SF Bay Bloggers » San Francisco

Mark Your Ballot Against Circumcision?

admin — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 17:13:04 +0000

As a doctor for health who treats both children and adults, I have mixed feelings about San Francisco Superior Court Judge, Loretta Georgi’s, tentative ruling last Wednesday regarding the criminalization of circumcision. Although, according to Wikipedia, the origin of male circumcision is not known with certainty, one thing is certain, it has been a practice, for religious and health reasons, for centuries. Now, I am a doctor who honors the innate wisdom of the body to form every part of it–from appendix and pineal gland to eyebrow and foreskin–and to do so for reasons that have been beyond our full human understanding throughout the ages. In fact, as a lifelong health fitness proponent I say, if the body comes with it, don’t mess with it! In that way, I am much like the “intactivists” who formed the advocacy group, Prohibition of Genital Cutting of Male Minor. On the hand, when it comes to circumcision, though it may truly seem barbaric to some, it remains an acceptable practice for health and religious reasons for others, and has no discernible health risks. And, unlike female circumcision, sexual enjoyment is not affected when a male is circumcised, provided it is done properly. In any event, I don’t believe that circumcision is a “voting” matter, and I am happy with Judge Georgi’s decision to withdraw the measure to criminalize circumcision from the November ballot.

Technorati Tags: circumcision, November ballot measure, San Francisco, San Francisco Superior Court Judge Loretta Georgi

Snakes and the San Francisco Zoo

admin — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 01:02:19 +0000

I’ve been going to the San Francisco Zoo for years. As a family chiropractor, I often take a day off during the week so that I can be available on Saturdays for whole families to come in at one time, so it makes it easy for me to visit the Zoo on weekdays, non-summer and non-holidays, when it’s not so crowded and I can feel a certain oneness with the animals — just them and me — with fewer humans around to pull me away from my similarities with the rest of Nature. As anyone who’s a local “zooaholic” like me knows, our SF Zoo has had its share of problems, casualties, and tragedies over the year; and parts of it have been closed, now and then, for a myriad of reasons less dramatic. But, never in all the years that I’ve been visiting the local representatives of the wild-world-at-large, has the door been locked to the reptile exhibit. Let’s face it, besides hearing that a lion has escaped, the last thing you want to read on a sign on a locked door is “World of Reptiles is closed today – Egyptian cobra is missing.” But, that’s exactly what happened this past weekend at the Bronx Zoo New York!

That sort of thing sends chills up my spine (no chiropractic pun intended)! I’m not a complete herpetophobic. Okay, maybe I am! It could be possible that my desire for oneness with all life leaves out certain slippery, slinky, scaly creatures who crawl on there bellies. And, let’s face it, the Egyptian cobra is most likely the very asp whose venom Cleopatra used to commit suicide! This particular “missing cobra” was not full grown. An adult can reach a length of up to two yards! This one, an adolescent, was only 20 inches, but who wants to run into a teenage whose toxin can cause respiratory failure!!

My point is that the San Francisco Zoo, even with a few glitches here and there, is a fine, wonderful, safe place to visit year round and I encourage everyone to do so…but not necessarily on weekdays. That’s when I’m there communing with Nature.

Technorati Tags: animal appreciation, communing with nature, San Francisco Zoo, snakes

Heads Up SF Pedestrians, a Driver May Have You in His Headlights!

admin — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 00:38:05 +0000

Now, before I write about the ridiculous new finding regarding pedestrian/auto encounters, let me just say that I am a health care professional, a chiropractor in fact, who often “blames” his patients for the state of their health. Some things, like a healthy lifestyle are an obvious choice when one is considering their health and longevity. But, come on…cross the street?! A significant number of readers of the Chronicle have come out with the outrageous claim that pedestrians who get hit by cars, buses, taxis, etc., in essence, “have it coming. In fact, one reader had the audacity to say that “it is arrogant pedestrians crossing the street in front of cars” that’s the problem.

