Yes, it’s the high-end Italian bike shoes of SF Weekly’s longtime area commentator Matt Smith gracing the very nice carpet of a swank local hotel. He was there yesterday hobnobbing with the likes of Howard Dean, Carole Migden, and craigslist founder Craig Newmark at the Democratic Party’s aptly-named “Join the Party” party. Unlike other members of the media, Matt seemed to have an all-access pass at the event. Why? It’s got to be the......

Hey, Dan Noyes, here's a gotcha technique to consider -- cyberspace! Gavin took a break from Davos to do a virtual interview with the Second Life news center. Alas, there are no chicken avatars present. Good work, virtual Wade Crowfoot! That's Gavin's avatar to the left -- we got a little confused about the avatars because his Reuters interviewer is wearing a blue tie, and that threw us off. Also, we're not normally Second Life......

While most of the 2006 elections are over, there's still a bit of a contention coming from, where else, Florida. In the Sarasota congressional race, a recount was held and 18,000 under votes were discovered. That meant those people voted for everything else but not for congress. This drew alarm bells from people because the percentage of under votes was higher than anywhere else. And, you'd have to figure that the one race people would vote on would be for congress instead of the school board or bond measures or a Sarasota style Question Time. Voters also complained that the machines garbled everything up and they never got a chance to vote. ...

We're going to post this now before the evil lawers at NBC demand it to be pulled down so they can keep it up on their crappy site. What we're posting is the opening skit of last night's "Saturday Night Live" (which was actually kind of funny-- loved the Britney skit). Basically, it's their take on "San Francisco Values" with attendant jokes about alternate life styles and political correctness. It's pretty funny and kind of cutting (a friend thought it was a little too cutting) but well, we liked it. ...

Remember those heady days of 2004, when the Democrats thought they might have had a chance to take back the White House with Howard Dean? Well, we all know how that turned out. But it turns out a bunch of people took that whole grassroots, Internet, "taking back the Democratic wing of the Democratic party" stuff seriously enough that they started a group called Democracy for America, dedicated to furthering the mission throughout all......

As fall settles in and another calendar page gets turned, thoughts turn from bbq's and vacations to holidays and the realization that '06 is coming to an end. With all that going on, with change in the air, we wonder what is it that made that makes the -ists ponder? ...

Saturday, Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean and about 400 Democratic Asian American party activists and officials filled the halls of the San Jose Marriott to attend the Asian American and Pacific Islander Democratic Leadership Summit (.pdf). Howard Dean was the keynote speaker and spoke on Saturday morning at around 9:30. He gave the DemocraticMessage, or what we perceived as the "Together, we can do better" speech. [Ed. note: is that the same or different from the "yeeeeaaaaargh!" speech?] For those who weren't there, and are interested, it is similar to the speech he gave to the Jewish Council of Public Affairs. The conference was energizing and uplifting with speeches from the first Asian American Boston City Council member Sam Yoon and from the first Asian American San Jose City Council member Madison Nguyen. The Saturday lunch speaker was Mike Honda, who spoke on leveraging an Asian American background to run for political office. Of course, no conference is without handouts. Consequently, there was an organizing tip handout given out in the late Saturday afternoon titled, "Democratic State Party Structures - How to Navigate and Move Ahead, Four Important Things to Know." This handout did not talk about how Democrats can win elections, but instead focused on the finer points of the Party such as becoming familiar with Robert’s rules of order. Who said that politics was all fun and games? Do not despair though, as another rule from the handout was to "ESTABLISH Political Convictions and Strength." (capitalization in original). Well, Asian-American Democrats, go change the world! Just make sure to do it according to Robert’s Rules of Order and only after establishing your political convictions.

Wednesday, you're doing a heck of a job! Tonight: Satisfy your craving for Germanic food and drink at Schroeder's, while also learning more about the development plans for Piers 27-31 with San Francisco for Democracy, a spinoff group from the 2004 Howard Dean campaign. The local Sierra Club and a rep for an anti-development citizens' group will speak; the corporation trying to develop the property cancelled at the last minute. Mmmm, sauerkraut. Thursday: Events listing fave Michelle Tea is at it again -- she's hosting a reading of underground and emerging writers in conjunction with the Gay and Lesbian Center at the Public Library. Authors Regie Cabico, Kaui Hemings, Roxane Dunbar-Ortiz, and Horehound Stillpoint will be reading. 5-8 pm in the Latino/Hispanic Room at the Main Library. In the same area, Cindy Sheehan is reading too, at Clean Well-Lighted at 7 p.m. and Friday: The DeYoung Museum sponsors events on Friday nights! This week, Egyptian belly dancing performances! The dancers of the Al Masri Restaurant on Balboa and 42nd will perform a dance history of the raqs sharki dance from antiquity to today. 6:45 and 7:45, free with museum admission. The Egyptian Consul General will be present as well. ...

Duane Baughman, you're our big winner! The political consultant is getting $15,000 to resolve the lawsuit that Supervisor (and newly-announced candidate for assessor/recorder, courtesy of the Sentinel) Gerardo Sandoval filed against him for those anonymous flyers sent out in the 2004 supervisors' race. Sandoval also, through gritted teeth, issued the following statement:

I regret pursuing this matter against Democratic political consultant Duane Baughman in the courts, and for any personal and professional trouble this may have caused him. We have settled the matter, and I consider it closed.

This settlement is proof that this was never about money. It was always about vindication in a public arena. Supervisor Sandoval has expressed his sincere regret to me personally about this entire matter. I consider the matter now closed, and I am happy to get back to the business of electing Democrats around the country.

We swore we were done writing about the how droll it was that this Spring's rain would never say goodbye. That was a weather beat some other grumbler bigger than us would have to cover. And here it is two weeks from summer and all we have to tell you is that rain was crazy. We've never seen anything like it before and we're not being dramatic. In the last 155 years of area......

Whatever you might have thought about Howard Dean when he was running for president, you gotta admit that he's been hi-LA-rious!!! as the chair of the Democratic National Committee! Saying Republicans have never done an honest day's work in their lives? Saying that Tom DeLay should go back to Texas and serve out his jail sentence? Calling Terri Schiavo supporters brain dead? Hilarious, on either side of the aisle!! Why Chris Daly didn't support him, we'll never know. Well, the doctor is -- IN! San Francisco today, where he called the Republicans "a white Christian party," said "Republicans always divide people" (in reference to the governor's Minutemen plans), and "It's always a pleasure to come to San Francisco because I don't look so liberal when I come to San Francisco." Fun! ...

While the New Yorkers and the nation are gearing up for the Repbulican National Convention in New York City this weekend, protesters are gearing up for what is likely going to be the largest public demonstration in a generation. Hundreds of thousands, if not millions, will be in the street speaking out against what many feel is a dishonest if not outright corrupt administration - including a sizeable contingent from the Bay Area. For those......