San Francisco Bay Guardian

Mid season huddle: roller derby's Bay City Bombers talk track

07.29.10 - 4:20 pm | Caitlin Donohue |

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Oh Bay City Bombers, won't you stop in your roller derby tracks and tell us how you've been? San Francisco's famed co-ed blocking, pivoting, jamming squadron has been packing ever-increasing crowds into Kezar Stadium, their historical home this year – and no wonder, they're killing it on track. To tell us by just how much, we wrangled a phone interview with general manager Jim Fitzpatrick, who we last checked in with shortly before his home opening match with league Lucifer Georgia Hase's Brooklyn Red Devils.

Sports

"Growing Up Twisted:" take it ... or leave it

07.29.10 - 4:08 pm | Cheryl Eddy |

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For every awesome reality show (Real Housewives of New Jersey), there are dozens that feel forced and pointless (keeping it within Bravo, the Housewives network, anyone else seen that Work of Art show? Can you explain the point, or the appeal?) Into the "I'm already famous" sub-genre of reality shows (as opposed to the "I'll do anything to be famous" sub-genre) tumbles Growing Up Twisted, a new seven-part series that debuted this week on A&E. It's unclear if we have the success of Gene Simmons Family Jewels (also an A&E production) to thank for this, or if this is some kind of attempt to reclaim the glory that once was MTV's The Osbournes. If it's the latter, the world needs to realize that there's only one Ozzy (and only one Sharon, for that matter), and there will never be another Osbournes. Read more »

Newsom's budget and DCCC hypocrisy

07.29.10 - 2:15 pm | Steven T. Jones |

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Hypocrisy hung thickly in the air at City Hall today as Mayor Gavin Newsom refused to responsively address glaring contradictions on a pair of high-profile policy stances, pursuing naked self interest while cloaking himself in deceptive but high-minded rhetoric. Newsom used the city budget-signing ceremony to effusively praise the labor unions that he publicly shamed into giving back $250 million over two years to balance the budget without tax increases, a budget that cut services and increased various fees and fines.Read more »

81 percent support amnesty for undocumented immigrants

07.29.10 - 1:29 pm | Sarah Phelan |

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Here's a statistic that's guaranteed to get anti-immigrant groups seeing majorly red: A CNN poll found the 81 percent of those questioned support a program that would allow undocumented workers who have already been living in the country for a number of years to remain legally if they had a job and paid taxes. Read more »

Immigration

New debate surrounds New Mission Theater

07.29.10 - 1:23 pm | Rebecca Bowe |

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The New Mission Theater, a dilapidated landmark that sits on the 2500 block of Mission Street, has been vacant for years, but controversy surrounding its fate is alive as ever and will be discussed at this afternoon's July 29 City College of San Francisco Board of Trustees meeting. Read more »

Immigrant advocates protest AZ law and Jerry Brown's SecureComm support

07.29.10 - 1:02 pm | Sarah Phelan |

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A different way of seeing today's drop banner protest

Here's the actual banner drop that SF Pride At Work did from 7:30-9 a.m, on 23rd street over 101.

SF Pride's Gabriel Haaland reports that the California Highway Patrol made them take down their "No One is Illegal" drop banner at 9.a.m.
Read more »

Immigration

video

Behind the Scenes: Shooting our 2010 Local Heroes

07.29.10 - 10:59 am | Mirissa Neff |

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Take a peek at the robo-amazing Blue Sky Studios, as photographers Keeney + Law shoot three of this year's Best of the Bay Local Heroes. Video by Michael Keeney.

Board had to ask for Lennar's approval...

