News

• Best review of Blue Bottle Company, ever. [Sex Pigeon]
• Oh wait, one more. They're all so, so good. [Sex Pigeon]
• Some much for the 1br/studio we've been daydreaming of; the Tenderloin gets named best 'hood of 2008. [Curbed]

Like last year, Muni will be free tonight. Rejoice! Also, there will be additional service added and a few re-routes. more ›

Over in fantastically quaint Glen Park, an unidentified man was struck by a Muni train (presumably the F-Market or J-Church) at San Jose Avenue and Randall Street. The accident happened at around 2:10 a.m. this morning. He was taken to SF General Hospital to be treated for life-threatening injuries. Ugh. more ›

Last night the streets of San Francisco saw its second night of anger at Israel's assault in the Gaza Strip. The protest over the never-ending war started on Montgomery Street at the Israeli consulate, eventually moving up to the United Nations Plaza along Market Street. The protest remained peaceful. No arrests, as far as we know, were made. (As of today, Israel has rejected a truce call, continuing to bombing Gaza to smithereens.) more ›

Ingleside Police Station has issued a (slightly belated) warning to the Sunnyside neighbors of City College. Two incidences of sexual battery have occurred in the last month or so (November 26 and December 2) on the pedestrian bridge near Geneva and Ocean Avenues. Both attacks happened at around 6 p.m., smack dab in the middle of commute hours. There was also a December 8th attack that may or may not be related. It occurred at Ocean Avenue and Lee Street. more ›

Oh oh. Once again, just the other day, the San Francisco Holocaust Memorial fell victim to vandalism. Some sort of red paint -- possibly signifying blood? -- was involved. While the graffiti has since been erased, a "footprint remains where red had been painted onto the memorial wall outside the Palace of the Legion of Honor." The suspect, according to KCBS, is a passionate lad "in his 20s who is six feet, wears a white bandana and carries a black bike messenger bag." Motivated by the recent Israeli assault in the Gaza Strip? Perhaps. But who's to say. If you recall, the memorial was the target of swastika graffiti back in November. more ›

Although the effect they have will--at best--be microscopic, protesters are out in full force at Montgomery and Sansome Pine streets right now, just outside the Israeli consulate. The rally is reportedly about the violence going on in the Gaza Strip. As well as the art of protesting itself. As of 6 p.m. scores of white people with liberal arts degrees are making themselves heard. Loudly. But tonight's protest is a bit different in that there are angry voices from people on both sides (Team Israel and Team Palestine!) making a fuss. Which side are you on? Or, rather, could you not care less? more ›

• Jerry Brown sues over Bush's environmentalness. [SFCitizen]
• This firehouse turned house is gorgeous. It just is. [Curbed]
• There's snow up in them there hills! [SFGate]

Not since Quentin Tarantino obliterated hat-fetishist/movie reviewer Jan Wahl has KRON 4 become THIS irrelevant. (Pam Moore aside. We love Pam Moore. Moore = relevance. Pam Moore = San Francisco.) Take, for example, how the struggling news network recently booked and then unbooked Charles Feldman and Howard Rosenberg, media critics behind No Time to Think: The Menace of Media Speed and the 24-hour News Cycle, which they planned on promoting on the former NBC affiliate. more ›

Crazy-faced actor Mickey Rourke has accused Marin resident and thespian of note Sean Penn of being a big ol' homophobe. According to a text (allegedly) sent by Rouke to a studio executive, plastic man says, "'Look seans an old friend of mine and i didnt buy his performance [in Milk] at all--thought he did an average pretend acting like he was gay besides hes one of the most homophobic people i kno (sic).'" more ›

After getting into a heated argument on a MUNI bus, two 19-year-old college students were stabbed after exiting the bus. The two boys, according to reports, were injured at Sixth Avenue and Geary Boulevard in the Richmond. The incident happened a little after 1 p.m., presumably after riding the 38-Geary. Both guys are at SF General Hospital being treated for non-life-threatening injuries. No arrests, as you've already guessed, have been made. more ›

What busy times these are for homosexuals and their sympathizers! Protests aplenty loom in the coming weeks and months. An unofficial list of upcoming events can be found at the Against8 blog; and an official list can be found, well, nowhere, since nobody's really in charge. more ›

Fried pickle at Benders image: jessmccabe more ›

Good grief, what is going on in the city of Richmond? First, some pigs gang rape a woman because she had a rainbow flag stick affixed to the back of her car. Then, on Saturday at around 6 p.m., a female cyclist was hit twice by two separate vehicles. Laura Casey, 49, was riding her bike when "a white, four-door sedan rear-ended her," knocking her to the ground. As Casey screamed for help, according to reports, she was fatally "struck by a second vehicle, which dragged her 25 feet, then drove away." If you have info on who might have killed Casey, please call the Richmond Police Department at 510-620-6655. more ›

