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......

-- 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......

For those of you who don't care what happens to Pam and Jim: -- 49ers Fan Night: Biggest 49ers fan ever, Bevan Dufty, invites you to celebrate football. In the Castro. 49ers alumni stars will be present, and Gold Rush cheerleaders will be on hand to sign calendars. In the Castro. Sounds like a homerun kind of night! Goes from 7 p.m.-9 p.m. at Mix, 4086 - 18th Street (at Castro); free. -- Circle,......

Every now and then, when the sand moves, you can see the remnants of shipwrecks on the shore of Ocean Beach -- and yesterday, folks enjoying the warm weather at low tide caught a glimpse of the remains of the King Philip clipper ship. A pirate ship? A tragic capsizing? What's the word? Well, the King Philip sailed in the mid 1800s, and primarily carried guano or lumber. On its final voyage, it (she? Is......

Photo of four members of the S.F. 49er Gold Rush cheerleading squad on a sunny day...

Having worked in SoMa for seven years, we consider ourselves at least slightly informed as to what's doing in that neighborhood. So we read the New York Times' "36 Hours: SoMa, San Francisco," with some interest, hoping to see some of our favorite drop-in spots in print. What we saw instead was a wallet-busting tour of an area that's got a lot of great bargains. Although SFist totally applauds the inclusion of City Kayak's......

You don't have to lose at Monster Park to be a Niner -- it's almost time for the Third Annual City Guides' Scavenger Hunt, and it's got a Gold Rush theme this year! City Guides are the volunteers who lead walks through historic sights and sites in San Francisco -- like the Barbary Coast, the murals of the Mission, and the remnants of the 1906 Earthquake -- so you know anything they plan's going to be city-centric and fun to boot. So strap on your mining cap and bring your patty pan as you scour the city for the answers to the Gold Rush themed clues that City Guides will provide -- you don't need to know city history to play, and they promise that all clues are located within three blocks of a MUNI line (City Guides provides the tokens. Watch out, Chris Daly!). Further adding to the wacky -- certain clues will require you to interact with City Guides playing historical characters at designated spots to figure out what you're looking for. Is that you, Clementine? The scavenger hunt takes place on Sunday October 16 -- but register before Friday the 30th to secure your spot! (Prices go up after the 30th, and go up if you register on the day of). Either organize your own team or be assigned to one! The team who gets the most clues right wins the whole shebang. And FYI -- a friend of SFist is in fact the reigning champion from last year's scavenger hunt, and we know she's the one to beat! ...