Crazy Frog

Annoying Thing Singing Plush

Crazy Frog is a character used in the marketing of a ring tone based on 'The Annoying Thing', a computer animation created by Erik Wernquist. Marketed by the ringtone provider Jamba! (known as Jamster! in some markets), the animation was originally created to accompany a sound effect produced by Daniel Malmedahl while attempting to imitate the sound of a two-stroke moped engine. The Crazy Frog spawned a worldwide hit single with a remix of "Axel F", which reached the number one spot in the UK, Australia and most of Europe, although relatively unknown (aside from a few internet pop-up ads, and several commericals) in the United States. The album Crazy Frog Presents Crazy Hits and second single "Popcorn" continue to enjoy worldwide chart success. The Crazy Frog has also spawned a range of merchandise and toys which were very popular for Christmas 2005. Negotiations are also underway for a TV series based on the character.

History

In 1997, 17-year-old Swede Daniel Malmedahl recorded himself impersonating the sounds produced by internal combustion engines. He posted this on a website and caught the attention of a Swedish television researcher, who convinced Daniel to perform the sound live on air.

After Daniel's television debut, recordings of his performance began appearing on peer to peer file sharing networks and various websites under the filename "2TAKTARE.MP3" ("Tvåtaktare" is Swedish for "Two stroker").

The original insanity test animation

The sound effect was quickly included in other Flash animations that spread virally among Internet users. The most notable example was the Insanity test, which required test subjects to keep a straight face while staring at a photograph of Rubens Barrichello in a Ferrari Formula 1 car as the sound effect was played.

In 2003, Malmedahl's fellow Swede Erik Wernquist encountered the sound effect and was inspired to create the 3D animation "The Annoying Thing" to accompany it. Erik used the LightWave 3D modelling application to produce the animation and posted it on his website. The animation was a popular attraction at Erik's website, but the sound was credited to "Anonymous". Eventually, word reached Daniel that his impressions had been used in a now well-known animation. He contacted Erik, apparently giving an impromptu performance to confirm his claims. Erik was convinced, and gave due credit to Daniel for his creation.

Description

The title character in The Annoying Thing is an anthropomorphic amphibian that is quite frog-like in appearance. The character wears only a white motorcycle helmet with the chinstrap unfastened, a leather jacket, and goggles. His toes are webbed, and the iris of the left eye is significantly larger than that of the right. An upper right front tooth is missing. Also present is a set of ambiguous but controversial genitalia.

In the animation, the character imitates the hand movements required to rotate the twistgrip controls of a motorcycle while making the sound of an engine ignition. As the imaginary engine starts, the character begins to levitate as exhaust fumes are discharged from his body. The character then disappears into the distance at high speed.

Ringtone

In 2004, the Germany based Jamba! group (ultimately owned by VeriSign) licensed the animation and sound for distribution as a mobile phone ringtone. Jamba! (trading under names such as Jamster!, RingtoneKing, and others) accompanied the release of the ringtone with a barrage of advertising. It soon became the most recognisable commercially available ringtone in the United Kingdom.

Jamba! have earned an estimated £14 million from the ringtone ([1]), making it the most commercially successful ringtone of all time. Jamba! have also produced other successful animated creature ringtones, including Sweety the Chick and Nessie the Dragon, and produced other ringtones featuring the Crazy Frog including Crazy DJ Frog. There is also a series of Crazy Frog World Tour tones featuring the Frog performing his usual vocalisations against backgrounds of various countries' musical styles. These include the sitar-based "Crazy Frog India", reggae-flavoured "Crazy Frog Jamaica" and Jimmy Barnes-esque "Crazy Frog Australian Rock". Jamba! also have available "The Crazy Frog is Puking", "Crazy Frog and Its Girlfriend", in which he is apparently making out, and "The Crazy Frog is F**king", in which gasping and smacking skin can be heard.

Controversy

Advertising

In February 2005, viewers submitted a number of complaints to the United Kingdom's Advertising Standards Authority regarding Jamba!'s advertising campaign, complaining that Crazy Frog appeared to have genitalia. Some parents complained that this made inappropriate viewing for children, claiming that the commercial had prompted embarrassing questions. There were also complaints regarding the frequency with which the advertisement appeared on television, reportedly up to twice an hour across most of the day[2], with some channels showing it more than once per commercial break.

The ASA did not uphold the complaints, pointing out that the advert was already classified as inappropriate for airing during children's television programmes as it contained a premium rate telephone number, and furthermore added that it was the broadcasters' decision as to how often an advertisement should be shown. However, Jamba! voluntarily censored the character's genital area in later broadcasts of its advertisements. The full adjudication (PDF) is available online. Similar action occurred in Australia, with similar results. complaints dismissed (PDF)

In April 2005, television viewers complained about misleading advertisements produced by Jamba!, trading as Jamster! and RingtoneKing. Viewers felt that it was not made sufficiently clear that they were subscribing to a service, rather than paying a one-time fee for their ringtone. The complaints were upheld; the full adjudication (PDF) is available online. It costs £3 a week to subscribe to Jamster!'s service.

In May 2005, viewers inundated the ASA with new complaints regarding the continuous airing of the latest Crazy Frog advertisements. The intensity of the advertising was unprecedented in British television history. According to The Guardian, Jamster bought 73,716 spots across all TV channels in May alone – an average of nearly 2,378 slots daily – at a cost of about £8 million, just under half of which was spent on ITV. 87% of the population saw the Crazy Frog adverts an average of 26 times, 15% of the adverts appeared twice during the same advertising break and 66% were in consecutive ad breaks. An estimated 10% of the population saw the advert more than 60 times. (source: Media Guardian, 20 June 2005)

As the authority had already adjudicated on the matter and confirmed the matter was not within its remit, the unusual step was taken of adding a notice to their online and telephone complaints system informing viewers that Jamster!-related complaints should be directed towards the broadcaster or the regulator, Ofcom[3][4].

On 21 September 2005, the ASA ruled that the Crazy Frog, along with other Jamba ringtone advertisements, must be shown after 9pm (pdf) [5].

Computer virus

In March 2005, anti-virus vendors discovered the W32/Crog.worm computer virus (a contraction of Crazy Frog), which spreads through file-sharing networks and MSN Messenger, exploiting the Crazy Frog's notoriety with a promise of an animation depicting his demise[6][7].

Single releases

Crazy Frog - Axel F

Bass Bumpers: Axel F (note genitals are censored) Erik Wernquist's Axel F music video.

Main article: Axel F (Crazy Frog song)

A German dance duo named Bass Bumpers made a dance single starring the Crazy Frog, mixed with Harold Faltermeyer's "Axel F". The single was released on May 23, 2005 and reached the number one spot in the UK Singles Chart ([8]), outselling the nearest contender, Coldplay, by three or four copies to one. This is the official song endorsed by Jamster! and actually samples the original sound; subsequent songs created their own samples of the sound. An example of this is Robert Mackle's "Crazy Frog vs Coldplay"[9], which parodied the chart drama between the two.

As of the summer of 2005, the song remained in the Top Ten in many European music charts and #50 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart.

