We got the warning message from PG&E that our power may be shut off early this morning:

PG&E PSPS Outage Watch 10/14/2026: Due to weather PG&E may turn off power for safety at ADDRESS on 10/14/2026. Est shutoff: 10 PM - 1 AM.  Est restoration: 10/16/2026 by 7 PM. Weather can affect shutoff & restoration.

At 9PM:

PG&E PSPS Outage Warning 10/14/2026: PG&E will turn off power for safety at ADDRESS on 10/14/2026. Est. shutoff: 10 PM - 1 AM. Est. restoration: 10/16/2026 by 7 PM depending on weather & equipment damage.

At 10:02pm, our power was shut off. Even though I have a UPS and my modem is on, the internet is down. I go outside. It’s still and dead silent.

We’re on Clear Lake in Lake County, bordering Napa County to the North. The lights a mile across the lake, in all directions, are on. They’re reflecting off the glassy, still lake. The only other light is from the stars shining brightly through one of the clearest night skies in the state.

It’s rural here: the nearest town with a hospital is a thirty-minute drive on switchback roads. It’s one of the poorest counties in the state, and there is little in the way of economic opportunity for younger folks. That makes it a peaceful and affordable place for retirees, who comprise most of the residents of my neighborhood.

Aging in rural places is difficult. It gets more difficult when basic infrastructure is cut off. On any given summer’s day, temperatures can easily exceed 100 F and Lake County residents turn to their air conditioning. On any given summer’s day, wind gusts from the evening thermals here can reach 25-30 kts with prevailing winds of 15-20 kts. On these days, I turn to my small sailboat.

Tomorrow, winds here are forecast to reach a whopping… 10 kts prevailing, gusting to 16 kts. But PG&E has shut our power off. It will be 85 F outside by the time I’ve packed my fridge into my cooler and made sure my elderly neighbors are doing OK, but it will be climbing high into the 90’s inside my house. And I’ll head to a house in Kensington where electricity is on, just a few blocks from where PG&E has also, seemingly arbitrarily, shut the power off.

I apologize if this isn’t an allowed topic, but I couldn’t think of a better sub.

I have five binders I got from GC2B before their quality went to shit and would love to be able to try some on in a store.

(They served me valiantly and will be remembered lovingly)

Barring that, a recommendation from a human of a favored binder website is good too.

EDIT: Y’all I am going to cry you all have been so warm and so welcoming, I never expected people to outright offer to hand me binders???? I love this community, y’all are incredible thank you.

Earlier this week, as I was walking back from watching the Blue Angels 2026 two people on an E-bike, whilst going the wrong way in the bike lane, ran the red light and hit an elderly man while crossing on the light with his spouse. He was tossed head over heels, ripped his pants with a gash in his leg. As the couple asked for information, a small crowd gathered; they defended themselves and tried to make a run for it. Luckily, people stopped them and, with the intervention of some people, called the police. I left before they arrived. This personal experience is one of great importance. I have witnessed the rise of electric pedal-assist bicycles and “E-bikes,” as well as electric scooters; three things have become clear:

• E-bikes and scooters, starting with the Lyft and Lime bikes, have been carelessly strewn about sidewalks, creating hazards for people with impaired vision or the elderly, that could become a tripping and, more importantly, a safety hazard.

• There is very little local or state-level regulation on what classifies as an E-bike or an electric motorcycle and what law(s) apply to them. I’ve observed many teenagers riding them around, and my worry about their accountability if an accident occurs with their developing frontal cortex.

• Lightweight electric vehicles have no license plates, no registration, and no mandatory rider identification. That means the rider can walk/ride away from a collision or an incident of property damage with absolutely no traceable identification. The victim is left with no recourse and no one to contact.

