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The Daily Blurgh: Justice, mad scientists, C.R.E.A.M.

Jesse Hawthorne Ficks
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0
The Daily Blurgh: Justice, mad scientists, C.R.E.A.M.

Curiosities, quirks, oddites, and items from around the Bay and beyond

Assholes: Hit-and-run driver arrested!

*****

Science: Stanford whiz kids develop buggy-like electric car; resemble Beverly Hillbillies.

*****

Art: Alvin Lucier’s “I Am Sitting in a Room” updated for YouTube.

*****

Economics: Happiness is 60k a year?

*****

Enviornment: Global warming projected to continue fucking up Nor Cal coasts.

*****

Ideas: “PROP E-2: For the LAST FUCKING TIME, it is STAND RIGHT, WALK LEFT on the fucking escalator. First offense results in being thrown down the escalator. Second offense is death. If the offender isn’t dead already from being thrown down the escalator the first time. This includes you, grandma, so heads up and look alive. If you’re too grizzled to hoof it up to 24th Street, stand on the fucking right side. Seriously people.”

*****

Tech: Spoiler alert! Apple to unveil latest iPhone on Monday.

*****

Lifestyles/Porn:

Mandela Food Cooperative gets the Redford nod

Andrew Lam
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0

The following is a sentence you wouldn’t be reading a year ago. Yesterday, I went grocery shopping in West Oakland. But, thanks to James Berk, and his fellow worker-owners at the Mandela Foods Cooperative, I did – and way more importantly, residents in an area that went without a source of produce and other healthy foods for years now have a place to buy the food they’ll need to make dinner. Berk’s being honored for his work by the Robert Redford Center’s “The Art of Activism” award (Wed/9), another fist pump from Bob for the Bay’s finest community leaders.

“Having been a resident of West Oakland,” the 19 year old Berk told me in a phone interview “I didn’t have a car. [If you’re] not going to go to Pack N Save, your options were Hungry Man dinners and Hot Pockets.” Berk was sick of it. He took his first steps towards addressing the problems that face Oakland’s low income neighborhoods in 2007, when the executive director of Mandela Marketplace (the food co-op’s umbrella organization), Dana Harvey, came to his high school looking for help with a survey that would address the area’s issues and needs.

Berk jumped on the project, and the survey confirmed what was already obvious to those that responded; corner stores weren’t cutting it when it came to the nutritional needs of families. Thus began a lengthy process to do something about it, a process that Berk was an integral part of. Two years later, on June 6th, 2009, Mandela Food Cooperative opened the doors to its 2,500 square foot storefront in the Mandela Marketplace complex, a colorful stand of buildings across the street from the West Oakland BART stop.

On my trip to see what the Cooperative was all about (and yes, buy groceries), I realized that the store’s aim was to improve more than just the contents of West Oakland’s refrigerators. Small placards near the stacks of fresh (a mix between organic and conventionally grown) veggies and fruits signal one of the place’s least heralded aspects; its purchasing practices don’t just support low income consumers, but producers as well.

Carrots where there once was none in West Oakland

Each card has a photo of one of the co-op’s produce suppliers, and a short note on how they run their farm. “Mandela Marketplace buys direct from small minority farmers, who in a lot of cases wouldn’t be able to provide enough of a harvest to sell to the bigger supermarkets,” Berk tells me. Black and Latino faces beam out from the pictures on the walls, proof that the co-op is working on the larger issue of an inequitable food system that provides no easy breaks for the little guys on the production end, either.

“There’s been a lot of positive feedback,” Berk says. “We have customers we see on a day to day basis, but we can still do more.” With zero storage space, there was initially problems keeping food on the shelves – demand can be difficult to predict, which has been part of the learning process for the store’s worker-owners.

But logistical issues haven’t slowed down the staff of Mandela Food Cooperative, which also runs pop-up markets at senior centers, where limited mobility would otherwise curtail residents’ ability to do their own shopping. Every Saturday in the store, a nutritionist holds an open health and disease prevention class, occasionally cooking with ingredients like quinoa to highlight their role in a healthy diet. The families that come through while I’m in the store can choose among two aisles of bulk foods, locally produced cheeses, soy products, and items from the butcher counter. Berk sees the neighborhood’s enthusiastic reaction to the market as proof it has the power to improve the way people eat.

Nowadays, Berk works a couple days a week at the co-op, does youth empowerment work with WYSE (West Oakland Youth Standing Empowered), and works on Mandela Marketplace’s program that focuses on getting nutritious food and positive businesses practices into convenience stores, the Healthy Neighborhood Stores Alliance. He’s a community leader who tends to minimize his own role in the change he’s helped to create and focus on what it means that his groups have found success.

Berk will share the stage at the Redford Center awards ceremony with co-honorees, actress Rosario Dawson (who in addition to being smokin’ hot, co-founded Vote Latino, and is active in a variety of social causes), and Martha Ryan, whose San Francisco Homeless Prenatal Program has provides medical care and support services to over 3,000 unhoused families a year. Berk’s hopeful that the recognition he and his program are receiving spreads the taste for change to others who are in the same place he was back in 2007.

“Residents who have no prior business experience were able to make this happen,” Berk says. “If we can do it, than others can too. In areas like West Oakland throughout the country, people don’t always have the power to get a loan from the bank. But they have the power to make something like this happen.”

