Mission Mission

[via cellybrain]

Last week, somebody came across this orderly pile of (hopefully?) unused razors on BART. Was it an art project? Was it a public health concern? Was it some kind of terrorist plot?

Our buddy David G. wrote in over the weekend with some news:

Umm I may have an explanation

I’m not sure it’s an “explanation” exactly, but it’s pretty good. Here it is:

You should totally go to this and support laughs: Uptown Almanac is throwing a comedy bash featuring some of our favorite local stand-up comedians, including Sean Keane and Chris Garcia, at the Roxie tomorrow, Tuesday May 10th.

It’s only $6.50 and there will be lots of complimentary PBR to go around! So if you drink six, that’s like a $3 value. Starts at 7:30pm. We’ll be there, so if you want to take out the entire Mission blogging community all at once, that’s your chance to strike.

Presale tix are available here.

Margaret sent this in and said it was found at the 24th street BART.

At first this was puzzling to me. Then I realized that if you’re waiting for the T at 24th and Mission, then you’d have enough time to have a plaque made about it, ’cause it aint showing up anytime soon.

Please, if you have small children, distract them with some Handi Snacks while viewing this photo:

This is a disturbing image of discarded cheese after last year’s book release party for “Cheesemonger: A Life on the Wedge” at Amnesia. We debated on whether or not to release this photo for months, but decided that the public deserves to know.

The book was written by Gordon “Zola” Edgar, a cheesemonger at Rainbow Grocery. It’s all about how cheese is made and sold. I hear it’s damn funny to boot. You should check it out if you like cheese (and I think you do).

[Photo by Jutta, via Gordonzola]

Before you can enter, you must answer the following riddle:

Which creature in the morning goes on four legs, at mid-day on two, and in the evening upon three, and the more legs it has, the weaker it be?

[Snapped near 20th and Lexington by Jesse]

[pic from @PhilBronstein]

The former Chronicle editor paints a dark picture of The Mission in his new column on SFGate, saying about violence allegedly perpetrated by local MS-13 members, “If they don’t shoot straight, though, the next news story might be about you.” He goes through the current MS-13 trial, commenting on their Disney-esque nicknames, Tweety, Spooky, Goofy and Droopy, while just two months ago he patrolled our streets on a serious mission with Guardian Angels like Scorpion, Puma, Robo Cop and Maverick.

We all know there is a violence problem in our neighborhood. A lot of us just live with it, hoping we don’t get caught in the above mentioned crossfire. But like I said before, it’s our neighborhood, we do have a responsibility to look out for each other. I can appreciate that Mr. Bronstein wants us to understand the gravity of the situation, but I feel like the harshness of the language (like the title, right out the gate, The murderous gangs that stalk the Mission) creates a sense of a divide, when in fact we’re all living with it, those of us that live here. The divide is real, I don’t pretend to think that MS-13 members meet up in Bar Bambino or stop by Self Edge for some new jeans. I guess I just tend to think that it’s more helpful when speaking to a broad audience to speak in a way that seems to head towards a better understanding, rather than fear.

I agree that people who perpetuate violence aren’t “charming and colorful piece[s] of the neighborhood tapestry, like the murals on Balmy Alley”, but separating them from the rest of the people who live here, and preventing more people from turning to violence, isn’t as easy as any of us would like to think. No matter where we want to draw the divide, the fact is that we all influence each other, and solving these problems is an ongoing process.

It’s official — from here on out, Dirty Thieves will be known as the Blind Cat. As Ariel wrote back in March, the owner lost a bet and had to change its name, and the proof is in the new signage.

I don’t know about you, but the sign is more reminiscent of a dead cat. But I don’t draw cats, I only train them, so what do I know.

Previously:

• Like a Thief in the Day

I mean, the wind nearly took down a whole theater marquee on Mission the other day, so I guess it’s not out of the question that it could’ve done this damage too. We Built This City offers up another explanation too:

Victim of yesterday’s wind? Or a drunken Saturday brouhaha? [link]

Okay, maybe some brawlers could’ve had a hand in this. OR, seeing as how this is right outside Bender’s, maybe bike parking was especially tough last night and it was a pile of bikes that felled this little sapling.

How do you lock your car when your car door doesn’t quite fit on the frame?  Ingeniously, that’s how.

Think you’re gettin’ this Garmin?  Think again, sucka.