Mission Mission

Tonight from 7-10pm, Artists’ Television Access opens its doors in celebration of a new gallery exhibition and a new window display. Inside you’ll find Heavens, a collection of photos by Arturo Cosenza

of domes and ceilings from cathedrals, train stations and other public buildings in Europe and North America. In these, the photographer explores different depictions of the great celestial map that guides the traveler through his journey on earth, as manifested in architecture through the ages.

Outside, the untitled window display comes courtesy of Javier Farias, a “graffiti-based artist” who idolizes Dalí.

Both artists will be in attendance.

More art on Mission Mission.

Great news, Mission! Bike riding is spreading like a plague, but with better symptoms and more positive media coverage: SF Gate has taken note! San Francisco Bike Coalition reports record numbers of new members! And honestly, this is an ideal moment to start biking if you’ve been thinking about it; Bike to Work Day is this Thursday! There’s a stop-off spot with food and drinks and goodies for bikers at each end of the Mission.

Biking in the Mission District can be confusing, though… other bikes often speed frantically past just so they can stop at the red light before you. There’s a whole strip of asphalt labeled “bike lane”, but it seems that drivers (who you would hope have pretty good eyesight) misread that as “park while passengers shop lane” or “it’s okay to double park here if your flashers are on lane”. Other drivers sometimes curse at you in Spanish when they drive past you, and explain when you chase after them that they were concerned for your safety on such a busy road (more or less). Baffling.

Some of these mysteries may never be explained, so I’ll start with something simpler. Let’s address the helmet issue. Covering your head with something to keep your brain safe is critical. That thing is a helmet, and they aren’t fashionable. Confusing, because people in the Mission are fashionable and like their headgear to match. Small-brimmed, brightly colored caps are not helmets, even if gonfiabili only bikers wear them. Hair is not a helmet, even if it is long and blows attractively in the wind. Even if it is full of styling gel and makes a hollow sound when you knock on it, it is not a helmet. Finally, to the man biking on 22nd St: cowboy hats, although arguably appropriate for riding horses, are not helmets. Maybe you can wear it on top of a helmet for the same effect.

Not a helmet.

P.S. New obstacle in the bike lane on Valencia at 7 a.m. today: a cop car, parked diagonally, plus two cops writing a ticket to a disgruntled sidewalk-biker. Helmets can’t protect you from everything, so I wouldn’t suggest JWZ point #11 even while wearing protective gear.

I find this selection of chocolate chips at the Mission Safeway unacceptable. Only seven available types of baking chips, and one was white (fake) chocolate and another was butterscotch (ew) ?!  Whatever happened toboggan aquatique gonflable to peanut butter chips or mini-chocolate chips? A few feet away is this disgusting display:

I love olive oil as much as the next person, but really? The extravagant number of olive oils takes up so much precious space that there is no room for chocolate?

Mission bakers – is there anywhere around to find mini chocolate chips?

Before I submit this to one of the dueling Girafa groups on Flickr, I thought I’d check. Click to make big.

Update: Plug1 says definitively, “not him”. Thanks, Plug.

Previously on Mission Mission: Giraffe Graffiti Gang Related? So Say Cops

Today at jwz, a long list of advice for folks new to bicycling in San Francisco. A sampling:

10. Bike maintenance: don’t do it, ever. It’s not worth your time. Just take it to the shop. Getting them to replace a flat for you costs $20 and takes 10 minutes, including the tube, and you don’t get dirty.

11. Safety: I follow the Zodiac approach: always assume the cars can see you perfectly, and are trying to kill you. If an intersection seems iffy, use the sidewalk and crosswalks. If big streets like Market and Van Ness freak you out, there are aire de jeux gonflable always less traficky ways to go, or just stay on the sidewalks.

12. Grocery shopping: yes, you really can do it with a single backpack. The trick is, shop small once a week instead of big once a month.

Great stuff in the comments too. Link.

Link to more cycling-related posts on Mission Mission.

This treasure will go to the deliverer of the best meth-related anecdote in the comments section below. Bonus points if it’s Mission-related too, duh. Good luck!

Prize donated by Aaron and Katie of Beauty Bar. Click pic to make big.

More meth on Mission Mission.

I spent all weekend with my mom, and it occurred to me to finally post this video we made a few months ago. In it, she shares a project she made as an art student at San Jose State in 1968, which she’d recently dug up after running into Tony May, the professor under whom she’d produced it. As she explains here, the skills and interests that led to this project also led her to a career in cartography, via San Francisco State, where she met my dad. Their first apartment together was on Camp Street, which meant I grew up hearing romantic tales of the Mission District on a regular basis. Thanks, Mom!

Over at Curbed SF, Andy Wang reports from the Transbay Terminal Plan Public Meeting:

The envisioned downtown skyline will be defined by a graceful “mound” consisting of a peak (Transbay Tower) and a gentle taper. High rise haters, take notice: friendly presenter Josh says they want to keep surrounding buildings about 200 feet away from each other — so as to avoid an overly carpa hinchable dense clusterfuck of buildings.

Our favorite part was the above image, created by Curbed’s Jimmy Stamp (click to enlarge). I’m no NIMBY, but who’s bummed as me that we won’t get to see the bridge at all anymore?

Tonight from 6-9pm, Soap Gallery hosts an artist reception for “Photography by the Bay: The Mix”, an exhibition offering a mishmash of different photographic styles. The last Soap opening was well attended and well appointed.

Photo by Barbie Dike (click to enlarge).

The Kids in the Hall perform Saturday at the War Memorial Opera House. In January we ran my interview with Dave Foley, in which he dropped some hints about the substance of this current tour — and shared the following bit of actorly introspection:

You know what? I think I’m too old to play a young Asian girl now.

Link to full feature, which also includes video of the Kids explaining how Scott Thompson killed Kurt Cobain.

(photo of my new favorite sketch by linoleum jet)