Four new cases of swine flu were detected Thursday, taking the total number of influenza A(H1N1) virus to 116, health officials said here.
Among those who tested positive for the flu are two children and a 68-year-old woman.
'The four cases were reported from Gurgaon, Bangalore, Pune and Cochin,' a health ministry statement issued here said.
'In all, 793 people have been tested so far of which 116 are positive for Influenza A H1N1,' the statement said.
'Of the 116 positive cases, 80 have been discharged. Rest of them remain admitted to the identified health facility,' it said.
In Gurgaon, a six-year-old-girl, who travelled from Houston in the US to Delhi via Chicago, reached Delhi June 27. Her family reported to the identified health facility on July 1 with symptoms of fever, running nose and vomiting.
In Bangalore, a four-year-old girl tested positive for the virus Thursday.
The girl reached the metropolis on June 30 from the US via Singapore. 'As she showed symptoms of fever and cough, she was detected at the airport and admitted in the isolation health facility,' the statement said.
Health officials said in Pune a 34-year-old woman was detected with the swine flu. She had came from San Francisco Shuttle in the US via Hong Kong and had reached Mumbai on June 27. She reported to the identified health facility on June 30.
In Cochin, a 68-year-old woman, who travelled from Toronto to Cochin via Abu Dhabi on June 29, tested positive for the flu. She was detected at the San Francisco Shuttle airport and was isolated at the identified health facility.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) about 77,201 laboratory confirmed cases of swine flu infection were reported from 120 countries July 1. There have been 332 deaths globally mostly from Mexico and the US.
State Senator Daniel Squadron, Assembly Member Joan Millman, and Council Member David Yassky announced a plan last month to allow New York City to create residential permit parking. The bill encourages the City to implement a parking permit system on residential streets, with fees from permits specifically designated to fund public transit.
According to Millman. "Residential permit parking has seen success in several other cities, such as Washington, DC, Chicago, Boston and San Francisco Tourist." Squadron added: "Residents will be able to park near their homes without circling endlessly for a space, and eight million New Yorkers will benefit from a new funding stream for subways and buses."
"For years, I have supported a residential permit parking plan for New York City," said Yassky, adding that the plan "will reduce congestion and illegal parking in our neighborhoods, and improve the quality of life for our residents."
We asked Senator Squadron how we’d get to pick our residential area. "The bill allows the City, in consultation with communities, to create residential permit parking areas," said the Senator. "The bill is very flexible, in that it permits different communities to reach different choices. The bill will allow, for example, residential permit parking between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., to avoid a certain kind of commuter. In other areas, where there may be a constant flow of traffic to tourist attractions, they can have a seven-day, 24-hour residential permit parking. You can really tailor it to the community."
Squadron clarified that on commercial streets, where there might be a conflict between residents and merchants, the residential permit would not apply; likewise along highly restricted sidewalks, such as in front of a hospital. Squadron said that the average cost in other cities for the permit he is proposing is $75 per year.
We asked Squadron, if he knew how the city decided whether to dispense one or two hours on munimeters. "That is a constant discussion with DOT," he answered, agreeing that the one hour limit is driving people crazy. According to him, most of the complaints regarding the chintzy munimeters come from usinessmen, who watch sales being lost because the customer has to run out to purchase extra parking time.
The 72nd annual Stern Grove Festival will celebrate the Fourth of July Weekend with the San Francisco Symphony and the 'Inouye Jazz' combo. Sigmund Stern Grove is an outdoor music venue located at 19th Avenue and Sloat Boulevard in San Francisco. The July 5th festival starts at 2pm with an opening performance by 'Inouye Jazz' featuring San Francisco trumpet player Mark Inouye, bassist Scott Pingel, percussionist Raymond Froehlich and guitarist Jeff Massanari. The ensemble is lead by Mark Inouye who has been involved in both jazz and classical music. This festival is one of the city's most popular summer tourist attractions and always hosts a very large audience.
The San Francisco Tours Symphony takes the stage at 3pm and will perform several classical excerpts such as Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake and Piano concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor. The symphony will also play Opus 23 with Inon Barnatan on piano, Gershiwin's An American in Paris and music by Leonard Berstein. The symphony will be led by conductor James Gaffigan who joined the organization in 2006 after three seasons with the Cleveland Orchestra. This annual city music festival is one of San Francisco's longest running tourist attended event and is a wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon. The Stern grove Festival is one of San Francisco's most celebrated free public events and more information can be found by visiting www.sterngrove.org.
Taipei, June 29 (CNA) President Ma Ying-jeou departed Taipei Monday on a visit to two of Taiwan's diplomatic allies in Central America in an effort to cement mutual friendship and expand cooperation in various fields.
