Three oranges give a glimpse inside Erwin Wurm's 'absurd' visions

Written by Marianna Cerini, CNNHong Kong

In an awkward pose, with three oranges propped under my forehead, I learned up close what it was like to become one of Erwin Wurm's subjects -- if only for a minute.

The Austrian artist has spent 22 years positioning subjects with inanimate objects as part of his One Minute Sculptures, a performative project he's brought to Hong Kong, as part of a new exhibition in the city.

"The idea is for you to exist in this dimension -- as an art object yourself -- only at this one time," he explained. "I am giving 'sculpture' a participatory, temporal factor -- one that I guide."

The artist directs volunteers to interact in paradoxical ways with random everyday objects -- a chair, pencils, fresh fruit -- for around one minute, standing still as Wurm takes their photo. "The one-minute reference is be understood as a short timeframe, not as a literal thing," Wurm said. "Sometimes it's just 15 seconds."

The writer poses for Erwin Wurm. Credit: Marianna Cerini

The picture documenting the pose is the only permanent part of the process. The experience itself, the artist said, is meant to be ephemeral. "What I am interested in is that paradox and how my art can respond and interact with it," Wurm said. "The One Minute Sculptures are absurd, in a way. I like to explore what that does for the subjects."

Wurm said it would be inaccurate to view the sculptures as spontaneous figures of fun devoid of deeper meaning. "These performative pieces are often simply described as humorous or funny, but that's not what they are," he said. "On the contrary, what I think they highlight are a range of very human, very collective notions: ridiculousness, awkwardness, vulnerability. They are compelling psychological and physical expressions."

Shasha Tittmann, the director of gallery Lehmann Maupin Hong Kong where Wurm's work is being shown, says the one minute concept gives sculpture a place in our daily lives. "These sculptures ask us to consider the actions and implications of the aesthetic forms we constantly consume, and how they relate to our own bodies," Tittmann said.

The artist generally only displays his One Minute Sculptures in galleries and museums, to give them a greater level of artistic authority. "People look at them in a more serious way because of the space they are in," he said.

Wurm also tends to be quite meticulous about his sculptures' execution. He creates sketches of most pieces before they "come to life," to allow the idea to fully form, but also to consider details such as volume and mass, and the relationship between object and subject. He also predicts the movements or actions his subjects will perform to create each sculpture, and how they will translate in the photo.

On the pedestal where I'm required to balance the oranges, there's a sketch of a figure that I'm supposed to copy. As I stand still holding the oranges in place with my forehead, Wurm tells me where to put my hands, and exactly how I position my body to look the way he envisioned it.

The project's concept has evolved over time, with photos only added later to prolong the moment. "I worried about the fleetingness of each sculpture, so began using Polaroids to preserve them. That added a completely new layer to the entire series. I went from only considering the concrete, final piece to thinking about the existence of the piece," Wurm said.

In recent years, Wurm swapped Polaroids with mobile phones, although he only allows their use with strict guidelines. The ascent of social media, particularly Instagram, has further propelled him to rethink the concept. "Social media has made it harder to oversee how each performance is done and documented," Wurm said. "Once they're out in the world, these pieces develop their own life. So I only consider One Minute Sculptures (to be) the pieces that really follow my guidelines." The rest, he added, is just fodder for personal Instagram accounts.

In Hong Kong, Wurm is presenting two One Minute Sculptures -- the oranges-based "Astronomical Purpose," and a new one, titled "Theory of Painting," which features a set of sponges dipped in colored paint the participant is required to press against the white walls of the gallery.

He's also featuring new cast metal sculptures from his Abstract Sculpture series, depicting sausages with human features that highlight the absurdity behind common references or figures of speech.

An installation view of Erwin Wurm's new exhibition at Lehmann Maupin in Hong Kong. Credit: OwenWong

"I like to question the fundamentals of sculpture with all the work I do," Wurm said. "And see the world from a sculptural point of view. The One Minute Sculptures are particularly good for that: they alter the medium as well as the way we perceive it. When you go from watching art to becoming art and being watched, your entire notion of it -- and of yourself -- changes. It's a way of pushing boundaries."

Erwin Wurm's work is on show at Lehmann Maupin in Hong Kong until May 11.

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Some of the greatest April Fools' pranks of all time

Companies will come up with gags. Everybody will have a good laugh, but nobody will be fooled.

Oh, for the days when April Fools' Day hoaxes and pranks could cause lines outside liquor stores or prompt people to smell their TVs or choke telephone lines with complaints to the National Park Service.

We're all so much smarter now, aren't we?

Aren't we?

Well, to prepare you for this day of trickery, here are 10 of the best April Fools' pranks in history. After all, forewarned is forearmed. Or, as Abraham Lincoln once observed, "Don't believe everything you read on the internet."

1. Pasta grows on trees

On April 1, 1957, the BBC TV show "Panorama" ran a segment about the Swiss spaghetti harvest enjoying a "bumper year" thanks to mild weather and the elimination of the spaghetti weevil. Many credulous Britons were taken in, and why not? The story was on television -- then a relatively new invention -- and Auntie Beeb would never lie, would it?

The story was ranked the No. 1 April Fools' hoax of all time by the Museum of Hoaxes website -- a fine source for all things foolish.

2. The fastest pitcher of all time

George Plimpton, always a wry writer, invented the tale of Mets pitcher Siddhartha "Sidd" Finch for Sports Illustrated. The story about Finch, who could throw 168 miles per hour, ran in the magazine's April 1, 1985, issue, and eagle-eyed readers caught on immediately: The first letters in the words of the story's secondary headline spelled out "Happy April Fools' Day." But others wondered whether the Mets had added another fireballer to their top-notch staff.

Plimpton later turned the story into a novel.

3. Redefining pi

Pi is so challenging. How can anybody work with an irrational number that goes on and on and on? Lawmakers in Alabama allegedly thought so, passing a law in 1998 that redefined 3.14159 ... to, simply, 3. Though the news was a hoax from a man named Mark Boslough, it became widely disseminated and believed. No wonder: In 1897, the Indiana legislature attempted to pass a bill establishing pi as 3.2 (among other numbers).

4. Left-handed toilet paper

Why should right-handers be closer to cleanliness? In 2015, Cottonelle tweeted that it was introducing left-handed toilet paper for all those southpaws out there.

The joke followed a 1998 stunt by Burger King about its new "Left-handed Whopper."

Few people may have been taken in by Cottonelle, but that wasn't the case in 1973, when Johnny Carson cracked a joke about a toilet paper shortage. Worried Americans immediately stocked up. Well, you can never be too sure.

5. The Taco Liberty Bell

In this now-classic 1996 prank, Taco Bell took out newspaper ads saying it had bought the Liberty Bell "in an effort to help the national debt." Even some senators were taken in, and the National Park Service even held a press conference to deny the news. At noon, the fast-food chain admitted the joke and said it was donating $50,000 for the landmark bell's care. The value of the joke, of course, was priceless.

6. Big Ben goes digital

The Brits are masters of April Fools' gags, and in 1980, the BBC's overseas service said the iconic clock tower was getting an update. The joke did not go over well, and the BBC apologized. That hasn't stopped it from popping up again in the digital era, however.

7. Color TV? Try nylon

In other TV-related jokes, in 1962, the Swedish national network put on a technical expert who told the public that its black-and-white broadcasts could be made color by viewing them through nylon stockings. Many Swedes fell for the hoax. There's no truth to the rumor, however, that some have gotten their revenge by burning a giant goat every year.