Anti-Zionists, cranky over Israel's brazen smack down in the Gaza Strip, which left 220 people dead, will have a whisper-quiet protest over at DiFi's office later this afternoon at 5 p.m. Co-Sponsored by Direct Action to Stop the War; the Middle East Children's Alliance (aw), Queers Undermining Israeli Terrorism (oh Jesus, really?), and SF Women in Black (wait, what?). We didn't think much of this protest at first; another protest at Diane Feinstein's office where prog elitists can pretend to looked concerned, we sighed to ourselves. But it turns out you're supposed to "bring candles, posters, and banners; wear black." Wear black? We'll see you tonight at Market and Montgomery at five o'clock sharp. more ›

A South Bay man sits in jail today after killing a transient man for trying to wash his car windows at a Salinas gas station. Orion Moore, 29, drove up to refuel at Pilot Truck Stop when a 60-year-old homeless man approached him and asked if he could clean his windows for a small fee. Moore said no, but the elderly man persisted. Peeved, Moore allegedly then "ran out of the Pilot and knocked the transient to the ground. The man struck his head on the pavement and was transported to a nearby hospital." Moore was arrested at the scene. more ›

Pretending it will make a difference, the SF Police Commission will give San Franciscans the chance to voice their feelings on what they want from their newest, yet-to-be-announced Chief of Police. San Francisco Police Commission President Theresa Sparks tells CBS 5/KCBS, "My intent is to also have at least a couple of public meetings in the city to give community members the opportunity to tell us what they would like to see in a new chief." Heather Fong, if you recall, announced her retirement a couple of weeks ago. The commission, it seems, didn't know about her plan to turn in her badge until 45 minutes before appearing on Newsom's Cabaret Variety Hour radio show, where she made the news public. Which: rude. Anyway, tonight's meeting will take place at 6 p.m. at City Hall. more ›

MISSION/SATURDAY: Showing no signs of slowing down, crime in the Mission will leave 2008 with a bang. Or, rather, a bloody stab. Take, of example, the incident that went down at 2 a.m. on Saturday morning in the Mission. An unidentified man was stabbed at 24th and Harrison. He was whisked away to SF General Hospital and is expected to survive. No arrests have been made. more ›

• Panhandle bike path turned evening water slide? [SFCitizen]
• The Chron's skewed notions of: Water and rights. [SFBG]
• Waiting tables, behind the scenes. [Eater]

Oh wow. We need to get in on this racket. See, San Francisco International Airport plans on installing carbon-offset kiosks, so guilt-ridden travelers can donate to saving the Earth and stuff. It works like this: Travelers enter their flight info at the green kiosk, which figures out how many puppies and kittens will die as a result from the carbon dioxide emitted from their flight. A cost for offsetting your environment-crippling flight plans will then be deducted from your credit card, then sent to one of several carbon-reducing projects. While this sounds like an inspired idea, it could have corruption written all over it. more ›

At around 4 a.m. on Christmas morning, five teenagers beat and kicked a man at 25th and Mission streets. According to KCBS, the victim allegedly said something to aggravate the five teenage suspects, "who then followed the man to the intersection of Mission and 20th streets before throwing him to the ground and attacking him." (Group of teenage boys = scary. Which is why you should carry pepper spray, folks. A convergence of hormones, zits, and skidmarks is a Molotov cocktail waiting to blow.) The victim is being treated for life threatening injuries. No arrests, to no one's surprise, have been made. more ›

Remember how Hassan Ben Ali committed suicide in front of Berkeley police last week? Then, after doing a search of Ali's Ashby Avenue apartment, the police found an entombed body at his residence? Well, it turns out the dead body, -- which was discovered "wrapped up and hidden behind a wall in the laundry room of the complex," according to reports -- was Hassan 's son, Taruk Joseph Ben Ali. It is believed that the latter died of a drug overdose in 2004. Allegedly. Anyway, it turns out his father was keeping his corpse behind a false wall (lined with air fresheners!) in an effort to get free rent. The Chronicle says that "Benali had owned the property, and police believe Bin Ali hid his son's body to continue collecting rent." (Huh?) Although according to KNTV, "[b]oth father and son had been living in and managing the apartment complex," our local rag claims that a "tenant of the building has told The Chronicle that in recent years [Taruk] had been paying rent to Bin Ali, who said he was collecting on behalf of his son." So...yeah. When we know more, we'll update. more ›

Yesterday, as Carlos Sousa Jr.'s family mourned the one-year anniversary of their son's death, a sculpture of Tatiana the tiger was unveiled. Halfway up Telegraph Hill, a pleasant yet odd location to place it, the big-cat monument is built to scale as how Tatiana might have looked when she first arrived at the SF Zoo in 2005. Created by 48-year-old Jon Engdahl, who felt sympathy toward to the tiger, he views her as the victim, not the aggressor, in last year's awful Christmas time incident. "This was a labor of love," Engdahl tells the Chronicle, "I identified with this beautiful animal. I felt sorry for the sordid and needless way she died." If you recall, Engdahl had also organized a vigil for Tatiana early last year that attracted a handful feline lovers on New Year's Day 2008. more ›

