Timecapsule: January 17, 1861 more ›

On the reeking pavement, in the darkness of a moonless night under the dripping rain, and surrounded by a hastily gathered crowd of wondering strangers, Norton I, by the grace of God, Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico, departed this life. -- San Francisco Chronicle, January 9, 1880

Well, you could either go to Carnaval this weekend -- or you could go to the State Green Party Convention. Ross Mirkarimi (seen here going into the dunk tank) is giving the keynote address, and the delegates plan to debate issues like ranked-choice voting, lowering the voting age to 17, and immigration. They may also get to issues about global warming. The convention starts at 11:30 a.m., goes through the Memorial Day weekend and is mostly at the State Building at 455 Golden Gate (x Larkin), though if you make it through all the sessions, they're doing a hike in Muir Woods on Monday. You have to pay to go, but the cost is, mysteriously, not listed on the website. more ›

SFist Krissy's weekly music review column's not only indispensable for the latest indie rock goings-on around town and those must-hear .mp3s, but also hosts some cool-looking art too. Ratatat! more ›

Who knows how it happened, but somehow, SF's most iconic eccentric (followed by the twins and Frank Chu) has risen from beyond the grave to call out to his populace for assistance. Like everyone else of consequence these days, Emperor Norton -- the real estate baron who went a bit screwy in the 1850s and declared himself Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico -- has a blog, and what's more, he's back to his old tricks: issuing edicts, addressing crowds, worrying about being followed. The latest news is that he's planted some gifts for the citizens of SF: more ›

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We love a good guidebook. We grew up as devotees to the Lonely Planet series, but frankly, we've been known to grab a travel tome when we're bored just to bone up on the best cheap hotel in Jakarta or nightclub in Buenos Aires. Not that we have plans to go any of these places anytime soon, but it's fun to daydream, no? We especially like guides that eschew the blurbs-and-listings format to give us more in-depth narratives about the people and history that really make a place. On that point, definitely delivers. more ›

SFist interviews Jantine B. more ›

Your intrepid junkie takes the lower deck of the Emperor Norton to report on some news from the Oakland City Council: city councilman Danny Wan, who represents Oakland's District 3 (Grand Lake and Chinatown), has announced his resignation from the council, stating that he couldn't afford to stay on as a city councilmember and also support his aging parents. Wan was one of three Asian-Americans council members, and the only member who was openly gay (out of 8). Wan emigrated from Taiwan at an early age (we can't find any biographical information about him online), attended Cal and UCLA Law School, and was first appointed to the City Council in 2000. He then was elected in 2002 to a four-year position. His legislative highlights include sponsoring a bond to restore Lake Merritt, passing laws requiring city publications to be printed in languages other than English, and his efforts to have Oakland recognize same-sex marriage licenses from SF (which was stymied only when the Supreme Court found them unconstitutional). We're sad to see him go (and feel slightly shamed by his Asian street cred on the elder respect thing). more ›

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And here we thought "Emperor Norton" was just a decent indie music label...SF-based cartoonist Phil Frank (perhaps best known for his Farley series in the Chron) is spearheading a campaign to name the new span of the cash-strapped Bay Bridge after the self-declared Emperor Norton I. Frank has so far garnered the backing of a handful of local historians, as well as soon-to-be-elected-Board-President, Supervisor Aaron Peskin (the Board of Supes is set to consider the issue next week). more ›