After a local jury found SF Weekly guilty of illegal predatory pricing and awarded the local alt weekly a cool $6.39 million (the verdict subject to "treble damages," which bring the total award to $15.6 million), SFBG Executive Editor Tim Redmond tells the harrowing tale of the five-week trial in his own words: But the verdict sends a clear signal to small businesses, independent newspapers and the alternative press that a locally owned publication......

Oh my. According to the Snitch: Two executives of Village Voice Media, the parent company of the SF Weekly, were arrested in Arizona last night in connection with a story they wrote for Phoenix New Times this week. According to the Arizona Republic, Jim Larkin and Mike Lacey were charged with revealing secret grand jury information, a misdemeanor. Larkin (VVM CEO) and Lacey (VVM executive editor) got nabbed due to an article that they......

Last Week's Winner: SF Weekly Nothing's good enough for the SF Weekly this week: Cutting Ball Theatre's Woyzeck doesn't cut it for Chloe Veltman; Frances Reade compares Kemble Scott's hot-selling novel SoMa to Showgirls (not meant as a compliment); in an article compelling for its title, alone, Flaccid Nostalgia, Music Editor, Jennifer Maerz lays into the Mother Hips with the "you asked for it" gambit, "They want me to write about this band - I......

SFist Rita is on vacation, so we're guest-reading the weeklies for her this week. Plus, it's the last weekly week of 2006, so we will be tallying up this year's picks to anoint a Weekly of the Year at the end of this post. Last week's winner and in at 4th place for 2006 with 6.5 WotW points, the Metro: Gary Singh on Rudy Rucker's new book Mathematicians in Love. Cover: Year in Review for......

Local bookstore chain, Cody's Books has just announced that it is selling itself to a Japanese chain. Current owner, Andy Ross, will stay on as President of Cody's. Meanwhile, the former flagship Cody's store on Telegraph Ave. in Berkeley that closed recently, prompting much hand-wringing, 60s nostalgia, and debate amongst armchair urban planners is now one of those temporary Halloween superstores. We are holding our breath for the ironic next phase of vacant large storefronts......

Last week's two-peat winner, the Guardian: Angry, angry about the Village Voice's buyout of the New Times. Gavin Newsom -- in the pocket of the business community elites? Say it ain't so! Arlene Ackerman, bristling at public review? Say it ain't so! Annalee Newitz went to a Nick Denton party. Cover article: We're talkin' LO, LO, LO, L-O-V-E, LO, LO, LO. (Will Ashlee Simpson ever go away? That song's kinda catchy, though.) That teensy little restaurant on the corner of 18th and Mission, which is now Burmese food. Hey guys, when you roll over "cheap eats" on the homepage, it still says "Dan" Leone.) And hey, the sex columnist moved to the back! (the back of the weekly, that is.) The Metro: Radio radio. Something about a Neolithic goddess. Cover article: The science of pick-up artists. Jerk chicken. The Police tribute band Stung in Redwood City. Hyphy, the West Coast answer to crunk. The Asian Excellence Awards in Secret Asian Man. Hey, we totally had a good time watching those! C'mon, they were sponsored by XO! ...

Last week's winner, the East Bay Express. The New Times redesigned the webpages for all their publications this week so we're having a hard time finding links today. Bottom Feeder on the SFBG missing JT Leroy, and mayor Jerry Brown says "s***." Cover article: Indian tribes kicking out tribal members. Mmmm, iguana meat. Down In Front checks out the music at NBA games, and we agree with everything on the Cred Sheet (what are Trent......

Well, L'affaire Leon at the Weekly certainly didn't come to a conclusion we expected. We crawled out of bed this morning only to read that he'll no longer be appearing in their pages. If you want to read his Infiltrator features, you'll have to buy his books. But was this really all Harmon's fault? Or is it a symptom of much bigger problems at the Weekly? Morale, and therefore quality, may be in decline......

Last week's winner, the new tabloid-style redesigned Bay Guardian. Pool of blood! Murders! Headless Body In Topless Bar! All for their 40th anniversary. Looks good -- but this type is hard to read. Various outrages in our city. And man, we thought this "Wade versus Redmond" ad on page 17 for the Third Street Gym referred to Tim Redmond. The redesign's throwing off our skim-o-tron! Cover: The SFPD ignoring Asian-American gang stabbings in the Tenderloin. And Sonic Reducer declined to go to a party with a Fleetwood Mac cover band featuring Joanna Newsom as Stevie Nicks!?!!?!??! (Well, it was raining pretty hard last week....) Making a triumphant return, the San Jose Metro!. Second Amendment advocates in San Jose use Chris Daly's own Prop H to get the right to bear arms into the state Constitution. Please, no more propositions! Haven't we learned from our mistakes of the past? Cover article: excellent Chinese subregional food in Milpitas (Darda rules). Why do alternative-rock listeners have to go all anti-Latino about the switchover at 104.9? And SFist Eve's horoscope: she should expand her spiritual life. After the jump, the two New Times publications (the Weekly and the EBX). ...

