Mission Mission

Noticed this while walking down Valencia Street and realized that I hadn’t seen what the kids at Artist Television Access have been up to lately.  Time to change that!  The DIY ethos exuded by ATA is pretty much what our neighborhood is based on.

A little research reveals that Robin Johnston is the creator of this piece, and she just happens to be holding an opening this afternoon from 4-7pm.  Titled Keeping Count (similar to my favorite Depeche Mode song!!!), it depicts ALL American casualities from 2003 to 2010.  Each string represents a day, and each knot in each string represents a death.  Deep stuff!

So perform your patriotic HUMANITARIAN civic duty at ATA this evening (or whenever you happen to walk by the window).

BONUS--craziness in other ATA window

Okay, these dudes aren’t coming here exactly, but they’ve opened a training facility in San Diego, and that just might be the first step toward the death of democracy in California. Say an earthquake or terrorist act plunges the city into chaos. Blackwater could land an invasion force in a matter of hours, herd us into camps, torture us — accountable to no one in particular. Bummer!

Or so says Jeremy Scahill, author of Blackwater: The Rise of the World’s Most Powerful Mercenary Army. He appears Thursday at 7pm at Modern Times Bookstore to talk about his book and these new developments down south. I’ll be there, and I might ask him if he likes The Unit.

(via funcheapSF and Courage Campaign)

Photo of Blackwater personnel in Iraq by James Gordon.

The latest iteration of Gastank:

Dick Cheney as Grim Death (stencil):

Fire-Axe Bozo and Fire-Axe Bozo remixed as Giants Fan Fire-Axe Bozo:

Click any photo to enlarge.

Update: Speaking of baseball, Boing Boing just published some pretty good baseball news. Link.

Spotted on 19th Street in front of Mission Pool, this bold bit of street stencil says we’re all responsible for the actions of our military. To make the picture bigger, click it.

Previously on Mission Mission:

Gas Tank Street Art

Stencil Graffiti: In The City We Trust

Gentrification Implications of Sidewalk Stencils

This is my fully edited account of the early morning efforts of the March 19 San Francisco Day of Direct Action. In it, you’ll find decked-out riot police, a brass band, more twirlers, demonstrating in front inflatable water slide of Chevron, a cable car, more Frank Chu, the Transamerica Pyramid, dancing in the streets, yelling in the streets, posters, signage, bloody hands, people in pink, motorcycles on sidewalks, blockaded intersections, and more — all set to the tune of “Big Ideas” by LCD Soundsystem.

Link to yesterday’s coverage.

Link to response at Curbed SF in which they’re debating the hipster question.

Link to Bay Area Direct Action.

All will be compiled into a better longer movie later this evening.

Here is the color guard twirling their flags in unison, marching in choreographed step with the big beats provided by the bouncy castle for sale brass band:

Next up is a short short shot of Frank Chu leading the snake march past a cable car on California Street:

Finally, War Mongers’ Diner perform “We Can Stop It”, to the tune of Jimmy Cliff’s “You Can Get It If You Really Want”:

Link to Bay Area Direct Action.
Link to War Mongers’ Diner.

Update: Here’s a cop with a big orange shotgun: