Thinking about going to the Maker Faire? You know, the adult science fair? You should. It's loads of fun. Don't believe us? Check out SFist's partner in binge drinking, the brilliant Nate Halverson over at the Press Democrat, who gives you a glimpse into the DIY science, technology, engineering, arts and crafts fun happening this weekend. So go. Now. The Makers Faire happens today and tomorrow at San Mateo Fairgrounds. Oh, and Mr. Beale......

We're a little late to this story, in part because we spent all day yesterday trying to separate out the hilarious comments from the offensive ones on SFGate.com (it looks like the homophobic ones have already been taken out as of today) -- but in a nutshell, last Friday, Lance Farber, the 47-year-old boyfriend of the city's new planning director John Rahaim trashed their temporary apartment, which the city put them up in and which......

State Senator Leland Yee introduced a bill in the State Legislature this morning that, if passed, would see traffic fines double for violations occurring along the deadly strip of San Francisco road known as 19th Avenue. (Shudder.) Over the past few years, 19th Avenue -- which connects San Mateo County with San Francisco and pierces commercial and residential sections of the city rife with foot traffic -- has played host to numerous traffic accidents......

By cutting a hole in a fence at the Hillcrest Juvenile Hall in San Mateo, an 17-year-old murder suspect and alleged gang member escaped to sweet freedom this last night. Awaiting trial this May, he is accused of a murder three years ago in Redwood City. Be on the lookout for a nubile teen with clashing attire. It seems he was "last seen wearing a yellow shirt and blue pants." How tacky. We'll update......

Making her move at juuust the right time, Jackie Speier is a shoo-in to fill Tom Lantos' seat by April 8 if she gathers a majority of votes in a special, pre-primary election. But first, according to the Merc: ...Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger must issue a declaration today that would allow the 12th Congressional District race to appear on the June 3 ballot. If he waits until after today, San Mateo County would have to......

Congressman Tom Lantos died this morning from esophageal cancer at the age of 80. He represented most of the Sunset, as well as a big chunk of San Mateo County. He was the only survivor of the Holocaust to be elected to Congress, and worked for years on human rights issues. That said, he ticked off quite a few people locally by supporting the Iraq war, although he had recently been pretty critical of the......

Next Thursday is Valentine's Day. And the pressure is on, couples of the Bay Area, especially for those of you approaching the seven-year-itch mark. Really, this Valentine's Day could be a make-or-break kind of day. That fragile house of cards that you call a relationship can come crashing down around you like...that. In just one day. Something to think about, folks. Anyway, during next week's nationwide celebration of Saint Valentine, the last car on......

The body of the TGI Friday's manager--whose was found earlier this week by an employee inside the restaurant, making this San Mateo's first homicide since 2006--was identified as Douglas Castello, 36, "a mild-mannered guy with an infectious laugh." Reports claim that he was bludgeoned to death by a "blunt force type object." He was reportedly heading down the road toward marriage just before his death, "shopping for a promise ring in two weeks and......

On Friday night at around 11:30 p.m., the intersection of Leavenworth and O'Farrell played host to a shooting. It seems that shots were fired from one car into another, leaving two males seriously injured. No deaths, no arrests. Not to be outdone, Hyde and Turk set the stage for a stabbing on Sunday, 2:20 a.m. The victim was rushed to SFGH. Again: no death, no arrests.San Mateo saw its first homicide since 2006. A......

Starting today, eight Bay Area shelters are offering free spaying/neutering to pit bull owners. Although a few shelters, such as the East Bay SPCA offer the free service year-round, the organizers of Bay Area Pit Fix Week are hoping that by offering spaying/neutering this week, the lives of thousands of pit bulls (and the people they otherwise might maul if not for being fixed) will be spared. Thousands of pit bulls are euthanized in the......

Photos of wipeouts only fron the Maverick's Surf Contest...

Photos from this year's Maverick's surf contest....

Denied. Democratic fundraiser Norman Hsu - who helped raised cash for Mayor Gavin Newsom, Kamala Harris, Fiona Ma, Hillary Clinton, and the victorious Barack Obama - was sentenced to three years in prison today for defrauding investors of nearly $1 million over 15 years ago. He was ordered to spend a sojourn behind bars after a Ponzi scheme involving latex gloves. This case is separate from a "separate federal complaint ... by the U.S.......

News from the non-Nancy Pelosi side of the San Francisco House of Representatives delegation -- Tom Lantos, the fourteen-term representative for the Sunset, along with northern San Mateo County, has announced that he will not be seeking reelection, because he's been diagnosed with esophageal cancer. Jackie "Jonestown survivor" Speier is considered the early favorite to fill Lantos's seat, and reliable object of fun Leland Yee is reported to be considering a run as well. Lantos,......

