"Loans" by Demetrios Lyras.

This unassuming Scientology float appeared at Sunday's Carnaval celebration in the Mission. Wonder why, with all the money they pull in from sect members, they don't also have a float in the Pride parade too? Oh right.

[Photo by Meesha, via Mission Mission]

Proving that the Occupy SF movement isn't limited to the average and benign San Francisco protester, Bay Area's religious leaders joined the movement today. With denominations as varied as Muslim and Buddhist to Jewish and Christian, an estimated 25 congregations marched today in solidarity with Occupy SF, decrying the disparity in wealth between the rich and the poor.

The Chron notes today that "[a]bout 200 supporters of the Occupy movement marched down Market Street, singing religious songs and waving banners, including some reading, 'Forgive us our debts.'"

Meanwhile, at Occupy SF in Justin Herman Plaza, the tent encampment shows no signs of abating. Scores of protesters have built makeshift abodes across from the Ferry Building, with peaceful vibes running throughout. We can note, however, that the city should think of installing more porta-potties. Seriously. No one, namely your editor, needs to see a young girl defecate in the gutter while we eat our Tonno di Maiale straight from the jar. That's nasty.

In addition to the major cuts Newsom announced earlier this week (during a rare encounter with the Board of Supervisors, and speaking of rare encounters: Mayor Gavin Newsom is currently speaking over at an event where Alex Tourk is in charge, and, of boy, it must be tough for Tourk and Gavin to work together all the time and yet position themselves so they're not in the same photograph, so if you manage to get the former colleagues/buddies in the same shot, do send it our way), there will be another 12.5 percent snip, or $144.7 million, out of the budget next year. So, you know, say goodbye to things like public health, safety, and those things called libraries.

Here at SFist, we don't like to name call -- mostly. But sometimes there are certain stories that we read with (a lot of) choice swear words on our tongue. So pardon us while we play this story as straight as we can; we'll leave the incendiary comments to you.

Larry Ellison, CEO of software company Oracle Corp., will be given a $3 million tax cut on his property located in San Mateo County. The 23-acre site, remodeled after a "Japanese emperor's 16th century country residence," according to the Gate, has been declared by Ellison and his lawyers as "functionally obsolete."

Despite $200 million in construction costs, the property is valued at $64.7 million; the property compound can be claimed as obsolete because "there is a finite market for high-end luxury homes, limited appeal for 16th-century Japanese architecture and the 'over improvements' and 'excessive' landscaping are costly to maintain."

Who knew?

San Mateo granted Ellison the tax break, despite the obvious benefits a cool $3 mil could have brought San Mateo County. According to a breakdown in the article, here are the city programs that would have stood to benefit from the taxes: