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LSD Inventor Dies at 102 Years Old

The man who discovered lysergic acid diethylamide-25, or LSD, took the final trip last Tuesday at the age of 102.   

Second Fatal Shark Attack on Pacific Coast

A surfer from San Francisco, was attacked and killed by a tiger shark while surfing in Mexico.  Adrian Ruiz, 24, was bitten on his leg, and bled to death, apparently because it took so long for him to get to a hospital from the isolated surfing spot.  This is the second fatal shark attack on the Pacific coast in less than a week.  Dave Martin, a 66 year-old triathalete, was killed by a great white, while swimming in Southern California last Friday.  Experts say shark attacks are relatively rare, and being killed by a shark, rarer still.

How Low Can You Go?

Bay Area housing prices took another huge hit, dropping 17.2% from February 2007 to February 2008.  That is an acceleration over the 13.2% drop year to year in January.  This is according to Standard & Poor/Case-Shiller report released Tuesday.  Nationally, numbers were a teensy bit better, with the drop between Feb 2007 and 2008, 13.6%.  No sign yet of a bottom, say experts. 

Super Tuesday Poll- Celebrity Edition!

Marin celebrities have been in the news recently- the newly-back-together Penns and the newly-split up Williams, for instance.  Which got us thinking...

"Touching Home" in West Marin

This could be a story about not taking no for an answer. Or it could be a story about saying goodbye a second time. Or it could be a story about redemption.  It's actually a story about all three.

Water Sources Make All The Difference

East Bay residents are facing possible water rationing in next few months, if the rains don't return.

We're Not Getting Out Of Bed Today

What happened this weekend?  Did the world go to hell in a hand basket?  At least according to Newsweek, it did.  Take a look at the most viewed articles on Newsweek.com today. First, and this is nothing new, "How High Should Gas Prices Go?", and then there's "How To Survive The Economy".  If that doesn't start to make you nervous, then this, "Food: Now It's the $6 Loaf of Bread", should.  The earth needs help, and here are "10 Fixes For The Planet".  But the one that strikes fear into our heart, is "Samuelson: The End Of Shopping."  What worries you the most???

Someone Special Could Use Your Help

Mother, actor, singer, writer, solo performer, comedienne, director and longtime coordinator & teacher in the drama department at the College of Marin.  It's enough talent and accomplishment to fill a couple of lifetimes, but it's the work of one woman- Carla Zilbersmith.  Just 45 years-old, Zilbersmith has been diagnosed with ALS, a debilitating and incurable neurodegenerative disease. 

"Ice" Wine Troubles For The North Coast

The coldest spring in over 30 years is causing consternation in the premier wine-growing regions of Napa, Sonoma, Marin and Mendocino counties.

Whaling Away In The Bay

Check out these SF Chronicle photos of a whale that showed up yesterday in the Bay... (click on the photo to enlarge)

Governor Halts Aerial Moth Spraying...At Least For Time Being

The light brown apple moth is bad, but lots of Californians are wondering if the cure, pheromone spraying, is worse. 

Four Bucks A Gallon Is Blowing The Bankroll

Californians pay more than anyone else in the nation to fill up their tanks- about $4 bucks a gallon.  And the most expensive place to fill up in California is- you guessed it...here in the Bay Area.  The nationwide average is $3.53 a gallon.  Here in Marin  there are some sub-four dollar-a-gallon places to fill up, but even those stations are increasing prices every few days.  The cheapest place to buy gas ($3.34 a gallon) is in Jersey; one of only two states where full service is mandatory.  Such a deal!

Thursday Thinker Trivia Quiz- Nostalgia Version

How many Victorian homes are there currently in the City by the Bay (SF to you out-of-towners...)
1) 4,000
2) 18,000
3) 8,000
4) 14,000

First one to guess correctly gets a rare, one-of-kind MoreMarin kitchen magnet. (Ok not rare, but really cool)

These Guys Put Leona Helmsley To Shame

Update: Here's another, longer version of the story in an SFGate article.

Imagine someone sawing a hole in your living room floor, or cutting your phone and electrical lines.  Or even worse, cutting the support floor beams under your apartment.  Apparently this all happened to a San Francisco tenant, by his landlords, a couple with an address in Sausalito among others.

