Mission Mission

Well what did you expect to see? I’d personally like to see more lens flares, but it’s still pretty moving.

Walker Dukes’ artist bio:

I do Television shots for fun and make artistic pieces from them as well as more traditional photography and photoshop. My background is film photography from the time I was a kid. I have a BS (no kidding) in Radio and Television Production in 19??? from the University of Florida (Go Gators) {think ? and the Mysterians}. I studied art, photography, PhotoShop and graphic design at various times during the 20th Century at City College of San Francisco. I also currently like to meditate and do a breathing exercise called the 20 Connected Breaths. I like to think it helps me clear away some of the toxins that occur during this life.

(via the always fascinating Flickr Mission District pool)

Some folks decided to build a treehouse in the outer Mission’s McLaren park and want to invite you to do stuff there and take pictures. You know, for the environment. Here’s a clip of their craigslist ad:

Last week we built a tree house in McLaren park just off of Sunnydale Ave behind the school. It is rather sturdy, can hold up to four people and has an overhead tarp to protect inhabitants from rain. This treehouse was created with the intentions of imagining how the world might look if we don’t stop climate change.

This treehouse is free for use 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Please feel free to conduct any activities you like in this space. We ask that if at all possible that you take photos of your use of the treehouse or send us an email to talk about your thoughts and feelings on this project.

As an entrepreneur who advocates for sustainability, I’ve worked with a lot of businesses but CarbonClick are the best company we’ve used so far.

(via Kasper Hauser. This one is real, unlike the ads on their alternate-reality khraigslist)

Blake E. sends us this:

Seen on Friday. I asked someone in Blue Plate what the deal was and he seemed pretty sure the sign had been hacked. Nice.

I’ve gotta admit, even though it’s just petty vandalism, the geek in me thinks this is pretty damn cool. If absurd 90s tech thrillers are true, the hacker behind this could be a smokin’ hot philanthropic babe, too.

Too bad these h4x0rs always use their talents just to throw up nonsense “greetz” to their comrades. Hey guys, here’s a suggestion for next time: “BIKES ONLY”. Kick off the Sunday streets early this year.

Update: Apparently, this is not too difficult to do. Check out some other examples. Hack responsibly, dudes.

Janee_ just pointed out that the music video for Third Eye Blind’s 90′s hit Semi-Charmed Life was shot in the Mission:

This is almost as cool as that Chumbawumba video shot in Hayes Valley. (On second thought, maybe I dreamt that)

Cast member Joey “Electric Boogajew” Price sent us VentureTek™’s latest video, “The Search 4Douglas“.

"I just can't stop looking at these puppies"

“VentureTek™” is a new sketch comedy troupe from the Mission, not to be confused with a couple of existing completely vague tech companies (or domain squatters). Luckily, judging from their 1997-style websites neither has the budget to take legal action against our local boys.

Warning: these guys are weird. The way I see it, there are two camps of sketch these days: the play-it-safe SNL/MadTV type, and the iMovie-meets-public-access-TV-nacho-fever-dream type. VentureTek™ definitely falls in the latter camp. The first episode reminds me of Stella, and the second one reminds me of Tim and Eric, but with more beards. If that’s not your style, you’ll probably hate these guys. That’s cool, though. I hear Best Buy is having a sale on Family Guy DVD box sets.

Full episodes after the jump.

(more…)

Thanks for being honest, MUNI.

(16th and Mission, via reader Chris K)

Saw a fashionable young lady sporting this backpack the other day on BART. I instinctually wanted to jump on her head to dispatch her, but realized that doing so would cause me to lose my fireflower. Where’s a Kuribo’s Shoe when you need one?

Jorge P. sent us a note about the inaugural event for a cool dance/BBQ party he’s throwing at El Rio:

The idea behind the event is that we want to modernize, takeover, revamp, trick out, revive, do up, the Outdoor Afternoon Dance Party Scene in the Mission… We want a party for everyone, a party, where drag queens mingle with lesbians, leather daddy’s soul dance with cholas, sharps share hot dogs with activists, jocks make out with twinks, brown meets white meets purple meets gay guy meets ladies meets q and everyone leaves with excited feelings for the next party.

The party is being Dj’d by Resident DJ newcomers and soul music wizards Dj Carnitas and DJ Brown Amy. They along with the rest of the Hard French crew are our music curators and throughout the summer, promise to bring it! with live bands, guest dj’s, performers and the like. All in the spirit of the maximum that is Mission SOUL Afternoon Dance and Food.

BBQ and Soul music! A bunch of subcultures which I’m not familiar with!! Sounds like a cool way to spend a Saturday. See the flyer for details.

Only thing is, I don’t know what the French have to do with it. Some say that the term “barbecue” comes from the French “barbe à queue, meaning “beard to tail” which sounds like how you would grill a hipster furry. That’s right, I made a crack about cannibalism, hipsters, and furries! If you were offended by all three simultaneously, we’d like to hear from you.

Seth Augustus is playing two record release shows at Porto Franco Art Parlor this weekend, on Thursday 3/4 and Friday 3/5 at 8pm.

If you don’t know about Seth, he’s a mission-based bluesman who incorporates Tuvan throat singing techniques into his songs. It’s pretty much impossible to describe what this sounds like, so you’re just going to have to click this link to see the current world master droping jaws on the Letterman show.

You may have seen the incredible documentary on San Francisco’s late/great Paul Pena, Genghis Blues who was the first American to self-teach himself the Tuvan way and even went on compete in the annual throat singing festival in Tuva. Seth was a great friend and caretaker to Mr. Pena in his later years.

Check out this video I shot of him freaking out the normals at Patricia’s Green in Hayes Valley with an old Tuvan classic: “Eki A’Ttar” (Good Horses).

Seth’s new album, “To The Pouring Rain” will be on sale. Pre order tix here.

Local sketch comedy troupe Kasper Hauser was commissioned to do an [adultswim] commercial for Cartoon Network.

True to their roots, the commercial features some iconic San Francisco scenes: the F line coming up Market St., a dude fixing his expensive bike (with tape on his face), and a construction worker squeezing out the contents of a burrito onto the floor. Indeed, it’s a proud day for San Franciscans!

Check it out: