sanfrancicso

Local drag impresario Juanita MORE! is throwing another of her big fetes this Sunday night, this time to celebrate the arrival of her friends, Scissor Sisters, including S.F. native Ana Matronic. It's the official afterparty for the Sisters' show at the Fox -- which still isn't sold out, btw, but the afterparty almost is -- and it'll be at the old, faithful, swanky Redwood Room.

With the purchase of every "Night Work" drink special tonight at Booty Call (Q Bar, 456 Castro) you'll receive a raffle ticket for a prize that includes a concert ticket and a ticket to the the afterparty, plus a copy of the new Scissor Sisters CD Night Work. The party tonight kicks off at 9PM. Sunday's details are below:

Official Scissor Sisters After-Concert Party Sunday, September 12, 2010 10PM - 2AM Redwood Room, Clift Hotel 495 Geary Street, San Francisco, CA 94102 Advance tickets sold out. Limited number of tix available at the door.

• Rainbow Grocery, the supermarket across the street from Foods Co, gets rid of coupon day. But? That's not a bad thing. [Mission Local]
• Target chain could lose SF city contract over same-sex benefits. [SF Appeal]
• Bocce ball plan sparks inane debate among elite. [SFGate]
• Machete filmmaker seeks to cool off immigration controversy. [NBC Bay Area]
• House of Air trampoline park to open September 15th. [SF Citizen]
• Murder mystery novels set in SF, with maps to crime scenes. [Kid SF, Burrito Justice]

The following post is from our advertiser, Lexus.

The new 2011 Lexus IS not only delivers heart-racing performance, but performance wielded with precision. Designed for the bold pursuit of adventures, the 2011 Lexus IS is ideal for exploring where you live, work, and play.

The Lexus Fall Guide to the City, appearing every Tuesday and Thursday for the next five weeks, starting September 14, will lead you to the best destinations in the city, with smart tips for visiting local restaurants, architecture, and cultural events—plus mini-travel itineraries for weekend getaways that are just a short drive away.

And be sure to follow Twitter Thursdays as part of the Lexus Fall Guide to the City. Each Thursday in September (September 9, September 16, September 23, and September 30), we’ll be running a Lexus Thursday contest—follow along at twitter.com/SFist. Prizes will include concert tickets; wine and dinner at restaurants by Danny Meyer, Grant Achatz, and Johnny Monis; Jack Spade tote bags; and gas cards, perfect for filling up your tank on the go.

Let Lexus guide you to your destination this fall and get to know the road intimately.

After seeing Pixar's "Up" did you dream about what it would be like to soar through the skies for real? Well this Thursday at Design Guild Gallery, the collective studio space, you can see the view from 1,000 feet or less, at the opening of "As Above: Aerial Photographs" by Pedro Citoler and Fred Padula. They promise plenty of wine, German beer and street tacos from AdoboHobo. It was unclear at posting time whether rides will be offered.

Design Guild Gallery 427 Bryant St. (between 2nd and 3rd) 6 - 9pm

Giuseppe Verdi’s grandest work—the story of a kidnapped Ethiopian princess who is brought to Egypt and thrust into one of opera’s most emotionally and morally complex love triangles—lends itself to extravagance. However, seasoned operagoers know it takes a rare cast and production team to maintain emotional intimacy and charge amid the pageantry. Fortunately, SF Opera has a reputation for delivering an Aida that’s been heralded as one of the best. The classic’s first SF run in nearly a decade will feature renowned conductor Nicola Luisotti and legendary British fashion designer Zandra Rhodes at the helm, plus a singularly talented cast including star tenor Marcello Giordani.

September 10-December 5, sfopera.com

One of the most gripping local transportation debates in the country has been unfolding in Seattle, where the replacement of a highway along the waterfront known as the Alaskan Way Viaduct presents an opportunity to completely rethink a core piece of the city’s transportation system. So far, public officials have cast their lot with a plan to replace this elevated highway with an underground highway buried within a deep-bore tunnel.

Dan Bertolet at PubliCola argues that the tunnel plan is based on the erroneous assumption that maintaining car capacity transcends all other transportation objectives. Excess urban highway infrastructure, even if you deck it over with parks and public space, is antithetical to promoting more sustainable transportation, Bertolet writes:

A common argument made in support of a deep-bore tunnel to replace Seattle’s Alaskan Way viaduct is that by putting all those cars underground, we’ll end up with a better pedestrian and cycling environment on the city’s downtown streets, the waterfront street in particular. That position may sound logical, but not unless you disregard several key realities of cars and cities.

