The Guardian's Best of the Bay issue is now out (and you gotta wonder with all the web designers out of work, why their online version sucks rocksalt). As usual I can happily point at a few friends in the pages Hal Robins, The Seemen, and ATA. Other longtime favorites get recognition like Cafe Abir and Naked Eye video. And happily there is much that is news to me like Lord of Balls Lounge, because this is such an incredible city.

The homegrown wonder that is Craigslist gets mentioned amongst both the Reader's & Editor's picks. And though Craig Newmark's creation (now much bigger than he alone--with a staff of 14) has much to offer to every citizen of this geeky city--online listings to help the job hunt, apartment hunt, love hunt, or just selling stuff--today I wandered down the left-hand column of the homepage and clicked to read the last couple personal dispatches from the man who made the list.

One regards a California financial privacy law that's worth voicing and voting for. The other pertains to a lawsuit that Craig & other users of ReplayTV in conjunction with the EFF have filed against the tv networks and major studios to protect their (i.e. OUR) rights to use "time-shifting" and "space-shifting" technology. Go Craig!

More live music:

Caroliner play live August 8th at GAMH (also appearing is KROB of Odeon fame). If you think you love dada then Caroliner will bite you. Here's some more evidence.

Oh, and Dread Zeppelin are playing out again, too. I knew you'd want to know.

Never mind the Pistols, Camper Van Beethoven is having a reunion tour--3 shows just finished in NYC, and an upcoming one two in SF & one in LA! They also just released their remake of Fleetwood Mac's TUSK (extra credit for the jackalope album cover).

Other die-hard Camper Fan Trivia: Victor Krummenacher is now Art Director (and sometimes writes and interviews) for the SFBayGuardian; early Camper member Chris Molla now makes music for children; and David Immerglück (ex-Monks of Doom) now plays with Counting Crows!?

Jonathan Segel & Victor's record label has news and releases by related projects [and a quote from Brunching.com's Lore Sjoberg!]. I must highly recommend VK's Out in the Heat for great songwriting and beautiful dusty arrangements featuring pedal steel, mandolin, and accordion. Written during a "dark phase" with the eloquence which that can entail.

I am disappointed because I was hoping to link to an interview with Johnny Rotten that I'd read (maybe in BAM) where when asked what he had to offer an 18-year old Green Day fan he answered:

A big willy.

but the interview is unfindable.

Two cool shows on comics on now in San Francisco.

mikl's freshly coined phrases department:

when the Half-and-half goes whole

reviews are in on Phil Donahue's return. And, from the same column, did you know that Enron & the NYTimes had a financial relationship?

there's a new giant squid in town. if you live in Australia, at least.