In an effort to protest Newsom's recent budget cuts to public health departments and services for low-income San Franciscans, a totally awesome guy used a bicycle chain and handcuffs to attach himself to the giant "Tree of Hope" (sigh) at San Francisco City Hall today. The incident happened around 11 a.m. Aaron Buchbinder, 25, was arrested after the one-man protest. According to reports, Buchbinder "poured glue into the handcuff lock, forcing deputies to cut him free from the bindings before they could detain him." He was stuck up in the tree for about an hour. "The Tree of Hope," the goes on to say, "was not harmed in the incident." We repeat, the tree was unharmed. (Photo: Jim Herd) more ›

Brazen drive-by shooting in the Lower Haight this afternoon. We're told the shooting happened at around 12:30 p.m. at Webster and Haight. Around five shots were heard. No word yet on any injuries or arrests. more ›

The main man who gives something so important as religion a bad name, Pope Benedict XVI, has publicly said that "saving humanity from homosexual or transsexual behavior is just as important as saving the rainforest from destruction." Surprise! This backwards bit of wisdom came during his year end-of-year hate speech to senior Vatican staff. more ›

Maybe because it's Christmas Eve Day so nobody at the SFPD is getting back to us. But we'll just put this out there and perhaps you, dear readers, can confirm? A tipster tells us that a "portapotty [was] set ablaze at washington btwn polk and larkin" last night. True? We hope not. Or maybe kind of. Really, this story tickles us. Because we're five. Anyway, this would make the 13th portable toilet to get torched since November. more ›

Obama's tits. [SFGate]

With Tatiana's brutal attack nearing its one-year anniversary, the tiger's victim family sued the city of San Francisco and the San Francisco Zoo today for wrongful death. If you recall, the big cat escaped from her grotto last Christmas Day, attacking and killing 17-year-old Carlos Sousa Jr. According to reports, Marilza and, Carlos' parents, claim that "the zoo and the city, as owners of Tatiana, the Siberian tiger that jumped over its enclosure and mauled Sousa and two of his friends, are liable for Sousa's death, according to their attorney Michael Cardoza." The bumbling Dhaliwal brothers, Carlos' "friends," were also injured when the Tatiana jumped out of her pit. Word is the brothers, while drunk and/or high, taunted the tiger, which prompted the attack. Allegedly. more ›

Busy intersection Franklin and Fell, two vehicles crashed into each other at 7:30 a.m. this morning,sending the cars into a fire hydrant and into some construction material against the side of a building," according to CBS 5. It seems the fuzz "noticed a crack in [a brick] structure afterward and closed the intersection as a precaution." As of 10 a.m. only one lane is open. more ›

Ausaf Umar Siddiqui, a Fry's Electronics VP and Palo Alto resident, is being accused of stealing around $65 million in company funds to pay gambling debts. According to reports, Siddiqui is "accused of cutting side deals with some Fry's suppliers, allegedly receiving kickbacks in exchange for placing larger than normal orders at higher prices." Sounds like somebody needs a surprise meeting with Jeff VanVonderen, yes? (Speaking of Intervention, the greatest show on television, did anybody watch it last night? Jesus. Amazing. We predict swallowing 'out' and eating through a tube 'in' as next year's hottest foodie trend. God willing.) more ›

For at the seventh time since November, a port-o-potty was set on fire in San Francisco this morning, according to the fire department. This most recent portable blaze, all of them happening in or near Russian Hill, went up on Taylor Street near Union and Filbert at 12:45 a.m. this morning. No one was injured. SFPD asked to eyewitnesses to report any suspicious porta-potty activity to the police department at 415-553-0123. No matter how funny all this is. more ›

After being taunted for being a lesbian, a woman in the city of Richmond was "repeatedly raped and left naked outside an abandoned apartment building" by four strangers on December 13. more ›

Making love and screwing: what's the difference? [oopsie daisy]

An HBO drama called "Gentlemen of Leisure," based off of the 1999 documentary "American Pimp," wants to film in and take place in Oakland. But not so fast, says Mayor Ron Dellums. While the production might give Oakland an economic lift when/if it starts filming next year -- and be handed loads of blind praise by male critics who hoover this kind of shit up the way they do with cocaine and reruns -- Dellums isn't thrilled about further promoting the whoreriffic image the East Bay city already has. According to Dellums' chief of staff, David Chai, "While the mayor understands that there are certain benefits to having a major film project in our city, he is not willing to support this project at this time. The people of Oakland have come too far to have our city's name trampled upon in the name of entertainment." And, in many ways, he's absolutely right. more ›

On Dec. 29, U.S. Navy reservist/attorney/councilman Otto Lee, 41, will start a trepidatious, sourjourn deployment in Iraq. The Sunnyvale representative and father of two received his deployment orders three weeks ago, which means the Lee family has had to put Christmas on pause until his return. Lee is a UC-Berkeley graduate (with degrees in chemical and nuclear engineering) and holds a law degree from UC Hastings. He has been with the Sunnyvale City Council for five years. We wish him a safe return. more ›

Around 50 to 75 people were allegedly involved in a spree of vandalism, masquerading as a protest, at Westfield San Francisco Centre on Saturday. The mall rally, which started at about 4:30 at 24th and Mission and moved to New College, happened at 6:30 p.m. According to reports, some protesters threw food, one protester "tried to toss a large planter onto the food court below," trash cans were overturned, and lots of yelling was heard. more ›

