SFBG Blogs Archives — Page 542 of 597 — San Francisco Bay Guardian Archive 1966

FIRE DRILL AT THE CHRON BUILDING!!! Oh wait, it’s just empty from all the cuts. Sorry.

-

June 20, 2007

By G.W. Schulz

During a conversation we had recently with a certain interview subject regarding layoffs at the Chron, this person was sure to correct us by distinguishing between actual “layoffs” and “buyouts.” Well, sure, buyouts might taste slightly better, but they’re both still poison for your career. Just ‘cause management prefers to call them something else doesn’t make “downsizing” settle any easier.

More announced departures at the Chron, by the way, if that’s the description you’d prefer. A foreign and national correspondent named Anna Badkhen who reported from Iraq, Kashmir, Chechnya and New Orleans after Katrina is leaving for the Boston Globe. She was also a one-time Moscow bureau chief for the Chron. Romenesko picked up a memo from the Globe on the move.

Another familiar byline, Patrick Hoge, is leaving after nearly 20 years at the Chron. He wrote regularly about homelessness, health care and mental illness. Reporter Glen Martin, also with the Chron for nearly 20 years, is leaving as well.

Meanwhile, as we noted earlier, the Merc has officially announced 40 newsroom cuts. No one knows yet who’s leaving, but there will be no buyouts, we’ve gathered. Buyouts. Layoffs. Whatever they’re calling them.

Anyway, guess what! The San Jose Newspaper Guild is offering one-time grants of $500 for families caught in a financial crises as a result of the cuts! That should about cover the mortgage, utilities, groceries and the kid’s flu medicine for about, oh … a week?

Old Chron building, c. 1900

Pro Prokofiev

-

June 20, 2007

0

By Molly Freedenberg

When I heard the San Francisco Symphony is hosting a Prokofiev festival – ten whole days devoted to one composer – I figured I should probably know who this guy is. If our city’s esteemed symphony thinks he’s so important, shouldn’t I know why? So I set out doing my research, sure that I knew nothing about the little bugger.

Turns out I’m more familiar with the Soviet musician than I thought – and so, probably, are most of us. He’s the composer responsible for Peter and the Wolf – that famous piece used in elementary schools across the country to teach the kiddies about classical music. He also wrote the most famous version of Romeo and Juliet, the one written for the original Kirov Theatre production. He mastered several genres of music, wrote for film and for children as well as for symphonies, and basically kicked musical ass all over the world. And far from being a hero just to the classical set, he had such far reach that seminal punk band The Damned actually put out a 7” single dedicated to him, appropriately named “Prokofiev.” Which is to say, dude’s pretty badass. Or, you know, he was (he died in 1953).

It seems he was also a bit of an oddball. The little child prodigy started playing piano and composing music before most of us stopped sucking our thumbs – and yet, his first piece in the key of F completely skipped using the B-flat key because he didn’t like touching the black keys. (Wtf?) Later, teenage Sergei was known in the St. Petersburg music scene for being an enfant terrible(i.e. a pain in the ass), and now is considered one of the most important, and quirkiest, composers of the 20th century.

All of which is why conductor Michael Tilson Thomas and four virtuosic soloists are dedicating a quarter of a month to the Russian firebrand. And though the festival started June 14, you haven’t missed your chance to hear Prokofiev’s music for yourself. On June 22 and 23, see “Films, Frenzies, Fairy Tales,” featuring Prokofiev’s scores for the film Lieutenant Kije and the ballet Cinderella. And on June 24, see “Primitive and Refined,” a program featuring Piano Concerto No. 4 for the left hand (written for Paul Wittgenstein, who lost an arm in World War I), and two pieces inspired by Slavic paganism. For more information and ticket prices, visit the Symphony website.

The Queer Issue: Flaming creators

-

June 20, 2007

0

By Johnny Ray Huston

They’ve got passion to burn, whether there’s 100 percent pride or a potent dose or two of critical shame in their game. They’re the dozen-plus-one LGBT artists who constitute this year’s lineup of flaming creators — individuals and groups adding radical perversity, butch dyke glitter, b-boy funk, punkified monkey love, dandified bear flair, and more to the Bay Area. It seems apt to pun off the title of Jack Smith’s still-revelatory 1963 film Flaming Creatures in uniting this wildly varied group: all of them ignore or defy the conformist strains of mainstream gay culture to blaze new trails of truth and fantasy. As part of our Queer Issue, we pay tribute to them.

