Tomorrow's Kickstarter is live! 
It took three weeks, a small forest’s worth of paperwork, hours on the phone with customer service agents, a crash course in starting a small business, and a road trip to the Los Angeles County clerk’s office (which is not, in fact, in Los Angeles). But we made it: Our Kickstarter page went live just moments ago. If you have the inclination and resources, we’d love your support, whether it’s $5 or $1,000. The incentives are sweet—stickers, tote bags, a personalized message from James Deen, and magazines too. We’d appreciate any help spreading the word via social media, too. And if you’ve emailed us about contributing in other ways, keep your eyes out for an email later today about how you can get involved.
We are so, so grateful for all the support you’ve shown us thus far. Now the fun part begins, and we can’t do it without you.
-Tim Fernholz, Ann Friedman, Megan Greenwell, Amanda Hess, Cord Jefferson, Dylan C. Lathrop, Zak Stone, Nona Willis Aronowitz
My friend just launched a free iPhone app that brings their Beautylish site mobile. Beautylish is an online destination for people who are passionate about beauty. If I were a girl, I’d be all over this jawn.
Stuff you can do with it:
- Get inspiration for new makeup looks and hairstyles
- Find ratings and reviews on thousands of beauty products
- Discover the latest beauty tips, tricks and trends
- Learn how to create a look with step-by-step video tutorials
- Post questions to a community of makeup and beauty experts
Happy to announce that my friend Ei Kaneko’s art zine is being sold exclusively at MAAS & Stacks @ 2128 Market Street! Only a few available, don’t sleep!
My friends over at 1000Memories just released ShoeBox, an app that makes it easy to scan old paper photos and share them to family and friends. This is the family scrapbook for the 21st century. I’m headed back to the motherland next month and I’m hoping to dig up old family mementos to preserve that weren’t lost in the flood two years ago.
My friend Bobby just launched Los Angeles, I’m Yours. Check out this interview with Tim Biskup!
Friend of YMFY and Former Gizmodo editor Brian Lam just launched a new gadget site: The Wirecutter.
Consider it a Billboard for electronics; a Casey Kasem Top 40 if Casey Kasem were a geek; a wink and a nod to those engineers who have built something wonderful. The point is to make it easier for you to buy some great gear quickly and get on with your life.
As if I didn’t have enough things going on already, I’ve signed on with Rapha to take photos for Rapha Survey. If you’re good-looking and cycling in San Francisco, watch out. I might have to take a photo of you!
kenkenramen: Simple Really Means Shibui at KenKen Ramen
KenKen Ramen is a pop up hosted at The Corner at Mission and 18th St – right down the street from Lung Shang, which became host to one of the first pop-ups in the neighborhood. Owner Takahiro Hori and his assistant Ryoji Kijikawa are from Fukuoka, Japan. The very friendly Toshiko Yamada manages the front end hails from the countryside of Kagoshima. Takahiro liked making Ramen during his college years – one thing led to another, and now he makes it for the Mission, two days a week.
The broth was rich but not overpowering. The elements – slow cooked egg, baby corn, bok choi, bamboo shoots and sliced pork tenderloin - each had their own savory flavor. The flavors were subtle and unpretentious.
“I want to keep my menu simple,” says owner Takahiro Hori. “That is my secret.” When I finished my bowl of Miso Ramen I realized that the dish was anything but simple.
Then it hit me. Takahiro was probably thinking shibui which is the Japanese word describing the particular aesthetic of simple, subtle, and unobtrusive beauty. KenKen has shibui to spare.
Mission Local Writes about Ken Ken Ramen
(Editor’s note: This is my jam almost every Thursday night.)
good: Meet the Boba Guys! Bin Chen and Andrew Chau teamed up with GOOD to show readers the trials and tribulations of starting a business all about boba: gooey, sticky, chewy, halfway between liquid and solid, delicious tapioca balls, usually paired with milk tea. You can follow their adventures in the world of food startup twice a week on good.is.
(Editor’s note: If my identity is going to be revealed, it might as well be by GOOD.)
