Mission Mission

I keep noticing this bit of sidewalk stenciling in front of a house on Valencia between 20th and 21st.

It’s not in S. Pigeon’s “Codes Of The City” guide, so I can only assume that this is the meeting place of an underground club where swingers try out all the latest non-standard sex positions. You heard it here first. Knock on their door and ask for an application if you’re interested. (Don’t really do that)

Except, of course, “Who the fuck would steal a tortoise?”

(Photo and pressing question by Cleary. Thanks, Cleary!)

Previously:

The Tortoise and the Sleep Apnea

I take color for granted. I walk around looking at the great architecture of the neighborhood and sometimes the color just seems like part of it all. Like that’s what color it was built to be.

Bob Buckter, Dr. Color, probably resents that idea. This Mission resident consults property owners on building on the beauty of the design by properly coloring the exterior. (he does interiors too, but I don’t get to see those) And judging by the examples on his website, he gets the job done.

Here is the doctor’s handy guide to stenciling:

Picture from drcolor.com

How to stencil:
(1) Look for a similar building of the same period which has more architectural enhancements.
(2) Take a photograph of the enhancement.
(3) Enlarge the print to scale.
(4) Trace the print on Mylar or acetate.
(5) Cut your stencil.
(6) Wearing the right colored shirt helps you to “tie-in”!

Check out his site for more.

The Pushbike blog is soliciting photos of you and yours putting your Freight Baggage brand cycling accessories to good use. They’re off to a good start.

Previously:

Cute Puppy Looking Cute in a Messenger Bag

I Love My Timbuk2 Bag

Oh, you wish Favors would hurry up and play in Dolores Park on some sunny Sunday afternoon? Me too!

["Real People" by Favors on YouTube]

The battle for edgy chalk sign supremacy rages on at Frjtz, who is still in the lead for unpronounceable restaurant names.

Previously:

• Bowel, Please
• You Should Come In. Yeah.
• Regalito: “Made By Real Mexicans”
• Oh, Come On

This new Reggie Watts video is pretty awesome:

That clown guy is Jeff Seal and he used to live in the mission, so save your “not the mission” business. Also, it’s meta-as-fuck, there are beards, and features street art so it’s basically the Mission.

In a noble (yet likely futile) effort to break the recent worrisome trend of pigeon-biased posts, I bring you street art, Tetris style:

(Taken on Treat & 23rd by rhiannononon.)

The only possible improvement to this would be to color each sidewalk square as a tetris block, visible from Google Maps.

Then again, Mexist took it a step beyond, mapping out 8-bit 1978 onto streets laid out a century earlier.

Viva 8-bit Mission!

Our old pal Awww Damn is back, with a Tumblr this time. Quality is still tip-top.

Previously:

Living House!

Sandwich Smooch!

Pizza Rules!

Kari alerted me to the fact that she’ll be telling a story at next Monday’s Porchlight SF storytelling series at the Verdi Club. I hadn’t heard of it, so I looked it up:

Porch light brings together an eclectic mix of storytellers for evenings of entertainment and inspiration. Each storyteller tells a 10-minute tale about a specific theme, without using notes or memorization.

It sounds almost exactly like the Moth, which I love because I’m a public radio podcast fanboy. That’s right, I’m staying perfectly goddamn true to Mission yuppie form. Seriously, if I was a chick I’d probably be crushing on Ira Glass, but I guess I’ll just have to settle for the less-dreamy Terry Gross.

The theme for Monday is “Beware: Stories Of Danger”.

Monday, March 15th, 8 p.m. (Doors open at 7 p.m.)

Verdi Club, 2424 Mariposa Street, San Francisco

General admission tickets: $12.