NAME Keith Aguiar

WHAT I DO Currently, I am photographing a community of queer artists who continue to resist assimilation and express themselves freely without compromise to both hetero and homo normative values that have imprisoned so many of our generation. I want the viewer to enter my world of rich color, texture, and chaos to find the intricate beauty that comes from reconnecting with more primitive forms of expression. More recently my work has been progressing to include portraits, erotic photography, and even a few landscapes. I’m currently seeking funds for my next show and have started to do commissioned work on the side.

MOTTO Create your own reality. Live your own myth. Be your own God.

MORE KeithAguiarPhotography@gmail.com
www.flickr.com/photos/untamedvessels

NAME Dreamboat, Where Are You? (Carrie Baum and Jessica Fudim)

WHAT WE DO We’re a punk pop duo with choreographed vaudevillian antics and a penchant for monkeys, monsters, and Yiddish innuendos. We’ve been described as "the Buzzcocks meet the Muppets." We’ll be leading a Dancers’ Group Rock Theater workshop July 21, and we also have our own projects: Carrie’s Exit Sign: A Rock Opera and Jessica’s dance show Please Feed My Animal will both be previewing at CounterPULSE’s "Rock 4 Art" benefit Aug. 4. (Carrie also runs Big Star Printing; Jessica is a certified Pilates trainer.)

MOTTO Be sure to share your cookies.

MORE www.myspace.com/dreamboatwhereareyou

Merc announces 40 newsroom layoffs

-

June 20, 2007

0

By G.W. Schulz

Well, it’s not the 60 or so jobs former San Mateo County Times editor John Bowman said were pending, but it’s still a big hunk of the Merc‘s newsroom. And no one can argue this will mean more news. In fact, considering reporters are asked everyday to do more with the Web (like a quick online story plus their full-length for the deadwood edition) those surviving cuts at the dailies should be getting a little pissed off by now.

On the other hand, they’re probably just grateful to still have jobs. Wonderful way to keep the rank-and-file in line. Merc reporter Pete Carey corrects our earlier numbers, too, explaining that 15 people were laid off from the paper in December while more than 50 people were bought out before the most recent round of cuts was announced. (Buyouts aren’t a dreamy alternative to layoffs, by the way, no matter how management prefers to characterize them.)

Police-records legislation on its way to state Assembly just as SFPD officer is charged with lewd act

-

June 19, 2007

0

By G.W. Schulz

UPDATE! Here’s an SB 1019 alert from the Northern California ACLU.

Have you caught up with this week’s lurid law-enforcement story involving an SFPD officer facing criminal charges in the East Bay for sleeping with a 14-year-old prostitute? Scaaaaaaandalous.

If formal criminal charges had never been brought against the 37-year department veteran and he merely faced internal disciplinary proceedings for having sex with an underage girl in his car, there’s a chance you never would have learned about it. The state Supreme Court in a now-infamous decision handed down last year blocked the public from being able to access police disciplinary records.

If police hadn’t discovered the two in Sgt. Donald Forte’s civilian car at the dead end of an East Oakland street and the lewd act had simply been reported by a colleague internally, how else could the public have ever learned that a police officer had allegedly committed statutory rape?

Outside of a possible leak, the public may never have known a thing.

Two stories we published this week were also affected by that Supreme Court decision. Our story on three sheriff’s deputies in San Francisco accused in federal court by former county-jail inmates of assaulting them was limited in part because some personnel records generated in the case were designated confidential by a judge, so we couldn’t look at them.

Mack Woodfox alleges he was beat while in custody

The PG&E/Raker Act Scandal: the biggest urban scandal in U.S. history just got a lot bigger!

-

June 19, 2007

1

By Bruce B. Brugmann

Sup. Ross Mirkarimi, the veteran public power advocate, flashed the word from City Hall by email at ll:42 a.m. Tuesday, June l9.

