love letters to san francisco

wes anderson + ja-rule

2012-02-11T12:06:00.000-08:00

every wes anderson slow motion shot, set to ja-rule. baller.

bike valentines

2012-02-10T05:13:00.000-08:00

valentine's day is next tuesday and what better way to tell someone you "wheelie" like them (heh) than with a bicycle valentine? you can send San Francisco Bicycle Coalition bike love to your bike lane crush or your regular riding partner. the handlebar birds are my favorite.

29 ways to fall in love with your city: day nine - look up

2012-02-09T09:51:00.000-08:00

today features one of my most favorite ways to fall in love with san francisco, or your chosen city friend. (i love how i use the word features like more than 10 people read this blog. miss moss i am not. also: we missed a few days in our 29 yes? let's move on.) how, you may ask? look up.

i ride my bike down market street most days of the week, and once i became comfortable enough riding to be able to look up - hello new city purview. the buildings along mid-market are beautiful creatures. one of my most favorite san francisco blogs up from the deep captures them beautifully. these are his amazing photos, and you can visit up from the deep for extensive history and more san francisco building love.

the strand building is my favorite of all. i am deeply obsessed w/ that white window art.

29 ways to fall in love with your city: day six - rooftops

2012-02-06T20:04:00.000-08:00

see your lovely home from up high. find out how to get on to the roof of your building, or find friends w/ a roof, and sit up there as often as you can.

observe people below scurrying around and peep on your neighbors. watch the sunset and remind yourself how lucky you are to live where you live. i'm quite certain that beers taste better consumed in a camping chair on a sunny roof.

2012-02-06T11:37:00.000-08:00

M.I.A is one bad ass talented lady. her new video bad girls makes me wanna wear gold chains and tight pants and ghost ride the whip all day.

as noted by lady miss kate on twitter, M.I.A. basically made a modern california love video way better than anyone else. you done done it girl.

also, a little tidbit about me: 2pac's ambitionz as a ridaz was my getting ready to go out music when i was a freshman in high school. ride or die ladies.

29 ways to fall in love with your city: day five - walk a dog

2012-02-06T09:32:00.000-08:00

want to get to know your neighbors, cute strangers and be a friend to people everywhere? walk a dog in your city.

i obtained (that makes it sound like an illegal buy) a dog two years ago. said dog is pictured above. dog ownership catapulted me into the neighborhood line of vision. no longer anonymous, i now talk to literal strangers who stop to ask about her, and i know other folks w/ dogs who walk theirs around the same times.

don't have a dog? borrow one. i am sure your friends would love to let you take their dog out for a few hours.

most dogs are pretty happy little fellows. my dog is a rescue so the whole world is TERRIFYING (see look of terror above) but she manages. take your dogger friend to an off-leash park if they're well behaved and will come when called. walk your dog to ocean beach and watch them nearly burst out of their skin with joy. sand!

let's not joke: having a dog is super hard work. it's like a mini kid that never grows up or takes karate or goes to bates. however, it's pretty awesome to see your city from the perspective of a dog. the 15 minutes it takes every time i take my dog out means i have 15 pure solid minutes of observing one or two streets in detail. i know which houses have cats, or leave their garbage bins out too long. walking a dog in the city forces me to slow down and look up from my phone and creates human interaction. it's pretty nice.

29 ways to fall in love with your city: day four - ride the bus

2012-02-04T20:53:00.000-08:00

ride the bus? the dirty smelly slow bus? yep.

my favorite bus in san francisco is the 22 fillmore aka the deuce deuce aka the dirty dirty. the route goes from potrero hill through the mission, lower haight, fillmore district, pacific heights and ends in the marina. the views are impressive and the people watching is prime.

a ride on the 22 is crazy people bingo. look sharp for drunk people, someone talking to themselves, more than one person talking loudly on their cell phone or a bottle rolling on the floor of the bus. make your own bingo!

riding the bus in the city means close quarters with some pretty fascinating people, everything from full on crazy to people unaware of social contracts around personal space or frequent bathing.

find a bus route that can bring you somewhere new and take a ride for $2. try not to stare.

29 ways to fall in love with your city: day three - sports

2012-02-03T20:47:00.000-08:00

sports! all cities got themselves some sports. some towns are missing a team in a sport or two, and some places have more than one team in the same sport to choose from. (NB: choose wisely on those ones.)

loving a sports team connects you to your city in unique ways. you'll high five strangers at bars when they win and people will console you when you cry outside a bar when they lose to the yankees in the 2003 ALDS. (true story) you may travel to strange or dicey neighborhoods to see your sports team play in their home stadium. you'll wait for a train home with families, old people and drunk teenagers in one big crush of sports team humanity.

i moved to san francisco with my hometown red sox as my baseball team. i felt too far away from fenway to be connected and i was a sad baseball fan without a home. i eventually gave in to the san francisco giants, learning about the players i liked to watch and cheering for them at games. now, as my beloved team in my west coast home, they anchor me to san francisco in a very solid way. (see: baseball tag on this blog)

greg proops (who is so funny that it makes him dead sexy) is a giants fan, bless his heart. he has this to say about tim lincecum, our pitching wunderkind: he's got wispy hair and he weighs 105 pounds and he throws the ball like fucking Zeus.

AT&T park, by the by, is freaking gorgeous.

if baseball isn't your speed, san francisco also has the 49ers (sad tuba sound for this season) and the san jose sharks. if you'll allow me to get all sappy for a moment, the communal experience of watching your team play in their home stadium is the closest thing you can get to church in this delightfully godless town. mazel tov.

