Mission Mission

Wesam Nassar, my pal and producing partner, put together a short interview with Dave Eggers about Abdulrahman Zeitoun and his family, the subject of his most recent book.

It is an excellent book, by the way. On the one hand Eggers tells the amazing true story of a man choosing to stay in New Orleans during Katrina. On the other hand he illustrates the experience of being an immigrant Syrian Muslim in Bush’s US. And though those both seem like themes that would dominate any story, in the end what I was most left with is the strength of the Zetioun family (here and around the world), and their determination to hold together through anything, without compromising their values or beliefs.

(Sorry, was that too serious for MM? I’ll post some more pictures of garbage on the sidewalk soon enough)

Many things will end today. Many things will begin tomorrow, blah blah blah.

Anyway, today is the final day for the now famous Mission District photographer Dustin Diaz’s Project 365. Since the very beginning of 2009 he’s been taking at least one picture a day and posting them to his website. Along the way he’s become the Mashable Flickr Photographer of the year, and inspired thousands of kids to run outside at night and take pictures of out of focus lights. You can call it bokeh.

Here’s a self portrait of Mr. Diaz from day 100. He’s expected to post the final shot sometime before midnight tonight.

I would be missing the big picture here if I didn’t also include the “strobist info” that follows many of his shots, detailing his process.

I shoot the Mission at night all the time, but my stuff is nothing like his, so it’s nice to see him be willing and even excited to demystify the process for us.

Check his Flickr photostream for the final shot of the year.

Local heroes Triste Tropiques and Sex Pigeon debut a new performance art piece at Baer Ridgway.

(Image courtesy of the talented Plug 1)