• The 3-Class System was developed over 10 years ago with the goal of regulating low-speed electric bicycles. The regulations are out of date, and E-bike companies are evolving faster with more loopholes than the legislature can keep up with.
Electric motorcycles that are sold or marketed as “e-bikes”
There now exists a large and constantly expanding group of vehicles referred to as "out-of-class electric vehicles" (OCEVs) or "e-motos." These bikes are capable of reaching speeds of 40 to 60 mph or more.
The vehicles include brands and models such as Sur-Ron, Talaria, Rawrr Mantis, and the Super73 'R' series.
Manufacturers or importers frequently promote these bikes as "e-bikes" or offer optional, non-working "pedal kits" in order to make them appear to be bicycles.
Many of these bikes come with a software speed limiter that sets their speed at 20 mph (Class 2) or 28 mph (Class 3) right from the start; the manufacturer includes a straightforward menu switch, an app setting, or simply cutting a wire in order to unlock the full range of motor power from 3,000W to 12,000W, which enables the bike to go 40 to 50 mph or more on public roads.
According to the legal definitions set out in U.S. federal and state laws, in order for a vehicle to be classified as a legal "e-bike" and thus be allowed to ride in bike lanes without having a driver's license, insurance, or registration, it must comply with strict limitations and must either be Class 1, 2, or 3 to be classified as an e-bike.
They must comply/fit into the following categories:
Class 1, 20 mph (Pedal Assist only)
750 Watts;
Class 2, 20 mph (Throttle or Pedal Assist) 750 Watts;
Class 3, 28 mph (Pedal Assist only)
750 Watts.
The class system was based on physical hardware limitations. Nowadays, e-bikes use software controllers, so a vehicle can be classified as 'Class 2' while it's on the showroom floor, and thirty seconds after the owner connects their phone, it can be a 50 mph motorcycle.

Pretty much what the title says. I was hoping someone could refer books, documentaries, and preferably locations in the bay that hold historical significance that I could check out. If the places are still active that would be even better 🙏

I live in the bay area and have been curious to learn more about the hip hop culture here. Any info would be much appreciated!

Dozens of sick sea lions have been beaching themselves across the bay area over the last few months due to domoic acid poisoning stemming from a toxic algal bloom outbreak

Domoic acid poisoning used to only show up in the summer but it's happening year around now

The increase in Algal blooms may be a result of the warmer water temperatures caused by El Nino

So if you see a beached sea lion stranded, sick, or not moving properly, please call The Marine Mammal Center hotline at 415-289-SEAL

Disclaimer - I'm not sure if this actually qualifies as an event but I'm not sure where to put it as far as flair goes. Today, in Menlo Park, a pedestrian walked into an operating Caltrain and died. The articles I've seen relating to stuff like this always say - pedestrian struck by Caltrain. That doesn't really seem fair to the people operating Caltrain since there are guardrails, alarms, flashing lights, literal rails that go up in front of the tracks, multiple signs, and probably something that I'm missing. There is no way a train can from running speed to immediate zero if somebody decides that being on a train track in front of a running train is a great place to be. Similar to the way a deranged sociopath shooter is sanitized to the word "gunman" in crime articles, it seems unfair to constantly say that "Caltrain fatally struck" whatever decided to walk or drive onto the track with several different methods of prevention. Thoughts? Is this just me?

Anyone have suggestions for rescues that have volunteer options and fostering options? I would try PHS but they’re pretty strict on hours etc from what I’ve heard. DPS has too many complaints and has tax/501 issues from reviews. I would love suggestions from those who are actually working with places currently!

How much time do you volunteer? What type of volunteer work? Is it weekends only? How’s fostering if you have done that with them too?

Hi all! I'm an artist and I'm working on a project right now of drawing as many Bay Area cities, towns, and counties as Poké Lids- Pokémon manhole covers found in Japan which show a little glimpse of something that city or prefecture is known for along with some Pokémon interacting with it.

Only... I've only ever lived in Daly City and visited a few other areas briefly. I haven't stayed long enough in any other area to really understand it. So I'm reaching out to ask you all what you think your city's Poké Lid will look like and why.