“The Art of Activism”

Wed/9 7-9 p.m., $20

Sundance Kabuki Cinemas

1881 Post, SF

(510) 809-0790

www.redfordcenter.org

Street Threads: Look of the Day

Jesse Hawthorne Ficks
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0
Street Threads: Look of the Day

Today’s Look: Whitney, 18th Street and Lapidge

Tell us about your look: I just bought this hat — and this backpack because I had too much stuff to carry around.

The Daily Blurgh: Viral kittens, punking BP

Jesse Hawthorne Ficks
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0
The Daily Blurgh: Viral kittens, punking BP

Curiosities, quirks, oddites, and items from around the Bay and beyond

Asshole: “I’d do it again”

*****

Another asshole: “A man driving a crossover sport utility vehicle hit four bicyclists in the Mission District and Potrero Hill neighborhoods in a six-minute rampage Wednesday night before crashing the vehicle and running away, San Francisco police said.”

*****

Agitprop: An annotated guide to images from the anti-BP movement.

*****

Science: All your kittehs belong to the alien virus that makes cats (and the people who love them) do craaaazy things!

*****

Snark: “20 Young Writers Earn the Envy of Many Others”

*****

Fashion: Handbags, now with less lead.

*****

Environment: BYOB (as in non-single-use bag, not beer) is now California law.

*****

Bummers: RIP Rue McClanahan. Thank you for being a friend (to all the cats):

Bongtastic!

Andrew Lam
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0
Bongtastic!

Science: it brought us non-stick saute pans, the Internet, timed traffic lights — and now, once again, it is making our lives better through the advancement of empirical knowledge. Of course, I’m referring to the findings enclosed in the new publication from Berkeley’s Ten Speed Press, Bongology.

Author Chris Stone is hardly one to rest on his laurels. Indeed, he has made significant contributions to the world of science, art, and culinary wisdom. The fruits of his endeavors can easily be referenced by his three publications; Spliffgami, Bongology, and the upcoming Baked: Marijuana Munchies to Make and Bake. A true renaissance man, a man for our time.

In honor of his achievements, I’ve assembled here a top ten list of his most illustrious designs for the scientifically correct consumption of herbals. You too, can be a scientist. By making bongs, people, lots of bongs. (*Insert golf claps)

  1. “Mini Liquor Bottle Vaporizer”: Airplane people, you tell me I can’t bring my pipe on the plane. So, whatever, that’s cool. I’m just gonna smoke out of your in flight service refreshments. Thanks, Dr. Stone! Ba-bam!

  2. “The Party Hookah”: What to do when the entire party wants to get high at once? Emily Post, to my knowledge, has never codified etiquette for the situation. The smart hostess will have at least one of these homemade beauties on hand, which can accommodate five super buddies at once.

  3. “Office Bong”: Again, big ups Doc Stone, this time for helping me understand the world around me. I finally grok the “caffeine addiction” of my Guardian editors. (No one in particular, mind you. Cough Marke B. cough.) This little gem of creativity needs only your standard to-go coffee cup, some everyday office supplies, and a healthy regard for creativity in the workplace.

  4. “Jam Jar Hookah”: God I love precious things. This has immense potential to be, scientifically speaking, the cutest fucking thing ever.

  5. “Earth Pipe”: Dude, I love the Earth. Wanna smoke out of it? No lie people, Dr. Stone (his real name, fancy!) has pioneered a way to use the very dirt beneath your feet to get lifted.

  6. “The Lung”: Actually, the illustration of the finished product of this particular model makes my stomach turn a little. But a large plastic bag inflating and collapsing into a liter bottle is just… so… sciencey — it makes the top ten!

  7. “Teapot Bong”: Granny will love it! I hear this is how they smoke in England.

  8. “Backyard Bong”: Finally, put those watering cans to use! I hear this is how they smoke in Berkeley.

  9. “Recorder Pipe”: Everyone was required to learn “Three Blind Mice” on their recorder in fifth grade. Didn’t they know that music is a gateway drug?    

  10. “The Bathroom Bong”: Don’t get squeamish on me now, people! We’re just delving deep into the realms of science. The first step to deployment of this specimen requires making your toilet cistern air tight. And that’s all I’m authorized to release.  

aaaand my least favorite: “The Mask”: No, no, no! I refuse to put a gas mask on my face and fill it with weed. I don’t care what cutting commentary it is on the futility of war, it’s just freaky and vaguely unsafe.

Street Threads: Look of the Day

Jesse Hawthorne Ficks
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0
Street Threads: Look of the Day

Today’s Look: Camille, 24th and Bartlett

Tell about your look: “Classy and sophisticated”

The Daily Blurgh: Sex spray, tasty jerky

Jesse Hawthorne Ficks
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0
The Daily Blurgh: Sex spray, tasty jerky

Curiosities, quirks, oddites, and items from around the Bay and beyond

Local art thief nabbed, ID-ed.

*****

New spray could help the ‘one minute men’ in your life (and it’s not Axe).

*****

Looking for a new stereo receiver? Wanna swap that old guitar? Need maracas? The Mission’s Music Flea Market is back this Saturday.

