After listening to this podcast of Kulbir Dhaliwal on call with 911 in the immediate aftermath of the December 25 tiger attack at San Francisco Zoo, you’ll hope you never have a need to call for emergency services in San Francisco. While the kid’s brother is bleeding, and the tiger is on the scene, the 911 operator keeps telling the desperate caller that the paramedics are at the zoo gate, but can’t get in to the zoo because it might be dangerous for them to go in. In a voice that sounds just like Catherine Keener, she keeps telling...

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Officials are asking people not to descend upon Montara State Beach to watch the annual Mavericks big-wave surfing competition today, as the cliffs along the beach are fragile due to recent weather conditions. I’m guessing it will be a tough ride from the city today along the tiny two-lane coast road, especially rounding the bend at the notoriously hairy Devil’s Slide. But you can watch the live webcast of the competition here. Read about the history of Mavericks here. What’s Mavericks, you ask? “Supremely harsh conditions and the giant, unpredictable waves both contribute to the Contest’s allure. So do...

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