8. Goodbye, Space Needle

In 1989, a Seattle comedy show went on the air and said the city's Space Needle had fallen down. It even had pictures. The news was a joke, of course, but that was little comfort to 700 panicky callers alarmed by the story. Skip to the 2:25 mark on the video:

9. Google Gulp

Google loves April Fools' Day almost as much as making doodles. In 2005, the company said it was branching out with a new drink: Google Gulp. It would help "to achieve maximum optimization of your soon-to-be-grateful cerebral cortex." Also, low in carbs!

Add it to fake Google products including Google Romance, Gmail Paper and Google Voice for Pets. But not Gmail itself, however: That was real.

10. Don't drink and surf

In 1994, PC Magazine ran a column about a bill making its way through Congress that would prohibit the use of the internet while intoxicated. Although the name of the contact person was listed as Lirpa Sloof (spell her name backwards), many people took the story seriously.

In retrospect, however, perhaps the bill -- fake or not -- wasn't a bad idea.

A version of this piece was first published in 2016.

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Taiwan scrambles jets to confront Chinese fighters after rare incursion

The island's military scrambled fighters after it said two Chinese J-11 fighter jets crossed the border, known as the median line, at about 11 a.m. on Sunday.

"Two PLAAF J-11 jets violated the long-held tacit agreement by crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait. It was an intentional, reckless and provocative action. We've informed regional partners and condemn China for such behavior," the Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement

If confirmed as intentional, the Chinese incursion would be the first of its kind in years, said Bonnie Glaser, director of the China Power Project at the center of Center for Strategic and International Studies.

"Chinese jets flew across the center line frequently in 1999," Glaser said. "Since then, there have been occasions when PRC jets flew toward the center line and then veered off. They haven't crossed it in a long time. By some accounts 20 years."

She said there was one instance in 2011 when Chinese planes accidentally crossed the line.

According to local Taiwan media, the Sunday incident triggered a 10-minute standoff between jets from the two sides.

China and Taiwan have been separately governed since the end of a brutal civil war in 1949. Beijing views the self-governed island as part of its territory.

Weekend activities

On Saturday, the Japanese Self-Defense Force announced it had also scrambled fighters after the Chinese air force flew between Japan's islands of Okinawa and Miyako.

Japan's Self Defense Forces said in a statement the Chinese air force had sent four Xian H-6K long range bombers, one Shaanxi Y-8 electronic countermeasures aircraft, one Tupolev Tu-154 MD electronic intelligence plane and at least two fighter jets through international airspace between Japanese islands on Saturday.

It isn't the first time China has flown planes over the Miyako Strait -- in March 2018, it conducted drills with bombers and fighter jets in the same area

In the past 12-months China's military has ramped up the number of drills and exercises it conducts around Taiwan, including sailing the aircraft carrier Liaoning through the strait.

In a speech in January, Chinese President Xi Jinping said Taiwan independence was a "dead end," warning he didn't rule out force as a method of reunification.

Speaking on Wednesday, Taiwan President Tsai said her government had submitted a request to buy new F-16 fighters and M1 heavy tanks from the United States, which she said would "greatly enhance" the island's defense capabilities.

The Chinese government has yet to respond to statements made by Japan or Taiwan, but in a press conference last Thursday, Ministry of Defense spokesman Wu Qian said potential US sales to Taiwan were "dangerous."

"We will strive for peaceful reunification with utmost sincerity and greatest efforts. However ... we will take all necessary measure to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity and protect peace and stability across the strait," he said.

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Biden tries to defuse first crisis

An allegation by Nevada Democratic politician Lucy Flores that he once made her feel "uneasy" by smelling her hair and kissing the back of her head forced the former vice president's team into damage control mode over the weekend.

Biden said in a personal statement that while he did not recall the alleged incident, it is important for women like Flores to be heard.

It is too early to tell whether the drama represents a true emerging threat to Biden's potential campaign in the post #MeToo era or will end up as a non-disqualifying detail in the record of a colorful and sometimes controversial political figure.

Yet Biden's decision to issue a statement about the alleged incident on a day when Flores appeared on CNN's "State of the Union" clearly signaled that his team knew it had to address the situation directly before it gets worse.

A prolonged controversy over the Flores allegations could highlight Biden's own challenges in proving to Democrats that as a white, older male, he is in tune with their party's id in 2019.

A longtime Biden ally told CNN's Jeff Zeleny on Sunday there were no signs the former vice president was reassessing his 2020 plans in the wake of the allegation but cautioned Biden had still not made a final decision.

The way in which Biden's potential rivals pointedly reacted to the story hinted that it could be a liability in a nominating race in which the energy of female voters and issues important to women are already a driving force.

Those factors appeared to force Biden's hand into issuing a personal statement after he had previously relied on his team to defuse the matter.

"I believe Lucy Flores and Joe Biden needs to give an answer," Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren said on Saturday, adding that it was up to Democratic voters whether to support someone in such a position.

Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar said Sunday on ABC News "This Week" that she had no reason not to believe Flores.

"I think we know from campaigns and from politics that people raise issues and they have to address them, and that's what (Biden) will have to do with the voters if he decides to get into the race."

Flores, the former Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor of Nevada, made the allegations on Friday in "The Cut," an arm of New York magazine. She wrote that Biden made her feel "uneasy, gross, and confused" in 2014 when, at a campaign rally, she said he kissed her on the back of the head.

In his statement, Biden said that he did not recall those moments in the same way. But he added: "We have arrived at an important time when women feel they can and should relate their experiences, and men should pay attention. And I will."

Biden also pledged to continue to be a strong advocate for women and equality, nodding at his work in the Senate to end violence against women.

Given the nature of the alleged incident, Flores' comments on "State of the Union" and Biden's response, it is possible the controversy could swiftly end.

Flores told CNN's Jake Tapper that she was "glad that he's willing to listen" and "glad that he is clarifying his intentions."

But she also argued that such alleged behavior was inappropriate and unprofessional, while stressing she never said it rose to the level of some kind of assault.

How the controversy could damage Biden

Biden's 2020 campaign would have many potential strengths. He's proven at the highest level of politics. He won't be intimidated by President Donald Trump's scorched earth approach. His resilience amid personal tragedy gives him undisputed emotional depth and empathy.

Biden is also beloved among many Democrats, a factor that may partially account for his polling lead. He's respected for serving President Barack Obama for eight years while quieting his own ego and propensity for gaffes.

But the controversy and any future allegations of a similar type could be damaging nonetheless because it reflects some of his own vulnerabilities and the challenges facing a campaign that is expected to be formally launched in the coming weeks.

Running in a race that will unfold after many Democratic voters believe that Hillary Clinton — who would have been the first woman President — was beaten in an illegitimate election, was always going to be a challenge for the 76-year-old Biden — just as it is for Sen. Bernie Sanders, 77. Their gender alone explains that — at a moment when it seems to many liberals that shattering the last, highest glass ceiling in politics is more overdue than ever.

Those middle-aged-to-elderly white men who do run are under increased pressure to show they have understood the #MeToo revolution that swept politics, media and the business world. At a time of accounting for past attitudes, they are vulnerable to any examples of insufficient sensitivity to gender issues and sexual harassment from their past.

Even the language they use is under intense scrutiny — as former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke found when he made jokes about his wife raising their children "sometimes" with his help, for which he apologized.

