Mission Mission

Hey, it looks like our pal Broke-Ass Stuart just got into the coupon game!  And, by the looks of things, he must be doing something right because his current coupon for Little Star Pizza is already selling faster than twinkies at a fat farm!  Listen to Stuart lay down the plans for his new venture:

The basic idea behind it is that I’m only gonna be bringing the illist shit I can.  It’s not gonna be stupid touristy stuff like 50% off riding the Duck Boats in the Bay.  It’s gonna be excellent food and drink spots as well as everybody’s favorite local brands.  I’m not a big corporation with start up capital, I’m a local dude trying to make everyone’s lives better.  Local business get paid while local people get something special.

Knowing him, he’s got some really dope shit lined up for his next deals.  If I were you I’d sign up for his Broke Bucks mailing list immediately and try to get one of these Little Star coupons before they sell out!

Ian H. shot us an email about this development: High Bridge Arms hopes to re-open by the end of the year making the Mission the home to the only gun store in SF.

While the authors of all those glowing Yelp reviews and consumers of “Law Enforcement Supplies” are totally stoked, the locals aren’t so crazy about the idea.

The Northwest Bernal Alliance kicked off this email campaign:

Friends and Neighbors,

Once before we asked that you write letters to SFPD Permit Office telling them to deny High Bridge Arms (3185 Mission Street) a permit to sell guns in our neighborhood. That hearing has been continued 5 times and is now due to be heard SEPTEMBER 8TH.

It’s become more urgent now.

There have been several robberies at gunpoint right in our neighborhood and one recent hold up with a gun,  at the Cancun restaurant right next to the High Bridge Arms Gun Store.

We’ve been successful in causing delays in the permit process by forcing the owner to comply with the SF Planning Code but the hearing is slated for Sept 8th and we believe unless there is a great outcry from the neighborhood, the permit will be granted and once again we’ll be home to the ONLY GUN STORE IN ALL OF SAN FRANCISCO.

No matter how you feel about guns, I think you’d agree that they should not be anywhere near our homes and/or schools.
PLEASE WE URGE YOU-  take the time to send an email to the SFPD Permit Office and let them know how you feel.
And if you can call the Sergeant directly   415.553.9550

Attached is a sample letter – re-arrange it – add to it – write your own - but please send it before Sept 7 to:
ATT: Permit Code/Enforcement Sergeant Coggan<William.Coggan@sfgov.org>
CC —Ingleside’s Permit/Code Enforcement Officer <William.M.McCarthy@sfgov.org>
CC—-Ingleside’s Captain Cassanego<Louis.Cassanego@sfgov.org>
CC—-us so we know it was sent – northwestbernal <northwestbernal@aol.com>;

The hearing takes place 9/8 at 1pm at the SFPD Permit Station on 850 Bryant. More over at Curbed SF.

The results are in and the Mission has a motto!  Paul D came up with the winning entry which managed to secure roughly one-third of the total votes.  Coming in second was “We All Think We Were Here First,” courtesy of Cranky Old Mission Guy, with “The Hipster Hamptons” by cassadie ranking third.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to vote!  Now, what do you think Paul D should win for coining this delightful moniker?

[Photo by Art Siegel]

Today’s They Might Be Giants show in Stern Grove turned epic when Flansburgh dedicated a song to “Nick, who has a very important question for Kat.” Luckily for me, Nick and Kat were standing right next to me, and luckily for them, I am a blogger with a camera.

So Nick got down on one knee and produced a serious rock, the band launched into “New York City,” Kat accepted, and everyone around them cheered and wept!

TMBG are Kat’s favorite band of all time btw, so this was definitely the best proposal of all time. (And how exactly did Nick swing it? You’ll have to ask Nick.)

Best wishes, you guys!

The SF Street Food Festival organizers learned a lot from last year’s food mob and consequently increased the size and scope of the event almost four-fold this time around.  Nonetheless, a bunch of people still showed up and there were fifty-deep (albeit delicious) lines for all of the booths (at least at 2:30pm).

Burrito Justice has some great panoramas of the festivities (as well as a history lesson, naturally) and points out that although the lines were long, they moved quickly.  However, I still can’t get over the fact that there were 50 people waiting in line for BACON WRAPPED HOTDOGS??!?? Really, the same ones that you can get at any corner in the Mission?  And don’t tell me they were waiting for the virgin sangria or pina coladas!

Ready for a cross-country adventure. Wave goodbye!

and sing along . . .

Dragging it’s claws against the window . . .

In case you haven’t heard, the Rock Make Street Fest is tomorrow. Featuring crafts, food, beer and bands,  including MM favorites Social Studies, Still Flyin’, and the California Honeydrops. See you there!

The Rock Make Street Festival is this Sunday, August 22nd, 2010, on Treat Avenue and 18th Street from 11am-6pm. Presented by The Bay Bridged, Tartufi, and Cookie and the Dude, the free, all ages fest will feature three stages of local music and entertainment, 100 local arts and crafts vendors, beer gardens, a children’s activity area, and a guaranteed good time.

Apparently, Jonathan Richman participated in a screening of There’s Something About Mary or something.  I think it’s safe to say that he has a lot of fans here in the Mission. 

Wow, that’s quite a line!  This was the scene in front of Lost Weekend Video on Valencia Street yesterday. 

Once inside, those who didn’t get one of the 30 or so seats either crowded in to stand in the back or sat down in the aisles. 

The place was definitely packed to capacity.  The always-friendly Lost Weekend staff was behind the counter serving homemade cookies and scrumptious popcorn balls (imagine a rice crispy treat made with popcorn instead of rice crispies) along with $1 Tecates, so everyone was happy despite the Twister-like multitude of stray limbs everywhere.  The staff even generously allowed guests to use their bathroom in the back, even though this left their entire movie collection vulnerable to people waiting in line.  I hope no one was a douchebag and stole anything.

Of course, the main attraction was Jonathan Richman and his acoustic guitar.  He lovingly strummed his guitar along to parts where he appeared in the movie, all the while offering behind-the-scenes commentary of the onscreen action.  Little snippets like, “We decided on using an accordion here.  We felt it added a whole European touch” to which everyone busted up laughing.

His most revealing commentary had to do with why Mary (Cameron Diaz’s character, just in case) seemed like such the prototypical bro fantasy girlfriend.  Basically (paraphrased):

The director was an overgrown manchild and this is his conception of what an ideal girlfriend would be like.  Essentially, a chick whose favorite things are baseball, hotdogs, and beer. 

Hmmm, just what we always suspected.  More movie nights please Lost Weekend!

I noticed these new decorative engraved sidewalk blocks on 16th and Valencia a couple of days ago and I was wondering how they were done. Turned out to be less high-tech than I thought: grinding by hand with an orbital sander.

Check ‘em out before they are covered in gum stains.

[See the full video on andy.brooks' Flickr]