Starting today, loaded guns will be allowed at all national state parks. "The law lets licensed gun owners bring firearms into national parks and wildlife refuges as long as they are allowed by state law," KTVU reports. Will this lead to an increase in gun-related violence at national parks, like Crissy Field, Presidio Park and Muir Woods? Only time will tell. But first, let's look at the law. more ›

"Redwoods" by Benzadrine. more ›

No more salmon in Muir Woods? more ›

Well, you could either go to Carnaval this weekend -- or you could go to the State Green Party Convention. Ross Mirkarimi (seen here going into the dunk tank) is giving the keynote address, and the delegates plan to debate issues like ranked-choice voting, lowering the voting age to 17, and immigration. They may also get to issues about global warming. The convention starts at 11:30 a.m., goes through the Memorial Day weekend and is mostly at the State Building at 455 Golden Gate (x Larkin), though if you make it through all the sessions, they're doing a hike in Muir Woods on Monday. You have to pay to go, but the cost is, mysteriously, not listed on the website. more ›

Om, shanti, shanti, shanti, Wednesday..... Tonight: After you visit Stephen Colbert's adopted eaglet Stephen Jr. at the SF Zoo, stop by the zoo's Great Hall for a talk by the Gilman Int'l Conservation Foundation, about their efforts to save the okapi. The okapi is an endandered zebra/giraffe-y-like African eland whose pleasing combination of vowels and consonants gives it a place of honor in the hearts of obsessive crossword puzzlers like ourselves. Reception at 6:30, talk at 7. more ›

Well, at least Shirley Manson from Garbage is happy: it's still raining and we've got more rain predicted, off and on, for the next two weeks. Thanks to the persistent rain, newscasters have now gone back to ominously intoning "MUDSLIDES," just like they did in 1998 with El Nino. Highway 1 will be closed for about a week at Devil's Slide (south of Pacifica) due to mud and boulders blocking the road, Caltrans had to clear Highway 9, the road to Muir Woods is blocked, and Highway 17 was just reopened after two morning mudslides. In non-road-related rain news, a house outside Daly City is sliding down a hill, and other residents in the neighborhood have been evacuated. A house is also sliding off its foundation in San Mateo, an Aptos house's retaining wall failed, and houses in Marin and Contra Costa are starting to get a little wobbly too. There's also a levee breach in Menlo Park, but people don't think it's that big of a deal yet. It's April! It's not supposed to rain in the Bay Area in April! more ›