2012-02-03T05:30:00.000-08:00

Wes Anderson // FROM ABOVE from kogonada on Vimeo.

hands from above in wes anderson films, via curiosity counts and my friend molly. dear wes anderson, i want to make babies with the contents of your brian and dress them in matching adidas track suits.

29 ways to fall in love with your city: day two - become a regular

2012-02-02T23:55:00.000-08:00

cities are lovely b/c they're huge and anonymous, but you can create your own small world in your neighborhood. befriend the people who own and work at your favorite places.

my local record store saves records for me that they know i'm looking for and the owner hugs me when i come in. my corner store guy keeps a set of my house keys for pick up when people are coming to visit and i'm out of town or at work. there are a number of places and people in my neighborhood that i could borrow money from or use the phone if i'm locked out. it makes me feel safe and happy in my little corner of san francisco.

find the bar that you want to stumble home from (w/in 5 blocks is ideal, though that's up to you) and make friends with the staff. sit at the bar on slow days or off times. tip exceptionally well. talk to folks if they're up for chatting but leave them alone to do their job and don't overstay your welcome. say thank you all the time, for everything. be your sweet self and your local places will learn you're a regular part of the neighborhood.

photo via haighteration

2012-02-02T12:42:00.000-08:00

f. scott fitzgerald holds my heart. he was a drunk and obsessed with class and maybe not that great to his wife but he is my american literature favorite. i wrote my thesis on him. i use far too many commas b/c of him. i might name future children after him. unapologetically.

via lists of note, via flavorwire, here is the end of a letter he wrote to his daughter scottie, 11 at the time. booze hound or not, the man understood something fragile and special about the world.

Things to worry about:
Worry about courage
Worry about cleanliness
Worry about efficiency
Worry about horsemanship

Things not to worry about:
Don’t worry about popular opinion
Don’t worry about dolls
Don’t worry about the past
Don’t worry about the future
Don’t worry about growing up
Don’t worry about anybody getting ahead of you
Don’t worry about triumph
Don’t worry about failure unless it comes through your own fault
Don’t worry about mosquitoes
Don’t worry about flies
Don’t worry about insects in general
Don’t worry about parents
Don’t worry about boys
Don’t worry about disappointments
Don’t worry about pleasures
Don’t worry about satisfactions

Things to think about:

What am I really aiming at?
How good am I really in comparison to my contemporaries in regard to:

(a) Scholarship
(b) Do I really understand about people and am I able to get along with them?
(c) Am I trying to make my body a useful instrument or am I neglecting it?

With dearest love,

Daddy

the daddy at the end really kills me. worry about courage. if all else fails, those words could just be all you ever need to know.

29 ways to fall in love with your city: day one - ride a bike

2012-02-01T21:49:00.001-08:00

get thee on two wheels! the best thing i ever did to fall in love with san francisco was getting a bike and riding it frequently. i get around as fast or slow as i like, on my own time. muni, i'm looking at you here.

riding a bike in your city means new discoveries. i've noticed street art i never would have seen from a train or car. i run into friends and we ride home together, chatting about work, restaurants and art shows. i watch new shops go from empty spaces to up and running and stop in to poke around. i see everything from my bicycle and my calf muscles are crazy toned.

you don't need a fancy fast bike to get around, though there are plenty of those on the market. splurge on a brooks saddle b/c they're timeless, classy and fit like a dream after a few rides. get a bike basket or rack so you can stop at bi-rite or golden produce on your way home and pick up some fresh flowers and delicious beer.

frequently asked question: what about all those hills?
A: riding in san francisco is crazy easy, what with all the bike lanes and the good company of other people on bikes. the san francisco bicycle coalition offers a lovely map that shows you bike routes and gradations, so you can plan your route around those hills. or up those hills, if that is your speed.

frequently asked question: don't i need special gear? spandex is gross.
A: spandex is gross and here's the good news on that front: you can ride a bike in anything. i ride in dresses and skirts - knee length or above is ideal, though you can use a hair elastic to tuck up a longer skirt, or ride a bike with a chain guard. tights can keep your legs warm and cover your undies, or wear short shorts under your skirt for the ride. pants w/ a bit of stretch are your best friend. roll up your pant legs or cuff them with a snazzy strap. you can bike in any shoes, even heels. holla.

biking is the most efficient lovely way to fall in love with your city. pick a destination and get lost on the way. learn the timing of the lights and see if you can hit all greens on your way to work. ride slow and look up.

images via wowgirlsonbikes & amphalon

29 ways to fall in love with your city

2012-02-01T21:03:00.000-08:00

in the month of valentines (with an extra day thrown in there) let's celebrate falling in love with the place where you live. for the next 29 days, i'll share the ways i continually fall in love with this city, applicable to any city/suburb/town. love the one you're with.

these tips are inspired by the ever amazing quite continental, who is hosting a february charm school. i think we can all agree the world could always use a little more charm.

photo via life archives

2012-01-25T13:35:00.000-08:00

i've said this before. bill murray is basically my favorite human being. that is all. (gif via movie of the day)

2012-01-22T06:24:00.000-08:00

SF Sketchfest is here! this is my guide to the festival (minus the first 3 days) b/c there is a whole lot of awesome i don't plan on missing. if you want to stalk me, here's where i shall be found. some great stuff is already sold out so i skipped those in my suggestions b/c you know-tickets aren't for sale anymore.

sunday, january 22:
the 49's are playing the NY Giants, so skip all that and watch comedy instead.
you could go see the thrilling adventure hour, a live staged old-timey radio show w/ talented folks like john hodgman, andy richter and colin hanks, complete w/ faux commercial breaks and sound effects.