Now, it may well be true that here in San Francisco we are more foot-oriented when it comes to getting around town. And, because “green is beautiful” (finally) some of us may actually feel that the automotive monsters that we must share the street with are, in fact, a nuisance to be challenged by, let’s say, jaywalking or crossing when the pedestrian light is red.

But, when push comes to shove, who really has the heavy hand here. I think that Elizabeth Stampe, executive director of Walk San Francisco put it very well: “People should look where they’re going, but a pedestrian on a cell phone will only endanger him or herself but a driver on a cell phone is driving a big vehicle that could injure or kill somebody.”

So, heads up, SF Pedestrians. Those drivers may actually be out to get you after all!

Technorati Tags: pedestrian injuries, San Francisco Chronicle

Metaphysical Church in Flint, MI, Looks For “Sister” in San Francisco!

admin — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 20:32:26 +0000

I was on a venture quest not too long ago to find a metaphysical church in San Francisco that might want to become a “sister church” to one of the metaphysical churches Flint (in the beautiful state of Michigan), the city made famous by Michael Moore. I discovered many churches of all denominations and non-denominations; some quite beautiful in structure, others more humble in structure, but beautiful in spirit.

And, speaking of “spirit,” I have to say that this was my first trip to San Francisco and its spirit lived up to its magical reputation! To be honest, I’d expected that my feelings of awe would be limited to sights like San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge.But, such landmarks paled in comparison to the magic of the people of San Francisco. What an absolute joy to meet people of such diversity living together in an almost seamless tapestry of the heart.

Well, I have to tell you, I didn’t finalize the sister church thing because I want to come back to San Francisco again, and soon. Thank you, San Francisco. You are as magnificent as I’d always imagined you’d be. See you soon!

Technorati Tags: Metaphsical Church in Flint, metaphysical churches Flint, metaphysical churches SF, sister churches, spirit of SF

No More Free Rides…For Our Groceries?

admin — Sat, 22 May 2010 00:57:36 +0000

Did you know that San Francisco was the first city in the country to ban the pervasive plastic shopping bag? That right! Three years ago, right here in the city. Of course it didn’t take long before Palo Alto and Oakland followed suit, and we’re always happy to lead the environmental way, and to keep baggies out of the bay where they end up inside marine mammals and out of the landfills where they will still be usable a thousand years from now. As an environmentally-aware healthcare provider, this particular achievement has always made me feel good…about us. But, now, other cities are complaining about our San Francisco experiment, and even threatening lawsuits amongst themselves because they say that banning plastic bags “forces” customers to carry out their purchases in paper bags! And, of course, there is a point here because there is definitely an environment cost to producing more and more paper bags from trees.

So, what’s the environmentally healthy answer? San Jose, Berkeley and Santa Clara County want to persuade people to use “reusable bags.” Their first step, which they are working on now, is to establish ordinances that would restrict the distribution of paper and plastic bags at checkout. How will they inspire consumers? By banning both all together or charging fees for the store-provided totes.

Before the city ordinances went into effect, San Francisco residents used 3.8 billion plastic bags annually. It’s been estimated my local officials that the ban has but that total by 100 million, so obvious it wasn’t a “perfect” solution. But, since 90 billion plastic bags are distributed in this country every year, with no healthy destination once the groceries are put away, something needs to be done on a national basis. I say, if we can no longer get “free meals” in coach class when we fly but are “forced” to come prepared, maybe it’s time to charge for bags at the store so that we can plan ahead and bring our own. What are your thoughts on this?

Technorati Tags: paper bag ban, plastic bag fees, San Francisco

Climate Change: The Cost of Doing Nothing

admin — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 19:37:05 +0000

There are things in life that we regret (in hindsight). Like the song goes, “If I didn’t know now what I didn’t know then…” If we could see into the future and know “now” what will will surely know “then,” no person on earth would fail to do whatever it takes to stop global warming. As a Santa Barbara chiropractor, I make every effort to go that extra mile for my patients, not because I am a saint, but because I have experienced far too often in the past the awareness of futility and the horrible knowledge of an irretrievable loss embodied in feelings of “regret.” And, though we can regret things we’ve done, I believe the worst regret is our failure in doing something we could and should have done.

