According to this geographically noteworthy Quora answer, the diving line between Northern California and Southern California has been declared. The line, it seems, goes right through San Luis Obispo. Lucas J Meeker, who created the dividing line, notes: "[T]here is an X factor here which is that the coast from Lompoc to Carmel is generally referred to as the Central Coast, and as a result could be considered somewhat of a floating barrier. You might see the occasional 'bro' in this region repping a 'CenCal' vinyl decal on his lifted truck. He is most likely from the Fresno area, if not from Paso Robles/San Luis Obispo." more ›

by Caroline on Crack (web) from LAist more ›

Congratulations to all the participants at this year's San Francisco Half Marathon & 5K more ›

Madeleine Albright, it seems, "will also share her recommendations for the next president." more ›

Here at SFist, we have a general editorial policy of opposing everything; but we've looked, and there's just very little to dislike about "Family Appreciation Day." Except maybe the logo. Seriously, what font is that? It looks like something from a used car dealership. But aside from that, it's actually a pretty cool initative. Which is probably why Gavin's trying to take credit for it, as if he has now personally kissed every baby in Northern California. more ›

Can you believe it's been a year since James Kim died in the Oregon mountains? We're very sorry to pass along the news that another Northern California family is missing in what we're hoping is not going to be another family holiday tragedy story. more ›

Care to avoid be ridiculed by your Thanksgiving hosts following your departure after din din? Good. Then pay attention. (For those of you who have T-Day hosts who regularly gulp Chuck Shaw or Yellowtail, ew, feel free to ignore this post. You're screwed anyway.) more ›

A hurrah and a huzzah goes out to Raider Nation for not selling out Sunday's Raiders game. As a result, football fans throughout the area will be allowed to watch The. Biggest. Game. Ever. from the vicinity of their couch. more ›

The best sports, we say, combine beauty and ridiculousness, and that’s why cycling is a favorite of ours. But, like many others in the Bay Area--too many, it turns out--we’ve recently discovered cyclocross, a form of Pure Sweet Hell. Others have written eloquently on the attractions of this "bike-riding amalgam of roller derby, steeplechase, mud wrestling, and ballet" -- so let us just say here that, as a spectacle, it combines all the beauty and ridiculousness of your standard road race with an added beautiful/ridiculous component of leaping on and off the bicycle to surmount the various natural and artificial obstacles by sadistic (and therefore beloved) race promoters. more ›

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The Denver Biz Times is reporting that Denver-based MediaNews Group -- the owner of the Alameda Newspaper Group (which includes the Oakland Tribune) and the Contra Costa Times, will be reducing staff in its NoCal operations. more ›

As promised, the San Francisco Mime Troupe performed in Dolores Park for the public last Wednesday and last weekend. It was the premier of the group's show "Making a Killing," which lampoons the current administration. We dropped by the Sunday performance; the photo above is during a charming ditty where "Condi Rice" and "Dick Cheney" were arguing over who was more popular. more ›

Green Wombat was at the Bank of America / Redwood Forest Foundation announcement yesterday, which took place at the "urban redwoods" next to the Transamerica Pyramid. As part of the bank's $20 billion "green lending initiative," it's providing 100 percent financing to the non-profit for the acquisition of 50,635 acres of redwood timberlands in Northern California. more ›

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The Oakland Trib has an extremely depressing story about a pediatric AIDS study that's had its funding cut. The Pediatric AIDS Clinical Trial Group, a combined effort of UCSF and the Children's Hospital and Research Center Oakland, had been getting $750,000 a year from the National Institutes of Health to study mother-to-child transmission of the virus and the effectiveness of drugs in pediatric care. No longer. The problem? They've done it too well. more ›

Sometimes, all it takes is a split second for someone to change their mind. That's the thinking behind the Golden Gate Bridge Suicide Deterrent System Study, at least -- they're looking into ways to make it a bit more challenging to make a terrible decision. When a person's freaking out -- what professionals call a "moment of crisis" -- a little intervention is all it may take to get their perspective back on solid footing. And considering that over a thousand individuals have said their goodbyes on the bridge since it went up, we could all benefit from a little more intervention. more ›

, or, as we've been calling it all week, "Ross Mirkarimi's cats." (N.B.: Ross Mirkarimi is not Japanese.) more ›