or, the paul f. thompkins show. paul f. thompkins somehow manages to be both crazy funny and endearingly adorable and he is a mighty sharp dresser. this show features judy greer (j'adore), john hodgman and musical guest ted leo (!!)

thursday, january 26:
nightlife at the academy of sciences is always fun, plus funny folks like robert ben garant and thomas lennon (early crushes from The State) and greg proops will be there. i mean, do you just get to wander around the penguins and see these dudes as people when they're not performing? middle school me is squeaking inside.

friday, january 27:
cobb's comedy club hosts three The State veterans: robert ben garant, thomas lennon & kerri kenney-silver in some sort of discussion. i'd watch these people talk about plants so i'm sure whatever they chat about will be good. whenever i picture thomas lennon i think of the episode of party down where he hosts the orgy and no one wants to get freaky.

sunday, january 29:
doug loves movies! doug bensen loves movies and i love doug bensen. seriously, if you're not listening to the doug loves movie podcast, you're sad and missing out.

thursday, february 2:
walking the room podcast w/ patton oswalt. i would honestly pay to watch patton oswalt act out episodes of the dog whisperer, so i'm in. patton oswalt is my most favorite tiny angry man.

friday, february 3:
bob odenkirk w/ the birthday boys 'seven-man sweater.' bob odenkirk is comedic royalty. he's like prince-i need to see him do something live before i die.

or, WTF w/ marc maron. marc maron does the WTF podcast and it is oddly great. he's weird and maybe too self-absorbed but he manages to ask some crazy famous people really normal human questions and the results are interesting. pete holmes makes me chortle so i bet seeing him live would be worth it.

the entire SF Sketchfest schedule is online here.

2012-01-20T06:00:00.000-08:00

weddings, 99% of the time, are pretty sucky. not the love part mind you but the big spending poufy dress expectations crappy food crazy family parts. here is exactly what i want my wedding to be like, via the exquisite trailer for wes anderson's new movie, moonrise kingdom. i'm not a beret fan so maybe i'd change that but the rest is simply perfect.

2012-01-19T03:30:00.000-08:00

my TV pattern is to avoid the hype of hot shows and then gorge on weeks of catch up (the wire and mad men, most recently) i am currently obsessed w/ the insane genius that is breaking bad. walter white is a bad mothershutyourmouth. these breaking bad valentines from Beth (Etsy & Tumblr) are perfection for your loved one this valentine's day.

2012-01-17T05:30:00.000-08:00

trying my hand at a photo a day, for these 366 days of 2012. i'm no photographic talent but i like documenting the lovely ordinary nature of my life. january, so far, in some photos.

2012-01-16T07:39:00.000-08:00

i went to london in november, skipping turkey day for tea and scones. so worth it. my photos, 2 months later.

2012-01-11T06:13:00.000-08:00

sometimes there's a man.

2012-01-10T20:36:00.000-08:00

i think my love for mr carter aka jay-z is pretty established. i outright love the dude. always have.

he and beyonce had a beebee and named it blue. meh. methinks too much time w/ gwennie paltrow but never mind that. he wrote a song for his baby girl. it is perfect.

http://lifeandtimes.com/glory-feat-b-i-c

"Cuz my Dad left me and I promise never repeat him/ Never repeat him/ Never repeat him"

yeah, that made me cry right there. i wish that baby nothing but good in this world. sappy sappy.

see also: toure.

2011-12-20T11:57:00.000-08:00

I've been knee-deep in comics lately and learned that Tom Morello (from Rage Against the Machine) who generally seems to be an all-around fantastic guy, has created a new comic called Orchid. Orchid is the tale of a teenage prostitute who learns that she is more than the role society has imposed upon her. a feminist kick-ass comic with potential for uprising? yes please.

He plans on releasing a "soundtrack" for each issue, and issue one had a cover from Shepard Fairy. sample artwork below (via comic book resources)

2011-12-13T17:37:00.000-08:00

kittens in clothes! try and look away. these are prints and cards from here.

i'm partial to this guy above. he looks like my cat in his modeling days, before he got middle-aged and fat. (see, i told you i'd be back to shallow things in no time.)

2011-12-12T20:30:00.000-08:00

real talk: i'm not feeling the holidays this year. i am usually a freaking ambassador of holiday cheer but this year...not so much. i'm worn down by the onslaught of "gift guides" from magazines and blogs that somehow want me to think that a $600 purse is something other except a ridiculous extravagance in a world (hell, a city) where people can't feed their kids or pay their medical bills.

i'm cranky. i admit it. this year i'm donating my money in the name of people i love. i'm not being self-righteous about it (though blogging about it might suggest otherwise.) it's just - after unsubscribing from countless blogs with people only talking about stuff they "need" i want to put something more positive out there, if only to make me feel better.

i'd like to cultivate my practice of putting my money towards things bigger than me.

local love:

at the crossroads reaches out to homeless youth and young adults at their point of need, and works with them to build healthy and fulfilling lives. they do direct street outreach to reach youth that don't traditionally access services and they help them achieve their goals.

san francisco food bank. 39% of the households who receive weekly groceries through the Food Bank include at least one working adult, while 18% of their clients are homeless. 1 in 5 children do not have access to enough food to meet their nutritional needs on a regular basis. right? money directly feeds people at the SF food bank.

san francisco AIDS foundation provides resources for the prevention of and the support of people living with HIV & AIDS. they provide needle exchange, which i used to volunteer for, and that program alone deserves money and support. they work hard.

beyond local love:

partners in health is a global health organization and they are my heroes.

planned parenthood has served me and countless friends, family and strangers. they have earned my money 100 times over.

prison performing arts "involves incarcerated youth and adults in the performing arts to inspire intellectual curiosity and personal development." learn more by listening to this episode of this american life and don't cry at work over it (like i did.)

i promise my next posts will be more of the same aka me talking about hot guys, how much i miss baseball, art, or daytime drinking. the regular business.