Some things we didn’t do, we didn’t do because we were ignorant. Some things we didn’t do, we didn’t do because we were lazy. And, some things we didn’t do, we didn’t do because we thought they were too expensive. But sometimes our “regrets” include all three, as the regret of inaction on global warming will certainly include.

There are those who are ignorant (most often by choice) about the future catastrophic effects of global warming. And, there are those who know that something needs to be done and that that something includes every human being’s participation. But, let’s face it, doing what needs to be done not only takes time and energy away from things we’d rather be doing, but interferes with many of them as well. And, finally, there is the question of cost. If we measure cost in terms of money, whether it is ceasing to burn and pillage the land in Third World countries or funding a new climate agreement among world powers, then the staggering $100 billion or more a year that it will cost by 2020 would put doing what needs to be done in the category of just “too expensive.” But if we measure “cost” in terms of what kind of planet will be left if we don’t take action, then not doing what needs to be done is far too costly!

As world leaders look to work out a new global climate accord in Copenhagen in December, their only task won’t be getting big polluters like the US and China to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but the cost of change in many countries and among many people of the world. They’ll need to figure out financial incentives for fast-developing countries like India and Brazil so that they will convert to costly, but cleaner, technologies as they industrialize. And, they’ll discuss the money that will be needed to assist the poorest countries in coping with the consequences of current climate change, like droughts and rising seas. Many developing countries have made it clear that they won’t sign a treaty unless it includes money to help them adapt to a warmer planet.

It is my hope that when the future arrives we, people of the planet, will have no regrets. Rather, we will know “then” what we may not be certain of now. That the cost and sacrifice that we all made was worth every dollar, franc, pound, rupee, etc.

Technorati Tags: climate change, global warming

Devil's Slide

admin — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 19:50:16 +0000

Several years ago, my wife and I closed our chiropractic clinic in the city for the day and took her mother on a road trip. My mother-in-law, from the flat world of Nebraska, was a few years away, at that time, from retiring as a chiropractor, herself. She’s a very nice person and somewhat adventurous for someone who seldom ventured out of the Midwest. In fact, she had an aversion to only two things as far as I knew — heights and bridges, both seemingly easily avoidable in the entire state of Nebraska. So it seemed incongruous to me that she wanted to take a drive along Highway 1, which we all know can be treacherous in parts. In fact, our destination that day was Devil’s Slide.

As it turned out, she’d recently rented the movie, “Portrait in Black,” and she wanted to see the spot where Anthony Quinn and Lana Turner sent a car containing her husband’s dead body over a cliff. My wife and I shrugged, and we were on our way. My Volvo weaved through a dense eucalyptus grove, ascended a steep incline, passed through a jagged gap between two steep rock walls, and emerged onto that familiar ribbon of clifftop roadway known as Devil’s Slide.

If you’ve driven along this stretch of Highway 1, you know that it is spectacularly treacherous or treacherously spectacular. But, anyway you say it, it is definitely heart-stoppingly beautiful. The windy bluff juts into the ocean at that point and seems as if it is suspended in mid-air. As we began our descent, gray-blue expanses of ocean, 500 feet below us, swept past the car windows. We were often forced to veer near-fatally close to the cliff’s edge. But, to my amazement, though I found myself white-knuckling the steering wheel, the only sound from my mother-in-law was a slightly audible, sustained expression of “awe.”

The drive only lasted five minutes, but my mother-in-law talked about it for the remainder of her visit with us. And, I have to admit, I was pretty awe-struck myself. Devil’s Slide is only ten miles south of the city, but for just a brief moment, a person feels in a whole different time and place.

If you haven’t been there yet, you’ll need to take a drive there soon because in 2011, the two tunnels that are currently being drilled into the bordering mountain, will open to traffic, and Devil’s Slide will be closed to vehicles. It is expected to be kept open as a path for pedestrians and cyclists, but the thrill of having your car’s tires skim the outside edge of the cliff will be a thing of past.