Music video

The Ministry of Sound commissioned Kaktus Film and Erik Wernquist, the original creator of the Crazy Frog, to produce a full-length animated music video to accompany the release of "Axel F" and featuring the Crazy Frog character. The animation is set in the future and centers on the pursuit of the Crazy Frog by a bounty hunter. The bounty hunter receives notification of a $50,000 reward for the capture of the Crazy Frog, who is only identified as "The most annoying thing in the world", a reference to Wernquist's original name for the creature.

Despite the song's popularity, the music video has received very little airplay in the UK. Both VH1 and TMF have also omitted it from their Number Ones marathons, despite the fact that other chart-topping "annoying" novelty singles such as Mr. Blobby and Bob The Builder were included.

  • The official Crazy Frog Axel F website
  • Single website
  • Press release, including sound clips

iTunes release

The Register reports that iTunes has the single with an illustration of an emasculated frog.

They also link to a site where you can batter the frog with a baseball bat.

  • iTunes emasculates Crazy Frog
  • Crazy Frog battered in net orgy of violence

Crazy Frog - Popcorn

The CD cover of Crazy Frog - Popcorn.

Main article: Popcorn (Crazy Frog song)

The next official Crazy Frog single, "Popcorn", premiered on Top of the Pops in the UK. It is a remix of Gershon Kingsley original "Popcorn" from 1969 and best known as Hot Butter's hit from 1972. It was released on August 22nd 2005 in the UK, reaching #12 on the UK Singles Chart.

Crazy Frog - Jingle Bells/U Can't Touch This

Main article: Jingle Bells/U Can't Touch This

The Christmas single release for the Crazy Frog is a cover of "Jingle Bells" and also a cover of the MC Hammer single "U Can't Touch This". It entered the Austrailian chart at #4 on 28 November [10] and in the UK Singles Chart at #5 on 18 December.

Pondlife - Ring Ding Ding

Pondlife: Ring Ding Ding

On February 17, 2005, a group of producers naming themselves Pondlife announced that the Crazy Frog would be released as a single. The people behind this were radio DJs Wes Butters, Trevor Jordan and Daryl Denham along with studio-owner Maurice Cheetham.

On March 19, 2005, Pondlife held open auditions to find a live action Crazy Frog to star in their accompanying music video. Clips of the live action frog can be found here

The track is called "Ring Ding Ding," and was released on 6 June 2005. It reached #11 on the UK Singles Chart, two weeks after the Axel F version had charted.

  • Single website
  • Press release
  • Announcing auditions

Frog Must Die - Kill The Frog

On June 20, 2005, a song called "Kill The Frog" by Frog Must Die was released in the UK. Since the song did not appear in the top 250 of the UK Singles Chart, it is unclear whether the single was postponed, or simply failed to sell enough copies. As the name suggests, this CD is about killing the Crazy Frog.

L.O.C. - Ring Ding Ding (Frog)

On June 27, 2005, a song called "Ring Ding Ding (Frog)" by L.O.C. was released in the UK. It reached number 58 in the UK Singles Chart. This song sampled the Crazy Frog sound.

  • L.O.C. Information

Singles - Discography

Axel F CD1 Of 3

  1. Axel F (Radio Mix)
  2. Axel F (Bounce Mix)
  3. Axel F (Bounce Mix Instrumental)
  4. Axel F (Resevoir Frogs Mix)
  5. Axel F (Video)

CD2 Of 3

  1. Axel F (Radio Mix)
  2. Axel F (Bounce Mix)

CD3 Of 3 (DVD Import - Not Released In UK)

  1. Axel F (Video)
  2. Axel F (Making Of The Video)
  3. Axel F (Behind The Scenes Of The Video)

Popcorn (Crazy Frog song) CD1 Of 1

  1. Popcorn (Radio Mix)
  2. Popcorn (Resevoir Mix)
  3. Popcorn (Resevoir Instrumental Mix)
  4. Popcorn (Bounce Mix)
  5. Popcorn (Video)

Jingle Bells/U Can't Touch This CD1 Of 2

  1. Jingle Bells (Radio Mix)
  2. U Can't Touch This (Video Mix)
  3. Jingle Bells (Club Vocal Mix)
  4. I Like To Move It (Club Mix)
  5. Jingle Bells (Video)
  6. U Can't Touch This (Video)
  7. Jingle Bells (U-Myx Format)

CD2 Of 2 (Import Not Released In The UK)

  1. U Can't Touch This (Album Mix)
  2. Jingle Bells (Radio Mix)
  3. Last Christmas (Album Exclusive)
  4. U Can't Touch This (Video Mix)
  5. Jingle Bells (Club Vocal Mix)
  6. Jingle Bells/U Can't Touch This (Medley Mix)
  7. U Can't Touch This (Resevoir Mix)
  8. Jingle Bells (Resevoir Mix)
  9. U Can't Touch This (Bounce Mix)
  10. Jingle Bells (Bounce Mix)
  11. U Can't Touch This (Boucne Mix Instrumental)
  12. Jingle Bells (Boucne Mix Instrumental)
  13. U Can't Touch This (Video)
  14. Jingle Bells (Video)
  15. U Can't Touch This (U-Myx Format)
  16. Jingle Bells (U-Myx Format)

Australian Singles Peak Positions

  • Axel F - #1 (4 Weeks)
  • Popcorn - #10
  • Jingle Bells - #4

Album releases

Crazy Hits

The CD cover of Crazy Frog - Crazy Frog Presents Crazy Hits.

Main article: Crazy Frog Presents Crazy Hits

An album entitled Crazy Frog Presents Crazy Hits was released on July 25, 2005. [11]. Samples from the song are available on the Crazy Hits website. It reached #5 on the UK Albums Chart and #19 on the US Billboard 200 Albums Chart.

Video Games

Crazy Frog Racer

On July 1, 2005, UK-based publishers Digital Jesters announced that they had acquired the rights to the video game licence for the Crazy Frog. Crazy Frog Racer, released in December 2005, is a racing game for the PlayStation 2, Game Boy Advance and PC[12].

Merchandise

A recent string of Crazy Frog merchandise has been released in the UK [13] , under the name "The Annoying Thing" due to copyright and licensing restrictions. These items are picked as big sellers for Christmas 2005, particularly the Annoying Thing Singing Plush which plays the ringtone when squeezed. Other products available include a board game, a desktop nodder, keyring, backpack, lunchbox and air freshener.

TV series

The German production company The League of Good People is in talks with broadcasters about a TV series based on Crazy Frog. PLEASE FOR ALL THINGS GOOD AND HOLY DO NOT MAKE A SHOW

  • Article on negotiations

Tour

On November 23, 2005, music news site Undercover announced that the Crazy Frog will be touring Australia, beginning in Perth on December 4 and continuing through other major capital cities. Venues and dates have been confirmed - the Frog will be playing shopping centres and major hospitals. [14]


This page about crazy frog includes information from a Wikipedia article.
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[14]. Moore. Venues and dates have been confirmed - the Frog will be playing shopping centres and major hospitals. Other famous San Franciscans include philanthropist Gordon Getty, publisher William Randolph Hearst, journalist Ambrose Bierce, and co-founder of Intel Corporation and the author of Moore's law, Gordon E. On November 23, 2005, music news site Undercover announced that the Crazy Frog will be touring Australia, beginning in Perth on December 4 and continuing through other major capital cities. Notable actors include Robin Williams, Danny Glover, Benjamin Bratt and Cheech Marin. PLEASE FOR ALL THINGS GOOD AND HOLY DO NOT MAKE A SHOW. Notable artists include film directors Francis Ford Coppola, George Lucas (who recently opened up his new mega millions digital center in the Presidio), Home Alone and Harry Potter director Chris Columbus and Quills Philip Kaufman, who set his most recent film Twisted in his adopted home city.