2011-12-05T15:51:00.001-08:00

of course i love these videos. (best one: hitler plans burning man) this one is about the last episode of the walking dead (here be spoilers) and it makes me giggle. i need something to tide me over until the walking dead returns in february besides rereading the comics twelve times.

2011-11-20T12:05:00.001-08:00

i'm taking off today for a week in london (and peeps are staying in my house, stalkers or would be robbers.) i've planned a delicious wonderful week of art (oh so much art), shopping and wandering. london is my big city love and i cannot wait to get my feet on the ground and explore again.

vintage london photos from what makes the pie shops tick.

2011-11-16T11:06:00.001-08:00

this video of early 90's bike messengers in san francisco is pure gold. "street name: dogpaw."

2011-11-10T12:14:00.001-08:00

you know what i like? zombies. love 'em. a few years back i found the walking dead and blew minds of comic book store boys everywhere when i rushed in frequently to inquire about new issues. if you haven't read the comics - DO IT. they're so great.

so walking dead is a TV show now and i also love what they're doing. the casting is well done. the writing is deviating from the comics (new characters, skipping some key plot points) but it's working. the show is freaking great.

almost as good as the show is the VH1 Best Week Ever recaps of the episodes. case in point:

not for nothing, i have cartoon heart eyes for andrew lincoln as an actor, and norman reedus brings the arm porn.

zombies and nice arms? must see TV right there.

(images from amc & vh1)

2011-11-08T14:25:00.000-08:00

some faces i like, via my tumblr. these faces are woefully lacking the lady representation. i'll remedy that in the next one.

2011-11-08T10:53:00.000-08:00

a little election day hype for you via clipse. this song will always remind me of college, in the best way possible. note: this song has very naughty language if you're sensitive to that kind of thing.

2011-11-01T11:45:00.000-07:00

one day late but for sure not a dollar short. this pumpkin wins all the awards. teflon don indeed. (via tumblin' erb)

2011-11-01T07:23:00.000-07:00

the nautical international code flags are a design soft spot. clean design, simple colors and deliciously preppy. behold, a boxed set of wooden A-Z flags from best made. hello santa. (via design crush)

2011-10-20T07:12:00.000-07:00

this city. my heart, forever. (click to see all the lovely details.) photo via the jt paradox.

2011-10-20T06:34:00.000-07:00

i'm so pleased this exists: the real housewives of south boston. marky mark's cousin.

2011-09-27T09:59:00.000-07:00

hooray for this - the ultimate oral history of the fabulous movie 'wet hot american summer' from details magazine.

this movie is just so great. i spent 10 summers of my life at overnight camp aka best summers of my life, where i learned a lot of things my parents would not be happy to hear about and spent a lot of time getting into trouble in the middle of the woods.

CHRISTOPHER MELONI, Gene (cafeteria chef, fucked-up Vietnam vet):
(my note - aka the best character in the movie)
I was doing Law & Order: SVU, just starting it, but deep enough in that it was a steady gig for me. I had a little downtime in between seasons, and I got a call to audition for this comedy. When I read the script, I thought, "Wow, this is really fucking weird."

2011-09-20T10:17:00.000-07:00

i'm finally watching mad men after literally staving off reading about it or talking about it for years. admittedly kind of insane, but i did the same w/ the wire and that worked out swimmingly. i'm only about half-way through the first season so far but i'm mostly struck by how starkly unlikeable all the characters are. even don draper, mr. cool, is just...pathological, though he pains me in a relatable way.

i'm sticking with it. though, if only to see how it all plays out. this print from luke's beard is pretty good (heh) at least in capturing the mildly appealing professional sociopathy of don draper that is somewhat magnetic.

2011-09-19T07:10:00.000-07:00

this weekend i saw the movie drive. HOLY. i loved it. drive is all 80s movie and focused and tense and violent and well - ryan gosling. the soundtrack was fantastic, full of 80s electropop awesomeness.

photo via

2011-09-14T06:55:00.000-07:00

an ode to one of my most favorite tumblrs - keggers of yore. thanks for doing what you do.

2011-09-13T07:34:00.000-07:00

my friends are making babies lately. baby gifts are kind of awesome. case in point - chewbeads. they're silicone necklaces and bracelets with breakaway clasps for little mouths to safely chew on, plus they look pretty awesome.

2011-09-02T07:45:00.000-07:00

the pharcyde. true story - i first heard of them in a sassy magazine quiz, and never one to be uninformed, i sought them out to find out more. thank you sassy b/c the pharcyde was one of the coolest rap groups of the early/mid 90s and pre-internet i would have never found them in my little suburban world. the pharcyde had amazing music videos only played on late night MTV and i adored the labcabincalifornia cd. still do, to be honest.

drop was the SICKEST video i'd ever seen until something like busta rhymes w/ the coming to america style came along.

2011-09-01T07:41:00.000-07:00

due to weddings and general happy life obligations, we didn't plan a large vacation this year. we went to europe the last two years and well - that was close to perfect. i'm feeling the loss of solid time off despite some pretty great vacation adventures closer to home. here are some photos from our 2009 & 2010 adventures, and the promise of some spring/summer euro adventures next year. maybe even giving paris a 2nd try? holla.

2011-08-31T13:00:00.000-07:00

hello pretty. this ceramic bow tie at opening ceremony from cor sine labe doli is perfection. the matte finish sings my name. sadly, the price ($210) does not but they sure are lovely.