“I just learned,” Mirkarimi wrote, “that the mayor is announcing a deal on tidal power today. I view this as a direct launch to derail or at least distract from community choice power. (PG@E has another poll in the filed on cca as of Sunday.) I’m going to try to blunt his move with the introduction of a tidal power ordinance so that we can hopefully
control the design protocol.”

Then, at ll:35 a.m. Tuesday, PG@E sent out a press release even before the press conference ended. It went out via the PR Newswire for Journalists and was titled “PG@E, San Francisco and Golden Gate Energy Combine efforts to explore Tidal Power Options in SF Bay.”

The head, lead, and text made the key point loud and clear: San Francisco, despite the public power mandates of the federal Raker Act, had once again caved in to PG&E and was allowing PG&E to fund and control a crucial study of tidal power for the city. PG&E was also calling the shots on the press announcement and doing it as a timely and telling part of its campaign to undermine the passage of community choice aggregation. The city, as Guardian readers know, is in violation of the Raker Act because it allows PG&E to control the city’s supply of cheap clean public power from its Hetch Hetchy dam in Yosemite National Park.

Merc workers plan protest of job cuts

-

June 19, 2007

0

By G.W. Schulz

UPDATE! I failed to include a date for the protest first time around. It will be this Tuesday, June 26.

Employees of the embattled San Jose Mercury News announced earlier today that they intended to picket the newspaper over expected job cuts at the peninsula daily.

The jobs of 30 ad-production workers will immediately be affected, and editorial and composing room employees were already facing planned cuts.

The paper also announced today that it would be getting rid of its Perspective section, which appears on Sundays, due to “relatively low readership.” We reported recently that the Chronicle has been considering a similar cut to its Insight section, from which longtime editor Jim Finefrock was recently let go.

Production-side employees from the Merc represented by the Northern California Media Workers Union planned a protest for today stating in a press release that the cuts would only help to expand the newspaper empire of William “Lean” Dean Singleton, head honcho for MediaNews Group, which leads a consortium of newspaper companies that owns the Merc along with just about every other major daily in the Bay Area save for the San Francisco Chronicle.

The Merc’s union complained that some MediaNews Group positions had already been outsourced to India from Contra Costa County and Pleasanton.

Thirds, please?

-

June 19, 2007

0

By Sean Manning

I started watching Bravo’s Top Chef because it was a cooking show that threw creative challenges at its contestants and occasionally gave useful advice for the wannabe chef. That was Season 1. I got hooked on Season 2 because it acted like a classy cooking show when it was really a culinary “Lord of the Flies” (complete with their own Piggy—the endlessly obnoxious man-child Marcel Vigneron). Those antics were fun while they lasted—about to the point when chef Cliff Crooks tried to hold Vigneron down and shave his waifish Syndrome hair off in the middle of the night. And then the guilt set in. Like many of the show’s fans I had to ask—at the very least, aren’t I supposed to be able to pretend this is a food show?

Maybe that’s why the first installment of the show’s third season (originally aired last Wednesday, and sure to be shown in reruns many, many, many, many more times in the future) seemed so determined to utterly kick the shit out of its 15 brand new cheftestants. Not only were they subjected to two tough challenges (Surprise! Make an amuse bouche out of the buffet platter you just ate on, and a surf and turf combo of nasty meats), but the merciless Chef Anthony Bourdain was brought on to mock the unworthy. As for the chefs themselves, my money is on CPA (“Certified Professional Asshole”) Hung Huyhn, who is making an early bid for this season’s pretentious fine dining villain. If the past two seasons have been any indication, we’re in for some quality television in the coming weeks.

‘Cosmo’ video games as silly as the mag

-

June 19, 2007

0

By Stephen Torres

As long as there have been admin and reception jobs, there has been un-relenting, mind-numbing boredom as well. Since the positions were held primarily by the female set for such a long time, publications such as Cosmopolitan, founded by the inimitable Helen Gurley Brown in the sixties, found a place jammed into the desk drawers or bags of all those working girls. Or so Miss Brown had hoped. I’m mean, what gal on the go would read anything else?