The German production company The League of Good People is in talks with broadcasters about a TV series based on Crazy Frog. San Francisco is a haven for many filmmakers and actors, both mainstream and independent. Other products available include a board game, a desktop nodder, keyring, backpack, lunchbox and air freshener. US Supreme Court Associate Justice Stephen Breyer, former Governors of California Jerry Brown and Pat Brown, US Senator Dianne Feinstein, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, former US Secretaries of Defense Robert McNamara and Caspar Weinberger, and current FBI director Robert Mueller. These items are picked as big sellers for Christmas 2005, particularly the Annoying Thing Singing Plush which plays the ringtone when squeezed. Simpson, baseball legend Joe DiMaggio and Olympic gold medallist and Football Hall-of-famer Ollie Matson are all sports figures with San Francisco connections. A recent string of Crazy Frog merchandise has been released in the UK [13] , under the name "The Annoying Thing" due to copyright and licensing restrictions. American football legend O.J.

Crazy Frog Racer, released in December 2005, is a racing game for the PlayStation 2, Game Boy Advance and PC[12]. Some notable examples are photographers Ansel Adams and Dorothea Lange, "mother" of Modern Dance Isadora Duncan, author Armistead Maupin, and 19th century author Robert Louis Stevenson. On July 1, 2005, UK-based publishers Digital Jesters announced that they had acquired the rights to the video game licence for the Crazy Frog. Many notable people have hailed from or lived in San Francisco. It reached #5 on the UK Albums Chart and #19 on the US Billboard 200 Albums Chart. There are now plans in the works to build a major cruise ship terminal/mall similar to Pier 39 at Piers 27-31, southeast of Pier 39. Samples from the song are available on the Crazy Hits website. Most of the port's activities are now mostly for commuter ferries that leave from the Ferry Building, cruise ship docking, and tourism.

[11]. Many of the piers remained derelict for years until recently, when the port converted many of the piers to office space and sold them. An album entitled Crazy Frog Presents Crazy Hits was released on July 25, 2005. The advent of container shipping made San Francisco's pier based port obsolete, as much of the city's container traffic is now limited to a small port in the south-east corner of the city, or sent across the bay to the Port of Oakland. Main article: Crazy Frog Presents Crazy Hits. The Port of San Francisco was once the largest and busiest seaport on the west coast, but that title is now held by the joint ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Australian Singles Peak Positions. Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC), 44 miles (70.8 km) southwest of San Francisco.

CD2 Of 2 (Import Not Released In The UK). Other large airports in the region include Oakland International Airport (OAK), 20 miles (32.2 km) east of San Francisco and Norman Y. Jingle Bells/U Can't Touch This CD1 Of 2. Rail extensions there include BART and Caltrain via BART at nearby Millbrae, California. Popcorn (Crazy Frog song) CD1 Of 1. During the late 1990s economic boom, SFO was the sixth busiest international airport in the world, but has since fallen off of the top ten during the economic depression of 2000-2001. CD3 Of 3 (DVD Import - Not Released In UK). It is the only major international hub airport in California other than LAX in Los Angeles.

CD2 Of 3. San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is located 8 miles (12.9 km) south of the city in San Mateo County on a landfill extension into the San Francisco Bay. Axel F CD1 Of 3. A small fleet of commuter ferries operate from the Embarcadero to points in Marin County, Oakland, and north to Vallejo in Solano County. This song sampled the Crazy Frog sound. In addition, a frequent commuter rail service, Caltrain, operates between San Francisco, San Jose, California and Gilroy, California. It reached number 58 in the UK Singles Chart. BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) is the regional transit system, which connects San Francisco with the East Bay through an underwater tunnel (the Transbay Tube), and Northern San Mateo County, California communities and San Francisco International Airport on the San Francisco Peninsula.

was released in the UK. Muni is the city-owned public transit system which operates the Muni Metro light rail system, the F Market heritage streetcar line and the famous San Francisco cable car system (see right), together with buses and trolleybuses. On June 27, 2005, a song called "Ring Ding Ding (Frog)" by L.O.C. San Francisco has the most extensive public transit system on the West Coast and one of the most diverse in the country. As the name suggests, this CD is about killing the Crazy Frog. Interstate 280 runs from South of Market to the west, and then south towards Silicon Valley and Highway 1 or Park Presidio Blvd which bisects the westside of the city as an arterial thoroughfare. Since the song did not appear in the top 250 of the UK Singles Chart, it is unclear whether the single was postponed, or simply failed to sell enough copies. Northbound, US 101 uses arterial streets, Van Ness Avenue and Lombard Street to the Golden Gate Bridge and Marin County.

On June 20, 2005, a song called "Kill The Frog" by Frog Must Die was released in the UK. The major highways in San Francisco are Interstate 80 which begins at the Bay Bridge and goes eastbound; US 101 which extends Interstate 80 to the south towards Silicon Valley. It reached #11 on the UK Singles Chart, two weeks after the Axel F version had charted. Similarly, the Golden Gate Bridge is the only direct road access to Marin County. The track is called "Ring Ding Ding," and was released on 6 June 2005. From San Francisco, the Bay Bridge is the only direct automobile link to the East Bay. Clips of the live action frog can be found here. Because of its unique geography —making "beltways" somewhat impractical— and the "Freeway Revolt" of the late 1950s, San Francisco is one of the few cities in the US including Boston and New York City that has opted for European style arterial thoroughfares instead of a large network of major highways.

On March 19, 2005, Pondlife held open auditions to find a live action Crazy Frog to star in their accompanying music video. However, San Francisco Bay Area Sport Officials are showing interest in yet another bid, for the 2016 games. The people behind this were radio DJs Wes Butters, Trevor Jordan and Daryl Denham along with studio-owner Maurice Cheetham. bid but eventually lost to London to host the XXII Olympiad. On February 17, 2005, a group of producers naming themselves Pondlife announced that the Crazy Frog would be released as a single. Ultimately, New York won the U.S. It entered the Austrailian chart at #4 on 28 November [10] and in the UK Singles Chart at #5 on 18 December. in the International bid to host the 2012 Summer Olympic Games.

The Christmas single release for the Crazy Frog is a cover of "Jingle Bells" and also a cover of the MC Hammer single "U Can't Touch This". Olympic committee to represent the U.S. Main article: Jingle Bells/U Can't Touch This. In 2004 San Francisco and New York City were the two finalists chosen by the U.S. It was released on August 22nd 2005 in the UK, reaching #12 on the UK Singles Chart. The city is also home to some famous golf courses, including the Harding Park Golf Course and the courses of the Olympic Club. It is a remix of Gershon Kingsley original "Popcorn" from 1969 and best known as Hot Butter's hit from 1972. Records aside, the race is best known for its colorful costumes and celebratory community spirit (it was initiated after the disastrous 1906 earthquake as a way to boost the city's spirits).