*****

“Once upon a time, he was a local celebrity. He earned his nickname after doing a tv commercial for a Round Table pizza named The Big Vinny. For over twenty years, he was the face and voice of a successful used car business in small town Alameda. He sold and he sold and he sold and Californians drove away happy. Today, everything has changed. The business is dead. The lots sit empty. Big Vinny is out of work. But he still remembers the good times.”

*****

Raising children is expensive. Parents, take a tip from Babies and swap out those pre-K math tutoring sessions for a bleached bone.

*****

Hello? Silent Spring, anyone? “The California Department of Pesticide Regulation has proposed registering methyl iodide as a pesticide in California to the dismay of scientists and environmental groups, who say it is so toxic that even chemists are reluctant to handle it.”

*****

Local, sustainable, leather-like: Is jerky poised to become the next SF food micro-trend?

*****

Type dirty to me.

More Rara Tou Limen than tutu: Ethnic Dance Fest 2010

Andrew Lam
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0

“It’s a great thing for us to be in the festival this year,” says Portsha Jefferson, artistic director of Ethnic Dance Festival first timer, the Rara Tou Limen Haitian dance company. “There’s so many misconceptions about Haiti and voudou — this gives the world a better idea of what makes the Haitian people so strong.” Her company is not the only one that sees the festival as a unique way to shout out to the world. Now in its 32nd year, the Ethnic Dance Festival (begins Sat/5) is cited as one of the reasons that our international dance scene is considered to be among the strongest in the country.

Rara Tou Limen was born on the streets in the Mission, the sole Haitian dancers in the neighborhood’s ecstatic Carnaval festivities. Jefferson, herself a Haitian-American, was compelled to start a group that  worked against negative stereotypes of Haiti, and captured “the beauty of the culture, the people, the music, the food,” the long time dancer says. She was also motivated by an urge to share what her people have achieved. “Knowing [the Haitians’] history, and what they’ve done in terms of revolution and fighting for their rights; the fact that they’re so strong and resilient, that really speaks to me. I think all of those characteristics of the people come through their music, and through the dance. It’s hard not to get caught in it.”

The success of Haitian dance in the Bay echoes a larger trend of SF dancers finding connection with ancestral artistic forms, and even with cultures apart from their own. Rara Tou Limen’s musical director, master Haitian drummer Daniel Brevil, was happy to see the resonance his homeland traditions had created when he arrived in the Bay in 2008. It was far away from the island where he learned rhythms from his father beginning at the age of eight, but “when I got here and I saw how many people taught Haitian dance,” Brevil says “I was so happy and proud to be Haitian. The people that teach it here, [some of them] they’re not even Haitian.”

That kind of exposure to new art forms is exactly what inspires festival organizer Julie Mushet. The executive director of World Arts West, the group that coordinates the festival, Mushet “was completely astounded the first time I got to experience [the festival].”.

Each year, prospective companies undergo a lengthy audition process – beginning with tryouts that can themselves attract crowds of dance fans. 130 local groups auditioned this year for eight dance experts, who then assembled a list of their top 20, and sent them to the World Arts West staff for the final decision on who got to dance in the festival’s three performance weekends.

Mushet says their choices come down to a matrix of qualities; choreography, dynamics between dancers, quality of music, props and regalia — but in the end the festival is also looking for cultural diversity. World Arts West believes that in the connections between dance and other artistic traditions lie a certain key to cross cultural participation.

“Parents tend to take their kids to the ballet, “The Nutcracker,” but it’s harder to figure out how to introduce kids to the hundreds of other [dance] forms they could learn about,” says Mushet. “[The festival] is a great way to see what the child might be interested in – many of the current dancers first attended as audience members, and now twenty years later, they’re part of a group that’s on stage.”

A tutu… or the beautiful, sparkling outfits Rara Tou Limen wears in their Carnaval performance? Pirouettes or the more elemental joy of their rhythmic ducks and twirls to pounding rara drums? With 37 companies dancing the traditional and updated forms of movement from countries like Korea, the Congo, Uzbekistan, and Puerto Rico, the Ethnic Dance Festival has a form of beauty for everyone, be it their own cultural tradition or one they’ll discover the day of the show.

Ethnic Dance Festival
Through June 27
Sat.-Sun., 2 p.m. (also Sat., 8 p.m.), $22-44
Palace of Fine Arts
3301 Lyon, SF
(415) 474-3914
www.worldartswest.org

Street Threads: New York City

Jesse Hawthorne Ficks
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0
Street Threads: New York City

Today’s Look: Juli, Times Square

Tell us about your look: “I like clothes that are cute and comfortable.”

The Daily Blurgh: Gaydar, crafting-as-protest

Jesse Hawthorne Ficks
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0
The Daily Blurgh: Gaydar, crafting-as-protest

Curiosities, quirks, oddites, and items from around the Bay and beyond

Gaydar may actually exist.

*****
Who do you wanna see at Outside Lands this year? Lord, please let Janelle Monae and Al Green do a duet.

*****
Berkeley does indeed have a Tea Party: “Rogue knitters encamped along the Berkeley-Oakland border with lawn chairs, tea cakes and knitting projects to protest the city of Berkeley’s order that they remove an 8-foot knitted tea cozy they sewed over the T in a public sculpture they believe insults Oakland.”

