Photo by Andy Sternberg/LAist A posthumous tribute wall dedicated to singer/songwriter Elliot Smith sat defaced by graffiti for months on end -- LAist said enough, so did the fans and city council.SFist was surprised to learn that chronic presidential candidate Ralph Nader picked former San Francisco Supervisor Matt Gonzalez as his running mate.Phillyist explored the possibilities of green cleaning.In the latest edition of Reel Toronto, a bi-weekly feature looking at films shot in Toronto......

Usually when a Presidential candidate announces his VP choice it's either to try and help him win some state or area that could help him win or to try and strengthen an apparent weakness. For example, Bill Clinton chose Al Gore to help him try and win the south. And in 2000, George Bush selected Dick Cheney to help alleviate concerns about his lack of experience and evilness. So with that, we announce that Ralph Nader's choice as his Vice President is our very own Matt Gonzalez....

Guess what time it is, kids? Smear tactics time! We came across this jarring and chortle-worthy footage, claiming that possible presidential candidate, Barack Obama, is on the down-low. The Harpo DL, if you will. We're being told he could have engaged in bear-ish homosexual activity, is what we're saying. Do we believe it? Meh. Is it exciting to speculate and think about? But of course. Have no fear, fans of Obama, or...whoever you're under......

The hostage standoff is over. No one died. Nothing went ka-blam. The "deranged man" at Clinton's HQ was simply the town crazy infamous around those parts for his kooky mental instability. (Then, this situation must happen on a daily basis over at Hillary Clinton's SF headquarters.) According to CBS 5: WBZ Radio's Lana Jones learned that the [wacky] man's stepson reported to police that his stepfather had been drinking for two days. The son......

Barack Obama!!! So adorable! The Democratic presidential candidate from Illinois stopped by our neck of the woods yesterday on a PR stunt community outreach project by the SEIU, where presidential candidates shadow a union worker for a day. (Next up, Hillary Clinton, who'll be following around a nurse (though probably not in Northern California). The jokes kind of write themselves.) Obama was assigned to follow Pauline Beck, an Alameda home healthcare worker, and, as......

So California is pretty much a Blue State, right? And it'll probably be bluer than blue over the next few decades or so considering the Republicans have been hell-bent on pissing off every Hispanic voter lately, right? So what's a Republican to do to change all that? Better ideas? Better Presidents? Better wars? How's about changing the rules so that the Republicans can get some of that California's electoral gold. ...

Today’s the day of the Midsummer Classic. And although many of you want to know what’s happening inside the big brick arena, what been happening outside is just as interesting, too. (Well, sort of.) What exactly? For starters, cardboard trash cans and the back of the formidable Rev. Jesse Jackson. (A great man, but simply too fond of collarless shirts.) Pictured here, on Monday, a (lousy) shot of Jesse Jackson’s back on Third and Townsend......

Hey, newsflash! Gay people vote! Taking advantage of this breaking news, Elizabeth Edwards, the wife of Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, will be addressing the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic club at their Sunday breakfast the day of the Pride parade. On the bright side, that's great that national politicians are finally recognizing the power of the gay-friendly voting bloc! On the down side -- well, it's not like John Edwards is coming to speak.......

Jerry Brown, our recenty elected State Attorney General and St. Ignatius College Prep alum, isn't afraid to take the Bush Administration to task for its weak stand on fuel efficency for SUVs, minivans and pickups. He's seeking more than the paltry one-mile-ish increase, to 23.5 miles per gallon from the current 22.2 miles by 2010. He called the change "absurd." Damn right. He posits that a standard of 10 miles-15 miles better would suit us far better. ...

From the Daily Show to the Googleplex -- Republican presidential hopeful Walnuts John McCain, struggling in the polls and in fundraising, gamely stopped by Mountain View yesterday afternoon for an hourlong forum with Google CEO Eric Schmidt and Google employees. The questions were respectful but tough from the fairly-liberal crowd, touching on McCain's flip-flopping reembrace of religious fundamentalists after calling them "agents of intolerance" in 2000, his support of the Iraq war, the firing......

John Kerry! The former presidential candidate was in town the other day -- and how things have changed. Before, he was greeted by Bruce Springsteen, roaring crowds representing about 48% of the voting majority, and people carrying flip-flops. Now, he appears to be hawking products for a company called Blancpain (they sell watches). (Why? He doesn't need the money!) Well, we don't care! He ran against Bush and that's enough for us. We still......

Ralph Nader is in town this week to promote his new book, The Seventeen Traditions. He did an interview with KGO radio criticizing Democrats such as Nancy Pelosi and 2008 Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton. ...

So, according to the LA Times, Barack Obama spent his early college years smoking dope, listening to new wave music, and taking classes in Marxist theory and gender issues. In other words, can we vote for him yet? Just the thought that he could be the first President to have ever squatted down at the "down...down...down..." part of "Rock Lobster" makes us want to vote for him. We still, however, await the first presidential candidate who could quote from Snoop and Dre. ...

One of the ways bloggers can leverage their collective influence is through a good, old-fashioned pile on. We don't have to necessarily break the story, but if a critical mass of bloggers start addressing it simultaneously, the s**tstorm will finally hit the mainstream. Just ask Dan Rather. The worldwide blogosphere was shocked -- shocked -- at the implications of a recent Chicago Sun-Times article. Turns out that armed with someone's phone number and a......

How do you know our esteemed First Couple has it made it? First there was big story in the New Yorker and now this- they made the New York Post gossip column! We are are so honored. According to the Post, Court TV anchor and part-time New York habitué Kimberly Guilfoyle Newsom was quite a hit as she gave a speech at the Empire State Pride Agenda fund raiser, subbing in for the hubbie......

While the New Yorkers and the nation are gearing up for the Repbulican National Convention in New York City this weekend, protesters are gearing up for what is likely going to be the largest public demonstration in a generation. Hundreds of thousands, if not millions, will be in the street speaking out against what many feel is a dishonest if not outright corrupt administration - including a sizeable contingent from the Bay Area. For those......