The next official Crazy Frog single, "Popcorn", premiered on Top of the Pops in the UK. The city is also the home of the annual Bay to Breakers footrace, which holds the world records for greatest number of participants in a footrace (110,000 in 1986) as well as longest consecutively running footrace (annually since 1912). Main article: Popcorn (Crazy Frog song). The NCAA football Emerald Bowl is held in San Francisco each December. They also link to a site where you can batter the frog with a baseball bat. Other regional college sports teams include the Stanford Cardinal, the San Jose Spartans and the California Golden Bears. The Register reports that iTunes has the single with an illustration of an emasculated frog. College sports include the USF Dons, San Francisco State Gators and the CCSF Rams.

Blobby and Bob The Builder were included. The South Bay is the home of the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League and of the San Jose Sabercats of the Arena Football League. Both VH1 and TMF have also omitted it from their Number Ones marathons, despite the fact that other chart-topping "annoying" novelty singles such as Mr. The Greater San Francisco Bay Area is home also to the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League and the Oakland Atheltics of Major League Baseball, whom both play in the McAfee Coliseum in Oakland, California. Despite the song's popularity, the music video has received very little airplay in the UK. San Francisco is the home of the San Francisco 49ers National Football League team, who play at Monster Park and the San Francisco Giants Major League Baseball team, who play at SBC Park. The bounty hunter receives notification of a $50,000 reward for the capture of the Crazy Frog, who is only identified as "The most annoying thing in the world", a reference to Wernquist's original name for the creature. San Francisco boasts legendary pop music venues such as The Fillmore and The Warfield.

The animation is set in the future and centers on the pursuit of the Crazy Frog by a bounty hunter. Major areas of nightlife in San Francisco are North Beach, the Mission District, the Marina, the Castro, and South of Market. The Ministry of Sound commissioned Kaktus Film and Erik Wernquist, the original creator of the Crazy Frog, to produce a full-length animated music video to accompany the release of "Axel F" and featuring the Crazy Frog character. San Francisco also has varied nightlife ranging from bars to lounges to clubs. As of the summer of 2005, the song remained in the Top Ten in many European music charts and #50 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart. Two additional gay choruses, the Lesbian/Gay Chorus of San Francisco and Golden Gate Men's Chorus, also perform throughout the year. An example of this is Robert Mackle's "Crazy Frog vs Coldplay"[9], which parodied the chart drama between the two. In addition to professional, mainstream performing arts, San Francisco is home to the 200-member San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus, the world's first gay chorus, as well as the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band, the world's first gay marching band.

This is the official song endorsed by Jamster! and actually samples the original sound; subsequent songs created their own samples of the sound. The city is also home to the American Conservatory Theater, also known as A.C.T., which has been a leading force in Bay Area performing arts since its founding in 1965. The single was released on May 23, 2005 and reached the number one spot in the UK Singles Chart ([8]), outselling the nearest contender, Coldplay, by three or four copies to one. San Francisco's Ballet and Opera are some of the oldest continuing performing arts companies in the United States. A German dance duo named Bass Bumpers made a dance single starring the Crazy Frog, mixed with Harold Faltermeyer's "Axel F". Performing arts venues in San Francisco include the San Francisco Symphony, the San Francisco Opera and the San Francisco Ballet. Main article: Axel F (Crazy Frog song). Other museums include the International Museum of Women, the Museum of the African Diaspora, the Contemporary Jewish Museum, the Museum of Craft & Folk Art, the Cartoon Art Museum, and the Mexican Museum.

In March 2005, anti-virus vendors discovered the W32/Crog.worm computer virus (a contraction of Crazy Frog), which spreads through file-sharing networks and MSN Messenger, exploiting the Crazy Frog's notoriety with a promise of an animation depicting his demise[6][7]. de Young Memorial Museum, and the Asian Art Museum. On 21 September 2005, the ASA ruled that the Crazy Frog, along with other Jamba ringtone advertisements, must be shown after 9pm (pdf) [5]. H. As the authority had already adjudicated on the matter and confirmed the matter was not within its remit, the unusual step was taken of adding a notice to their online and telephone complaints system informing viewers that Jamster!-related complaints should be directed towards the broadcaster or the regulator, Ofcom[3][4]. Notable San Francisco museums include the Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), the Palace of the Legion of Honor, the M. (source: Media Guardian, 20 June 2005). Through the years San Francisco has been the subject of popular songs, the most famous of which is arguably "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" by Tony Bennett.

An estimated 10% of the population saw the advert more than 60 times. Famous fictional works set in San Francisco include The Joy Luck Club, The Maltese Falcon, and Tales of the City. 87% of the population saw the Crazy Frog adverts an average of 26 times, 15% of the adverts appeared twice during the same advertising break and 66% were in consecutive ad breaks. The movies regarded as showing the city at its best include Bullitt, Dirty Harry, and Vertigo. According to The Guardian, Jamster bought 73,716 spots across all TV channels in May alone – an average of nearly 2,378 slots daily – at a cost of about £8 million, just under half of which was spent on ITV. Because of its beauty, San Francisco is a favorite location for movies. The intensity of the advertising was unprecedented in British television history. It is the world's most popular destination for gay tourists and hosts San Francisco Pride, the world's largest gay pride parade and festival, in June.

In May 2005, viewers inundated the ASA with new complaints regarding the continuous airing of the latest Crazy Frog advertisements. The high concentration of gay people in the Castro and Noe Valley, coupled with the city's historical contributions to gay rights, has earned San Francisco the reputation of the "Gay Mecca". It costs £3 a week to subscribe to Jamster!'s service. In 2004, it became the new home of the Loveparade that used to be held in Berlin. The complaints were upheld; the full adjudication (PDF) is available online. Movements instrumental in this change include the beat generation or beatniks, the San Francisco Renaissance in the 1950s, hippie culture, women's liberation, gay civil rights, the Summer of Love in the Haight Ashbury, the rise of a substantial punk scene in the 1970s and 1980s, and the rave culture of the 1990s. Viewers felt that it was not made sufficiently clear that they were subscribing to a service, rather than paying a one-time fee for their ringtone. In the years following World War II, San Francisco accelerated its transformation into a center of alternative culture and lifestyles.

In April 2005, television viewers complained about misleading advertisements produced by Jamba!, trading as Jamster! and RingtoneKing. Some of the most notable landmarks are the Transamerica Pyramid and Golden Gate Bridge. complaints dismissed (PDF). The two most notable universities in the metropolitan area outside of the city limits are:. Similar action occurred in Australia, with similar results. Private colleges and universities:. The full adjudication (PDF) is available online. Public colleges and universities include:.

However, Jamba! voluntarily censored the character's genital area in later broadcasts of its advertisements. Despite its limited geographical space, San Francisco is home to a multitude of colleges and universities. The ASA did not uphold the complaints, pointing out that the advert was already classified as inappropriate for airing during children's television programmes as it contained a premium rate telephone number, and furthermore added that it was the broadcasters' decision as to how often an advertisement should be shown. The city is served by San Francisco Unified School District, the Archdiocese of San Francisco's dozens of Catholic elementary and high schools, and many other private schools. There were also complaints regarding the frequency with which the advertisement appeared on television, reportedly up to twice an hour across most of the day[2], with some channels showing it more than once per commercial break. Many major American and international banks and venture capital firms have all set up their regional headquarters in the city. Some parents complained that this made inappropriate viewing for children, claiming that the commercial had prompted embarrassing questions. The Pacific Exchange is located in the financial district.