*****
I’m all for going green and buying local but when you describe your business as, “[a] hipster green lifestyle market… celebrating all things cool about being a green localist,” my head can’t but help hit my desk. Go easy on the buzz-speak people.

*****

Deadly trips at Cow Palace rave.

******

RIP Louise Bourgeois. If you haven’t checked out “Mother and Child,” an exhibit of Bourgeois’ recent, maternally-fixated work currently hanging at Gallery Paule Anglim, please do so. There’s also the arachnid pile-up The Nest in SFMOMA’s sculpture garden and Crouching Spider at Pier 14. Peter Orlovsky, poet and longtime companion to Allen Ginsberg, and iconic actor Dennis Hopper also left this plane over the weekend.

Benefits: June 2-June 8

David Talbot
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Benefits: June 2-June 8

Ways to have fun while giving back this week


Wednesday, June 2

Headlands Center for the Arts Auction
Attend this benefit featuring work by more than 85 contemporary artists with cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and entertainment.
6:30 p.m., $100
Herbst International Exhibition Hall
The Presidio
385 Moraga, SF
www.headlands.org/auction

“Escape from the Opera House”
Catch “escapees” from Bay Area opera and musical theater companies performing an evening of fun and fine music to benefit the Life After Exoneration Program and the Unrepresented Death Row Prisoner Project. Reception to follow.
8 p.m., $15
First Congregational Church of Berkeley
2345 Channing, Berk.
(510) 486-8006

Thursday, June 3

WGirls Bachelor/Bachelorette Auction
Bid on some of the most eligible bachelors and bachelorettes in the Bay Area at this fundraiser for local charity Oasis for Girls featuring dancing, raffles, an hour open bar, and more.
6:30 p.m., $40
330 Rich, SF
http://wgirls.org

“Where is Tibet?”
Attend this Qinghai Earthquake Benefit featuring a two part presentation of Genny Lim’s “Where is Tibet?” performed by Tsering Bawa, Francis Wong, Lenora Lee, and Genny Lim followed by a slideshow by the Tibetan Association of Northern California on the earthquake devastation in Qinghai.
7 p.m., $10 suggested donation
Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists
1924 Cedar, Berk.
(510) 841-4824

Friday, June 4

SummerTini
Kick off the summer at this fundraiser for Episcopal Community Services employment programs featuring live jazz, martinis, and specialty hors d’ oeuvres from Bay Area restaurants.
6 p.m., $75-$100
Galleria at the San Francisco Design Center
101 Henry Adams, SF
www.summertini.org

21 Grand Art Sale
Come early for the best view of everything because as the art is sold, it will come down immediately ready to go home with whomever buys it. Art is donated by nearly 90 different artists and sales will benefit 21 Grand.
7 p.m., free
21 Grand
416 25th St., Oakl.
www.21grand.org

Saturday, June 5

“Even More Glitter”
Enjoy a gallery talk with photographer Daniel Nicoletta, who’s show “More Glitter-Less Bitter” documents San Francisco’s gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender communities. Proceeds to benefit the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Historical Society.
6 p.m., $100
Electric Works
130 8th St., SF
www.sfelectricworks.com

GLAAD Media Awards
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) will recognize and honor media for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community and the issues that affect their lives. GLAAD will also honor actress Cybill Shepard and filmmaker Lee Daniels.
4:30 p.m., $350
San Francisco Marriott Marquis
55 4th St., SF
www.glaad.org/mediaawards

VisionWalk
This fundraising walk for the Foundation Fighting Blindness brings hundreds of people together to take part in finding preventions, treatments, and cures for people with retinal degenerative diseases.
10 a.m., raise $100 or more for a t-shirt
Golden Gate Park
Music Concourse Bandshell, SF
www.visionwalk.org

Walk for Hope
This year City of Hope has expanded their annual 5k walk to benefit all women’s cancers, so sign up to walk or voluteer today.
9 a.m., $30 registration
Justin Herman Plaza
Market Street and Embarcadero, SF
www.walk4hope.org

“What the World Needs Now…”
Attend this gala fundraiser and opening night for a juried exhibit of children’s art featuring hors d’ oeuvres, wine tastings, an artists’ marketplace, and entertainment by youth performance troupes. The exhibit features artwork by Bay Area children in grades K-12 on the themes of social justice, community awareness, and world peace.
5 p.m., $50
Museum of Children’s Art
538 9th St., Oakl.
www.mocha.org

Sunday, June 6

Scavenger Crawl
Go on a scavenger hunt and pub crawl to build awareness and advocacy for Bay Area non-profits, where clues and puzzles lead you through different restaurants, bars, and retail shops throughout San Francisco. Gift certificate prizes for the winning teams.
2 p.m., $20
Start at Sports Basement
610 Old Mason, SF
www.scavengercrawl.org

Quick Lit: June 2-June 8

David Talbot
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Quick Lit: June 2-June 8

Literary readings, book tours, and talks this week

Maude Barlow, the female farming revolution, Babylon Salon, Mahnaz Afkhami, The Art of Baseball, Nerd Nite, and more.

