-- Jackie Beat: Give 'Til It Hurts: It's a Christmastime cabaret with infamous dragster Jackie Beat. She will take some of your favorite holiday classics and render them tasteless and tacky, and you'll love every minute of it. Yes. Yes, you will. The show starts at 8 p.m. at the Empire Plush Room; $30-$32.50. -- Badmen, Hoe, Agent Deadlies, and Kittie Perm: Oh, the lunchtime grilled cheese-and-tomato sandwich memories we have from this venue.......

-- Grilled Cheese Invitational : What's better than a grilled cheese sandwich? Nothing, that's what. (Our apologies go out to all and any lactose-intolerant readers. You live a life of heartache we can only imagine.) This competition, though, will feature ingredients ranging from Kraft Singles (yum!) to truffle butter, brie, rice, and more. Starts at 8:30 p.m. at Eli's Mile High Club, Oakland; $5. -- Edward Gorey's Dracula: Guests are encouraged to wear Gorey-inspired......

More setbacks for those of you wanting souvenirs or a grilled cheese sandwich by the Golden Gate Bridge -- the Warming Hut's reopening after its devastating January 2007 fire has been delayed. The Warming Hut is that cute historic building right on Crissy Field, run by the Golden Gate Park Conservancy and dedicated as a Green business for selling sandwiches and warm sweatshirts (ah, tourists). Eco-consciousness only goes so far, though, as the January 2007......

Spring is when we get busy here in the Ist-A-Verse. Very busy. But, after staying bundled-up indoors all winter, it's nice for us to be out, about, and collecting things to write about for you. Here's a glimpse at what's been keeping your favorite citybloggers busily away from home and out of bed. For LAist, strong winds attacked LA on the same day the Feds raided the Crips. Not to fear, though: the Japanese version......

DCist is screwed in the event of an oil crisis. Not that we're not all screwed in the event of an oil crisis, just D.C. is more screwed. Don't sell your car yet, District resident, a cabbie can kick you to the curb if he doesn't like your address. Not even Metro can save you now. Londonist experiences the London of the future through the wonders of 3D modeling, but while the 3D guys are......

You know how GoldenPalace.com is buying everything weird for publicity? Like the grilled cheese sandwich with the Virgin Mary on it, or hiring streakers? (Their list of auctions is some pretty entertaining reading.) Well, they were stymied in their attempt to purchase Jerry Garcia's toilet -- after paying $2550 for the pink-colored throne, it was stolen, along with three other toilets and a bidet, from the current owner's driveway. Golden Palace is offering a $5000 reward for its return. Wonder if Golden Palace staged this whole thing? In San Anselmo, a 16-year-old is so upset about the theft of her bichon frise that her parents have allowed her to stay home from school today. She and her mother were at the DMV applying for her learners' permit, and they'd left the bichon in the car for about 20 minutes. When they came back, someone had opened the door to their Saab (whose locks were broken) and taken the dog. They paid $850 for the dog, which was a present for the daughter's 14th birthday. He's white with brown markings around the eyes, and answers to Napoleon -- if you see him, call the CHP at 415-924-1100 or page Mom at 415-258-5080. And yipes! A car chase that began on 18th and Mission last night raced onto the highway and culminated in a dramatic crash on Treasure Island. The driver repeatedly rammed his car into the cop cars, injuring two officers. Officers then fired at the car, injuring two riders. A third passenger was injured in one of the ramming incidents. ...