Yelp Accused of Extortion

Very interesting articles about Yelp. I personally know some people at Yelp and they vehemently deny that this happens but it does make you wonder when so many people step forward with the same story.

February 18, 2009 - Yelp and the Business of Extortion 2.0

March 18, 2009 - Yelp Extortion Allegations Stack Up

Giants' pitcher Tim Lincecum featured in MLB 2K9 Commercial

Check out Giants' Cy Young award winning pitcher Tim Lincecum in this commercial for MLB 2K9. He's also featured on the cover of the game (see above).

Fox's Secret Millionaire Comes to San Francisco

Fox's newest reality show "Secret Millionaire" featured San Francisco in the most recent episode. The "millionaire" was online advertising entrepreneur Gurbaksh Chahal who went undercover and lived in the Tenderloin for a week.

Here's a little more about the show:

Like the British version, the Fox show will feature wealthy benefactors each week that will go undercover in the most deprived neighborhoods of the United States. For approximately ten days, the millionaires will mingle within the community and live on a very low-cost budget, for few this being the very first time. At the end of the show, the millionaires reveal their identities and proceed to give a minimum of $100,000 (which can be divided among the recipients). [Wikipedia]

And some more about Gurbaksh Chahal:

Gurbaksh Chahal is one of the youngest and one of the most successful internet entrepreneurs of recent history.Chahal has created companies worth over $340 million by the age of 25. On December of 1998, at the age of 16, he dropped out of Accel Middle College to start his first venture ClickAgents. ClickAgents was one of the first performance-based advertising networks in the industry. Two years later, on November 1st 2000, ValueClick announced it agreed to buy ClickAgents in a $40 million all-stock merger. Chahal had a three year non-compete with ValueClick. He was 18 years old at the time. On January 12, 2004 he founded BlueLithium. BlueLithium was an ad network focused on data, optimization, analytics and a pioneer of behavioral targeting. He has been recognized as an innovator in the online advertising space by Business 2.0 as well as a sought-after speaker, featured at conferences including Red Herring, JP Morgan, Bear Stearns and Ad:Tech. Under his leadership, BlueLithium was named one of the top 100 private companies in America three years in a row by AlwaysOn.On September 4th 2007, Yahoo! announced that it has agreed to buy BlueLithium for $300 million in cash. He remains CEO of the company through the transition period [iMedia].

Related Links:
SFGate - Advice from young millionaire Gurbaksh Chahal
Personal Site
"G" on Fox Business Channel
His SF Penthouse

Goodbye Puppy Cam, Hello Tenderloin Cam

Its time to say goodbye to the now famous Puppy Cam.

It seems like only yesterday the Shiba Inu live puppy cam stole our hearts. Now, 8 weeks old, they are ready to venture out into the real world (and off line). Some of the puppies will be leaving this weekend. [HuffingtonPost]

Links:
The Puppy Cam - not sure how much longer it will stay up
Puppy Cam Basically The Happiest Thing In The World


It's now time to say hello to the Tenderloin Cam

And now a self-described computer geek named Adam Jackson has gone a step further. He's created adamsblock.com - one of the hottest live shows on the Internet - simply by pointing a camera out his Tenderloin apartment window.

Jackson, 22, moved to the city in June from a small beach town in Florida and quickly discovered the realities of San Francisco real estate. Prices were so high that he said he "jumped on the first place I found."

It turned out to be on Taylor Street, just across from Glide Memorial Church. It's an ideal location - for watching crack deals, late-night violence and random crazy behavior.

"By the third night I was basically fed up with the crime and noise," Jackson said. "I didn't really have a plan. I just put the Webcam up, my girlfriend made a little Web page to display it, and here we are."

If you haven't checked out adamsblock.com, you are missing one of the greatest at-work time-killers ever to pop up on your monitor. There are two cameras, both on 24 hours a day, and a real-time chat room that crackles with activity. And no wonder - there is always something to talk about.

Jackson's camera has caught a man throwing himself into the side of a bus, apparently hoping to work an injury scam. It didn't work. The bus didn't stop. Viewers have also watched fights, car chases and break-ins.