Biden's supporters might deem it deeply unfair that he could be tainted by one alleged incident that he doesn't remember in a career that has endured for decades. Flores sidestepped a question on "State of the Union" about critics who may see her intervention as politically motivated.

But one problem Biden may find is that he often comes across as a hugging, back-slapping, wise-cracking, emoting male politician of the old school — a type being swept away by a new generation of radical and vibrant leaders.

Stylistically, he seems closer to Tip O'Neill, the liberal machine politician who was a Reagan-era House speaker, than Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the rising star of Democratic politics.

Biden's own statement on Sunday appeared to hint at the venerability of his own political brand. Indeed, his presidential campaign would have to prove either that such an approach is still relevant in the modern Democratic Party or that he is able to adapt his own political method to new circumstances.

"In my many years on the campaign trail and in public life, I have offered countless handshakes, hugs, expressions of affection, support and comfort," Biden wrote in his statement.

"And not once - never - did I believe I acted inappropriately. If it is suggested I did so, I will listen respectfully. But it was never my intention."

Biden is a tactile politician and a gregarious personality with a deeply felt, if sometimes hokey, rhetorical style.

One view of such a personality is that it's innocent and well-meaning. Another, in the changed dynamics of a new societal era, is that public hugging could come across to some women as an unacceptable assertion of male dominance by a powerful figure.

Several former Biden staffers came to his defense on Sunday.

"Been with him in good times, bad times, quiet moments and on the biggest stages. Through it all, he was, and has always been, a huge champion for women and equality," one of the women, Elizabeth Alexander, who worked in communications for Biden in the Senate and the vice president's office, wrote on Twitter.

Biden's two political worlds

Biden has already had to address the conflict between his two political worlds as he seeks to neutralize his handling in 1991 of the Clarence Thomas Supreme Court confirmation hearings while head of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Biden has admitted he did not do enough to protect Anita Hill, a former co-worker of Thomas, who alleged in inflammatory televised hearings in the committee room that he had sexually harassed her.

"We knew a lot less about the extent of harassment back then, over 30 years ago," Biden said in New York last week. "She paid a terrible price. She was taken advantage of. Her reputation was attacked. I wish I could have done something."

The comments are unlikely to placate critics who believe that as committee chairman, Biden could have done far more to shield Hill.

The problem for Biden is that his repeated explanations about his record from another time only serves to underscore that he could be perceived as out of touch with some Democratic voters in the 2020 race.

The Flores controversy could also overshadow the run-up to Biden's expected presidential announcement that already is a bit of a punch line after a prolonged period on the launch pad.

Biden must also show that he has overcome a reputation as an accident-prone presidential candidate: His campaign launch in the 2008 cycle was overtaken by his own loose language, when he described Obama as "articulate" and "clean." He apologized for comments seen as racially offensive.

Biden's attempt to win the 1988 Democratic nomination foundered when he was revealed to have plagiarized remarks by Neil Kinnock, then leader of the British Labour Party.

Perhaps Biden's biggest asset in a potential 2020 race is that he is seen by some as having an excellent chance to beat Trump. That goal is so visceral for Democrats that a challenger with vulnerabilities in some areas could be embraced wholeheartedly by the party.

Sixty-two percent of Democrats polled in February by CNN and SSRS said Biden should launch a run for the party's nomination, underscoring his popularity and the value of a candidate tested in intense political warfare.

But any dent to the perception that he could beat Trump could be a significant blow to the former vice president.

The allegation against Biden by Flores pales against assertions made by prosecutors in New York — that Trump directed hush money payments against women who claimed affairs with him, claims which he has repeatedly denied.

But Trump has a visceral sense of an opponent's weaknesses and would not hesitate to use, distort and inflate the merest hint of impropriety by Biden to paper over his own vulnerabilities on a presidential debate stage.

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Man killed after knocking on wrong door, Atlanta police say

Darryl Bynes, 32, has been booked into Fulton County jail on a murder charge, according to Atlanta Police Sergeant John Chafee.

Shortly after midnight on Friday, police say the victim was knocking on a door that he believed was his girlfriend's apartment. As the victim was walking away from the door, Bynes, who was the resident of the apartment, came to his balcony and the two began to exchange words. At some point, Bynes got a handgun and shot the victim, police said.

The victim died at the scene after being shot in the neck. The Fulton County Medical Examiner's office would not confirm the name of the victim at this time.

The suspect remained at the scene and was arrested there, Chafee said. It could not be determined Sunday whether Bynes had an attorney.

Bynes' family told WSB, a CNN affiliate that he had been trying to protect his family and his five kids, and that his truck had been stolen earlier last week.

The station also spoke to the family of the victim, who was reportedly 19 years old.

"I'm having a hard time understanding that someone could be that mean and hurt a child," the victim's mother Lisa Johnson told WSB. "Stop and think before you pull the trigger."

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China announces new crackdown on fentanyl in win for US President Trump

The new laws are likely to be interpreted as win for US President Donald Trump, who has taken a strong stance against fentanyl and was full of praise for China in December 2018 when President Xi Jinping first agreed to the move.

"This could be a game changer on what is considered to be the worst and most dangerous, addictive and deadly substance of them all," Trump posted on Twitter at the time.

An extremely powerful synthetic drug, fentanyl is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine and 30 to 50 times more potent than heroin.

According to the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention, fentanyl was used in one in four overdose deaths in the US in 2018, killing just over 18,000 people in one year and overtaking heroin and oxycodone as the country's most deadly drug.

On Monday, China's Ministry of Public Security, National Health Commission and the National Medical Products Administration came together to make the announcement at a press conference in Beijing.

Liu Yuejin, deputy head of China's National Narcotics Control Commission, called the move a "major innovative measure" in the country's contribution to the global war on drugs.

The top anti-narcotics official said the new regulation would prevent drug labs from evading the law by simply tweaking chemical structures of their products.

Liu stressed that China would enforce its laws "even more comprehensively" after the latest announcement and "bring violators to justice without mercy."

US opioid crisis

China banned the manufacture and sale of four types of fentanyl in March 2017 and later expanded the list to 25 types, but the Trump administration had been pushing for a wider ban to slow the flow of the deadly drug into the US.

In August 2018, Trump accused China of being behind the US' opioid crisis, claiming fentanyl was "pouring into the US postal system." In October, Trump signed into law sweeping legislation to curb the epidemic, pouring billions of dollars of funding into treatment and prevention.

Chinese authorities have long stressed their close cooperation with US partners to crack down on the shipping of fentanyl, including the installation of thousands of security check machines.

On Monday, Liu denied Washington's accusation that China was the primary source for fentanyl substances in the US, pointing a finger at US domestic issues ranging from over-prescription of painkillers to the powerful pharmaceutical lobby.

"I think if the US really wants to resolve its fentanyl problem, it must strengthen its domestic measures," he said. "The US especially needs to strengthen its anti-drug education to reduce the demand for fentanyl ... instead of blindly blaming other countries."

The Chinese official expressed "regret" over recent US indictments on several Chinese nationals for their roles in distributing fentanyl in the US, calling such unilateral moves "harmful to a cooperative atmosphere."

Beijing first agreed to make all variations of fentanyl a controlled substance during trade talks between Trump and Xi in early December on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Argentina.

The primary purpose of the meeting was to avoid further escalations in the raging trade war between Washington and Beijing, which has seen billions of dollars of tariffs placed on US and Chinese goods.