Nowadays, when you can’t take the monotony of data entry or similar thankless office tasks, one’s options are opened up to whatever you possibly could desire through the magic of the Internet. Never behind the times, Cosmo has added its own brand of pastimes that every girl will doubtlessly enjoy: video games. So I channeled Miss Moneypenny and decided to have myself a look.

The first game is entitled BoyToy and was recently highlighted on Gawker.com — and I really couldn’t agree more with their take on the matter. I’m not one for video games anyway, but it is an inane simulation of what its like to be your alter ego — the girl who gets what she wants from the boys simply by snapping her fingers. The overall impression I got was not that of feeling empowered by living through a blond and tan version of myself named Bunny, but more the miserable experience of being her put-upon slave Cord. It’s like having a split personality that requires more booze, more music, and more attention. Quite frankly, I thought I’d have more fun with Minerva, the slutty nemesis in hospital whites.

Nudity Merited

-

June 19, 2007

0

By Sarah Phelan

Photo courtesy of Jack Gescheidt’s Tree Spirit Project.

A City of Oakland plan to cut down 224 trees along Lake Merritt has stalled, thanks to a Friends of the Lake lawsuit. Then this Saturday, traffic stalled as demonstrators stripped, some climbing into the tall eucalyptus trees, while others prefered to keep their feet on the ground. But was their nudity merited? Eucalyptus trees tend to arouse the passions of both types of Tree People. Those who love all trees, and those who love all other trees except eualyptuses. So, why are some people hating on eucalyptuses? Does the City of Oakland share their grounds for hate? and what were the nudies thinking?

Playing hooky from Pride? Go to the garden.

-

June 18, 2007

0

By Molly Freedenberg

Looking to take a break from Pride madness next Sunday? How about a good old-fashioned Garden Party? The UC Botanical Garden is holding a fundraiser called inflorescence! [sic] from 2pm to 6pm, featuring food, wine tasting, a silent auction, and music by jazzy, eclectic VidyA and vintage, acoustic Dodge’s Sundodgers (think polkas and waltzes, Hawaiian music, traditional Mexican tunes, and plenty more music you can dance to). Oh yeah, and gorgeous June-blooming flowers (like the mutisia sublata, pictured right), of course. Tickets are $45 in advance, $50 at the door. Buy yours and get more information on the event’s website.

Location info: UC Botanical Garden, 200 Centennial Drive, Berk. (510) 643-2755 x03, botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu

We’ll never forget you, Punk Planet

-

June 18, 2007

0

By G.W. Schulz

It was incredibly disheartening to learn today that one the nation’s best known indie-culture and rock zines, Punk Planet, had published its final edition after 13 years and 80 issues. Longtime editor Dan Sinker has announced that it will cease to exist in hardcopy form after the current issue.

No small number of punk journos and thinkers owe a massive debt of gratitude to PP for offering young writers a chance to explore the craft and young readers a chance to see how the “news” is much more than what appears in daily headlines.

Former Guardian staffers A.C. Thompson and Annalee Newitz have written some of the magazine’s most memorable pieces. I certainly wouldn’t be at the Guardian today – or in any media job at all, for that matter – if it weren’t for how much I gleaned from Punk Planet about what could be accomplished through alternative, long-form and literary journalism.

City Attorney says Jew must go

-

June 18, 2007

0

By Sarah Phelan

Things do not look good for beleagured Sup. Ed Jew. Today. City Attorney Dennis Herrera announced that the evidence against the rookie supervisor is “overwhelming,” as he waved a thick wad of documents at the running dogs of the media, during a filled-to-bursting press conference. These documents, said Herrera, establish that Jew did not lawfully seek or hold office, and therefore his office is actively seeking his removal.
Herrera made this announcements after four weeks of investigations that included interviews with three dozen neighbors who saw no signs that Jew was living at his Sunset District residence, either 30 days before Jew filed to run in the District 4 2006 election, or anytime thereafter up until the FBI raid in May, plus a compilation by the City Attorney’s office of utility, phone and tax records that underscore Jew’s almost complete absence from his D4 property.

