San Francisco

I have two exciting bits of news to share about my short film, 575 Castro St. today.Harvey Visits the 8th GradersFirst and foremost I just have to share that I had the opportunity to present the film to the 8th Grade class at Brandeis Hillel Day School this afternoon and had a fantastically inspiring experience with the kids talking about Harvey as the gay (and Jewish) hero that he was. Here in California, the law that set out May 22nd as Harvey Milk Day also encourages public schools and educational institutions to conduct suitable commemorative exercises.In my introduction to the film I spoke a bit about who Harvey was and how FilmInFocus.com had asked me to make this short film for the Milk website back in 2009; and then asked the kids to think about why Harvey was so focused on how important it is for people to come out.I confess I brought along a box full of HRC equals sign buttons to hand out to the kids afterwards — yes, I have some political bones to pick with HRC but the ubiquitous and highly meaningful symbol was too valuable to resist. It was incredibly moving to see most of the kids pinning the buttons to their jackets and backpacks without hesitation, and to know that they and their generation are literally making the world safer for LGBT people.For any of you California educators out there — I have a great little double-sided one-page hand out you can use to present the film to your class as a Harvey Milk Day activity next year. You can use the handout to guide the discussion and show the film directly at the FilmInFocus.com 575 Castro St. page or the Sundance Screening Room YouTube page (just send me a Facebook message and I will get you the handout).Watch at the Sundance Screening Room & ElsewhereI’m also proud to share that there is a brand new opportunity for everyone to see the film by visiting the Sundance Screening Room YouTube page where it is being freshly showcased for Harvey Milk Day.As always, San Franciscans and visiting tourists can view the film in the most perfect venue I could ever have imagined: The HRC Action Center & Store which is located at the now legendary address of Harvey Milk's old Castro Camera shop (yes, that would be 575 Castro St.).Working with our awesome GLBT Historical Society the HRC folks have created a wonderful historical display about Harvey Milk and Castro Camera. A prominent part of the display is an installation of my film, 575 Castro St. exhibited on a continual loop, with a set of headphones so you can listen to the soundtrack while you watch.Of course the most amazing thing about this is the fact that not only was my film footage shot at this address (in 2009 when it was the empty Castro Camera Store set of Gus Van Sant's Milk) but the audio of Harvey Milk talking about his wishes in the event of his assassination was also recorded in this very room (not upstairs in his apartment as fictionally depicted in Milk).Big continuing gratitude to everyone at FilmInFocus.com, the GLBT Historical Society, HRC and also the Harvey Milk Foundation for their ongoing work maintaining the legacy of Harvey Milk.

The fourth-year pro has proven to be a valuable backup quarterback for San Francisco.

After suffering a torn Achilles tendon in his right leg, Michael Crabtree has had one pressing question: Will the talented wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers miss the entire upcoming season? Personally, I think he will. And even if … More »The post Is Michael Crabtree Out for the Season? appeared first on EveryJoe.

Today in Day Around the Bay: Guy Fieri in "San Fran," new place in Nervous Dog space, Jason Alexander and being Jewish, Clitoris Mass, and more. [ more › ]

Jason Kessler, who writes The Nitpicker for Bon Appetit, warmed our heart after he was rudely dismissed by the host and manager of a "20-year-old spot" across from the Ferry Building that "had just lost its Michelin star." (We'll let you figure out which restaurant.) And then wrote about it. [ more › ]

This news is not necessarily Cleveland Browns-related, but it closes the book on the career of another one of the league's best inside linebackers. Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher were the best players at their positions in their respective conferences for a very long time, and earlier today, Urlacher officially announced his retirement from the NFL. Our Bears affiliate, Windy City Gridiron, posted some of the reactions people and teams have had on Twitter. Here is a nice one from the Arizona Cardinals organization, giving Urlacher a shout out for the havoc he has caused them in the past: You were who we thought you were.Congrats.RT @burlacher54: It was an honor to play my entire career for the @chicagobears. — Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) May 22, 2013 More reaction on Urlacher's retirement can be found here. In recent memory, the only player on the Browns who stacks up to Urlacher in terms of a legacy is kicker Phil Dawson. After 14 seasons with the team, though Dawson signed with the San Francisco 49ers this offseason. In a couple of years, Joe Thomas will fall into the category of being a legendary Brown.

After reportedly criticizing Bryce Harper's positioning in the outfield following Tuesday night's extra-inning loss to the San Francisco Giants, Washington Nationals closer Rafael Soriano says he isn't upset.

