy’s exhibits– from the fish, snakes and other creatures in the aquarium, to the dioramas of African Hall—and attend Planetarium shows and stargazing sessions on the living roof (when weather permits).
In addition, each week includes engaging science programming and activities that introduce visitors to cutting-edge science in an informal, social environment. Programming highlights during NightLife’s inaugural year included sustainable seafood cooking demonstrations with local celebrity chefs, film screenings, performance art, robot demonstrations, chocolate tastings, and talks by filmmaker Jean-Michel Cousteau, adventurer David de Rothschild, astronaut Buzz Aldrin and other notable figures.
Since launching on February 12, 2009, NightLife has been named “Best Steamy Date Night” by 7×7 Magazine, “Best Place to Party Like it’s 1929” by San Francisco Magazine, and “Best Penguin Party” by the San Francisco Bay Guardian.
What: NightLife at the California Academy of Sciences (for adults ages 21+) Featuring music, cutting-edge science, and food and cocktails available for purchase
When: Every Thursday, 6-10 pm
Where: California Academy of Sciences, 55 Music Concourse Drive, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco
Cost: $12 per person ($10 for Academy members)
Tickets available at the door or online at www.calacademy.org/event_tickets/
Tags: 2009, 2010, 45, Aaron Axelsen, Aaron Pope, academy, academy of sciences, Aquarium, birthday, california, california academy of science, California Academy of Sciences, CAS, Center for Conservation Biology, coffee, Dance, day, dj, djs, golden gate park, herbst, Hubble, images, Jeff Stallings, Kimball, Morrison, morrisson, museum, Museum of Natural History, nightlife, NightLife VIP Tours, penguins, promotion, record, red bull, San Francisco, science, sciences, stanford, Steinhart, Tasting, Telescope, theatre, thursday, tickets, tours, V.I.P., Valentine’s, VIP Tours
Posted in museums | No Comments »
Thursday, June 4th, 2009
They’re going all out at the California Academy of Sciences for World Oceans Day 2009, starting tonight.
Check out the schedule of activities over the next couple of weeks here, and below.
Giant Blue Whale skeleton, high above the patrons:
About World Oceans Day
Oceans cover more than 70 percent of the Earth’s surface and are critically important to the health of our global ecosystem, yet they are some of the least explored and most threatened places on our planet.
In light of this, the United Nations has issued an official resolution designating June 8, 2009 as the first annual World Oceans Day.
The Academy is celebrating with a suite of special visitor programs. All programs are designed to help visitors explore and protect the amazing biodiversity of our marine habitats. They include sustainable seafood cooking demonstrations, a beach clean-up, costumed stilt-walkers, animal shows, lectures, and more. See details below.
NightLife Welcomes Plastiki, Thursday, June 4
6:00 – 10:00 pm
NightLife, featuring Plastiki and David de Rothschild »
This week, environmentalist David de Rothschild gives two lectures (at 7:30 pm and 8:30 pm) about his upcoming voyage across the Pacific. What makes it unique? He’s crossing the ocean in a 60-foot vessel constructed entirely of recycled materials, mostly plastic water bottles!
De Rothschild will share details of his itinerary, including his plan to navigate the Eastern Pacific Garbage Patch, a floating landfill and man-made disaster that’s twice the size of Texas.
World Oceans Day Festival & Weekend Activities
Saturday, June 6
9:30 am – 5:00 pm
World Oceans Day Festival »
Inside the Academy, a host of special activities are planned – from stilt-walkers dressed as giant jellyfish to research demonstrations presented by Academy scientists.
11:00 am
Teens Talk Books: Underwater Explorations »
Whether facing a great white shark, chasing orcas near Vancouver, or swimming with hordes of hammerheads in the Sea of Cortez, Peter Benchley (author of Jaws) shares his many underwater adventures in the book Shark Life: True Stories about Sharks and the Sea.
Sunday, June 7
10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Beach Clean-Up »
Join volunteers from the Academy, OceanHealth.Org, and Surfrider at Ocean Beach for the annual World Oceans Day beach cleanup.
2:00 – 3:30 pm
Banana Slugs String Band »
Join in the musical fun as the award-winning Banana Slug String Band – Doug Dirt, Airy Larry, Solar Steve and Marine Mark – bring out their latest collection of earth-loving songs about understanding and caring for our oceans and watersheds.
The Farallones Cam
Monday, June 8 – World Oceans Day
Experience the Wildlife of the Farallon Islands – Live!
Just in time for the first annual World Oceans Day, the first ever webcam on the Farallon National Wildlife Refuge. Catch a detailed look at the islands and follow the action of sea lions, seals, and the largest seabird colony in the continental United States. Brought to you by the California Academy of Sciences, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and PRBO Conservation Science.
