Flame. The hiss of a fuse. Smell of spent gunpowder. Fireworks are good fun. In fact, they're sort of like a more interactive campfire. It's only now at nearly 30 that I think I can truly appreciate them for the innocent and simple fun they are. I can't say the same of myself 15. No, at 15 fireworks needed a little encouragement to really reach their maximum potential. This encouragement involved cheap baseball cards (for cutting into wings), duct tape, a hammer, one drill and as many empty cans and bottles as could be found. You see, as a bored kid from the central valley I knew, I just knew that my safe and sane fireworks could be louder, brighter, mobile and well, pretty dangerous to put it simply. Regular old fireworks that were highly accessible and could be easily bought not but 5 minutes from the house just weren't sexy enough. No, we'd pound on Whistling Pete's for hours then promptly proceed with destroying as many objects as possible, our ears included. Don't ask me who I was trying to impress because there wasn't a single girl to be found anywhere near our little fireworks alteration operation. In fact, looking back on it I find it to be a bit self-indulgent. Fancy that, all that time spent trying to make the loudest bang possible was really just masturbation. There's a thought.

Of course Farley's will once again be lighting up the 1300 block of 18th street on Sunday July 4th. We love doing this every year and it's with great pleasure that we once again invite you out to bare witness to the primal entertainment that is fire, light, sound and smoke! Farley's July 4th firework blowout party kicks off promptly at sunset.



As of late I've found myself encountering the occasional customer who is either new to coffee or is walking into a coffee shop for the very first time. These folks are always full of questions and I'm happy to take a minute to explain the difference between a cappuccino and a latte. However, there is one drink on our menu that is less common and perhaps even foreign to some more experienced caf-fiends out there. The Gibraltar. Pronounced \jə-ˈbrȯl-tər\, it's best described as a 5-ounce latte and is by far the preferred house drink of everyone on staff. Now I understand that there's a lot of you out there that enjoy a latte or the staring into the abyss of a dark black cup of coffee but when it comes to balance, flavor and presentation, hands down the winner is the Gibraltar. For those of you that have more to do with your day than loiter in Farley's, order a Gibraltar, slam it down and go home buzzed.



For the last 13 years Farley's has provided coffee and pastries for the riders of the Moto Mêlée. Vintage motorcycles are very dear to our hearts and the motley crew that was in attendance had some great ones. Here are a few photos from the event. To learn more about the Moto Mêlée check out the website. http://www.motomelee.com/index.html

It's become apparent to myself and I think the greater society at large that people are more frequently choosing digital venues for expressing themselves regardless of the magnitude of that which begs to be expressed. For instance, Yelp. Sometimes such mediums are a business' best friend and its worst enemy at others. For present purposes I'll abstain from weighing in on such matters but what I would like to say is that at Farley's we take your compliments and complaints very seriously. We'd like to believe that we've created an atmosphere here that would welcome discussion about all matters pertaining to the satisfaction or dissatisfaction of our customers. Truth be told, we don't always get it right. However, it would be nice if we had a chance to hear your grievance in person and apologize to you on the spot. In the meantime we'll keep the coffee hot, pastries sweet and eyes attentive.

Anna Rather

My work directly relates to my psyche and how I can change how the viewer thinks about the objects I use. The tools I work with can be toys, or trash for tools for mark making. This method combined with the colors in my work blurs the boundaries of the personal and address the more universal aspects of life many of us who are struggling with challenges that effect the way we think and work.

My work becomes a hybrid of painting, and mark making. I am not sure that my work fits into academia art, but the idea of primitive art has let me explore more options in my creativity. I feel this process of making and documenting is important because it not only shows my steps, but it also reflects the journey of my life. It captures my few triumphs and my many failures. In addition I feel the act of making work that is never precious and can turn into anything is liberating for me, and my work has become a living organism of change.

Annarathersfineart.weebly.com

The Penguin Collection

Long time Hill resident, Karen Larsen has collected penguins for as long as her daughters can remember. She finally had to say "STOP" to all the well meaning friends and family before she was over run by cuteness. The Trolls and Hot Wheels are the fond memories of her daughter Lael and husband Peter, also of Potrero Hill.

THIS MONTH'S BEAN BALL GAME...

Buy one pound of any coffee beans, and you can enter to win two free tickets to a Giant's game. All you have to do is buy the beans and give us your name and phone number. We will draw the lucky winner and notify you.

This month's game is Wednesday, July 28th at 4:05 PM. San Francisco Giants vs the Florida Fish.

GO GIANTS!