The announcement of a starting date for the new laws comes amid ongoing trade talks between the two countries, which have raised hopes of a potential deal to lift tariffs and ease tensions. Chinese officials declined to link the two issues at Monday's press conference.

Trump and Xi are expected to meet again to sign an eventual agreement in the coming months.

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2 days after racing resumed, 23rd horse dies at Santa Anita Park

Racing at the Southern California park had only resumed Friday, after more than three weeks of closure.

After nearly two dozen horses died at Santa Anita Park since December 26, it closed to racing on March 5. In response to the spate of deaths, the park's owner, the Stronach Group announced rules that limited the use of whips and banned the use of nearly all medication on race day. After the changes were approved by the California Horse Racing Board, they went into effect when Santa Anita re-opened Friday.

But on Sunday, a race horse named Arms Runner fell and collided with another horse at the dirt crossing during the San Simeon Stakes. Arms Runner's injury was fatal. The other horse, La Sardane was not injured, according to a Santa Anita Park statement.

"While this incident happened during competition on a track that has been deemed by independent experts to be safe, we are working closely with the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) to understand if there was anything additional that we could have done to prevent today's tragedy," according to the park's statement.

"Today's incident speaks to the larger issue of catastrophic injuries in horse racing that The Stronach Group together with our industry stakeholders are working to solve throughout California and across the country," it stated.

The deaths of nearly two dozen horses have been baffling. Many people connected with the park believe that rain has been a factor in the horses' deaths, but not all agree why. Southern California had its wettest winter in almost a decade.

Last month, the Los Angeles County district attorney's office assigned investigators to look into the horse deaths.

PETA said Sunday that the racing board, horse owners and trainers hadn't done enough.

"They did not take every measure needed to protect the horses," said Kathy Guillermo, PETA senior vice president in a statement. She pointed to the drug Lasix, a diuretic that is permitted at Santa Anita at lower than previous levels and will eventually be phased out.

"All drugs need to be banned entirely, and the known-safest racing surface -- a synthetic track -- must be used," Guillermo said.

She also called on California Governor Gavin Newsom to form an independent panel to investigate the training and veterinary practices in California racing.

CNN's Stephanie Becker, Amir Vera and Jay Croft contributed to this report.

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China's factories are now defying the economic slowdown

The country's huge manufacturing industry unexpectedly rebounded in March, government figures showed Sunday. The official purchasing managers index for the month jumped to 50.5, compared to 49.2 in February. A reading above 50 indicates growth from the previous month.

A separate survey of manufacturing activity by media group Caixin and research firm Markit released Monday was also unexpectedly positive.

Goods made in Chinese factories are shipped all over the world, and their demand is often viewed as a barometer for the health of the global economy.

Growth in China's factory sector shifted into reverse at the end of last year and economists polled by Refinitiv had predicted this trend would continue.

The figures "will go a long way to allaying slowdown fears about China, at least in the short-term," wrote Jeffrey Halley, senior Asia-Pacific market analyst at investment firm Oanda, in a market commentary Monday.

Investors will now be focusing on the next stage of trade negotiations between the United States and China, which are due to take place in Washington this week, Halley added.

The rebound in China's manufacturing sector and optimism over trade talks between the world's top two economies boosted Asian stock markets Monday.

China's Shanghai Composite (SHCOMP) index rose more than 2%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng (HSI) 1.7% and Japan's Nikkei (N225) 2.2% on Monday trading.

Stimulus is starting to bear fruit

Chinese growth has lost momentum following government efforts to crack down on risky lending, which starved many companies of the funds they needed to expand.

The world's second largest economy has also started feeling the effects of the trade war with the United States, which has resulted in new tariffs on about $250 billion of Chinese exports.

The Chinese government last month predicted economic growth of between 6% and 6.5% in 2019. That's below last year's 6.6% rate of expansion, which was already China's slowest annual growth in three decades.

Beijing in response has resorted to trillions of dollars worth of new measures intended to stimulate the economy, including tax cuts for businesses, infrastructure spending and looser monetary policy.

March's upbeat data shows these policies "are apparently bearing fruit," wrote Raymond Yeung, a senior economist at investment bank ANZ, in a note to clients Monday.

The Caixin PMI release noted that factories were hiring more workers for the first time in five years.

Some analysts said the latest economic figures indicated that China's economy had now bottomed out, and growth would likely continue to strengthen in the coming months as the effects of stimulus measures are felt.

But others warned that it was still too early to tell if China's economic picture was improving. "We still think growth could weaken again in the near-term," said Julian Evans-Pritchard, senior China economist at research firm Capital Economics.

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'Reiwa': Japan announces dawn of a new era

The era, whose name includes the character for "harmony," will formally begin once the new Emperor is crowned on May 1.

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said he hoped the new name, which was adapted from an 8th century anthology of classic poetry, "will be widely accepted by the people and deeply rooted in life in Japan."

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is expected to hold a press conference later Monday to explain the full meaning of the new name to the Japanese public.

The current Heisei Era began in 1989, when Akihito succeeded his father Emperor Hirohito, who ruled during the Showa period and is now known as the Showa Emperor. It will come to a close on April 30, the day Akihito abdicates.

Akihito, soon to be known as the Heisei Emperor, will become the first Japanese monarch in 200 years to step down, relinquishing the Chrysanthemum Throne to his son, Crown Prince Naruhito, who will become the 126th emperor.

Information about how the name of the era was decided and discussions around it have been closely guarded.

A week ago, Suga told reporters that the names of academics and other experts who are advising the government will not be made public, nor will the person or persons who proposed the chosen name be revealed.

Significant marker

Eras are about more than who is the emperor of the day. They are also, for example, the basis of the Japanese calendar system: 2018 was Heisei 30, coming three decades after the era began.

While the current system aligns with the rule of the emperors, this has not always been the case. In the past, new eras were declared to mark historical moments.

For example, the Ansei period, beginning on November 27, 1854, on the Gregorian calendar, was adopted following a number of natural disasters and a fire at the imperial palace. The name Ansei means "tranquil government" and was intended to herald a peaceful period.

Era names can also become political. The Showa era, the name of which can be interpreted to mean "period of radiant Japan," spanned the rise of Japanese fascism and nationalism, when imperial troops under the Rising Sun banner invaded numerous neighboring countries. This attitude is sometimes called Showa Nationalism.

Japanese Y2K

While the naming of a new era was a largely symbolic affair, a time for Japan to collectively turn a new page, the transition also presents a more immediate technical challenge.

Microsoft has warned that Japanese computer software, most of which was written in the Heisei era, could face a Y2K moment, because Japanese calendar years are described by a combination of the year and era name.

In the run up to the current millennium, concerns were raised that many computer programs represented four-digit years with only their last two digits. So, the years 2000 and 1900 would be indistinguishable.

Millions of dollars were spent safeguarding against the so-called Millennium Bug.

According to public broadcaster NHK, a survey last month found that about 20% of companies had not checked whether calendars in their software use the Japanese system.

"Industry ministry officials warn that insufficient preparations could lead to unrecognized dates and the possibility of data-processing errors," NHK reported.

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Vietnamese accused of Killing Kim Jong Nam escapes death penalty with plea deal

On Monday, Malaysian prosecutors offered to reduce the murder charge against Doan Thi Huong, who is the only suspect still behind bars, following the release of her co-accused last month.

Huong smiled in court after hearing that prosecutors would offer to drop the murder charge and replace it with the lesser charge.

