I was stationed in Sacramento for four years in the late 70s, during which time, almost every…read moremorning, I read the San Francisco Chronicle. The Sacramento Bee was my local paper, and I read that too, but I'd grown up in the Washington, DC area, and the Chronicle, the de facto "newspaper of record" in Northern California, was analogous to the Washington Post, the "real" paper that we'd read at home. So digging into the Chronicle over breakfast, for national and international news, was familiar to me. The Chronicle informed, educated, and entertained me. Also, those being my later formative years, I was, to some extent, taught to read and write by Chronicle reporters and columnists, including: Carl Nolte, Art Hoppe, Bruce Jenkins, and one of my lifelong favorites, humorist and journalist Herb Caen. Times have changed, as have we all. The internet offers access to news and information that would have been unimaginable when I read The Chronicle, and anyway, I moved away, so the paper isn't as necessary to me as it once was. More to the point, I subscribed to the Washington Post for years, but I cancelled my subscription this year, as the paper deeply integrated AI into its content creation; and I still read the New York Times, but if they go too far down that road, I'll drop them, as well. Notwithstanding these things, the Chronicle is an important part of who I am, of how I think and say what I think, and when think about that, I'm grateful.

San Francisco Chronicle was my newspaper when I was living in San Francisco and Berkeley. I needed…read morea place to live and a place to work. I found it was useful. Newspapers often get negative reviews. For the purpose I read the San Francisco Chronicle it was okay.

This newspaper is a national treasure. The only place in the Bay Area to find the truth of who,…read morewhat, where when it's happening. I do miss the printed paper, but realize that online there could be a larger audience, etc. Indeed this paper should have an international audience. The substance, truth and relevance of their content is immeasurable. Much respect and gratitude to Willie and Mary Ratcliff.

Hello my brothers and sisters i have been down in the belly of the beast for a while I don't have…read moreany family support or any support at all i am reaching out to you seeking donations in any amount to get my basic needs all donations will be greatly appreciated I am asking you to bless a sister in need send donations in any amount to:PayPal.me/brie1337

Ali Ghanbarian changed my life…read more When I first moved from New York City to California, I was a young model trying to find my place in the industry -- and let's be real, at that time, most agencies weren't checking for Black models. Ali saw something in me when others didn't. He gave me my very first modeling opportunity, and it turned into a dream moment -- gracing the cover of SOMA Magazine on my first modeling go-see. Ali has always championed creative talent -- not just in San Francisco but all over the world. He has an incredible eye for individuality and a genuine passion for helping artists break through barriers. His support opened doors that changed the trajectory of my career and gave me the confidence to keep pushing forward. If you're a creative, an innovator, or an artist who feels unseen -- Ali is that guy. A visionary who helps others be seen, heard, and celebrated. -- Forever grateful,Goldie Dixon

I've known the publisher and founder of Soma Magazine for over 30 years. Ali Ghanbarian is a one of…read morea kind media entrepreneur. Ali captured the cultural heartbeat of San Francisco and the world in the pages of the magazine. It was read by innovators worldwide and represented the amazing differences in left coast culture. I feel that he should receive more recognition for his contribution to the culture of San Francisco and world cultural.

Initially, I was afraid to come here because of all the bad reviews. It was my first time taking…read morethe ferry from SF to Oakland, and I didn't have a Clipper card, so I had no choice but to buy an actual ticket. Before I approached, I expected to get chewed out or at least glared at. I've been here twice now with no issues. On my first visit, I got a guy who was really friendly and helpful. He got me my ticket, and even told me which direction to go to and which port I should look for, without me having to ask. The second time, I got a guy who seemed to be in training with the first guy guiding him. The trainee was able to get the job done without a problem. I usually don't give places like this a review, but I felt the need to write up a good one, so others won't be afraid to come here like I had been and give them a shot.