First of all, focusing on how the tunnel would impact downtown streets ignores the impact it will have elsewhere. As I discussed in a previous post, car infrastructure inherently sabotages travel by walking, biking, and transit. The reinforcement of car dependence caused by the tunnel will dwarf any progress on alternative modes that might be made in isolated pockets of downtown Seattle.

Furthermore, there is a major flaw in the underlying premise that with a surface-only viaduct replacement scheme, utilizing the downtown street grid to make up for lost car capacity along the waterfront would force us to take space away from bikers and pedestrians. Because that premise only holds if you accept that car capacity is sacred.

New York City’s removal of car travel lanes along Broadway is an unqualified success story. They didn’t have anywhere else to put all those displaced cars, but that didn’t stop them from doing it anyway. And this rejection of the “car capacity is sacred” mindset is the path that Seattle policy makers will also have to get on if we ever hope to make a meaningful transition from our current state of unsustainable car-dependence…

Whatever configuration of street ends up getting built along the Seattle waterfront, it will eventually fill up with cars, even if we spend billions on a bypass tunnel.

In the case of the viaduct, to me that choice is a no-brainer: a low-speed, two-way, four lane boulevard along the waterfront. Yes, this will constrain car capacity. But here’s the reality: Reining in capacity is the only way we will ever make significant progress towards reducing driving, a goal that is not only aligned with basic principles of sustainable urbanism, but also happens to be an adopted goal of the State of Washington.

Elsewhere on the Network, Cyclicious highlights an upcoming bicycle safety discussion taking place in Orange County, California, where an average of one cyclist per month is killed on the roadways; Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation assails a proposal in St. Charles County to ban bikes on several roads; and Tucson Velo asks what amenities compel people commute by bike by examining a local map comparing Census data on travel modes.

Last night, the San Francisco Symphony kicked off another season via--you guessed it--a posh gala. Who was there? People with loads of money, that's who. Let's see: Marissa Mayer sported a gorgeous red Carolina Herrera gown, Newsom's head looked oddly rectangular, some ladies flashed peace signs and side boob, Jennifer Siebel-Newsom donned a visibly short-ish dress, this lady wore Lacroix, George and Charlotte Shultz stopped by, this lady wore fancy white gloves, this lady sure looked pretty, Paula Carano wore this bit of nuttery, Deepa Pakianathan slipped into this fun Marc Jacobs piece, and.... dear God, that's a lot of sparkling wine.

The only thing missing was Dede Wilsey wearing one of her signature tacky ensembles. Alas.

Check out SF Symphony's entire 2010-2011 season.

Update: Wilsey did, in fact, make it to the festivities in... a horrific pink fur monstrosity.

I’m a 33-year-old, confident single gal who often dishes out dating advice to my friends. Over the past six months I’ve developed a friendship with "Mr. M,” 12 years my senior, and it became evident that we share amazing chemistry. I’m extremely attracted to him. Trouble is, I want to be in a committed relationship. Mr. M’s divorce ended badly, and he clearly harbors bitterness towards marriage; he also admits to having issues with even non-marital commitments. But he’s extremely fun to be around and we always have a wonderful time. On two separate occasions, after a long evening of dinner, wine and flowing conversation, we hooked up. I realize he can’t offer the relationship I want, so am I playing with fire by sleeping with him? By crossing that line have I pigeoned-holed us as "friends with benefits"? I thought I was long over my attraction to unavailable men. I am open to meeting and dating someone else. but I have such a weakness for Mr. M. Am I doomed?
He Said: It doesn’t sound like you’re over your attraction to unavailable men to me. You’re certainly not doomed however; you can redefine your relationship without his permission and pop out of your pigeonhole even if he likes it there. Your dilemma is that the more you enjoy the company and occasional hookup with this guy, the more attached you will become, and the less likely you’ll put energy into finding someone who is interested in building a committed relationship. Certainly if you harbor any desire for having kids, you should be spending less time with this guy.

But regardless of what types of hormones are inspiring you, in any relationship one person puts in more energy than the other and right now you are that person. Focus your energy elsewhere, maybe dating other people, maybe just enjoying time alone or with your friends. This guy might surprise you by stepping up, but even if he doesn’t, you’ll be in a better position to find someone who’s available.
She Said: Well, I agree with the advice above, but just so we explore both sides of the coin, here’s another angle. What if you kept seeing Mr. M but also stepped up your dating life? This is a dilemma a lot of singles find themselves in, and I’ve seen both strategies work. Cutting off the unavailable man cold turkey and pouring energy into dating others may be good, as long as the obsession you feel about not seeing Mr. M doesn’t weight you down more than seeing him does.