The June 29-July 6 journey is taking Ma to Panama and Nicaragua, with a transit stop in San Francisco en route to Panama City and another layover in Hawaii on his way home.
This is Ma's second diplomatic San Francisco tour of the region, one of Taiwan's diplomatic strongholds, so far this year.
Prior to his departure, Ma said the visit is part of his "modous vivendi" diplomatic strategy, which calls for a pragmatic and flexible approach to simultaneously maintain solid diplomatic ties with allied countries while forging substantive partnerships with non-allied nations.
Noting that the strategy has paved the way for a diplomatic truce with China, Ma said his administration can now more efficienctly use national resources to consolidate relations with the country's 23 diplomatic allies in addition to developing substantative partnerships with countries that do not maintain formal relations with Taiwan.
The main purpose of President Ma's upcoming Central America tour is to attend the inauguration of Panama's President-elect Ricardo Martinelli in Panama City July 1.
His itinerary originally included a two-day visit to Honduras, but Ma decided to cancel his travel plans there after Honduran President Manuel Zeyala was arrested and forced into exile by military leaders Sunday ahead of a controversial constitutional referendum.
Presidential Office spokesman Wang Yu-chi said Monday that Ma will return to Taiwan July 6, two days earlier than scheduled.
Wang said the decision to exclude Honduras from Ma's itinerary was based on safety and security considerations and because the unstable situation in Honduras precludes the purpose of Ma's visit there.
During his stay in Panama, Ma will hold talks with senior officials of the new Panamanian government, visit the Panama Canal, give interviews to the international news media and meet with Taiwanese community leaders.
First lady Chow Mei-ching is accompanying Ma on the June 29-July 6 diplomatic tour. Chow will visit a charity organization that is headed by the new Panamanian first lady.
Following his trip to Panama, Ma will travel to Nicaragua where Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega will drive him to the hub of a bilateral technological cooperation project, which will allow Ma to interact with Nicaraguan citizens.
Ma will also attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony at a large trade fair to be held in Nicaragua July 1-5, at which many Taiwanese companies are expected to exhibit their latest products.
During the Nicaragua visit, first lady Chow will visit the local branch of World Vision -- a Christian charity dedicated to helping disadvantaged people around the world -- and a development center for physically challenged children.
He is traveling at the head of a 129-member delegation of government officials, legislators, industry executives, academics, university presidents, local government chiefs, charity group executives and performing artists.
Asian Art Museum hosts a series of Thursday night events called Matcha, where guests can enjoy live performances, mingle over cocktails, stroll galleries, create art and take special tours. Each event has a theme, typically aligned with something on view in the museum galleries. The museum's major summer exhibition is "Lords of the Samurai." There is also a monthly free day, held the first Sunday of every month. On these free days, the museum offers Yoga Flow from 2 to 3 p.m. for all ages and levels. The museum offers ArtSpeak, a summerlong program that trains approximately 20 high-schoolers to create interactive activities targeted at their peers and other museum visitors. For information, go to www.asianart.org.
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art hosts Rooftop Garden Blue Bottle Coffee Bar on Thursday nights, drawing a hip crowd. Live Twitter tours are offered to a select group of museum Twitter followers. For information, go to www.sfmo ma.org.
Oakland Museum of California offers a monthly after-hours program, First Fridays After Five, from 5 to 9 p.m. Bay Area bands and ensembles perform, dancing is welcomed, there is a cash bar and cafe, as well as gallery tours and receptions. The evening may also include a screening, lecture, belly dancing or author signing. On Aug. 7, the museum will host the East Bay Express' Best of the East Bay party. Some 500 revelers are expected. Free, with a no-host bar. For information: www.museumca.org.
The Exploratorium offers an After Dark series that will start again in October. The event mixes cocktails with conversation and programs about science and the arts. Along with adult amenities such as music and a cash bar, each Thursday night will showcase a different theme: live performance, films, unexpected extravaganzas, new media and one night of Science After Dark, which involves the science behind topics of adult interest, such as gambling, alcohol, fashion, sex, extreme sports and gaming. Programs are playful and yet content-rich and involve cutting-edge technology. It's been billed as an intellectually stimulating playground for adults - with free parking. To be included in the Exploratorium After Dark e-mail list.
Fort Mason Center will begin hosting Make My Monday, a happy hour with culture to be held the last Monday of every month starting Monday. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet local artists as they create affordable artwork available for purchase. RSVP at mmm@fortmason.org or on Facebook to hold your place at the bar. For information on this and other programs at Fort Mason, go to www.fortmason.org.
California Academy of Sciences hosts NightLife from 6 to 10 p.m. Thursdays, with the last entry at 9 p.m. The event generally draws a younger audience to the museum (guests must be 21 or older). The evenings offer DJs, bars and renowned performers and speakers, including astronaut Buzz Aldrin, filmmaker Jean-Michel Cousteau and ocean explorer Graham Hawkes. For information: www.calacademy.org.
