Sarah Millett, a journalism student at San Francisco State University who devoted her time to filmmaking and various forms of activism, has died of a methamphetamine overdose.
Ms. Millett was 24 years old when she died in the Tenderloin District of San Francisco on Monday after paramedics fought to save her life.
Ms. Millett's short film "Gender Pains," an experimental documentary that shed light on the hardships surrounding gender roles as an individual and as a part of society, was shown on KQED and played at various film festivals throughout California, Texas and Minnesota. The film also included Sarah's own personal and ongoing struggle with her identity as a young girl going though a gender transition, which she called her "butch phase."
"She had a quality about her that's deep, thoughtful, truthful, sincere and trustworthy," said Eileen Bautista, who had befriended Sarah when the worked together at City College of San Francisco before she transferred to San Francisco State University.
In 2007, Millett displayed a collage she made at the California Young Women's Collaborative art show. In addition, she coordinated the Insights Art Exhibition at San Francisco City Hall for two years, an annual art show that is made up of works from blind or visually impaired artists.
"She has always stepped to a different drum beat than the rest of the kids her age," said Mother Karen Saltekoff. "In fact, I think she was in charge of the whole damn band most of the time."
Friends and family will remember Sarah as a very compulsive and passionate writer. She often had conflicting characteristics that helped shape her into an intriguing woman. Her interests also included notes, magazines and painting. She enjoyed making new friends and spending time with her old ones.
"As long as I am involved in art and activism, I think I will have a chance at happiness," said Sarah shortly before she died.
Survivors include her Mother, Karen Saltekoff of Toledo, Oregon; and sister, Jennifer Millett of Portland, Oregon.
A memorial ceremony will be held Thursday at 6 p.m. at The Old First Presbyterian Church, 1751 Sacramento Street, San Francisco. A private burial will follow the next morning.
Ms. Millett's family has asked that memorial donations be made to the Bay Area National Council of Alcoholism and other Drug Addictions, 944 Market Street, 3rd Floor, San Francisco, CA, 94102.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
very important issue: underage drinking
I know most of you guys are going to think, "What the fuck is Jamey talking about... that girl loves to party!" However this is a very serious issue to me. As someone who has been personally impacted by drinking problems, duis and the death of a good friend due to booze I think this issue is very important to our society. There is not a single good thing that could possibly come from lowering the drinking age to 18. Please, set aside your love for beer and realize what is best for the country as a whole. Thanks!
The following is an email I just got from MADD:
An estimated 25,000 lives have been saved by the 21 Minimum Legal Drinking Age (MLDA), which is why we were gravely concerned to learn that the college and university presidents and representatives listed below have added their names to a misguided initiative aimed at attacking the minimum drinking age of 21.
We are not alone in our concern. The public strongly disagrees with efforts to lower the drinking age. According to a new survey released by Nationwide Insurance this week:
78 percent of adults support 21 as the minimum drinking age
72 percent of adults think lowering the drinking age would make alcohol more accessible to kids
Nearly half believe it would increase binge drinking among teens
More than half say they are less likely to vote for a state representative who supports lowering the legal limit or send their children to colleges or universities with "party school" reputations
Contact the college and university presidents who have signed on to this initiative and request they remove their signatures and support the 21 Minimum Legal Drinking Age.
We must work together to find a responsible solution to the underage drinking problem, one that does not jeopardize a law that has saved nearly 25,000 lives since going into effect. Solutions include: enforcing the drinking age, tightening alcohol policy, working within the college community to ensure the environment supports the above and working with parents to talk to their children well before peer pressure begins, around fourth grade.
The following is an email I just got from MADD:
An estimated 25,000 lives have been saved by the 21 Minimum Legal Drinking Age (MLDA), which is why we were gravely concerned to learn that the college and university presidents and representatives listed below have added their names to a misguided initiative aimed at attacking the minimum drinking age of 21.
We are not alone in our concern. The public strongly disagrees with efforts to lower the drinking age. According to a new survey released by Nationwide Insurance this week:
78 percent of adults support 21 as the minimum drinking age
72 percent of adults think lowering the drinking age would make alcohol more accessible to kids
Nearly half believe it would increase binge drinking among teens
More than half say they are less likely to vote for a state representative who supports lowering the legal limit or send their children to colleges or universities with "party school" reputations
Contact the college and university presidents who have signed on to this initiative and request they remove their signatures and support the 21 Minimum Legal Drinking Age.
We must work together to find a responsible solution to the underage drinking problem, one that does not jeopardize a law that has saved nearly 25,000 lives since going into effect. Solutions include: enforcing the drinking age, tightening alcohol policy, working within the college community to ensure the environment supports the above and working with parents to talk to their children well before peer pressure begins, around fourth grade.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
trasher magazine
As I begin to take dig a little deeper with my magazine, Thrasher, I have realized that this magazine is seriously genius. Although there is none stop ads, the editors have really designed everything so that as you flip through the pages you seem to forget that you are even looking at advertisements. The lay out is planned so perfectly that the reader just gets caught up in the visual stimulation on the magazine.