Your other option is to space out your dates with Mr. M so that you keep a nice flow of friendship, fun, conversation, and sex that can “tide you over” until you find a serious relationship. But for this approach, you need, as they call it, a strong pipeline full of dates, social activities, sex and fun outside of M. so that you stay open and ready for what you really want.

Of course, you realize that both these strategies involve the same tricky twist: Both make you more unavailable to Mr. M, which makes him desire you more and possibly chase you more, which throws a wrench into the whole thing because his feelings might change, or his feelings might appear to change. As might yours. But choose one of these first steps and see what happens.

Confused? Heartbroken? Curious? Send your questions to Twosense@7x7.com and we might just answer them here. Have thoughts about this post? We want to hear 'em! Comment below.

You feel that chill? That harrowing sensation? That prickly breeze? It's the sparks emanating from the Bay Area food community's nerves being ripped to shreds. Tomorrow, according to Inside Scoop editor Paolo Lucchesi, make-or-break food critic Michael Bauer will award a new restaurant zero (0) stars for food.

Gulp.

"[A]s most know, The Chronicle rating system is different from, say, The New York Times, in that one-star reviews are very rare themselves, meaning a zero-star food rating is pretty much like seeing a yeti get a 8pm reservation at Flour + Water," Lucchesi forewarns, going on to say, "it’s been a long, long while since the feared Zero Star stamp has been taken out of top secret storage, even if it is just for the food rating."

Any guesses? (We pray this isn't the beginning of a terrible pun.)

As electronics evolve so does design. The iPads, iPhones, iPods, Droids and the like that are taking over our lives are also taking over the desktop with a mass of noodle-like charging wires.

When it comes to technology accessories, it's best not to invest too much. After all, today's smart solution is tomorrow's dowdy Craigslist posting (think VHS tape drawers or television armoires).

One of my new favorites is the iPad holder from igearusa.com. Not only does this elegant stand hold the device at the perfect angle for viewing, it allows it to be charged without taking up space. Read more...

SFist reader Sarah Story sent us this John Lennon-inspired shot she snapped in Berkeley today.

For those of you who use Google, you might recall yesterday's bubbly Google logo that swept balls to and fro. (For those of you who use Yahoo, we look forward to seeing you come Thanksgiving, Mom and Dad!) It was all part of today's new search feature that, for better or for worse, displays the results as soon as you begin typing. It's fast. And very jumpy. Or, as Valleywag so eloquently put it, it's Google on crack. Give it a try. See for yourself. "Feelings of euphoria and weightlessness are normal. Do not be alarmed," Google soothes after you test out the new searchability.

What does this mean? It means the "search" and "I'm feeling lucky" buttons, we would assume, are now useless. Speaking of which, did anyone actually ever use the "I'm feeling lucky button"? (Oh, besides you, Mom and Dad.)

MUSIC: KCRW, Americano at Hotel Vitale, and Om Records present Soundcheck, a free outdoor show featuring a stripped down set by Brooklyn's Si*Se, who have a Latin, downtempo, and soul vibe. Space is limited, so get there early, and be sure to RSVP for free entry.

5 to 8 p.m. // Americano Restaurant & Bar (8 Mission St) // $10 (free with RSVP)

LITERARY: Meridian Music begins their Fall 2010 series with Call And Response, in which poet Dottie Grossman will read her poems aloud and then improvising trombonist Michael Vlatkovich will respond. Neither knows in advance what the other will choose to do, creating an "appealing artistic tension in a unique way" and each medium will enhance the other without overpowering it.

7:30 to 9 p.m. // Meridian Gallery (535 Powell St) // $5-10

SCIENCE: At How to Make a Telescope, local amateur astronomer Douglas Smith, whose 16.5" primary mirror Dobsonian truss-tube telescope, FirstLight, was exhibited at this year’s Maker Faire, will explain basic optics, discuss the different types of telescopes and their components, and demonstrate the process of making those components.

7 p.m. // Bazaar Cafe (5927 California St) // free (purchase of food/beverage is appreciated)

Parts of SoMa, Laurel Heights, and the Western Addition experienced power outages last night relating to an unusual September downpour around 3 a.m. that stirred up a bunch of summer dust and pollution, creating a mud-like mixture that creates havoc and sparks small fires on power lines. A PG&E spokesman tells the Examiner, "It takes a very specific set of conditions for this to happen," and they weren't quite ready for it. PG&E typically washes the power lines before the rains start, which usually isn't for at least another month. Most power was scheduled to be restored by 10 a.m. this morning.