Theater
Berkeley Repertory Theatre offers regular networking events for every production, with focuses ranging from teen nights with pizza parties to gourmet tasting events and onstage interviews. For information: www.berkeleyrep.org.
American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco regularly offers discussions before performances. Select Wednesday nights offer ticket holders hosted drinks, desserts and mingling with the cast after the show. For information, go to www.act-sf.org.
California Shakespeare Theater offers college pizza night with a preshow pizza party for college-age students, Yelp night, LGBT night, and Shindig for young professionals. There are also tastings, meet-the-artist matinees and talks before each show. For information: www.calshakes.org.
"Beach Blanket Babylon" is just beginning a social networking program, with its first two LGBT nights Friday and Sept. 4. For information, go to www.beachblanketbabylon.com.
Marin Theatre Company offers senior matinees on Thursdays, which usually sell out. It hosts a popular wine tasting night the second Saturday of every show. For information, go to www.marintheatre.org.
Teatro ZinZanni in San Francisco is beginning a monthly Young Professionals Night, offering special prices for select dates.
Classical music
San Francisco Symphonyoffers an array of social networking events. Davies After Hours is an after-show jam that goes until midnight. It ran from March through May. The SFS offers pre- and post-concert talks, with its Off the Podium and Inside Music events. For information, go to www.sfsymphony.org.
San Francisco Opera Bravo Club offers young adults the chance to come together over a love of opera. The group, with 500 members, hosts educational and performance-related events. The Opera also offers talks before every performance (except special family performances). Music scholars present overviews of the opera and offer insights on the music, composer and historical background.
Dance
San Francisco Balletoffers Fridays at the Ballet, held at 7 p.m. on select Fridays, featuring interviews with dancers, as well as cocktails and appetizers before the performance (geared toward patrons ages 20 to 45). On occasion, "Afterglow," a post-show cocktail reception, is held in the dress circle lobby. An LGBT NiteOut (21 and older only) is a periodic event with post-show cocktails and snacks. In 2010, dates are Feb. 12, March 26 and April 9. Encore, a young professionals group, meets throughout the year for events and pre- and post-gala parties. The Silver Series and Bus Series are for senior citizens on Saturdays; participants meet at 11 a.m. at San Mateo's Commuter Park and Ride (near highways 92 and 101) for a trip to the Ballet.
ODC Dance hosts a Summer Sampler series with wine, hors d'oeuvres and contemporary dance. The next dates: July 31 and Aug. 1 at the ODC Dance Commons at 351 Shotwell St. Small Plates is an annual event at ODC Dance Downtown (Yerba Buena Center for the Arts) where, for $20, guests receive a seat, drinks and appetizers and a one-hour performance. The next one will be in March. The Unplugged Series, held three times a year at ODC Dance Commons, features a preshow reception and behind-the-scenes look at new work by ODC choreographers. Dates for this year: Sept. 25 and Nov. 13. Verge, a group for young dance fans, hosts social events to connect the three branches of ODC (dance company, theater, dance school) and other dance fans. Summer Sampler and ODC Dance unplugged events sell out quickly. Open bar for all events. For more information, go to www.odcdance.org, ODC's twitter page or the company's Facebook page.
TMZ was the first to report it. The Los Angele's Times corroborated the story an hour later at 3:20 PST. And, at 4:30, via official word from the Los Angele's County Coroner, CNN confirmed that Michael Jackson, th” has diede “King of Pop.
Jackson was rushed to UCLA Medical Center early this afternoon following a call from his home to the Los Angeles Fire Department, which sent paramedics who treated Jackson for cardiac arrest. Fire Department Captain Steve Ruda reported to the Los Angeles Times that Jackson was not breathing when EMT crews arrived, and that CPR was performed.
Despite Jackson’s recently announced san francisco tours, which kicks off in London on July 13, 2009 and includes some 50 concert dates, speculation abounds about the state of Jackson’s health. Simultaneous to CNN reporting that Jackson passed the stringent physical examinations required by the sponsors and insurers of the 2009-2010 san Francisco tour, it broadcasted interviews with individuals who know Jackson or have had recent contact with him, most of who reported that Jackson looked “unhealthy” and “older than his age”.
Siblings Randy, Latoya, Jermaine, Jackie, Tito, and father Joe Jackson have been notified and are reported to be en route to Los Angele's. The location of his three children, of whom Jackson is reported to have custody, Prince Michael II (6), Paris Michael Catherine (11), and Prince Michael Jr. (12), was not immediately known.
Thousands of fans have already gathered around UCLA Medical Center to await official news of Jackson’s condition.
