Let's check in on local girl Marvita, and her quest to become "America's Next Top Model." After arriving in New York, the girls moved into their loft, which, while nice, wasn't exactly posh, what with the bunk beds in one room, and one giant bed in another. Regardless, it was a step up for Marvita, who talked about being homeless, without parents, at the age of 18. Also in the loft: No smoking! And......

*MUSIC: We've got two tastes for you tonight. First, aging rockers Queensrÿche perform at the Fillmore. They use an umlaut in their name, so you know they're hardcore. Too much? Then, how about award winning R&B songstress Veronica Klaus over at Enrico's? She's blusey and cabaret-y -- a stellar combo. FILM: Richard Kelly's disastrous follow up to college campus favorite Donnie Darko, Southland Tales -- a sprawling SoCal tale set over the course of......

Chauncey Bailey, former editor of the Oakland Post who was murdered last August while investigating Your Black Muslim Bakery and the Muslim splinter group's shady dealings, received the prestigious George Polk Award last week for local journalism. Congrats, Bailey! His alleged killer, Your Black Muslim Bakery handyman Devaughndre Broussard, was also interviewed by 60 Minutes, which aired last night. According to CBS 5: In the interview, Broussard repeated his claim that he was coerced......

Over at The Snitch, we came across this fury-inducing commercial conceived by heart-warming conservative group Move America Forward. (You know, the one chaired by KSFO 560 AM's Melanie Morgan?) Anyway, in it moms and members of the Marines corp throw a patriotic temper tantrum, slam the Berkeley City Council for not apologizing to a bald eagle, want people to sign some sort of ineffective petition, or something like that. They plan to air the......

In the middle part of the 19th century, a thick set of whiskers were an essential facial feature of every man of Victorian respectability. These were not simply expressions of pride or masculine peacock vanity, but due to a whole rainbow of reasons, ranging from the fact that Man had been created in God's image, to the "fact" that beards protected the wearer against tuberculosis, and even that shaving led to immorality, murder, and......

FILM: In Being Michael Madsen, the titular star "turns the tables on notorious paparazzo, Billy Dant, by hiring a trio of documentary filmmakers to chronicle Dant's life, loves, and troubles." Crafty! The film also stars David Carradine, Daryl Hannah, and Virginia Madsen. Screens at The Roxie. READING: Michael Layne Heath and William Taylor Jr. read in honor of Abraham Lincoln's birthday (and of being our first gay Republican president!) at Dog Eared Books. *......

For what it's worth: "In celebration of National Pancake Day on Tuesday, February 12, 2008 from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., IHOP, one of America's favorite restaurants for breakfast, lunch and dinner, will give away one free short stack of its signature buttermilk pancakes to all guests," according to iHOP. But where in heaven's name are we to find an iHOP in gastronomically governed San Francisco? Well, there are two iHOPs in SF: one......

Well, this should be exciting, hateful. This Sunday at 11 a.m. at 701 Montgomery Street in San Francisco, there will be a protest over that religious sect those zany Hollywood types know and love so well. You know, the one where you can't take Prozac, or call you Jewish children, or....whatever. (For a map of the SF branch, go here.) It sounds like it will be a Sunday afternoon well-spent. Instruction are as follows:......

Speaking of Oprah, the fellow Aquarian just received American sculptor Daniel Edwards' chin-scratching touch. (You know, the celeb-loving guy who created that Britney-gives-birth sculpture?) Anyway, Edwards says his "piece pays homage to the closest thing America has to a living deity," hence its resemblance to the coffin of Egypt's Tutankhamun (King Tut!) Or maybe not. According to a thisislondon commenter: She's in the guise of fertility goddesses. It's about celebrating her feminity [sic] and......

At around 11:30 a.m. today at Digital Pre-Press International (DPI), located at Mariposa and Minnesota, a woman died while on the clock. It seems she "became enmeshed in the massive piece of equipment" at the San Francisco-based printing press. SFFD Lt. Ken Smith told CBS 5 that although his crew was successful "extricating her from the machine," she failed to recover from injuries sustained in the accident. As of now it is unclear as......

We would like to take a moment to thank this week's advertisers on SFist. America Unzipped, Brian Alexander's book on the desire of American's to get down and dirty. SF Dish, offering a chance to win $400 and a table for two at Spruce. Busted Tees, where they're in the middle of their winter sale. All shirts, $15! If you're interested in advertising on SFist or any other site in our network, check out our......

Madeleine Albright, it seems, "will also share her recommendations for the next president." There will be more than one recommendation? Oh joy. Part of her tour to promote her new literary effort, Memo to the President Elect: How We Can Restore America's Reputation and Leadership, the former United States Secretary of State will stop by Nob Hill to chat with the peons. President and chief executive officer of the World Affairs Council of Northern......

Barack's new SF HQ opens...

The Coachella 2008 line-up was announced last night. The reason you didn't hear anything about it was because they announced it in Mexico City, something to do with creating international ties. “This is really a way for us to get closer to our fans throughout Latin America who have been supportive of Coachella for the past 10 years,” says Goldenvoice’s Paul Tollett. Super; we just care about the line-up. We instantly checked to see who......

Here's todays sports news...

We would like to take a moment to thank this week's advertisers on SFist. America Unzipped, Brian Alexander's book on the desire of American's to get down and dirty. SF Dish, offering a chance to win $400 and a table for two at PlumpJack. Busted Tees, where they're offering free shipping with the purchase of three shirts. If you're interested in advertising on SFist or any other site in our network, check out our online......