Foreclosures Skyrocket In SF Bay Area

The bad news: regional and state foreclosures are the highest in 15 years, with 6,579 Bay Area homeowners losing their houses in the first three months of 2008.  The good news: Marin had the smallest number of foreclosures of the nine Bay Area counties.  Unfortunately, despite the recent calls to lenders to work out payment plans or modify the loan agreement with borrowers before foreclosing, things are expected to get worse. 

I'd Like To Hear Mozart, Woof Woof!

Or maybe Beethoven or perhaps some Bach?  Whatever the musical choice, as long as it's classical, you'll hear it piped into the kennels at the Marin Humane Society.  Turns out the symphonic strains are soothing to the stressed out pooches.  Take a look at this CBS5 story to see some mellowed out Marin doggies.

Clinton Wins Big In PA, But Still Sees Red

Senator Hillary Clinton won the Pennsylvania primary, beating Senator Barack Obama by a whopping ten points.  So why should she be worried?  Because her campaign is in the red, while Obama has millions left to spend in his coffers.  She'll need a lot more cash, in order to campaign hard for wins in upcoming primaries, including the big one in Indiana on May 6.  The refrain we kept hearing over and over again as we watched the results come in...'don't count a Clinton out'.  Unless she runs out of money and donations, it looks like Hillary will go the distance.

Another Good Reason To Live In The Bay Area

You want to live a longer life?  Then move to the SF Bay Area.  At least that's according to a newly released study that shows longer life expectancy rates here, while actually dropping in other areas in the U.S.  Residents in Santa Clara, San Mateo and Marin counties can expect to live to 80, while residents in certain areas of the South, can only expect to reach 70. 

No Lead In Marin Turf

Earlier this week we had an item about alarming levels of lead that have been found in artificially turfed athletic fields in playing fields nationwide.  Officials in Marin just announced that none of the fields at area high schools contain the type of turf, Astro Turf, that has the high levels of lead.

Super Tuesday Poll - Earth Day Edition

Seems like everyone is going green these days, and that's a good thing.  Mother Earth can use all the help she can get.

Nick's Pick's- Sushi in San Rafael

Nick reviews the latest sushi restaurant to open on busy Fourth Street in San Rafael.  Find out if it's arigato or sayonara for Umi Sushi in MoreEats!

Earth Day Tribute- A Visit To Muir Woods

The fallen tree tells the story.  People are crowding around trying to get a closer look. Little bits of paper with significant dates in history, are pasted to the huge ringed tree trunk.  There is the ring for 1492 when Columbus discovered America, and one for 1776, when the Declaration of Independence was signed.  There is also one for 1849, the California Goldrush.  And then we see the one for 1930- the date when the 1000 year-old giant fell.  Welcome to Muir Woods National Monument; one of the few places on earth where you can still see some of the oldest, and tallest trees on the planet!

It's Earth Day!

Earth Day rolls around once a year to remind us to take care of the planet that sustains us.  The last few months have been tough, ecologically-speaking, here in Marin.  We got a double-dose of damage after the oil spill disaster and the sewage spills. Then the salmon quit running, and experts think global warming is partially to blame.  Lawsuits have been filed up and down the state, in an attempt to derail the fight against plastic bags.  But here and there, are small victories.  SF has the double honor of having the greenest building codes in the U.S. and being the first city in the U.S. to force supermarkets and pharmacies to provide customers with recyclable plastic bags.  The County of Marin has just launched an alternative energy company for residents, and the list of "green businesses" here, continues to grow.  Every day, people wake up and decide to make a difference.  So take a moment, go outside and smell the roses.  And thank Mother Earth while you're at it.

Robin Williams Jokes Around Tonight In MV

If you know someone who works at the Throckmorton Theater in Mill Valley, maybe they can pull some strings and get you in tonight to see comic superstar Robin Williams.  Tickets went on sale over the weekend, and promptly sold out. 

Obama Lead Grows According To Latest Poll

The latest Newsweek nationwide public opinion poll has Senator Obama leading Senator Clinton by nearly 20 percentage points, with voters increasingly viewing Clinton as " dishonest and untrustworthy".  Not the greatest news for Clinton, leading into tomorrows hotly contested Pennsylvania primary. Although Obama clearly gained the advantage after the fallout from Bittergate and Bosniagate, both candidates lost some ground after their word-wars.  Both of their unfavorable ratings jumped in the last few weeks.  We think it would be nice of the candidates to spend a bit more time discussing the issues, what do you think?

