Mission Mission

The best part was when the stilts girl who was with them did the splits and somebody way up the hill shouted “YEEEAH, BITCH,” which is rude — but the whole park cracked up. That was the best part.

Or, AN AWESOME PIECE OF JEWELRY AROUND MY NECK! Bingo bango, vodka rules! DRINKING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks, Linda!

Every week, photographer Joshua Cobos shoots a roll of film just for us. He picks the best 13 photos and we post them here, and it’s called “Bad Blood with Joshua Cobos.” Oh, also, Joshua’s band Big Drag is playing tonight at Hemlock! Anyway, here’s what Joshua has to say about this week’s installment:

A couple of these photographs took a lot of courage & unabashed humility from the subjects.I am not really confident about expressing my private life anymore. These are friends and people I love. No more, no less.

Thanks, Joshua! Ten more shots after the jump:

(more…)

[via Christina]

The mural space on Bryant at 24th Street has changed again. Most likely as a reaction to somebody tagging over it.

Reader Rob sends in the above picture and says:

Stoned, Occupy-targeted caterpillar has morphed into a stripey-panted, kowtowing, piece of poo/penis. Never a dull moment around here.

Commenter Dolissa says that as a public art wall the space is already reclaimed from advertisers who used it as a vehicle for unwelcome messages:

In the 1970s Latino artists and activists took over a billboard with tobacco and alcohol ads because they felt it was harmful to the community. The took over the space and used it to create art.

So now we have this thing. Soon to be replaced/defaced by something else. Hopefully this is respected long enough for people to appreciate it. Hopefully the next thing adds value to what’s there now, but since that’s completely subjective there’s just no way everyone can be satisfied. I guess the best we can hope for is that anyone can get in their piece at some time and that everyone gets a chance to appreciate at least one incarnation in the rotation. Free, open and public space is valuable to our neighborhood (especially if you consider that an alternative might just be another corporate billboard), and it can be anything you want it to be, but you will inevitably be forced to compromise what you want to make room for what someone else wants. And no amount of challenging a participant’s aesthetic or motives will change that.

UPDATE: In the comments, Matthew points us to the history of the Digital Mural Project on this wall.

Pleeeeeeease tell me somebody parked there and plans to contest whatever ticket they got.

[Uptown Almanac via Summer Is Rad]

I like the look of this flyer, and the sound of “White Gold Karaoke Night.” And if it’s not great, you can always bowl a few frames.

(Thanks, Carlos!)

This Thursday night, the Cal Academy and Noise Pop are having a very special party. Here’s the deal:

[T]his week NightLife is all about earthquakes! Be among the first to see the Academy’s newly opened Earthquake exhibit and planetarium show, complete with shake table and live ostriches. Also enjoy an Earthquake Sundae-eating competition by Ghirardelli Ice Cream and Chocolate Shop, soundQuake, meet the folks from the US Geological Survey and SPUR. Live music by Weekend and Violens presented by Noise Pop.

Sounds good! To win, tell us your best earthquake-related anecdote (or I guess an ostrich-related anecdote would work) in the comments section below. A winner will be chosen based on merit and awarded a pair of tickets for the party. Contest ends at noon on Wednesday.

Further details and advance tickets here.

Here’s a song by Weekend:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJk41jsE_YQ