Mission Mission

Dave Chappelle caught me slyly trying to take a picture of him while we were each eating dinner at Pakwan.  He came over to the table and asked to see it.  Unimpressed by my photographic aptitude, he then asked me to delete it.

As I complied with his request and stammered an apology, a single grain of rice flew from my mouth and landed on the shoulder of his black sweater.  I wasn’t sure if he saw it or not, but I couldn’t take the risk, so I reached up and attempted to brush it off.  Naturally, that darn stubborn kernel wasn’t going anywhere.

Chappelle noticed and said, “I don’t even mind that you just spit a piece of rice on me.  Happens all the time.”  He pointed out that I didn’t really need to delete the photos since he was in a public space after all, but it was cool I did and that I should come outside for a real picture after he finished his cigarette.

When I walked out, I didn’t see him anywhere and figured I’d been duped by a master.  But then Mr. Chappelle emerged from a shiny black Escalade and said, “I wasn’t gonna flake on you.”  As my buddy snapped a photo of us, the beleaguered superstar muttered, “People are terrible.  There, I said it.”

Sorry for ruining your dinner Dave!  We all love you here in the Mission!  Please come back soon!

[Chappelle on 16th by jacobchills]

Photo by Phil Clark.

Hopefully they’ll still look like this for Halloween.

It was a dark and stormy afternoon, so not many riders showed up. But a handful of die-hards did, and the sun started peeking through the gloom, so we had a pleasant ride around town. SLC has a ton of new bike lanes, some good vegetarian food, is close to a lot of natural wonder, and has a neat-looking temple.

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Many Machines says:

[T]his is the second Sunday visit in a row where I’ve encountered a group of off-brand bros, their lady friends, their dogs, and their beers. [link]

The migration has started! Glen Canyon Park is also cool because it has miles of hiking trails, occasional Jonathan Richman sightings, and coyotes running wild.

Previously:

Potrero del Sol Park Just Might Be the New Dolores Park

Upon finding out that someone has parked their driveway, most San Francisco residents will immediately simply call SFDPT and wash their hands of the matter, wondering while they wait for the tow truck how anyone could possibly have the audacity to park there despite clearly labeled warning signs.

However, some neighbors are a little more understanding, or perhaps just happen to be nice people:

It’s nice to see neighbors be rad once in a while.

Previously:

Cuddly “Stay the Hell Out of My Driveway” Sign

“There Are No Savesies”

Look for synchronized car wrecking in the London 2012 Olympics.

[Retina-searing Photo by Walter Dukes]

(still from "Fire in the street spreads to parked cars.")

Sunday night around midnight someone lit the northside gutter between Mission and San Carlos streets on fire. At least two cars parked along the block were caught in the blaze. A third car pulled out from behind them before the fire spread, as seen here.

I came along after the flames had been put out and the two cars were pretty much melted into the sidewalk on their right sides. Since my camera’s in the shop I had no proof until Void (winner of our science themed music video contest) sent us this video by “northofsouthofmarket“.

The owners of the car in front, a middle aged male and female couple talking to each other in Spanish, stood and stared at the melted mess. I asked them what had happened and the man told me that “somebody with nothing better to do came here and lit a fire.”

Is this the work of the “carsonist” we’ve heard so much about? Or just some wanna be burner who missed the last bus to the playa? Either way, not cool, bro.

This scene has something to do with a girlie show that took place decades ago in what is now the Great American Music Hall on Treasure Island. (Be sure to consider this while swaying and nodding at the Hope Sandoval show there tonight during the Belle and Sebastian set there next month.)

[Burrito Justice Historical Update: "Sally Rand's Nude Ranch" was part of the 1939 Golden Gate Exposition (aka World's Fair) on Treasure Island. Epic, totally NSFW photos here. Sally made a name for her nude dancing at the 1933 Chicago World's Fair (bringing in $6K a week, the equivalent of $100,000!)  She  followed up with the 1.0 of the Nude Ranch in Ft. Worth at the 1936 Frontier Expedition.

In 1936, Sally Rand bought "The Music Box" (today's GAMH) where she performed her world-famous feather dance and bubble dance.  She continued to dance into her 70s, and worked with the Mitchell Bros in the early 1970s.]

Spots Unknown has some of the sordid details in a new post entitled Photos of San Francisco in 1939, and just published a follow-up article on Sally Rand.

Seen on 20th Street.