There are a few similarities and differences that I noticed in this months issue compared to last month. For starters, although there are still 90% ads, it seems that all the ads are different this month than last. I didn’t notice any repetitive ads or pictures in the ads. This month was not a special issue like last months but they did have a central feature article this month, an interview with the boy who was awarded Skater of the Year and announced in last months issue. This month they sat down with him and interviewed him about his career, skating and what the award means to him. When I was reading this article I noticed what my favorite part of Thrasher is- PULL QUOTES! They seriously pick the perfect pull quotes for each article and they really serve as an entry point to grab the reader’s attention.
Thrashers mission statement is, “ Thrasher fuses the excitement of top-level skateboarding with reader participation, hard-edged music and attitude.” I think this issue was a perfect example of their mission statement. I noticed that this month there was a little more music articles than last months, which was a nice change. One other thing that I noticed was that they have a mail order shopping section in the magazine where they sell various Thrasher t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, baby clothes and underwear. The master minds behind this magazine have really thought of everyway to market the company to its readers to make a lot of money in various ventures.
I also did a little research this month and got a hold of some old media kits and information. Last month I had a hard time finding the magazine so in my research I found out that Thrasher magazine is distributed throughout the United States and Canada by Curtis Circulation Company. There are also a few other companies that they work with in the US but it still seems like it is difficult to find it at the magazine stand at Walgreens or Safeway sometimes. In 2003, there total distribution was 196,000 and 31% of that was in California alone. I also found some advertising rates that showed clearly why Thrasher is not going out of business anytime soon. In 2000 it cost $5,690 for a full-page color ad to run once and in 2003 it cost $11,117 for the exact same ad. I emailed their advertising director and am waiting to hear back about the ad rates for 2008 and 2009.
Honestly, the more and more I look at Thrasher, the more I am upset that I didn’t think of this magazine!
There are a few similarities and differences that I noticed in this months issue compared to last month. For starters, although there are still 90% ads, it seems that all the ads are different this month than last. I didn’t notice any repetitive ads or pictures in the ads. This month was not a special issue like last months but they did have a central feature article this month, an interview with the boy who was awarded Skater of the Year and announced in last months issue. This month they sat down with him and interviewed him about his career, skating and what the award means to him. When I was reading this article I noticed what my favorite part of Thrasher is- PULL QUOTES! They seriously pick the perfect pull quotes for each article and they really serve as an entry point to grab the reader’s attention.
Thrashers mission statement is, “ Thrasher fuses the excitement of top-level skateboarding with reader participation, hard-edged music and attitude.” I think this issue was a perfect example of their mission statement. I noticed that this month there was a little more music articles than last months, which was a nice change. One other thing that I noticed was that they have a mail order shopping section in the magazine where they sell various Thrasher t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, baby clothes and underwear. The master minds behind this magazine have really thought of everyway to market the company to its readers to make a lot of money in various ventures.
I also did a little research this month and got a hold of some old media kits and information. Last month I had a hard time finding the magazine so in my research I found out that Thrasher magazine is distributed throughout the United States and Canada by Curtis Circulation Company. There are also a few other companies that they work with in the US but it still seems like it is difficult to find it at the magazine stand at Walgreens or Safeway sometimes. In 2003, there total distribution was 196,000 and 31% of that was in California alone. I also found some advertising rates that showed clearly why Thrasher is not going out of business anytime soon. In 2000 it cost $5,690 for a full-page color ad to run once and in 2003 it cost $11,117 for the exact same ad. I emailed their advertising director and am waiting to hear back about the ad rates for 2008 and 2009.
Honestly, the more and more I look at Thrasher, the more I am upset that I didn’t think of this magazine!
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
flapper girls
Throughout history women as a whole have continued to evolve and fight for what they want. But not all women have the same opinions and views as to how they want to go about these issues. When we look at feminism issues today we can clearly see a distinct difference between the older more traditional feminist and the “new age” feminist that arrived on scene in the 1920s. By taking advantage of several different developments in their time, the new feminists were about to gain more ground as a sex and define their gender in a way no one would have imagined was possible.
