Biking through Lake Dolores

Is this bad for your bike?  Because I did something like this and now I’m worried about the whole thing crumbling from rust or some shit like that.

[Photo by Jeff Elder via SF Citizen]

Cool for cats: Meet the Mission’s own feline behavior specialist

Daniel Quagliozzi wants to help your cat.

Kittens have an enormous power over me. So much power that I willingly BART to Union Square every December, push my way through the packs of tourists and shoppers, and put my nose up to the window of Macy’s to gaze upon them against a seasonal, festive backdrop. I love those SPCA kittens. And I’m not the only one: The SPCA set up a pop-up adoption center at Macy’s for those who want to add a fluffy little addition (dogs included!) to their family. But once that kitten gets out of the fabricated winter wonderland and into your apartment, it might engage in some not so precious behavior. Biting, scratching, pissing on your brand new shoes (my cat did this once–I cried), attacking your significant other…Your kitten is more Stripe than Gizmo and now you’re regretting that adoption. Don’t freak out! Call Daniel Quagliozzi, your neighborhood cat behavior consultant.

Quagliozzi, who has worked at the SPCA as a cat behavior specialist for over a decade, started the Go, Cat, Go! consulting service to help cat guardians deal with these sometime difficult critters. You might be familiar with the Animal Planet show, My Cat From Hell, in which a tattooed “Cat Daddy” named Jackson Galaxy comes and helps distraught owners figure out why their cat is misbehaving and how to help them solve the issue. Go, Cat, Go works similarly except there are no TV cameras and Quagliozzi has “immaculate” hair.

By actually going into the cat’s environment, Quagliozzi can figure out why your cat is acting like a little hellion. For example, one time he was asked to help a cat that was peeing everywhere but its litterbox. When he made his initial visit, he noticed that the cat was immensely stressed out and knew that was the source of its problem. By working with the owners on how to interact with the cat and read its body language, he was able to help both the cat and its owners.

“Cats don’t live to please you, they live to exploit you,” said Quagliozzi. “They don’t come out of the womb knowing about petting.”

If you’re thinking about getting a cat for the holidays, Quagliozzi warns that although cats are easy to take care of, you must be involved with his or her enrichment. In other words, pay attention to your cat! If he or she doesn’t have the right toys, he’ll find other things to lash out on (like your arm). He also offers this gem of cat wisdom:

“Don’t take it personally if the cat does things that aren’t appropriate. He’s not peeing on your bed because he hates you–he’s doing it because his litterbox isn’t up to par.”

Bring your boat to brunch

The Tartine Line, traditionally known as 18th and Guerrero, floods when it rains like this. Our friend Jenny sent us these pics of the current state.

UPDATE:

Here’s another at 18th and Valencia from kowitz on Instagram.

UPDATE 2: The block is totally clear of water and it’s sunny out. Go out and play.

It’s duck weather out there

Arizmendi’s new mascot

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Or perhaps they’re just preparing parrot pizza.

Dear Mom’s 1-year anniversary party this Sunday means $1 brunch drinks and free Ritual coffee all day

Here’s the official announcement:

Hey guys. Our one year anniversary is this week and, man, what a year it’s been. We hemmed and hawed and huffed about what we should do to celebrate and decided to do something small and dear to our hearts: brunch party. So, Sunday, December 2nd all brunch drinks (mimosas, bloodies, micheladas, screwdrivers, greyhounds, irish coffees etc) will all be $1 all day. And Ritual Coffee Roasters will be serving up loads of delicious espresso drinks for free. That’s right, you can get your spro, americanos and lattes for free all day. On us. We’re so grateful to have the best customers in the whole world. Seriously. We love you.

Boom. Prepare to party. Congrats, Dear Mom fam!

Note: the above pic is a pic of an average, mellow brunch at Dear Mom. Expect much more of a shitshow on Sunday.

Warm up tonight to the sounds of dark synths and forgotten danceable delights

Tonight the Mission’s very own cold wave fogged out dance cave at Submission promises to warm you up, dry you out, cause you to lose control, and then spit you back out on to the streets. Warm Leatherette will be cranking out the minimal synth jammage with special dj guest Le Perv (one of the masterminds behind Dark Room). Zuckerbook event page here.

 

Giants shirt for people who don’t like sports graphic design

Black pennant, orange ball, SF Giants, nothing more. This minimalist design by Ian Johnson really speaks to me.

Is the Knockout haunted? And does living in SF for 10 years qualify you as a citizen?

Local bartender, musician, DJ, and all-around rad guy Josh Yule was recently interviewed in the SF Examiner, and he had some fairly interesting things to say:

I’m from Florida. I don’t want to piss off my Florida friends. Florida has a different way of thinking. Most people there aren’t forward-thinkers, they’re backward-thinkers. And that’s why I came out this way. I wanted to get as far away from the South as possible. I think I’m a San Franciscan now. I think after 10 years, I have my residency — I hope. I’ve been told by a friend who grew up here that after 10 years, I am a citizen of San Francisco.

I hope he’s right, because that means I’ll be an official citizen soon too!  There are plenty more poignant tidbits, like how to make a French 74 and whether or not the Knockout is haunted, so read on.

[Photo by the talented Beth LaBerge]

Drink of the Week: the Bottom of the Bay

Well, this had to happen sometime. If San Francisco’s going to have its own substitute for Jager, it’s only fair that we have our own kind of jagerbombs. Local chill bar Evelyn Lee is filling this market gap with the appropriately named Bottom of the Bay. A healthy shot of Fernet is briefly suspended above partial pint of Drake’s Imperial Stout before being plunged into the depths of the creamy, sudsy brew. The result is somewhere between amazing and not-half-bad, with the wintery spices in the Fernet mixing nicely with the chocolate in the beer. I don’t think I’ve ever had a jagerbomb, so I can’t make a direct comparison, but this definitely tastes several times better than the Irish Car variety. Plus it doesn’t curdle so no chugging is required.

Perfect for a rainy night this holiday season when everyone else has gone out of town, and you’re getting shitfaced by yourself because you’re an adult and you can do what you want.

Read on for the startling conclusion.

Drink of the week is brought to you by Poachedjobs.com.

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