We recently received a tip from Julie Herrod about a not-yet-opened business called Terrific Street, at 1534 Grant Ave. Herrod said that a new display in the upcoming store's window, featuring "canned parrot," was "the most disgusting thing I've ever seen in North Beach in the 25 years I've lived here." [...]
Herrod left an anonymous note in Terrific Street's mail slot, which reads: "Your window display is a disgrace. Not at all funny, if that's what you think it is. You're in the wrong neighborhood. Shame on you."
To her dismay, the owners of the business posted the note inside the window, along with a sign reading: "Terrific Street: In the wrong neighborhood since 2015." Herrod found it "mindboggling" that they'd post her note. "I was baffled by it," she said.
She left another note: "You have just proved my point by making it your slogan. Thank you." They posted that, too. [...]
"We thought, 'How funny would it be to create an installation that made it look like we were going to open a hyperlocal, hyper-sustainable business that was using the most hyperlocal food item?'" Baltezore said.
To her credit, at least the grumpy neighbor stood up for her own opinion and said, "I am the person who is offended by this", instead of taking the far more traditional approach of, "Offense might be caused, in the passive voice, to someone, somewhere."
Also: The most disgusting thing you've ever seen in North Beach? How could canned parrot even be the most disgusting thing you've stepped in in North Beach?
Monty Python references in 3, 2, 1...
Ever since the Beats there has been a North Beach tradition that new cultural introductions require a few pummelings, false arrests, hangings in effigy, bitter rejoinders....
Basically, Julie Herrod is really just phoning it in and is a complete disappointment to the neighborhood.
Anonymous complaints are serious business these days. To my knowledge, the person who initially complained and started this 2-year-long mess has never been identified. I'm really glad the original complainer was identified here. People have to be accountable for nonsense like that; maybe it would cut down on some of it. You shouldn't be able to cause legal problems for someone, including fines and jail time, without looking them in the eye. It seems to me the 6th Amendment should have some bearing on something like this. Even the threat of bringing the force of the state to bear on something so personal as the color of a playset or a funny window display is outrageous. Previously.
I have little sympathy for the case you linked to. They agreed to live under a home owner's association. And now Kafka is biting them back.
$2.99? You can get cold-pressed parrot cakes over in Chinatown for a lot less.
Saw CATS put on with super-old costumes s.t. everyone was retconning that it was about parrots in their heads. Then my 401k went totes ecotourism and I flowed with it...
Trained the parrots to cultivate soy and honeybees, then water restrictions rolled in. Protected species pretty much tests phone protectors now.