While we wait -- and wait and wait -- for Sergey Brin to call asking to meet him at the St. Regis lobby to "talk" over cocktails, some Googlers are bemoaning this year's awesome Christmas bonus, or lack thereof. See, normally, according to Valleywag, employees at the Googleplex get a yearly cash bonus, which could climb as high "as $20,000 or $30,000 per Googler." But this year they'll be getting the G1 phone that retails for about $180. The phone, we hear, is nothing short of a Christmas miracle. But, yeah, cash is always sweeter. Anyway, Owen Thomas has the canceled-bonus memo, which you should read, right here. more ›

If so, an SFist source, who saw what happened and asked to remain anonymous, writes in to tell us: more ›

Newsom quietly signed a bill late Friday that moves $1.9 billion for the $4.4 billion Water System Improvement Program. The water system siphons water from Yosemite National Park's Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. The plan, according to reports, will "upgrade the water system that supplies more than two million people in the San Francisco Bay Area with drinking water" and keep up hydrated, moisturized, and bathed clean in case of a major earthquake or drought. more ›

Just as Mayor Gavin Newsom jump starts efforts to get the hell out of San Francisco, Police Chief Heather Fong announced her retirement. The big news came on Saturday on the Newsom's All-Star Cabaret Variety Hour, or whatever it's called, when Fong, 52, after five years on the job and seeing San Francisco's homicide rate reach 13-year high, said it's time to move on. more ›

Alfonso Israel De Leon, 34, was arrested on charges of tossing a two-year-old boy from a car in El Paso, Texas, on Saturday. While police wouldn't "disclose the children's relationship to De Leon," it seems the man was passing through the scary state of Texas with two children, the little boy and a four-year-old girl, when he threw the kid, as well as other objects, from the moving car. The boy is expected to survive. more ›

Whoa. more ›

Now that few can afford to buy, well, anything, what will happened to the promised Mission Bay/South Beach lifestyle? Much like Rincon Hill, We hear vacancies abound over there. more ›

• Psychic of refined beauty and grace suspected of swindling elderly clients. [Noyes]
• Remembering the Zodiac Killer. [SFGate]
• Nancy Pelosi's son is hot. [Valleywag]

While the banana slugs are on break for the holidays, hooligans went on a vandalism spree on Wednesday night at the UCSC campus. According to reports, the unidentified misfits damaged "up to 20 university cars, breaking windows of buildings and vehicles, spraying graffiti in residence halls, and laying down road spike strips." While officials have no suspects, we can only assume it was the work of Stevenson students. Oh wait, police said the trustifarianesque graffiti scrawled on dormitory walls, sigh, "expressed opposition to the prison system, law enforcement, and campus growth." So scratch that, this was clearly the work of Porter students. more ›

Our favorite 'no' judge in San Francisco, Peter Busch, brought the hammer down on beloved Walgreens today. See, after SF banned the sale of cigarettes at all Walgreens, the company, in turn, brought a lawsuit against the city, claiming they had every right to go against the wishes of the Board of Supervisors. Walgreens goes on to say that the BOS' "violated its right to equal protection under the state and federal constitutions." more ›

MUSIC: If you love when "accordion trills join synthesized, repeating vocals and the boom-boom of a bass kick," and you should, you'll love Tijuana -based Nortec Collective, who are most spectacular. They're muy caliente. They're at once organic yet completely synthesized. They're the tamale-flavored Pizza Rolls of music, and we mean that in the best way possible. Check them out tonight over on Divisadero if you can. more ›

Oh, Gavin. more ›

Along with the Vatican and several Muslim countries, the United States refused to sign some sort of benign declaration presented at the United Nations "calling for worldwide decriminalization of homosexuality." Written by France and the Netherlands, said declaration was signed by all 27 European Union members, Japan, Australia, Mexico and three dozen other countries. The US was the sole Western country to holdout. One reason the US withheld its John Hancock is because " [i]n numerous states, landlords and private employers are allowed to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation; on the federal level, gays are not allowed to serve openly in the military." And also, because of this. The declaration, however, in keeping with the United Nations' impressively ineffective style, is just symbolic. more ›

What with the holiday shopping (very little) and binge drinking (very much) we've been doing as of late, we almost forgot to tell you that there will be another prop 8 protest today. Please forgive our delay. Anyway, Valerie Paget and Tracie Jones, a Los Angeles couple marching across the state to throw shade at Proposition 8, will arrive in San Francisco today at noon. So, if the mood should trike, meet the marchers and rally at the steps of the California Supreme Court in San Francisco. You can catch all of the action at 350 McAllister, then walking with the Sapphic hikers all the way to City Hall. Also, today, December 19, is the deadline for Yes on 8's first filing in the Supreme Court case that will decide the constitutionality of Prop 8. Even more reason to go if you can make it. more ›

I'm afraid we just can't get enough of the San Francisco Zoo's baby gorilla! (Tatiana who?) The little squirt is nine-days-old today. Ever since he was born last week, his mother, Monifa, has ignored the baby since his birth. But it looks like he's getting good care. more ›