Based on a recent rude and abusive "customer service" experience at this location on a weekday…read moreafternoon when I attempted to replace a lost Clipper card, I fled to the Embarcadero transit centerto replace it,

While the Economist is a great source of news, they have increased their subscription rate far in…read moreexcess of inflation and have now decided to have their print subscription customers pay for the Economist to advertise itself (they substituted extracts from their 1873 magazine in the July 27th double edition in place of mailing out the August 3rd edition).

I received the periodical for many years, but they decided that my city address was "undeliverable"…read moreand quit delivering without notice. This went on for six months. Despite the fact that I had been a customer for many years, they decided that I was unimportant and that they were not going to give me any credit for the issues they did not deliver. This amounts to theft. Do NOT trust them.

One of the last remaining letterpress print shops in SF if not the very last. They take pride in…read morepreserving a manual printing process and their shop is an amazing resource for learning as well as picking up their curated stationary and art supplies. There is something quite cool about mixing ink and printing using plates, it's all easily visible from the front of the shop. If you know what blackwing pencils are they have them here and so much more. Fancy scissors, tons of erasers, and all kinds of writing instruments that have selected based on their history and functionality. Definitely worth stopping by to browse, you'll see stuff from all over the world. I would say these are more for the conneseiur and are priced as such and even though I didn't get anything I was tempted by some of their unique rulers. They also sell cards and posted that are printed in house, the prints would give your interior a nice analog vibe.

Was taken here as a part of the Heath Ceramics Workshop Tour on Friday, as its in the same building…read moreHeath Ceramics occupies. Probably never would've found it otherwise. Interesting place if you're in the vicinity. If you are in need of custom printing, some art supplies, or want to see some really old printing machines, come by. They can also give you estimates online as well. I bought a multi-colored pencil here for just $2.00. It's an interesting place to spend a few minutes, if you find yourself nearby, say after shopping at Heath. The staff is super nice too.

"Fearless Journalism" is Mother Jones' tagline and it truly goes where mainstream media will not…read moretread: Controversial, in-depth and thought-provoking. It's journalism that's daring, maverick- topics that mainstream outlets won't touch because they aren't sensational or popular or might offend advertisers. (Having worked in publishing for years- not hard-hitting journalism mind you, merely travel/entertainment/lifestyle publications- content is *always heavily swayed by the bottom line. Sorry if I popped your cherry). But Mother Jones doesn't operate in that bandwidth and this San Francisco-based magazine with national and international influence is a must-read. It doesn't bow to advertising pressures, popular opinion or what's in vogue. If I had to pick an adjective to describe its writing, I'd say "contrarian" and I say that with deep admiration. Long before I fumbled then stumbled backwards into a career in publishing, I had an obsession with print that started at a young age. I madly devoured every magazine I could get my hands on. I spent every dollar on any and every magazine whose cover lines pinged my imagination. My list wasn't precocious, it was Mad Magazine, TV Guide, Harper's Bazaar, Seventeen, Mademoiselle, an occasional perusal of Fortune and an obsession with The New Yorker. (I dreamt of escaping my boring hometown of Buffalo and living in New York City and read its theater/gallery/events/movie listings like they were a treasure map). But now with time being a precious commodity, I've regretfully let go of subscriptions I no longer have time to read, like watching leaves float away on a fast-moving stream. No more Rolling Stone, Food & Wine, More, People, Forbes, New York and on and on. Yet, there are a few that've made the cut: The New Yorker, Cooks Illustrated, Vanity Fair (I'm a charter subscriber) and Mother Jones Magazine. I'll renew my subscription and give one - or three - as Christmas gifts. Buy a newsstand copy, if only to support Mother Jones' fine journalism and an excellent San Francisco institution, and consider a subscription. Even if your politics are right-leaning, I promise you'll find information that'll be thought-provoking and interesting. Mother Jones is a phenomenal magazine.

Terrible customer service. Had issues with my subscription, and after weeks and repeated emails,…read morenot one word of response from MJ's customer service team to either correct or cancel the subscription. Never again.

Vapid, socialite slick consumerist fodder…read more Content is Not for the typical Yelper. I canceled my subscription 2 months ago, but they're still sending it to me. Like I'm going to buy a $1million SOMA condo or a $50,000 diamond for my wife. Yeah right!