2011-08-30T14:34:00.000-07:00

these necklaces from local yellow owl workshop are quite lovely. all of the above please.

2011-08-30T07:01:00.000-07:00

recently i was sharing the first CD i purchased, which was everyone knows this is nowhere from neil young. first tape? phish junta. OH YES.

oh neil young, possibly the least pretty man in music and probably the most favorite carryover from childhood. he is a force of effortless talent.

helpless, from the last waltz. if this doesn't give you goosebumps your heart has died. thrill to neil's gigantic cocaine booger!

sugar mountain. the saddest song ever sung at summer camp, about how growing up is inevitable and you can't be 20 on sugar mountain. SOB.

cowgirl in the sand. my 8th grade lovesick song. i was clearly so cool.

2011-08-29T06:14:00.000-07:00

new red hot chili peppers - the adventures of rain dance maggie. a few observations:

is anthony kedis dorian gray? how does he still look like he did 20 years ago? and by the same i mean really kind of sexy.
the red hot chili peppers have been around for me since i was tiny. i remember my cool aunt staying over our house when she went to see them play in boston, back when they wore stuffed animal pants. they're kind of the band you never really geek out over but you always sing along when they come on the radio.
drummer chad smith. has anyone ever seen him and will ferrell in the same room together? RIGHT?

2011-08-28T22:09:00.000-07:00

most celebrity gossip can suck it but my love for the future spawn of the hov and b marriage knows no end. this is my version of prince harry/william/whatshisname and the skinny girl celeb spam. jay-z has been my fantasy celeb BF since reasonable doubt (tell them freaks to find a man of they own.) i hope jay-z and beyonce make 15 talented amazing babies. i can't even pretend to be too cool to not care.

2011-08-25T21:26:00.000-07:00

hey gurl hey. look what is back in stock. posters from paper jam press. oh yes.

2011-08-17T13:16:00.000-07:00

i love these san francisco love notes from noteify. pretty and simple SF love.

2011-08-04T06:56:00.000-07:00

last weekend i went up to davis to see this nathan cordero show, Are You Destined to Become Your Mother? he works w/ found objects and excised wood and i'm really liking the spray paint work, the use of photographs and the triptych layouts. i am such a fan of nathan cordero's art and this show is really damn great. worth the trip to davis for sure.

2011-08-03T06:56:00.000-07:00

i'm overdosing on film stills from i love hot dogs. american gigolo - a key film in the richard gere hotness canon, along w/ an officer and a gentleman and pretty woman. mrow.

2011-08-02T10:03:00.000-07:00

yes! paris is burning executive realness mugs from i love hot dogs, via cat party. i've documented my love for all that is paris is burning here - it is truly something special. here are some paris is burning film stills, also courtsey of i love hot dogs. realness.

2011-08-01T20:57:00.000-07:00

last weekend's road trip jam: stutter, david banner & 9th wonder. fun fact: david banner's real name is lavell crump.

2011-08-01T07:13:00.000-07:00

these spectacular images are all from photographer jonathan levitt's grass doe photoblog. they're unflinching and crisp and i've lost a few hours there already. so so lovely.

2011-07-28T13:55:00.000-07:00

philip lim's 'girl on bikes' features effortlessly thin women riding bikes in our fair city of san francisco. those studded sleeves are fierce, girl (tyra-ism.) give them to me now.

3.1 Phillip Lim "Girls On Bikes" Women's FW11 Collection from 3.1PhillipLim on Vimeo.

2011-07-28T07:32:00.000-07:00

homage tees are crazy soft like an old tee and they're throwback w/out being urban outfitters cheese. the dee brown one is my personal favorite. i want a sponsorship deal where they send me free tees for life.

2011-07-27T05:45:00.000-07:00

things i like: giants baseball, memes and stupid humor. enter texts from at&t park (the giants ballpark, for those not of the bay.) picture me laughing.

many are fully NSFW but i'd have it no other way really.

2011-07-21T10:49:00.000-07:00

photos from a weekend wedding in upstate new york, where we stayed at what was basically the family resort from dirty dancing meets the overlook hotel. there was even a labyrinth. creepster. oh, and a rap contest, just because.

2011-07-14T04:55:00.000-07:00

take a gander at what brian wilson wore to the ESPY's. sometimes his lady gaga antics are over the line and then - well - he's mostly a lot of fun. most baseball players are wicked boring (jeter - i'm looking at you, minus your choice in dates) so i'm OK w/ a bit of manufactured crazy. (photos via sfist)

2011-07-08T07:15:00.000-07:00

mr. jeremy fish is a favorite forever. these fecal face studio visit photos are such goodness.

whatta face on this guy.

2011-07-07T05:45:00.000-07:00

day game. afternoon baseball is in my top 10 favorite life things.

palm springs for the 4th. hot.

eli cash in a rare moment of reflection.

succulent box, month one.

2011-04-29T11:53:00.000-07:00

holy f the imagery in this video from Spoek Mathambo is hot like fire. the song is a joy division cover, so right there that's good. photographer pieter hugo had a hand - which is pretty clear w/ the images and the framing and the starkness. the shots w/ the hand lettering on the store behind spoek? so rad. the whole video makes me think of ms. persephone.

pieter hugo is well known for his photography, w/ shots like these you've likely seen. lord i wish i had talent.