We'll put it on the table right now: any New Times publication's chances of winning this week are greatly diminished due to that dreadful beet puree and goat cheese crap they were serving at their holiday party. It was the worst flavors of dirt, foot, and ass in food form, something so vile that it completely compromises our (heh) objectivity. You have been warned. First up is last week's winner, the SF Weekly. OK,......

...even though you probably have, already. Last week the SF Weekly amused and engaged us for the second week in a row. Will they make this week number three? Let's find out. What do you know? Treasure Island real estate intrigue is cover worthy (we want that button)! Matt Smith is starting to rival Phil Matier as our favorite local reporter (somebody give Matt a regular TV segment, please!) with his piece on our......

...late! Last week the Guardian left the Weekly in the dust -- and we left the Express out of it, much to the irritation of certain New Times employees. Let's see how this week shakes out, shall we? Hello, medical marijuana! SFist Jackson explained the pot supply chain to us at the Ha-Ra one Saturday afternoon, and though we like Ann Harrison just fine, we wish she'd tapped him for some (ahem) secondary research.......

In media news, looks like Google got caught with their Craigslist-killer pants down over the weekend when their new database system was accidentally revealed to the public. Their shiny, baggy, flowing pants. Tom Foremski talks to Craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster about all things classified ad. These are probably some of the things talked about a recent Scoble and Winer 'geek dinner' in Berkeley that Scott Beale snapped some pics of. But the buzz around......

Just a little word from your sponsor before we kick into last week's winner: this correspondent's taking a little time off from the column -- it's not you, it's us -- and SFist Eve has generously volunteered to cover the column for a few weeks. We'll be back soon, though, we promise! (Or rather, more specifically, we promised SFist Eve.) Okay, where were we? Oh yes, the Guardian. It's the endorsement issue! Get your November ballot cheat sheet here! (Never fear, SFist will do one too, if we get around to it.) Featuring: the world's most tepid endorsement in the assessor's race! (Thanks to Left in SF for pointing this out.) In other news, an article about Friend of SFist H. Brown's one-blogger campaign for reopening the bathrooms in the public park, and a picture of a protest outside TIC lawyer Andrew Zacks' office. Hey, that's right by our Peets' Coffee! The sex columnist is forced to explain the sex subculture of people obsessed with Conan the Barbarian. (Maybe the SchwarzenWatcher can get behind that one?) Local band Deerhoof. And two pictures previously featured on the 'Fist, Edward Burtynsky and Dr. Atomic. Next up, the Metro: Legal drug plants! Landlord evicts all those cool shops in the middle of downtown San Jose -- apparently tacos will attract SJSU student riffraff. The Mercury News refuses to run an article about a man campaigning against "penal enlargement" (you know, prisons) with a mildly-risque cartoon illustration. Cover article: facilitating Chinese internet censorship with Cisco routers. Just like the SJ City Hall, only substitute the word "ethical shenanigans for "Chinese internet censorship." Korean food in the S. Bay. Gwen Stefani and other folks who broke from their bands in an attempt to make it big. How's that working out for ya, Trey Anastacio? And Straight Dope: who ya got, Shakespeare or Tom Clancy? Get your New Times Media barrage with the SF Weekly and the EBX after the jump. Plus, this correspondent's very last pick of the week! Who knows what SFist Eve's gonna like starting next week? ...

Last week's winner, the East Bay Express: Life sucks in Haiti. Hybrids -- they may look cute, but their silent wheels make them angels of death for visually-impaired pedestrians! Cover article: Day in the life of the Homeland Security agent patrolling the bay in a gunboat. Down In Front thought the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club show blew. Yay, Green Day! Yay, Blackalicious! And Savage Love: a baaaaaad experience with a mistaken-gender date, and an invitation to send your thoughts about it to Dan. Should be an interesting column next week! And some sad news from the other New Times affiliate, the SF Weekly: we got a tip that publisher John Mecklin will be leaving, as of next week. No! Who will Mr. Brugman fight with now? Thanks for all the fun over the last eight years, Mr. Mecklin, and we wish you the best of luck for whatever you do next. Weekly: Matt Smith's hilariously bad afternoon the day the beer truck blew up, which segues only somewhat seamlessly into a discussion about how we're misusing transportation money from Congress. Awesome Ted Rall about disasters across this great land. Are you an apologist for FEMA? Cover article: the Lower Fillmore area -- in-fighting about its redevelopment. Is Little Star better than Zachary's (or is it just SF snobbery?) The lead singer from Xiu Xiu. And Mecklin loves trance music. We'll miss you, big guy! After the jump: The Bay Guardian, the Metro, and the pick of the week....