Rickie Lee Jones: Easy listening-ish jazz and pop/R&B songstress ("Chuck E.'s in Love") sings tonight at 8:30 p.m. at Cafe Du Nord; $30. SOLD OUTThe Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007): "An action western surrounding the private life and public exploits of America''s most notorious outlaw, Jesse James," starring pretty boys Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck, and the best actress in the entire stratosphere, Mary-Louise Parker. Screens at 8 p.m.......

The Sound of Young America Live: Live public radio featuring Jesse Thorn, Morgan Murphy, Merlin Mann, Danny Hoch, and Bucky Sinister perform le stand-up hot. Zach Rogue (of Rogue Wave) provides the music. It's indie rock and comedy all rolled into one. Ta-da! Oh, and it's part of SF Sketchfest, so you know it's good. Show starts at 8 p.m. at the Eureka Theatre; $10.BiFriendly Social: A bisexual coffee klatch for men and women......

The Rod's Three-Year Anniversary: Has it been three years already? Oh my. Anyway, help Bus Station John as his gaggle of alterna-queer fans celebrate the birthday of this club night, which has spawned many imitators over the last few years. The music is late 70's/early 80's retro-homo rarities; the scene is Converse shoes, angular haircuts, and cologne-free; and the time of your life is tonight. (Although we secretly hope Castro clones will show up......

Kearny Street (at California) was closed for over an hour this afternoon after a window came off of the former Bank of America building, falling to the ground from the 38th floor. No one, it seems, was injured from any falling glass. According to an SFist tipster: This morning at about 10:30 window fell out of the Bank of America building at 555 California. It landed near the plaza next to the banker's heart......

So, it's the eleventh hour and you've decided against crushing up a couple of Ambiens into a mug of fume blanc and calling it a year. Instead, you've turned that frown upside down, choosing to see what's happening tonight on New Year's Eve 2008. Good for you. And to help you out, here are some last-minute events for each neighborhood in the San Francisco. Just follow links for more info; they will provide you......

No Single Left Behind: Depressed at the thought of being single for the rest of your life? Then, go get a cat or eight. Sheesh. Or, better yet, attend this seminar where,according to the SFBG, "Rich Gosse, the keynote speaker at this gathering of nervous ex-spinsters-to-be, guarantees you'll get married in 2008 after hearing his pithy spouse-harpooning tips." What's more, the event's press release informs us that Mr. Gosse will touch upon the following......

Wu-Tang Clan and Ren the Vinyl Archaeologist: You've got the phenomenal Wu-Tang Clan plus the smooth DJ stylings of True Skool's Ren the Vinyl Archaeologist. Then, well, you have Ruby Skye. While not nearly at tool-y as its sub-venue, Slide, Skye's size and scope can make the place too much to handle at times. However, the Wu-Tang Clan's sheer coolness (or so we're told by someone certifiably awesome, into that kind of music) overrides......

Dr. John Brown of San Francisco General Hospital told Good Morning America today that the two survivors in yesterday's tiger attack (which killed one) are "doing well at the present time. They have both gone through their surgeries well. They're both in stable condition." The two still unnamed tiger attack survivors have suffered from lacerations, large cuts, bite wounds (i.e., puncture wounds) primarily on the head, neck, upper extremities. While the injuries are very......

Back in October, we featured Josh Groban in our holiday section of New Tunes Tuesday. We suggested that it would be "perfectly Grobanized - gorgeous string accompaniments, long high notes, huge endings, orchestral arrangements, different languages and of course several collaborations..." It seems that everyone needed to be Grobanized this Christmas season especially after Oprah Winfrey's suggestion that Noel is "the one Christmas CD every family should have." Since then, Josh Groban's Noel has......

Japantown's new Sundance Cinemas Kabuki will offer the more discerning moviegoer (i.e.. people who self-consciously laugh out loud during Shakespeare comedies) something, well, more. Curbed SF has the full rundown on the new movie house that's sure to make you feel even that more self-righteous than you already do while braving the choppy waters of independent film. Check it: Designed by Berkeley-based ELS architects, the renovation of the former AMC Kabuki 8 utilizes post-consumer......

Filled with a combustible mix of conceit and twink rage, Leigh Wolf, hot piece of ass and President of the College Republicans at SFSU, interrupted Sean Penn's Dennis Kucinich-endorsement speech on Friday. Basically, he quietly held up a sign that (incorrectly) whined about Sean "supporting the moral majority's America's Enemies, " or something inane like that. Meaning to impress someone more than make an important or clear statement, Wolf's protest... oh, who knows? But......

Say it ain't so, Bernie! Wow. Former Catholic priest and SF radio talk show host has been "indicted on federal child pornography charges," according to the Chronicle. It seems that the popular KGO 810 AM host turned himself in to authorities earlier today. Although the "specifics of the allegations against him are under seal," said the authorities, we're dying to know exactly what happened. Because: whoa. Like, really. In addition to being a reporter......

-- The Gold Rush (1925): The Tramp makes his stamp here (via playing with his food) as one of America's most beloved comedic characters of the silent era. Screens tonight at 8:45 p.m. at the Castro Theatre; $6-9. -- Juliette and the Licks: Idiosyncratic actress/Scientologist and her (pretty damn good) vanity project perform along with opening acts Scissors for Lefty and Suffrajett. Music fans, the celebrity-curious, and thetans converge at 8 p.m. at Great......

And speaking of problems with pizza, Marisa Lagoshas wrote a handy-dandy little post with info on two separate funds set up for Thanh Thach's family, Check it: Two funds have been set up for the family of Thanh Thach, who was shot to death Monday night as he attempted to deliver a pizza in Richmond. Pizza Hut set up a fund for donations at Bank of America. Contributions can be made to the Thanh......