In college, when our money got thin, my roommate instituted what he called "freezing in the dark." The thermostat was dialed down, the lights went out, and the utility bill plunged. I can't say I always enjoyed it. At times I imagined we could store frozen hamburger on our bookshelves, and our shins were bruised from knocking into things at night. But despite my roommate's unrelated and unforgivable policies of rarely wearing pants and smelling like old curry, he got a clap on the back when the utility bill showed up. Facing a projected $4 billion gap in New York...
[image courtesy SF Citizen] No Thanksgiving pardon here: SF Citizen's trademark up-high shot of the Civic Center Plaza shows that our glorious Victory Garden has, alas, come to an end after a couple stays of execution. Which brings City Hall a nice, barren plot of dirt just in time to match a) the Christmas tree lighting ceremony, and b) the barren trees flanking the dirt piles. Let's hope those veggies went to the food banks and local schools they were promised to, and not just straight into the ever-convenient compost bin. · San Francisco’s Victory Garden 2008 is Now...
by Brian Solis It’s that time again, hard to believe that it’s already been a year. TechCrunch has announced the second annual Crunchies, co-produced with GigaOm, Silicon Alley Insider, and VentureBeat. But, before we talk about attending the event, let’s focus on nominating the most deserving startups, or those who can solicit the most votes, as well as products across 15 categories based on their 2008 performance. Nominations are open until December 10th, Midnight PST. The ceremony will be held on Jan. 9, 2009, 7:30 pm at the Herbst Theater across the street from City Hall in San Francisco. Tickets...
It’s hard to believe that nearly a year has gone by since we gave out those crazy gorilla awards to the best startup and product successes in Silicon Valley and around the world. Some of the photos from last year are here. The Crunchies are back. We are once again partnering with some of our favorite blogs - thank you to co-hosts GigaOm, Silicon Alley Insider and VentureBeat (click the links for their announcements). The Awards Ceremony will be held on Jan. 9, 2009, 7:30 pm at the Herbst Theater across the street from City Hall in San Francisco. The...
After a very successful debut last year, The Crunchies are returning to once again celebrate the best of entrepreneurship and new startups. With the economy being what it is, 2009 is going to be a tough year for everyone and I see events like The Crunchies as a big morale booster for those of us working in the trenches. The Crunchies are a joint effort by us, VentureBeat, Silicon Alley Insider and TechCrunch. More details will emerge in the coming days but for now, here are the rules and some facts. Nominations will be accepted from now through Dec. 10...
Although the United States made history on Nov. 4 by electing its first African-American president, supporters of California's No on Proposition 8 (a ban on gay marriage) suggest that American prejudice and discrimination still run deep. After the ban on gay marriage was passed, members of the gay community have come out in cities across the country to protest. (Meanwhile, gay marriages were legally passed in Connecticut last week.) They seek respect, dignity and their civil rights, which to them means the ability to marry who they love regardless of gender. Since the election results on the measure were...
Last year the police were hassling the art vendors in SoHo, something documented by Robert Lederman, president of A.R.T.I.S.T. (Artists’ Response to Illegal State Tactics). Around the same time, word of an Alan Gerson-proposed bill to "deal with the problem" was getting out, and now the City Council proposal has arrived, leaving the artists on the defense. The NY Post reports that "The council last week began considering limiting the number of art vendors to two per block on pedestrian-packed sidewalks such as the stretch of West Broadway in the artist-saturated neighborhood." Gerson's concern is that some of the streets...
A reader writes: Here in Grand Forks, ND, about 75 protesters gathered in from of the City Hall and then marched to the Town Square. The turnout was thrilling, but more encouraging were the passersby. College-aged men in pickup trucks pumping fists and flashing peace signs. Women reaching over from passenger seats and honking their husbands' horns. Elderly folks smiling and waving. Not a single person yelled anything out of a car window. Come to think of it, I only saw one middle finger the whole day! I'm a politically active 25 year-old law student, and I really do...
A reader writes: The protest took place from 1:30 to 4:00, in front of City Hall. The weather was rainy and gloomy, but you could never tell by the attitude in the crowd. The feeling was not one of defeat, but of determination, of a willingness to fight. I ("Str8 against H8") stood next to a transgendered woman, a gay couple, and an elderly man and woman, all for the same cause. There were numerous speakers - congresspeople, advocates, teachers, speaking not just of prop 8, but of trans rights, DOMA, and the change that the community has brought...
A reader writes:Although there is an obvious lack of structure to the rally, there has to be a couple of thousand protesters at City Hall and it keeps growing....
A reader writes:Went to the rally at City Hall in NYC today and was struck by the celebratory mood in the air. Today felt like the first time we got a glimpse around the corner the country is beginning to turn, like everyone knew we would win this thing despite the latest setback. It may take longer than we'd prefer, but America will still come through. Today simply reaffirmed that for me, and I didn't appear to be alone.That's how it felt in DC too. Yes We Will....
The anger over Proposition 8 is not ending: There are number of protests all over the country. Prop 8 is the California ballot proposition that bans gay marriage; it was passed last week, but there are lawsuits challenging its constitutionality. You can find them here--in NY, there are gatherings in NYC, Albany, Rochester, Syracuse, White Plains, Ithaca, Buffalo, Utica and Hofstra. While NYC had a Prop 8 protest on Wednesday night outside the Manhattan Morman Temple, tomorrow's will take place at City Hall at 1:30 p.m. till 3:30 p.m. (more details)....
The Prop 8 fallout is in full tilt: our internets are on fire, marches continue across the state, and even Noe Valley's getting into the decorative spirit. But a Curbed SF operative caught this apparent moment of quiet solidarity last night while passing through the Civic Center. Just across from City Hall, no less: the War Memorial Opera House, lit up in rainbow colors. No signs, no chanting— just lights. Nice. Turns out they do this a few times every year, when subscribers to SF Opera's Rainbow Series get together to watch operas, have tea, and chat it up....