If it sounds like an idea that might attract a crowd, you're right. After clips were posted on YouTube, the original group of 50 viewers grew to more than 500,000. [SFGate]

Links:
Adam's Block - Tenderloin Cam on Taylor Street across from Glide Memorial Church

Bye Bye Nolan

Yesterday the San Francisco 49ers fired head coach Mike Nolan. If only the Niners had played half as good as Nolan dressed.

Assistant head coach Mike Singletary will be the interim head coach, general manager Scot McCloughan said. ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported the two sides are working on a suitable contract for a head coaching position.

Nolan's firing came late Monday afternoon after he met with ownership. Earlier Monday, ESPN's Michael Smith reported that Nolan was going to be fired after next Sunday's game and be replaced by Singletary. Whether that story sped up the process or not, it was clear that Nolan's days were numbered following Sunday's 29-17 loss to the New York Giants in the Meadowlands.

Nolan, 49, was 18-37 as coach of the 49ers. Though the offense improved its scoring under the play-calling of offensive coordinator Mike Martz, the defense -- which is Nolan's specialty -- has been inconsistent all season.

Nolan brought back a measure of respectability to the franchise, but the 49ers have had five straight losing seasons and were 4-12, 7-9 and 5-11 in three full seasons in his tenure.

In fact, Nolan might be best known for his insistence on wearing a suit and tie on the sideline for the 49ers' home games. After protracted negotiations with Reebok, which has a contract to supply clothing to all the league's coaches, Nolan got permission to wear his specially designed suit.

Nolan's future also was heavily tied to quarterback Alex Smith, the No. 1 overall pick in 2005. Smith never became a consistent starter, and he had an embarrassing public spat with Nolan last year over the severity of the quarterback's shoulder injuries, which forced him onto injured reserve last year.

Smith's shoulder gave him more problems this year, and the quarterback went on injured reserve before the season began. [ESPN]

What remains for Smith's future is still uncertain. Some of have said he will be released after this season but it appears only time will tell. Check out the video BELOW.
Mike Nolan addresses his job security just hours before he was fired Monday night.

Weekend Preview: Red Bull Soapbox Race

UPDATE

Click HERE for pictures

Click HERE for a video

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Another Friday is upon us, so time to preview what to look forward to for the weekend.

This October 18th, Red Bull Soapbox Race will make its San Francisco debut as more than 30 teams of gear heads and auto amateurs speed down Dolores Street in their homemade, human-powered vehicles in a race against the clock. Teams have already been chosen, and those selected will be judged on four criteria – speed (of course), the creativity of their car and showmanship and the quality of their performance prior to crossing the starting line.

Event Day Information

When is Red Bull Soapbox Race San Francisco?
The big event is on Saturday, October 18th, 2008. Pit Row opens at 11:00 AM, with first race scheduled for 1:00 PM. Award ceremonies are expected to take place around 3:30 PM.

Where is it?
The event is taking place in the Mission District at Dolores Park in San Francisco. The start line will be located on Dolores St. and 21st St.. The pit area, aka “Pit Row”, will be located on 20th Street, between Dolores and Church St. This is where you can view the crafts and mingle with the teams beginning at 11:00 AM before they line up in procession to the starting line around 12:00 PM. The finish line will be at the intersection of Dolores St. and 19th Street.

Entry Fee?
Is 100% FREE to the public and open to all ages!

Here's a couple videos posted on the RedBull YouTube Channel of previous Soapbox races




More Weekend Previews:
FilmDrunk's Movie Preview
WithLeather's Sports Picks

Videos Simulate Earthquake in SF Bay Area

Photo Courtesy of the California History Room, California State Library, Sacramento, California

A major earthquake in California is a matter of when, not if. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates a 62 percent chance of a magnitude 6.7 or greater earthquake striking somewhere in the San Francisco Bay Area in the next 30 years. Extend that forecast to the entire state, and a big one is a near certainty.

When asked where the next big Bay Area quake is likely to be, most geologists will bet on the Hayward Fault, which runs along the eastern side of the bay through a densely populated area that includes Oakland, Berkeley and Hayward. The last major quake on that fault struck 140 years ago in 1868, and the average time between big ones is 140 years.

Aagard created several video simulations of Bay Area earthquakes, including the one directly above of a magnitude 7.0 earthquake on the Hayward fault. The ground motion is exaggerated by 1,000 to help with the visualization. The red color indicates very violent shaking that can cause significant damage.

