President Obama will be in town on Tuesday, according to BCN (via Mercury News, to campaign on behalf of U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee at a reception at the Fairmont Hotel, followed by a lavish dinner at the manor of billionaire philanthropists Ann and Gordon Getty. more ›

Robert Downey Jr., star of such blockbusters as Chances Are and Only You stopped by Ann and Gordon Getty's fortress last night. Along with gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown, the ruling Getty duo hosted a party for Downey Jr. to benefit Oakland School for the Arts. (If the mood should strike, you can donate here.) more ›

High society dilettante and late-night SFist commenter Peter Getty, according to Gawker, is going through a divorce -- a nasty one. His wife, Jacqueline Getty, a Coppola, accuses Getty "threatening to kill her at least once, of breaking her arm by striking it, and of choking her." (Which: Oh my God, dude!) In return for his alleged acts of domestic violence, Jacqueline is asking for "$314,000 per month to support her lifestyle and an extra $200,000 per month on top of that." more ›

Oh wow. OK, don't be jealous, but one Mr. Peter Getty, it seems, responded to SFist's little ol' post about their new business venture: web-logging for SFGate. Behold: more ›

Oh God. more ›

Speaking of backlash, the Mayhill Fowler assault is percolating at a gentle boil. You paranoid wheels-within-wheels political fans out there will be happy to know that, apparently, stellar journalist and master of the MP3 recorder Mayhill Fowler is totally out to get Obama. How so? Well, because she's wealthy, her husband's lawfirm knows a guy who knows someone who met someone who likes McCain, and she's the devil reincarnated. Or something like that. more ›

The backlash has started. A few are livid over Barack Obama's surreptitious statements about the poor, armed, and God-fearing that he made over at the Getty manse; others are going into hysterics over ABC's treatment of Barack Obama during the this week's debate. (Actually, some of it was inanely amusing, which, most important of all, made for fantastic television. Check out Ms. Nash McCabe of Pennsylvania [at 1:46] asking Obama if he "believes in the American flag." Because: what?) more ›

You know how political fetishists are losing their minds this week over Barack Obama's kind of awesome but kind of classist statement at the Getty manse? You know, this: more ›

"A San Francisco family is looking for a personal assistant / household manager to join our team on a long term basis." Are you that someone? more ›

By now our admiration for all things Vanessa Getty is well-known. Championed by the masses, we would hope. Take, for example, the above rendering SFist reader Alissa sent to us, which uses Nessie's legendary shot. Brilliance. more ›

Well, this is some depressing news. Marin's very own Hollywood transplant power couple, Sean Penn and Robin Wright Penn, are getting a d-i-v-o-r-c-e. At least according to People Magazine they are. more ›

Update: The murdered teen has been identified as Carlos Sousa, Jr. more ›

Know the holiday log know God; no holiday log no God. more ›

Just because we haven't seen him around these parts of the Internets lately, here's an ancient shot of Gov. (oy) Arnold Schwarzenegger taking some time to curl a dumbbell he found wildfire remains in South Lake Tahoe. A truly amazing shot, Jeff. more ›

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Tom Lantos threw down some serious shade today. "While technologically and financially you are giants, morally you are pygmies," he cried, shaming two senior Yahoo officials. Why? Because the Sunnyvale company named names, handing over private information about Chinese journalist Shi Tao's online pro-democracy action to country officials. (Or, as the New York Times so eloquently put it, their "complicity with an oppressive communist regime." Oh snap.) This landed... more ›

Step right up and see the world's largest passenger jet...in your very own backyard! more ›

This 4-bedroom, 5-bathroom house helped to land 94123 on Forbes’ Most Expensive Zip Codes list - #55 to be exact. At 2500 Lyon Street, you can live right down the street from Gordon Getty and Larry Ellison. How fun! The property lies at the entrance to the Lyon Street steps and boasts “abundant with rich and opulent architectural detailing and superb Bay views.” more ›

You’ve been paying $1.25 for bottled tap water…sucker! more ›

OK. Hmm. We're not sure if politicians and public servants count as society folk, regardless of their top-drawer Getty connections. (We think once you're in office, we at SFist must then considered you the help, even if you can buy and sell us into sexual slavery.) Granted the image is old and last-year, but here's Gavin's tongue (which is fresh and tasty, we're sure), in case you’ve been kept up at nights wondering about its... more ›

Hey -- we're not doing our usual light-hearted romp through the Swells society column this weekend, because we've got sad news. The doyenne of Swells, Catherine Bigelow, announced in this week's column that she's been asked to take the Chron's "voluntary buyout package," so this is it for your mathematically-inclined socialite review. more ›

Total number of people pictured in this week's Swells society column: 67. more ›

Number of people pictured in this week's Swells society column: 101. more ›

Number of people pictured in this week's Swells society column: 55. more ›

It's a short Swells this week! more ›

SFist Rita is out of town for work, so we are donning our tiara and gown for this weeks Swells analysis. Tra-la-la! more ›

Total number of people pictured in this week's Swells society column: 65. more ›

Total number of people pictured in this week's Swells society column: 67. more ›

Number of people pictured in this week's Swells society column: 67. more ›

Total number of people pictured in this week's Swells society column: 47. (We almost counted the mannequin at your right!) more ›

The Sunday Styles section of the Chronicle does it again! Not content to rest on its laurels after watching poor Jennifer Bumblebee Siebel decimate herself, Styles next turns its gimlet eye on two other prominent members of the Swells set: Denise Hale and the inimitable bicycle-intimidator Dede Wilsey. Sunday Styles RULES. more ›