Randy Bachman is a legend on the international music scene with more than 120 gold and platinum awards, and record sales of over 40 million. Collaborating with another (Canadian) music legend, Burton Cummings, Bachman created smash hits, These Eyes, Laughing, No Time, No Sugar Tonight, Clap for the Wolfman and the classic rock radio staple American Woman.
His music has been recorded by many artists and used in several movies. He's even been a special guest on The Simpsons.
When he isn't on San Francisco vaction, he hosts Randy Bachman's Vinyl Tap on CBC radio.
The guy is a walking Wikipedia of popular music. For two hours each week, he plays his favourite songs and tells stories from his life in the industry. In early May, Bachman travelled to Ottawa to accept his Order of Canada award.
Bachman spends a lot of time on the road, waiting in airports and tries to make to most of his time with the help of modern technology.
"Things have changed. I used to spend hours at home late at night answering the missed emails. Now, I sit in the airports with one or two BlackBerrys going through my list," says Bachman. "I'm one of those guys who is turning the device on as soon as the plane has docked."
Bachman always takes his laptop with him as part of his carry on luggage where he busies himself composing new music. "I have a program called garage band that I can use to create demos. I always bring my own healthy food and of course the BlackBerrys."
His first travel memory had nothing to do with a plane, but instead a station wagon
"As a band out of Winnipeg, it was a station wagon. Three guys in the front and three in the back. The very back was all the gear because it was precious and our luggage was strapped to the top because if it fell off - who cares. The drums have to stay dry!"
Growing up in Winnipeg and trying to establish himself as a musician,Bachman says there wasn't much choice but to drive to the different cities he was performing in."The thing about growing up in Winnipeg, it's the middle of nowhere and the middle of everywhere. We drove to all our gigs. Road trips to Thunder Bay, Regina, and Minneapolis were standard. We'd get a gig in New Orleans for Mardi Gras, come home and head back out to Boston."
His two favorite destination here at home and around the world are also where he lives."I'm very lucky. I've chosen to live in my two favorite places in the world. I've got my place on SaltSpringIsland with the nicest city in Canada - Victoria - nearby. And, since 1967 I've been going to London, England. My wife and I go about three times a year to our place in Covent Garden for a month at a time. We love the contrast between the two. SaltSpringIsland is so laid back and hippy-dippy working in the garden or writing songs. But in London I write during the day then we are out every night to see The Who, Neil Young, The Eagles, Chuck Berry or a play or for great food."
His very mode of transportation?
"Oh man! If I could walk into a phone booth and be transported or say ‘Beam me up, Scotty!' That would be my way to go. I spend way too much time getting to where I want to be. I'd almost play for free if it was easy to get to places. What I get paid for is the endless loneliness of being on the road without my family and the crazy effort it takes to set up every day on San Francisco family vacation. I've got all sorts of people paying a lot of money to see the perfect show and I want to give it to them. If I could step into the booth and walk out on stage without the hassles ... that would be my mode of transportation."
For Bach man, it's all about the destination not the journey
"Life is the journey not the time I spend on the road trying to get to where I want to be. It's gotten to the point that I pick only certain hotels to stay in, too. Continuity is important. I bring my favorite style of pillow and after forgetting about 20 of them in hotels - I now have a really silly pillow case on it so that when I take that last look around the room for items -BAM! I see it on the bed.
After spending so much time and so many years on the road San Francisco touring, one would think Bachman would have several "worst travel" tales to tell, but not so. His worst experience traveling happened just last year.
"Coming out of L.A., my wife and I were on a short flight to San Francisco to see her family. As we took off, there was an explosion under our feet, the plane started to shake and the wings started to vibrate. An engine blew up. It was really scary.
Everybody thought the plane was going down and was screaming and crossing themselves. I took my wife's hand and thanked her for a nice life and expected the plane to crash.The pilot banked us over the ocean, dropped all the fuel and swooped into Orange County for a wild landing. Then ... crazy as it sounds, we get back on another plane and continue on to my mother-in-law's 92nd birthday party."
NEW YORK (AP) — European champion Barcelona will play Mexico's Chivas Guadalajara in San Francisco on Aug. 8 in the final game of the Spanish team's three-match U.S. preseason tour.
The game at Candlestick Park is part of a doubleheader that opens with a Major League Soccer game between San Jose and Columbus.
Barcelona also plays the Los Angeles Galaxy on Aug. 1 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, and is at the Seattle Sounders on Aug. 5.
Barcelona and Chivas have met twice before in recent U.S. friendlies; 1-1 in 2006 at Los Angeles, and Barcelona won 5-2 last year in Chicago.
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State Senator Daniel Squadron, Assembly Member Joan Millman, and Council Member David Yassky announced a plan last month to allow New York City to create residential permit parking. The bill encourages the City to implement a parking permit system on residential streets, with fees from permits specifically designated to fund public transit.
