Today in cross-country smacktalk, New York Daily News columnist Filip Bondy just comes right out and says what's on his mind: "San Francisco 49er's fans are soft." After the vitriol that came out of Texas before the World Series, the tired Bay Area bashing is expected, actually. But that doesn't mean we won't let it slip by without commentary. more ›

(By Daisy Barringer) There's been a lot of talk in mainstream media this week about the San Francisco 49ers for the first time in, like, forever. ("In, like, forever" is just one example as to why it's an atrocity that I'll be paying off my graduate school student loans until the year 2047. In case you were wondering.) more ›

Sweet payback for each time an East Coaster lambasted Californians for losing it over the slightest chill in the air, reactions to today's earthquake have ranged from the humorous to the bizarre. Especially for those of us who suffered through Loma Prieta or Northridge. For example, Jersey Shore star Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi tweeted that the end was nigh, saying, "2012 is near, I knew it! I hope everyones okay!!!" more ›

This is probably one of the sweetest things we've seen in our lives. On the morning after a euphoric night of celebrating the New York State Senate's decision to legalize same-sex marriage, contributor Garth Johnston penned a lovely proposal to his boyfriend of five and a half years, Woody Loverude, on Gothamist: more ›

Two years after the New York State Senate strongly rejected gay marriage, New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced passage of the Marriage Equality Act today by a margin of 33 to 29, granting same-sex couples the freedom to marry under the law. New York is the sixth and largest state to approve gay marriage, effectively doubling the number of Americans living in states with the freedom to marry. more ›

Grub Street picked up the latest issue of Gentlemen's Quarterly only to discover that Alan Richman, the most awarded food writer in history (14 James Beard Awards!), put his esteemed foot down in the SF vs. NYC restaurant war. It seems that, according to the GQ food scribe, once you get past David Chang's dude shtick, New York restaurants can't measure up to San Francisco and the Bay Area. Not by the longest shot. Richman writes: more ›

Cyclists, if you've ever been harassed for riding your bike on the sidewalks -- which is forbidden, by the way -- take a moment to bathe in the warm glow of this footage that captured NYPD arresting a man for "ridiculing" a cyclist getting a ticket. Although the heckler walked away after spouting a comment toward the biker (i.e., "You're a grown man, you know better than that!"), several cops pour out of the police van "to teach the man a lesson in manners." more ›

We're not the only city where bikes and cars are at war: the Bloomberg administration in New York has vastly expanded the bike lanes in the city to about 250 miles worth, and some residents are up in arms over losing roadway to bikes. A proposed 2-mile-long bike lane was recently nixed on Staten Island amid complaints from residents, and last year Hasidic Jews in Brooklyn waged a battle against a 14-block bike lane that was added along Bedford Avenue, and has since been removed. "It takes some adjustment, and we’re definitely in that adjustment phase," says Paul White, executive director of a bicycle advocacy group. more ›

Judge Sonia Sotomayor, a self-described Newyorican who grew up in a housing project in the Bronx after her parents moved from Puerto Rico, has been tapped by President Obama to be the next Supreme Court justice of the U.S. She was inspired by Perry Mason as a little girl, and has served as a federal judge for New York's Southern District for 17 years. In addition to being the first person of Hispanic descent ever appointed to the court, KCBS reports that Sotomayor brings "more judicial experience to the Supreme Court than any justice confirmed in the past 70 years." more ›

Two new urban planning documents in two major American cities -- our own and New York City -- are being released this week that reflect a growing a trend toward creating pedestrian-friendly environments and pushing private automobiles out of downtown congestion. A San Francisco Transportation Authority study released yesterday recommends phasing in an all-out ban of auto traffic on Market Street east of Van Ness, beginning by forcing motorists to turn right onto Eighth Street off of Market and outlawing left turns off of Hyde (the full ban, they're saying, is "shelved" for now). SFist previously noted the pilot-program street closure and temporary plaza at Castro and 17th Street, which we didn't think would move forward quite as quickly as it has. more ›

Take note, California: the Governor of New York introducing legislation to legalize same-sex marriage. "There is clearly a problem in that those individuals who are gay or lesbian who would live in a civil union are still not entitled to somewhere between 1,250 and 1,300 civil protections" that are afforded to married couples, Paterson said yesterday. more ›

A man in Binghamton, NY, shot and killed at least 13 people at the American Civic Association. The ACA site says it "Assists immigrants and refugees with immigration and personal counseling, resettlement, citizenship, family reunification, interpreters, and translators. Fosters cross cultural understanding for the entire community." ABC News describes the gunman as "an Asian." Check out Gothamist for more. more ›

Last night, hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people gathered for a protest outside the Church of Latter Day Saints' Manhattan Mormon Temple and march down Broadway to Columbus Circle. more ›

You know that Improv Everywhere group? Most people have seen their work in those videos of people standing motionless in train stations or staging a surprise musical in a shopping mall. But you've probably known about them for because you heard about them on This American Life back before they were famous. more ›