The first significant development I noticed in the reading was the newfound “freedom of choice” that females of the time were acting on. Females of this time were determined to not be like their older relatives and they sure were not going to continue their ways. Although the ladies of the 1920s admired and respected the pioneer feminist, they were ready to set their own tone. It was time for them to develop their new attitude and make decisions for themselves. Of the many decisions they would begin to make for themselves the two biggest ones were if one was to marry or not and if one was to have children or not. The modern women handled these new decisions by developing a sense of balance between their marriage, family life, careers and personal lives. They believed the
most important thing was to prove their value not just in the home but also in every other aspect of life. “Love may die, and children may grow up, but one’s work goes on forever.” (Ware, Page 128)
Next, and probably the most noted development of the time, came women’s expression of their sexual identity. Woman began to show off their sexuality in a variety of ways including clothing, make-up, flirting, dancing, dating and even having sexual relationships with men. “Like the flappers… defined social control and conventions, who was modern, sophisticated, and frank in speech, dress, morals and lifestyle.” (The Chinese Flapper) As the younger women of the generation began to show some sexuality and confidence they were faced with generational and cultural conflicts with older women. Because females were still viewed as a reflection on the family, many women had problems living the way they wanted to live and definitely weren’t always able to get away with flashy clothes or sexy make-up. In the article The Flapper and the Chaperone, they discuss the various ways families tried to control women. Many girls could not do anything on their own because people seemed to be afraid that they were becoming too expressive and explorative. They were not allowed to go to dances, dates or even have a male walk them home without a chaperone, which many young females viewed as a “spy.” “Faced with this type of situation, young women had three options: they could accept the rules set down for them; they could rebel; or they could find ways to compromise or circumvent traditional standards.” (The Flapper and the Chaperone) I believe the goal of chaperones was to keep the women in control and control their wondering thoughts. The concern was that if women begun wearing make-up and dresses she would look and act like a flapper no matter what. One interesting thing I could was that Luna stated that she remembered that she used to think kissing would get you pregnant. On the contrary, women enjoyed talking and flirting with men because their ideas interested her and she found it amusing to flirt. (Ware, Page 129) However, they weren’t able to control women that well and they eventually found ways around and lived the way they wanted to with the men they wanted to do so with. Chaperones were no longer able to control or harass women’s personal behavior and sexuality.
Lastly, as a journalism student I could not help but noticed the development of the media during the flapper era. In all the readings I noticed that some form of media was mentioned (magazines and newspapers mostly). According to Lupe Velez, “The social authority of the media of mass culture replaced older forms of family authority and behavior.” It seemed as though the media was displaying the new remodeled female for the world to see. The new ideas of the females were reinforced in various English and Spanish publications. They began to include feature advice columns, horoscopes and celebrity gossip for women. Magazines began to run ads and articles for make up, hair and other beauty products to market them to females. As one company selling skin cream claimed, “Those with lighter, more healthy skin tones will become much more successful in business, love and society.” The press was conveying the new societal norms and models for the readers to follow.
As a whole, I believe that the women of the time really were helping the gender gain ground for themselves and women of the future. As I was reading I realized that a lot of the issues they faced in the 1920s are still issues that young women face today and I believe the women of the 1920s set the tone for how we are living our life today. Sure, there will always be obstacles with your parents and pressure to get married and have kids from some families, but the women of the 1920s showed us that we have a choice and we can live our life anyway we want to. Because of them I can continue to be single, flirt as much as I want and wear the brightest lipstick around!
The first significant development I noticed in the reading was the newfound “freedom of choice” that females of the time were acting on. Females of this time were determined to not be like their older relatives and they sure were not going to continue their ways. Although the ladies of the 1920s admired and respected the pioneer feminist, they were ready to set their own tone. It was time for them to develop their new attitude and make decisions for themselves. Of the many decisions they would begin to make for themselves the two biggest ones were if one was to marry or not and if one was to have children or not. The modern women handled these new decisions by developing a sense of balance between their marriage, family life, careers and personal lives. They believed the
most important thing was to prove their value not just in the home but also in every other aspect of life. “Love may die, and children may grow up, but one’s work goes on forever.” (Ware, Page 128)
Next, and probably the most noted development of the time, came women’s expression of their sexual identity. Woman began to show off their sexuality in a variety of ways including clothing, make-up, flirting, dancing, dating and even having sexual relationships with men. “Like the flappers… defined social control and conventions, who was modern, sophisticated, and frank in speech, dress, morals and lifestyle.” (The Chinese Flapper) As the younger women of the generation began to show some sexuality and confidence they were faced with generational and cultural conflicts with older women. Because females were still viewed as a reflection on the family, many women had problems living the way they wanted to live and definitely weren’t always able to get away with flashy clothes or sexy make-up. In the article The Flapper and the Chaperone, they discuss the various ways families tried to control women. Many girls could not do anything on their own because people seemed to be afraid that they were becoming too expressive and explorative. They were not allowed to go to dances, dates or even have a male walk them home without a chaperone, which many young females viewed as a “spy.” “Faced with this type of situation, young women had three options: they could accept the rules set down for them; they could rebel; or they could find ways to compromise or circumvent traditional standards.” (The Flapper and the Chaperone) I believe the goal of chaperones was to keep the women in control and control their wondering thoughts. The concern was that if women begun wearing make-up and dresses she would look and act like a flapper no matter what. One interesting thing I could was that Luna stated that she remembered that she used to think kissing would get you pregnant. On the contrary, women enjoyed talking and flirting with men because their ideas interested her and she found it amusing to flirt. (Ware, Page 129) However, they weren’t able to control women that well and they eventually found ways around and lived the way they wanted to with the men they wanted to do so with. Chaperones were no longer able to control or harass women’s personal behavior and sexuality.
