Mission Mission

I am also totally psyched about how shitty/awesome the second photo came out. (click photos to enlarge)

Normally I’d call SFPD and get their version, but it’s been a long day and I need to get to bed. Here’s Rhiannon‘s version:

So earlier this afternoon, I was driving west on 17th at from Folsom and I heard a crash, and by the time I got up to Shotwell, a blue car and a silver car were both nose on the curb next to the Gas Station on S. Van Ness, all spewin ‘steam and doors open and smashed bumpers and headlights. This isn’t the exciting part. What is that I nearly ran over this dude, wearing a domestic-abuser-tank-top and khakis, greasy, almost jeri-curl do flowing in the breeze, running to beat the band because THERE WAS A SFPD MOTORCYCLE COP PURSUING HIM. It was insane. There were cars behind me, and I was running late, so I couldn’t stick around and rubber-neck, but have you heard about this? Know what happened? I’m all a-twitter! (but wasn’t at the time, because I was piloting a moving automobile).

Their window sign was hard to photograph with my shitty cameraphone.

Kaleidoscope Free Speech Zone, a new art gallery / small concert venue / place to overthrow the government, has opened a few doors down from Philz at 24th and Folsom.  They are doing some great things, like allowing local artists to show their works, offering up numerous language classes (including sign language.  Haven’t you always wanted to be able to order a tallboy of Tecate with your hands?!?!), pilates classes, and hosting lectures. They even come equipped with a cute dog that naps on the couches. While they don’t seem to have a website, you can holler at them via facebook.

Seat taken.

Whiteboard art for the win.

everyday photos spotted it, and has an explanation here.

Makes sense. SFist has the scoop here.

SF Appeal is having its first big event: Some kind of really nerdy flashmob to celebrate the Culture Bus’ final excursion. Saturday afternoon! Link.

Just when I was starting to think it was a slow news week, some moving truck goes absolutely nuts and discovers that it does not fit into a Church St. garage after uncontrollably descending Hill St. as three people jumped from the devil-powered behemoth for their lives.

Dolores Park View brings us the tale.

Update: Apparently SFist covered this hours ago.  I should really start reading other blogs.

Previously on Mission Mission:

• Car vs. Bank

I moved to 18th and Dolores in 1993. Among all the changes that the neighborhood has gone through since then, somehow, just outside the hustle and bustle, this intersection remains the same. The four corners here haven’t changed in decades.

A block away at 18th and Guerrero Carl’s became Tartine. Quality Junk and Bruce’s little shop where I’d get my hair cut got gobbled by Tartine and Delfina. Bi Rite changed from the dusty place where I got my catfood, to . . . you know, what it is now. Anna’s, where you could get cookies for diabetics, is Farina’s.

Stand in the middle of this intersection (watch out for cars) and look around you, for now, you’ll still see the old neighborhood. The one I moved to, the one that was there before me. Robert’s little world beat music store is gone. Al’s Comics has moved. But these four corners persist.

So what’s going on here?  Is Pac-Man freaking out and eating Ms. Pac-Man?  Puking up a tofu scramble from the Pork Store Cafe?  Blowing a bubble?  Getting the tagger’s hands cut off?