Fort Mason Makeover

My former residence in San Francisco (Fort Mason) is in for some startling changes. Although the hostel where I lived at Black Point may not be included in the new designs for the Golden Gate art and cultural center just below, it will remain a vibrant location for tourists, visiting artists and local residents as the waterfront between Marina Green and Fishermen's Wharf evolves. I for one am excited to see what the design competition comes up with for this prime location in one of the world's most creative cities.

Vanguard Vanquished

SF Weekly covers the Vanguard Foundation demise as yet another Bay Area radical institution succumbs to greed. After the 2007 collapse of New College of California, it seems time for Bay Area radicals to reassess how they go about the business of funding activism for social change. As an incubator of ideas, the Bay Area ought to be able to come up with something better than celebrities and trust funders to lead the way. One can only hope.