The Festivities Continue…
Thursday, June 11
6:30 – 10:00 pm
NightLife, featuring SF Sustainable Seafood Alliance »
The Academy and its partners in the San Francisco Sustainable Seafood Alliance are pulling out all the stops to encourage visitors to make sustainable seafood choices.
Local celebrity chefs will whip up tasty treats during cooking demonstrations, industry experts will participate in panel discussions, and we’ll host a screening of “The End of the Line,” a new film about overfishing that received rave reviews at Sundance.
Tuesday, June 16
6:30 pm
Bookworms: Why Do Oceans Matter? »
The adult book group will discuss Sea Change: A Message of the Oceans by noted marine biologist Sylvia Earle.
Tags: 2009, academy, Aquarium, Banana Slugs, band, beach, bicentennial, california, california academy of science, California Academy of Sciences, CAS, Clean-Up, David de Rothschild, farallones, Festival, Foundation, golden gate park, herbst, Hubble, images, Kimball, march, Morrison, morrisson, museum, Museum of Natural History, nightlife, OceanHealth.Org, opening, penguins, Plastiki, president, San Francisco, science, sciences, Steinhart, String, surfrider, Telescope, theatre, thursday, webcam, weekend, world oceans day
Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off
Thursday, May 28th, 2009
Nerdy Ross and fun Rachel from Friends could have easily met each other at one of the California Academy of Sciences nightLife nights. It’s a perfect place for people their 20′s and 30′s to meet - and the cover charge is low. You can’t beat that.
“Music, cocktails, seahorses, space travel and a general broadening of the mind. Every Thursday night through October 29th, the Academy is transformed into a lively venue filled with music, provocative science, mingling, and cocktails, for visitors 21 and older. Activities and performers change week to week.”
I’ll say it again - nightLife is too cheap, it’s a bargain.
Nightlife nights have areas that look, smell, sound, taste (alcohol everywhere, 21-and-over only please) and feel just like a night club. Click to expand:
OMG! It’s the 60th birthday of the 45 rpm record – what better reason for Red Bull to host an old-school DJ competition?
Thusly:
Look at all the Red Bull and hard liquor. Until they give us back our Sparks, this will have to do. Let’s see, there’s regular, sugar free and I can’t tell what other flavor they had. Oh well.
And all the while, plenty of drinking and ogling downstairs in the aquarium:
And speaking of ogling, you can peek in on Scientists at Work during their evening shift. (I’m sure they just love that.)
This was the bill of fare last Thursday night - you gots to check to see what’s going on as it’s always different every week:
Check out tonight’s sked, after the jump.
See you there!
(more…)
Tags: 2009, 45, academy, Aquarium, california, california academy of science, California Academy of Sciences, CAS, Center for Conservation Biology, dj, golden gate park, herbst, Hubble, images, Kimball, Morrison, morrisson, museum, Museum of Natural History, nightlife, penguins, record, red bull, San Francisco, science, sciences, stanford, Steinhart, Telescope, theatre, thursday
Posted in museums | 2 Comments »
Thursday, May 28th, 2009
This is the scene at the back entrance to the California Academy of Sciences building in Golden Gate Park during the early hours of a recent nightLife night - it’s famous Claude the Albino Alligator chilling in his crib, the Swamp. Unseen is Bonnie the banal, non-albino gator who cut him with a quickness earlier this year.
But Claude’s back in action these days, better than ever. Take a visit to check it out – you can actually see the dino damage suffered by this crafty crocodilian from the railing high above. Let’s have a look-see:
The mise-en-scene. See how big he is? Click to expand:
Now it’s time for the close-ups. Here’s Claude from last year – you can see five digits, right?
via Mila Zinkova
And here’s Claude these days. It’s underwater, but you can see just a nub where his starboard pinkie foretoe used to be. (The rumor that Bonnie is in fact innocent and that San Francisco Chronicle Editor-at-Large Phil Bronstein got in his old wetsuit and attacked Claude’s right foot yelling “lagarto vendetta!” all the while is simply that – just a rumor with no proof whatsoever.)
It always appears as if he’s looking up at the visitors to the Cal Academy – is he wishing for someone to fall in?
Can you see the fish in the photo above – it got snapped up a few seconds later. Chomp chomp.
Good for you, Claude. Get those fish, get ‘em all.
Tags: academy, acedemy, albino, alligator, amputated, attack, bonnie, cal academy, california, California Academy of Sciences, claude, croc, crocodile, crocodilian, crocodillian, dancing, dj, djs, foot, golden gate park, night, nightlife, phil bronstein, San Francisco, thursday, toe, white, yellow
Posted in Animals | 3 Comments »