Seismologist Mary Lou Zoback of Risk Management Solutions in Hayward estimates a magnitude 7.0 earthquake on Hayward fault quake could result in $200 billion in damage from shaking, thousands of deaths and hundreds of thousands of displaced people. [Wired]

Links:
1906 San Francisco earthquake (the picture at the top is SF after the 1906 quake)
1989 Loma Prieta earthquake
1994 Northridge earthquake
Earthquake engineering

Fleet Week in SF

If you work in San Francisco you probably were alerted to the happenings of Fleet Week today as the Blue Angels buzzed the city most of the day.

The window-rattling Blue Angels will be flying for four straight afternoons, with practice flights Thursday and Friday and air show performances Saturday and Sunday.

Events start Thursday at noon, with the six F/A-18 Hornet jets of the Blue Angels conducting a 5-hour practice flight. On Friday, the other planes in the air shows will practice, along with the Blue Angels.

On Saturday, four ships, including the amphibious assault ship Bonhomme Richard, will parade from the Golden Gate Bridge to the waterfront, beginning at 11:30 a.m. An hour later, the air show begins. [SFGate]

Links:
Site
Video
Article
Blue Angels Pictures
Fleet Week Pictures

Weekend Preview: SF Events

It's almost the weekend and if you happen to live in the Bay Area, San Francisco is where you want to be for the next few days. This weekend there are lots of scheduled events going on across the city, so there's no reason to not get out of your house and check one out (let's hope it doesn't rain). Here's a rundown of a few of the major events:

What: Hip Hop Live
Who: Talib Kweli, David Banner, Little Brother, B.O.B.
Where: The Grand at the Regency Center - 1290 Sutter Street
When: Show starts @ 8pm, Doors open @ 7pm
Why: Ever since emerging as a member of Black Star in the late 1990s, Talib Kweli is one of the few artists making commercially viable music that matters. The Brooklyn bred rapper's hard-hitting music has been able to educate and entertain simultaneously. So it is no wonder that at the peak of their fame, both Jay-Z and 50 Cent named Talib Kweli as one of their favorite rappers.
More: http://www.myspace.com/talibkweli


What: Oktoberfest By the Bay
Who: Bavarian bands, People who love beer & brats
Where: Fort Mason
When: Thursday-Sunday
Why: The annual celebration of all things German, this is the largest festival of its kind in California, w/authentic food, drink, music, dancing & German arts & crafts.
More: http://www.oktoberfestbythebay.com


What: Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 8
Who: Elvis Costello High Whines & Spirits, Gogol Bordello, Nick Lowe, Iron & Wine, The Waybacks, Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, Loundon Wainwright III, Ben Kweller, Robert Plant with Alison Krauss & MC Hammer (you heard me)
Where: Speedway Meadow in Golden Gate Park
When: Friday-Sunday
Why: Warren Hellman, famed investment banker and amateur banjo player, gifts San Francisco every year with a concert billed with some of greatest acoustic performers in the country. It's a random assortment of musical talents and genres but its free and definitely worth checking out.
More: http://www.strictlybluegrass.com


What: SF LOVEFEST
Who: Many many DJs, techno fans, costumed people, dancers, anyone who wants to spread the love
Where: (Start) 2nd & Market, (End) Civic Center Plaza
When: Music & Parade Start Saturday @ Noon
Why: The largest single day electronic dance music event in America, SF LoveFest is an integral part of the cultural fabric of San Francisco. The success of this event can be visualized in the images from years passed, but what keeps it going is the passion behind the organization . SF LoveFest aims to promote that the electronic dance music scene cares about the community and is sustainable by giving back, by granting music scholarships, providing gear to schools and supporting at-risk intercity youth
More: http://www.sflovefest.org


What: World Veg Festival Weekend
Who: Vegetarians, Vegans & Anyone
Where: Fair Building at Golden Gate Park
When: Saturday & Sunday
Why: The World Veg Festival provides a chance for newcomers to chat with enthusiastic proponents of the healthful lifestyle. Education comes in the form of cooking demonstrations and workshops that offer lessons in making vegan cheese and cooking up legumes in a variety of flavors, while expert-led discussions focus on ethical farming, naturalistic healthcare, new meditation techniques, and the benefits of going veg.
More: http://www.sfvs.org/wvd/