Can't hear anything? It's not your network.

Determined to not let London be the first major Western city to implement a Hosni Mubarak style crackdown on communication methods or devices, San Francisco transportation police suspended wireless access in stations in order to prevent protesters from organizing. {CNET News}

BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) police have come under fire for fatally shooting a homeless man in July, and before that the shooting of Oscar Grant, who was shot in the back by an officer while lying on the ground restrained. The homeless man is alleged to have thrown a bottle at the police and waved a knife, activists believe the officers used excessive force.

A statement from BART said

“Organizers planning to disrupt BART service on August 11, 2011 stated they would use mobile devices to coordinate their disruptive activities and communicate about the location and number of BART Police. A civil disturbance during commute times at busy downtown San Francisco stations could lead to platform overcrowding and unsafe conditions for BART customers, employees and demonstrators. BART temporarily interrupted service at select BART stations as one of many tactics to ensure the safety of everyone on the platform.

Cell phone service was not interrupted outside BART stations. In addition, numerous BART Police officers and other BART personnel with radios were present during the planned protest, and train intercoms and white courtesy telephones remained available for customers seeking assistance or reporting suspicious activity.”

The ACLU of Northern California condemned the shutdown of cell phone service as the wrong response “whether it’s halfway around the world or right here in San Francisco.”

And that pretty much sums it up. While we can appreciate that service disruptions would have been an inconvenience to passengers and employees, there’s nothing that suggests protesters were planning anything violent or beyond the course of normal civil disobedience.  The same type of civil disobedience millions of people in North Africa and the Middle East have been fighting and dying for, and the same civil disobedience which is supposed to be protected under the First Amendment. Even if they were, we go back to the common sense use of technology by law enforcement and governments, which is to have officers in the same areas to ensure that protests don’t become violent or out of hand. Throwing the baby out with the bathwater, or killing an entire communication method because of a minority of rogue messages isn’t practical, sustainable or right.

That there are no tanks or weapons involved in the latest attacks on freedom to communicate and peacefully organize doesn’t make them any less repugnant than dictators and foreign regimes using similar tactics to stifle those who want to voice legitimate grievances.

Gibson is a Grilled Cheese Invitational champ!

Nostalgic Californians craving the kind of buttery, gooey sandwiches they enjoyed as kids are sure to love The American Grilled Cheese Kitchen, which opened Friday in San Francisco. A few logistical problems delayed the restaurantâ€s much anticipated debut, but partners Heidi Gibson and Nate Pollak are now welcoming customers for weekday lunch service from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. {Inside Scoop SF}

Gibson is a Grilled Cheese Invitational Champ, so patrons of this eco-friendly luncheon can expect a gourmet menu. Sandwiches range from classics like the Mousetrap (white cheddar, havarti and Monterey jack) to original combos like the Turkey Havarti (havarti, smoked turkey, ancho chili jam, arugula and pickled red onions) and the Piglet (white cheddar, ham, apple mustard and rosemary butter). Bread for the sandwiches is outsourced from Pinkieâ€s Bakery, and The American also offers homemade sodas from a vintage tap, with flavors like spicy pomegranate varying daily, as well as wine and beer. Prices range from $6-$10 for grilled cheeses. {DailyCandy}

In June, Gibson and Pollak will begin serving breakfast and dinner to patrons of their Second Street and South Park eatery, which offers seating inside as well as on their Second Street patio. Formerly a tobacco warehouse that required a redesign by these grilled cheese gurus, The American holds about 35 chairs for guests.

Eater.com predicts it will be tremendously popular and crowded, and we agree. Who wouldnâ€t flock to a lunchtime refuge that offers top notch versions of such a classic sandwich? Check out their mouthwatering menu here!

You see, LA may be a city that attract hordes of tourists like moths to a glitzy, neon flame – but San Fran is a destination that has way more to offer than first meets the eye.

Yes, there are the icons you’d expect – the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, the cable cars, and the stunning views of the bay – but there’s also the San Francisco you may not know: a foodie’s delight with the nation’s largest Chinatown (a fabulously priced dim sum dinner at Wing Lee Bakery is a must), it offers not just a great cultural scene but also access to California’s stunning wine country.

Stay close to Union Square at the three-star King George Hotel for only $69 a night (usually $150) or at the newly opened (and très chic) Crescent San Francisco, which for a limited time is only $99 a night. Then branch out – see a play (how ’bout Wicked for only 50 bucks?), check out the Zoo, go on a $56 Wine Tour of Napa Valley, or just walk around San Fran’s hilly, artsy neighborhoods.

The off-peak season makes it easier than ever to experience this incredible American city on a budget. And, thankfully, it’s easier than ever to get there: Jet Blue is offering $99 tickets (each way) from NYC to San Francisco as part of its Winter Sale.  Yup, now’s just about the perfect time to escape the deep freeze of the East and experience everything this city by the bay has to offer.

Read More {Jet Blue}

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