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 | 2006 Edition This year's films have had a distinctly political slant. There have been biopics on historical figures: Idi Amin, Marie Antoinette, Willie Stark (aka Governor Huey Long of Louisiana), Queen Elizabeth II. There have been international incidents: [b]Babel[/b], [b]The Da Vinci Code[/b], [b]Casino Royale[/b], [b]Letters from Iwo Jima[/b], [b]Borat[/b]. We've experience the good with the bad, and the funny with the…not so funny. With the world in turmoil, is it any wonder that our cinema would reflect some of the same? Here are our critic's picks for the best and worst films and performances from this year.More |  | An Interesting Year 2006 has proved another venerable year in music. For every Paris Hilton, there was a Joanna Newsom. There were some established rockers returning after hiatuses -- Cat Power and The Red Hot Chili Peppers -- and some emerging bands making good - Grizzly Bear, The Knife. Whatever the case, it was interesting. And, after all, isn't that what music is really about? Here are our critics' picks on the best and, most interesting, in music from 2006.More |  | Valentine's Gifts The one time I had a boyfriend on Valentine's Day, he gave me a heart-shaped box filled with those candy hearts stamped with little messages, and on the outside, the $1.99 price tag was still stuck on. You might think that this must have been a ten-year-old boyfriend from my childhood days, but no, it was just a few years ago. Since my boyfriend was foreign, he probably had a different idea of standard American practice for the holiday, but he also had no money and was cheap to boot.More |  | Top quality fashion with a personal touch The avid San Francisco shopper knows her hotspots. She finds the hidden gems in Hayes Valley and North Beach, and steers clear of department stores at all cost. And if she's really on top of her game, she's already discovered Femme, an exquisite boutique that sits alone on Van Ness at Pacific.More |  | Slick Summer Styles in Your Own Backyard It's June, and if you're in your thirties like me, you've been invited to at least one wedding this summer. You have absolutely nothing to wear, not a lot of time to trudge all over San Francisco, and you're on a budget. Don't be enticed by the easy way out; steer clear of department stores. It's not worth the risk of showing up at the wedding to find your new hard-earned sundress walking around on another woman. Trust me on this one, ladies. It has happened to me. San Francisco is full of unique boutiques for women's wear and if you know where to go, you won't have to spend a fortune.More |  | Where to get a used bicycle in San Francisco For those who don't know a Huffy from a headset, buying a used bike can be as daunting as buying a used car. You have your choice of road, cross, cruiser, mountain or hybrid bike. Do you want flat, Maes, or mustache handlebars? Center pull, side pull or V-brakes? Knobby, slick, racing, or touring tires in size 18, 23, 28 or 32? And more importantly, what size frame do you need - 18" or 57 cm? And is that frame measurement center-to-center or center-to-top?More |  | For many of us, or at any rate for me, the occasional fried potato repast is a requirement for happy living. Fortunately, San Francisco offers more than a few excellent possibilities; I've reviewed several, below.More |  | The Week in Food This week in food: 2-for-1 pizzas, hoofing it out to a cool spot in Oakland, rolling south city for BBQ ribs, how to make chicken paprikash, and taco night.More |  | The Week in Food This week, the foodie life in San Francisco yields ramen noodles and creature-features, rice-n-beans and comedians, a love affair with brunch casseroles, and quickie seaweed snacks for you big city food lovers.More |  | The Week in Food This week, we share a few recent dining highlights: once-trendy tuna towers in Cole Valley; a great deal on mimosas in the Mission; a savory vegetarian winner in Bernal; tiny meat treats from a skillet; and free food for your downtown happy hour.More |
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