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We hope you already know that two of the best craft and DIY magazines available right now are born and bred in our lovely backyard. Don't worry, we'll forgive you if you weren't aware that ReadyMade and Craft are both products of Northern California, but you've got no excuse if you don't make them both part of your regular magazine reads. ReadyMade, who recently moved its headquarters from Oakland to Berkeley, has had a spot on our bookshelves long before we started seeing copies of it for sale in Urban Outfitters. In classic magazine format, it features music and book reviews, eco friendly tips for you and your home, and pages of projects to build. Each issue is clearly themed, although recycling and reusing have been common threads throughout ReadyMade's life span. One of our favorite sections is the Macgyver page, which asks readers for suggestions on breathing new life into items you may be ready to toss. The most creative entry wins and is pictured in the magazine. more ›

Mountain biking is a grass-roots sport that is only about one bake sale above your local group ride in terms of publicity and prestige, but it is an exciting sport that requires intense fitness, training, and dedication. At SFist, we understand the sport and the culture around it. We also understand what makes a good mountain bike race. To that end, we've reviewed the 2007 MTB racing season in order to provide our readers with a summary of this year's most interesting Northern California events.

So grab your bike, sharpen your elbows, and strap on a number plate for some challenging dirt action, or pack up the camp chairs, the cooler, and the kids, and head out to the races for a cheap day of fun and entertainment. Even if you aren't interested in competing, check out some of these events. You will see amazing feats of cycling prowess, discover the latest in space-age materials and designs, and probably pick up an armful of free posters, stickers, and other industry schwag.

A woman biking to work (with a helmet) suffered life-threatening injuries after being struck by a cement truck making an illegal right turn onto the 101 onramp at Market and Octavia Monday morning. The truck didn't stop, but a motorcycle cop subsequently caught up with the driver on 101 by the Cesar Chavez exit (and determined that the driver didn't realize he'd hit the woman). There have been a number of accidents at that intersection, and the situation is just made worse by the fact that the sun is often in people's eyes. more ›

The new bishop of the Northern California Episcopal Diocese, Rev. Marc Andrus, was arrested at the federal building yesterday afternoon after leading a group of 200 protestors from Grace Cathedral to participate in a die-in against the Iraq war. Rev. Andrus, who was carrying a shepherd's staff, celebrated communion outside the building before lying down in front of the door of the building and getting himself arrested. more ›

This Sunday, the time has come. This Sunday marks the most significant Northern California American football game of the 2006 season: The Battle Of The Bay is here. more ›

News of this organization came across our now very sleepy Cares desk last week and we thought it interesting and helpful and stuff but then got stopped dead by one line of their press release: more ›

Well, we're not Queens, thanks goodness, but we're getting there -- Northern California calls its first Stage 2 Heat Emergency in four years. more ›

The Russian River Slow Food movement comes down to San Francisco this Sunday for a Sustainable Seafood Salon, that is a panel discussion on the issues of sustainability in fishing in the Northern California coast. You guys remember we narrowly escaped having no local wild salmon on our plates this year, and it is only one example of fishing going awry. more ›

Wednesday, please pack your knives and go. Tonight: We're keeping it bipartisan for once! You can stop by the Democratic County Central Committee monthly meeting at the State Building at 455 Golden Gate (between Polk and Larkin) at 7:00 p.m., or the SF Republican women's dinner at MacArthur Park at 607 Front Street, 6 p.m. We presume they'll both be discussing how they're going to defeat each other. The DCCC meeting is free; the Republicans are charging $25 (non-members) for admission to hear a speaker who is TBD. Thursday: Korean pansori, or storytelling opera, tonight at 7 pm at the Asian Art Museum! Check out these sound clips for a preview. Korean composer ChanHae Lee will be performing the music live. $5 members, $10 non-. and Friday: In commemoration of Holocaust Remembrance Day and the Jewish Film Festival, the Yerba Buena Center in conjunction with the Holocaust Center of Northern California, is screening the documentary "Rene and I," about the lives of twins temporarily separated by the Holocaust, and who both survived both Mengele and "a Jewish henchman of Al Capone." Huh! Filmmaker Gina Angelone will be in attendance for a post-screening Q&A. 7:30 p.m., $7. more ›

http://liz-henry.blogspot.com/2006/04/lambda-lit-night.html">this link to Liz Henry's experiences at Lambda Lit night. In his words, "The contrast between the two events is, I think, instructive", and we're inclined to agree. As Mark asks on his blog, "Why does there have to be such a gap between the old scene and the new scene?" Let us know what you think in the comments! more ›

Leave work early today for the Northern California Book Awards! It's all happening at the Main Library (100 Larkin Street), starting with a 5 p.m. book signing and reception with many of the nominated authors in the Latino/Hispanic Room. The awards ceremony starts at 6 in the Koret Auditorium. Admission for the event is free. more ›

, we've had a hankering to hear "Can you please use it in a sentence?" in a competitive setting. more ›