San Francisco

It has been a couple weeks since Trask tendered her resignation from the team she spent the better part of three decades in a passionate obsession. It began in 1982 when she was a student at Cal Berkeley and led to her joining the team's legal department five years later. Her expertise and devotion to Al Davis and the Raiders was fully realized when she was named CEO in 1997. She was known throughout the league for her toughness and her ardent defense of the team and the owner for whom she held in the highest regard. But during her time as CEO, she used that power to be a force for outreach and compassion in the community that is unmatched. Her first priority was always the Raiders, but in protecting the Raiders image she found a way to incorporate her passion for community involvement and her deep love for animals. Those efforts were exactly what the Raiders needed to balance out the negative public perception of the team and their fan base. From the perspective of those who had to cross Trask in legal matters, softness was not a word they would use to describe her. It was her balance of hardnosed business oriented person and compassionate soul that made her so uniquely qualified for her position. In my experiences with Amy, it became apparent there was no single area (outside of the Raiders) that she held closer to her heart than her love for animals. That love led her to becoming a board member for Tony La Russa's Animal Rescue Foundation - a position she will continue to hold even though she has moved on from the Raiders. Per the Animal Rescue Foundation official website: "ARF saves dogs and cats who have run out of time at public shelters and brings people and animals together to enrich each others' lives. ARF strives to create a world where every loving dog and cat has a home, where every lonely person has a companion animal, and where children learn to care." Trask's love for animals showed itself in the regular photo galleries on the team's website "Raider Nation Pet Delegation" which showed pets in Raiders gear as well as Raiders fans with their pets. Her involvement with ARF also made it an outright impossibility the Raiders would have shown any interest in Mike Vick back in 2009 when he was seeking to re-enter the NFL after a prison sentence for running a dog fighting ring. ARF was one of the primary organizations which rescued many of the dogs from Vick's "Bad News Kennels". Following Trask's resignation from the Raiders, I reached out to ARF about Trask's involvement and Tony La Russa responded saying: "Amy was and is a pioneer and trail blazer in the NFL and Animal Rescue areas! Her best years are ahead!" A trailblazer is a common term with regard to Trask because she was the first and only CEO in NFL history. Her idols were other trailblazers like Jackie Robinson and Rosa Parks, and of course Al Davis who helped pave the way for minorities in the NFL, including herself. As the first woman CEO in NFL history, she is a model for young women everywhere. But among her peers it was a battle for them to look past her gender. Her experiences holding her ground and changing the female perception in that boys club of the NFL, also made her uniquely qualified to fight against the unfairly labeled fan base. "A big misperception is our fan base," Trask told Sports Business Daily. "There is a misperception that our game-day experience is not appropriate for children or families and nothing could be farther from the truth. Our stadium is filled with babies, children and families and fans of all ages and from all corners of the world. Our fan base is passionate, but passionate does not mean inhospitable." In changing this "misperception", Trask had a long fight on her hands. Her struggles were made more difficult when, in the almost annual preseason matchup with the 49ers, several violent incidents occurred both in the stadium and in the parking lot after the game. The game was played in San Francisco bu

What a glorious conversation with Ariel Gore about so many of the intersections in The End of San Francisco, I love it…

Driving to the Sasquatch! Festival on Thursday I opted to skip out on I-90 from Seattle and instead drive way up north and take Route 2. It still gets you where you're going, but the traffic-congested two-and-a-half hour trip you get with 90 becomes an isolated six-hour journey if you choose Rt. 2. It's completely worth it considering what you get instead: over 100 miles of absolutely stunning forests. Bright spring weather shifts into snowy mountains, freight trains chug by, so long they seem to lack a beginning or end - the forest completely surrounds you. It's a real experience Read MoreBlog: Groove Radio PTRelated: Sasquatch! Friday: Vampire Weekend, Macklemore, Youth Lagoon, & MoreLIVE REVIEW: Youth Lagoon and Porcelain Raft @ The Independent, San Francisco 4/13/12Youth Lagoon And Father John Misty Announce Tour DatesVampire Weekend Premiere Diane Young And Step(Scene and Heard) Youth Lagoon and Majical Cloudz at The Bell House