Last week's winner, the East Bay Express: Hey, all you people who hated the anarchists we used to use to illustrate this column -- that picture is bona fide from this week's EBX! Take it up with the Bottom Feeder! (who's covering off-leash dog owners shenanigans in S. Berkeley). Dude, it's so easy to get a fake drivers' license from the DMV. Asians poisoning other Asian semiconductor workers in Fremont. Cover article: making energy from termites. Friday night, Taiwanese protest music. (he should protest for those Fremont semiconductor workers!) A Mexican place in downtown Oakland. And a guest music columnist on New Orleans. Next up, the Bay Guardian: Yo, people are throwing feces over the MUNI fare strike! SFist Jackson, you didn't say nothin' about that! Cover article: stories ignored by the mainstream media. Why is it always the sunshine laws in these "stories you didn't hear" articles? Also, the Guardian thinks no one is paying attention to the New Times-Village Voice merger. You know what would get that issue some more attention? More articles about it in the Guardian. Annalee Newitz sez they're monitoring our color printers! More on Fecal Face (no, not the MUNI fare striker). Local music (two more). And Sarah Han's comic From The Sidelines on getting comped for shows. That totally happens all the time! After the jump: The Weekly and the pick of the week. The Metro didn't get delivered to our usual pickup spot this week, sorry! ...

Last week's winner, the Bay Guardian: People feel ambivalent about the proposed rider MUNI fare strike. Darn that Newsom, he's failed again to solve SF's housing problems. Special online editorial: Noooooooo!!!! The New Times might merge with the Village Voice media! Wow, this is long (and talks at great length about the Sherman Act). Cover article: Arts in the fall (many lists). Filipino indie rock fest piNoisePop this weekend! And an evening out at the ostentatiously-straight Club Freak. The East Bay Express: The Chron's preemptively bought out a bunch of anti-Chron domain names, including www.darthvega.com, sfchroniclesucks.com, and the sffreepress.com (which is the name striking writers used to publish a paper during the last Chron strike). Why do religions get tax breaks anyways? Cover: insider property dealing by the Republican representing Tracy, CA in Congress, and why this makes Tracy's traffic so bad. Asian indie rock band Bento at the Oakland Chinatown Street Fest. Reggae on the River and a new Filipina pop goddess. The Weekly and the pick of the week after the jump. ...

Last week's winner, the "locally owned and operated since 1966" Bay Guardian. The Guardian buys out a full-page ad in its own newspaper about the SF Weekly! We love the CLEAR CHANNEL = BUSH, CLEAR CHANNEL = SF WEEKLY thing. The transitive property rules. Everyone's favorite topic, community-choice aggregation of public power. Cover article: A dude who pretended to be a bank. More toilet humor by Dan Leone, and veggie banh mi reviews. SF Jewish Film Fest and an interview with Gus Van Sant (not online). Next up, the SF Weekly -- oh, sorry, we meant to say: the "Clear Channel Spawn of Satan not-authentically-SF" Weekly, our bad. Dog Bites makes fun of the first version of the previously-mentioned ad Bruce Brugman emailed to them, about the Bay "Guard-AIN." Also, a frighteningly-well-designed response (.pdf). Duelling cover articles: fake social security cards and local band the Herms. Also, their club columnist gets into Otis, using nothing more than SF Weekly (sorry, we meant to say "running-dog imperialistic not-authentically-SF Weekly") business cards. We totally need to print out our SFist business cards. The evil scum-sucking not-authentically-SF New Times affiliate East Bay Express and the much-missed voice of reason through all of this alterna-media on alterna-media violence, the SJ Metro, after the jump. Plus, the pick of the week! ...

Last week's winner, the Guardian: Cover articles: SF school superintendant Arlene Ackerman haaaaaaates the Guardian. Okay, we've now read too much about the school board, we had a nightmare about her and members of the Green Party chasing us around and around in a circle last night. Bill Graham Presents is working exclusively with the Weekly, grr! Hey, we actually went to one of the events listed in "The Mix," that little box of things that the cooler-than-you-are SFBGers went to last week. We're sure this is completely mortifying to the cooler-than-you-are SFBGers to hear, like when the cool kids would go to the Esprit store in high school, only to find that group of math club nerdgirls already there. Tura Satana nee Yamaguchi! Miranda July! And Norwegian Annie, loved by Pitchfork! Next up, the EBX: The EBX brags up all the awards it won. The SF Hooters is now boycotting the SF Weekly because the EBX ran a I Like Eating cartoon making fun of their bad food! (The Weekly and the EBX are both owned by New Times Media.) More horse coverage. Cover article: everyone gets along in Newark, CA. The Hootersly-banned I Like Eating dines at the 7-11. Miranda July! But no Annie. And Savage Love: eeps, more tips on rectal tampons! After the jump, the triumphant return of the Metro and the Weekly....

..hey, there's a coupon for $2 off any purchase at Amoeba on the back page of the New Times publications! Whoa, the Weekly's kind of thin this week! What is this, Mischa Barton's paper? Embracing recursivity, the Infiltrator infiltrates an impersonator convention. PUNI makes a Newsom dyslexia joke! Gasp, but also giggle! (We hope he doesn't get sanctioned by the Board of Supes again for it.) Cover article: a Christian film studio. Social Grace tells......

roundup of the Bay Area weeklies...

Guardian lays a legal smackdown on the Weekly. "I doth protest."...