Wednesday, June 2

Mahnaz Afkhami
Afkhami, exiled from Iran under threat of death during the Iranian Revolution, has worked as a leading advocate for women’s rights internationally for more than three decades. Hear her discuss some of the most pressing issues for women in the Middle East today.
6 p.m., $25
Omni Hotel
500 California, SF
RSVP at 415-543-4669 ext. 27, or email events@imow.org

Talk Softly
Author Cynthia O’Neal reads from her inspiring memoir.
7:30 p.m., free
Books Inc. Castro
2275 Market, SF
(415) 864-6777

Thursday, June 3

The Art of Baseball
Author and journalist Jeff Gillenkirk will read from his novel, Home, Away, about the evolving relationship of a father and his formerly estranged son, that develops at odds with the father’s multi-million dollar contract to pitch for the Colorado Rockies.
6 p.m., free
George Krevsky Gallery
77 Geary, SF
(415) 397-9748

Maude Barlow
Barlow is the Senior Advisor on Water to the President of the UN. Hear talk about how California’s misuse of water may actually be changing the hydrological cycle and contributing to global warming.
8 p.m., $20
Herbst Theater
401 Van Ness, SF
www.cityboxoffice.com

Nancy’s Theory of Style
Author Grace Coopersmith discusses her book that shows that happiness and love, like fashion, aren’t about playing it safe.
7 p.m., free
Books Inc. Berkeley
1760 4th St., SF
(510) 525-7777

Nerd Nite
Gather with other nerds to discuss nerdery of all sorts at this meet-up featuring talks “I Was  a Teenage Ichthyologist” with Bart Bernhardt, “It’s Not Its Size, But How You Work It” with Brady Burgess, and “Is It Fake Money If You Can Buy Real Hookers With It?” with Jennifer Russel.
8 p.m., $10
Rickshaw Stop
155 Fell, SF
www.nerdnite.com

79th Annual California Book Awards
Watch as gold medals are presented to D.A. Powell (Chronic) for poetry, Rebecca Solnit (A Paradise Built in Hell) for nonfiction, Lori Ostlund (The Bigness of the World) for first fiction, Yiyun Li (The Vagrants) for fiction,  Susan Patron (Lucky Breaks) for juvenile, Sherri Smith (Flygirl) for young adult Daniel C. Matt (Translation and Commentary, The Zohar Pritzker Edition, Volume Five ) for contribution to publishing, and Elaine Elinson and Stan Yogi (Wherever There’s a Fight) for Californiana. Silver medal awards will also be given out.
6 p.m., $20
Commonwealth Club
2nd floor
595 Market, SF
(415) 597-6700

Friday, June 4 

Farmer Jane: Women changing the way we eat
Featuring stories about over 30 women farmers, chefs, policy wonks, and educators, author Temra Costa celebrates women’s role in changing how we eat and farm for the better. Hear local food stories, taste delicious foods, and meet the author.
7 p.m., free
Green Arcade
1680 Market, SF
(415) 431-6800

Long Time Passing
Author Susan Galleymore began interviewing mothers across The U.S. and the Middle East about war and its consequences after her son was deployed to Afghanistan in 2003. Hear her read and discuss her book, Long Time Passing: Mothers speak out about war and terror.
7:30 p.m., free
St. Joseph the Worker Church Chapel
1640 Addison, Berk.
(510) 499-0537

Saturday, June 5

Babylon Salon
This installment of the reading and performance series presents poet Rusty Morrison, the true keeps calm biding its story and Whethering, and novelist Tom Barbash, The Last Good Chance and On Top of the World: Candor Fitzgerald, Howard Lutnick, and 9/11, along with writers Deborah P. Bloch, N.A. Jong, and more.
7:30 p.m., free
Cantina SF
580 Sutter, SF
www.babylonsalon.com

The Glorious World Cup
Alan Black presents this guide to the World Cup, filled with tales of the teams, fans, goals, saves, divas, divers, myths, and madness.
3 p.m., free
Borders
400 Post, SF
(415) 399-1633

Jim Nisbet
Hayes Valley resident, sailor, and author Nisbet celebrates his new book, Windward Passage, and the re-issue of his cult classic novel, Lethal Injection.
7 p.m., free
Green Arcade
1680 Market, SF
(415) 431-6800

Monday, June 7

A Soft Place to Land
Susan Rebecca White discusses her new book about sisters whose relationship becomes complicated by resentment, anger, and jealousy.
7:30 p.m., free
Books Inc. Marina
2251 Chestnut, SF
(415) 931-3633

Peter Allen
Hear the Green Party candidate for California Attorney General discuss energy policy as it relates to the tragic oil spill happening in the Gulf of Mexico, and what the spill can teach us when discussing nuclear energy.
7 p.m., free
Green Arcade
1680 Market, SF
(415) 431-6800

Second Nature: The inner lives of animals
Author Jonathan Balcombe, joined by the Berkeley Humane Society, presents his book that shakes human supremacy and opens the door to the inner lives of animals.
7 p.m., free
Books Inc. Berkeley
1760 4th St., SF
(510) 525-7777

Tuesday, June 8

The Accordionist’s Son
Stanford scholar and author Bernardo Atxaga will give a literary reading and discussion. Atxaga is a Basque novelist known for writing in Euskera, a language forbidden in Spain by the Franco regime. He will discuss his early experiences writing in a suppressed language and his identity as both a Spanish and Basque writer.
12:30 p.m., free
111 Minna Gallery
111 Minna, SF
(415) 974-1719‎

