Did you try accessing 4chan's /b/ boards this weekend? And couldn't? Well, we tried. And couldn't. That's because AT&T "blocked user access to portions of 4chan," a move that could result in sheer chaos and certain doom for the telecommunications giant. Seriously, this could be the single dumbest move by AT&T, a company noted for implementing none-too-swift ideas. 4chan, for those of you who don't know, is an image board. Sort of. It's also a place where some of the world's most evil and amusing online trolls converge. It's where people and companies are eviscerated. Also, its /b/ board, for lack of a better term, is the sphincter of the interwebs.

Just why AT&T decided to block portions of 4chan is anyone's guess at this point; 4chan's founder, Moot, claimed that they are, in fact, censoring parts of the site, namely /b/. Again, this will not end well for AT&T. As Valleywag's Cajun Boy puts it, "AT&T didn't just open a can worms, they dove headfirst into a den of vipers, and this will be very interesting to watch play out." Grab your popcorn, kids.

Update: According to Central Gadget, "AT&T appears to have restored access network-wide to all areas of 4chan." Also, 4chan might be currently down, due to a DDOS attack, Zoinks.

Update II: It was NOT "censorship, and not just AT&T." It seems "[m[any ISPs were trying to help 4chan by blocking the DDOS attack," a very, very angry SFist commenter informs us. The site, Valleywag reports, "was blocked for a purported hack attack against AT&T." Crisis almost averted!

Seeing as how the entire American Apparel-on-Valencia brouhaha was traffic gold -- and the Gate/Chron is on no financial position to turn down traffic -- it seemed like writing about the AA store meeting at City Hall was a given for most local pubs. Today, after reading a Tweet asking if the Chronicle planned on covering yesterday's American Apparel planning commission meeting, we asked political scribe Carla Marinucci and editor Audrey Cooper the following.

"[Will you] be covering yesterday's American Apparel meeting? Just curious since it seems to be everywhere save the Chron."

Cooper responds, "Are you asking for a quote, Brock? If that's what you want, give me a call."

Brrr.

Not about to waste one minute of our mobile communication device's plan on Chronicle editorial staff, we replied "No. not a direct quote. Just wondering if you guys plan on publishing it or not."

The Coop shoots back:

"I know you have a post up about this, but generally I don't share our story budgets or coverage plans with competitors, sorry.

In other news, while we're chatting, can I just say for the record that I love all the alt. publications that make fun of the Chronicle. Heck, sometimes I even participate. But your item ["Siebel Almost Bares All Via New On Demand/Pay-Per-View Movie"] about my reporter [John Cote] wanting to bang the mayor's wife was really vulgar and (even worse) misleading.

I'm sure that sounds uptight, but I just had to share.

Well, NOW we're taking a direct quote.

First, we're thrilled (and somewhat surprised) to know that SFist is considered a serious competitor at the Chronicle. We're flattered.

ALL OF THEM: West Portal Ave & Ulloa

-- David Letterman after the final McCain/Obama debate via the absolutely critical at-these-times politicalirony.com.

This one's from inside the venerable Eezy Freezy Market along West Portal.

They also have a somehow inexhaustible supply of nice folks behind the counter wearing hoodies, along with stacks of British tabloids.

Don't forget that you're part of ALL OF THEM too! Contribute! Take a picture of a magazine stand or newspaper rack in the Bay Area (or anywhere, really) -- anything that would help hold/illustrate ALL OF THEM. Note the location, send it in to allofthemsf@gmail.com, and we'll do the rest. For great justice.

And after the jump, one Mr. Tate's piquant opinion on the whole ALL OF THEM debacle.