Someone Ratted On Her

A house up in Washington, became so overrun with rats, it will have to be torn down and rebuilt.  A woman who lived in the house, originally bought some rats as food for her pet snakes, but then couldn't bear to kill them and kept them as pets.  The rats did what rats will do, and eventually the home was so overrun with rats, they had chewed through the electrical lines, cupboards and walls.  Yikes, that is almost to weird for words...

Toxic Turf Has School Officials Worried

Two athletic fields in New Jersey were closed to the public after health officials found lead levels in the artificial turf, to be ten times the acceptable risk.  That has Marin officials wondering if their fields might pose the same danger.  All of Marin's high school athletic fields are artificial except one; San Rafael High. The lead has been found in turf manufactured from Astro Turf.  Once again, it looks like a case of natural is better.

Grumpy Monday Morning News

We hope you enjoyed your weekend, because this story is sure to slam you back into reality. 

Earth Day Events All Weekend And Next Week!

Earth day is April 22nd and Marin will be buzzing with activity for the next few days in honor of Mother Earth. 

Hey Yury...Is That A Knife In Your Back?

Chalk another one in the category of almost too weird for words.  Seems a guy in Russia tied one on, came home and fell asleep.  The story would end there, were it not for the knife handle his wife spotted, sticking out of his back.  Ouch!!  Apparantly the man did not realize he had been stabbed.  Nasdrovya, Yury...that was some cocktail!

529 College Savings Plans- Best & Worst

College tuition has skyrocketed, and thanks to the credit crisis, available money for loans is shrinking.  What's a parent to do?  Putting away money in a 529 college savings plan is one option, and financial firm Morningstar has released a study on the best and the worst of the bunch. Take a look here to find their recommended plans.

Housing- To Rent Or To Own...That Is The Question

Marin County home prices and sales are way down from a year ago, but both are up slightly from last month.  Inventory for sale was up from last year, and also, not surprisingly so are foreclosures, matching a statewide trend.  Confused?  The only thing that is straightforward, is the rental market- which, not surprisingly, is white hot.The apartment occupancy rate in the County, was 97%, one of the highest in the country.  The question that is on everyone's mind; is this the bottom of market?  So, the only thing certain in this market?   That nothing is certain...

1906 Earthquake Commemoration Today

Herbert Hamrol is 105 years old, which means he was three years old on April 18, 1906.  That, of course, was the day of the huge earthquake, which along with the fires, nearly destroyed the city.

                                                                                                                           

Nosing Around For A World Record

Thirteen year-old Washington resident, Andrew Dahl, is claiming a world record for blowing up 213 balloons within an hour...with his nose. 

Thursday Thinker Trivia Quiz!

Put on your thinking caps everyone and name the only moving National Historic landmark. First person to guess correctly gets a one-of-a-kind, beautiful, rare MoreMarin kitchen fridge magnet. 

Green Power to Give PGE A Run For Their $$$

Marin County officials have just launched "Marin Clean Energy", a power-providing company as an alternative to Pacific Gas and Electric.  The idea is to reduce greenhouse gases by 15% by using renewable sources of energy.  The new power company would form a brokerage to purchase power from green sources; solar, wind and waste-generated, and then the power would be delivered by PGE infrastructure.  Even so, PGE is alleging customers would wind up paying higher costs, despite the claims from Marin Clean that initial costs might be slightly higher, but costs down the road would be lower.  Each city in the county could opt to join the new utility, but in order for it to work- Novato, San Rafael & the county services would all have to opt in. If the new green power company is a success, it would mean that Marin would be the first county in the state, and community in the country to meet the national campaign, to reduce greenhouse gas by 15%.  Like Kermit says, it's not easy being green...but we think it's worth it!

Mt Tam Is Ground Zero For Oak Tree Disease

Scientists have identified two Bay Area locations as being the 'ground zero' for the start of Sudden Oak Death disease- Scotts Valley near Santa Cruz, and Mt Tam here in Marin.