“Giacomo Puccini’s The Girl of the Golden West”
Join the San Francisco Opera and the California Historical Society for this presentation on Puccini’s opera about the California Gold Rush.
6 p.m., free
California Historical Society Museum
678 Mission, SF
RSVP at (415) 357-1848, ext. 229, or email kjacobson@calhist.org

The Golden Game: Writers on Soccer
Alon Raab will read and discuss his co-edited book of soccer stories. Share your own soccer stories and legends in celebration of the 2010 World Cup.
6 p.m., free
Unversity Press Books
2430 Bancroft, Berk.
(510) 548-0585

“How to Ride Anywhere and Fix a Flat”
Attend this cycling skills and basic maintenance class that will provide helpful instructions for people who bike in the city and want to learn more about urban cycling.
6:30 p.m., free
REI
840 Brannan, SF
www.sfbike.org

Missing Mentor
Mary Stutts wil discuss her book, Missing Mentor: Women advising women on power, progress, and priorities.
7:30 p.m., free
Books Inc. Alameda
1344 Park, Alameda
(510) 522-2226

The More I Owe You
Hear author Michael Sledge discuss his new book about the beloved poet Elizabeth Bishop, including her life in Brazil and her relationship with her lover Lota de Macedo Soares.
7 p.m., free
Books Inc. Laurel Village
3515 California, SF
(415) 221-3666

Peepshow
Author Joshua Braff will read and discuss his book about a 17 year old boy who chooses to help his father run a porn theater in New York’s Times Square instead of embracing his mother’s Hasidic Jewish sect.
7:30 p.m., free
Booksmith
1644 Haight, SF
www.booksmith.com

Writing on My Forehead
Nafisa Haji presents his bestselling book that meditates on the meaning of family, tradition, and the ties that bind.
7 p.m., free
Books Inc. Opera Plaza
601 Van Ness, SF
(415) 776-1111

Street Threads: New York City

Jesse Hawthorne Ficks
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0
Street Threads: New York City

Today’s Look: Irene, Times Square

Tell us about your look: “What I buy must be unique and must be really simple.”

Looking for a long weekend staycation adventure? Try Viracocha.

Andrew Lam
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1

Stuck in town for Memorial Day weekend? I hear ya bro. But there’s no reason not to take the three days of relative calm in the city to explore some of its newish, dusty corners. You can start with Viracocha, Valencia’s antique store-community space that provides a room where we can all get a little folksy with it.

“So many people purchase things that fall apart in a few years,” owner Jonathan Siegel told me on a recent visit to the store. “We want to wean people from things that are being currently manufactured. These typewriters,” he gestures to a vintage one that soon after claimed a firm standing in my daydreams of possession acquisition, “when they first came out, the joke was that you could drop them out of a plane.”

The first time I encountered Viracocha was on a stroll one dusky evening in the Mission.  We peeped through the front window to see that some sort of eclectic ’60s ski lodge had taken over the space next to the Artists’ Television Access. A plump black cat sat on one of the chairs by the door.

To know me is to know I love plump black cats. So back I went, and glad I am. The cat’s name is Asha. Scant are the price tags in the wood paneled living room of a store (Siegel may or may not spend some nights in the back rooms), which gives the place an air of comfort — albeit comfort amongst treasure. An elaborate, 1950s custom made wicker chair sits at one angle, a pair of wooden ducks nestled on the table before it. There’s antique books, vintage clothes on a rack in the corner, a stack of goods at the counter by local artists.

The community feel is no happenstance. That was the point of Viracocha, kind of. Downstairs, Siegel hosts his extended family of artistic acquaintances, holding small shows for the up-and-coming. “We wanted the place to be a consistent anchor for people who are in that process of doing open mics, small scale productions,” Siegel, who moved here from New York to pursue his photography career, tells me in a calm, measured voice.

The flautist for that Saturday’s show wanders through to pick up a book of poetry she’d had her eye on. People from the neighborhood have dropped by on occasion to augment Siegel’s collection with their own hand-me-downs, telling him they thought the item “fit” at Viracocha. Proceeds from the goods go to support the shows at night, which Siegel has been accepting donations to attend.

Viracocha’s a  neighborhood place, or at the least a pretty construction of what neighborhood should be. Comfortable, creative — beauty that endures.

El Radio Fantastique feat. Shovelman
Sat/29 7:45-11:30 p.m., donations
Viracocha
998 Valencia, SF
(415) 374-7048
www.viracocha.blogspot.com

 

Street Threads: New York City

Jesse Hawthorne Ficks
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Street Threads: New York City

Today’s Look: Well, it’s the always fashionable Naked Cowboy from Times Square

Tell us about your look: Not unexpected — he was too busy singing and playing his guitar to talk to us!

Tasty bytes at the Guerilla Dining Collective

Andrew Lam
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“You’re experiencing a dish crawl in a single room,” chirped the beguiling CEO of Battledish, Tracy Lee. Lee’s Interweb gig entails cataloguing SF dish-by-dish for the pleasure of adventurous food obsessed individuals, a Sisyphean task she says has her organizing the city’s restaurants’ specialties down to taste. To highlight this spirit of culinary safari, Battledish was taking part in and helping to organizing a dinner assembled by graffEats of some of the finest underground food purveyors in the Bay last night to create eight courses of delicately prepared plates, each paired with glasses of Phelps Creek, Oregon wines hitherto unreleased on the Californian market.