Lastly, as a journalism student I could not help but noticed the development of the media during the flapper era. In all the readings I noticed that some form of media was mentioned (magazines and newspapers mostly). According to Lupe Velez, “The social authority of the media of mass culture replaced older forms of family authority and behavior.” It seemed as though the media was displaying the new remodeled female for the world to see. The new ideas of the females were reinforced in various English and Spanish publications. They began to include feature advice columns, horoscopes and celebrity gossip for women. Magazines began to run ads and articles for make up, hair and other beauty products to market them to females. As one company selling skin cream claimed, “Those with lighter, more healthy skin tones will become much more successful in business, love and society.” The press was conveying the new societal norms and models for the readers to follow.
As a whole, I believe that the women of the time really were helping the gender gain ground for themselves and women of the future. As I was reading I realized that a lot of the issues they faced in the 1920s are still issues that young women face today and I believe the women of the 1920s set the tone for how we are living our life today. Sure, there will always be obstacles with your parents and pressure to get married and have kids from some families, but the women of the 1920s showed us that we have a choice and we can live our life anyway we want to. Because of them I can continue to be single, flirt as much as I want and wear the brightest lipstick around!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
eric jones
The gun is loaded, blood will flow, a buzz will pierce through ears, moans of pain will be heard and tears may even drip. But in the end, Eric Jones will have branded you will a one-of-a-kind tattoo.
Jones has not even hit 40 and has already made his mark in the tattoo industry. Between maxing out his credit cards, dealing with various city officials and spreading the word about his brand new tattoo shop, Jones sometimes barely makes it though the day without passing out from excitement or exhaustion. His secret: pure passion, of course.
“I believe we are all put on this earth for one thing,” said Jones. “If mine isn’t tattooing than I don’t know what I am doing here.”
Jones was born on November 17th 1972 in Carmel Valley. The first 18 years of his life was spent moving around Northern California; Monterey, Davis, Sacramento and eventually he landed himself in San Francisco in 1990.
When he was 18 years old he got his first tattoo and fell in love with the needle right away. A few months later Jones decided he wanted to get into tattooing and began practicing drawing and did his first tattoo on himself using Lincoln logs and sewing needles to create a make shift tattoo gun. At 20 be began his first apprenticeship at Craven Images in Redwood City.
“Originally I thought tattooing was reserved for old school biker dudes but then I noticed some younger artists starting and knew it would be a really cool job,” said Jones.
Today Jones is completely covered from his neck down to his feet in tattoos that he has collected through the years from various artists across the states.
Although Jones never went to college, he had always excelled in the arts growing up. Before entering the tattoo world, Jones had a wide variety of jobs from working at music stories to health food store. His mother, a social work college professor, never gave him a hard time for not going to college and eventually came to terms with his choice of careers.
“At first she wasn’t so into the idea of me being a tattoo artist but over time she became very proud of me once she began to see how much hard work and dedication I put into my job,” said Jones.
The long hours, sketch after sketch and stress of developing his art was all worth it when Jones
Jones’ first real full-time tattooing gig was at Anubis Warpus in San Francisco. He has also worked at Incognito in Pasadena and East Side Ink in New York. Eventually he landed back in San Francisco and started work at Mom’s Tattoo on Haight Street where he would spend the next eight years of his life.
“He is such a talented artist and in the past few years has become one of the best artists in the city,“ said former co-worker Jesse Palmer. “He is going to go very far in life.”
During those eight years Jones was able to improve as an artist, build relationships with his clients and get fed up with bosses just enough to motivate him to quit open his own shop where he can do things his way.
Later this month Jones’ will open the doors of his shop, Let it Bleed, to the public. Yes, the name is a Rolling Stones reference. The shop is located in the Tenderloin District of San Francisco at the corner of Polk Street and Post Street.
“To be honest, I really have no desire to own my own shop but I just don’t want to have a boss anymore,” said Jones. “My biggest fear once the shop opens up and employees start is that I will end up becoming a shitty boss that everyone hates.”
Jones financed the shop completely on his own. Luckily, he has very good credit and was able to pay for everything between a few credit cards and selling valuable personal items such as old guitars and various other vintage items he had lying around his apartment.