Every week we bring you a carefully-vetted list of events, contests and awards for small businesses, solo entrepreneurs and growing companies. To see a full list or to submit your own event, contest or award listing, visit the Small Business Events Calendar. Featured Events, Contests and Awards 7 Steps to Facebook Success – How to Make Money on the World’s #1 Social Network June 04, 2013, Online If you’ve been feeling frustrated and overwhelmed by the constant changes and tweaks on Facebook, and you’ve been struggling to measure a real monetary result from your Facebook marketing efforts – you’re not alone! On this free mega online event, Facebook marketing expert Mari Smith will share her own 7-Step Facebook Marketing Success Plan that’s packed with money-making tips for YOU to turn the world’s most popular social network into the TOP source of quality leads and paying customers for your business! It’s free — register today and save your seat! Making Money Online: Ecommerce Done Right with John Lawson June 25, 2013, New York, NY Looking to create independence from this shifting job economy? Want a stream of income that works for you around the clock? Have a great idea of what to sell online but don’t know how to get started? Dreaming of growing your online store from a hobby to a full fledged, profitable business? Join John Lawson, award winning Social Commerce Strategist, American Express featured businessman, author, and founder of 3rd Power Outlet – an online clothing retail outlet that has exceeded $25 million in sales. John will be sharing his practical, down-to-earth methods for building your own ecommerce business from the ground up in this two part workshop, packed with resources, tips, and how-to instruction. Discount Code SBTRENDS ( $25 off) WBENC National Conference & Business Fair June 26, 2013, Minneapolis, MN The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) will convene 3,500 decision makers from the nation’s leading corporations, government entities and women’s business enterprises (WBEs) to generate business together and stimulate economic growth at the 2013 WBENC National Conference & Business Fair in Minneapolis, MN, June 25-27, 2013. Big Awards for Business August 14, 2013, Online The Big Awards started with a mission of recognizing real talent and performance. Real business people, those with experience and knowledge, judge the Big Awards. Request an entry kit today and submit your nomination by August 14, 2013. Discount Code SBT50 ($50.00 off) More Events Zoholics – Zoho User Conference May 29, 2013, San Francisco, CA Supercharge Your Business Network May 29, 2013, Online How to Find Sales Opportunities in Your CRM | Free Webinar & E-Book May 30, 2013, Online Small Business Summit May 31, 2013, Athens, GA Leadership: Becoming The Leader Your Business Needs You To Be May 31, 2013, Online Strategies for Raising Growth Capital in Volatile Markets June 04, 2013, Online Build Up Your Business: Growth By Design June 05, 2013, New York, NY Search at eBay Webinar for Small Business Owners June 05, 2013, Online CT Business Expo June 06, 2013, Hartford, CT “The New Entrepreneurz” Presentation June 06, 2013, New York, NY 4th Annual MACs Women’s Entrepreneur Summit June 08, 2013, New York, NY Win to the Winth Power Workshop June 09, 2013, New York, NY The Inc. Leadership Forum June 10, 2013, San Diego, CA How Your Personal Credit Score Can Affect You in Business June 12, 2013, Pittsburgh, PA Business Webinar: I Survived and Dominated The Crisis June 12, 2013, Online Veteran Entrepreneur Training Symposium June 13, 2013, Reno, NV Future Energy New York June 13, 2013, New York City National Small Business Week June 17, 2013, Washington, DC Web.com Small Business Forum – Raleigh June 20, 2013, Raleigh, NC More Awards and Contests CNBC Prime’s Crowd Rules $50,000 Challenge June 0

Current Series Rockies lead the series 1-0 Fri 05/24 WP: Tyler Chatwood (3 - 0) LP: Tim Lincecum (3 - 4) 0 - 5 loss Colorado Rockies Purple Row @ San Francisco Giants McCovey Chronicles Saturday, May 25, 2013, 1:05 PM PDT AT&T Park Juan Nicasio vs Barry Zito Mostly sunny. Winds blowing out to center field at 10-15 m.p.h. Game time temperature around 60. Complete Coverage > Sun 05/26 1:05 PM PDT 1. Angel Pagan CF 2. Marco Scutaro 2B 3. Pablo Sandoval 3B 4. Buster Posey C 5. Hunter Pence RF 6. Brandon Belt 1B 7. Gregor Blanco LF 8. Brandon Crawford SS 9. Barry Zito LHP

