MM reader Tom M. wonders if it might be:

On my walk home tonight I noticed what seemed at first to be a large pile of trash on the corner of Harrison and 17th. No big deal. However, upon further inspection, it was apparent that, yes, someone blew up a recycling bin.

At least it wasn’t a compost bin.  Or, god forbid, a porta-potty!

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Farmgirl rules. Here’s the deal:

• No Waste: We offer one daily arrangement of beautiful, local and seasonal flowers and greens. For Valentine’s Day, you may get Cymbidium Orchids, non-red Roses, Tulips, Lisianthus, Anemones, Ranunculus, Kale & Scabiosa, depending upon is available with our growers that week.
• Field-to-vase: We work directly with local farmers to source only the freshest flowers.
• Recycled packaging and low-emission: We use recycled vase and reused burlap coffee bags from San Francisco-based Ritual Roasters and our bouquets are delivered via bike courier.

Lovely! Browse today’s options here. (Bouquet in a burlap sack, bouquet in a reused vase, or a LIVING PLANT.)

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Residents have been questioning the design that DPW has proposed for the new park set to blossom at 17th and Folsom since the first draft was revealed, and although many of their concerns have been addressed in subsequent revisions, one of those qualms continues to stand out. Quite literally, actually, in the form of an 8-foot fence surrounding the park:

The original concept design was even more inwardly focused, though it did address access to the future affordable housing to the north. Most egregiously, it set the 8-foot-high fence right at the park’s edge, making the 10-foot-wide sidewalk feel even more constrained…

The inflexible, over programmed design remained inwardly focused and lacked any integration with the urban fabric and immediate neighborhood community, which features many arts organizations. By most measures of good urban design, it was still a very unsuccessful design…

A low fence, such as the one at the nearby Mission Playground, can provide safety for small children without such a defensive and negative feeling.

[Link]

So, do you agree that DPW is totally blowing it when it comes to building this park?  And just how high does a park fence have to be in order to keep all the good stuff inside while not looking like a prison from the outside?

Previously:

• Potential New Park On 17th And Folsom
• Breaking: Proposed 17th and Folsom Park Will Be Green
• Future Park at 17th and Folsom Will Probably Take a While

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brown paper bags – 5 cents per – half off retail (SOMA / south beach)

brown paper bags 5 cents each
Lowest prices in the city!

Plus it’s still environmentally friendly because you’re paying for them

[link]

(Thanks, Gary!)

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[via Sexpigeon]

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[graphic via The Cornicopia Institute]

We don’t do that much politicking here (there’s plenty of that on the internet already), but it is a big election year, so expect some issues to pop up as we find them relevant or particularly pressing.

Local grocery cooperative, Rainbow Grocery Cooperative, is officially endorsing California’s Proposition 37, the Labeling of Genetically Engineered Food Initiative. This endorsement is not shocking, since 2000 Rainbow has officially opposed the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs):

“We will ban these foods from any private label product we carry, and support efforts to label and/or ban such foods until a time when they can be proved safe for consumption and the environment.”

Christa Irwin, of Rainbow’s Ecology Committee says of Prop. 37:

“People want to know what they’re eating. Just because a product says ‘natural’ does not mean that it hasn’t come from a GMO crop or possibly processed with or contaminated by one. This fight is imperative and hopefully will change labeling on a national level.”

You have to wonder why the food companies would pay so much money to stop us from knowing how they’re making our food and what they put into it. Since the above graphic was made the numbers on the red side have continued to go up. Fog City Journal has an informative write up on the matter. I just don’t trust companies like Monsanto and Phillip Morris, excuse me, Altria, to hold our health as their top priority. Anyone remember StarLink? If it costs less to do recalls or payout lawsuits…

I think the consumers have a right to know. If the companies believe that GMOs are safe then don’t hide them, convince us. It’s a bummer though, I like a lot of the products in the left column. I think Prop 37 is just the first step in getting to a better place with the development and use of GMOs. Much more testing should to be done, especially focusing on long term effects. Unfortunately there seems to be very little push back on the chemical/food companies making them, and much of the changes they are making are likely irreversible. If Prop. 37 passes consumers will be able to weigh in on the matter with their wallets, which is what the Big Ag companies are afraid of.

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There’s cheap socks and gloves to go with them, too.

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Just don’t say you live in the Presidio, because that would be a loooooong ride. On the other hand, it’s a lot easier for wasted people to puke over the side of this contraption than out the window of a cab.  Of course, perhaps you might be inclined to skip the cab altogether and simply take a nap on the hood of a parked car instead.

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Our pal Doug over at Ice Tubes (the best blog about living in the Haight and surfing) spied this incredibly trippy-looking way to recycle your old jeans somewhere in the Haight. Read all about it.

I’d try it with my old jeans, but I think they might be too full of holes.

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The SF Energy Co-op thinks maybe so, and they’re raising money to get the project started:

Our cooperative needs to get a pilot project putting solar on our neighborhood center up and running so we can raise membership around it and show other neighborhoods how they can get together on profitable solar projects too.

Maybe the Mission will be next? Read on.

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Sure, you could make countless trips to the dump scrounging reclaimed materials, or you could just buy the parklet in front of Fabric8 for a considerable markup, drop it in your yard, and call it a day.

This one-of-a-kind parklet was designed and built by San Francisco artist Erik Otto using recycled materials. It has been featured in numerous publications, documentaries, and television programs. Most materials were procured from SF Recology (aka the dump) via Otto’s previous artist-in-residence there.

Amenities include 4 custom-made bean bags; low-voltage lighting system inside the house; and delivery/installation within the area. Can be purchased in part or whole. Olive tree and steel foundation excluded. Seller financing available.

More information: http://fabric8.com/parklet/2011.html

Not really my style, but I call dibs on Deep’s parklet triceratops if that ever goes for sale.

[Craigslist via Curbed SF]

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I’m impressed by the cyclist who just rode down Valencia with a small couch on his back. I also find it an odd transportation decision.

— Karina (@kvanscha) August 13, 2012

Pretty impressive!

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There seems to be a new street art movement sweeping the neighborhood (or perhaps just 23rd St), and you’ve still got a chance to get in on the ground floor! And you don’t even have to have a real plastic bag–even a torn tortilla wrapper will do!

Whether it’s commentary on environmentalism (Greenland’s ice sheets are melting!) or consumerism (weren’t plastic bags outlawed in SF?), or merely the work of some bored homeless dude is up to you, but you’ve at least got to admire the variety here.

Also, FYI, none of these can be recycled in your apartment’s street-side bin (only HARD plastic can be), so tell your dumb housemates to stop throwing these in with the recycling!

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Looks like this one didn’t make it out to Ocean Beach before the traditional Christmas tree bonfire. Which, may I add, is the classiest way for a Christmas tree to go out–like Bon Jovi in a blaze of glory (or not).

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If you’ve walked past Deep’s (AKA Trikasaurus) house on Valencia street, you’ve probably seen Trixie, the chloroplast-fortified triceratops guarding in his custom parklet.

Ever wonder how she came to be? No, not extracted DNA from prehistoric amber deposits. Apparently the idea was a no-brainer pitched by his architect:

…as the parklet project was really making progress, Jane proposed doing a “succulent sculpture” for it. And since she was so dead-on about the parklet, I immediately said sure! I thought “Ummm – a what?” Jane excitedly explained that our parklet needed an artistic focus & that it should be plant based. At that point, seeing her vision completely, I said “sure!” I said “Ummm – hmm” & started trying to figure out how to say “no” to something she was so enthused about.

Ummm, yeah. Read on at Deep’s blog for the full story.

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