Mission Mission

SF Weekly reports:

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is responsible for doling out millions for research that, according to an agency mission statement, will “prevent strategic surprise from negatively impacting U.S. national security.” Their latest project, titled Good Stranger, involves S.F.’s finest — and, quite possibly, you.

In April 2012, researchers started tagging along with SFPD officers on their beats, recording video and audio of police interacting with the locals. This data is compiled for studies at theStanford Research Institute and UC Santa Barbara that, according to Dr. Brian Lande, DARPA program manager, aim to examine the “interaction skills” people use to “make sense of and orient toward unfamiliar people, relationships, and social settings.”

DARPA plans to use the recordings in the development of a military training simulator that will use artificial intelligence to read and react to a trainee’s body language and facial expressions. DARPA is dumping $32.5 million into Good Stranger and related projects; the agency states that the training module will eventually be cheaper than arranging live role-players to train soldiers.

So I’m going to the park to meet some friends around 2:30, and my interaction with some cop regarding the Watermelon Wheat I plan to drink will someday factor in to how long some soldier reasons with some suspected terrorist before using lethal force to subdue him? Okay. Happy to help

Read on for official SFPD statements and more. [via Mission Local]

Now here’s a cute Missed Connection:

mission chinese – couple who paid our bill (mission district)

To the couple in their 50s(?) from the Marina who paid for our check: THANK YOU! So much of the feedback us parents-of-toddlers get is negative. Your kind note and gesture was one of the nicest things anyone has done for us as parents. We deeply appreciate your generosity and thoughtfulness, and just wanted to let you know how much it meant to us. [link]

How nice!

[Photo by Sam Louis]

Looks good!

[via Talent Is An Asset]

Also, it’s Sunday Streets again!

Having a Pooh party!

[via Quonky]

Vulcan Tits stopped by Central Kitchen and here’s what happened:

I found this man, taking photos of a sandwich. And when it didn’t look EXACTLY right? Well, my good friends, that’s when the tweezers came out. [link]

Yum.

Their Kickstarter campaign worked like a charm and tonight we get to see the fruits of their labors. Here’s the schedule of events, straight from Lost Weekend:

Open House 6/29 8-11pm

Friday June 29th, we’re opening the doors to the general public to come in and have a gander at the new space. We’ll be showing off our amazing  audio & video set-up and there’ll be snacks & bevvies to keep everyone happy. Come & check us out!

Opening Night 6/30 7pm!

Our Opening Night event will be a celebration of VHS & video stores from local forgotten film enthusiast Jesse Ficks of ‘Midnites for Maniacs’. Two seatings at 7pm & 9:45pm. Only 25 seats, so get here early!

Read on for more on the Cinecave.

[via Uptown Almanac]

Mission Local broke the news and published this sample menu:

Baked Spanish Chorizo and Eggs: (served from 11 to 12) Roasted Poblano peppers, grilled red onions, salsa verde and grilled toast
Breakfast Sausage: Sage, ginger and bacon pork sausage  Fried egg and Sriracha
Bratwurst: Ginger and nutmeg pork sausage Sauerkraut, caramelized onions and spicy beer mustard
Hot Italian: Fennel seed, herbs and calabrian chili pork sausage Braised greens, spicy tomato sauce and pickled red onions
Boudin Blanc: Thyme and warm spiced chicken and pork sausage Shallot confit, arugula, mayo and preserved lemon
Chicago Dog: Smokey traditional beef hot dog Sweet celery and fennel relish, tomatoes, diced white onions, yellow mustard, pickled sport peppers, poppy seed and celery salt
Banh Mi: Black pepper, garlic, pork and pork skin sausage Pickled daikon and carrot, jalapeno, cucumber, cilantro, Sriracha and chicken liver pate
Eggplant Italian: Fennel seed, herbs and calabrian chili vegetarian sausage Braised kale, spicy tomato sauce and pickled red onions

Read on for more news and lots more pictures.

Places, everyone:

And, ACTION:

And that was it. She walked past the camera with a bag in her hand. They did a couple takes and then packed it all up.

And not too crowded!