Baby boomer icon of mystery Deep Throat, AKA W. Mark Felt, died yesterday in Santa Rosa after suffering congestive heart failure. He was 95. elt was once second-in-command at the FBI. He snitched to Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward. on President Richard Nixon and his aides's shenanigans at the Watergate hotel, effectively bringing down the second-worst president in US history. In an effort to cash in on his popular alter ego, Felt revealed in a 1995 2005 Vanity Fair article that he was, in fact, Deep Throat. more ›

Geoff Kors, Executive Director of Equality California, has decided not to an invitation to attend Obama's inauguration. Why? Because of the Obama administration's decision to have evangelical pastor Rick Warren deliver the invocation. Warren, you see, worked to get prop 8 passed, which allowed discrimination into the California state constitution. An odd choice, indeed. more ›

Much to Terry Child's dismay, there will be a ShotSpotter test tonight in the Mission. From the authorities at SFPD’s Mission Station (via Mission Mission): more ›

We just heard from MillerCoors spokesperson Julian Green, who tells SFist, "We respectfully disagree with their inaccurate allegations about the marketing and sale of Sparks," and would we please tell their other side of the story. Sure thing, Julian! Anyway, Green shared with us the official MillerCoors press release, which claims, among other things, that "MillerCoors voluntarily agrees to reformulate Sparks." (The $550,000 payment isn't penance so much as it's to "cover the cost of the investigation.") Also, the marketing and creation of Sparks was, obviously, approved by federal regulatory authorities, but MillerCoors says it decided to "reformulate the product" due to nagging by the buzzkill AGs. So there. more ›

Yesterday was International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers. Regardless of your stance on prostitution, violence against sex workers, while rampant, is unacceptable. Last night there was a vigil/procession starting at City Hall to honor the day. Creative types/local sex retail activists (?) Sadie Lune, Melissa Gira, and Kirk Read were just a few of the people who showed up to remember the violence that sex workers face, and honor those who have been killed while on the job. more ›

City Attorney Dennis Herrera, along with 13 other state attorneys generals, helped rid store shelves of MillerCoors' "Sparks", an energy drink containing caffeine, taurine, ginseng, and guarana. Oh, and some alcohol too. And today, MillerCoors will no longer make caffeinated "Sparks," "Sparks Plus," "Sparks Light," or any other alcoholic energy drinks ever again. more ›

Service was disrupted after a cable car rammed into a sports utility vehicle that was double parked. (Tsk, tsk.) The "accident," which happened yesterday afternoon a little before 5 p.m., occurred on Hyde Street between North Point and Beach streets. The SUV's driver and a cable car passenger were treated for a minor boo-boos. Otherwise, no one else was seriously injured. more ›

Berkeley resident 60-year-old Hassan Bin Ali shot and killed himself on Monday night, leading to the discovery of an entombed body inside his Ashby Avenue residence. After police officers responded to a report of a heated argument going down at Ali's apartment -- and after his sudden suicide, which happened right in front of the cops at the scene -- remains of an unidentified body were found last night during a search. The macabre discovery is, of course, "being treated as suspicious." more ›

Billed by some as "Obama’s first big mistake," gay activists are livid with President-elect Barack Obama over choosing Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at his inauguration in January. Warren, senior pastor of Saddleback Church in Orange County, is a conservative evangelical minister who backed prop 8, the same-sex marriage ban. (Warren defended himself in a recent interview, saying, "I have many gay friends. I’ve eaten dinner in gay homes. No church has probably done more for people with AIDS than Saddleback Church.") Noted gay rights leaders like Human Rights Campaign president Joe Solomonese and Courage Campaign chair Rick Jacobs have voiced their extreme disappointment in Obama. The choice, however, is also being called "a conciliatory gesture toward social conservatives who opposed [Obama] in November." more ›

• SF local Burnell Holland deserves a place in the Obama Administration. Help him get there, won't you? [Usual Suspects]
• Need a job? How about being a census taker. [CBS 5]
• Bomb Squad action in the Mission. [Mission Mission]

Josh B. snapped up this scene from inside a toilet stall in the bathroom outside the Board of Supervisors chambers. Which leads us to ask: Who did it? more ›

Found over at Page and Divisadero, Craigslist founder Craig Newmark uses antiquated means of finding a lost pair of eyeglasses. (The phone number handwritten on the ad matches the business card posted at the bottom, which was confirmed as Newmark's.) more ›

View Larger Map more ›

Well, it's still chilly, with some Bay Area cities seeing temperatures dip into the 20s. Fortunately, we'll see another break in the rain today. (While the rest of the state is seeing some severe weather alerts care of the National Weather Service, the Bay Area seems to be off the radar. For now.) Tomorrow, however, the rain-cold air combo should return in full force. (The cheap-ish Marc Jacobs store on Fillmore has darling galoshes for around $30-40, by the way.)
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Code Pink is having yet another Bush/war protest today. This time they're using the shoe -- made popular last week by Iraqi journalist Muntader al-Zaidi, who hurled his footwear at President Bush during a press conference -- as the central theme. The protest, it practically goes without saying, is happening in Berkeley this afternoon. more ›