A Hot Pocket by any other name

-

June 18, 2007

0

By Gazelle Emami

It’s hard to define piroshki, though there’s no doubt they’re a Russian food. I say “food” because it’s a little ambiguous as to whether it’s a pastry, snack, or meal. Whichever group(s) it falls under, with its thick, deep-fried dough stuffed with an assortment of fillings ranging from meat to vegetarian-friendly options, You might call piroshki the Hot Pocket’s granddaddy.

Owner Galina Galant and her father pose with racks of the piroshki they make fresh every morning.

You won’t find piroshki too easily in these parts—Paramount Piroshki, open since 1956, is one of the only places around to dedicate itself wholly to the traditional Russian treat. Owner Galina Galant and her family came to San Francisco from Russia in 1983 and bought the business from its previous owner. The building used to be in the style of a coffee shop, but given Potrero Hill’s industrial landscape, the Galants converted it into a factory and are mainly in the business of selling to other businesses.

Transported SF is on a roll (but doesn’t fucking roll on Shabbos)

-

June 15, 2007

0

By Molly Freedenberg

It’s about time to talk about TransportedSF, not just because they have another kickass event coming up June 21, but because their sexy little crew dubbed “The Nomads” just graced a page in our equally sexy Scene Magazine (on newstands last week, and online for, well, ever.)

So. Here’s the deal with the Transported crew: they’re awesome. Need more information than that? Okay, fine. The idea is this: a biodiesel bus taking passengers on themed adventures throughout the city, from hosted dinners to impromptu outdoor DJ parties to movie nights. The bus picks you up at the Rite Spot, gives you a night to remember, and drops you back off at a reasonable hour. You drink, play, or simply don’t have to worry about driving. In exchange, you pay a nominal fee.

The view inside — part lounge, part partymobile. The very back of the bus acts as a dance floor or movie screen, depending on the night’s theme (and the time of night).

The guys at the helm (literally and metaphorically) are Jens-Peter Jungclaussen (yes, he’s German), who has traditionally used his bus (named Das Frachtgut, meaning “The Good Freight,” though Jungclaussen might change it to something English mouths can better pronounce) for educational and corporate events; and Alxndr Warnow, a DJ, promoter, and photographer who’s worked with Jungclaussen for more than two years. Most importantly, these guys are fun. Which pretty much guarantees their events are fun. Case in point? Our Big Lebowski tour a few weeks ago.

Itchy Digits, C&B

-

June 15, 2007

0

In the mood for synthesizer-driven, blister-forming cacophony, honey? Then check a pair of ace twosomes tonight at the Hemlock Tavern: The Bay’s electri-noise sprats Casy and Brian contort ‘n’ distort like the finest of ’em. You’ll get grimy kid stuff on your Havaianas – and you’ll dig it.

Casy and Brian tap some serious monkey magik. Make it stop.

Headliner Big Digits make their way all the way from Cambridge, Mass., to rattle those steely ear drums. They wanna make you sweat. So bring a change of clothes.

Mrbaseball big digits.jpg
Wrap those Big Digits around my ‘roids, puleeze.

And Chief Death Rage opens up for ’em all – and apparently the Economist is quite taken with ’em. Embrace the death urge! It all goes down tonight, June 15, 9:30 p.m., $6. Hemlock Tavern, 1131 Polk, SF. M’out.

Jew-Ting-Sandoval triple play?

-

June 15, 2007

0

By Steven T. Jones
I’ve been sitting on this tip/rumor for a week and I’m increasingly led to believe it’s true — plus, I mentioned it last night on the City Desk NewsHour television show — so I’m just going to throw it out there: we hear that the Mayor’s Office is considering a plan to replace Sup. Ed Jew with Assessor Phil Ting, then move Sup. Gerardo Sandoval into the Assessor’s post and appoint an ally into Sandoval’s Dist. 11 seat. The move — reminiscent of his triple play that put Sean Elsbernd on the board — would break away a semi-regular progressive vote and give the mayor an additional vote on the board.
I’ve contacted all the principals and only heard back so far from a representative for Ting, who told me, “He has not been talking to the mayor about this.” But his name continues to be dropped in the Chronicle and elsewhere as a possible Jew replacement. Sandoval hasn’t returned my calls or e-mails, which seems fishy, and he ran for the job last time so it’s clear that he wants it.
I’ll add comments to this post as I hear back from the mayor’s office or otherwise get more information. And if you have any additional info or speculation who Newsom would appoint to the D11 seat, please post as well.