In February 2005, viewers submitted a number of complaints to the United Kingdom's Advertising Standards Authority regarding Jamba!'s advertising campaign, complaining that Crazy Frog appeared to have genitalia. Federal Reserve as well as major production facilities for the United States Mint. Jamba! also have available "The Crazy Frog is Puking", "Crazy Frog and Its Girlfriend", in which he is apparently making out, and "The Crazy Frog is F**king", in which gasping and smacking skin can be heard. It is the home of the twelfth district of the U.S. These include the sitar-based "Crazy Frog India", reggae-flavoured "Crazy Frog Jamaica" and Jimmy Barnes-esque "Crazy Frog Australian Rock". West Coast. There is also a series of Crazy Frog World Tour tones featuring the Frog performing his usual vocalisations against backgrounds of various countries' musical styles. Because of the California gold rush, San Francisco is one of the banking and financial centers of the U.S.

Jamba! have also produced other successful animated creature ringtones, including Sweety the Chick and Nessie the Dragon, and produced other ringtones featuring the Crazy Frog including Crazy DJ Frog. The Phoenix symbolizes the city's emergence from the ashes of several devastating fires in the early 1850's. Jamba! have earned an estimated £14 million from the ringtone ([1]), making it the most commercially successful ringtone of all time. Above is a rising phoenix and behind is the bay with sailing ships. It soon became the most recognisable commercially available ringtone in the United Kingdom. The seal, which was adopted in the 1850s, depicts two working men, on one side a miner and on the other a sailor with a sextant. Jamba! (trading under names such as Jamster!, RingtoneKing, and others) accompanied the release of the ringtone with a barrage of advertising. Underneath the phoenix it has a motto written in Spanish: "Oro en Paz, Fierro en Guerra," which translates into: "Gold in Peace, Iron in War.".

In 2004, the Germany based Jamba! group (ultimately owned by VeriSign) licensed the animation and sound for distribution as a mobile phone ringtone. The flag depicts a rising Phoenix, symbolic of the City's recovery from the 1906 fire. The character then disappears into the distance at high speed. In addition, the city is the seat of the First Appellate District of the State Courts of Appeals and the San Francisco County Superior Court. As the imaginary engine starts, the character begins to levitate as exhaust fumes are discharged from his body. The California Supreme Court also maintains branch offices in Los Angeles and Sacramento. In the animation, the character imitates the hand movements required to rotate the twistgrip controls of a motorcycle while making the sound of an engine ignition. jurisdictions whose highest court and judicial seat is not in the official state or territorial capital.

Also present is a set of ambiguous but controversial genitalia. California, along with Louisiana - its Supreme Court is in New Orleans - are the only U.S. An upper right front tooth is missing. The Supreme Court of California is also headquartered in San Francisco, making The City the de facto judicial capital of the state. His toes are webbed, and the iris of the left eye is significantly larger than that of the right. Court of Appeals and the Federal District Court for Northern California are headquartered in San Francisco. The character wears only a white motorcycle helmet with the chinstrap unfastened, a leather jacket, and goggles. The Ninth Circuit U.S.

The title character in The Annoying Thing is an anthropomorphic amphibian that is quite frog-like in appearance. As the largest city on the west coast before World War I, San Francisco became and remains the legal hub for the western United States. Erik was convinced, and gave due credit to Daniel for his creation. The Mayor's 2005-2006 proposed budget forecasts general fund expenditures of $2.44 billion. He contacted Erik, apparently giving an impromptu performance to confirm his claims. A person appointed or elected to fill a vacancy of less than two years is not deemed to have served a full term for purposes of term limits, whereas a person who fills a vacancy with more than two years remaining in the term is deemed to serve a full term and will be able to run for a consecutive term only once. Eventually, word reached Daniel that his impressions had been used in a now well-known animation. Vacancies on the Board of Supervisors are filled by mayoral appointment, subject to special election (except as the Charter permits an appointee to remain in office until the general election for the seat is held).

The animation was a popular attraction at Erik's website, but the sound was credited to "Anonymous". Eyed warily by some and optimistically by others - in both cases owing to the belief that single-transfer voting might favour so-called "progressive" and "minority party" candidates over so-called "conservative" and "mainstream party" candidates - the 2004 general election results showed that belief to be unfounded, as all incumbent Supervisors were returned to office. Erik used the LightWave 3D modelling application to produce the animation and posted it on his website. The process continues, as necessary, until one candidate achieves a majority of votes cast and is then declared the winner. In 2003, Malmedahl's fellow Swede Erik Wernquist encountered the sound effect and was inspired to create the 3D animation "The Annoying Thing" to accompany it. If a candidate does not achieve a majority of votes cast when the first choice votes are counted, the candidate with the least number of votes is eliminated and the second choice votes on those ballots are tabulated and "transferred" to the remaining candidates. The most notable example was the Insanity test, which required test subjects to keep a straight face while staring at a photograph of Rubens Barrichello in a Ferrari Formula 1 car as the sound effect was played. Under this new ranked-choice system, whenever there are more than two candidates for an office, voters rank their choices in order of preference.

The sound effect was quickly included in other Flash animations that spread virally among Internet users. This system replaced the old, expensive system of run-off elections. After Daniel's television debut, recordings of his performance began appearing on peer to peer file sharing networks and various websites under the filename "2TAKTARE.MP3" ("Tvåtaktare" is Swedish for "Two stroker"). A single vote transfer system of elections was approved by the electorate and implemented in time for the 2004 general election. He posted this on a website and caught the attention of a Swedish television researcher, who convinced Daniel to perform the sound live on air. Thus, Tom Ammiano, who was elected to the Board of Supervisors in 1994 and 1998 under the old system, then again in 2000 under the new system, was able to run yet again in 2004 (and won). In 1997, 17-year-old Swede Daniel Malmedahl recorded himself impersonating the sounds produced by internal combustion engines. As part of the change to district elections, however, this provision applies to supervisors only as of the first full term of election following its implementation in 2000.

. None may serve more than two consecutive terms. Negotiations are also underway for a TV series based on the character. The Mayor and members of the Board of Supervisors are subject to term limits under the San Francisco Charter. The Crazy Frog has also spawned a range of merchandise and toys which were very popular for Christmas 2005. This is done by secret ballot, typically at the first meeting of the new session commencing after the general election. The album Crazy Frog Presents Crazy Hits and second single "Popcorn" continue to enjoy worldwide chart success. The President of the Board of Supervisors, under the new system, is elected by the members of the Board from among their number.