It looks like the Justice Center, Gavin Newsom's quality-of-life pet project, will, in fact, get the chance to bust people for public urination, aggressive panhandling, and open-air drug use. Supervisor Chris Daly's attempt to get $1 million pulled from the project -- money that could've been reassigned "to shore up the newly gutted Department of Public Health," suggests Curbed -- which "won" in a 6-4 Board vote yesterday, needed 8 votes to win. Alas. The Polk Street courtroom is scheduled to open early next year. more ›

Some sort of world famous diamond made a pit stop in San Francisco this week. It's called the the Chrysanthemum Diamond, and SF First Lady and sometime actress Jennifer Siebel got to wear the thing last night at a holiday party hosted by jewelry company S.H. Silver. The jewel, found in South Africa in 1963, has 189 facets and is of the biggest brown diamonds ever discovered. So it looks like gigantic, shiny, brown turd all dolled up. How fitting. more ›

Timecapsule: December 16, 1937 more ›

• Stock market's fear: Steve Jobs is dying. [Valleywag]
• More Sue Lee angry signage. [Curbed]
• Drunk trash on the 5 Fulton. [Muni Diaries]

by Tiffany Maleshefski more ›

Macworld Expo, the annual tech exposition of for the rabid Mac sect, won't see his Holiness Steve Jobs grace the stage come January. Apple announced today that next year is the last time the company will exhibit at Macworld Expo. Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior VP of Worldwide Product Marketing, will deliver the opening keynote at this year’s Macworld Conference & Expo, which will be Apple’s last keynote at the popular expo. According to Apple . the company "is reaching more people in more ways than ever before, so like many companies, trade shows have become a very minor part of how Apple reaches its customers." Speaking of reaching more people in more ways, Apple recently announced plans to sell the iPhone at garish retail chain Wal-Mart. more ›

San Francisco firefighters, according to SFGate, are rescuing residents from the windows of a Nob Hill burning apartment building. The complex is on Bush Street between Jones and Taylor streets. (Ack, we love that block of Bush!) No word yet on any injuries or what started the inferno. Update: One person was killed, three others injured. more ›

Harvey Milk-era diva, former San Francisco Mayor, and Presidio Terrace resident Sen. Dianne Feinstein will become chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, making her the first dame to the first dame to chair the committee in its 32-year history. In a statement released, DiFi said that her goals will be "working with the Obama administration to end the practice of coercive interrogations and creating a uniform standard for interrogations throughout the U.S. government, granting the Red Cross access to detainees and closing the Guantánamo Bay detention facility within one year." (Huh?) This also clears up any rumors that she would run for governor of California, which allows Mayor Gavin Newsom to focus most of his attention on making the move to Sacramento. more ›

Remember that "write a postcard to Obama, asking him to repeal Defense of Marriage Act" campaign? Well, oddly enough, Obama's office has decided that they will no longer accept postcards. Moving forward, only letters in envelopes asking the president-elect to yank DOMA will be accepted. So, does this mean that it was working, and they got the message? Or that they're irritated and pissed off? We hope it's the former. more ›

After hurling his black dress shoes at President George Bush last week, Muntader al-Zaidi, a journalist for an independent Iraqi television station, is being hailed as somewhat of a hero. (Word is that he was given an award for courage in Libya.) Also, according to Tim Redmond over at SFBG, just after tossing his heels, Muntader al-Zaidi had the proverbial crap kicked out of him. more ›

It looks like it snowed right here in San Francisco yesterday and last night. Can you believe it? According to reports the snow was white, fluffy, and cold to the touch. more ›

Hundreds of people waited in the freezing cold and rain last night to get free bag of groceries this morning. The giveaway, care of Glide Memorial Church, takes place from 7:30 am until 12:30 in the afternoon today. Each bag has a turkey or chicken, potatoes, bread, pasta, sauce, rice, beans, and a sundry of veggies. However, according to reports, "there are a lot of new faces in line because of the recession, and there's concern six thousand bags may not be enough for those in need this year." (Oh, and the SF Food Bank could always use a donation! $1 distributes $9 worth of food to those in need! And you can do it here!)
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San Francisco Firemen Application Line from Unemploymentality on Vimeo. more ›

• Emirates Airlines thanks you for flying. Well, some of you. [Matier & Ross]
• Zany bike machines! [Bici-Education, via Mission Mission]
• (Possibly gay) Rincon Hill resident shows off his wealth on exploitative ABC show. [Rincon Hill]

Well then. In a little over five days, the Third Annual Global Orgasm for Peace will be felt around the world. What is Global Orgasm? Well, it oversimplifies and exploits something so complicated yet horrifying as war in the name of rubbing one out. According to official Global Orgasm site, the day will "effect positive change in the energy field of the Earth through input of the largest possible instantaneous surge of human biological, mental and spiritual energy." That is to say, you are all asked to achieve sexual climax on Sunday December 21 at 12.04 p.m. (four minutes after noon) Greenwich Mean Time. Good luck.
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What a smashing idea. Courage Campaign, an organizing network that connects 300,000+ grassroots and "netroots" activists to push for progressive change in California to get Prop 8 overturned, is getting people to host a Milk screening in their community on the 20th, and then bring everyone straight from the screening to the candlelight vigils happening that night. It's called "Milk + Love." more ›

