A fund-raising 'Rock Star'?Heading into today's Gavin Newsom "New Direction for California" fund-raiser at the Palace Hotel -- when plenty of folks will shell out good money to San Francisco's gubernatorial candidate and erstwhile mayor -- it's worth taking a look at who has already ponied up the big bucks in hopes of putting Newsom in the statehouse. Glancing through the list of major donors, the most double-take inducing name is Russell Weiner. That's the fellow who founded the company that pr
Thousands upon thousands of San Franciscans were greeted by Voter Information Pamphlets in their mail boxes this week. And yet -- as always -- the dread of a pending election featuring confusing ballot measures, the oft-bizarre arguments expended for and against them, and a handful of unopposed candidates was mitigated by the wonderful photography on the cover of the book. I don't know about you, but the sight of that majestic seaplane soaring over the unfinished Golden Gate Bridge fills me w