I'll never forget my first San Francisco magazine. I had just moved to the Bay Area, only to be…read moreheaded on a trip to New Zealand, and I was browsing the airport bookstore for reading materials when I saw it: the extra-large mag with a pic of Gavin Newsom on the front. I was glued to the pages the whole flight and subscribed the second I got back. Those were the heady days of my budding love affair with San Francisco, when the city could do no wrong and waves of discovery were washing over me at an almost unbearable rate. So the magazine was quite helpful for marinating my brain in the local flavor and gaining some semblance of orientation. But now, I've got a lot more personal experience with SF (and, let's face it, I've got Yelp), and the magazine isn't quite the eye-opener it once was. More importantly, though, the city (and, let's face it, Yelp's uber-populist medium/message) has turned me into something of an anti-consumerist eco-hippie, and the dream of high-society hobnobbing and owning that killer loft has palled considerably since I realized I was just being subjected to the incredibly paradoxical mass-marketing of luxury "lifestyles". Unfortunately, though, there are still a lot of Boomers (ok, and some young folks) in this city who subscribe to that dream, and SF Magazine is catering to them more than ever these days. So aside from the excellent "Reporter's Notebook" articles, there really isn't much to interest me anymore, and I find myself on the lookout for a Bay Area lifestyle magazine that caters to my *actual* lifestyle. Sorry SF Mag--to quote one of your ads, you may have overlooked nothing, but I don't actually want to overlook everything.

It is important for organizations like this to survive. There is some very good writing here, and I…read moreurge folks to check it out. We need alternatives to the Chron pablum and Bay Guardian knee jerkism. But the website is a mess, and has been since inception---and this is a predominately web-based outfit. I tried to send a message to the editor on the "contact" page, and the page just disappears when you hit "send". No confirmation. I later attempted to comment on a story, but the CAPTCHA image did not display. This is trying with two separate browsers--Firefox & Chrome (with a Mac). Also, you search "San Francisco news", or "Bay Area news" on Google or Bing, and SFPP doesn't come up (at least after 10 pages). It seems to me a decent website would be a fairly high priority for these folks.

2nd Print Edition comes out on Thursday, November 11, 2010 featuring in-depth reporting on Pier 70…read moreredevelopment and proposed development of the Cargill Salt Flats in Redwood City and more...

Legal Disclaimer - I am an avid weekly reader of the Anderson Valley Advertiser, East Bay Express,…read moreSF Bay Guardian and the SF Weekly. I am a Yelp Elite member and I have attended their events sober. I have eaten Pork in Danville. There's already an active thread and I'm sure more review posts will be forthcoming in response to this week's SF Weekly article on Yelp. Heck, some business owners who feel that they have previously been wronged by Yelpers might throw 5 Star "pay-back's a bitch" review grenades, while hiding relatively anonymously behind their profiles. I am of course disappointed that my reviews were not mentioned or that as a 50-ish single father, my life wasn't reduced to a cartoonish stereotype (like being labelled a narcissistic twit). At the same time, this me-too article (the first appearing in the East Bay Express) doesn't pretend to pass as journalism. And when you consider the SF Bay Guardian's relatively recent success in litigating some of the SF Weekly's business practices, it is often useful to consider the source of your information. One Yelp "friend" recently questioned my Yelp objectivity, based solely on my Elite Status. And over time, after having 3 of my own reviews pulled and complaining long and loud not only to the Yelp HQ, but once to Jeremy himself, I guess he forgot to tell me that to some, Elite Status might also mean Yelp Toad. Not this time.

I have read SF Weekly every Wednesday for as long as I can remember…read more Highly recommended over the Guardian or East Bay Express, both of which I find incredibly boring and bland. My favorite aspect of SF Weekly is for discovering upcoming live shows, be it a big stadium gig, or some obscure band that is playing Cafe Du Nord or Bottom of the Hill. This is what I used before the " interwebz" and gosh darn it, this is still gonna be my go to for " useful" " funny" or " cool" events in the Bay Area.