Other than hawking some of the cheapest yet most breakable electronics around, we simply refuse to believe that Walgreen's can do wrong. Just walking thought their aisles of colorful and affordable products makes us giddy. Well, at least we thought that they were affordable. According to CBS 5, San Mateo County prosecutors claim that our beloved Walgreens has "agreed to pay $767,000 to four California counties to settle a claim of overcharging customers at......

The Mavericks surf contest waiting period will start soon...

The sands of Marin and San Mateo have officially reopened to the public. (We recommend hitting the beach in the fall. There's something luxurious about walking on the beach, bundled up in winter clothing.) What's more, 50 wild birds have been cleaned up and released at Pillar Point Yacht Harbor at Half Moon Bay. But what's worse, "the spill has cost the U.S. government $1.4 million, money spent on operations by the Coast Guard,......

Oil Spill Volunteer Training 2nite. ...

No, there was no collision involving a train. However, a garbage truck apparently struck a bridge in San Mateo, holding up all southbound traffic for about 20 minutes. At first, our weary-sounding conductor said that we would have to wait for a track inspection to determine when we could depart from San Francisco -- "if at all," he added ominously. We're now rolling south about 20-30 minutes behind schedule, pulling into Millbrae at the scheduled......

Photo from last year's Halloween in the Castro...

This morning at around 11:30 a.m., two people were seen standing on top of a single-engine A35 plane that crashed into SF Bay. The plane went down near (and, thankfully, not into) the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge. As of now the extent of the victims' injuries are unknown, but seeing as how they managed to climb atop the wreckage, we're going to say that they're fine, or at least very, very tough. (Will update with......

The latest weekend murder in SF: At around noon on Saturday, a 66-year-old Asian man was shot to death after a road rage incident in Viz Valley. Witnesses say the man was arguing with three men in their late teens or early 20s after a fender bender right before the shots were fired. After shooting the man, at least one of the suspects then stole the man's car. The car was later recovered; the cops......

-- San Mateo Bridge shuts down, then opens. Ta-da. [Examiner] -- Dan Noyes on Jerry Lucas, the sanity-estranged man who followed a then-pregnant Jill Rabinowitz into her garage, severely beating her with a can of paint. He might soon get sprung from the funny farm. [ABC7] -- Streets such as "Van Ness Avenue, Broadway...Harrison Street" and more could turn into toll roads under a proposed city plan to ease traffic congestion. [Chron] -- Viggo......

We know there's no shortage of young, successful, smart people in this town, but we still turn a little green with envy when we hear about guys like Ben Keighran. The Australia native is only 25 years old. After successfully launching bluepulse in his native land in 2002, he took the show on the road and ended up here in the Bay Area. Like another young tech-maestro we recently spoke to, Keighran houses his company in Silicon Valley (in fact, in YouTube's former quarters), but lives here in the city by the bay....

Fundraiser, five-head sufferer, and possible one-time kidnapping victim Norman Hsu skipped his San Mateo County Superior Court appearance this morning and is now the lam! He is wanted for a 15-year-old felony warrant for grand theft. Some fear that since he was supposed to return his passport this morning, but failed to do so, he might be en route to Antarctica, or somewhere, by now. Run, Norman, run! Hsu has donated to such Democrat......

-- Sixth Street did not explode. [Chron] -- Neither did Hayward. [CBS5] -- Friday's party for Barry, Bonds/Newsom connection. [GNS] -- Pigeon crap on bridges falling down, falling down, falling down... [Chron] -- Microsoft going after Yahoo? [EWEEK] -- On-air chats with Jessica Aguirre, who already knows how much you want to fuck her with your monster cock, gentlemen, so go easy on her. [Chron] -- Alleged San Mateo blue square to stand trial.......

More blotter-type news today -- sorry they're kind of downers. First up, remember May Zhou, the Stanford graduate student who was found dead in her car trunk in Santa Rosa? Well, her father remains convinced it was not a suicide, and cites a private autopsy report he's commissioned that shows blunt force trauma injuries. The offical police report, by contrast, showed no trauma injuries but did indicate toxic levels of Benadryl in her system. Zhou's......

[sorry we're late today!] Close call! A truck driver careened off the San Mateo Bridge yesterday afternoon, but managed to miss both the bay and a shed full of explosive material right by the bridge. The driver missed the shed by mere feet -- it sounds kind of like an exciting ending to an action-adventure movie (San Mateo -- the hit of the summer!). They had to use two tow trucks to get the truck......

In a bit of tragic news: SFPD officer, James Gustafson, 23, accidentally/fatally shot himself this past Saturday morning while partying it up with friends in his San Mateo apartment. Although his death seems to be more of the good-times-gone-too-far variety, rather than a successful suicide attempt, circumstances surrounding the shooting are still under investigation. It's also "unclear whether the gun was Gustafson's service weapon." First Merv, now this. Chin up, San Mateo.......

San Mateo boy made good -- very good -- Merv Griffin died today at age 82, via prostate cancer. ...