Mission Mission

Marina people: we sure love to hate ‘em, what with their clean neighborhoods and surfer-influenced fashions. Well here’s a shocker, maybe they don’t like you so much either.

But what’s the problem? We like drinking lots of beers too! As for sports? The World Cup was cool! Good, expensive food? Yes, please! Didn’t you also go to a good college? Uh-huh!

Somebody other than myself was also disturbed by this, and chalked this up on Valencia St. over the weekend:

Thank you, anonymous Mission chalker. The olive branch has been extended. Bros and hipsters… living together… mass hysteria.

This flyer on 20th and Harrison not only offers you teen readers vague employment opportunities, it also goes the extra mile and shows you the perks of having money. Namely: piles of cash, a Wii, and Six Flags trips. Other (not pictured) possibilities include bags of candy, Todd McFarlane action figures, and those hats with the propellors on the top.

Go to it, young whippersnappers. And be sure to name drop me so I get the referral bonus.

Boxwars is coming! I stumbled upon this battle one sunny day in Dolores Park a couple of years ago and didn’t know WTF was going on. All I knew was that the sound of 50 cardboard tubes making that “bonk” noise when colliding with heads was absolutely delightful.

Boxwars SF – Fight or Be Recycled!

After a 2 year hiatus, the corrugated chaos featured in Scotland, Australia, Canada and Estonia returns to the streets of San Francisco. The cardboard phenom has been sorely missed and will be returning in form on the 7th of August at 3:30pm.

Don’t know what Boxwars is?

1. Build a set of armor out of cardboard and tape (bonus points for creativity).
2. Build a weapon out of cardboard and tape.
3. Beat the snot out of your new cardboard clad adversaries!

Not the violent type? That’s okay! Boxwars needs spectators too, come out for a fun afternoon reliving the glory days of gladiators and cheer on the warriors!

The location isn’t 100% certain, but it will probably be in Dolores Park like the last time. You have about a week and a half to collect cardboard and construct your armor. More info on their facebook page.

Please don’t confuse this with the Cardboard Tube Fighting League which, according to participants of Boxwars, sucks.

Previously:

Boxwars 08!!

Some people definitely need a parallel parking spotter.

[photo by eriktrips]

Oh, is that what those are?

[photo by eb78]

An ANONYMOUS READER writes:

I’m wondering if you know of any bars showing the Mad Men season premiere.  If not, could you put a call out to see if anyone is??   I need to find a place to watch!  Thanks!  (plz don’t include my name or contact info on yr blog)

I am also guilty curious about this. Sure I could steal cable, but last time I tried to mess with my building’s cable box I think I broke cable for everyone for a couple of hours. Oh shit, forget I said that. I think my building manager reads this blog.

[photo by ytfelmi]

Snapped in Pi Bar by Broke Ass Stuart.

In case you need some extra guidance, this daily update is on the new postin’ posts on Valencia St. Somebody is clearly on top of keeping it up to date.

Forget what day of the week it is? No problem, check out the post. What’s the current terrorist alert level? Lime… well that’s good I guess. Looks like irrational numbers aren’t exempt from the daily lucky number. Are imaginary numbers also allowed? You’re just going to have to stay tuned.

Proving that you can stick it to the man and be educational.

For more on Moiré patterns, consult this informative wiki entry. For more nightmarish photos of mouth as eyes, go here… and plan on not sleeping tonight.

Snapped on 18th & Valencia St.

Did someone accidentally/intentionally leave a tub of chalk on the block between 17th and 18th on Valencia? I’m looking at you Chalk Visions. Last night the new sparkly sidewalk was blanketed with scrawlings from dozens of people, or one person with severe schizophrenia. So how do Mission folks choose to express themselves?

With CEREBUS COCK AND BALLS:

With HIGHLY CONTROVERSIAL OPINIONS ABOUT HIPSTERS AND FIXED-GEAR CYCLISTS:

… and with HISTORICAL FACTS (with bonus burritojustice shout out! I guess blogger hat-tip etiquette still applies in real life):

Check it out for yourself on 17th and Valencia. Hell, add to it if you want, but it’s probably a BYOC affair at this point.

In case you haven’t heard about it yet, Direct Action to Stop the Cuts/Creative Housing Liberation, is so bummed that it’s hard to move into the Mission on the cheap that they went ahead and helped themselves to the vacant second floor of the 20th/Mission T-Mobile building last night and occupied it into the morning. Believe me, I can relate — the only affordable spots are rent-controlled flats with a bunch of dudes who interview you for 15 minutes then just go with the cute, broke art-school chick that walks in after you.

After displaying their stern disapproval of capitalism and demonstrating some formidable pun-making skills (“Grabbin’ Newscum”!), they were ultimately put under citizen’s arrest by the building owner around noon today… which must involve mace or nunchucks, because most people would laugh that sort of thing right off.

From SF Appeal:

11:52 AM: The protesters were placed under citizen’s arrest late this morning, according to a report from Bay City News. The owner of the building issued the citizen’s arrests, charging trespassing. Five people were arrested, San Francisco police spokesman Sgt. Troy Dangerfield said. He said the five are being taken to the police station for processing and may be cited.

[photo by Steve Rhodes]

Update: Here is the full press release from the CHL:

In a city with so much conspicuous wealth, an estimated 6,000 to 15,000 individuals sleep without a roof over their head. 23,000 or more others are on the waiting list for public housing (a list that is often closed to new applicants), while some 30,000 housing units sit empty.

Each budget season, the mayor threatens to cut funding for vital housing, health, legal, and other services that help the working poor and indigent. Without these services, many who remain housed would quickly end up on the streets – or dead.

The mayor’s vision for San Francisco? Million-dollar condos and “affordable housing” that most residents can’t afford; schools and other publicly owned buildings laid to waste; jail bunks and early graves for those who have no place to rest but the sidewalks.

On Monday July 19th, community members will respond by undertaking a collective act of homefulness. Please join us promptly at 5:30pm as the march to the occupation site is time sensitive. This is community resourcefulness in action, don’t miss it! Housing is a human right!