The CrackBerry Chronicles

With Elaine Santore

August 7, 2007

For the two people who still care…

Mayor Gavin Newsom and Jennifer Siebel didn't break up after all.

Making fun of Gaviffer is sooo March 2007, and I've already written enough about these two over the past year. After meeting Jennifer at the "Sicko" screening in June, I realized that Gaviffer was just like any other dorky couple in San Francisco. Jen was nice to my face, and that's all that matters.

Mayor Gavin Newsom and actor Jennifer Siebel. Keep the shomance alive, kids.

The only real news is the way it all went down:

August 3, 2007

12:42 p.m. (approx.): SFist Editor Brock Keeling reports "Newsom Dumps Actress Siebel."

4:42 p.m: Fog City Editor Luke Thomas emails Jennifer Siebel to confirm Keeling's report.

5:14 p.m: Jennifer responds via CrackBerry. Denies Keeling's broken arrow.

5:15 p.m: Thomas reports Siebel's denial.

5:45 p.m: Elaine forwards Thomas' report to Damion Matthews at SFLuxe via CrackBerry.

8:06 p.m: Mathews blogs about the flap, setting off some gay dramz:

No sources, no reasons, no dates, no nothing - but apparently they "just got word." Please. Even the tabloids cite sources, even if they are anonymous. And why the rush to print on something that's not well verified if the incident happened, as SFist claims, "over two weeks ago"? Did Brock even bother to ask Newsom's office, or Ms. Siebel herself (who is easy to contact).

August 5, 2007

Newsom fluffer Pat Murphy, in his deranged wisdom, lumps Thomas and Dan Noyes with Keeling.

Do you love it, or do you love it?

Dede Wilsey and the Bay Guardian kiss and make up

Well, not really. But I couldn't help but notice the strangeness of the SFBG holding their "Best of the Bay" party at the de Young museum. Even City Editor Steve Jones admitted it was "a strange juxtaposition." Being a Guardian intern alumna, I had to stop by and chat with some of my old co-workers.

Unfortunately, Luke was too busy catching up on gossip (more on that later, duh) to take photos of any of my friends. A huge shout-out to A&E Associate Editor Cheryl Eddy and reporter George Schultz.

It was lovely meeting SFBG columnist Annalee Newitz, co-editor of the book, "She's Such a Geek: Women Write About Science, Technology, and Other Nerdy Stuff" (Seal Press), which I highly recommend. Annalee and I discussed female geek culture, including the Japanese toilets at the Google campus (which have spray faucets in them).

Some friends of FCJ were at the party, including resident Paris Hilton, Hope Johnson, Ethics All-Star Joe Lynn, and the Green Party's Sue Vaughan. Jones was there, along with progocialites (aka progressive socialites) Alix Rosenthal and Cat Rauschuber. Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi showed up later in the evening, as did Evelyn Nieves of the New York Times, who had a journalist pow-wow with Guardian Publisher Bruce B. Brugmann.

Cat told Luke Thomas that she and Matt Gonzalez are leaving the Green Party to become DTS, aka "decline to state." (The horror!) This probably won't come as much of a surprise to those within the party; there's a rift between some members of the SF Green Party and Matt.

SFBG reporter Sarah Phelan and her husband, Khalil.

Hope Johnson, makeup artist/stylist Adrian Cano, Elaine Santore, and Sue Vaughan and Best of Bay award winner, Steve Gibson of Magnet. Sue and Hope were mortified
when I told Luke, "Take my picture with these gays - they think you're hot."

Best of the Bay "Best Electronic Music Act winners" Kepi and Kat, Steve Jones,
Elaine Santore, and Hope Johnson.

Kristina Johnson with daughters Ali and Katie.

Ethics Fines Officer Oliver Luby, Attorney David Waggoner, Joe Lynn,
and SFBG reporter Amanda Witherell.

de Young Museum Associate Director, Bob Futernick (center), with his wife and daughter.

BART Director Tom Radulovich, Cat Rauschuber,
and SFBG Executive Editor Tim Redmond.

Alix Rosenthal (center) and Gary Virginia.

Journalist Evelyn Nieves, SFBG Publisher Bruce Brugmann,
and Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi.

Duh News

Again, I stole this one from VH1's Best Week Ever. Here are a couple of last week's top stories that weren't really news.

1. Matt Gonzalez announces he's NOT entering the mayor's race. Blames public complacency for his reluctance to trumpet a progressive phalanx.

2. C.W. Nevius says there are lots of needles in Golden Gate Park. Next, he's gonna tell me I can't afford a house in SF. Too many scoops for me, CDub! The Chronicle is seemingly obsessed with GGP, but fail to mention all the needles on the streets in the Tenderloin where families actually live legally.

3. The Nation of Islam is, like, really intimidating to Matier & Ross.

4. Lindsay Lohan's new movie, "I Know Who Killed Me" really sucks, according to every one from the Chicago Tribune (who called it "incoherent and semi-vile") to my BFF Aaron, who sent me a text saying, "Oh my god. Absolutely the worst movie I've ever seen."

Chicken John Rinaldi: the other white meat

Sunday night, Luke and I attended a debate between mayoral candidates Chicken John Rinaldi and Josh Wolf at Chez Poulet in the Mission. Mike Farrah showed up incognito (though we all recognized his whiskers) because he "hasn't decided his #2 choice for mayor yet."

According to spywitnesses, Farrah was texting on his CrackBerry the entire time. I'm sure he was just checking his facebook, or maybe he was giving the Gavster a play-by-play. Why didn't you IM me, Mike? I was bored out of my mind.

Chicken John Rinaldi, moderator Jeremy Paul, and Josh Wolf.

Mike "Whiskers" Farrah (center right) and Josh Wolf's father, Len Harrison (far right).

Chicken John isn't running a serious campaign, but that depends on what your definition of serious is. Or what your definition of is is. You dig? Unfortunately, the only stuff worth printing is what Chicken told FCJ off the record. But Chicken did inform us that he's never voted before (he's a Libertarian and doesn't believe in voting rights), and that he probably won't even vote for himself in November.

Mayoral candidates Chicken John and Josh Wolf.

I'm going to give Chicken the benefit of the doubt because I'm feeling extra nice today. He says he's rolling out some big things over the next couple weeks. I'll believe it when I see it. He sounds like he's going to make it a party, and hey, I'm all about having parties. As long as he learns the issues in time to file for mayor on Friday.

More Best of the Bay party pics