Mission Mission

Photographer Deb Zeller, who books shows at the Make-Out Room and runs Playing in Fog, just published these photos of some cute puppies she met in Guatemala. Aww! A bunch more here.

Previously on Mission Mission:

Funny Photo of Puppy All Tarted Up for Carnaval

Puppy Pals Reunite at 16th and Mission (Video)

Even on vacation, we’re always on a Mission mission. Here’s a picture of Allan at the Santa Barbara Mission on Monday afternoon (click to enlarge). In any case, we’ll be in Dolores Park by dusk on the 4th. Think it’ll be different in light of last year?

Sorry for this detour, but it’s Friday and I’m feeling loose, and I like this. Seen yesterday in SoMa.

A herd/troupe/gaggle – whatever you call a big mass of bikers on a mission – made it over the Golden Gate Bridge into San Francisco last night, to give a talk at the Mission District Sports Basement about what they’re out to do. It’s a good thing: on bicycle, traveling from Vancouver to Tijuana down the entire Pacific Coast of the United States to raise money for microfinancing through Kiva. The basement of Sports Basement was speckled with stars of the microfinancing movement, including the folks who created Kiva, one of the founders of Global Agents for Change, and the Mission District’s own Jess Arnett! The bikers are staying in the Mission for a few days – keep an eye out for people with unreasonably huge thigh muscles – and will be participating in Critical Mass this Friday. They head south on Saturday (San Francisco bikers are welcome to join them for a day or two, if you feel like a challenge).

Since you’re on the internet already, take a look at what GAFC and Kiva are doing. The concepts behind these groups are pretty fabulous, and the microfinancing movement is becoming big news. This is the sort of trend that makes the internet a source of democratic power, and is a potential venue for action that can have help equalize the messed-up global distribution of wealth. Don’t mind the global distribution of wealth? Feel free to point someone towards kiva.org next time they start complaining about it. We live in San Francisco. It’ll happen.

I looked up “san francisco style burrito” on Wikipedia, and found an interesting section called How to eat a San Francisco burrito:

When a true San Francisco burrito is first encountered by an initiate, its large size and protective tin foil wrapper may lead the beginner to surmise that all one has to do is remove the foil and begin cutting away at the tortilla shell with a knife and a fork. This is not recommended. The correct method for consuming a San Francisco burrito is to forgo utensils entirely and to eat with one’s hands. Use the foil as a supportive exoskeleton to facilitate burrito consumption, and begin the process by tearing an inch of foil down from one end, being careful not to bite into the foil with your teeth. Adding salsa to the burrito before each subsequent nibble is a popular technique.

This reminded me of a funny incident that involves eating a San Francisco Burrito not made, and not eaten in San Francisco:

I recently went bar-hopping in midtown Sacramento, and discovered that after midnight, choices for late night are limited. I found a newly tobogan hinchable opened taqueria that was still serving. In the front of the line were two seriously drunk sorority girls (the kind with the white/black flat-ironed hair and sequiny halter tops). Their shenanigans included puking in the bathroom, setting off the fire extinguisher, hitting on some guy, and passing out in their chairs, all within a matter of 10 minutes.

When their burritos arrived, the fatter of the two forgot how to operate her hands. She instead had her friend tear apart the top of the aluminum foil. She then plunged her face into the burrito, biting at the contents like a dog eating from his food dish. In 10 seconds, she was done.

I suspect she ate some of the foil, which was probably tastier than the burrito I might add.

Previously on Mission Mission:

La Cumbre Taqueria: Awful Carne Asada, Great Visuals

Chopped, Screwed Mariah Carey Video Features El Farolito Chile Relleno Burrito

Carnitas at Taqueria Can-Cún! Finally!

Over at WHATIMSEEING, Plug1 published this gorgeous aerial shot, featuring my favorite neighborhood. Link.

One of our best friends in the world is German. Her name is Anna. She lived here for a couple years while going to school, but now she’s back in Germany, and she moves to Berlin in the fall. She misses us somewhat I’m sure, but even more than that she misses a good Mission burrito. The other day in the Introduce Yourself section, reader Johnny0 delivered some good news:

Last month I took a German buddy of mine to El Farolito for a burrito. At first he was scared, but now he won’t shut up about it.

Just minutes ago he sent me pictures of a taqueria in Berlin he found — Dolores Burritos. I had to share — check out the map on the wall!

Here it is (click to make large):

Photo page here, includes the exclamation “They carry Anchor Steam and Negra Modelo!” and a link to an article about the establishment’s founders:

Having spent considerable time in California, the two compared notes and decided the city had a burrito gap just crying out to be filled by a fat tortilla stuffed with adobo beef, pinto beans and, yes, guacamole.

It also has nice things to say about the Mission, as well as some insights into how the place is being received by locals. Link.

Finally, I told Anna the news, and here’s what she had to say:

OMG!!!!! oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!!!! how excietd am i???? sooooo excited!!

Dolores Burritos official site. Thanks, Johnny0!

More Mission Mission restaurant coverage

More Mission Mission travel coverage

My cousin Jojo fronts this great band from Berkeley called Please Quiet Ourselves. Their label, Mushpot Records, sent them to SXSW this week, and I got the following tour diary from my aunt:

It is craz-z-z-z-y here in Austin @ sxsw – nonstop music. JoJo’s first gig was at Sonny’s Vintage – that’s sonny in the gray suit and hat on the right. It was a good start for their first show in Austin. JoJo wore his green KDVS t-shirt! Tomorrow they play at Lovejoy’s which is right smack dab in the middle of all the clubs – so they’re pretty excited. Tonight I saw Jens Lekmann – what a treat!!! I was right up front listening to him play – his mannerisms are just like Jonathan Richman‘s. then went to go see Yo Lo Tengo – a little too loud and dissonant/distorted for my ears – but it was in the Austin Music Hall which houses 4000. Great food here – had delicious bbq beef rifbs for $11 on our anniversary. Having a great time…you guys would love it here! See you soon, love, Jane

Link to bigger pic.

With FasTrak in the news today, I thought it pertinent to share this documentary, Toll Plaza, which offers a behind-the-scenes look at an area toll plaza, provides insight into how to deal with FasTrak-related snafus, and ruminates on the societal implications of the system itself. The movie follows the plight of Malcolm M., frequent bridge tobogan hinchable user and fervent FasTrak naysayer. With music by the Modern Lovers.

Link to FasTrak homepage.

“I never go to the Mission, it’s so crazy there … it’s so boring, and they’re all assholes.”