High up on the list of things I can’t enough of locally are the Panhandle, bikes, and bartering. Enter the Panhandle Bike Swap and Summer Party on the afternoon of August 17, a date at which it may just be starting to feel like summer in other parts of the state.
According to a local fixed gear aficionado/friend, “There’s talk of a ‘bike Olympics’ competition that would potentially include bike polo, Goldsprints (racing on rollers) and a bike toss (as in, how far you can throw an already wrecked frame). No confirmation on this yet.”
Participants are encouraged to bring bike parts for Cycles of Change, an East Bay program that provides cycling and nutrition education to urban youth. The organization offers a summer touring program that takes young students on bike trips around California after teaching them about safe urban riding. Sounds like something we could all use.
At the Renegade Craft Fair at Fort Mason recently I came across Campfire Goods, an Ohio-based company graphic design trio that prints typographic city-themed T-shirts. It’s not an earth-shattering concept, but their simple use of illustration makes the wares interesting. Personal favorites of the Bay Area variety include “City of the Sunny Side/Oakland” and an iconic Alcatraz cutout (although “I Got My Burrito In San Francisco” feels less than fresh). It seems unclear how the company plans to keep a location-based fashion idea novel, but it makes for an easy summer birthday gift for now.
While in DC this week I came across one of the painted white bikes that mark a location where a cyclist has been struck and killed. It was located in Dupont Circle between chic restaurants and served as a stark reminder of the importance of watching out for and making room for cyclists. These Ghost Bikes memorials (not to be confused with the also-beneficial Portland bike share initiative White Bike or the SF abandoned bike painting effort) can be found in eight countries and 30+ US cities.
They do a better job of explaining their purpose than I’m able to: “Ghost Bikes are small and somber memorials for bicyclists who are killed or hit on the street. A bicycle is painted all white and locked to a street sign near the crash site, accompanied by a small plaque. They serve as reminders of the tragedy that took place on an otherwise anonymous street corner, and as quiet statements in support of cyclists’ right to safe travel.”
Despite the day’s schedule still being unannounced, the upcoming WordCamp conference looks to draw many a passionate fan and developer of WordPress come mid-August. Sure, I may have taken advantage of Blogger-sponsored libations in Austin, but I’m really a big fan of the easy-to-use WordPress platform (which this blog, SF Metblogs, and the digital influence musings of those I work with are all published on). The Mission Bay-based day costs $20, and volunteering is also an option if you’re interested in being the keeper of the ever-popular T-shirt/sticker/frisbee chochkeys and attending for free.
Maybe I went to Sunday’s Good Magazine party at 111 Minna with expectations that were too high. But last year’s subscriber event seemed to draw a bigger and more excitable crowd, not to mention a larger number of sustainable and creative companies. Nau was notably missing this year, but that could be part of their near-miss closing and upcoming restart.
Still, to be fair, the sidewalk party and its solar-powered stage are a fun excuse to spend an afternoon sipping Dark and Stormys (or chai if that’s more to your liking). I like the work the magazine is doing to make young people more aware of international affairs, even if it takes boxed wine vendors to get us to put our money where our mouths are.
My only regret about my very fun birthday a few weeks ago was not having the new Girl Talk album on hand. Popularly known as the music mash up guy, Gregg Gillis has created a truly joyous album in his sophomore effort Feed the Animals. It sounds like a well-mixed open mic night with Lauren Hill, JayZ, the Police, Jimi Hendrix, et al (and reminds me how Lil Kim’s vocals pale in comparison).
A MySpace search redirects to an In Rainbows-esque “Pay what you want for the new Girl Talk album” page. I can’t say enough good things, so I won’t.
In case Issues and your local neighborhood newstands aren’t giving you your fix, the San Francisco Zine Fest is set to wreck havoc on the County Fair Building in Golden Gate Park this weekend. The free conference may bring back memories of high school-era stapled, cartooned creations. But presentations by the creators of Bitch and Bust magazines, among other independent publishing favorites, promise to make a trip through the park worthwhile. DIY screenprinting and watercolor illustration classes should brighten up the afternoons, and a partnership with the local Mission Creek Music & Arts Festival should give you enough fodder for your next issue.
An online/offline trends company that I’m a big fan of, PSFK, is coming to Fort Mason to this Thursday while on its London-Shanghai-LA conference track. While I usually turn to their site for creative inspiration (and the odd tidbit about branded fruit, et al), the conference sounds especially intriguing for its discussions about digital change and engagement.
And talk about a meeting of the minds: personal favorite Organic Architect Eric Corey Freed will be presenting, as will our Digital Influence team’s Rohit Bhargava. Folks from Method and Ghetto Gourmet will also be among those speaking, and Good Magazine will be on hand as they get ready for their annual 111 Minna get-together this Sunday.
I always get a little nervous when I see San Francisco listed on the front page of the Sunday New York Times travel section. A haute restaurant here, a travel deal there: frequently their writing about places outside of the greater New York area seems to have an air of superiority. When I was in Chicago they ran a piece about Wicker Park that seemed condescending (to the effect of “Look at these funky people who live here! How quaint.”)
Yesterday’s piece on Valencia Street, “Hipster Hunting Ground,” wasn’t quite as offensive, but it still seemed to view the Corridor through a Brooklyn lens. The Curiosity Shoppe, Paxton Gate, Spork, and Ritual Roasters were all featured, and fairly. I was surprised, however, that Dosa was featured while Range didn’t get a mention; the same for Little Star (maybe I’m just a sucker for the jukebox and heirloom tomatoes). The piece, while limited in length, doesn’t capture the neighborhood’s character and even gets lazy toward the end: “Like the street itself, [Amnesia's] lineup is full of surprises.”
I loved raiding their mother’s very eccentric clothing at an early age. The sequins! The pumps! And now that we’re separated by 1,000+ miles and six inches in height, I’m thanking my lucky stars that Nasty Gal Vintage is up. The site and its blog feature vintage dresses, separates, and eyewear (although even I wouldn’t place an order for the heart shaped frameless glasses). Most of the pieces are pre-90s, and now that VH1 is already onto “I Love the 00′s” series, almost anything can seem vintage. I’m excited to see their upcoming wares in this online one-of-a-kind showcase, and should note that customers are to wash or dry clean all clothing before showing it off.
