Mission Mission

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!

In less than one hour the San Francisco Giants will attempt to clinch the World Series of Baseball while deep in the heart of Texas.  Whether or not Lincecum and the gang will able to do it tonight, it’s undeniable how much of demonstrative force they have been in unifying the vastly diverse residents of our dynamic city.  Everyone has at least one thing in common.

For instance, during rush hour on a crowded BART train earlier, a testy exchange broke out between a passenger with a bicycle and another who felt it was necessary to point out that he was breaking the rules.  Another passenger who overheard the conversation shouted from the other side of the train, “Don’t fuck with bikes!”  The murmuring of everyone around grew louder and the tension escalated as they said a few more things to each other.

Thinking fast, I yelled, “Go Giants!”  Immediately, everyone in the car burst into laughter and smiles that sustained until we got to the next stop, where the passenger with the bicycle departed after offering an earnest apology to no one in particular.  Crisis averted.

So yeah, Go Giants!  And let’s try to be rad to each other all the time!

[Cranial Liminal Scan Photo]

An ethical dilemma for a rainy Sunday.  Sure, the owner of the Faggio would obviously prefer finding his scooter upright upon returning, but would you be doing him a disservice by preventing him from knowing that something happened to his ride?  Assume there is no damage–does it matter if he knows?

Wait, what if the owner saw you propping it back up and assumed you knocked it over?!?  Would could you say then?  Have any of you ever gotten into trouble for mistimed altruism?

Confused?  Luckily, it’s Sunday, so you can always go off and see a minister.

Alice Gregory, a San Franciscan living in New York (not pictured), recently had her Californianess tested:

I left my phone in a cab while running an errand for work last Wednesday. My native California “chillness” (which usually — thankfully! — does not exist) really came into effect. I remained calm. I did what I went to 9th Avenue and 38th to do then hailed another cab to take me to the office, where I planned to Google “lost property + nyc + cab.”

Read on for a poignant lesson in chill.

[Photo by Joe Horvath.]

“Ok, so we just chased away those pesky skater kids who were grinding this staircase and intimidating all the Conservatory of Flowers folks. . .”

“Should we get a donut?”

“I was thinking we show ‘em how it’s done!  Whoooooooooo!  Okay, your turn!”

“Umm, let’s just go get some cinnamon toast from Trouble instead.”

This must what happens when you apply string theory to this bike.

Obits courtesy of Married to the Sea.

(Thanks Sally!)

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”

If I have sarcastic facial hair that makes fun of ironic facial hair does that make it moronic?

See also the Side Stash . . .

And the Ironic Combovers.

Goodbye Levi's signage

It was only here for a few months, but in that short amount of time it managed to garner all sorts of polarizing opinions regarding its legitimacy and goals.  It also played host to a bunch of neat events, from rock shows and hands-on print screening sessions to talks by noted designers such as Stefan Sagmeister.

So, now that it’s moving to NYC and another Charles Phan restaurant is on the way to take its spot on Valencia, how do you feel about the Levi’s Workshop in retrospect?  Still convinced it was some nefarious plot by a huge business entity to infiltrate our “culture”?  Or were you impressed that a company like Levi’s would take the time to engage the locals?

Please tell us about your experiences there, whether they were good or bad, so the next multinational corporation with indie aspirations won’t make the same perceived missteps.  Most importantly, did anyone manage to create some cool shit there?  Please share!

Previously:

What Do You Think About the Levi’s Workshop on Valencia?

Inside the Levi’s Workshop

A Saturday at the Levi’s Pop-Up

A community candlelight vigil and walk is going down tonight at 8pm for Yannick Linke, the cyclist who was killed in a collision at Turk and Masonic by an allegedly drunk driver who then tried to flee the scene.

Bike NOPA has all the details, and adds that the family suggests donations should be sent to Doctors Without Borders.

Keep it real everyone, and hopefully they’ll get that deathtrap of a street figured out soon.