07.29.10 - 10:33 am | Sarah Phelan |

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Sup. Ross Mirkarimi points out that there is no economic analysis of bridge in the plan

Sups. Chris Daly and Mirkarimi appeared to have actually read the documents

Sup. David Campos signals that the plan needs strengthening

If looks could kill, Board President David Chiu would be in trouble

Sup. Mirkarimi, and key legislative aides ask Deputy City Attorney Cheryl Adams for advice

Redevelopment's Fred Blackwell (red tie) in heated discussions with Lennar's Kofi Bonner

Sup. John Avalos worked to improve worker protections in the deal

Labor Council's Tim Paulson looks on as Sup. Sophie Maxwell is congratulated after the vote

Rose Pak congratulates Board President David Chiu and Bonner

Images by Luke ThomasRead more »

Land Use

Street Threads: Look of the Day

07.29.10 - 9:58 am | Ariel Soto |

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Today's Look: Lauren, Castro and Market

Street Threads

Appetite: Smoothing out with Camus' fabulous cognac

07.28.10 - 3:48 pm | Virginia Miller |

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Cognac has a taste I've yearned to dive more fully into ever since I had my first cognac flight at Brandy Library in NY years ago. I have made attempts to learn more by attending cognac seminars at Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans or the Manhattan Cocktail Classic. Read more »

Bug love: Paxton Gate's insect mounting class

07.28.10 - 3:29 pm | Caitlin Donohue |

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Say that this morning, as you swept aside your window-sash, eager to let in the “warm” summer breezes that are so characteristic of late July in San Francisco, you saw there on your sill a fuzzy little bumblebee – dead, but for all the world looking like the embodiment of the grassy field and sunflower days of your youth. Now. Have you the instinct to preserve the furry fella in, say a diorama also featuring a map of your childhood favorite municipal park and a cut out image of you at eight, perhaps attired in a swatch of that kitty cat dress you couldn't bear to be apart from at the time? (Just sayin'.) If that sounds apt, have the local horticulture-taxidermy enthusiasts down at Paxton Gate got a class for you!

DCCC seats are fine for Newsom, just not supervisors

07.28.10 - 3:23 pm | Steven T. Jones |

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Mayor Gavin Newsom is seeking to be seated on the San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee when it swears in newly elected members tonight, even though the body's legal counsel says he's not entitled to a seat and Newsom has put a measure of the November ballot that would prohibit local officials from serving on that body.Read more »

Democrats

SFBG Radio: The Arizona ruling and the right wing

07.28.10 - 3:12 pm | Tim Redmond |

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In today's episode, Johnny and Tim celebrate the court ruling on Arizona's immigration law -- and talk about how the right wing is going to respond. You can listen in and join the fun after the jump. Read more »

SFBG Radio

The Performant: Upright Citizen’s Brigade and Fly Trap Theatre spelunk the absurd

07.28.10 - 2:41 pm | Nicole Gluckstern |

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Upright Citizens Brigade, cruisin' for steampunk tail. Photo by Ayako Alger

UCB, eager for Beggin' Strips. Photo by Ayako Alger

A pitcher plant at Paxton Gate, pre-dissection. Photo by John Iwawaki

Cordelia Iwawaki at Paxton Gate Curiosities for Kids. Photo by John Iwawaki

Dan Plasma's urban-authentic set for “The 91’ Owl”. Photo by Sin Wang

Reviews of recent arts and culture happenings

When asked by the Upright Citizen’s Brigade touring company last Friday what his motto in life was, the random guy onstage we’ll call Nick (because that’s what he called himself) said “abandon all hope ye who enter here,” which seemed a little heavy for an evening of comedy, but the UCB took it in stride. This influential improv group, hosted locally by Bay Area improvisers Pan Theater, plumbed the depths of Nick’s predilections and peccadilloes with gusto. Got hit by an SUV on your motorcycle, must be those preciously extended pinkies, dude. Got slapped down by a bio-bitch down the street—why don’t you stick with the steampunk tranny hos in your own backyard? Why not launch a string of rockets into the street and call it installation art? Why not make sandwiches with a block of cheese containing the cremated ashes of your loved ones?

sexsf

Hot sexy events July 28- Aug 3

07.28.10 - 2:09 pm | Caitlin Donohue |

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After the frenzied frotting of Pride, and the general onset of sex season in San Francisco (wait, is there a not-sex season? Perhaps that first part swims in the Sea of Redundant), you have perhaps found yourself lacking a certain skill you need to get you or yours off in the most spectacular way possible. No? Ah. Well anyways, there are lots of sex skills classes this week. Maybe you can tell your well meaning but awkward acquaintance about them.