So far Jones has got everything he needs signed off by the city plumbing department, fire department and health department. The only thing he is waiting on now is the official business license.
“It was a nightmare dealing with the city and all its different departments but the worst part is done now,” said Jones.
Jones is aware that there is going to me some tough competition with other tattoo shops in San Francisco that already have some kind of special reputation. Goldfield’s Tattoo in North Beach is the oldest shop in the city. Black and Blue in the mission is the only all female tattoo shop. And of course there will be pressure to exceed his success at Mom’s Tattoo.
“It’s going to be hard being the new shop on the block but I am designing my shop to me a mix of a custom shop and a street shop,” said Jones. “There is going to be a lot of original hand painted flash work… and not the corny typical flash you see at those shops that attract a bad clientele. We aren’t going to be specializing in tribal tattoos, that’s for sure.”
Jones is also planning to eventually give his employee’s health insurance, something that is almost unheard of in the tattoo industry. In addition he is going to strive to give back to his friends and the community.
Danny Smith, a former co-worker, recently found out he needed over $10k work of dental work done. Smith does not have insurance and has been trying to come up with the money. When Jones heard about it he immediately offered to hold a fundraiser doing tattoos of teeth for only $30 at his new shop. All proceeds would be given to Smith to help him get the denial work done.
“It’s situation like these that makes Eric stand out,” said Smith. “He has got it down when it comes to being a great guy, both personally and professionally.”
Jones has not even hit 40 and has already made his mark in the tattoo industry. Between maxing out his credit cards, dealing with various city officials and spreading the word about his brand new tattoo shop, Jones sometimes barely makes it though the day without passing out from excitement or exhaustion. His secret: pure passion, of course.
“I believe we are all put on this earth for one thing,” said Jones. “If mine isn’t tattooing than I don’t know what I am doing here.”
Jones was born on November 17th 1972 in Carmel Valley. The first 18 years of his life was spent moving around Northern California; Monterey, Davis, Sacramento and eventually he landed himself in San Francisco in 1990.
When he was 18 years old he got his first tattoo and fell in love with the needle right away. A few months later Jones decided he wanted to get into tattooing and began practicing drawing and did his first tattoo on himself using Lincoln logs and sewing needles to create a make shift tattoo gun. At 20 be began his first apprenticeship at Craven Images in Redwood City.
“Originally I thought tattooing was reserved for old school biker dudes but then I noticed some younger artists starting and knew it would be a really cool job,” said Jones.
Today Jones is completely covered from his neck down to his feet in tattoos that he has collected through the years from various artists across the states.
Although Jones never went to college, he had always excelled in the arts growing up. Before entering the tattoo world, Jones had a wide variety of jobs from working at music stories to health food store. His mother, a social work college professor, never gave him a hard time for not going to college and eventually came to terms with his choice of careers.
“At first she wasn’t so into the idea of me being a tattoo artist but over time she became very proud of me once she began to see how much hard work and dedication I put into my job,” said Jones.
The long hours, sketch after sketch and stress of developing his art was all worth it when Jones
Jones’ first real full-time tattooing gig was at Anubis Warpus in San Francisco. He has also worked at Incognito in Pasadena and East Side Ink in New York. Eventually he landed back in San Francisco and started work at Mom’s Tattoo on Haight Street where he would spend the next eight years of his life.
“He is such a talented artist and in the past few years has become one of the best artists in the city,“ said former co-worker Jesse Palmer. “He is going to go very far in life.”
During those eight years Jones was able to improve as an artist, build relationships with his clients and get fed up with bosses just enough to motivate him to quit open his own shop where he can do things his way.
Later this month Jones’ will open the doors of his shop, Let it Bleed, to the public. Yes, the name is a Rolling Stones reference. The shop is located in the Tenderloin District of San Francisco at the corner of Polk Street and Post Street.
“To be honest, I really have no desire to own my own shop but I just don’t want to have a boss anymore,” said Jones. “My biggest fear once the shop opens up and employees start is that I will end up becoming a shitty boss that everyone hates.”
Jones financed the shop completely on his own. Luckily, he has very good credit and was able to pay for everything between a few credit cards and selling valuable personal items such as old guitars and various other vintage items he had lying around his apartment.
So far Jones has got everything he needs signed off by the city plumbing department, fire department and health department. The only thing he is waiting on now is the official business license.
“It was a nightmare dealing with the city and all its different departments but the worst part is done now,” said Jones.
Jones is aware that there is going to me some tough competition with other tattoo shops in San Francisco that already have some kind of special reputation. Goldfield’s Tattoo in North Beach is the oldest shop in the city. Black and Blue in the mission is the only all female tattoo shop. And of course there will be pressure to exceed his success at Mom’s Tattoo.