The judge sentenced Huong to three years and four months to be served starting from her date of arrest in February 2017, meaning she could be released from custody as soon as next year.

Huong was one of two women charged over the February 2017 murder of Kim Jong Nam, an offense punishable by hanging.

Last month, Malaysian prosecutors rejected an appeal to drop the charge against Huong, and did not reveal why they had let co-accused, Indonesian national Siti Aisyah, go free while keeping Huong in custody.

Murder of Kim

Huong, Aisyah and the four North Koreans were accused of exposing Kim to the VX nerve agent as he entered an airport in Kuala Lumpur on the outskirts of the Malaysian capital, killing him in minutes.

Prosecutors alleged that Huong and Aisyah wiped Kim's face with the chemical before washing themselves. The North Koreans then promptly left the country.

Lawyers for the two women argued they were duped by the North Korean agents, who tricked them into thinking they were taking part in a reality TV show.

Malaysian authorities disagreed. During the police investigation and through most of the trial, police and prosecutors were adamant that both women knew what they were doing.

On Monday, Huong's lawyer Hisyam Teh Poh Teik said his team had made a filing asking the attorney general to reconsider the charge against Huong.

"This was accepted by the attorney general and this is what we see happening this morning," Teh told the court. "To that we say thank you to the attorney general."

While appealing for a lenient sentence, Teh said his client came from a "humble background."

"The accused is the youngest in the family," he said. "The accused at the same time is also naive and she was exploited ... The accused has endured enough."

Prosecutor Muhammad Iskandar Ahmad said that the CCTV footage of the alleged murder was clear. "She just walked away," he said. "We can see the conduct of the accused."

Judge Azmi Ariffin told Huong she was a "very lucky person."

Vietnamese ambassador to Malaysia Le Quy Quynh was present in court alongside a large Vietnamese embassy entourage. Huong's father -- a Vietnam war veteran -- was also in court.

Other suspects

There are still four North Koreans who have been charged in absentia with the murder. All four fled Malaysia for an unknown destination soon after the assassination, and international police organization Interpol has issued red notices asking governments around the world to send them back to face trial.

Analysts said if North Korea was behind the killing, Kim Jong Un may have seen his older half-brother as a potential leadership threat -- even though their father, former North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, had long discounted Kim Jong Nam as a possible successor.

Kim Jong Nam fell out of favor some two decades ago and lived in self-imposed exile in the Chinese-controled territory of Macau.

North Korea has consistently denied involvement in the killing, though US, South Korean and Malaysian authorities have said Pyongyang was responsible.

CNN's Julia Hollingsworth and Josh Berlinger reported and wrote from Hong Kong, while Hadi Azmi reported from Shah Alam in Malaysia.

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SNL's Mueller and Trump cold open illustrates the political divide

Once in a while "SNL" perfectly crystallizes our political moment. This is one of those times.

Saturday's cold open showed how the end of Robert Mueller's investigation is being interpreted, twisted and exploited:

Robert De Niro as Mueller: "On the charge of obstruction of justice, we have not drawn a definitive conclusion."
Aidy Bryant as Bill Barr: "But I have! And my conclusion is, Trump's clean as a whistle."
Alec Baldwin as President Trump: "Free at last, free at last."

The public will see Mueller's report sometime in April -- but Trump and his media allies have already hardened the right's perceptions of what the report says. The no-collusion cake has been baked. "SNL" nailed this:

De Niro: "I've included hundreds of pages of evidence."
Bryant: "Most of it provided on live television by the president himself."
Baldwin: "Russia, if you're watching, go to bed. Daddy won."

The rhetorical power of Trump's repetitiveness is on display right now. His message is simple, while Mueller's report (judging by the sheer length) is more complicated.

De Niro: "In conclusion, it is my hope that this report will be made public, with a few redactions."
Bryant: "Hella redactions."
Baldwin: "We're going to black out everything except the words 'no' and 'collusion.'"

"SNL" illustrated the extreme divisions in the media and political environment. Trump's backers are celebrating the Barr letter and claiming the media "lied" about a "hoax." Some of Trump's opponents are accusing the press of taking Barr's word for it. And lots of folks just want to wait and see what the report says. As for "SNL," the entire sketch is up on YouTube...

Media week ahead calendar

-- Monday: Be careful out there, it is April Fool's Day...

-- Monday: David Haskell starts work as the new editor of NYMag...

-- Monday: "The Twilight Zone" debuts on CBS All Access...

-- Wednesday: The final season of "Game of Thrones" has its grand premiere at Radio City Music Hall...

-- Thursday: WaPo hosts a Protecting Local News symposium... It will be live-streamed here...

-- Friday: David Attenborough's "Our Planet" starts streaming on Netflix...

-- Saturday: The NCAA men's Final Four! For the record, my bracket has Virginia winning it all...

-- Sunday: "Killing Eve" returns to BBC America (and gets a simulcast on AMC)...

Three books you'll be hearing about...

The press tours are already underway for this trio, all out on Tuesday: "Ladies Who Punch," Ramin Setoodeh's scoop-filled book about "The View..." Rick Reilly's "Commander in Cheat: How Golf Explains Trump," which says the president cheats "at the highest level..." And "The Matriarch," Susan Page's book about Barbara Bush, which has already generated dozens of headlines...

Two more exclusives for Gayle King

CBS News says Gayle King has taped "exclusive interviews" with "the two women who allege Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax sexually assaulted them." King's sit-down with Dr. Vanessa Tyson will air on Monday's "CBS This Morning," and the interview with Meredith Watson will air Tuesday...

Read more of Sunday's "Reliable Sources" newsletter... And subscribe here to receive future editions in your inbox...

Al Roker in the Arctic

This is definitely one way to cut through the noise and get sustained TV coverage about climate change! Al Roker will be live from Utqiagvik, Alaska, on Monday and Tuesday's editions of the "Today" show.

Utqiagvik, previously known as Barrow, is the northernmost city in Alaska. "We're going there because Alaska is warming twice as fast as the rest of the continental United States," Roker said before flying north. "It literally is ground zero for where climate change is happening..."

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Federer defeats Isner to win 101st career singles title at Miami Open

Federer won the match -- his fourth Miami crown -- 6-1, 6-4 in just 64 minutes, according to the ATP.

"I think I was very clear on how I wanted to play, so I think that helped that I was able to not just have the plan but then being able to execute," the 37-year-old Swiss player said, according to the ATP.

"I just can be very happy on either end, return and serve, and that's why I'm so happy that I was able to produce a performance like this in a finals, because this is what you train for and play for that constantly keeps your level going up as the tournament progresses. And this was my best. I'm very excited."

Isner, 33, told ATP he had started feeling pain in his foot during the first set of the match.

"It's a terrible feeling, because you're on an island out there, and you have no teammates to hide behind. I was going up against the greatest player ever, playing in this incredible atmosphere and my foot's killing me," he said.

"Not that I would have won the match, anyways, let's make that clear, but I think I could have made for a more interesting match and one that was a little more fun. Roger was too good."

Second only to Jimmy Connors

Federer claimed his 100th title last month with a victory over Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Dubai Championship, describing it as "an absolute dream come true."

Federer's longevity has been remarkable.

Since his first title as a 19-year-old, Federer has won at least one trophy in every season since with at least four titles in 16 of the past 18 seasons, including a record 20 grand slam crowns.

He is just the second man -- after American Jimmy Connors, who claimed 109 titles -- to reach 100 tournament wins, a run he started in 2001 in Milan.

