On the other hand, this could be a huge opportunity for Muni if they played their cards right. We’ve already got a huge network of cables, just get rid of the buses entirely and start selling $500 electric flying/cable-riding backpacks. (Outside cable for all local stops, inside cable for Express.) In half a year, that thing would already have paid for itself in Muni Fast Pass costs. I bet you could even strap a motor to a folding shopping cart for those trips on the Cable Line Formerly Known as the 30-Stockon.

Here’s the view from a test run on the F-Market/Wharves line:

Local photoblog The Streets are Calling just posted this gem that may or may not be from 2008 and it’s causing so many conflicting emotions in my cold, post-American Apparel heart. On the one hand, she’s seems like the kind of person who not only will go with you to that show you wanted to see at that venue you like, but she probably doesn’t even need tickets.

On the other hand, she’s kind of dressed like a Jersey Shore-Haight Street mashup.

I wish there was some sort of internet.blogsite that I could read to figure out how to feel about this.

(hat tip: SFHaps)

Fellow Panhandler and Pisco/Disco enthusiast Miguel23 dropped this photo bomb on the twitscape last night. (What?) The latest addition to our personal favorite gonzo art lounge has been up for a week or so, but because this is version 2.0 of the Web I don’t actually have to go over there and take a picture myself.

Miguel and Madrone have been pushing their new pisco drink: the Pisco Llama, which is a combination of Peruvian Pisco, Ginger Beer, lime juice, and bitters. We bravely sampled them the other night and our preliminary reviews included: “Interesting…!” and “Tastes like there are two drinks mixed together in here.” (Not necessarily a bad thing! And actually there are two drinks mixed together in there.)

Anyway, Miguel recommends the Pisco Llama be enjoyed on Thursday nights for Tropicana night. I’m still holding out for fresh Passion Fruit at Madrone so they can start whipping up Maracuya Sours, which is pretty much guaranteed to be the next Mojito.

No. Wrong. Ugh. I don’t even know what to say about this post on Modern Luxury Magazine (whatever that is). Ignoring, for a moment, the fact that we’ve all known we can get $2 beers on Divis for years now – you can’t just go making up names for (parts of) a neighborhood that already has too many names, which is what homeslice over there is trying to do with “DivCo” a contraction of “Divisadero Corridor”. It’s sounds like something Carles would make up.

Remind me again what’s wrong with just “Divis”?

As I mentioned yesterday, I’m going undercover this week as an average MUNI rider on a rush hour commute. I haven’t had a regular morning commute in roughly 9 months, so I’m kind of like a second grader on the first day of school. (Not a first grader though, because duh I’ve ridden the bus before. I’m practically a big kid now.)

Today’s report!

- Running a little late so I caught the bus at 9:05ish. Less than 1 minute wait on NextBus so we both arrive at McAllister and Central in one of the most perfectly choreographed moments in Public Transit history. (read: I didn’t have to run and look like an asshole.)

- Farebox was broken again today, but this one was wrapped in plastic, so I assumed that meant FREE. I could’ve asked the driver, but I tend to avoid human interaction wherever possible. No transfer necessary because my destination is on Market st.

- A woman with hair the color of a day-glo, skateboarding carrot is mumbling along with her headphones as she reads the paper. She’s got a 21+ wristband from a Boston Red Sox game strapped to her backpack. That’s the weirdest person I saw today, so all-in-all relatively normal bus crowd.

- People must think I work really hard at my job because I’m typing so much on my iPhone at 9:30am

- The weather is quite agreeable today and sun means no one takes off their sunglasses on the bus. This is actually so they don’t have to make eye contact with each other because that might result in a moment of shared shame: we all have such nice shades, but such ploddingly slow rides to work. Somewhere inside each San Franciscan lurks a secret desire to be driven to work in a vehicle that gets less that 30 mpg.

Actually, the weather’s so nice I probably should have just ridden the bike, but as we all know. That shit is dangerous.

If you haven’t guessed by now, at least one-half of AggressivePanhandler (that’d be me) doesn’t actually work downtown like the rest of you sheeple. Thus, I am spared the most common of daily interactions that San Franciscans love to complain about so much. But since I’m working downtown this week, I thought I’d bring you a snapshot of a rush-hour 5-Fulton from a guy who hasn’t done this in about 9 months:

- Had to run about a 1/4 of a block because I heard it coming from around the corner. Pet Peeve: Running for the bus.