The Town Square got a thumbs up from the budget and finance committee today prompting Todd David to send out this update (emphasis ours): Hello Noe Valley Town Square supporters: I'm thrilled to report that the San Francisco Board of Supervisors' Budget and Finance Committee unanimously (5-0) voted today to recommend to the full Board the legislation authored by Supervisor Wiener to acquire the land that will be the future home of the Noe Valley Town Square. This vote is consistent with the San Francisco Recreation and Park Commission's unanimous vote for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to approve $4,242,500 from the Open Space Acquisition Fund for the purchase and remediation of the Noe Valley Ministry parking lot. (The Noe Valley Ministry would receive $3.9 million and the additional $342,500 would be used for remediation of the lot that used to be a gas station.) The last hurdle to clear is the vote by the entire Board on June 4th – a 6-person majority plus mayoral approval would make the acquisition a reality! A huge thank you is in order: We never could have come this far without the steadfast support and legislation of Supervisor Wiener and hundreds of Noe Valley Town Square friends and neighbors who have made financial pledges, written letters of support, and appeared at today’s and the previous Rec and Park hearings. Thank you – it does take a village to create a Town Square! (If you or your friends have not yet donated to the Town Square, now that we’re this close it’s great time to make a pledge! Even with the acquisition, we will still need to raise an additional money to transform the parking lot into our future Town Square.)

Things worked out very well for the Rockies Wednesday afternoon as they beat the Diamondbacks 4-1 behind the strong pitching of the bullpen, and the Nationals beat the Giants 2-1 thanks to two extra base hits by Bryce Harper and a strong outing from Gio Gonzalez. That creates a three-way tie atop the NL West between the Diamondbacks, Giants, and Rockies. San Francisco and Colorado are winning with offense. That’s not a surprise for the Rockies, but Colorado is allowing fewer runs per game than the Giants. We tend to think of the Giants as a pitching oriented team. The Diamondbacks are third in the NL in lowest runs allowed per game, and middle of the pack in runs scored. In terms of runs scored and allowed, the Rockies and Diamondbacks should be tied at 27 wins, and the Giants should be three games back. I suspect San Francisco’s pitching will improve as the season progresses, so being a bit ahead of their Pythagorean projection puts them in good stead for the division race.

The San Francisco 49ers lost in the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history last season, but that loss to the Baltimore Ravens highlighted how far the NFC West powerhouse has come in the last two years. Alex Smith suffered a concussion against the St. Louis Rams on Nov. 11 that altered the entire course of the 49ers' season. While Jim Harbaugh was criticized for his decision to keep Colin Kaepernick at the helm of the offense when Smith returned, it ultimately proved to be the best decision he could have made. In his second season with the team, Kaepernick compiled 2,229 total yards and 15 total touchdowns in 13 regular-season games—and somehow played even better in the playoffs. In three postseason contests, the shifty signal-caller tallied 1,062 total yards and seven more touchdowns, including a 444-total-yard performance against the Green Bay Packers in the Divisional round. With a 28-24 victory over the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Championship game, the 49ers would punch their ticket to New Orleans for a championship showdown with the Ravens. The story of Super Bowl XLVII has been told and retold. The Ravens got out to a tremendous start with a 21-6 lead at the half, but San Francisco battled back in the third quarter to pull within one of the lead. Despite Kaepernick’s best efforts, San Francisco was unable to overtake the eventual champions, dropping a heartbreaking contest 34-31. It wasn’t an easy loss for 49ers fans to swallow, but there’s plenty to be hopeful about this season. San Francisco is well on its way to becoming the preeminent franchise of the National Football League. With a future superstar under center, one of the best offensive lines in the league and a defense unmatched by any unit in the NFC, the 49ers are in no danger of fading away after last year's Super Bowl run. Trent Baalke is one of the most forward-thinking general managers in the NFL, and he’s done a tremendous job in setting up San Francisco with sustainability and elite talent. And he added to that talent this offseason. With the additions of former Kansas City Chiefs defensive lineman Glenn Dorsey and former Oakland Raiders and Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, an already dangerous defense got even stronger. It remains to be seen if the All-Pro corner can return to form in San Francisco, but Baalke managed to acquire him on a very cap-friendly contract (one year with no guaranteed money, per ESPN). The 49ers did lose hard-hitting safety Dashon Goldson to free agency, but Baalke and Harbaugh had a plan for replacing him. They moved up to the 18th pick in the first round of the draft to acquire LSU safety Eric Reid—a move that encapsulated San Francisco's draft success this year. The duo continued to impress with their draft selections, finding tremendous value throughout the weekend. Among the high-value players selected, Florida State defensive end Tank Carradine, Louisiana Tech wide receiver Quinton Patton and South Carolina running back Marcus Lattimore. A shining example of the rich getting richer, the 49ers put together one of the most impressive offseasons of any team in the league, on the heels of an absolutely dominant 2012 season. There’s no reason to believe San Francisco can’t duplicate its success in 2013. We’ll take a closer look at many of those offseason moves and preview several key position battles this offseason, as well as provide an outlook and predictions for the 2013 season.Begin Slideshow