Another example of how this is just the most awesome weather year ever. PREVIOUSLY: Coldest Summer in 40 Years Produces Hottest August Day on Record The Rain This Month Is Allegedly Unremarkable

A Texas oil refinery and a Kansas-based chemical company have dumped several million dollars into the coffers of the proponents of Prop 23, which will appear on the November ballot in California. Why would these out-of-state corporations care about a ballot initiative dubbed the "California Jobs Initiative"? Because it would roll back AB 32, the landmark California climate change law signed in 2006, until employment numbers improve statewide.

Multiple companies across the country seem to have a stake in this ballot initiative, and as California Watch reports, "Of the more than $8.3 million contributed to the “Yes on 23” campaign, less than $1 million has come from within the state." The logic being that if the precedent gets set in California, polluters in other states will be able to take advantage and argue that environmental protections are hurting the economy and stifling job growth. If Prop 23 passes, it would suspend AB 32 until unemployment fell below 5.5% for four consecutive quarters, which at this rate could be a very long time from now, at which point Los Angeles will be Death Valley, San Francisco will be Arctic, and Florida will be underwater, or something.

So Vote No on 23! And don't we need an initiative to combat out-of-state interests meddling in our state's ballot propositions? Like that whole Mormons-in-Utah-funding-Prop-8 business? Btw, this is another reason to HATE the ballot initiative system.

It's no wonder San Francisco has such a booming culinary culture. It's an area where people are willing (even eager) to experiment with new ideas and reshape culture. The old western culture of self-reliance is still very much alive. When you mix those together, all sort of interesting things happen. Like home coffee roasting.  Sure, you can buy coffee from some of the nation's best roasters here. But that hasn't stopped lots of locals from trying their hand at  roasting green beans right in their kitchens. (In fact, it's probably even encouraged it.) Home roasting is easy and rewarding, and you've got everything you need–from supplies to community–right here in your backyard. Here's everything you need to get started.

If you've ever dreamed of being the next Alfred Peet or James Freeman, you may as well start like both of them did: small. In fact, Blue Bottle's Freeman launched his empire on a baking sheet full of coffee beans. These days, it's a little bit easier to get started. Scores of suppliers will sell you home roasting equipment and beans online. One of the best (naturally) is headquartered right here in the Bay Area.

Oakland's Sweet Maria's will sell you everything you need to start cooking, from equipment to beans. A slightly modded popcorn popper is your easiest and least expensive way to get geared up--but you can also drop several hundred bucks on a dedicated drum roaster. (Um, don't start with that, okay?)

More importantly, you need beans. Fortunately, you won't be stuck with the stuff that fell off the truck. Home roasters now have access to exceptional quality green (unroasted) beans, some of the best in the world, in fact. Sweet Maria's even offers the legendary Hacienda Esmerelda Especial Geisha, a bean that's won just about every award and broken every record for auction price that exists. (Um, again, don't start with these, okay?). In addition to Sweet Maria's, Oakland's Peerless Coffee & Tea also offers green beans. This family-owned roaster doesn't have the selection you'll find at Sweet Maria's, but it's worth a look.

While it's a pretty straightforward process, and only takes about five minutes, sometimes, we all need a little hand-holding.  Will Smith, over at Tested, recently shot his home roasting exploits from his Pacifica backyard and posted a step by step video that walks you through it.

I think, maybe, my favorite thing about Will's video (and it speaks again to what obsessive foodies we have in the Bay Area) is that he's using an induction heating element. Because it's not enough to roast your own beans on your DIY-modded popcorn roaster, you need to heat it with a 21st century cooking method. You go Will.

Cloudy  17°C

Wind: W 1 m/s Pressure: 1012 mbar Visibility: 19 km Humidity: 75% Thu, 09 Sep 2010 02:55

Termed out District Supervisor Chris Daly has no plans to leave San Francisco high and dry. According to NBC Bay Area, the (in)famous District 6 Supe confirmed plans to buy and run Buck Tavern on Market Street (between 12th Street & Page) -- a former watering hole for many local online writers.

“I sat down and thought about it,” Daly told NBC Bay Area’s Joe Rosato Jr. "And ultimately decided that it would make sense to purchase a bar and grill."

Obviously, this is a brilliant, brilliant idea. For many reasons. We love the area, the bar itself, his name could draw a wildly mixed crowd, and we can only imagine Daly would pour us a strong Vesper. (Fingers crossed.) ”I can hopefully have a place where people of all political stripes, but especially progressives can come together to have a drink, have something to eat - talk about important issues,” he went on to say.

He's leaning toward the name "Daly's Dive" but that's not settled yet. Commenters, you know what to do.

Read all about it a NBC Bay Area.

Update: Daly was kind enough to offer the first 10 SFist commenters in this post (besides Daly himself, of course) a free drink. Which? Is pretty damn cool, folks.