San Francisco - The Art of the Prank

August 26, 2017December 15, 2023

San Francisco Rolls Out the Brown Carpet for Right-Wing Demonstrators

The far-right group Patriot Prayer has a gathering scheduled this weekend. Counter-protesters have their own plans. (h/t to Boing Boing)

“Turd Reich: San Francisco dog owners lay minefield of poo for rightwing rally”
by Julie Carrie Wong
The Guardian
August 24, 2017

When a group of far-right activists come to San Francisco to hold a rally this Saturday, they will be met by peace activists offering them flowers to wear in their hair.

Also, dog shit. Lots and lots of dog shit.

Hundreds of San Franciscans plan to prepare Crissy Field, the picturesque beach in the shadow of the Golden Gate Bridge where rightwing protest group Patriot Prayer will gather, with a generous carpeting of excrement.

“I just had this image of alt-right people stomping around in the poop,” Tuffy Tuffington said of the epiphany he had while walking Bob and Chuck, his two Patterdale terriers, and trying to think of the best way to respond to rightwing extremists in the wake of Charlottesville. “It seemed like a little bit of civil disobedience where we didn”t have to engage with them face to face.” Continue reading “San Francisco Rolls Out the Brown Carpet for Right-Wing Demonstrators”

August 6, 2015December 15, 2023

Brian Janosch on Tech, Comedy, Bay Area Cynicism, and the Burning Man Wall

As much as we love Burning Man and the creativity on display there, we also have to admire this piece of now-viral satire from the folks at Cultivated Wit.
wall-around-sf
Unlike most anti-Burner temper tantrums, it doesn’t stick to low-hanging fruit-–it also pokes pointed fun at crowdfunding, techno-libertarian utopianism, and economic tensions in the Bay Area.

Brian Janosch, the Creative Director of Cultivated Wit and the star of the spoof video told us that, despite the rash of media coverage the Burning Man Wall has received, this is the first time he’s been asked for an interview about it.

What is Cultivated Wit and what does it do?

Well, one thing we are not is a comedy troupe. 😉 We’re a small company created by three of us who all left The Onion around the same time. The biggest thing we do is produce Comedy Hack Day, an event series that brings together comedians and developers to build hilarious and insane tech products. The best creations from every event get showcased in a comedy show that concludes each event weekend. Our about page is a little outdated and needs refreshing, but it has some more.

Why is Burning Man such a fat target?

Continue reading “Brian Janosch on Tech, Comedy, Bay Area Cynicism, and the Burning Man Wall”

September 26, 2011December 15, 2023

Protesters Bare All Over a Proposed San Francisco Law

From Erin:

Protesters Bare All Over a Proposed San Francisco Law
by Malia Wollan
The New York Times
September 25, 2011

San Francisco “” Perhaps it should not be a surprise that San Francisco does not have a law against being naked in public, nor that a small, unselfconscious segment of the city”s residents regularly exercise that right.

That tiny minority was joined this weekend in the autumn fog and cold by unclothed sympathizers at a “Nude-In.” One of their objectives was to draw attention to a proposed law “” introduced by Scott Wiener, a city supervisor “” that would prohibit nudity in restaurants and require unclad people to put a towel or other material down before sitting bare-bottomed on benches or other public seats.

Mr. Wiener said the law was introduced in response to an increase in nakedness in parks, streets and restaurants.

“It used to be that there would be one nude guy wandering around the neighborhood and no one thought twice about it,” said Mr. Wiener, who represents the city”s Castro district. “Now it”s a regular thing and much more obnoxious. We have guys sitting down naked in public without the common decency to put something down underneath them.”

Mr. Wiener”s effort was destined to grab headlines, but he probably did not anticipate that his legislation would inspire even more people to disrobe. Continue reading “Protesters Bare All Over a Proposed San Francisco Law”