Results tagged “sfbg”

There's a staff editorial in this week's SFBG discussing the decline of the Chronicle and a new KQED/Warren Hellman-led non-profit venture to create a new online news source for San Francisco. The Guardian takes a few moments to get in some digs at the Chron -- in particular at such conservative columnists as C.W. Nevius who we'd probably agree seems to "disdain everything about San Francisco and urban life in general" -- and they assert, "It's little wonder then that a significant percentage of San Franciscans (in particular, younger people) see no reason whatsoever to pick up the San Francisco Chronicle."

The Guardian's Drug Issue is out, and it's laced (that's editor Steven T. Jones' word, not ours) with "good shit" ranging from a piece about women's meth use on the rise in SF; a roundup of trippy literature; the requisite piece about marijuana decriminalization; a meditation on the evolution of nightlife drugging by Marke B; and a handy guide to hallucinogen use at Burning Man--especially handy for those, like us, who weren't previously familiar with the terms "candy-flipping" (using LSD and ecstasy together) or "hippie-flipping" (shrooms and ecstasy).

Not that we're pouting... certainly the good folks at Muni Diaries deserve some recognition, and we did take the Weekly's readers poll this year, so we're not sweating it either. But the SFBG Readers Poll actually has a number of respectable winners in the food category (no Pasta P for Best Overall here...) who we'd happily sit beside, like Delfina for Best Italian and Chez Panisse for Best Overall.

Praise Jesus, progressive politics and pure rage. The 's van, which some bastard stole earlier this week, was found. The vehicle was discovered by the SFPD yesterday morning on the 100 block of 25th Ave in the Richmond. According to reports, a "teacher from Corta Madera named Kevin Mahoney phoned in the van's location." It was not, in fact, the mischievous twentysomethings at Digg, whose offices are located next to SFBG HQ, taking the thing out for a joyride.

Photo by Albert Huynh on Flickr

Ack! Who would do this?

Juliette Tang, writing for the SFBG's sex blog asks the all-important question this week, "Hand Jobs: Are We Having Them?" Now, while we at SFist fully support the concept of a sex blog for San Francisco, and believe that in our fair, slutty, liberally minded city there certainly should be plenty to write about, we have to note that this headline makes us wonder if this was just a truly slow sex news week over there! To wit:

We just spotted this and thought we'd share, especially since many of you have been quite vocal in your annoyance with Weekly reporter Matt Smith's prudish stance on allowing Kink.com employees to take advantage of a state-funded training program. We're quite sure Tim Redmond has bought a dozen already, so if you're so inclined you'd better get yours before he realizes what great stocking stuffers these will make for SFBG staffers come holiday time. They even come in long-sleeved! And, in case you missed it, here's Stephen Elliott's write-up on the brouhaha on The Huffington Post.

In case you aren't tuned into City Planning and Architectural Preservation news, the SFBG has a new piece about the battle surrounding the possible demolition of 113 Steuart Street, which once housed the Longshoremen's union during a historic labor strike in 1934. It seems the developer hired preservationist architects Page & Turnbull to write up an assessment of the property which failed to mention anything about the historic strike or the events that took place there, and it was only after Supervisor Aaron Peskin and preservation activists researched the building themselves that Page & Turnbull amended their report. The Guardian asserts that this was a primary reason why the Board of Supes voted to reject Newsom's nomination of one of P&T's principals, Ruth Todd, to the city's Historic Preservation Commission.

Slamming SF Weekly/VVM as a "deadbeat dad," SFBG Executive Editor Tim Redmond responded to Mike Lacey's rant about questions regarding today's story about how VVM has avoided payment in last year's alt-weekly lawsuit showdown. (Whew.) Redmond, in between attacking Lacey as an "asshole" and poking fun at his use of Dire Straits, claims that "VVM owes us $20 million and doesn't want to pay." He also calls out SF Weekly as "the greatest deadbeat in the history of the alternative press" and questions Lacey's accusation of SFBG suffering from "class bitterness." (Oh, neither one of you know the searing pain of class bitterness until you've lived in a dilapidated Victorian on Third Street next to an overpass while the Ritz-Carlton sits a few blocks down the street, riddled with vacancies. Just look at this gorgeous shit. It is stunning. Can you imagine being holed up in a sun-drenched 1 BR at the Ritz, complete with a few tasteful accents from Limn, a medicine cabinet full of Valium, and a giant HD TV? Because we sure can.) In the end, though, it makes for an interesting read into what's become of the SF alt-weekly scene. If you're looking SFBG's side of the story, go here and here.

Been waiting forever for some choice SFBG v. SF Weekly drama? Well, wait no more. A golden-brown batch of it just came out over at SF Weekly, complete with libel accusations, Sabine women, and a Dire Straits quote. See, it seems SFBG Editor Tim Redmond sent VVM Executive Editor Mike Lacey a series of questions in order to update the status of their lawsuit. Which is to say, an article is in the works, and SFBG simply asked a series of questions. And Lacey? He published said series questions, followed by his official response.

This was mentioned in Day Around the Bay, but it's so Inside Edition-y hot right now, we felt compelled to capture some of its momentum and give it its own post. Anyway, the above headline comes courtesy of the San Francisco Bay Guardian. "That's the headline we'd be reading," says SFBG Editor Tim Redmond, "if one of the Navy stunt pilots had the same misfortune as the FA/18 pilot just did in San Diego." He goes on to point that this is something to think about come next year's Fleet Week air acrobatics. "If the supervisors decided not to invite the Navy precision flying team, they wouldn't come." Which: True. The tightness of those white Navy pants are exhilarating enough; however, others are livid that the crash is being used like this. But what say you?

SF Weekly (Village Voice Media) returned to court yesterday in an attempt to overturn the anti-competitive verdict ruled against the alt-weekly in March. (For all the courtroom drama, read SF Weekly's take here and SFBG's here.) According to SFBG, yesterday's "argument was aimed at severing VVM – a company with $190 million in sales and $11 million in profits – from the verdict. That way the only guilty party would be the Weekly – which VVM admits has no assets and would be unable to pay the Guardian anywhere near $16 million." Yikes. And rumors among certain local media types – sick, twisted, beer-infused, and totally untrue rumors, mind you – have been circulating that SF Weekly might shutdown come December '08. (Which would blow since we do enjoy both alt-weeklies... to certain degrees.) So: conjecture time, folks! Is VVM trying to separate itself from the Weekly so tat they can close it and not pay the debt? What do you think? All presumptuous lawyer types, amateur and pro, are encouraged to gossip in the comments.

Oh man. Like... wow. This is entertaining, exciting stuff.

San Francisco Bay Guardian--who, you may recall, endorsed Mark Leno in the "Carole Migden-Mark Leno-Joe Nation faceoff," effectively pissing off SF Progressive mafia Don Chris Daly--is having a poll. And Carole Migden, as of noon today, seems to be winning by a little more than 40 votes. Exciting stuff, folks.

SF city supervisor Chris Daly penned an open letter to the folks over at SFBG today, asking them to endorse la Migden for reelection.

After a local jury found SF Weekly guilty of illegal predatory pricing and awarded the local alt weekly a cool $6.39 million (the verdict subject to "treble damages," which bring the total award to $15.6 million), SFBG Executive Editor Tim Redmond tells the harrowing tale of the five-week trial in his own words:

With regard to the SFBG vs. SF Weekly (VVM) lawsuit -- you know, the one where the Guardian sued the Weekly and its parent company for predatory pricing practices? where the Guardian's Publisher, Bruce Brugmann, claimed that the competition was so unreasonable that it could force the Guardian out of business? -- our sources confirm that: