Magazine http://xpress.sfsu.edu/magazine/ en-us 2008-05-15T08:00:00-08:00 Letter from the Editor http://xpress.sfsu.edu/archives/magazine/011112.html It starts at the coccyx, where the surrounding muscles contract and pull. The sensation travels bone by bone up the spine, the delicate layer of skin protecting it, alive with fine hairs standing on end. It will reach the edge... 08-Online mageditors 2008-05-15T08:00:00-08:00 The Art of Movement http://xpress.sfsu.edu/archives/magazine/010878.html Parkour—which derives from the French word parcour, meaning journey, route, or course—is the art, disciple, and philosophy of using the body’s strength and facilities to overcome obstacles. Its core ideal is getting from Point-A to Point-B in the most efficient way possible. Traceurs, who are practitioners of parkour, always leap, climb, roll, and crawl through obstacles—they never go around them. 08-Online mageditors 2008-05-15T07:55:00-08:00 Family Matters http://xpress.sfsu.edu/archives/magazine/010880.html This is the life of firefighters at the station that rests behind the Stonestown Galleria mall near the southern tip of San Francisco. It is a place where camaraderie shines because firefighters are required to eat, sleep, and live at the station; many have made it their second home. Like any good dwelling, the house is full of unique personalities that consider one another family. 08-Online magstaff 2008-05-15T07:50:00-08:00 Taking the Plunge http://xpress.sfsu.edu/archives/magazine/010965.html The sliding door of the airplane opens. Icy wind rushes in, blasting against Ron Selvey’s face. He looks down, carefully surveying the land below, anticipating a push from behind. In a split second, both Selvey and the stranger strapped to... 08-Online magstaff 2008-05-15T07:45:00-08:00 Different Strokes http://xpress.sfsu.edu/archives/magazine/010207.html Even with a wetsuit, it feels like suicide. With each stroke away from the secluded beach, the swimmer becomes more aware that if he stops moving his limbs, the cold of the fifty-degree water will consume them. Within about ten... 08-Online magstaff 2008-05-15T07:44:00-08:00 The Amazing Spider Dan http://xpress.sfsu.edu/archives/magazine/010879.html Dan Goodwin calls skyscrapers human death traps and envisions a number of drastic changes in the way people are rescued. He details the proposed changes in the “Sky Scraper Defense Act” and wants to begin pushing it through city governments later this year. He plans to start in San Francisco. NOT EXCERPT: may want to add a box or something in the article about Goodwin's website (skyscraperdefense.com). You can view the Skyscraper Defense Act here and also the foreword to his book by Stan Lee (creator of Spiderman) 08-Online magstaff 2008-05-15T07:35:00-08:00 This Land(fill) is Our Land http://xpress.sfsu.edu/archives/magazine/011114.html Upon first sight, there is little to be desired. Chunks of concrete protrude from the dirt-caked pathways and the greenery is little more than weeds and scratchy bushes. It’s either too cold and windy or too hot and humid. In... 08-Online mageditors 2008-05-15T07:27:00-08:00 Less Concrete, More Jungle http://xpress.sfsu.edu/archives/magazine/010893.html In San Francisco, street runoff and sanitary sewers are combined systems, and during heavy rains both street runoff and raw sewage end up being dumped into the ocean without being treated. However, green roofs can retain as much as seventy-five percent of that water and release it back into the air through condensation, reducing the amount of runoff and taking strain off of the treatment plants and the city’s aging sewer systems. 08-Online magstaff 2008-05-15T07:26:00-08:00 Pollution of the Port http://xpress.sfsu.edu/archives/magazine/010889.html Toxic soot produced by trucks, trains, and ships at the Port of Oakland exposes area residents and workers to high risks of cancer, asthma, and heart attacks—more than any other region in Northern California. 08-Online magstaff 2008-05-15T07:25:00-08:00 Chasing Demons http://xpress.sfsu.edu/archives/magazine/010886.html Red velvet curtains, intricate antiques, and plush Victorian furniture compliments the grand staircase in the lobby of the Queen Anne Hotel. This hotel was formerly an all-girls school built in the 1890s. It’s rumored to be haunted by Miss Mary... 08-Online magstaff 2008-05-15T07:24:00-08:00 Ranidaphobia http://xpress.sfsu.edu/archives/magazine/010944.html When asked to envision a frog, most people imagine a little green creature at a pond, sitting still on its four legs on a lily pad. With unblinking round yellow eyes on top of its head, croaking, waiting for its... 08-Online magstaff 2008-05-15T07:23:00-08:00 Hallowed Ground http://xpress.sfsu.edu/archives/magazine/010871.html Laura Hart closes her eyes and counts back from ten. “Five…four…threeee…” Her six-year-old voice squeals, and she pinches her eyes even tighter. “Two…one…ready or not here I come!” she screams to her cousins once her eyes open. Looking around the... 08-Online magstaff 2008-05-15T07:23:00-08:00 ne0 journal1sm http://xpress.sfsu.edu/archives/magazine/011198.html A young man sits writing alone on a cushioned chair in the grass of Alamo Square. It’s so late that it’s early. The most dangerous weapon he holds is a pen and the pad that he it scrawls on. As... magstaff 2008-05-15T07:23:00-08:00 American Psychos http://xpress.sfsu.edu/archives/magazine/010887.html Stockton’s Matinee Bar is dim, and a neon pink light glows against the vinyl black stools lined up along the bar. Two men sit across from each other at a table. One was just released from a mental institution. The... 08-Online magstaff 2008-05-15T07:22:00-08:00 Bump in the Night http://xpress.sfsu.edu/archives/magazine/010900.html San Francisco’s cacophony of rowdy crowds, bright lights, unique characters, shops, and restaurants typically populate the city’s nightlife. But look closer into the dark, and further past the clock, to see that all things aren’t as cheery as they seem.... 08-Online magstaff 2008-05-15T07:21:00-08:00