In attendance was Canvas Underground, Radio Africa Kitchen, guys and gals into the “anti-restaurant,” community noshes with friends you never met yet. Most of the chefs are used to preparing meals for 25 meant to be consumed sitting on the ground of a stranger’s living room. But tonight the whole, safari embarking lot of us are sitting at three long tables in the middle of a drafty Dogpatch warehouse.

A kitchen space smaller than what I have in my apartment (that’s small!) somehow accommodates the marinating and tossing of the three culinary enterprises, who are pumping out more food than you woulda thunk possible, really. I guess they’re used to less than ideal cooking facilities; Canvas Underground has even been known to whip up spreads for their doting fans in a grassy field.

Lee addresses what is clearly a source of consternation in her office. “You know, salty, sweet, crunchy, bitter. There’s really not that many bitter dishes out there.” I am not surprised by this. I nod energetically to keep her talking through her vast knowledge of restaurants, both known and new. Besides her sits a smart phone, an equally intelligent looking video camera, and an SLR, which she rotates through in a steady bid to capture the moment for tomorrow’s web surfers.

Flips are brandished right and left to catch the crowd’s reaction to the lavender cumin roasted duck, and Tracy’s occasional flash bulb generates a gentle frisson of technology that belies the gluttony we are gracefully acquiesing to.

Ever since Paper magazine came out with its social networking issue, I’ve been feeling vastly, isolatingly, computer illiterate. (And don’t trip, I realize the irony of writing this on the blog I regularly contribute to.) But really, last night amidst the foodies, techies, and foodie-techies, I needed the reassurance that at the advanced age of 25 I could still be integrated into this brave new world of point-click, point-click, eat.

Should I be tweeting this? What taste category does the green melon gazpacho poured over ceviche of prawn, fennel, and vanilla fall into? Can I perhaps slip mention of the saffron almond cake with the roasted loquat and cinnamon crème fraiche into a html coded round up of the city’s best pop-up pastries?

There’s also a resplendent honey and cheese plate, and an Alaskan halibut kitfo – a word they must have used on the menu because it is more elegant than the one I’d have opted for; halibut poke loaf. We need more loafs these days.

But as the folksy tunes of The Shants swept through the high celinged warehouse-cum-drunk tank (four glasses of good wine go far, even when you’re eating your wieght to accompany it), I relaxed and let go of my Luddite, anti-tech mental ramblings. Sites like Battledish are just making more ways to connect for people that want it like that.

Amiably gripping their wine glasses in the pleasant fog between dessert courses, Tracy and my free spirited dinner companion debate the merits of Internet dating versus leaving love to that ever elusive “fate” thing. “It’s all about maximizing serendipity,” Tracy sagely intones before once again she is gone in a whirl of gastronomic experimentation. A fine philosophy for the information age, indeed.

 

Street Threads: New York City

Jesse Hawthorne Ficks
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0
Street Threads: New York City

Today’s Look: Cenia, Times Square

Tell us about your look: “I hand out flyers for Chicago on Broadway and this is my costume.”

The Daily Blurgh: Nasty surf, follicle fetishism

Jesse Hawthorne Ficks
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1
The Daily Blurgh: Nasty surf, follicle fetishism

Curiosities, quirks, oddites, and items from around the Bay and beyond

Could it have been the public urination? ING pulls out as Bay to Breakers sponsor.
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Better wear a wetsuit (and then some). Santa Cruz’s Cowell Beach voted second worst California beach in terms of water quality.


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No more DJs at the Attic?
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“The Olive Centipede was created by Dr. Heiner, a disturbed German bartender formerly famous for his flair garnishing techniques. The evil Dr. Heiner decided to create a garnish centipede, made from sewing three olives together along the olives’ digestive tracts, pit-to-pimento.”
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A blogger dares to ask, “Why is Chinese food in San Francisco so disappointing?” (thanks Eye on Blogs)
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Maybe this creepy fetishist dude could donate his collection of tufts to the efforts to sop up the BP oil using matted hair. Or not.

*****

Comet dives into the Sun. Cue the Soundgarden:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiSkyEyBczU

More digital glam!

Sue Vaughan
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More digital glam!

For this week’s Video Issue, I wrote about the YouTube beauty guru phenomenon. Read the article here. Complete interviews with the featured gurus follow!

YouTuber: Michele1218 (www.youtube.com/user/michele1218)
What you’ll find on her channel: wearable neutral looks demonstrated in easy-to-follow tutorials.

What inspired you to start making videos? How do you stay inspired?

I have always had a passion for makeup and beauty products and for as many friends as I have, none of them ever shared in my passion. When I stumbled across the beauty community on YouTube, one video in and I was hooked! I watched videos for about 3 months, learned so many amazing techniques, learned so much more about makeup and found new products that I never knew existed. Once I started to feel comfortable with myself and felt confident, I thought “Hey, this might be fun!” I knew how inspired I felt just watching some of these girls, and I thought it would be great if I can help inspire other girls as well! The rest was history! It’s not hard to stay inspired, I absolutely LOVE making videos and have had the time of my life meeting people and making friends. I have such a great relationship with my viewers and subscribers, and their comments and messages are what continue to inspire me everyday and make me want to continue making them!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6b77oZaKJSI&playnext_from=TL&videos=2Dy8kgw6Xhc

What’s your favorite kind of video to make? Least favorite?

