By Andrea Perkins

... Is the Mystery Spot a hoax? A little digging reveals some pretty odd suppositions. Some have suggested that aliens deposited large metal cones on the property as a guidance systems for their spacecraft. Others have said that the magma core, or molten rock within the earth, turns counter clockwise, or they have pointed out that the hillside is sloped at 42.6 degrees, just like the angle of the pyramids. Henry G. Hubbard, an engineer with the State Division of Mines (and probably the closest the Mystery Spot has ever had to a classical scientist) explains the mysteries by noting ...

By Nina Wu

Skim through the pages of a typical surfer magazine and what do you see? Flip. A surfer "dude" flies up the face of a wave on a Hurley International surfboard. Flip. Another surfer "dude" splashes down the face of a wave in an advertisement for Reef surf shoes. To the side, a backside photo of "Traci" in a thong bikini suggests that anyone who buys these shoes will win her admiration. Until recently, surfing has been portrayed in the media as a male sport. The glossy, colorful pages of magazines feature images of only surfer "dudes" riding the waves and executing fancy maneuvers...

By Kathy Nguyen

Although there's no shortage of French restaurants in San Francisco, a down-to-earth neighborhood restaurant offering excellent French fare is hard to come by. Clémentine, which takes its name from the bustling street on which it is located, is a true find. The charming Clement Street bistro is a refreshing change from the barrage of hip new restaurants in San Francisco that offer a glitzy atmosphere but little substance when it comes to the menu. Situated in the non-trendy Richmond District, Clémentine draws a diverse crowd ...

By Joe Smith

Our conversations begin innocently enough, with musings about the nuances of carburetors or the phantasmagorias of Chagall, the opening of abalone season, the late quartets of Beethoven. And then Charlie will take off his glasses. He'll hold them by one of the hinges, balanced between the thumb and index finger of his left hand. His eyes will go all vague and misty, as the eyes of the extremely myopic often do when their spectacles are removed. If our conversation were a movie, this is the point where the director would order gelatin to to be smeared on the camera lens. An amorous liaison is about to unfold....

By Nina Wu

It's Saturday afternoon at Pier Seven in San Francisco and a couple of skateboarders are out enjoying the sunshine, skidding along the tops of the concrete blocks, watching other skaters perform tricks and just hanging out. Larry Mendoza, 19, and Gino Failla, 18, have come up to the city from Fresno to skate by the Bay. According to them, San Francisco is the mecca for skateboarding -- with the right weather, hills, urban setting and people. The only thing it doesn't have is an easily accessible skateboard park. Why not? ...

By Kathy Nguyen

The Asian Art Museum in San Francisco has big plans -- and this summer's highlight, "The Golden Age of Chinese Archaeology," is just the beginning. Featuring some 240 objects uncovered in the People's Republic of China in the last three decades, the exhibit spans 6,000 years of Chinese history, from 5,000 BCE to the 10th century A.D. "The title [of the exhibit] refers to the last 50 years since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, and commemorates the government's highest achievements during that time," said Pauline Yao, assistant curator of the Asian Art Museum....