Over the weekend we went to Casanova's and realized that hipster beards have achieved some sort of critical mass. It appeared that every fourth person in the bar had some sort of beard, giving the bar a high HBQ (Hipster Beard Quotient, a stat derived by dividing the number of beards per customer, multiplying it by the size of the crowd, and then dividing it again by the square footage). The HBQ was not quite Boogaloos high but high nevertheless. We also noticed that there were also a high variety of beards seen, meaning that the beard craze has gone from it's "classic" phase to "gothic" phase....

Lady K has been busy with the finds lately! "You couldn't find a better love than ours if you would just let it in." Sounds like something we might've said to one jerk or another back in the day. Found in the Mission. You could fix this so easily. F'ing wake up. I can't believe youre willing to f this up. All I want is you. You shouldn't s*t all over the people who......

The Mission's an interesting place to screen a movie about gentrification, filmed from the eyes of the gentrifier -- so there was certainly no shortage of things to think about at last night's showing of New Urban Cowboy for DocFest at the Roxie. New Urban Cowboy is a documentary about Michael Arth, a kind of hippie-dippie former resident of Santa Barbara who moves to the small town of Deland, Florida, near Orlando, and more......

As part of the National Queer Arts Festival, graphic artist and memoirist Alison Bechdel is speaking at Michelle Tea's Radar Reading Series at the SF Public Library tonight! We've been huge fans of Bechdel's Dykes to Watch Out For for, like 10 years now (we're latecomers -- she's been drawing the strip since 1987), and her first graphic novel, Fun Home, about her relationship with her closeted gay father totally blew our mind with......

Author/artist/director/performer/etc Miranda July came by Modern Times Bookstore in The Mission last night to read from her new collection of short stories, and the arty-coiffed standing-room-only crowd of fans spilled out the door onto the sidewalk....

-More officers are sent to the Ocean View neighborhood after two men were shot within an hour of each other last night. -They still can't figure out who it was that was in that apartment on Haight Street. They do know he was naked and handcuffed. -Now the Native Americans are getting involved with those trees in Berkeley as they're claiming it's sacred ground. Boy, this new fitness center is getting off to a great......

Come late January, most national publications are usually too overwhelmed (and understaffed) to even consider covering any film fest outside of Sundance. Even SF publications are hard pressed to see past the flurry of Park City and look over their shoulders into The Mission. It’s a shame, because if they looked, they’d find a really meaty, crafty, saucy festival offering a smattering of hard to find films and some films even harder to miss. ...

When we are at a loss for scintillating entertainment options here at SFist, we often turn to the inimitable SF Station, which is celebrating its 10th Anniversary with a free shindig tonight at Mighty (119 Utah St. at 15th). Festivities include a smattering of DJs, live bands, including Sean Hayes and Felonius, visuals by Stephen Williams, and outdoor movies from local filmmakers and organizations courtesy of teacherwiththebus.com. RSVP is strongly encouraged, plus bring a coat......

Leslie Harpold has died. A writer, designer, editor, and web pioneer of prodigious skill, she was 40. Her passing is being felt throughout the internet community....

Courtney Love is scheduled for a book signing event at the Mission Bay Borders (200 King St. @ 3rd) to promote her "multi-textual memoir," Dirty Blonde. According to the official PR, the author will only sign her new book at this event. We assume that means don't bother asking Ms Courtney to autograph her late husband's albums or any appendages or pharmaceutical containers. (7pm) While we're not in the giving advice to celebrities business,......

It's a sad for us at SFist when we see a journalist even lazier than we are, but we've found one in The New York Times' Nathan Lee. In a move that seems almost calculated to make The San Francisco Chronicle entertainment coverage seem less lame, Lee makes himself sound kind of silly in his review of locally produced film Quality of Life. Here's how the piece opens: The Mission District of San Francisco......

A battle has been raging behind the scenes at Wikipedia. No, it's not over copyrights or veracity or how well an article explains its premise. It's over whether or not the entry on San Francisco's Marina District should include an explanation of the term Marina Girl (and, by extension, Marina Guy). The main arguments for deletion is that it's a stereotype and that the content of the article is heavily biased against the Juicy Couture......

Ah, figs. We love the distinct flavor of these squishy, succulent fruits. And we're not alone. Mediterranean cultures have enjoyed figs for millennia, both fresh and dried. The fruit clearly had a special place in everyone's heart: Figs appear often in the art and literature of the region. But we just like the taste. Back in August, only a few farmer's market stalls had them, but now it seems like everyone's got some on......

San Francisco has lots of great neighborhoods. But our favorite, by far, is the Mission. Maybe it's because The City started here in 1776. Or maybe because while westsiders are bundling up in the fog all summer, Missionites are soaking up the rays. Right now we're sitting outside the Brava theater in the sunshine, smoking a cigarette after polishing off a torta and using a friendly neighbor's wifi to post this while doing laundry.......

A weekly peer into the San Francisco bar scene through a big pair of coke bottle-thick beer goggles. Submitted as usual by barrespondent Drew. Some people complain that we don't get down to the Marina enough. Totally guilty as charged. And this is even after assurance from residents that it's not all backwards baseball caps, sorority get-togethers and small-plates restaurants. Yes, the Marina probably does get a bad rep from those of us trying......

A weekly foray into the gentlemanly pursuit and spirited consumption of delicious beverages. In other words, a bar review column. By Andrew Lowder. Gentrification sucks. There, I said it. Actually, it's not a very controversial thing to say, is it? No one likes the idea of seeing their beloved, dirty, artistic crap-hole bulldozed over to make way for a Seattle's Best Coffee and a Quiznos. The only good thing about the dot-com crash of '99......

Barbara Boxer has gotten the Senate -- unanimously, no less -- to pass the California Missions Preservation Act, which will create a new nonprofit agency charged with upkeep for the 21 missions in the state and dedicate $10 million to the agency over a five-year period. This of course includes San Francisco's own pride and joy, the Mission Dolores. ...