“It’s going to be hard being the new shop on the block but I am designing my shop to me a mix of a custom shop and a street shop,” said Jones. “There is going to be a lot of original hand painted flash work… and not the corny typical flash you see at those shops that attract a bad clientele. We aren’t going to be specializing in tribal tattoos, that’s for sure.”
Jones is also planning to eventually give his employee’s health insurance, something that is almost unheard of in the tattoo industry. In addition he is going to strive to give back to his friends and the community.
Danny Smith, a former co-worker, recently found out he needed over $10k work of dental work done. Smith does not have insurance and has been trying to come up with the money. When Jones heard about it he immediately offered to hold a fundraiser doing tattoos of teeth for only $30 at his new shop. All proceeds would be given to Smith to help him get the denial work done.
“It’s situation like these that makes Eric stand out,” said Smith. “He has got it down when it comes to being a great guy, both personally and professionally.”
Thursday, March 19, 2009
The ongoing battle between outraged citizens and corporate bigwigs trying to take control over this years Bay to Breakers festival was addressed once again at this months Board of Supervisors meeting.
Several citizens spoke directly to the board in order to gain support from their district leaders to keep the traditions and spirit of Bay to Breakers alive while improving safety and control of the large crowd the event draws. In other business, the board addressed new tobacco zoning polices and recognized local women who have worked to improve the city’s quality of life.
Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi urged the adoption of collaboration between the organizers of Bay to Breakers, city agencies, neighborhood groups, race advocates and residents to develop a comprehensive plan that protects the neighborhoods while preserving the unique spirit of the race.
Public urination, public intoxication and disorderly conduct are at the top of the list of concerns for all organizations and citizens. There may be several solutions to these problems such as more port-a-potties, alcohol enforcement officers and more police on patrol during the event.
“The logistical issues will be an important thing to look at as the race approaches and we work out the details,” said Ed Sharp, member of Citizens for the Preservation of Bay to Breakers.
The issue was sent to committee for further discussion and will be addressed again at next month’s board of supervisors meeting.
“I think it’s really important that the council acknowledge that this is a San Francisco tradition and we need to keep hold of the traditions we have here,” said San Francisco resident Christopher Watson. “Letting corporations come in and set the guidelines and be the dictators of what does on in our city ends up taking away from all of the San Francisco traditions and makes it an ING tradition.”
In another order of business, a resolution, which will enforce more strict guidelines and operational standards for tobacco paraphernalia establishments in the Haight Street Neighborhood Commercial District, was adopted.
“This is just to supplement what is now a citywide law in providing for a conditional use in trying to regulate some of the tobacco and head shop paraphernalia stores with the concentration in the retail stores in the upper Haight,” said Mirkarimi. “There are approximately 16 within a four or five block region. We thought we could do a little bit better in regulating.”
Finally, Several women were recognized as leaders who have not only improved the quality of life in San Francisco but have also made a “green” impact on the planet.
The women were recognized as part of a celebration for Women’s History Month. Since 1996 the San Francisco Commission and the Department on the Status of Women have recognized the important work local women do.
Among the women recognized were Melonie and Melorra Green, residents of Lower Haight, who were recognized for their dedication to mending the gap between the artist community and the rest of San Francisco to help residents gain an understanding of what it really means to be “green.”
“Literally, their last name is Green,” said Mirkarimi.
The Green sisters have held several different events and demonstrations in order to teach people the easiest and cheapest ways to lead an environmentally friendly lifestyle. They are also owners of Infin8 Sync, an ego-friendly art environment, which provides a monthly networking and showcasing art event.
“Today is really about celebrating women living in their purpose,” Melonie Green said.
Several citizens spoke directly to the board in order to gain support from their district leaders to keep the traditions and spirit of Bay to Breakers alive while improving safety and control of the large crowd the event draws. In other business, the board addressed new tobacco zoning polices and recognized local women who have worked to improve the city’s quality of life.
Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi urged the adoption of collaboration between the organizers of Bay to Breakers, city agencies, neighborhood groups, race advocates and residents to develop a comprehensive plan that protects the neighborhoods while preserving the unique spirit of the race.
Public urination, public intoxication and disorderly conduct are at the top of the list of concerns for all organizations and citizens. There may be several solutions to these problems such as more port-a-potties, alcohol enforcement officers and more police on patrol during the event.
“The logistical issues will be an important thing to look at as the race approaches and we work out the details,” said Ed Sharp, member of Citizens for the Preservation of Bay to Breakers.
The issue was sent to committee for further discussion and will be addressed again at next month’s board of supervisors meeting.