Supreme Court Upholds Lethal Injections

Executions in California will likely resume after a two year hiatus, which was instituted after several legal challenges to the method  of execution, specifically the three-drug lethal injection. 

Tam High Senior Wins Award In Peace Essay Contest

Tamalpais High School senior Jordan Harms won first place for her essay in the statewide competition in the National Peace Essay Contest.  Harms was among 47 high school seniors nationwide, who earned a $1,000 scholarship, for their winning essay on the relationship between natural resources and international conflict.  Harms is now eligible to compete in the national level contest in June, for a $10,000 scholarship. The essay contest is sponsored by the United States Institute of Peace, based in Washington D.C.  Congratulations Jordan!

Are You A Night Owl?...Then Get A Hedgehog

The newest trend in pets this year...is hedgehogs.  You know, those round, prickly looking little creatures- the ones that the Queen of Hearts used as croquet balls,  in Alice In Wonderland.  It seems the hedgehog 's nocturnal habits appeal to working folks who want something to play with at night, when other pets go to sleep. Apparently, they can also live on catfood.  No word on whether they use a litter box, though. 

Obama And Clinton Debate Sure To Be Feisty

Watch for fireworks in tonight's televised debate, between Democratic rivals, Senator Hillary Clinton and Senator Barack Obama.  It will probably be their last debate, and the last chance for Hillary to gain more traction before next Tuesday's Pennsylvania primary, a do-or-die win for the New York senator.  She's sure to bring up Bittergate, the brouhaha surrounding Obama's comments he uttered about small-town rural folk, while in the Bay Area.  The debate airs tonight, from 8pm to 930pm on ABC. 

Peek-A-Boo Camera Sees Through Clothing!

No more strip searches necessary! Now, the Brits have come up with a device that can actually peer through clothing.  It's called Thru-Vision, and it works by picking up electromagnetic rays that we give off naturally. The makers claim it is totally safe.  People also don't need to worry about privacy-  they look like glowing blobs without much detail.  The device is being marketed for obvious security uses, especially for large crowds since it works as far as 80 feet away, and on moving targets. We can only hope it will help speed up the long security lines at airports...

Hiker Who Perished Was An Artist

Phoebe Washer, the 20 year-old San Francisco resident who died after tumbling off a cliff in the Marin Headlands on Monday, was an artist who grew up in nearby Petaluma.  Washer, who was accompanied by a male companion who has not been identified, had a website that featured her works of art.  An autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday.

London Court Star Wars Battle- One Perspective

A week or so ago, we told you about the court case underway in London, pitting Lucasfilm against a former employee who had been making Star Wars stormtrooper costumes and selling them on the web. CNN financial editor, Todd Benjamin, has been a spectator in court, and blogs about it here.

Mood Lifter Ideas For Tax Return Day

Feeling a little down as you mail out that tax return check?  Or maybe you read the college loan story from earlier today.  Whatever it is, here's a few ideas from Oprah, to lift your mood and chase those blues away...

$100-Dollar-A-Cup Coffee...Doo Doo Included

We're wondering why this wasn't featured on the reality show, Bizarre Food.  It's almost too weird for words...

When The Envelope Is Fat

April is traditionally the month high school seniors receive their college acceptances.  The saying goes, if the envelope is thin, you didn't get in...but if the envelope is fat, get ready to pay.  Ok, so it doesn't exactly rhyme, but you get the drift.   

Study Reveals Another Boomer Bummer

No one said getting old would be easy, but aging baby boomers may be in for some really tough times ahead...

Female Hiker Falls To Her Death In Headlands

Update: According to SFGate, the dead hiker has been identified as Phoebe Washer of San Francisco. Her male companion has not been identified.

A 20-year old female, fell to her death yesterday, while hiking in the Marin Headlands cliffs, north of Rodeo Beach.  Her 22-year old companion, who scrambled down the cliff to assist her, was also injured, and had to be rescued by the U.S Coast Guard. Here is a video link to KTVU for the story, and a video link of the rescue. Officials have not yet released the identities of either victim, and the coroners office should release autopsy results within a couple of days.

Super Tuesday Poll

Senator Barack Obama took a lot of flak this past weekend for comments he uttered at a swanky fundraiser in the Bay Area last week. Which brings us to the Super Tuesday Poll...