• Gothamist found that an explosive set off outside the Times Square army recruiting center may be similar to five past bombings in New York City.
• Seattlest worried when severed right feet and bottles of rat poison started washing up on local beaches.
• Shanghaiist was surprised by Bjork's rooting for Tibetan independence at her concert (see video), and the political fallout has only just begun.
• SFist debated the merits of new bronze plaques that will be placed in locations where San Francisco's homeless have died.
• DCist was obliged to respond to the worst Washington Post Outlook column ever published, in which conservative writer Charlotte Allen tried to make the case that women are dumb.
• LAist found Satan's ice cream truck trolling the streets, and they recorded the music.
• Some crafty Torontoist readers didn't like the dearth of ski hills in downtown Toronto, so they just built one of their own on their deck and (of course) recorded a video of them all taking turns on it.
• Bostonist knows the city's subway and bus system, the MBTA, has problems. So does this 17-year-old who submitted a report and told the MBTA brass how to fix it.
• Phillyist explored the possibility of an Ivy League prostitute, while their commenters debated the most ethical approach to proving or debunking the story.
• Londonist spent a little too much time looking at airbrushed operatic private parts, and enjoyed an enlightening comment from someone who was there. more ›

Bay Area filmmakers Arne Johnson and Shane King present Girls Rock! The Movie, a highly moving documentary about Portland's Rock 'n' Roll Camp for Girls, a place for girls ages eight to eighteen to learn an instrument, form their own bands, write songs, make friends, and then perform in front of 700 people -- all in a week's time. The film is opening in seven cities today -- San Francisco, Berkeley, Portland, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Seattle and will be opening in over thirty cities nationwide throughout this spring and summer. The filmmakers will be at all of the Embarcadero screenings today and tonight for Q&As, and Shane King will be there tomorrow at the 7:00 and 10:00 p.m. screenings. Check out this great interview with Arne and Shane over at Mental_Floss. more ›

Offices in Capitol Hill received a manila envelope with a letter claiming responsibility for today's bombing of a landmark military recruiting station in Times Square, NYC. Our parent site, Gothamist, tells us that "WNBC reports that the letters, which arrived today, included a photo of the Army recruiting center 'before it was bombed and...the words 'We did it.'" Which group is claiming responsibility, exactly, remains to be known. more ›

Politically-correct, conservative KSFO talk show host Melanie Morgan annonced yesterday that her contract would not be renewed due to financial issues over at KSFO's corporate parent, Citadel Broadcasting Corp. Co-host of the Lee Rodgers & Melanie Morgan Show, Morgan is somewhat (in)famous for jump starting the Gov. Gray Davis recall, which has since left us with Gov. Schwarzenegger; and calling for the rape, murder, hair-pulling, and vivisection of editor Bill Keller. (Okay, not really, what she actually said was that if Bill Keller should be tried for treason, he should face the ultimate penalty, which is death. So..there you go.) more ›

Let's check in on local girl Marvita, and her quest to become "America's Next Top Model." After arriving in New York, the girls moved into their loft, which, while nice, wasn't exactly posh, what with the bunk beds in one room, and one giant bed in another. Regardless, it was a step up for Marvita, who talked about being homeless, without parents, at the age of 18. Also in the loft: No smoking! And an inspirational quote from Cycle 1 model Robin!? more ›

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Sure, these places look like the types of fine dining establishments none of us could afford. Nevertheless we were delighted to read in this morning's New York Times ("Coast to Coast, Restaurants That Count") that San Francisco's Coi and Napa Valley's Ubuntu (a critically-acclaimed restaurant that also doubles as a yoga studio, oh my God) made Frank Bruni's top ten restaurants in the country. Yay us! more ›

In the middle part of the 19th century, a thick set of whiskers were an essential facial feature of every man of Victorian respectability. more ›

For those of you into gaming, or at least like to blow off some steam with your Wii (tee hee), we found out through Gamingbits.com that San Francisco will be one of the sites of the US Super Smash Bros. Brawl Tournaments. Fanboys and fangirls, commence with your tears of joy. more ›

Shit. It's Valentine's Day this Thursday and by the looks of it most of you have already planned your perfect date. Three shows are already completely sold-out: The Kills at Rickshaw Stop, Slightly Stoopid at The Independent and Common at Mezzanine. While there are still several shows you can chance Thursday night, it might be wise to stay home and wait till the weekend to take your crush out. We are. more ›

Brass Tax: DJs Fred Funk, Goldilox, Loosebeats, and Tung throw down house, breaks, and hip hop beats. But douchey and unoriginal said beats ain't! At Amnesia, everything is quirky and creatively beat, so...have at it at the Mission boutique club. Starts at 9:39 p.m. at Amnesia; $5.
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Image credit: Nature abhors a vacuum more ›

John Edwards has overtured the Chutes and Ladders board, packed up his Gobots, and is going home. The Democratic and Coulterian faggot candidate, it seems, has dropped out of the presidential race. See ya, Johnathan. Who will former the North Carolina senator endorse? Not sure. But according to AP: more ›

Each Tuesday we will feature new music that should (or whatever) be on your radar. more ›

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