“I think it’s really important that the council acknowledge that this is a San Francisco tradition and we need to keep hold of the traditions we have here,” said San Francisco resident Christopher Watson. “Letting corporations come in and set the guidelines and be the dictators of what does on in our city ends up taking away from all of the San Francisco traditions and makes it an ING tradition.”
In another order of business, a resolution, which will enforce more strict guidelines and operational standards for tobacco paraphernalia establishments in the Haight Street Neighborhood Commercial District, was adopted.
“This is just to supplement what is now a citywide law in providing for a conditional use in trying to regulate some of the tobacco and head shop paraphernalia stores with the concentration in the retail stores in the upper Haight,” said Mirkarimi. “There are approximately 16 within a four or five block region. We thought we could do a little bit better in regulating.”
Finally, Several women were recognized as leaders who have not only improved the quality of life in San Francisco but have also made a “green” impact on the planet.
The women were recognized as part of a celebration for Women’s History Month. Since 1996 the San Francisco Commission and the Department on the Status of Women have recognized the important work local women do.
Among the women recognized were Melonie and Melorra Green, residents of Lower Haight, who were recognized for their dedication to mending the gap between the artist community and the rest of San Francisco to help residents gain an understanding of what it really means to be “green.”
“Literally, their last name is Green,” said Mirkarimi.
The Green sisters have held several different events and demonstrations in order to teach people the easiest and cheapest ways to lead an environmentally friendly lifestyle. They are also owners of Infin8 Sync, an ego-friendly art environment, which provides a monthly networking and showcasing art event.
“Today is really about celebrating women living in their purpose,” Melonie Green said.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
lions mouth
On a small round table in the corner of Whiskey Thieves, a smoke filled dive bar where Geary and Larkin meet, a stack of Lion’s Mouth magazines wait to be picked up by the local neighbor hood residents and bums. The Lion’s Mouth may not have an official office but this dark corner of the bar is considered home to local tenderloin magazine, which made it the perfect place to meet up with its founder. Every night more copies are picked up and the word spreads a little more about the hilarious yet extremely legit magazine.
A local resident named Rachel, who refuses to give her last name when asked, started the Lion’s Mouth roughly three years ago. Rachel, 30, just finally graduated college from San Francisco State University after twelve ridiculously long years of studying English Literature and Creative Writing. Sure, at first the magazine was just a random drunken idea a group of friends thought of one night at Night Cap Bar (see: dirtiest bar in San Francisco) but to Rachel and many others who have become part of the magazine’s family, it has become not only a second job but a first love to them. When asked about the magazines mission statement Rachel exclaims, “We actually have an anti-mission statement. Our role is not to try to write serious shit to fix problems, we are just trying to put everything out there and create awareness about the tenderloin via humor and human interest. It is also about having Lion Pride and loving our neighbor hood no matter how many zombies you see crawling the streets at 4am.” With the funny stories about crack pipes, local event coverage of sketchy street corner bum fights, random drinking mishaps at Whiskey Thieves, interviews with the tenderloin police chief and various other creative artistic forms, the magazine was an instant hit. The title of the magazine came from the San Francisco district it was created in, the one and only tenderloin. Although the streets of the tenderloin are most often covered in crack heads, tranny hookers and drunken hipsters it is very much an up and coming popular area in downtown San Francisco. Rachel has no plans of ever changing the name because it is simply a perfect fit for the magazine and it’s readers.
With the sixth issue just released, The Lion’s mouth has been published about every 3-5 months since its start up. Production times depend on the material they have collected or tabled and how long it takes them to put everything together. Rachel and her contributors all have regular day jobs and have been balancing their paying jobs and their fun magazine job very well so far. With their hard work and dedication they have been able to continue running the magazine. In fact, they have already seen a fair amount of growth in circulation. The first issue printed was 1,500 copies and now they are printing between 5,000-6,000 each issue.
As a non-profit magazine there have been some troubles with money in the past. Because they do not have much advertisement, by choice, the staff has been running the magazine with a lot of money out of their own pockets. They have considered more advertisement but for right now they are happy selling one or two $100 ads to local stores. Rachel ads, “I want to be able to print whatever I want and not have to be at the hands of advertisers.” The regular staff consists of self-appointed Editor-In-Chief, Rachel, and eight regular writers. They also have about 20 freelance contributors that submit articles when needed. In addition, in the latest issue they ran an ad for an Internship position at The Lion’s Mouth. Naturally the required skills included: answering phones, making coffee, gardening, photocopying and giving really mean blow jobs. A few weeks later, a very drunk man stumbling around Whiskey Thieves filled the position. I guess the staff will see how he works out.