Visit CNN.com/Sport for more news, features and video

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'The Walking Dead' sets stage for another all-out war

"The Walking Dead" peaked early, it turns out, with the penultimate episode of the ninth season, which brutally killed off multiple characters and provided a much bigger shock than the relatively low-key finale that aired Sunday night.

Other than a snowball fight that offered a dose of lightness after the previous hour's carnage, the episode seemed most notable in setting the stage for another season's worth of full-blown battle against the Whisperers; and perhaps more significantly, potentially expanding the role of Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) by more fully incorporating him into the series.

With the departure of Andrew Lincoln and deaths of several key players, activating Morgan might be the adrenaline jolt that "The Walking Dead" -- which until the heads-on-a-pike moment, had been largely running on fumes -- desperately needs.

Morgan's wry, foul-mouthed Negan also brings disarming humor to the series, in the finale teasing other characters about the soap-opera-like "love quadrangle," as he put it, surrounding Rosita (Christian Serratos) and Gabriel (Seth Gilliam).

The show has also found a playful dynamic in Negan's relationship with the young Judith, which in some respects mirrors his unexpected bond with Rick Grimes' other kid, the late Carl.

Given the damage that Negan inflicted, fully incorporating him into the "Dead" community will have to be an act of necessity, and his interplay with Michonne (Danai Gurira) appeared to be laying the groundwork for that. "Common goal, common enemy," he said, adding in regard to the bad guys, "No one ever thinks that they're the evil one."

The story of "The Walking Dead" has been consistently punctuated by reloading, despite a steady stream of casualties and departures. The idea that virtually no one was safe elevated the show in its early seasons, creating a sense of genuine unpredictability

Yet recent experience has suggested there are losses from which the program has struggled to rebound, and another huge blow is looming with Gurira expected to leave next season. Executive producer Angela Kang has restored some order to the storytelling, but the prospect of another protracted military-style campaign frankly provokes a greater sense of exhaustion than excitement.

"We've come too far to give up," Michonne said at one point during the finale.

Perhaps so. But without exactly giving up, "The Walking Dead" nevertheless feels like a concept whose TV demise is creatively overdue, animated more than anything by AMC's rather crass motivations to keep it plodding forward.

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San Francisco: Insider Travel Guide

(CNN) — San Francisco, California, is small by urban standards, a compact swath of rambunctious hills, windswept bays and rainbow-colored Victorian homes. But it's seen enough upheaval for a town twice its size.

It's a city born of opportunity and reborn of disaster. It's seen booms and busts both analog and digital. And it's been the adopted home of numerous seismic social -- and geological -- movements.

A view of San Francisco from one of the city's most elegant hotels, the Fairmont.

Courtesy Fairmont San Francisco

As a result, San Francisco is a crossroads of commerce and counterculture, suffused with noir moodiness as well as Gold Rush bravado.

Just remember that San Francisco's weather has mood swings that are as complex. To avoid becoming one of those sullen travel types shivering in shorts and a T-shirt as the fog crawls around your ankles, bring a sweater -- as well as these suggestions for experiencing the best of San Francisco's hotels, restaurants, shopping and attractions:

HOTELS

Boutique: The Proper Hotel

Downtown San Francisco is home to some pretty snazzy tech HQs: Twitter, Uber, Spotify, but sadly the boutique hotel scene wasn't really matching up until very recently.

Proper Hospitality opened the first Proper Hotel in 2017 (several more are in the works) and finally delivered the kind of high-design / casual chic that really makes this town a magnet for Patagonia-wearing, Tesla-driving billionaires.

The flatiron building in which the Proper is housed is over a century old, has 131 room and suites, with eclectic furnishings from designer Kelly Wearstler and a decidedly modern feel. Rooftop bar Charmaine's, perched above Market Street, is worthy of a visit even if you're not staying at the hotel. Be prepared for a wait.

Grand dame: The Fairmont

Fairmont San Francisco sits atop Nob Hill, which means, of course, stellar views.

Courtesy Fairmont San Francisco

Situated in Nob Hill on the top of a hill, the Fairmont is classic luxury within walking distance to bustling Union Square, eclectic Chinatown and laid-back North Beach.

Most rooms come with a spectacular view of the city, and around Christmastime, the hotel's lobby is a sight in and of itself. A giant gingerbread house takes over the space, and it's easy to get lost in the romance of the twinkling lights -- especially with a flute of bubbles purchased from the lobby's Champagne bar in hand.

The knowledgeable and helpful staff, along with rooms featuring spacious bathrooms with Le Labo products and plush bedding, make this a worthy institution in a city where new seems to be the word of the day, every day.

Fairmont, 950 Mason St., San Francisco, CA 94108; +1 415 772-5000

Skyscraper: Loews Regency San Francisco

In a town that was the setting for the 1974 disaster film "The Towering Inferno," staying at the highest hotel in town is not for the acrophobic. The Loews occupies the top 11 floors of the fourth-tallest skyscraper in the city, offering the highest rooms and rooftop bar.

The views here are unmatched, and inside you'll find a modern-yet-comfortable aesthetic, an attentive staff who are helpful without being overzealous, and a downtown location that's a short walk to the Embarcadero, Ferry Building and Union Square. The hotel is also pet-friendly, so bring along the pup (they do charge for the privilege)!

Loews Regency, 222 Sansome St., San Francisco, CA 94104; +1 415 276-9888

National park: Inn at the Presidio and Lodge at the Presidio

Lodge at Presidio

Kentyn Reynolds

Both of these extraordinary historic lodgings are in the Presidio, San Francisco's National Park. The natural grandeur of the park is an ideal setting for outdoor-enthusiasts who prefer a trail-run to an indoor gym, and for golfers with a penchant for American military history.

The Inn is housed a Georgian Revival-style, three-story building, erected in 1903. It was formerly the Pershing Hall Bachelor Officers' Quarters. Its intimate, historic setting makes it feel like an historic private home, with only 26 rooms, mostly king suites with fireplaces. The outdoor patio features rocking chairs, and there is also an outdoor fire pit. It was the first hotel in the Presidio when it opened in 2012

The Lodge, the second hotel that opened in 2018, was formerly an Army barracks built in the 1890s.

It is the closest hotel to the Golden Gate bridge and is a stone's throw from the Walt Disney Family Museum, which is housed in an identical building next door. With 42-rooms (many of which have views of the San Francisco Bay), it is almost double the size of its sister Inn, but either location offers a singular San Francisco experience.

Both buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places and are LEED certified.

DINING

Che Fico

Che Fico's margherita pizza is finished with fresh basil, sweet as can be.

Courtesy Krescent Carasso

When Che Fico opened in 2018, frenzy is the best word to describe its effect on the culinary world. First came the local reviews, then Bon Appetit named it one of the best restaurants in America, then The New York Times and The Washington Post.

CNN's own Anderson Cooper posted an Instagram of the restaurant's TK pizza.

Before long, there were no reservations, and the lines for walk-ins started forming hours before opening.

We are here to tell you: Do believe the hype.

This Italian-American restaurant has it all: An open kitchen in a converted loft above an old autobody shop, a delightful salumeria, menu items that nod to Jewish-Italian culinary history (the grilled chopped duck liver still happily haunts us) and the aforementioned pizzas.

Building on their success, Che Fico Alimentari is about to open, serving a vast selection of Italian wines and much more to come this summer.