2011-04-29T04:56:00.000-07:00

Beastie Boys - Make Some Noise - Free Music Videos - Top Songs

my first favorite rappers and the first poster on my pre-teen wall (courtesy of newbury comics.) still dreamy and still killing it. (mtv raps card from blackbook)

2011-04-27T23:00:00.000-07:00

b/c i'm overtired and spent, this article made me cry like a baby. weep, really. also if you're looking for something non-baseball right now i got nothing. right now i am baseball, work, sleep and a few too many beers on weekdays. everyday i'm hustling.

if i haven't turned you away yet, go here and read this article that made me all weepy. it is a lovely snapshot into manny ramirez, recently retired, but once gloried in my hometown of boston. he was golden for a bit there, but he retired under testing positive for steroids and turned into a bit of a jerk and well...it's baseball.

...that was real, wasn’t it — the Manny in high school, that swing, his work ethic, all that pure talent?”
“Oh, yeah...that was real.

2011-04-16T20:49:00.000-07:00

file under: covet - the eephus league baseball official scorebook. it is a sexy little book, w/ added features like stickers (stickers!) along w/ all the usual scorebook needs. this year i'm finally realizing my long-time dream of being an old lady w/ season tickets who keeps score. i've got the score keeping, but no season tickets and only mildly old - so far so good.

2011-04-15T05:30:00.000-07:00

baseball is back and oh how happy i am. i'm born and bred red sox, but my years on the west coast have brought me around to national league play. the giants are my adopted team, and i'm happy to have them. showtime has a new show called "the franchise" about the giants and sneak peaks promise some good watching.

let's also just say - i heart this sport with all legitimate love and know my stuff, but oh my tim lincecum is pretty. we'll leave it at that.

2011-04-04T22:27:00.000-07:00

spotted this sharp stencil last week on the corner of market & franklin, and stopped by today for a closer look. is this blek le rat (favorite) sponsored by krylon? looks that way. not sure i love it.

related: 2 guides to selling out for street artists, from jake dobkin & hyperallergenic.

stencil photos via flickr user _lmc

2011-03-11T14:38:00.000-08:00

midnites for maniacs is featuring "grrrls with firepower" tonight, a triple feature of films featuring some tough awesome ladies.
first up is the craft, beloved teenage witchery movie starring folks like neve campbell and the girl who went on to play the love interest in half baked.

then thelma and louise, a freaking gem of a movie. there was an interesting read on the writing and making of thelma and lousie in a recent vanity fair.

finally, ms. 45, a movie i do not know but jesse hawthorne of midnites for maniacs says: DO NOT MISS ONE OF THE GREATEST EXPLOITATION FILMS EVER MADE.

2011-03-09T23:10:00.000-08:00

let's get personal for a moment shall we?

puppy love, in the form of my rescue dog w/ the heart of gold. my dog is pretty darn awesome. she came from a hoarder and she arrived terrified of (i say this w/out a hint of exaggeration) everything. walking her around the block took 30 minutes of cajoling and waiting. she wouldn't eat treats b/c she was too scared. forget petting or baths or playing - totally not w/in the realm of possibilty. we were just functioning.

she's come a long damn way. she allows petting when i'm lying down or sitting still. she does this massive body pounce over all her toys and our two disdainful cats (case in point - bonus sullen tuxedo cat in photo above.) she waits at the window when i'm coming home and gets taller and taller in the window as i approach, craning her neck to see me for as long as she can until she bolts to the door to say hello. she rubs her long body along my head and face every morning before i take her out for a walk. she answers to her name in addition to ever-changing nicknames like long dog and beastly and weasel/ron weasley/weezie baby.
she's been a project every step of the way, an exercise in patience and kindness and trust. she smells like warmth and that lovely dog corn chip smell. she romps and licks and barks. she is my happiest little project. her heart is so big.

2011-03-07T06:02:00.000-08:00

a little brain download from the magic of the internets. don't judge.

puff watches the sunrise

plead the fif.

(their faces - i can't...via white rabbit)

busted teeth via the washington post; the first season of skins was the best.

2011-03-05T15:04:00.000-08:00

street artist JR won the TED prize this year (watch his talk here) and has used that money to create 'inside out: a global art project.' upload a portrait, receive a poster, hang it in the world and share.

JR, long before the TED prize, has used his large-scale street art to bring a human face to difficult places and under-represented people in the world. women are heroes photographed women in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Sudan, Kenya, Brazil, Cambodia, and India and posted their arresting portraits everywhere - trains, staircases, favela walls and roofs in brazil. face2face phot0graphed Israelis and Palestinians and posted them in both countries, inciting discussions of who was who and what the differences really are.

what i like most about JR's work is that the scale and the close nature of the photo creates a sense that the portrait is looking back at the observer instead of being passive. they challenge and force observers to ask themselves questions. powerful.

people are just so extraordinary and lovely, despite the crushing feeling of bad that pervades the world. hooray people.

photos from life, guardian, wooster collective

2011-03-01T06:45:00.000-08:00

upper playground and artist dustin canalin have created not one but two tee-shirts that truly reflect a few of my favorite things - kitties and rap music. ruthless. hella fresh. perfection.

2011-02-22T19:07:00.000-08:00

you saw this right? punk rock on the tee vee - hip hop style that is all sorts of crazy smart, savvy and fvcked up. see also: bastard, which has lyrics that blow my mind every time.

odd future is playing tonight in san francisco at slim's. they're sold out, sadly, but you know they're gonna blow the doors off.

2011-02-12T05:45:00.000-08:00

these vintage wedding photos (via miss moss) are just - amazing. doesn't the guy in the striped pants look like wooderson, matthew mcconaughey's character from dazed and confused? alright, alright, alright.

2011-02-08T04:32:00.000-08:00

bicycles. bike love. bike valentines!

send your bike lane crush or your tandem steady a love note, courtesy of my favorite local bicycle advocacy group - the SF Bicycle Coalition.