- Farebox was broken, so I couldn’t read how much I had put in. So I dumped in a pocket full of change and a $1 bill. Bus driver said I put in 20 cents extra. Made me feel charitable until I realized that no one could tell there was extra money in there.

- 30-something guy in cargo pants and a green flannel shirt tells his ladyfriend that she’s totally allowed to have her “Sex and the City day” with friends. HELLO 1998!

- A bespectacled Asian Man in his late 20’s asked nicely, but firmly for everyone to “Please move all the way to the back of the bus.” It was very professional sounding. Everyone rolled their eyes, sipped their coffees, took a half-shuffle-step back, and changed the track on their iPhones.

- Large gentleman next to me with a big package OVERSIZED PARCEL FOR SHIPPING, was actually pretty nice to me when I got up to let him out of that awkward seat just in front of the back doors.

All-in-all a fairly pleasant ride on the 5-Fulton at around 8:40 am. I give it 4 out of 5 stars. People love it on Yelp!

Photo via: flickr user sigmaration

I wanna see some toddies!

That’s right, it’s National Hot Toddy Day! And while MissionMission and SFWeekly will tell you to go get yours the Humphry Slocombe way, we say our neighborhood (always) does it better. So go out and celebrate tonight at Madrone and ask for their extra special Hot Toddy. They make it with their own homemade apple-cinnamon whiskey and it is so fucking good you can’t even understand it. I think they only have a few more bottles of that whiskey left so get your cold asses in there for some hot toddy lovin’. Happy Hot Toddy day!

This year though! There was a veritable blizzard of holiday parties this year! And last night’s SF Appeal party (you know I write for them too, right?) was was super rad until that dude put on the Tiesto remix of that Black Eyed Peas song that everyone thinks will really get the party going. (Shut up.) Seriously though, I learned a lot last night. I learned that mulled wine is basically what happens when someone spills their chai latté in your 2-Buck Chuck. Later, when the booze ran out, I learned that brandy and club soda is neither a tasty nor festive and wished there was still some Chai Wine left. But I also learned that there are some superfans out there that I didn’t even know about!

So in the spirit of Christmas, I thought we should all go around the table and say what we’re thankful for, because that’s how Christmas works. I’ll start off with a couple, but feel free to jump in and add your own in the comments. (You don’t even have to be funny!) Here goes!

• I’m thankful that Derek is really slick with wordpress and hasn’t tried to invoice me for designing the site. It looks great, Derek!
• I’m thankful that Jared Leto is a great actor and he should totally keep making music.
• I’m thankful for all the people at Bean Bag Cafe that have kept an eye on my laptop while I went to the bathroom. It’s because of you guys that the site hasn’t come to an abrupt halt.
• I’m also thankful that no one has figured out my exact address to come punch me in the nose yet.

OK, your turn!

I suppose we should be concerned that we live in “A Horror Film”, but I guess that’s better than “Utter Human Misery” or “City Hall”. Plus, it kind of reads like the map in the back of The Hobbit, no? (Shut up, nerd!)

Spotted on: Sex Pigeon (dot org)

[FringeSF]: Fringe Halloween 2009 at Madrone – Your favorite indie DJs play a Halloween set at your favorite bar. And they let you know about it with a flyer featuring your favorite indie rock starlet dressed as your favorite indie film it-boy from 2001. Oh and they’re going to be mashing up their usual set with horror movies on two projectors.

[BrokeAssStuart] A Broke-Ass take on “When Life Hands you Lemons” – I do a lot of linking to Broke-ass Stuart, but not because I’m lazy! Because they’re good at writing about being poor in a funny way! Today, our friend Chloe tells us a great story about growing up, which prefaces a public service announcement about how to find free fruit in Oakland. And not the kind in the dumpster behind Safeway. Seriously!

[IBikeNoPa] Sunday Streets 2010: Western Addition, Alamo Square, and NOPA Prime Candidates – We’re big fans of anything that gets people out enjoying their neighborhood, so I’d love to see this come to our neck of the woods. As usual, Mike’s a little wordy, but he doesn’t skimp on coverage.

[SFAppeal] TweetBeatSF: Dead Man’s Bones at Bimbo’s 365 – Some more photos of last night’s show at Bimbo’s, accompanied by an annoying dump of the photographer’s tweets from the show. I was there! And I enjoyed it!