Technorati Tags: Devil's Slide, Portrait in Black"

Walt Disney Family Museum is Open…At Last!

admin — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 22:08:27 +0000

All right, I have to admit it. I am a dyed-in-the-wool Disney fan. Yes, Harry Potter is great, but I still have fond memories of my first trip to Disneyland (the first year it opened in Buena Park and I was five-years-old). I suppose that’s why I asked my very creative CA, Kim, to paint pictures of Goofy and Pluto, and Pooh and Tigger on the walls of the room in my chiropractic clinic (rather than the newer characters) that I use primarily for children. There is a certain calming effect to those “old time” Disney faces. So, I’m thrilled that the new Walt Disney Family Museum is opening its doors to the public today.

If you don’t already know, the museum is located in the Presidio. It’s housed in two of the old army barracks (built in the 1890s). Along with the old barrack buildings is a newly constructed 20,000 square foot glass and steel building which is occupied by a 100 seat theatre, a pavilion and classrooms for teaching digital animation and traditional art techniques.

The Museum was built to tell the creative life story of Walt Disney. It will feature early drawings, animation and the Disney family history. Walt Disney’s voice own voice will be used to narrate certain exhibits.

So, I’ve closed my clinic for the day. I’m taking off my “chiropractor hat” and putting on my “grandparent hat” and heading for the museum. I purchased my tickets over a month ago because they won’t be available for purchase at the door today, but they will be in the future.

Technorati Tags: Walt Disney Family Museum

Lighting Up the City With Wind Power

admin — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 21:42:19 +0000

On Tuesday Mayor Newsom announced plans for installing turbines on rooftops around the city, stating, “We want to challenge the perception that wind is a rural or suburban phenomenon and not an urban resource.” He said that a goal of commercializing small-scale wind power and bringing down the cost of renewable electricity, and that small-scale wind power could contribute significantly to the city’s goal of generating 50 megawatts of electricity from renewables by 2030. As a chiropractor who both lives in the city and has a chiropractic clinic here, I am happy about this newest “green” approach that is another step for cleaning up the environment and the city’s budget as well. The plans foresee turbines on public and private buildings, as well as at Ocean Beach and Treasure Island. Newsom said demonstration turbines could be placed on the W Hotel, outside City Hall and on a new Public Utilities Commission building. Turbine Manufacturer, Blue Green Pacific, already has a 150-pound rooftop turbine that generates a maximum of half a kilowatt at three sites here, including the San Francisco Zoo.

According to the report, consumers will need more third-party evaluations to compare models, and it recommends that manufacturers create information labels similar to the federal Energy Star program for appliances and adhere to the pending industry standards to ease certification.

I’m looking forward to serving my patients, and dinner, using wind energy as the only source of my electricity!

Technorati Tags: wind power, wind turbines

Free and Easy San Francisco Style

admin — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 21:43:02 +0000

If you’re like me, you are visited frequently by family and friends (and friends of friends) who love San Francisco (at least for the weekend). And, I’m not complaining, really, about providing food and entertainment for most of my visitors. I’m a chiropractor who is doing okay even in this economy. In fact, most people know that chiropractic care can keep them healthy and prevent the kind of disease and disability that can keep them from working (or looking for work). But, after the nephew of my cousin’s good friend stayed at my condo a little longer than expected, I ran out of financial enthusiasm in the entertainment department. So, today when I came across a blog at sfgate.com with the heading, “Fun and free things to do in San Francisco,” it definitely caught my interest.

The suggestions for fun and free adventures will surprise you. They’re not usual crooked walk down Lombard Street or straight walk on the Golden Gate Bridge. No, these were suggestions like going for a free ride on the glass elevators at the St. Francis or going to the Sunday service at the Glide Memorial United Methodist Church. There were reasons for these suggestions and several more on the website.

So, if you’re like me and you’re running out of ideas and money when it comes to entertaining people you hardly know, check out sfgate.com for some freely-offered great ideas!

Technorati Tags: entertainment, Glide memorial United Methodist Church, San Francisco, St. Francis Hotel