Mission Mission

Bummed that the shady check cashing spot refused his kryptonite-for-cash offer, Superman takes a moment to recalibrate, hopes buoyed only by the thought of all the children in Venezuela named after him.

The new year is upon us and by now many of you have already flaked on your resolutions.  Things like, “No eating pints of Humphrey Slocumb Blue Bottle Vietnamese Coffee ice cream in bed and then immediately falling asleep” and “Run up to the top of Twin Peaks from 23rd and Valencia every other day” sound easy enough when you’re guzzling champagne while the ball’s dropping, but odds are these ambitious plans have already fallen by the wayside, and we haven’t even made it through the first week!

Moreover, those are some pretty selfish resolutions.  Why not get into the spirit of GIVING BACK to the community (and humanity) instead by volunteering at Shanti, one of the coolest non-profits in the city?  These rad folks provide emotional and practical support to San Francisco’s most vulnerable individuals living with life-threatening illness; namely, people suffering from HIV/AIDS and breast cancer.  A Peer Support Volunteer gets paired up with a client (someone with HIV/AIDS or breast cancer who has come to Shanti for help) and just basically hangs out with them and does things like doing chores, running errands, or providing companionship, thus helping the client continue to live independently.

It’s definitely not easy (they ask for a commitment of 2 to 6 hours a week for at least 6 months), but rest assured it’s some of the most poignant and emotionally rewarding experiences anyone can go through.  If you really want to make a difference this year with your resolution, Shanti is the place to go.  Plus, they’re having a training session at the end of this month, starting on Friday, January 28th!  Check out all the details here!

Now you can show everyone what you think is the best pizza in San Francisco when you wear your new Arinell hat and t-shirt with pride!  Trucker hats are only six dollars!  Rumor has it that Steve Jobs already has one . . .

Also, can we finally put that whole “Arinell’s” nonsense to rest?  There’s no apostrophe, folks.  Recognize.

Previously:

Kink.com at Arinell (NSFW)

Sometimes it’s best to just let the baby decide where you’re going.  Of course, the downside is that you could always end up at a Gymboree outlet.  Or, God forbid, babyGap.

Previously:

Precocious Parallel Parker

Jumping at the window of opportunity afforded by the break in rain the other day, my buddy and I each grabbed our bikes, picked up a Korean Steak sandwich from Rhea’s Deli, and headed over to Heron’s Head Park for some reclaimed wetlands picnicking.  Despite the windy, arctic weather, we were enjoying our walk through the swamp until we came across this.

In the unlikely event that this avian creature perished naturally in the most ironic spot possible, then bravo nature, job well done.  However, judging by the marks on the bird’s neck and body, this is instead looks to be merely one of the most tasteless jokes ever.  If you can’t tell from the photo, the dead fellow has been placed on a sign reading, “Wildlife Area Keep Out” (amid other signs displaying “Wildlife Reclamation in Progress”).  Maybe it’s meant to enhance the warning, but it comes across in poor taste.

And if the perpetrators were also somehow behind the death of this graceful beast?  Well, then that’s frightening.

While not everyone has been in favor of the new parklets and in-street bicycle parking going up in recent months around Valencia, furious that treasured automobile parking spaces are lost as a result, this is the first case of bicycle rack rage that I’ve seen so far.  Obviously, any bike parked here would have been obliterated.  Hopefully this violence won’t begin to extend towards cyclists as well!

Oh, too late.

Even though they both say they didn’t plan this out, I’m still skeptical.  Of course, I suppose there’s always the possibility that Katie and Shannon each could have gotten ready for the night separately while watching that 60s France Gall video starring Sexpigeon and felt similarly inspired.

Previously:

Striped Shirt Boy Has Mass Appeal

Imagine enjoying an Improved Whiskey Cocktail along with a Margherita with Burrata at Beretta when your pal informs you that your motorcycle parked out front was just knocked over by a car.  That’s what happened to this fellow on the right, who immediately came outside to inspect the damage.  The woman on the left had been attempting to exit the above parking spot when she backed into the bike, and wouldn’t have noticed had it not been for the protestations of those waiting outside for a table at the popular establishment.  The following exchange ensued:

Biker: “Oh shit.  Oh shit shit shit.  Ahmm, I’m going to need your information, ma’am.”

Driver: “And I’m going to need your information too.”

Biker: “What?”

Driver:  ”Well, you were parked illegally behind me, and I didn’t see your motorcycle when I tried to back out of this space.”

Biker: “What?”

I didn’t stick around to witness the resolution of the conflict, but I’m certain that you dear readers can weigh in with regard to the logistics of this operation.  You’ve already told us why it’s really bad for scooters to get knocked over, so I can only hope this ended well.

Ever wonder what the Mission looked like before “all those CCA taggers and fixie kooks” arrived?  Well, MM reader Eric Shea was kind enough to pass along this video, which he got from his buddy Joe Bay, who presumably got it from creator Patrick Gleason.

Check it out for some neat High8 footage of skating through the Mission in 1994 (around the same time that Fugazi would routinely play shows in Dolores Park).

Link:  http://vimeo.com/14287360

Usually I’m wholeheartedly against pets wearing outfits, but this was just too ridiculous.  Fantastic retro color scheme for the vest (with strikingly strategic peace patch placement), augmented by a similarly-pigmented bone shirt worn underneath?  And his fur matches too?

Probably the only time I’ve ever been jealous of a dog’s ensemble.  If anyone can recreate this outfit in human clothes, I will gladly wear it out to Mission Mission’s office hours (usually Wednesdays at Bender’s) for all to see.  I don’t even care that there aren’t any pants.

Previously:

Pupgate

Puppy Loves Playing Soccer

Best Puppy Ever