2011-02-04T05:56:00.000-08:00

current crushes of the material kind. just waiting for my trust fund to appear...

bass sandals, w/ the soft footbed, just like ones i had when i was a kid. bouncy.

striped maritime dress from j. crew. like a sailor shirt, but a cheeky little dress. i see what you did there and I WANT IT.

oxford ballet flats, also from my overlord j. crew.

pencil highlighters. i never knew i needed these and now i cannot do w/out.

rap music makes me feel invincible. i kick the truth.

well now, i just don't know why i don't own this already.

2011-02-02T21:40:00.000-08:00

HOORAY. espo, the man behind a love letter for you, has a documentary coming out and i'm all a flutter w/ excitement. a movie about the kind of art i love the most, w/ one of my favorite artists, and the subject is one of the best public arts projects of late? holla.

the a love letter for you murals are so delicious. i want to see them in person wicked bad. road trip to philly?

2011-02-02T06:04:00.000-08:00

such old film photo goodness from flickr favorite goldengreyblue

2011-02-01T06:43:00.000-08:00

some neighborhood love from my weekend jaunts:

this wheatpaste was behind the fenced in area when i first saw it, making it even more disturbing. who did this one? meighan?

i love this INSA muchly.

2011-01-31T07:04:00.000-08:00

speaking of blu, i keep coming back to this image of his from his site blublu. this is in ancona, a seaport town in central italy. how perfect and haunting and lovely is this piece? i can't stop thinking about it.

street art from phlegm

2011-01-30T16:07:00.000-08:00

look at all this huge pretty street art from phlegm. i'm impressed w/ the scale and detail and i love his odd little creatures. phlegm's stuff is reminding me of blu and know hope's linear creatures, who are both damn good company. phlegm's work found via made in slant.

2011-01-19T07:23:00.000-08:00

gah this match case is so stunning. i don't smoke, but one never knows when matches could come in handy in the urban environment.

2011-01-18T06:06:00.000-08:00

a map of new jersey, created from over 200 springsteen references by dan cassaro. i love this.

you want to hear the sexiest song ever written? listen to i'm on fire. you want to hear heartbreak and desperation? play badlands or atlantic city. my love for bruce is forever and ever. (photos via fuckyeahtheboss)

2011-01-14T16:10:00.000-08:00

paul simon is perfect friday afternoon music.

2011-01-13T06:03:00.000-08:00

bill murray (and steve martin) are my long-time forever old man loves. funny and smarmy w/ a touch of heart will always be sexy. murray's recent speech to honor sofia coppola is only proof of how crusty and loveable he is, forever.

on a wholly unrelated note, i'm liking these OFWGKTA photos jared sherbet took when they played the roxy in LA.

2011-01-12T07:03:00.000-08:00

new year's resolution #3: take more photos of my life in this perfect city. working at mid-market Street in san francisco is an adventure in people watching. some blocks are filled w/ people in need of basic services - a reality that always hurts my heart. other blocks are chain stores filled w/ tourists shivering in shorts. i love working there, just out of reach of the more sterile financial district.

these photos from brad evans are the downtown characters i wish i could capture - the weird, the sometimes slightly scary and the always interesting.

2011-01-11T06:44:00.000-08:00

new year's resolution #2: have great hair in 2011. my hair is a beast and i'm a beauty minimalist at best. my locks are thick and wavy and i usually straighten the hell out of all of it or wear it up. 2011 is the year i learn how to manage it and have good hair like a boss.
a little inspiration, via pinterest

into the gloss does great mini-interviews w/ women on their beauty routines, and kristina o'neill (below) from harper's bazaar appears to be my hair twin. her solution: I wash my hair at night and sleep on it wet...I get out of the shower, put Moroccan Oil in, and use a wide-tooth comb... i'm sold on anything that can save me the hour of drying and straightening - my first resolution step is giving this method a try.

2011-01-10T11:41:00.000-08:00

this chris farley print from the gallery 1988 melrose show is this thing on? is really really great.

i particularly like the nameplate at the bottom.
the recent bad dads show of royal tenenbaums art, and this show of comedy-inspired art have been producing some great affordable prints. i like.

i'll think we'll all always be a little bit in love w/ chris farley.

2011-01-10T06:47:00.000-08:00

i'm big on new year's resolutions. i'm a devotee of planning for everything and well - new year's resolutions don't escape that obsessive treatment. i've got them all mapped out. new year's resolution #1 for 2011: explore san francisco more.

part of that resolution? delving into the vast delights of impossibly good food in san francisco. i made a list (okay, a google doc w/ neighborhood, price range and means of transit) of all the spots i always mean to try. it runs from cheap dives to fancy pants and only includes places i've never been to before. here she be:

A16

Alembic
Aziza
~~B Star~~
Balompie Cafe
Bar Jules
Bocadillos
Brenda's Soul Food
Burma Superstar
Canteen
~~Capri~~ ~~(not a noted SF landmark, but a loving to concession to my better half)~~
~~Delfina~~
Flour and Water
~~Frances~~

~~Grilled Cheese Kitchen~~

Grubstake
Hapa Ramen
Heaven's Dog
House of Nanking
Katana-Ya
Little Skillet

Maverick

~~Mission Chinese Food~~
Mission Pie
~~Monk's Kettle~~ - 1/8/2010
Muracci's Japanese Curry & Grill
My Tofu House
Naked Lunch
Parada 22
~~Ragazza~~

Roadside BBQ

~~Ryoko~~ - 12/30/2010
SPQR
~~Suppenkuche~~
Tadich Grill
Turtle Tower
~~Truly Mediterranean~~
Una Pizza Napoletena
~~Wayfare Tavern~~ - 12/20/2010

photos from 7x7

2011-01-09T19:38:00.000-08:00

“You’ve got more than a fur coat, you’ve got a coat with a pedigree. You can’t go out without sparkle at your throat. You must live up to this coat!” this story about the lady who won one of edward gorey's famous fur coats is just lovely. look how happy she is!

