Campaign to oppose Jack Spade gaining steam among Valencia Merchants (and mainstream media)

Anyone walking down Valencia over the past few days has to have noticed these posters going up on storefront windows of local merchants, and now there’s a petition being circulated to try to convince the luxury boutique that this neighborhood isn’t really a good fit for them. Unfortunately, almost all legal options to prevent Jack Spade from moving in have been exhausted, as the store just barely evades the label of “formula retail” by being only one store under the threshold.

Although Jack Spade is set to begin their lease on June 15, no one knows when they plan to move in, and the company has been ominously silent on the matter. We’ll just have to wait and see if they can take the hint, but in the meantime expect a lot more attention to this issue!

Naked, spitting, pissing BART dude – the animated GIF

[via Adam Lynn]

‘Petey and Ginger,’ the documentary about an Oh See and his acquaintance Ginger

If you’re a fan of Thee Oh Sees, you should see Petey & Ginger, screening at the Roxie this week as part of DocFest. Made for Danish television I think, it’s a 60-minute portrait of the director’s two American friends, one of whom is Oh See Petey. Its very loose thesis seems to be something about the American economy’s effects on creative types in the ’00s, but mostly it’s fun to get a few little behind-the-scenes glimpses of Thee Oh Sees at work (and at play).

At the premiere on Friday, Petey was on hand for Q&A after the film. He’d just had four shots of whiskey — which seemed fair seeing as how it was his first time seeing this feature-length documentary about himself — so his A’s were more entertaining than they were illuminating. I asked what it was like being able to leave his day job a few years back for a full-time job as a rockstar, and he giggled some and rocked back and forth a few times and slurred something about a European company buying the dildo distributor he used to work for. It was lots of fun. (Film festival rule of thumb: always go opening night for the Q&As!)

The movie is preceded by a short, Brute Force, about this musician Brute Force who worked with the Beatles for a second before slipping into obscurity. It stars him and his daughter, Daughter of Force, and shows what they’re up to nowadays in NYC. This movie is a gem.

Here’s Brute’s big (long-lost) hit:

Both films screen again Thursday night at 9pm, at the Roxie. Get tickets here.

Musical Chairs Party tonight at the Make-Out Room!

Like for real: it’s an *actual* musical chairs party. What?

The concept is no different than the childhood game of yore (and the most popular game in prison!). Round & round she goes, where she stops, nobody knows! It’s terror on 4 legs — but it ain’t a dog!

What? Anyway: great DJs, fun new concept, cold drinks, etc. RSVP and invite your friends!

Tequila and Mission Chinese Food, together at last

Free, but you have to RSVP.

Converse is having a bunch of awesome bands play free shows at Slim’s (including Hot Chip, Suicidal Tendencies, High on Fire, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and more)

But you have to enter the ticket lottery.

Tamale Lady no longer allowed to sell tamales at Zeitgeist

SFist reports the tragic news that neighborhood icon Virginia Ramos, the Tamale Lady, is no longer allowed to sell her delicious tamales at Zeitgeist due to city codes and regulations and her lack of a permit. This is a serious bummer. Read on for more details from the Tamale Lady herself.

According to her Twitter, Tamale Lady is planning to have her 60th birthday celebration at the Eagle Tavern instead this year. If you have any ideas on how she can sell her tamales in the city legally, reach out to her there, or party with her at the Eagle on the 21st.

‘Naked, spitting, pissing’ BART terrorizing dude identified as Yeiner Perez

From SFGate:

The man was identified by BART police as 24-year-old Yeiner Garizabalo. Friends said Tuesday he goes by Yeiner Perez and is a dedicated acrobat and performer. The episode, they said, was strongly out of character.

“He’s been through a lot of stress — he seems to have been having a breakdown,” said Slim Chance, who leads the Berkeley circus troupe ClownSnotBombs. Perez was a member from January to early May. “That seems to be the tip of it right there. I just can’t tell you anything more because I don’t really know what his state is. It’s not at all like his normal character.”

Chance said Perez, normally a “workaholic acrobat,” stopped showing up to the group’s practices several days before the episode.

“I don’t think it was anything with drugs,” Chance said. “I don’t know. We’re thinking he may have even had a stroke sometime last year. We’ve been trying to piece it together ourselves.”

Well, this explains all of the gymnastics and aerobics the guy was performing, although it doesn’t really explain the naked part or the violent demeanor.  Hopefully this person is able to get the care and help that they clearly need.  Judging from his Facebook profile, he seems like a fairly normal guy (for a circus performer).

[Photo via Facebook]

Previously:

Video of ‘naked, spitting, pissing dude’ terrorizing the 16th Street BART station finally emerges (NSFW)

Video of the disturbing assault committed by the obviously deranged ‘naked, spitting, pissing dude‘ who shut down the 16th Street BART station last month has finally surfaced, and it’s quite disturbing to witness.  Taken by the station agent on duty at the time, it depicts the guy going after a defenseless woman, and old man, and performing numerous naked aerobics.

When we first wrote about this, many wondered why no one came to the defense of those being attacked, but after seeing it all happen in real time, I must admit that I too would be a bit reluctant to take this guy on.  And why did it take so long for the police to show up?  What would you have done?

[Via Boing Boing]

Oakland tattoo

[via Brittney]