Mission Mission

[via Ellen Black]

I was walking down the street yesterday, and my friend was telling me a story. As we passed a couple of guys who seemed to be cleaning out a garage, my friend was saying, “Technically–”

One of the guys whirled around and started yelling at us:

“TECHNICALLY?? FUCK TECHNICALLY!!”

“DO YOU EVEN KNOW HOW TO RUB TWO STICKS TOGETHER TO MAKE A FIRE??”

“BULLSHIT! TECHNICALLY, FUCK!”

“DO YOU EVEN KNOW HOW TO START A CAR??”

“FUCK GOOGLE!”

We kept walking. Gotta be careful what you say out there in the Mission.

(Technically, we were on our way to a lavish brunch at Beretta, and my friend was telling me a story about how her parents are having to fight back against a proposal that would allow more public access near their secluded beach house, so.) (But there’s no way that guy could’ve known any of that!) (Fuck Google.)

[Photo of a new BMW parking in front of an old BMW by @muppetnipps]

I’m Jewish by birth, but I’ve never been completely sure what that means. I found this new video from our buddy Dan Wolf and the JCCSF’s 3200 Stories featuring Josh Healey to be pretty helpful and hilarious:

Happy almost Hanukkah!

Remember when Holiday Boyfriend captivated your hearts a couple winters ago?  Well, it seems as though holiday boyfriend and girlfriend eventually became regular boyfriend and girlfriend, and now they’re back again, just in time for this holiday season!

WANTED: A JOB FOR MY HOLIDAY GIRLFRIEND (mission district)

Let me be clear. I want a job. But, I don’t really want a job.

I just want one for my holiday girlfriend.

Let’s recognize something. Getting laid off sucks, especially after you moved from Florida to California two years ago to work for a non-profit that does fantastic humanitarian projects that you truly believe in, and most especially after you welded together an entire conference (Exhibit A: http://architectureforhumanity.org/dlygadlive13) basically by yourself to help further fund previously mentioned organization/sinking ship. Then after getting complimented on how it was “the best one we’ve had yet” you were unceremoniously shitcanned.

Let’s recognize another thing. She’s awesome at community and communications management, great at fundraising with high level folks, has a solid understanding of operational flow (SalesForce and website handshaking etc), kicks ass at social media, event planning, plenty of other stuff and is tall and pretty.

She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in architecture from accredited universities. She has worked in the service industry and AmeriCorps so she has a solid-as-fuck work ethic — she is not some softie who calls in “sick” because of bad weather or a hangover.

She’s also pretty OVER nonprofits at this point.

Interested? Here’s…

How it works if:
• You’re a JOB CREATOR: reply to this email with a description of said job. MUST be in San Francisco or the immediate Bay Area unless it is especially sweet (and we’re talking a Gigantic Cotton Candy™ smothered in local honey and gestating a mid-six figure salary kind of saccharine here)
• You’re a PERSON WHO KNOWS PEOPLE: reply to this email with the best form of contact for a person who is a JOB CREATOR.

Thank you all in advance.

(And yes, this is the original “holiday girlfriend guy.” Accept no substitutions.)

(Via Craigslist)

[Completely unrelated photo by gaelen]

With Katie out of town, Brittany took a date and followed up with a commenter to see a new play last week. Here’s her dispatch from the press seats:

[© David Allen]

A Drama Talk & Drinks reader, connected to Golden Thread Productions, invited us via our comments section to their newest play, the west-coast premiere of Urge for Going, at Z Below in the Mission. Katie was out of town this weekend, but we didn’t want to let a show go unreviewed, or a comment go unanswered. So Brittany decided to enlist the help of a guest reviewer for this installment of Drama Talk & Drinks. Sam Clay, her boyfriend, grew up in a Ukrainian-Jewish household. He also has a theater minor. So who better to take to a show about a young Palestinian girl growing up in a Lebanese refugee camp?

Sam: I thought it was a good show. I thought the text was an excellent place to start, and I enjoyed the world the playwright created.

Brittany: There were definitely parts of the script I liked, but one of the problems with this play, is it was based around a teenager’s conflict with her parents. Part of that was good, because that  made it a more relatable story. What teenager doesn’t fight with their parents? This script placed that everyday conflict in a heightened environment which was interesting. At the same time it was a teenager arguing with her parents. Which is just annoying to watch.

S: It was a universal conflict, and I related to it. Also, on the Jewish side, they talk about all these same struggles, just from a different perspective, and hearing this perspective was interesting for me.

