Tis the season: shop-pups and window-kitties: Macy’s and the SPCA continue their San Francisco holiday-season tradition

COMING UP THIS WEEK:

DorkbotSF #102: Naut Humon, Scott Kildall, and Mark Pauline
Dorkbot’s curatorial stance of “people doing strange things with electricity” assures you’ll see curious code and controlled mechanical mayhem every time. But this trio of seasoned creators is really worth a humpday trip to the Mission. Naut Humon previews the upcoming Recombinant Festival. Scott Kildall wires plants for sound. And Mark Pauline, the unrepentant machine art originator and founder of Survival Research Labs (accept no substitutes!), will explain a new robotic arm project which uses depth perception technology and machine vision. A great installment of a great series.
WED NOV 14: 7 PM Gray Area Art + Technology in the Mission, SF; Free, but you’ll donate $5 to $20 to Gray Area, because you are awesome, right?

How Can We Integrate E-scooters Into Our Cities?
In the wake of the scooter surge / backlash (mistakes were made!), my fellow Anglerfisher Annalee Newitz, Ars Technica editor-at-large, interviews Oakland’s Director of Transportation about how they are approaching the issue. It’s free, but space is limited. So RSVP here.
WED NOV 14: 7 PM; Eli’s Mile High Club, Oakland; Free

SF Urban Film Fest
Running now through Sunday, Nov 18, a different kind of film festival which “gathers a diverse, engaged audience and uses the power of storytelling to spark discussion and civic engagement around urban issues. We focus on what it means to live together in a city and make urban planning more equitable and inclusive.” Shows at SPUR, Roxie Theater, SOMArts and various places around town. Take a look, many showings are free.
NOW through SUN NOV 18: various times; Various locations in SF; prices range from free to $15

Make Way for the Presidio Tunnel Tops!
You have to get up pretty early in the morning to watch a fast food joint get pulverized to make room for a park. But in San Francisco, happily, this does happen. “We take down the former Army-era Burger King to make way for 14 acres of national parkland–the Presidio Tunnel Tops!” Arrive at 8:30 Thursday morning, first strike at ~9:30AM. And when the dust settles, the future will be a little greener, man.
THU NOV 15: 8:30AM; Observation Post at the Presidio, San Francisco; Free

Mr. Lucky all over town this week
Mister Lucky is a Bay Area institution, “the dean of postmodern lounge jazz swing singers.” He figures prominently in the 1990s Bay Area swing revival (after singing in 80s New Wave bands before that). But he did it his way and over time, while still dressing the stylish crooner, his repertoire expanded to cover a diverse range of rock as well as lounge and pop tunes. A few years ago he moved back east full-time. But this week starts his annual end-of-year visit to our coast; which he’ll end playing Bimbo’s on New Year’s Eve. You’ve got 3 shots to see him this week at a trio of great local joints. Lucky sings tunes from the thirties to sixties backed by an all-star local band. Don’t miss it, kid!
THU NOV 15: 7:30PM; Stookey’s Club Moderne – Bush @ Taylor, SF; $?? ask venue (it won’t be too much)
SAT NOV 17: 8PM; Rite Spot Cafe – Folsom at 17th Street, SF; $?? ask venue (it won’t be too much)
SUN NOV 18 8PM; Lucky Horseshoe – 453 Cortland Ave, SF; $?? ask venue (it won’t be too much)

Botanicals and Brews Beer Garden
Gardening at night! Some of the Bay Area’s finest craft brews will set up shop in the Victorian greenhouse jewel of Golden Gate Park this week. Let’s hope the atmosphere is kind, because if the air clears up to enjoy Friday outside this week–this would be a great way to celebrate it! Note: this is a 21+ event.
FRI NOV 16: PM; Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park; $27 (includes a craft brew) or $55 (more beer + keep the glass + food truck discount)

Reclaiming The Future, Long Conversation
The “Long Conversation” is a format I know well, because we’ve used it at Long Now. A round-robin dialogue, an interlocked series of dialogues as one person rotates out every 15 minutes or so. You watch the crossfading pair and as long as you have good participants it follows a line but goes everywhere: a single thread through many minds. And Stochastic Labs have assembled an amazing group as centerpiece to their “Reclaiming The Future” event on Saturday. Authors, designers, poets, roboticists, humorists, filmmakers, and two major female startup founders: Caterina Fake (Flickr) and Linda Avey (23andMe). There are other names you may know like artists JD Beltran and Kal Spelletich. The whole event goes from noon to 6pm with art on display as well. Check it out.
SAT NOV 17: Noon; Fort Mason Center, SF; $20

“The Golden Age of Ocean Travel” lecture, Art Deco Societyy of California
From the non-profit dedicated to keeping the fun and elegance of Art Deco alive, voyage back in time to the age when giant ships were engineering marvels and learn about Art Deco masterpieces of ship travel, designs which continue to resonate today. Cocktail hour at 3pm, lecture at 4pm. Check the link for dinner options afterward.
SUN NOV 18 3PM; The Bellevue Club, Oakland; $15 ($10 for members)