Yesterday, Mayor Newsom signed into action the Tommy Ammiano-introduced legislation that requires the city to handout ID cards to undocumented immigrants and other residents who either can't or just won't apply for driver's licenses. The good news is that these IDs will help (formerly) undocumented residents gain access to the wonderful world of banking, a sense of peace before calling the fuzz, as well as "health services at city-run clinics, public library privileges, and resident discounts at museums and other cultural institutions." (Entry fee discounts at the Exploratorium: the American dream realized.) more ›

-- John officially wants SF throne. So does Josh. [Laughing Squid, JW] more ›

--Chemo the cancer dog was returned! As was Dixie, the other stolen dog of a sick child. more ›

Maybe Nancy Pelosi is getting a little too comfortable with the support in her district. Seems that while on the congressional delegation to attend the funeral for the Pope, she made nice with Democratic Party uber-villain Tom DeLay. The Hill reports that she even presented him with a cake for his 58th birthday on the flight back from Rome (in the same piece they note that Linda Ronstadt is invited to the wedding of Jerry Brown and Anne Gust). We got the link via Wonkette, which is currently being rocked by EssEff-local Greg Beato. more ›

Over here at SFist's fortress of solitude (above Jerry's Tattoo and Java), we've just been informed that "Big" Dick Cheney is currently ensconced at the Mandarin Oriental downtown, and an entire block of Sansome has been shut down in order to protect him (and make your commute extra-fun!). Apparently he's making a west coast swing to lobby members of congress, including Representative Bill Thomas, chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, to convince them that there really is a crisis with Social Security, and the safest place for hard working Americans to put their nest eggs is Wall Street, where hordes of selfless financiers will happily look out for your best interests instead of their own. more ›

Postcards From Buster is about Buster's adventures travelling to real places and meeting real people. And no, we don't think it's because he should have made a left at Albuquerque, it's because he's trying to show all the kiddies out there all the different types of people and religions out there. Let's see Pokemon try and do that! more ›

Walking dejectedly back to the first day of work in 2005, we noticed that the flags in town are flying at half-mast in honor of Sacramento's Democratic congressman Robert Matsui. Matsui, who had served in Congress continuously since 1978 (and who won reelection in November with 70.8% of the vote), died on New Year's Day from complications of an AIDS-like lymphomic cancer which destroyed his immune system. Matsui, who had been imprisoned with his family in a Japanese internment camp at the age of five months, is best-known for his work in seeking redress for the Japanese internment program (Quicktime video of Matsui's speech in support of the 1988 Japanese-American Redress Act), but was also the third-ranking Democrat on the Ways and Means Committee, the Democratic whip-at-large, and the chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Matsui, who was chairing the subcommittee of Ways and Means that handles Social Security, in what would be one of his last public statements, had sharply criticized Bush's privatization plans. Matsui was one of only five Asian-American Congressmen. Schwartzenegger must now call a special election to fill Matsui's seat; Sacramento insiders believe that his wife, Doris Okuda Matsui, who served in the Clinton administration, may run. It's a hard day for Democrats of color -- Gothamist on Shirley Chisholm's death. picture from washingtonlife.com more ›

We'd like to take the time to thank everyone who bothered to read the Culinary Digest. But it's time has come -- we're retiring the digest while there's still some money left in Social Security. We're also tired of thinking up new and interesting ways of making fun of Meredith Brody, the fact that the Food section of the Chronicle is the best part of the paper depresses us and we think you've gotten the idea that we think Dan Leone and Jonathan Kauffman are doing good work. It's not like we won't still read all of them, each and every Wednesday. Instead, look for more original foodie content in the coming year. Feel free to snark on us, Meredith! more ›