Who Reads Yesterday's Papers?
-Developers planning to build new housing in the SOMA area encountered a new concern last week as drivers complained that a possible eight story building on Harrison between third and fourth might obstruct views of the city. From the freeway. Turns out it's city policy not to build something along the freeways that would create a "canyon" effect and not allow drivers to see where they are in the city. To which members of the Planning Department banged their heads against their tables and threw their hands up in surrender.
-In an effort to make the BART stations at 16th & 24th & Mission less grungy, Tom Ammiano is sponsoring legislation to make it easier for cart vendors to sell their wares there. Right now, it's near impossible to get a permit to run one, which explains why there really isn't any there. We don't know if this'll help clean things up, but we do know that the fact you can get the best hot dogs from a street vendor is a well-known in New York and Philly. This is one part of a plan that also includes creating more open space around the stations with benches and public art, something you can see at 16th & Mission on the south side, by the Wells Fargo. The one across the way, next to the Walgreen’s is currently being worked on. As someone who uses the 16th Street BART station daily, we do say it's much cleaner and nicer now that all the smack heads have benches to sit on.
-You've seen the video, now get the soundtrack! Yep, somebody went and took the infamous Arnie video, Carnival in Rio and did what you're supposed to do with something like this in today's day and age-- made a remix version of it. Which raises this question: where's the t-shirt?
Screencap of "Lease," the Musical from Team America
-Most people thought that the middling to bad reviews for Rent were because it was a badly filmed movie of a treacly and overwrought musical about faux-bohemia that was brutally mocked in Team America. If you thought, that, however, you'd be wrong. According to Beyond Chron, the reason why most people aren't that excited about the movie is because "its attack on the values of mainstream America hits too close to home." Yep, it's not really bad melodrama about poseur artists, but an anti-gentrification, anti-corporation screed that mirrors all the big anti-gentrification battles waged in SF. Except without the singing and dancing, of course.
-According to the Bay Guardian, Dog advocates are trying to get the new Pit Bull neutering law changed to include every breed of dog. Advocates are saying that all variety of unsnipped dogs can be hyper-aggressive, although it's been a long time since we heard about a Pomeranian killing a child. And of course, there's the fact that in targeting Pit Bulls, it comes off as "vilifying" a breed (breedism?). We asked Scraps, our neighbors Pit Bull what he felt about Pit Bull discrimination but we were unable to get an answer. Because he's a frickin' dog.