How to remove Jew

-

June 14, 2007

0

Photo by Charles Russo

By Steven T. Jones
Why can’t all of Ed Jew’s persecutors just get along? And who is going to finally force the hopelessly tarnished supervisor from office: City Attorney Dennis Herrera, District Attorney Kamala Harris, Attorney General Jerry Brown, the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office, Mayor Gavin Newsom, the Ethics Commission, or the Board of Supervisors? Those are just a couple of the many questions that I’ve been seeking answers to over the last few days as I interviewed people close to the case and read the relevant documents, including the voluminous criminal complaint.

What I’ve discovered is that while Harris may have leapfrogged past Herrera (whose deadline for Jew to comply with his requests for information and an interview is tomorrow) and the feds into the lead role, it’s an open question whether her criminal case will convince a jury to convict on most counts, and if there is a conviction, whether Jew will still be a sitting supervisor by then.

Bus shows

-

June 14, 2007

0

here are some upcoming show ideas:
if your free some time
here is a list of up coming bus shows.::: for locations and final list of bands
call 510-bad-smut near the date.
{if anyone out there wants to help in anyway please email me ;
promote/drive/location ideas/ pick up bottles/ donate mics cords and stands/ 15″speakers/battle drunk rich boys who say “duuuude” too much….}

june 14: west oakland
Duke Nukem Forever
Scott’s Band
Vitimin Piss
Big Digits
casy + brian,
birds of every flavor,
jackies house

june 17th:
future adults
black rainbow
chief death ray

june 22nd:
s.f.
daniel higgs
dead western
chiara giovando
vis visa
evil wikkid warrior

june 23rd:
dolores park
movies and picknic potluck

june 24:
robin williams on fire, bizzart, lacoste, child pornography

june 27th:
david copperfuck
eggs on legs

june 28th:
destroy tokyo, long legged woman, better people, maybe Yvonne

Kimberly Chun wrote:
hey no prob – think the bus is awesome! hope the show goes well…

Kimberly Chun
Senior Arts and Entertainment Editor
San Francisco Bay Guardian
135 Mississippi St., San Francisco, CA 94107
415 487 4613 phone
415 487 2506 fax

—–Original Message—–
From: john benson [mailto:followthatparade@yahoo.com]
Sent: Thursday, January 25, 2007 12:25 AM
To: Kimberly Chun
Subject: Re: thanks for interview; also wondering…

thanks kim.
just read the bus article. i liked it – im glad you mentioned the part about rocking out with your cock out’ ha ha
take care..
john

Kimberly Chun wrote:
if it’s OK to publish this email as a place for people to contact if they want more info on that free Feb. 3 Oakland show? Thanks!

*************************************************************
http://www.myspace.com/evilwikkidwarrior
~how the worst can make the not so good seem great.~
*************************************************************

——————————————————————————–
Food fight? Enjoy some healthy debate
in the Yahoo! Answers Food & Drink Q&A.

*************************************************************
http://www.myspace.com/evilwikkidwarrior
~how the worst can make the not so good seem great.~
*************************************************************
pictures at www.flickr.com/pictures/followthatparade

Mo No Docs

-

June 14, 2007

0

No Doctors
First aid for the addled brain? The Docs are in with their third album, Origin and Tectonics. With Wooden Shjips, Fuckwolf, and Sic Alps. Fri/15, 10 p.m., $6. Elbo Room, 647 Valencia, SF. (415) 552-7788. Also with Freeerways and Haunted House. Sat/16, 10 p.m., $5. Uptown, 1928 Telegraph, Oakl. (510) 451-8100

She’s a man, baby!

-

June 14, 2007

0

In a hilarious gaffe, local free monthly-ish paper for women The City Edition published a wild-eyed editorial this week accusing the Guardian of promoting prostitution, causing anorexia, keeping women from “tapping into orgasmic potential,” and basically steering any girl under the age of 18 into a hellacious vice-hole from which she’ll never return. (We caused Paris Hilton? Good for us.) City Edition didn’t identify us by name for some reason, but it ran a pic of our cover and called us a ” local alternative newspaper publishing out of a warehouse in Portrero Hill.”