The Crazy Frog spawned a worldwide hit single with a remix of "Axel F", which reached the number one spot in the UK, Australia and most of Europe, although relatively unknown (aside from a few internet pop-up ads, and several commericals) in the United States. Supervisors representing even-numbered districts (2, 4, 6, 8, and 10) were elected to transitional two-year terms in 2000, thereafter to be elected every fourth year (2002, 2006, 2010, etc.). Marketed by the ringtone provider Jamba! (known as Jamster! in some markets), the animation was originally created to accompany a sound effect produced by Daniel Malmedahl while attempting to imitate the sound of a two-stroke moped engine. Supervisors representing odd-numbered districts (1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11) are elected every fourth year counted from 2000 (so, 2000, 2004, 2008, etc.). Crazy Frog is a character used in the marketing of a ring tone based on 'The Annoying Thing', a computer animation created by Erik Wernquist. The terms are staggered so that only half the board is elected every two years, thereby providing continuity. Article on negotiations. Under the current system, Supervisors are elected by district to four-year terms.

Jingle Bells - #4. Following the assassinations of Supervisor Milk and Mayor George Moscone a year later, by Supervisor Dan White who had just resigned, district elections were deemed divisive and San Francisco returned to at-large elections until the current system was implemented in 2000. Popcorn - #10. The first district-based elections in 1977 resulted in a radical change to the composition of the Board, including the election of Harvey Milk, only the third openly gay or lesbian individual (and the first who was male) elected to public office in the United States. Axel F - #1 (4 Weeks). The person who received the most votes was elected President of the Board of Supervisors, and the next ten were elected to seats on the board. Jingle Bells (U-Myx Format). All candidates appeared together on the ballot.

U Can't Touch This (U-Myx Format). Prior to 1977 and again from 1980 through 2000, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors was elected at-large. Jingle Bells (Video). Throughout the United States, almost all cities and counties with populations in excess of 20,000 divide the jurisdiction into electoral districts (in cities, often called "wards") to ensure proportionate representation of the whole community and to evenly distribute the community interaction workload evenly among the members of the governing body (city council, county board of supervisors, etc.) But California has always been disinclined to follow examples set by the rest of the country; and San Francisco, notwithstanding a population of 0.7 million, has been no exception. U Can't Touch This (Video). How the Board of Supervisors shall be elected has been a bone of contention in recent San Francisco history. Jingle Bells (Boucne Mix Instrumental). The current president of the Board is Aaron Peskin, who represents District 3.

U Can't Touch This (Boucne Mix Instrumental). The eleven members of the Board of Supervisors (as of January 2005) are listed in the table at right by district number[4]. Jingle Bells (Bounce Mix). If the mayor dies or resigns, the President of the Board of Supervisors assumes the office until a special election can be held. U Can't Touch This (Bounce Mix). The current mayor is Gavin Newsom. Jingle Bells (Resevoir Mix). presidential election.

U Can't Touch This (Resevoir Mix). The mayor is elected every four years, in the odd-numbered year that precedes the U.S. Jingle Bells/U Can't Touch This (Medley Mix). Under the current charter, the Government of San Francisco is constituted of two co-equal branches - the executive or administrative branch, which is headed by the mayor and includes other city-wide elected and appointed officials, and the civil service; and the legislative branch, which is constituted of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, which exercises general oversight over all city and county functions. Jingle Bells (Club Vocal Mix). San Francisco exercises jurisdiction over the Hetch Hetchy Valley and watershed, in Yosemite National Park, pursuant to a perpetual leasehold granted by Act of Congress in 1913, the Raker Act. U Can't Touch This (Video Mix). Thus, the airport, which is about 15 miles south of mainland San Francisco, is legally part of San Francisco because the municipality owns it.

Last Christmas (Album Exclusive). Because counties are administrative divisions of the state, it is legally impossible for two counties to occupy or exercise jurisdiction over the same piece of land. Jingle Bells (Radio Mix). San Francisco International Airport, for example, would be located within San Mateo County but for the fact it is owned and operated by the City and County of San Francisco. U Can't Touch This (Album Mix). It is in the latter capacity that San Francisco exercises jurisdiction over property that would otherwise be located outside of its corporation limit. Jingle Bells (U-Myx Format). San Francisco's unique status also makes it a municipal corporation and an administrative division of the state.

U Can't Touch This (Video). San Francisco is the only California city with a board of supervisors, which is also the city council. Jingle Bells (Video). It is the only metropolitan municipality in California and the only California county with a mayor who is also the county executive. I Like To Move It (Club Mix). As the official name implies, the City and County San Francisco is a metropolitan municipality, being simultaneously a charter city and charter county with a consolidated government. Jingle Bells (Club Vocal Mix). Out of the total population, 13.5% of those under the age of 18 and 10.5% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

U Can't Touch This (Video Mix). 11.3% of the population and 7.8% of families are below the poverty line. Jingle Bells (Radio Mix). The per capita income for the city is $34,556 which is ranked as the 19th highest in the country. Popcorn (Video). Males have a median income of $46,260 versus $40,049 for females. Popcorn (Bounce Mix). The median income for a household in the city is $55,221, and the median income for a family is $63,545 one of the highest in the United States at 15th place overall and 3rd in a single large city.

Popcorn (Resevoir Instrumental Mix). For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 103.1 males. Popcorn (Resevoir Mix). For every 100 females there are 103.4 males. Popcorn (Radio Mix). The median age is 36 years. Axel F (Behind The Scenes Of The Video). In the city the population is spread out with 14.5% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 40.5% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.7% who are 65 years of age or older.

Axel F (Making Of The Video). San Francisco has fewer children, in proportion to the population as a whole, than any other large city in the United States. Axel F (Video). The average household size is 2.30 and the average family size is 3.22. Axel F (Bounce Mix). 38.6% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.8% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. Axel F (Radio Mix). There are 329,700 households out of which 16.6% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 31.6% are married couples living together, 8.9% have a female head of household with no husband present, and 56.0% are non-families.

Axel F (Video). Gay men outnumber lesbians, who are more concentrated in the suburban East Bay. Axel F (Resevoir Frogs Mix). The City has the highest percentage of gay families (as well as a large numbers of single gay people) of any American county or large city. Axel F (Bounce Mix Instrumental). San Francisco has the largest Chinese population in America and the largest Asian population outside of Hawaii. Axel F (Bounce Mix). The ethnic makeup is 19.6% Chinese, 8.8% Irish, 7.7% German, and 6.1% English.

Axel F (Radio Mix). 14.10% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. Information. The racial makeup of the city is 49.66% White, 7.79% African American, 0.45% Native American, 30.84% Asian, 0.49% Pacific Islander, 6.48% from other races, and 4.28% from two or more races. L.O.C. There are 346,527 housing units at an average density of 2,865.6/km² (7,421.2/mi²). Announcing auditions. The population density is 6,423.2/km² (16,634.4/mi²), making it the second densest city of 500,000 or more, as well as the fifth densest county, in the country [3].

Press release. As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there are 776,733 people, 329,700 households, and 145,068 families residing in the city. Single website. San Francisco also contains many public beaches, the most notable being Baker Beach and Ocean Beach. Crazy Frog battered in net orgy of violence. A large fresh-water lake, Lake Merced, is located in the south west corner of the city near San Francisco State University and Fort Funston. iTunes emasculates Crazy Frog. Buena Vista Park located in the Haight-Ashbury, is the city's oldest, established in 1867, nearby Alamo Square is famous for its views of the city and the famous Victorian houses known as the Painted Ladies.