Washington Nationals' manager Davey Johnson told reporters before Friday night's game with the Philadelphia Phillies that the team had received some bad news about second baseman Danny Espinosa's wrist. Espinosa originally injured the wrist when he was hit by a pitch from Atlanta Braves' lefty Paul Maholm in a mid-April game in the nation's capital. When pain in the wrist continued to bother the switch-hitting infielder, the 26-year-old Espinosa saw a specialist in the Baltimore area who diagnosed a small fracture in the wrist and located a bone chip that was causing irritation. "About 25% of our lineup has really been struggling, along with some other guys at times, so seeing Lombo come in there and get three hits and drive in some runs, that was huge." - Davey Johnson on Nats' offensive woes "I looked at the films," Johnson told reporters, "and [Espinosa] has a little chip floating around in his wrist. The report I got from the trainers is if he can stand the pain it shouldn't get any worse." The plan is to let Espinosa rest and see if the discomfort goes away. The '08 3rd Round pick is already dealing with a torn rotator cuff in his left shoulder. Since he figured to be out for at least a few days, Johnson explained, the Nationals had to make a move. "We're going to make a roster change," Johnson announced after the Nats' 5-2 win over the Phillies. "[Assistant GM Bryan Minniti] isn't here, but I think we're doing something with [Yunesky] Maya and [we're] calling up [Jeff] Kobernus. We're already one player short with just four men on the bench. I like to have at least five and with Espinosa down for a number of days, we can't go with three." Kobernus, 24, has moved up a level in the Nats' system in each of the five seasons since the Nationals selected him with the first pick of the second round of the 2009 Draft. Last season at Double-A Harrisburg, the San Leandro, California-born, Cal State Berkeley-educated right-handed hitting and throwing infielder/outfielder had a .282/.325/.333 line over 82 games and 366 plate appearances in which he hit ten doubles, two triples and a home run while dealing with a thumb injury. The Detroit Tigers were impressed enough with Kobernus that they selected him in this past winter's Rule 5 Draft, but returned him to the Nationals when he didn't make their Opening Day roster. In 43 games and 193 PAs with the Nationals' top affiliate this season before he was called up last night, Kobernus had a .333/.378/.420 with eight doubles, two triples and one home run. Can he help out the Nats' offense? They could use the help. The Nationals' offense produced 10 hits and five runs last night in the nation's capital, but that was a rare offensive display for a team that's been at the bottom in team average, on base percentage and slugging in the National League early this season. Steve Lombardozzi, filling in at second for Espinosa, was 3 for 4 with a two-run double in the bottom of the fifth last night. Tyler Moore got a start in left and went 1 for 3 in the win. Davey Johnson talked about his team's offensive issues with reporters after last night's game. "We haven't been getting -- early on, we got, we scored on passed ball, ground balls, or short fly balls," Johnson said. "We haven't been getting base hits. We got the first base hit I think in San Francisco with a runner on second and two outs, we drove a guy in, [Ian] Desmond did, but to see us do that... the big hit of course, Lombo, but we haven't seen much of that all year." "Our offense has really been down," Johnson continued, "About 25% of our lineup has really been struggling, along with some other guys at times, so seeing Lombo come in there and get three hits and drive in some runs, that was huge." "We just haven't been the kind of offensive club I know we're capable of being," Johnson said, "And today was a big day with Espinosa out for Lombo to do what he did and us to score five runs, we've been kind of stuck on none

Since the beginning of the year, more than two dozen anti-gay hate crimes have occurred in the City of New York. This number alone has rallied not only the gay community, but also elected officials, community organizers, and faith leaders throughout New York and across the country. In the wake of these heinous attacks that culminated with the murder of a 32-year old gay man, Mark Carson, one moral authority in a city that is home to millions of Catholics has remained eerily silent in the face of such tragedy. This silence is a testament to the passive homophobia that defines Catholic Church teaching and comments from the institution's hierarchy regarding lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. This silence must be shattered: Cardinal Timothy Dolan must condemn these acts of hate.Like it or not, the reality is that Catholic teaching on the topic of homosexuality is based largely on ignorance and fear. To deny this reality is to deny the very essence of truth, because truth demands that we be willing to see what is in front of us rather than to live among falsehoods. The characterization of gay people by leaders such as Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop Cordileone of San Francisco, and Bishop Murphy of Rockville Centre, have demonstrated that they have allowed fear to drive their views.More...

Desperate-for-a-new-hit-show Nickelodeon debuted a new animated series Sanjay and Craig this morning. The show, which is about an Indian boy Sanjay and his talking pet snake Craig, was created by Jim Dirschberger, Jay Howell (designer, Bob’s Burgers) and Andreas Trolf, and exec produced by Will McRobb and Chris Viscardi (The Adventures of Pete and Pete, KaBlam!, Bravest Warriors). Early reviews have been positive for the hand-drawn series. Entertainment Weekly says that the show is “a quick-paced, eminently GIF-able product of the Internet age,” while also being “a clear throwback to a simpler time.” The AV Club acknowledges the show’s Calvin & Hobbes-like dynamic” and says that it has “wonderful messages of friendship, joy, intelligence, and most importantly, imagination.” And the San Francisco Chronicle calls the show “juvenile, but also smart and very, very funny” and applauds the creators who “gets that kids are kids, but also that they are often more sophisticated than children’s TV gives them credit for.” If you’ve seen the show, report back here with your thoughts. As always, these talkbacks are open only to those who have seen a show and wish to discuss it.