Che Fico, 838 Divisadero St., San Francisco, CA 94117; +1 415 416 6959

Bar Crenn

Bar Crenn's egg and bone marrow custard is topped with caviar and is a couple of teaspoons of perfection.

Courtesy Bar Crenn

The name is a bit of a misnomer, for the food at Bar Crenn is classy and upscale (you may experience some sticker shock when the bill arrives) and hard to forget.

While there is some bar seating (solo patrons would do well to show up early and try to snag a spot), the rest of the dining room proffers atypical seating in the form of individual living room-like setups that may remind you of Paris.

Settle in with your crew and order a bottle of bubbles while you peruse the short but carefully crafted menu. Expect radio silence from your group once the food arrives; indeed, each dish is something to marvel at.

Bar Crenn, 3131 Fillmore St., San Francisco, CA 94123, +1 415 440 0460

Mr. Holmes Bakehouse

Mr. Holmes Bakehouse's light, airy space turns out some of the city's best baked goods.

Mr. Holmes Bakehouse

It's hard to walk by Mr. Holmes, a bright pink space in the Tenderloin that's known for its cruffins (croissant + muffin), and not stop in for a look. Indeed, it's almost as if the bakery were made for Instagrammable opportunities, and yet, the pastries deserve every bit as much attention as the shop's design.

Opt for the aforementioned cruffin or the show-stopping matcha croissant. The doughnuts are stellar, too. Just don't sleep in too late -- showing up around lunchtime may mean you have to go with your second-choice pastry.

West Coast Wine and Cheese

Tuck into West Coast Wine and Cheese and enjoy perfect-temperature wines — and cheese.

Krescent Carasso

A visit to Northern California isn't complete without trying the region's specialty juice. While you can find a reliable New World glass or bottle at practically any San Francisco dining establishment you choose, if it's a true wine bar you're after, West Coast Wine and Cheese is a fine choice.

The cozy but polished spot is careful about the temperatures of their wines, but visitors won't notice any pretension. Servers are knowledgeable, not pushy, and they're just as adept at helping guests select a cheese as they are a wine.

NOPA

There are many of its kind in this city, but NOPA is San Francisco's best at serving familiar, hearty and thoughtful versions of what it calls "urban rustic food": wood-roasted salmon, grass-fed hamburgers and rotisserie chicken.

The small bowls of spiced chickpeas are seasoned to perfection and make a wonderful snack. Cocktails are also expertly prepared, and like the food, not overworked.

NOPA is consistently busy and while they accept reservations up to one month in advance, they always leave room for walk-in guests as well. The vibe encourages patrons to pull up a seat at its expansive bar and sample the snack menu while waiting for a table.

Nopa, 560 Divisidero St., San Francisco, CA 94108; +1 415 864 8643

Souvla

This local Greek chain (four locations so far) is pretty much a go-to for any visitor or local in search of something quick, delicious and healthy.

Former first lady Michelle Obama once ordered Souvla take-out for a flight to Washington, causing great excitement among the Souvla team.

Hungry patrons construct their order from three proteins, including spit-fired Superior Farms lamb leg, as well as a veggie option, then get it served either in a warm, thick pita or over greens.

Souvla keeps it real serving Greek wines and beer and an inspired dessert of Greek yogurt with baklava and honey.

Souvla, 517 Hayes St., San Francisco, CA 94102; +1 415 400 5458

Humphry Slocombe

Humphry Slocombe ice cream isn't afraid to shock, either with the names of its ice creams or their flavors.

Take Peanut Butter Curry, for instance: peanut butter ice cream spiked with curry flavor, with Vadouvan spiced peanut butter cookies. Or the shop's most popular flavor, Secret Breakfast: caramelized corn flakes in a cloud of whiskey ice cream.

They've also served up scoops of foie gras ice cream, prosciutto ice cream and salt and pepper ice cream. Humphry Slocombe has earned the right to these quirky flavors because they're actually good.

Really good. Like, kill-the-guy-before-you-in-line good.

Off the Grid

Perhaps the only thing that has multiplied faster in San Francisco than artisanal pizzerias is food trucks.

There are Southern trucks, cupcake trucks, taco trucks, rib trucks, Thai trucks, noodle trucks, pizza trucks -- there's even a truck devoted solely to the food meme bacon.

While most trucks alert fans to their whereabouts via Facebook and Twitter, the easiest way to sample several at once is at events organized by Off the Grid, which assembles numerous vendors in one spot for weekly markets throughout the city.

Often accompanied by live music, these gatherings take on a festive vibe. It's hard to resist sampling more than one truck, so it's best to arrive hungry.

El Farolito

Super shrimp and carnitas burrito from El Farolito. Overstuffed, rolled tight and wrapped in a sheath of tin foil, the massive burritos served at this Mission taqueria are cheap, delicious and filling.

While excellent at any time of day or level of sobriety, El Farolito's dependably delicious hunger bullets are particularly satisfying after a night of drinking.

Good thing it's open late.

El Farolito serves up all the usual meats such as carne asada and al pastor, but you can also get cabeza (beef brain) and lengua (beef tongue). The squeamish shy away, but they are impossibly tender and juicy.

El Farolito, 2950 24th St., San Francisco, CA 94110-4133; +1 415 824 7877

One family-run shop is turning out 10,000 sweet prophecies a day. But, it's not as easy as it looks. Richard Quest tries his hand at making the cookie that San Francisco claims it invented.

NIGHTLIFE

Comstock Saloon

Named for Henry T. "Pancake" Comstock, the man whose fortunes lured thousands of miners to San Francisco in the 19th century, this North Beach saloon is a refined tribute to those rough Barbary Coast times: dim lights, tin ceilings, classic cocktails and ostentatious wallpaper.

The bar also serves period-inspired food, such as beef shank and bone marrow potpie.

On Fridays, Comstock revives a Gold Rush tradition of serving a free lunch with the purchase of two drinks. The deal almost makes more sense for travelers than locals, who may have to return to work with a brace of stiff cocktails in their system.

Comstock Saloon, 155 Columbus Ave., San Francisco, CA 94133-5114; +1 415 617 0071

Balboa Cafe

Walk through these doors after 9 p.m. on a Saturday, and you'll wonder if everyone in San Francisco and their best friend isn't inside. It gets crowded, yes, but the bartenders remain on point, taking orders for martinis and Manhattans even when you're three deep.

In-the-know locals arrive when there's still daylight, better to to lay claim to one of the outdoor tables. It can be a bit of a scene in Cow Hollow, but with that comes excellent people-watching.

Balboa Cafe, 3199 Fillmore St., San Francisco, CA 94123; +1 415 921 3944

Beach Blanket Babylon

Beach Blanket Babylon is a musical revue that incorporates the latest in pop culture into each night's two performances.

Courtesy of Beau Molloy

Housed in a theater in San Francisco's North Beach neighborhood, not far from the city's Little Italy district, the outlandish, hilarious and confident musical revue is known for its creative costumes.

Huge and heavy headpieces, including one of San Francisco's skyline, are one of the show's defining, if frivolous, characteristics. That and the fact that the performance can change on a dime -- or, rather, on the quick turn of a breaking news cycle.

"If there's something in the news, and I think the audience will care about it, and it's relevant," Schuman Silver says she will add it to the show immediately -- that night.

Beach Blanket Babylon, 678 Beach Blanket Babylon Boulevard (Green Street), San Francisco CA 94133; +1 415 421 4222

DJ Purple Karaoke

Many flinch at the word "karaoke," which can conjure visions of poorly warbled Journey and "Total Eclipse of the Heart."