Press release, including sound clips. The Presidio is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which includes Alcatraz, and many other large local parks. Single website. Another notable park is The Presidio at the south edge of the Golden Gate. The official Crazy Frog Axel F website. The best-known, as well as biggest, park is Golden Gate Park which is 174 acres larger than New York's Central Park. The cornerstones of this development are the SBC Park baseball stadium and an extension of the University of California, San Francisco medical school.

A new neighborhood, Mission Bay, is being redeveloped from an industrial area at the far eastern end of South of Market. The South of Market neighborhood was an epicenter of the dot-com boom of the late 1990s. Current demographic and land use expansion is concentrated in the east and south. Coit Tower, a notable landmark dedicated to San Francisco's firefighters, is located at the top of Telegraph Hill.

Along with New Orleans' streetcars, San Francisco's cable cars are one of only two mobile United States National Monuments. It is still possible to take a cable car ride up and down Nob and Russian Hills. San Francisco is also famous for its Cable cars (narrow gauge, 3'6" (1067 mm)), which were designed to carry residents up those steep hills. Not to be missed are the beautiful homes and area of the city known as Pacific Heights as well as victorians in the Haight-Ashbury and the "painted ladies" of Alamo Square and the Castro.

(See The Castro for more gay demographics.). In addition to the predominantly gay Castro, there are significant concentrations of gays in Noe Valley, Diamond Heights, Bernal Heights, Potrero Hill, Haight-Ashbury, Hayes Valley, and SOMA. The Castro neighborhood has the world's highest concentration of homosexuals. Haight-Ashbury gained prominence during the "Summer of Love" 1960s for its counter-culture and concentration of hippies.

Russian Hill is a residential neighborhood most famous for Lombard Street "the crookedest street in the world". The predominantly Hispanic Mission District is the oldest neighborhood in the city, being the site of Mission Dolores, established in 1776. It also boasts a budding Vietnamese community in the Tenderloin neighborhood, Filipinos in Crocker-Amazon and South of Market, an Italian community in North Beach, a French Quarter, and Irish, Chinese, and Russian communities in the Richmond District. San Francisco has a Japantown and Chinatown; both are among the largest and oldest in the US.

May through September are almost completely free of precipitation. San Francisco receives an average of 19.97 in (507.3 mm) of precipitation annually, 85% of which falls between November and March. In September (the warmest month), lows average 56° F (13° C) and highs average 71° F (22° C). In January, morning lows average 46° F (8° C) and afternoon highs average 58° F (14° C).

In the summer months it will regularly be very foggy and cool in the Sunset District in the western half of San Francisco at the same time that it is sunny and at least 10° F warmer downtown or in the bayside neighborhood of Hunters Point. Even within the city itself there are distinct microclimates, generally much more differentiated in the summer than in the winter. The fog is less pronounced during the late spring and during the months of September and October, which are generally the warmest, most summer-like months of the year in San Francisco. Thus, summer temperatures in San Francisco are significantly lower than in inland locations of the Bay Area and parts of inland California such as the Central Valley, where temperatures regularly top 104° F (40° C) in the summer.

The combination of cold ocean water and the high heat of the California mainland creates the city's characteristic foggy weather that can cover the western half of the city in fog all day during the summer and early fall, as well as cover the rest of the San Francisco metropolitan area as far as 35-50 miles inland (the fog often burns off during the day at inland locations). The Pacific Ocean off the west coast of the city is particularly cold year round with the ocean temperature at about 50° F (10° C) throughout the year. Snowfall is extraordinarily rare [1]. Rain in the summer is extremely rare, but winters can be very rainy.

The weather is remarkably cool all year round, characterized by often foggy summers and rainy winters; average daily high temperatures in the summer typically range from 60 - 75° F (15 to 24° C), while in the winter it hovers between 50° - 60° F (10° C to 15° C) during the day but can, on a very cold day, fall to between 41° F (5° C) and freezing at night, although during nearly all winters no temperatures at or below freezing are recorded in most parts of the city. Surrounded on three sides by water, San Francisco's climate is strongly influenced by the cool currents of the Pacific Ocean. In 1997 Treasure Island was returned to the city and it provides a unique vantage point to view the San Francisco skyline. It was a site for the 1939 San Francisco World's Fair, and it was originally envisioned that Treasure Island would serve as the site for San Francisco's municipal airport, but it became a Navy base at the start of World War II.

It was constructed from material dredged from the bay as well as material resulting from tunnelling through Yerba Buena Island in the construction of the Bay Bridge. The most impressive example of an "infill neighborhood" is Treasure Island. Such land is extremely unstable during earthquakes; the resultant liquefaction during earthquakes causes extensive damage to property built upon it, as was evidenced in the Marina district during the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake. Entire neighborhoods of the city such as the Marina and Hunters Point were created and sit on man made landfill (made up of mud, sand, and rubble from past earthquakes) and other reclamation projects over the San Francisco Bay when flatland became scarce.

New buildings must be built to very high structural standards, while many dollars must be spent to retrofit the city's older buildings and bridges. The threat of another major earthquake like the 1906 one plays a major role in the city's infrastructure development. The Loma Prieta earthquake of 1989, which also did significant damage to parts of the city, is also famous for having interrupted a World Series baseball game between the Bay Area's two Major League Baseball teams, the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland Athletics. The Daly City Earthquake of 1957 caused some damage.

Earlier significant quakes rocked the city in 1851, 1858, 1865, and 1868. The most serious earthquake, in 1906, is mentioned above. San Francisco lies near the San Andreas Fault and Hayward Fault, two major sources of earthquake activity in California. On top of Mount Davidson is a 103 foot (31.4 meter) tall cross built in 1934.

About 1 mile (1.2km) south of Mount Sutro is San Francisco's highest mountain, Mount Davidson, which is over over 925 feet (282 meters) high. Nearby are the equally well known Twin Peaks, which are a pair of hills resting at one of the city's highest points. Dominating this area is Mount Sutro, which is the site of Sutro Tower, a large red and white radio transmission tower, that is a well known landmark to city residents. Near the geographic center of the city and away from the downtown area are a series of less populated hills.

Some of these hills are neighborhoods such as Nob Hill, Pacific Heights, Russian Hill, and Telegraph Hill, while some of these hills are public parks and open space such as Twin Peaks, Mount Sutro, Mount Davidson, and Buena Vista Park. There are a total of 42 hills within city limits. A "hill" in San Francisco is an elevation that is over 100 ft (30 m). San Francisco is famous for its hills.

The geographical center of the city is on the east side of Grandview Avenue between Alvarado and Twenty-third Streets. The city proper is often reputed to be roughly a seven mile square, and in fact is only slightly smaller. The total area is 79.86% water. 46.7 mi² (120.9 km²) of it is land and 185.2 mi² (479.7 km²) of it is water.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city and county has a total area of 231.9 mi² (600.7 km²). The problem is a source of much discussion, and has become a significant factor in the politics of the city, most importantly in the mayoral campaigns of Frank Jordan and Gavin Newsom. The city has the highest number of homeless inhabitants per capita of any major city in the United States. Homelessness has been a controversial and chronic problem for San Francisco for many years.