Read the glorious editorial here (PDF)

So what have we done to deserve such epithets? While it’s no secret we’re an unalloyed den of iniquity, editorial writer Rosemary Regallo especially took issue with our depictions of half-naked covergirls, in particular our recent Summer Guide model, Marina Bitch:

Marina Bitch: “A sparsely clad, anorexic model who looks like she’s aching to get laid”
Photograph by House of Herrera

Thing is, Marina Bitch is a man.

In fact, almost all of our recent covergirls have been drag queens — naked club star Anna Conda graced our Sex Issue cover with a giant python wrapped around her (something SFist didn’t catch ) and Marina and Candi Gurl were peekaboo see-through on our first SCENE magazine. (In retrospect, I’m now limiting myself to one gender illusionist cover model a month. Too much of a good thing, maybe.)

Regallo writes:

“Sexualized and at times racist imagery of young women in so-called alternative newspapers is paving the way for a generation of damaged girls and a proliferating global sex trade. So why does the S.F. Public Library continue to distribute the city’s most popular porn, prostitute and adult entertainment guide at all its branches?” [italics mine]

Because of course young women can’t be counted on to make their own decisions, the poor little things. Then Regallo goes on to talk about ancient goddess cults and prescribe more images of women as firefighters. I smell Fall Arts Preview cover: Heklina with a hose!

I heart (Ba)carbs

-

June 14, 2007

0

By Molly Freedenberg

You’d think that if I was going to rave about Bacar, it’d be for its swank, open design. Or for the stellar wine selection. Or even for the existence of an on-site sommelier there to answer questions with words like “oaky” and “hint of grapefruit” (and with a straight face). Maybe you’d even expect me to talk about the food, which I didn’t try, but my neighbors during a recent visit swore was fab-u-lous.

But no. I’m going to talk about the bread. Fresh and warm and served with a ramekin of butter that was not only soft enough to spread but also arrived with a stripe of rock salt for flavor and flair. And this basket o’ goodness isn’t just one variety of bread either, oh no. It’s cornbread with a hint of spice and a blissfully subtle sweetness. Some kind of white bread that’s soft and dense on the inside, and crusty (but not hard) on the outside. And a brown bread highlighted – but not overpowered – by herbs.

You can get the bread as part of a meal, one you’re surely sharing with some well-paid love interest while wearing your best heels or your most recently pressed shirt. But I prefer to get it by itself, accompanied only by a bottle of half-price wine (a Monday special! Woohoo!) and the company of a good gossipy friend. There’s nothing like carbs and confidential information to end your workday right…

Ammiano: the deadline comedian

-

June 13, 2007

0

By Bruce B. Brugmann

Yesterday June 12, there was no joke and no message on Ammiano’s voice mail. Just a blackout. (See my early blog on his Tony Soprano joke.)

Today June 12,
Ammiano quipped on deadline. “ED Jew busted for a TUI. Tapioca under the influence.” B3

X-treme Mugler

-

June 13, 2007

0

Remember Angel? Remember flab, the folds, and the sticks and stones we called my bones? Thierry Mugler – the fashion designer who went all the way with shoulder pad fascism and added the scent of chocolate (with sublime results, if we might say so ourselves) to perfume – has evidently gone completely ape for adrenalin and weird bulgy veins in strange places, and has turned himself from a “renowned courturier to muscle-bound beast.” This according to the WOW Report.

Doesn’t Thierry Mugler’s head look Photoshopped onto some odd prefab Frank Frazetta-style Conan bod? Courtesy of the WOW Report

WOW continues: “We reported that the 59-year-old French designer and perfumer had been lifting weights to such an extent that he bulked himself into an unrecognizable creature that required a whole new identity. Thierry now wants to be called Manfred. ‘He’s been incommunicado since he closed his couture house,’ said a former friend. ‘What he’s done to his body is totally scary.’ We didn’t realize the extent of the damage until a friend e-mailed us a photo of the buffed and bare-naked Manfred.”

Zut alors! It’s like a big wake-up call to step away from the ‘roids, kids. If it’s real… Wake me up when it’s over.