But DJ Purple (aka Steve Hays) is a Bay Area treasure, and he serves up a karaoke dance-party that reinvents the maligned medium.

DJ Purple favors upbeat songs and loud music, putting the focus on the crowd rather than the individual, inspiring group sing-alongs and nonstop dancing.

Oh, and he also plays the saxophone -- often the highlight of the evening.

DJ Purple Karaoke, multiple nights, locations; budget (free to sing, but tip your karaoke jay).

Louie's Gen-Gen Room

The basement bar affiliated with Liholiho Yacht Club, Louie's is the place to go for cocktails with witty names (try the Step into Liquid made with pineapple rum and Campari) and New American bites that satisfy both comfort-food cravings (pigs in a blanket) and healthier ambitions (poke bowl).

Large parties can reserve in advance.

SHOPPING

Valencia Street between 14th and 26th

This trendy corridor of small boutiques embraces everything from clothing and letter-pressed cards to taxidermy and books, much of it locally made. Carefully curated used clothing stores such as No Shop and Painted Bird are extraordinarily well-priced.

Paxton Gate conjures oddities such as carnivorous plants, while its children's store provides lovely toys of the non-plastic variety.

The Curiosity Shop sells jewelry and trinkets as well as local art. Dog Eared Books is the kind of store that's fun to get lost in for an hour or so. 826 Valencia sells a gallimaufry of goods dubbed "pirate supplies."

Coffee shops such as Four Barrel and Ritual Roasters plus plentiful eateries supply ample shopping respite.

Valencia Street between 14th Street and 26th Street

Green Apple Books

Can any city really be great without a really great bookstore?

A rambling, multistory shop with a winding staircase and secluded corners, Green Apple Books is the kind of experience that unfolds as you make your way from front to back.

Browsing and hanging out are encouraged, with chairs tucked away in remote spots, where patrons can leisurely thumb through a book on the occult, a massive photo compendium, a young-adult hit or a biography.

With books both new and old, there doesn't seem to be a subgenre -- or price point -- unrepresented.

Green Apple Books, 506 Clement St. at Sixth Ave. Richmond District, San Francisco, CA; +1 415 387 2272

Japan Center

Chinatown isn't SF's only Asian community.

The Japantown mall is a series of buildings connected by courtyards and bridges filled with small shops and eateries that peddle Japanese wares.

PIKA PIKA specializes in whimsical Japanese photo booths where users can snap pictures of themselves then print the results as stickers. Ichibahn Kahn and Daiso are Japanese dollar stores that sell a dizzying array of adorable, affordable items.

Bookstores stock manga and Japanese editions of magazines like Vogue.

Several variations of the pillow candy mochi can be purchased at Nippon Ya, and meticulously crafted fake foods adorning the windows of sushi and noodle spots rank as bonus sightseeing.

Japan Center, bordered by Geary Boulevard and Fillmore Post, and Laguna Streets, San Francisco, CA; +1 415 922 7764

ATTRACTIONS

California Academy of Science

The California Academy of Science has mastered the modern museum experience: immersive and interactive without being gimmicky. There's not an animatronic statue to be found.

Located in Golden Gate Park, the museum is easily identified by its massive, undulating living roof.

Once inside, visitors can tour a living rain forest, fly through space in the planetarium or descend to the darkened aquarium with its hypnotic displays of jellyfish, alien-like sea dragons, an octopus, electric eels, an anaconda and piranhas.

CAS is a functioning research facility, so employees can often be spotted performing taxidermy on a number of specimens.

The Presidio

Near Golden Gate Park lies a former military base called the Presidio.

Channon Hodge/CNN

A former military base near Golden Gate Park, the Presidio is filled with distinctive low-slung, white buildings that served as army barracks. he tree-filled park packs in wonderful hiking and biking opportunities, sweeping vistas, beaches and marshes.

It's also home to a military cemetery -- including a pet cemetery where the army buried beloved animal companions. Homemade tombstones and memorable epitaphs abound.

George Lucas' Industrial Light and Magic is headquartered here, its Yoda fountain having become a favorite stop for "Star Wars" fans.

Post-hiking cocktails can be enjoyed at the charming Presidio Social Club, which boasts a historically themed drink menu.

Filbert Steps

San Francisco's famously hilly geography is crisscrossed with hidden, meandering staircases whose seeming impracticality is part of the appeal. The Filbert Steps are the most magnificent.

They begin in a plain alleyway flanked by office buildings.

Surrounded by lush greenery, concrete steps give way to wooden ones, climbing up, up and up through a hillside neighborhood dotted with beautiful and quirky homes, statues and gardens. Discoveries abound: the green and red parrots of Telegraph Hill overhead, a mural celebrating miniature poodles and fantastic views.

Finally, the stairs spit you out at Coit Tower, a monument to firefighters with Depression-era murals inside.

Filbert Steps, at Sansome and Filbert streets

COUNTERCULTURE

San Francisco became the unique enclave it is because of the people and cultural movements that shaped its character. Here are a few places where you can experience them:

The Audium

Visitors seeking vestiges of San Francisco's bohemian heyday should skip Haight Street, unless they want to battle crowds for bongs and tie-dyed shirts.

Attendees of this half-century-old sound experiment sit in a dark, domed theater, surrounded by 176 speakers and listen to creator Stan Shaff's mind-bending arrangement -- a mixture of electronic music, giggling children, galloping horses and other sounds -- while a light show plays overhead.

The performance can tread into kitschy territory, but Shaff's ingenuity and dedication somehow elevate it. Shaff might not call the experience "psychedelic," but upon exiting, many an audience member will deploy the word "trippy."

It's certainly representative of the city's permissive, experimental spirit.

Audium, 1616 Bush Street, San Francisco, CA 94109; +1 415 771 1616

GLBT History Museum

The GLBT History Museum is the first of its kind in the United States and only the second in the world (after Berlin).

Opened in 2011, the GLBT Museum (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Transgender) was decades in the making and was the first of its kind in the United States.

A project of the 25-year-old GLBT Historical Society, the 148-square-meter space provides an intimate, handcrafted experience located in San Francisco's historically gay neighborhood, The Castro.

Drawing on the society's vast archives, the museum displays a wide-ranging menu of artifacts from matchbooks and manuscripts to Harvey Milk's kitchen table.

Knitted together, the objects tell a larger story.

You can download the free museum tour to enhance your experience and check out the roster of events for author talks and panels.

City Lights bookstory and Vesuvio Café

Vesuvio Café is famous as a hangout of the Beat writers.

Luis Villa Del Campo

In North Beach, you'll find these two paeans to Beat culture on opposite sides of Jack Kerouac Alley, named for the literary movement's iconic pioneer.

City Lights bookstore will forever retain an air of daring and notoriety for publishing Allen Ginsberg's "Howl" and weathering the storm that followed, including a high-profile obscenity trial. The bookstore remains a cultural hub and favored destination for bibliophiles.

Down the street, you can grab a drink at Vesuvio, a bar famed for serving the literati of the Beat Generation. Despite its tourist appeal, it's a neighborhood saloon where drinks are strong.

On the mezzanine you can claim a private corner where you can drink and spy on the patrons below.

Vesuvio Cafe, 255 Columbus Ave. at Broadway North Beach, San Francisco, CA; +1 415 362 3370

Andy Wright contributed initial reporting to this story.

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