High technology continues to be a mainstay of San Francisco's economy in the early 21st century. When the dot-com bubble burst, it had a major impact on the city's employment and venture-capital markets, but housing has remained expensive. During the dot-com boom of the 1990s, large numbers of entrepreneurs and computer software professionals moved into the city, followed by marketing and sales professionals, and changed the social landscape as once poorer neighborhoods became gentrified; the boom was over by 2001. A further wave of economic expansion and physical development began in the 1980s, with a boom in construction of skyscrapers and high-rise apartments that some referred to as "Manhattanization".

In San Francisco, the quake severely damaged many of the city's freeways, as well as the Marina District and the South of Market. The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake caused significant destruction and loss of life throughout the Bay Area. city. It also became a center of the Gay Liberation movement; San Francisco has a higher percentage of gay men and lesbians than any other major U.S.

In the second half of the 20th century, San Francisco became a magnet for America's counterculture, drawing artists, Beat Generation writers, rock musicians and hippies. Urban planning projects in the 1950s further transformed the city, tearing down and redeveloping many neighborhoods and introducing major freeways. The opening of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge in 1936 and 1937 made the city more accessible, and its population grew faster in the 1940s due to its importance as a military base in World War II. At least 3,000 died, while refugees settled temporarily in Golden Gate Park and in undeveloped areas.

The 1906 San Francisco earthquake, and the fires that followed it (burning out of control due to the loss of water supply), destroyed approximately 80% of the city, including almost all of the downtown core. Hostility toward immigrants contributed to lynchings and race riots in the 1850s, and to the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which drastically restricted immigration from China until 1943. The influx of Chinese workers created a sizable Chinatown district, and Chinese Americans remain one of the city's largest ethnic groups. The county originally included what is now San Mateo County.

state in 1850 as it breifly served as its state capital before it moved to San Jose and eventually its permanent home in Sacramento. San Francisco became a county when California became a U.S. The railroad, banking, and mining industries became major economic forces in the city. But a year later, the California gold rush brought a wave of migration and immigration, raising the population from 1,000 to 25,000 by December 1849.

At that point, despite its useful location as a port and naval base, San Francisco was still a small settlement with inhospitable geography. The United States claimed the city on January 30, 1847, during the Mexican-American War. It was during this period that increased American and European settlement increased. The area fell into Mexican hands following its independence and fell into isolation.

Russians also coexisted with the Europeans, having colonized Northern California as far south as Fort Ross in Sonoma County. Though Spain held the port until the Mexican revolution, there was also British settlement in the form of fur trading settlements in the area from 1792 onward following a visit from explorer George Vancouver (the earlier English explorer Sir Francis Drake had missed San Francisco entirely, due to the bay's characteristic foggy weather). A small military fort was also established in what is now the Presidio and on Alcatraz island in the bay, as well as a small village called Yerba Buena. The first Spanish mission, Mission San Francisco de Asis, was established six years later.

The first European to reach the San Francisco Bay was the Spanish explorer Don Gaspar de Portolà,in 1770. By the middle of the 19th century, disease and warfare with European settlers had virtually wiped out the indigenous tribes. Native Americans inhabited the San Francisco Bay Area at least 10,000 years ago; the most recent inhabitants prior to European settlement were the Yelamu. .

San Francisco's famous hallmarks include its cable cars and the Golden Gate Bridge, which are recognized worldwide. San Francisco has unique characteristics when compared to other major cities in the U.S., including its steep rolling hills, an eclectic mix of architecture including both Victorian style houses and modern skyscrapers, and natural beauty, surrounded by the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay. It was a center of the dot-com boom and the explosive growth of the Internet at the end of the century. Long enjoying a bohemian reputation the city became a counterculture magnet in the second half of the 20th century.

The phoenix on the city's flag represents San Francisco's "rebirth" from the ashes of the fire that resulted from the quake. Devastated by the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, the city was quickly rebuilt. With the advent of the California gold rush in 1848, and the Comstock Lode and silver mines in 1859, the city entered a period of rapid growth. The first Europeans to settle in San Francisco were the Spanish, in 1776.

city aside from New York City. census data show that San Francisco has the highest population density of any major U.S. U.S. The city is a focal point of the San Francisco Bay Area, and forms part of the greater San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland Combined Statistical Area (CSA), whose population is over 7 million.

(See Islands of San Francisco Bay). Insular San Francisco includes several islands in the San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Strait, notably Alcatraz, Treasure Island, and the Farallon Islands 27 miles offshore in the Pacific Ocean and also most of the privately owned Red Rock Island near the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. A consolidated city-county, mainland San Francisco is located on the tip of the San Francisco Peninsula. state of California.

The City and County of San Francisco (2004 estimated population 744,230) is the fourth-largest city in the U.S.
Location of the City and County of San Francisco, California. URL accessed on January 29, 2006.. ^  Board of Supervisors District Information.

URL accessed on January 29, 2006.. Population Density, 2000 Census. Lounge U.S. ^  G.I.S.

URL accessed on January 29, 2006.. Bureau of the Census, Washington, D.C., June 1998. ^  POPULATION OF THE 100 LARGEST CITIES AND OTHER URBAN PLACES IN THE UNITED STATES: 1790 TO 1990 U.S. URL accessed on January 28, 2006..

^  San Francisco Historical Snowfall. San Francisco is never referred to locally as "Frisco", a term that marks the outsider as unlikely to be from a western state. Outsiders in the region refer to it as "The City", while natives sometimes refer to it as a town, as in "Are you in Town?". Other nicknames include "Baghdad by the Bay", coined by columnist Herb Cain, and "The City that Knows How".

Each of these streets runs through a tunnel under a hill (Nob Hill and Russian Hill respectively), but formerly went over the hill. Two streets in San Francisco – Stockton Street and Broadway – have two sets of sidewalks. The Golden Grain Company's popular Rice-A-Roni brand mentions the city in its slogan "The San Francisco Treat," both in its advertisements and on packaging of the product. In 2002, San Francisco had as many homeless people as the city of New York even though it has one-tenth of its population, and the number of people who died on the streets was twice that of the entire state of Florida.

The first reinforced concrete bridge in America, the Lake Alvord Bridge, was constructed in Golden Gate Park in 1889. Later in his life, he recanted that vow, although he died before he was able to make the voyage. Opera Tenor Enrico Caruso who was in town during the 1906 Earthquake & fire swore to never return to San Francisco. Stanford University located 33 miles south of the city in Palo Alto, California.

University of California, Berkeley located 12 miles east across the bay in Berkeley, California. Alliant International University, headquartered across from Pier 39 following the merger of the California School of Professional Psychology and United States International University. San Francisco School of Digital Filmmaking. Academy of Art University.

California College of the Arts undergraduate programs in architecture and design, and graduate programs located in Potrero Hill. California Culinary Academy Le Cordon Bleu program located in the Tenderloin. New College of California located in the Mission District. California Institute of Integral Studies in several locations.

Golden Gate University, a business and law school located downtown. The Jesuit-run University of San Francisco, one of the first universities established west of the Mississippi, located in the center of the city. Dugoni School of Dentistry, [5]. The University of the Pacific Arthur A.

City College of San Francisco, one of the largest community colleges in the country is located in the Ingleside, with several extension campuses. University of California, Hastings College of the Law located downtown at its Civic Center. San Francisco State University located in the southwest corner of the city near Lake Merced. University of California, San Francisco, primarily a graduate level health-sciences school, located north of Forest Hill.