Mission Mission

Just a little update on those cute kittens from yesterday. Adopt them already!

[via Meesha]

There’s a mystery afoot, and Ros, a resident near 25th/Folsom, wants to know if anyone has any idea what’s going on:

I wanted to see if you knew what the deal is with the lone parrot outside of what used to be The Wing Foundation (http://www.thewingfoundation.org).

This one-foot-plus long bird seems to have been squawking a whole bunch more as of late. It’s in a large white cage, on Folsom St, with a sign attached telling passers-by that it bites. This biteyness, combined with the endless squawking have led to my workmates and I to nicknaming it ‘Jerk Bird’. Sorry Jerk Bird, I’m sure you have a nicer name.

In a way, I don’t blame it for being a jerk – I would be too if I were left alone in a cage with no shade, on Folsom St, for two 90-something deg days consecutively. Secondly, it looks like The Wing Foundation has closed up shop – the house is for sale, the site has an apologetic message and all the other birds seem gone.

My neighbor tells me that the bird is worth $20,000. I don’t know where he got that figure.

Perhaps this injustice is what all those wild parrots have been squawking about for god knows how long?  And seriously, nobody better get any clever ideas about getting cashing in a $20k feathered payday….

I got an idea for a new musical about the rapidly changing neighborhood that surrounds us.

A couple in their late twenties move to San Francisco’s Mission District from Iowa. Stacy and Sam had been running Stacy’s family’s restaurant, but when they read an article in the New York Times (online) about Valencia Street’s fabulous new foodie explosion they decide to risk is all to start a new life out West. They get an apartment in a little alley off of Dolores Park (Dorland), purchase a struggling appliance store on Valencia Street and 21st with the help of a loan from Stacy’s parents. Here they set about to create their dream of bringing more artisan cocktails and delicate nibbles to the hot, young Bay Area entrepreneurs in a storefront setting with the comfort of small town Iowa.

Then I guess some kind of conflict would have to enter in, like they realize that a homeless person that they’re trying to get arrested for sleeping on their doorstep is actually a long lost uncle? Maybe then the narrative can shift off of them for the second act and onto the homeless uncle, as Sam and Stacy realize that they’re not the center of the universe. We dive backwards into the history of the uncle, Steven, and how he came here from Iowa in the eighties, a Vietnam vet looking to start a new chapter in his life, lived on Haight Street, abandoned by the government that sent him off to war, got burned by a girl and/or best friend and watched his life collapse.

Maybe we end with some hint at the fact that the cycles continue endlessly, some kind of twist either in the future or further in the past.

Anyone else getting some good song ideas? I am.

UPDATE: In the comments, “Whataperv” makes a great addition to the story (did I mention Do The Right Thing is one of my favorite movies?). Now let’s get some songs written.

. . . a Latina couple (two women) the same age as Sam and Stacy apply for essentially the same thing – they want to open a healthy taqueria to provide affordable, nutritious food to those who cannot afford a $13 hamburger. Born in the Mission, they scrimp and save working several jobs trying to realize their dreams. Despite having a good business plan and start up capital, they have trouble getting loans because of their lack of credit history (as juxtaposed to Sam and Stacy, who have no problem relying on their family and their good credit to get the money they need). Stymied by their lack of financial privilege, the two decide to start with a street cart, which they dutifully push up and down Mission street every day and night, trying to raise the cash, while also trying to provide relatively healthy soft tacos to the neighborhood. Act three ends when two angry Google employees with Stanford MBAs stumble drunkenly out of Sam and Stacy’s establishment and into the food cart, one of them burning themselves on the grill in the scuffle. This leads the drunken, white men to tell the two women to “Go back to their own countries.” The very end of the act shows Stacy and Sam down at City Hall trying to get “disruptive” food carts banned from the sidewalks in front of their business because they’re driving away paying customers and creating issues.

In Act 4, we see that the homeless veteran witnessed the whole exchange. For whatever reason (maybe because a new non-profit has opened down the street and he’s started receiving help from an NYU educated, Brooklyn born African American man), he decides to try to turn his life around and begins organizing a coalition of homeless and working class individuals to respond to the rampant gentrification of his neighborhood. The play climaxes when a protest in front of Sam and Stacy’s store is met with violence from a contingent of drunk partiers from Walnut Creek. The police are called and, as they’re about to arrest the lesbian Latinas, the homeless guy and everyone else assembled, Sam and Stacy emerge from their under-siege business and set the record straight – resulting in the arrest of the Walnut Creek partiers. This act of reconciliation paves the way for a partnership between Sam and Stacy and the latinas in a new restaurant on Valencia, newfound respect for the homeless man, who goes on to run for the Board of Supervisors, etc. etc.

Basically “Crash II: Mission Stories.”

in full compliance with san francisco’s it’s-a-warmish-night-so-don’t-be-indoors-and/or-sober laws.

— binkitybonk (@binkitybonk) October 3, 2012

Same here. How bout you?

If that poster doesn’t already have you frothing at the mouth for a Saturday night of classic electronic dance music, this month’s edition of the Haçeteria Podcast sounds like it might do the trick:

Haceteria DJs Tristes Tropiques and Nihar sat down with Marc Kate and talked to him about his project Never Knows, as well as meditations on technology, nightlife, and dance music. We cover everything from proto-techno to post-techno. Never Knows performs live at Haceteria on Saturday, October 6 at the Deco Lounge in San Francisco.

Here it is:

Alright? Now RSVP and invite you friends!

We generally don’t delve into politics much (except for sometimes, and other times), but Rachel from 500 Club just got in touch:

The 500 Club will be showing all the debates again this year. We have better tv’s with better sound – three in the front of the bar and one rather large one in the back room. We also have delicious foods from Clare’s Deli next door..altho delivery might be a little tricky if we get a full house again.

We also talked to Paul at Shotwell’s and he mentioned they’ll be screening the events as well. Anywhere else?

[Screenshot by hardtwerk]

Cuuute! Talk to Meesha if you’re interested.

I knew I felt like shit, but I thought it was just the hangover. Holy mackerel.

[via C'mon Pony]

Free Treasure Island tickets are always a fun thing to win, but this whole event sounds pretty dope:

Every other tuesday, we all drink some beer, babes of both persuasions come out and we play with balls, bingo balls. I’m calling balls with some friends, put out some bingo snacks and yall win free drinks and rad prizes while we get a lil rowdy.

[Today] Tuesday October 2nd, we’re hosting a Treasure Island Music Festival Edition Bingo. I set up a sweet ass DIY Summer Camp at the festival, this is our 4th year and we are mega stoked. So we’re giving a

way some fun shit:
-camp prizes (slingshots, tube socks & more)
-Flava Flav clock and other prizes inspired by the bands
-as well as some tickets to Treasure Island

And yeah, our boy Luke (who some of you apparently want to finger) will be behind the bar. RSVP and invite your friends!

P.S. Check out the Treasure Island lineup here. And note that a series of related night shows at venues around town were recently announced, so even if you can’t make the festival, maybe you can still catch a band or two you like.

Local photographer and party animal Jason Yim captured a whole mess of fun on the playground, and shared it this morning in a series called #yoloindolo. These are just a couple of good ones; do click through and enjoy the rest.