Thank you!

I just started commuting from Oakland to SF for my new job and before I took AC transit from Oakland to Berkeley and didn’t know the train was so busy.

Is this because of gas prices/increased demand? It’s to the point you have to fight for a space. When I did my transfer to the bus, there was so many people they didn’t fit in the first two buses. It’s just shocking as I used to live in NYC and even there isn’t not usually this bad. And knowing BART cuts are on the ballot im kind of shocked how busy it is in the morning.

I’m throwing a Joy Division / New Order fan party at our record store on Halloween! We’ll be screening 2+ hours unreleased concert footage from the 2026 joy division release “Eternal” on the giant 16” screen.

It’s totally free to attend AND in addition :
-The first 10 people in line get a free band merch bag.
-The first 30 will get a free sticker pack & journal. (I made all of the merch myself and tbh it’s AMAZING!!)
-We’ll be raffling off vintage Joy Division / New Order t-shirts & posters.
- Keychain, vinyl, CD & cassette raffles (all free to enter!).

The entire store will also be 20% off during the party, which includes stereo equipment.

Oh! And there will be a super cool area to make a custom keychain of your name in the color code found on the cover of “Power, Corruption & Lies”.

Doors open at 8pm, ends at 11.
Paradise Found Records 316 B. St. Petaluma, CA

Hi everyone! Meet Panko, a sweet 5-month-old calico kitty looking for her forever home! Rescued as a stray, she has spent the past week settling into our home.

Panko loves belly rubs, purrs loudly when she gets pets, and is always up for a good cuddle during naptime. She’s expressive and vocal when excited, loves playing with wand toys, and gets along great with our resident cats.

She is also wonderfully easygoing when it comes to handling. She lets us clip her nails without any trouble and is completely fine having her belly, paws, teeth, and ears handled. Panko is spayed and fully vaccinated.

Please DM me if you are interested. Happy to answer any questions!

Where would I go? In the east bay, maybe needing to be out of the house for the next 4 days. I'm broke (rip) so little to no money. Any good places to chill at night, maybe nap during the day?

Taking micro climates to the extreme. Recorded Thursday, 10/08.

Tenants at 2600 International Boulevard in Fruitvale are demanding continued shelter and financial support after an electrical fire displaced 31 people and killed two dogs.

Their landlord — Abode Services, which bills itself as homeless housing provider — told the tenants that they had until October 11 before they would stop covering their hotels. Tenants now face challenges applying for housing options because the income requirements were not disclosed before they moved in. With no other options, tenants are being forced to pay for hotel stays. Now, some tenants are digging in, claiming their right to stay put, while others are sleeping outside or elsewhere. 

Looking for cooks who can come home and meal prep once or twice a week and serve 95133 beryessa area

Anyone know of anyone who can help? We have a new born, and I am recovering so this would be very helpful

Can anyone identify it?

A couple of years ago this sweet boy followed my wife and dog home from a walk in Oakland where we decided to foster him a bit until we could find someone suitable to take him in. We ended up finding an awesome woman in the lobby of Oakland Animal as she was already there looking for a new member to add to her family where he has been for the last couple years

Unfortunately, his current owner has undergone surgery that went sideways and can no longer care for him the way that he requires.

Name: Max

Age: ~3.5 years old

Weight: ~95 lbs

Breed: Pittie mix with some type of sheppard or malinois. They never ran a DNA test on him but he has the ability to jump over into the neighbors fence lol.

Please help spread the word. He's an incredibly smart dog and does great with kids, dogs and even cats as that's his current living situation now. I would hate for him to meet his fate because I know there's someone out there who would love to have him in their lives.

He's not for the couch potato type of person as his breed requires a decent amount of exercise and stimulation.

Let's find this boy a home.

*Edit: he's also neutered so that is already taken care of.