[1]I just learned the French term “jolie laide,” which literally means “pretty-ugly,” but implies beauty that’s unexpected, unconventional and oddly compelling. I was never a pretty girl, so I find hope in this phrase. The image above is a mural painted by a New Zealand artist, Rone [1] in a very seedy district of San Francisco. The juxtaposition of the pretty-ugly (with street signs as part of the tableau) is what makes this so winning, and an apt reflection of what life feels like, sometimes. If you’re in San Francisco, visit Rone’s show at the White Walls gallery [2]. The mural is at Olive and Larkin.