Distribution has slowly spread throughout the city and now covers various bars, cafes, bookstores, clubs and music stores from the Castro to the Embarcadero. One of the best parts of the magazine is its price, totally free!!! Rachel hopes that whenever you see one around you are able and welcome to pick up one or two if you have a friend. The target reader is typically young adults in their mid 20’s-early 30’s who live or spend a lot of time in the tenderloin district. However, they do have a few older or non-TL resident readers as well. Because its writers are already paying for the magazine the recent economic changes really haven’t affected them much. The Lion’s Mouth is the only true local magazine in the tenderloin there is not much competition but there is a small about of competition with other small San Francisco publications such as Lo Card but the Lion’s Mouth is very confident in their magazine.
The future looks bright for The Lion’s Mouth with big plans for improvement including sweatshirts and various other forms of merchandise. They are also planning to finally update their website which has not been touched in about two years. They are also searching local bars, schools and cafes to look for new writers and artists to help with new material. When asked, Rachel says her favorite part of the magazine is simply “how real it is and how on point the writing about the local antics of the tenderloin is.” The Lion’s Mouth may not be the next 7x7 but it has sure put a mark on local magazine writing and looks to continue providing entertainment for the residents of the tenderloin.
A local resident named Rachel, who refuses to give her last name when asked, started the Lion’s Mouth roughly three years ago. Rachel, 30, just finally graduated college from San Francisco State University after twelve ridiculously long years of studying English Literature and Creative Writing. Sure, at first the magazine was just a random drunken idea a group of friends thought of one night at Night Cap Bar (see: dirtiest bar in San Francisco) but to Rachel and many others who have become part of the magazine’s family, it has become not only a second job but a first love to them. When asked about the magazines mission statement Rachel exclaims, “We actually have an anti-mission statement. Our role is not to try to write serious shit to fix problems, we are just trying to put everything out there and create awareness about the tenderloin via humor and human interest. It is also about having Lion Pride and loving our neighbor hood no matter how many zombies you see crawling the streets at 4am.” With the funny stories about crack pipes, local event coverage of sketchy street corner bum fights, random drinking mishaps at Whiskey Thieves, interviews with the tenderloin police chief and various other creative artistic forms, the magazine was an instant hit. The title of the magazine came from the San Francisco district it was created in, the one and only tenderloin. Although the streets of the tenderloin are most often covered in crack heads, tranny hookers and drunken hipsters it is very much an up and coming popular area in downtown San Francisco. Rachel has no plans of ever changing the name because it is simply a perfect fit for the magazine and it’s readers.
With the sixth issue just released, The Lion’s mouth has been published about every 3-5 months since its start up. Production times depend on the material they have collected or tabled and how long it takes them to put everything together. Rachel and her contributors all have regular day jobs and have been balancing their paying jobs and their fun magazine job very well so far. With their hard work and dedication they have been able to continue running the magazine. In fact, they have already seen a fair amount of growth in circulation. The first issue printed was 1,500 copies and now they are printing between 5,000-6,000 each issue.
As a non-profit magazine there have been some troubles with money in the past. Because they do not have much advertisement, by choice, the staff has been running the magazine with a lot of money out of their own pockets. They have considered more advertisement but for right now they are happy selling one or two $100 ads to local stores. Rachel ads, “I want to be able to print whatever I want and not have to be at the hands of advertisers.” The regular staff consists of self-appointed Editor-In-Chief, Rachel, and eight regular writers. They also have about 20 freelance contributors that submit articles when needed. In addition, in the latest issue they ran an ad for an Internship position at The Lion’s Mouth. Naturally the required skills included: answering phones, making coffee, gardening, photocopying and giving really mean blow jobs. A few weeks later, a very drunk man stumbling around Whiskey Thieves filled the position. I guess the staff will see how he works out.
Distribution has slowly spread throughout the city and now covers various bars, cafes, bookstores, clubs and music stores from the Castro to the Embarcadero. One of the best parts of the magazine is its price, totally free!!! Rachel hopes that whenever you see one around you are able and welcome to pick up one or two if you have a friend. The target reader is typically young adults in their mid 20’s-early 30’s who live or spend a lot of time in the tenderloin district. However, they do have a few older or non-TL resident readers as well. Because its writers are already paying for the magazine the recent economic changes really haven’t affected them much. The Lion’s Mouth is the only true local magazine in the tenderloin there is not much competition but there is a small about of competition with other small San Francisco publications such as Lo Card but the Lion’s Mouth is very confident in their magazine.
The future looks bright for The Lion’s Mouth with big plans for improvement including sweatshirts and various other forms of merchandise. They are also planning to finally update their website which has not been touched in about two years. They are also searching local bars, schools and cafes to look for new writers and artists to help with new material. When asked, Rachel says her favorite part of the magazine is simply “how real it is and how on point the writing about the local antics of the tenderloin is.” The Lion’s Mouth may not be the next 7x7 but it has sure put a mark on local magazine writing and looks to continue providing entertainment for the residents of the tenderloin.
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