When Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom isn't returning our phone calls or emails, he's claiming $400 Louis Vuitton pens and $300 Bulgari ties on file forms for California's Fair Political Practices Commission. Why? Well, according to Bay Citizen, elected officials must do so in an effort the squash anything deemed a conflict of interest during their campaigns. And these gifts say a lot about said candidates. Or not. The Gav also claimed a luxury travel agent and "nearly $2,000 worth of tickets to the symphony, sporting events and the theater." Aw, the Getty life. more ›

You may have loudly professed your love for food trucks. You may tweet with the utmost convincing gravitas about Occupy SF. You may like to gnaw on a sourdough loaf while taking a tour of urban-tinged street art. You may be a bottle of Fernet. You may even be Herb Caen reincarnate. But you are not a true San Franciscan until you've sat through multiple screenings of The Joy Luck Club. With much respect for Amy Tan's book—an excellent read, by the way—the film version of her acclaimed novel about relationships between Chinese-American women and their Chinese mothers is quite possibly one of the best pieces of entertainment ever made. more ›

We've never been a fish enthusiast, but this swanky Fish Hotel makes us want to become one. The hotel can stand by itself, or it can be stacked with others to create a "condo effect." more ›

This contributor is admittedly gift-buying challenged, but local gift purveyors, Misha SF (1428 Polk), make it super easy for us to make discerning purchases. Their Polk Street storefront is chock-full of quirkily fun yet functional items that won't break our wallet. more ›

Jen and Omar from These Are Things, a mapmaking design team in Columbus, Ohio, just finished working on a map of San Francisco. Lovely, yes? more ›

Noël Noir: Noël Noir at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts turns the holiday season on its side. The event features six musical acts on two stages co-curated by Noise Pop, Project Nunway II, in which the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence re-interpret the classic nun's habit using repurposed fabrics and materials, YBCA's ongoing visual exhibitions, screenings of occult gay films, along with a continuous loop of A Fire in My Belly, and performances by OffCenter Performance. more ›

December only just began yesterday, and so has the whirlwind of events. SantaCon: If you can't get enough of drunk Santas, then Saturday's your lucky day. Lots of bars will be full of them. more ›

We always walk by MishaSF at Polk and Pine and make a note to ourselves that we'll go there the next time we need to obtain a gift. (They need a bigger sign to help us remember their name!) MishaSF is the go-to place for such quirky and surprisingly affordable gifts as Mon-Keys Monkeys, a Coat Hanger Life Line, No Slip Bathtub Bananas, a BBQ Grill Sword, and a Ketchup & Mustard Condiment Gun. Now, we've got MishaSF's number! more ›

Similar to what Luna Park offered a week or so ago, the Mission's district's Pan-Latin cuisine has a pretty nifty deal going on right now. "Just book a reservation with us thru our website and we'll gift you certificates for the check amount," Charanga's site explains. "So, if your tab is $50, you get $50 in GIFT CERTIFICATES. $100? We'll do the same! Every day thru Dec. 23rd, ALL reservations, ALL amounts, ALL tabs." more ›

by Natalie Cadranel One upside to a lagging economy is that it encourages people to become more resourceful and creative about how they spend their time and money. After our recent move to Oakland, we've been inspired by the many East Bay nonprofits offering training and space to work on their own projects and enjoy the gratifying feeling of learning how to do everything from wrench bikes to mend clothes or create their own holiday presents for family and friends. Not only are these hands-on activities a great chance to learn valuable skills and get involved with the community, but they also offer affordable alternatives for those with less and less disposable income. more ›

by Rachel Brodsky more ›

Flora Grubb Gardens, a wonderfully green (the old use of word) place to get a gift, will be open until 8 p.m. tonight and tomorrow night for those of you interested in giving the gift of beauty, oxygen production. Check them out over at 1634 Jerrold Avenue, right off of 280 in San Francisco. more ›

Local Mission boutique BellJar, purveyor of "gorgeous little things," is the perfect place to shop for one-of-a-kind, last-minute holiday gifts. The shop, which opened last spring, is decked out with awe-inspiring vintage furniture and curios and features a lovely assortment of unique collectibles, housewares, and clothing. You might just find SFist there this weekend! more ›

Screw the thank-you letter. Whatever happened to the sticker album? Because if this were the sixth third grade, these GMail stickers would go right at the front of the book along with the puffy, Smurf, and googly-eyed ones. more ›