2011-01-05T18:05:00.000-08:00

bootie 2010 is the music for my slow slide into the first real weekend of 2011. just a tad too much coffee and headphones and your thursday at work just got a whole lot better.

download it here and shake your rump.

2011-01-04T07:00:00.000-08:00

my official 2011 motto: everyday i'm hustlin, compliments of mr. rick ross. my heart: broken, as this poster from paper jam press is sold out. i shall comfort myself w/ this katt williams clip (which does contain some naughty language.)

2011-01-02T20:13:00.000-08:00

i've had the image of gemma in the red dress saved forever, and i'm always kicking myself for not saving the whole spread. behold - the neo-traditionalist saves the day. these photos are by mario testino and they are so damn perfect. i love it when fashion magazines bring the pretty.

2011-01-02T11:54:00.000-08:00

another rainy sunday in san francisco means coffee and the radiant child on netflix. i so wish basquiat and keith haring were still around.
(photos via vanity fair and robby wells)

2010-12-31T16:28:00.000-08:00

oh 2010 - you were good. i'd be remiss if i didn't sum up this year in music. like most people w/ feelings, music ranks just below my pets and my chosen life partner as my most favorite thing in the world. music is everything i need and 2010 was a fvcking good year for really amazing music.

arcade fire - the suburbs

oh arcade fire. this album is all about poignantly sad honest moments of growing up and growing apart balanced with church-like moments of uplift and cacophonous sound. i saw this tour when it came through town and i cried (not a common thing for me) - they well up an emotional sound and an emotional experience few can replicate.

favorite song: we used to wait

vampire weekend - contra

they're the band we all love to hate, but they're pretty damn awesome and this album is imperfect and smart and i like it.

favorite song: diplomat's son

rihanna - loud

ok yes - this is not a "great" album by any stretch. it is, however, some really well-crafted pop dance music, and i'm not above loving that shit. i kind of like rihanna (albeit begrudgingly) and this album is right up there as my best running music of 2010.

favorite song: what's my name (featuring drake)

kid cudi - man on the moon II: the legend of mr rager

kid cudi is hard to get a handle on. he's emerging as a really talented dude w/ some demons and i'm all for more honest and real hip-hop. he keeps me interested and i love his voice.

favorite song: ashin' kusher, ghost

black keys - brothers

love love love this band. they sell a lot of music for ads but hey - get money kids. the amount of power and noise patrick makes on drums is insane and dan's voice is like honey. they're sexy rock and roll and they're just freaking great.

favorite songs: sinister kid, next girl, everlasting light (even w/ the falsetto)

the roots - how i got over

fvvvvvcuk this album is so great. it is sad and scared and raw and hopeful. i listened to it for weeks straight without pause - the roots are one of my most favorite bands around today.

favorite songs: how i got over; dear god 2.0

the national - high violet

this album is near perfect to me. it sounds like whiskey and feeling like your heart is so sad you just can't bear it. it sounds like life when life is tough and this is what art does - make things beautiful even when they're hard.

favorite songs: sorrow -"sorrow found me when i was young/sorrow waited, sorrow won."; bloodbuzz ohio

kanye west - my beautiful dark twisted fantasy

how can i even do this album justice? it is one of the smartest and most poignant complete hip-hop albums i've ever heard. it stands together as a strong story for one giant listen but each song stands alone just as well. the ego and loneliness in this album breaks my heart.

kanye is such a polarizing figure and i stand firmly in the kanye camp. he is savvy and intense and wonderful and god i hope he makes more albums like this.

favorite songs:

runaway (w/ pusha t) - this song. this song.

monster - i adore jay-z for having such a fierce verse where he says his weakness is love - that man is a beast, and nicki minaj w/ "you could be the king but watch the queen conquer."

big-ups as well to rock the bells 2010, which will forever rank as one of the greatest concert experiences of my life. my face hurt from smiling.

2010-12-30T11:11:00.000-08:00

this is pretty much my "mood board" (gah - what does that even mean?) for 2011. sparkle, whimsy, bikes, polka dots, cake and pretty dresses. it's gonna be a good year.
(via style me pretty)

2010-12-29T14:12:00.000-08:00

another amazing christmas present - a book of robert frank 'the americans' photographs. frank took these photos on a cross-country trip from 1954-1955. the tate modern had frank's contact sheets on display when i was there in october and i spent 15 minutes poring over them - it was wonderful to see how many shots he took and the ones he eventually chose. magic.

frank said 'when people look at my pictures I want them to feel the way they do when they want to read a line of a poem twice.' sometimes i feel like this is the most exquisite collection of american photographs ever taken.

images via the selvedge yard ispyer new yorker and tumblr

2010-12-25T14:13:00.000-08:00

random acts of christmas: rushmore. (via arbogast on film)

2010-12-24T06:35:00.000-08:00

merry christmas eve, from my interweb home to yours. (via square america)

2010-12-23T22:17:00.000-08:00

an early christmas present, 'a dangerously curious eye' from robert shapiro. a collection of black and white photos from san francisco's hunter's point and beyond in the 1970-80s. they are breathtaking - no hyperbole even necessary.

2010-12-22T11:55:00.000-08:00

combining cities and maps and urban design and blankets? you're my favorite, haptic lab.