Madonna of the Microscope (2013) by Chris Shaw Madonna of the Particle (2013)Artist Chris Shaw, whom you may know from his rock poster art, has a new art series centered on the Madonna icon, which is currently on exhibit at The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. He wrote:I’m not sure exactly where my fascination with Madonnas was born, but I’ve loved Icons of all kinds for a very long time.As an artist I’m intrigued with the the way icons present their ideas — an easily understood, blunt central image juxtaposed with deep symbolism and cryptic geometric foundations. Icons also have a reason for existing, they are conveyers of information.The modern icons I create also convey information, it could be a scientific concept, a political statement, or a pop-culture reference. Regardless, each icon has a story and a reason for existing.In this body of work I use the Madonna as the vehicle to literally carry the ideas I’ve chosen to portray. The titles are straight forward. However, underlying and obfuscated by the image is a rigid geometric base, over which the Madonna icon is constructed. The geometry within this base is a riddle to decipher as are many of the symbols within.I’ve mainly learned about hidden geometry and symbolism in art by deconstructing an artworks composition, then researching what I find, something I like to do for fun. Golden ratios, spirals, and fibonacci sequences are easily found in many types of art, but especially deeply woven into icons. How and why this geometric language was used fascinates me, it ultimately led to creating my own icons with their own meanings.View more of Chris' Madonnas of Science (and other pop culture Madonnas) over at his website and blog: Link Madonna of the Dark Matter (2013) Madonna of the Magnet (2013) Madonna of Evolution (Simian Vanitas)

When draft season comes around people always talk about positional value, with the consensus being that the premium positions are LT, QB, CB, and pass rushers. So it stands to reason that these positions are more valuable because they teams that are great here should be the top teams in the league right? Well these are some interesting things I found after looking at the site that provides the closest you can get to hard data for football on the internet: Pro Football Focus. The table is at the bottom, and here are three things first before they get asked: 1) If a team had an injury at one of these positions or a new starter took over the job mid-season the player with the most snaps was used. 2) This is a reflection of last year's teams that means players that scored exceptionally low or high may no longer be with the teams. 3) The list is sorted from worst final scores to the best with San Diego having the worst players at key spots and Denver leading the league, and the numbers besides their names are indicators of where they ranked based on wins. For example Baltimore won the SB so they are 1, and KC drafted first so they are 32. Interesting fact #1: 13 teams managed to play the year without a bad starter at any of the key positions and they are: St. Louis, Dallas, Oakland, Carolina, Washington, Tennessee, NYG, San Francisco, Atlanta, New England, Seattle, Houston, and Denver. Interesting fact #2: J.J. Watt personally is rated higher than any other individual, and he is ranked higher than 30 of the teams final scores, with his team and Denver being the exceptions. Interesting fact #3: Baltimore made won the Super Bowl and only managed to scrape together a final score of 10.2, the fourth worst on this list. This is possible because the Ravens utilize an efficient ground game, and their best pass rusher was hurt for most of the year. Interesting fact #4: San Diego managed to be the only team to get a negative in EVERY category. The Chargers were bad at all the key positions and still managed to escape drafting in the top ten thanks to a weak division and a few above average performances at home. Interesting fact #5: In these rankings Indianapolis is the lowest rated AFCS team thanks to very good play by the Jaguars LT and Austin Lane their best pass rusher. So what does it all mean? All piece says to me is that the Titans have a very good roster where it counts and they just underperformed. Giving Jake Locker better protection will boost his score, and life should only get easier for the Titans best DE (Derrick Morgan) and their best CB (Jason McCourty) since the Titans have upgraded talent at DT and S. If the Titans manage to play up to their rosters capability then the playoffs aren't out of reach considering the bottom 10 teams on this list play the Titans a combined seven times next year (SD-once, ARZ-once, NYJ-once, IND-twice, JAX-twice) and the Titans will have home field advantage against all five of those teams at some point. table { }td { padding-top: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-left: 1px; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; vertical-align: bottom; border: medium none; white-space: nowrap; }.xl63 { font-size: 10pt; font-family: Calibri; } TEAM LT QB CB Pass Rush Final Score SD (22) -43.4 -4.5 -5.2 -3.5 -56.6 ARZ (26) -38.7 4.7 9.3 -2.6 -27.3 BUF (25) 6.6 -18.6 3.8 10 1.8 BLT (1) -5.9 4.7 3.5 7.9 10.2 NYJ (24) 23.5 -22.1 10 0.3 11.7 CLV (27) 25.6 -30 8.3 8.3 12.2 DET (28) -2.4 9.8 7.4 -1.9 12.9 IND (9) 7.3 8.1 5.5 -0.5 20.4 JAX (31) 21 -4.3 -2.5 7.8 22 PHI (29) 6.6 -11.4 1.5 31.6 28.3 STL (17) 8.6 3.1 6.9 12 30.6 TB (20) 14.9 -3.9 3.8 18.8 33.6 PIT (16) -12.4 34.8 9.8 2.9 35.1 KC (32) 13.8 -4.9 13.7 16 38.6 MIN (10) 15.8