--Audacia Ray, the editor of the sex worker zine $pread and a Fleshbot [nsfw] contributor, talks at Modern Times about the commodification of sex on the Internet. 7:30 p.m., 888 Valencia (x 20th) --Kearny Street Workshop, Intersection for the Arts, and Galeria de la Raza are throwing a reading and book release party for their 2007 Intergenerational Writers Lab collection, at Capp180 (180 Capp Street 3rd Fl., x 16th and Mission). $5-15 sliding, 7 p.m.......

One of the best things about living in San Francisco is all the film festivals! We thought we were on top of them, and then we just found out this weekend that the SF Black Film Festival is starting later this week too. We can't keep up! The Ninth Annual Black Film Festival runs this weekend and next at the Theater Artaud and the African-American Art and Culture Complex, and is featuring African and African-American......

It's a short Swells this week! Total number of people pictured in this week's Swells society column: 85. Number of people pictured whom we recognize: 2: Dede Wilsey and Frank Jordan. Minority count: 13 (15.3%). Includes three food servers. Getty v. Traina: 0-1. Where's Gavin this week? We know he loves a party! Museums featured in this week's column: 3: the Museum of the African Diaspora, the Legion of Honor, and the Cal Academy of......

-Officer shoots and kills a man for allegedly trying to rob a pizza place....

Community Hero: At YBCA (701 Mission @ 3rd) is a screening of the African Film, Sango Malo by Bassek Ba Kobhio, the story of an idealistic new teacher in a rural school whose plans for radical praxis bringing social change to students and villagers is met by strong resistance from the headmaster and the village chief. Co-presented by California Newsreel, the San Francisco Black Film Festival, the Museum of the African Diaspora Present and Yerba......

First, the swanky: The MoAD Vanguard presents Preview at the Clift Hotel, (495 Geary St. at Jones) an evening of art, music and dance for a cause - the cause being MoAD and the arts of the African Diaspora. From the PR: groove to the global sounds of DJ Cecil (Relevant Sound, Bembe) while taking in the artwork of Amanda Williams, April Banks, Rah Crawford, Rosalind McGary, Emmanuel Pratt and Sydney James. Preview is......

Our new weekend column on the Chron's society page! Total number of people pictured in this week's Swells: 58 Pictures of people whose names we recognize: 7. Two pictures of Willie Brown, two pictures of Gavin Newsom, Dede Wilsey, Stefanie Coyote, and we're counting Chronicle Books publisher Nion McEvoy as a person whose name we recognize, even though we didn't realize until reading the column that he's not a she. Minority count: 12 (about 20%).......

SoMa's turning into a regular Upper East Side, as another world-class museum opens on Mission and Third: the Museum of the African Diaspora will officially open this Saturday, December 3, but sneak peeks are going on all week. MoAD is focusing on presenting works of art and culture from the African diaspora, which includes not only African artifacts but also all elements of world culture -- since we're all from Africa originally (intelligent design proponents, please make your arguments to the contrary in the comments). Along with the permanent collection, the exhibits kicking off the MoAD debut are "Linkages and Themes in the African Diaspora" and "Dispersed," featuring contemporary work of the African diaspora, and "Made in Africa," featuring stone tools from Africa on loan from the British Museum (their oldest artifacts. Gosh, we hope the Brits didn't steal 'em or anything.) You can check out the exhibits tonight if you want! Tomorrow, you can still make the cocktail party, or you check out Friday's party too. Or just wait until this weekend and check it out. But do go -- it looks great! Artist's rendition of the interior of the MoAD from the MoAD website ...