We'd belying if we said that this budding news story doesn't tickle us. It does. Very much so. See, the SF Port-o-potty Arsonist has struck again. It seems the charred remains (hee!) of a portable toilet were, yet again, found on Sunday morning, this time at the intersection of Jackson and Franklin streets in Pacific Heights. SFPD are still on the lookout for a serial port-o-potty arsonist. The toilet infernos, which happen at night and injure no one, haven't caused any serious damage. The last potty blaze hapened on December 6 on teh 1500 block of Vallejo Street. more ›

Although the car's driver has a green light and there was no indication of speeding, according to police reports, an unidentified elderly man was killed by a car after trying to cross Geary Blvd. and Webster yesterday afternoon near the Japan Center. The man, who was pronounced dead at the scene, darted out against a red light at a corner with no crosswalk. "At this point, it looks like he was hit where he shouldn’t have been crossing, but we’re not leaving anything to chance," says police Capt. Richard Correia. more ›

We didn't see or hear and lightening and thunder. Did you? And where is this pea-sized hail we've been promised? No signs of them at SFist HQ in SOMA. Sheesh. (Although there have been reports of an unidentified icy, fluffy, white substance found over in the East Bay.) Anyway, brace yourselves, because this most recent storm has prompted the California Highway Patrol to issue a warning drivers to... slow down. We will update with any further requests of vehicular sedentary states as the come in to us. more ›

Looking for a job? Well, if you have a specific company or California location in mind, you might want to check out this handy (albeit depressing) database, care of the Sacramento Bee, which companies or communities have handed pink-slips to their workers over the last two years. (Source: California Employment Development Department -- Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Records) more ›

Late this morning at around 10:45 a.m., there was a bike-car accident at Fell and Masonic. According SFIst reader Alex, it "seems like a Range Rover hit a bicyclist at the intersection. The fact that this happened after the new signals is just horrid." more ›

• Dear Bart ads: Please stop telling us to go to Dubai, and take down your fake plastic palm trees. Love, SF. [SF Weekly]
• Kevin Killian's penis. [SFBG]
• Former eBay CEO Meg Whitman is a homophobe with ugly hair. [Valleywag]

Bundle up, folks. The entire Bay Area is expected to freeze over starting tomorrow. In addition to the anticipated rainfall and ninth-circle-of-hell cold weather, the weather service suggests that that snow levels could drop "as low as 2,000 feet on Saturday and Sunday and possibly as low as 1,500 feet by Monday." That is to say, areas in the Santa Cruz Mountains and the North Bay hills could be affected by snowfall, so anticipate road closures. Check back at Weather Underground throughout the weekend for up to the second forecasts. (Temperatures could dip as low as the high 30s. God help us all.) more ›

We've all been bummed out here over the sudden demise of Adam's Block. It was fun, legal, and helpful. And now? Well, this happened. more ›

Exemplary fag hag to many lucky homosexuals, Google VP multi-millionaire and Four Seasons resident Marissa Mayer is currently engaged. At least, so says the rumor mill. According to Valleywag, she's getting hitched to somebody named Zack Bogue, who "buys and manages apartments for rich people." May they be fruitful and multiple. more ›

The fuzz says that a man crossing Hayes and Stanyan streets in Golden Gate Park (against a red light) was punched after getting into an altercation with motorist yesterday afternoon. It went something like this: The guy in the car honked, the pedestrian responded by slamming his backpack on the hood of the vehicle, then the equally mentally-deficient driver got out of the car and clocked the pedestrian, and said pedestrian fell to the ground and conked his head. The 53-year-old man remains in the hospital in serious condition with a nasty head injury. The suspect is still at large. more ›

The police just released a sketch of the man who allegedly "groped two female victims in separate incidents last week near a San Francisco City College campus." In two said incidences, both of which occurred Dec. 2 and Dec. 4, the women were attacked on a pedestrian bridge linking Geneva and Ocean avenues at the school's Ocean campus. The perpetrator, according to reports, "is described as Hispanic, about 25-30 years old and 5 feet 10 inches tall, with short, black spiky hair ... last seen wearing an orange jacket, an orange shirt, a gold necklace and a backpack." Have info on this guy? Then, please, contact the SFPD sex crimes unit at 415-553-1362 or the anonymous tip line at 415-575-4444. (Also, students can use City College's security escort service, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at 415-239-3200.) more ›

Zaftig girl icon Bettie Page died last night at a Los Angeles hospital. She was 85. Page -- whose brunette hair, sharply cut bangs and bondage photos continues to capture the imagination of both males and females -- died after suffering a heart attack nine days ago. Popular in the '50s, Page eschewed her life as an underground celebrity by becoming a born-again Christian and working full-time for evangelist Billy Graham's ministry. Only later in life did she reluctantly accept her icon status. Page's life turned into the biopic The Notorious Bettie Page, which, thankfully, resurrected the career of Gretchen Mol. more ›

