A Merry Katsopolismas: Spreading the Word

Oh, my Gavinistas and Katsopolistas! It’s been one heck of a holiday, but I’m back and good tidings I bring! On Thursday morning, I filmed a segment on the scores of Bay Area travelers camping out at the airport in hopes of catching a flight to Colorado as soon as the Denver International Airport reopened after being shut down by a nasty blizzard. It was a stirring report that included this tragic kicker (both written and delivered by yours truly): “For many, it’s the most wonderful time of the year, but these tearful travelers will be spending it here. Gone is their worry that they’ll be getting a shiny new Nintendo Wii or TMX Elmo for Christmas. All these folks want [long pause] is to make it home for the holidays.” As we wrapped up the report and my cameraman Guy headed back to the van to dice and splice, I had one of those hit you upside the head Full House revelations: It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey.

A Very JesseGav Christmas

–Alex Newkirk

Holiday Break/ The Handsomest Holiday

Greetings Katsopo-Gavinites,

As you’ve probably noticed, Magz and I are taking a little break for the holidays. Yes, a little R&R after a long, eventful year. I suppose we should have posted this note before we went on vacation…but isn’t that the point of a break? Wanton apathy? Oh, and partaking of a little spiked eggnog.

Well, as you might expect, one person in the city of San Francisco isn’t taking a break for Christmas. No, he’s pretty much running full steam ahead on the Awesome Express. Who am I talking about? Why, Gavin, of course.

Link of the Day: Is this even a question?

The web’s latest sad and desperate attempt to transform itself into ultra-hip Web 2.0 belongs to eBay.

Apparently, being the web’s #1 resource for Full House merchandise (hello, holiday shopping) just isn’t good enough for today’s youth. Apparently, eBay’s marketing execs think of today’s youth as having goldfish-like attention spans for anything that doesn’t allow them to leave meaningless and poorly spelled comments on the web. Yes, bloodthirsty consumers who will forget you faster than they can text their MySpace friends about how their nano totally kicks your Wii’s ass, while doing the Dew or totally slamming some X-treme Doritos.

So the uber-site decided to go with a tried and true method of success: ride the coattails of someone way cooler than you right into sweet, undeserved popularity. And who is quite possibly the coolest person one could choose? That’s right, they piggybacked on Uncle Jesse.

Photo of the Day: So close, yet so far…

I really shouldn’t peruse Mayor Gavin’s photo album before I go to bed. The above shot of The Gav riding the Muni sent my subconscious into a bit of a PG-13 frenzy. Yes, I had The Dream again.

Strategic ‘DO-ality

Via the Chronicle’s Culture Blog comes this pic of Gavin sporting a new gel-free look:

Some people commented that The Mayor’s new ‘do reminded them of teen pop stars like Aaron Carter, or Melrose Place dreamboat, Jake. I would simply point those confused souls in a different direction–into Gavin’s heart.

WiFi, Don’t Mess with the Hair, Huh?

On Sunday, Alex broke the news that the realization of San Francisco’s citywide WiFi network was being held up because of Uncle Jesse’s extreme misapprehensions about technology. Indeed, in Jesse’s world there are only four technological innovations that rock: hairdryers, jukeboxes, electric guitars and Aqua Net. But, I’ve dug a little further and it seems our loveable Luddite’s fears may be well founded.

There’s a growing movement to raise awareness about a condition sadly ignored by most of the scientific world: electromagnetic field sensitivity. Sufferers experience headaches, nausea, short-term memory loss and the feeling of “being shouted at all the time” whenever subjected to a WiFi network. In fact, Cindy Sage of Sage EMF Design, which conducts surveys of these fields, has published a 30-page critique of none other than San Francisco’s WiFi plans, Wired reports.

The Sincerest Form of Flattery?

Or should I say Fattery?

I know, I know. “Those kinds of cheap insults aren’t like you, Alex.” I’m upset, and my emotions are on some kind of Leaving Las Vegas-style bender I just can’t control.

Photo of the Day: Gavin’ Groovin’

This photo (via SFist) of The Mayor totally grooving — or, perhaps, groove-waving to the crowd — should slay any doubts that the buttoned-up Gav could share an intellectual and spiritual bond with the freewheeling Uncle Jess. Now here’s a guy who could really get down with some lip-biting, hip-swaying action to “Forever.” Am I right or am I right?

–Maggie Arlington

Where’s IT At?

It’s been about a year since The Mayor first started making promises about outfitting the entire city of San Francisco with free wi-fi. As a journalist, blogger, and online shop-a-holic (but who could resist this total find?), I am behind this idea one hundred percent! (Of course it being Gavin’s idea helps just a smidge, too.) So, like me, I’m sure you’ve been wondering, “Hey, Gav! What’s the hold up?”

Well, while The Chronicle might be breaking “news” about community meetings and negotiations with Google and Earthlink over “personal security” issues, I, Alex Newkirk, am here to break the truth. The root of the hold up all goes back to the Hair.