Mission Mission

Spotted by Cranky Old Mission Guy, who adds the following:

Promises, promises… at 17th and Capp.
Take a note, bitch-ass taggers, and get your dibs in now.

As most of you know, BART busker Jesse Morris tragically passed away on Sunday. To help his family with the cost of his memorial, Different Fur Studios is releasing never-before-heard sessions of an unfinished country album Jesse began recording in 2008. The compilation, entitled “I Wanna Take It All Back,” is available for download with a suggested donation of $5.

Nic Pope, an engineer at Different Fur and a friend of Jesse’s, wrote in to share the following anecdote:

I met Jesse in the Montgomery St. Bart Station where I heard him doing his Johnny Cash covers and we got to talking. The first project we worked on together was for his punk band U.S. Kings and “I Wanna Take It All Back” was the second which we never finished. The frank and simple way Jesse could describe your darkest feelings is what drew me to his music originally. From the title track, “I look around and see the wreckage of my past, its bad enough sometimes I wanna douse myself in gas,” is one line of his that helped me grow up a bit in the last couple of years.

Preview the album here, and please consider making a donation.

UPDATE: Plus, there’s a benefit show tonight in Oakland!

Sad news — Muni Diaries reports that beloved BART busker Jesse Morris, aka “Punk Rock Johnny Cash,” passed away on Sunday. According to a commenter and alleged close friend, Jesse took his own life.

Jesse was known for his uncanny covers of Johnny Cash songs, which one could catch on lucky mornings at the 24th St. Mission BART station.

Rest in Peace, Jesse. Your voice and smile brightened many a morning commute for me.

[Photo via Troy Holden]

Your two favorite things done went and had a baby.

Her Majesty’s Secret Beekeeper is now selling fresh eggs, straight from the source — four feathery fluffball hens living in their storefront. I guess that’s what those available chicks were about.

Seriously though, are these not the fluffiest chickens ever, or am I such a city mouse that I don’t know what real chickens look like?

I mean, look at them!

A paper yeti rises from the crowd.

Giant fly, trailed by a skeleton bride and a green rodent of sorts.

And a return appearance from the glowing jellyfish of Treasure Island Music Festival.

Happy Halloween from Mission Street!

Tucked away in the back of Viracocha on Valencia Street is a tiny lending library, carefully curated and impeccably kept. Founded by Kristina Kearns, Ourshelves was inspired by all the talk of the publishing industry’s impending death and Kearns’ personal desire to preserve books. “I wanted to create something between a bookshop and a library,” Kearns said. Ourshelves has been open since July, and has since gained over 90 paid members. Her philosophy is simple: good books and an active librarian to help readers find them. The space also features desks and a cozy reading nook.

Kearns now plans to open and curate 10 free sister libraries in safe houses, shelters, and student centers around San Francisco, with personalized collections based on the requests of residents. With help from a donation from the Awesome Foundation, the first will open next month in the Riley Center for victims of domestic abuse, located in the Women’s Building on 18th Street, and will feature books in several languages for adults, young adults, and children.

Valencia Street is currently masquerading as a utopian state of bikes, children, bongo drums, and food trucks, and it’s your last chance to enjoy it until next season. Not to mention it’s 80+ degrees out right now, so come out and soak up what could very well be the last slice of our Indian summer!

Also, Mission Bicycle is giving out free bike check ups right now!

New trends in sitting: using your bike lock cable as a makeshift footrest.