Bank of America (who used to be based in San Francisco) has announced plans to cut anywhere from 30,000 to 35,000 jobs over the next three years. As the company sucks up Merrill Lynch & Co., cuts will affect both BofA and Merrill. "In an effort to lower costs as they face increasing defaults in mortgages, credit card debt and other loans," the (former) banking giant will add these jobs cuts to the thousands that they already eliminated over the past year. In related conspiracy theory, tinfoil hat news: Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich was arrested on corruption charges, it seems, the day after he announced all Illinois government agencies to suspend business with Bank of America. Allegedly. more ›

Oh no! more ›

Photo by Annie N. more ›

After this morning's FBI raids in San Francisco and Oakland, a total of five people were arrested. For what, you ask? Well, not human trafficking. Not treason. Not even hardcore gang activity. The five people (four men and one with-child lady) were hit with charges of selling or conspiring to sell crack cocaine. The charges against five retailers -- businesspeople, if you will, who are just trying to give you a lift -- carry mandatory minimum sentences of five or 10 years. Sorry to ruin your weekend plans. more ›

A Mill Valley woman has been banned from crap designer Abercrombie & Fitch's Corte Madera store after she urinated in the retail shop. It seems the rich bitch in question asked store employees if she could use the bathroom. They refused. So, after throwing a tizzy, said lady (and we use that term loosely) stole a "a 5-gallon pail from a display and adjourned to a changing room," dumped $300 worth of clothing (and we use that term loosely) into the bucket, and created a makeshift toilet of her very own. The woman -- described as tall, white, thin, blond and in her 40s -- returned to the story the following day, claiming ignorance of going No. 1. The store, however, refused to press charges. Ah, the secret underbelly of the North Bay. It is warm and sweet. more ›

Because city health care programs are under the false impression that they are untouchable bastions of altruism and benevolence, a coalition of community groups, labor, and concerned citizens will hold mock funeral at 12:30 p.m. this afternoon, protesting budget cuts. However, the procession -- which starts at the Civic Center Plaza on the Southwest Green -- will march to City Hall and attempt to offer an alternate list for cuts (e.g., "police collecting overtime to investigate pedestrian right-aways," something called firehouse chauffeurs, Mayoral staff dudeskis, etc.). more ›

That seldom-visited, pointy restaurant at the corner of Market, Sanchez, and 15th streets, Thai House, looks like it might become a "50-foot-tall mixed-use building with ground-floor commercial, 22 residential units, and underground parking." Sure, it's all still under discussion, but it looks like the place you rarely went to eat will turn into yet another place you will rarely frequent. Progress! more ›

A total of five people were arrested after the FBI carried out a bust in San Francisco and Oakland this morning. According to the FBI, eight locations were targeted, including one in San Francisco’s Hayes Valley hood near the corner of Webster and Fell streets. While the raids are similar to gang busts that happened just last month -- wherein the FBI "netted about three dozen suspects on drug and weapon charges" in the city of Richmond -- there's no word yet if this most recent Bay Area sting is related. more ›

The body of a dead lady was found outside an abortion clinic in San Jose this morning. According to reports, the woman was neither homeless nor killed at the site. Officers also made it a point of declaring that "the woman appeared not to have been killed, then dumped at the building." (Wait, what?) Maybe this is the latest form of nutty anti-abortion protest: Leave your body at the doorsteps of Planned Parenthood as a final act of lunacy? Strange. Anyway, a police officer on the scene went on to say that "Planned Parenthood has nothing to do with this .. It's just a pure coincidence." more ›

In addition to the major cuts Newsom announced earlier this week (during a rare encounter with the Board of Supervisors, and speaking of rare encounters: Mayor Gavin Newsom is currently speaking over at an event where Alex Tourk is in charge, and, of boy, it must be tough for Tourk and Gavin to work together all the time and yet position themselves so they're not in the same photograph, so if you manage to get the former colleagues/buddies in the same shot, do send it our way), there will be another 12.5 percent snip, or $144.7 million, out of the budget next year. So, you know, say goodbye to things like public health, safety, and those things called libraries. more ›

As the preternaturally calm Brandon Wong rose this morning to take in the sunrise over by Anza in the Richmond, he saw something in the east that didn't make sense.

"It's just bizarre," he wrote, "I thought it was a volcano."
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Tonight's Day Without a Gay protest seemed peaceful compared to those just over a month ago when Prop 8, the same-sex marriage ban, passed. Although cops in riot gear gathered on Market and Octavia streets just eager for a head to crack open, we haven't heard word yet as to any arrests or melee. more ›

Recruiters bearing tacos greet listless ex-Yahoo ilk. [NBC3]

Big-cat attack survivor Kulbir Dhaliwal, who saw his fame quotient skyrocket last year after Tatiana the tiger escape from her grotto and went on a fatal rampage, was handed ten days in jail after pleading guilty to public intoxication and resisting arrest. This incident happened before the Tatiana killed the Dhaliwal's "friend" Carlos Sousa, Jr. The Dhaliwal brothers, it seems, "were arrested Sept. 7, 2007, after they scuffled with San Jose police who tried to stop them after seeing them chase two men down the street." But wait, it gets better! Kulbir also "cursed at officers while kicking the security partition in a squad car, forcing police to pull him out and put him in leg restraints." more ›