B: I thought the set was very well done. The sense of claustrophobia they were able create, because Z Below is such a small space, worked really well for this play. Definitely one the things driving the conflict between the characters is this sense of claustrophobia. Six people stuck living together in one small room, and they can’t get away from each other. It felt like there wasn’t enough room to breath. They created that atmosphere very well.

S: There was something I really liked about the interplay between the characters, particularly the father, Adham, and his brother Hamzi. It reminded me of my family. Getting a little personal, my family is a family of Jewish immigrants. I was the first to not have to live with three generations in the same apartment. So I saw a lot of parallels in the way the play’s family treats each other, which I enjoyed.

B: Yeah, when they were interacting as a family, despite a few line-hiccups, they seemed really believable. The relationships between the characters felt genuine, and you could tell they took time developing the back-stories between the characters, so it had a sense of history. When they broke the 4th wall and went into the chorus sections, I don’t think it worked.

S: I agree with you, I want to stay positive though, because overall I think it was good. I think it’s well done and an important story to hear. I would recommend it to anyone who asks.

The Verdict: Overall an interesting show. Strong believable relationships between the characters, combined with a well done set design, make the show engaging. Although some of the more theatrical elements, such as the chorus, don’t quite work. If you’re interested in seeing a play about a story rarely told, go check this out.

The Drama Talk: Although there are moments that the actors get indulgent, this play paints a vibrant picture of a family struggling to live together as they long for more. Although the conflict between the teenage girl Jamila (played by Camila Betancourt Ascencio) and her parents feels universal, placing this conflict in a Palestinian refugee camp makes it interesting. Golden Thread Productions “is dedicated to exploring Middle Eastern cultures and identities as expressed around the globe . . . [their] mission is to make the Middle East a potent presence on the American stage and a treasured cultural experience.” This play does a good job opening an audience’s eyes to the everyday struggles of a Palestinian family stuck in a country that doesn’t want them, with nowhere else to call home.

The Drinks: We tried to go to Trick Dog for drinks, which is a silly thing to try to do on a Friday night. So we ended up at Southern Pacific Brewing Company. Brittany got the California Blonde, and Sam got the Pale Ale, and cheered to a enjoyable night at the theater.

Urge for Going runs until December 8th, in repertory with 444 Days, a play written by Golden Thread Productions’ Artistic Director, at Z Below. Tickets range from Pay-What-You-Can on Thursdays to $35, with discounts available for students and seniors. You can also get a two play pass for $45. All available through the Golden Thread Productions website.

Karaoke and ping pong are my two favorite things, so I’m very excited about the next few days!

First, DJ Purple‘s regular Thursday night Dance Karaoke party at Slate is tonight:

Second, Singin’ & Pingin’, which combines DJ Purple’s thing with Berlin-style ping pong, returns to Verdi Club on Saturday night:

And lastly, the SF Berlin-Style Ping Pong League kicks off its winter season this coming Monday, at a very SECRET location:

Comedian Chris Garcia, who once did a standup act almost entirely about the Mission, was on last week’s This American Life! Check it out:

Chris Garcia and his dad were driving home, listening to oldies, sharing a bag of chips. A totally familiar scene for them. They’d driven this route probably hundreds of time, but something odd was happening in the car, so Chris started recording their conversation on his phone. He tells producer Nancy Updike what happened.

Well done, Chris! Listen here.

Also, Chris headlines at Punchline here in SF on December 4th. Get tickets (and see what Robin Williams has to say about him) here.

Just in time for winter, SFist has compiled a list of SF bars with fireplaces. The Mission’s own Homestead made the cut:

While the Homestead’s heat source is actually a cast iron stove, it’ll cure your winter chill just as effectively as anything else on the list. With free peanuts that you’re free to toss on the floor and buxom nude portraits adorning the walls, the place hasn’t changed much in more than 110 years of operation.

Read on for lots more fireplace.

Longtime Mission fixture Isaac Fitzgerald is leaving SF! Like in a couple days! To mark the occasion, local band The Yellow Dress has released a track from their upcoming album, a track called “Isaac Fitzgerald.” And it rules:

There are a bunch of cool timelapses out there on the web of Sutro fog, downtown days becoming night and all around the city. Local filmmaker and photographer Matt Maniego just released one that he’s been working on for the past year and it’s as amazing as any I’ve seen. Great shots, great editing. Make it full screen and check it out.