My favorite kind of videos to make are haul videos. They are my guilty pleasure! I get so crazy excited over makeup and when I shop and buy products I can’t wait to share my thoughts and opinions with the world! I don’t really have a least favorite type of video that I make, however I will say that reviews are becoming harder and harder to make. With so many companies finding out about all the YT Beauty gurus it seems like more and more review videos are becoming paid TV advertisements. Therefore viewers and subscribers are becoming more and more skeptical of the products people are reviewing. When I make a review video it seems as though I always have to defend it by saying my own money was spent and I was not sent free products or been paid to review. It’s unfortunate because there are a lot of girls including myself that never accept paid reviews and because the “bigger” gurus do it is assumed that we all do.

How much time per week do you spend on YouTube?

YouTube has seriously become like a 2nd full time job, but I wouldn’t change a minute of it! I work 9-5 and most days come home and spend about 2-3 hours at night responding to comments and answering questions. I spend a lot of my weekends on YT as well. I also enjoy watching YouTube videos from my friends and girls I am subscribed to! I would much rather watch videos than TV sometimes!!

What do you think of “haul” videos?

As I said, haul videos are my absolute favorite! When I first started watching them I would just buy and buy and spend and spend just to have things that so and so loves or so and so swears by! Now I have learned to really try and “control” my wants to go buy everything I see in haul videos, and just go for the things I know I will get use out of! It’s so addicting! I learn about so many amazing products and form a “mental” list that I take shopping with me each time! Some of my most favorite product finds were because of watching a haul video!

Who do you think your audience is? What do you hope they gain from watching your videos?

I believe my audience age ranges anywhere from 10-50 years old! I have had both age groups message me about my videos, and that is just amazing to me! If they can take anything away from my videos I hope that they learn something from my videos that will help themselves feel more confident. Whether it’s to learn less is more. or that a certain eye shadow color will really bring out their eyes! As much as we all love makeup and people always have the impression that makeup videos are superficial because people should feel beautiful without it. That is SO true, but at least for me the whole community is more than just makeup. It’s a community of girls that all share a passion and love for the same thing. We are all there for one another on such a personal level that stretches WAY beyond blush and lipstick. It’s crazy, but I have friends through YouTube that I know better and have been better friends to me than some friends in real life that I have personally known for years! It’s just a great feeling to know that if any of us needs anything, we are all there, regardless if its about makeup or not!

What has been your most rewarding YouTube-related experience?

I receive messages every day from girls all over the world of all ages thanking me for being their inspiration. Whether they had a bad day at school, broke up with their boyfriend, or were stuck in a hospital for weeks. When they write to me to tell me that watching my videos cheered them up or put a smile on their faces … THAT is the MOST rewarding experience I could ever ask for. It’s heartwarming and its something I NEVER get tired of hearing. I know how certain girls’ videos that I watch make me feel about myself and those girls whose videos I look forward to and count on to cheer me up, so the fact that I can do that to ONE person is all I need to know to keep me in front of my video camera!

If you were just starting YouTube today, would there be anything you’d do differently?

Yes! I would have chosen a different screen name! Haha! I just made up a name when I first started watching so that I could leave comments and send messages to my favorite girls. Had I known I would have made videos I would have made my username a little bit more interesting!

And a bonus question…
What’s your favorite make-up brand or beauty product?

My favorite makeup brand is MAC and my favorite product is mascara. I don’t care what brand but I can never leave the house without it on!!

YouTuber: Vintage or Tacky (www.youtube.com/user/vintageortacky)

What you’ll find on her channel: vibrant, colorful eye shadow looks.

What inspired you to start making videos? How do you stay inspired?

I just started doing this for fun, just to show other beauty lovers my tricks and my favorite stuff. I stay inspired because the atmosphere has changed, now there is a teaching element, and community element. People have written me telling me how my videos have helped them. That touches your heart and makes you want to continue helping people and sharing the fun!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZ16ePZJR_I&playnext_from=TL&videos=JL7MTgXXyCA

What’s your favorite kind of video to make? Least favorite?

Fave videos? Definitely tutorials. I love the artistic element. Least fave? Probably the ones where I need to be informative, like skincare videos. Don’t get me wrong, I love those videos too, but I’m always worried I’ll be under prepared and forget something. I’m a Virgo so I can be a bit of a perfectionist.

How much time per week do you spend on YouTube?

Probably more than I should, I average 35-plus hours give or take. I do this more than I do my day job.

What do you think of “haul” videos?

That’s an interesting question. Haul videos that are just braggy, or that are done all the time are totally ridiculous, I don’t like those. If all you do is haul videos, then your channel isn’t for me. If you find new cool beauty products and you give a mini review of each item, they can be a really great way to find something new. Rather than have 10 review videos, put it all into one. I prefer the term “Show and Tell” for my “haul” type videos.

Who do you think your audience is? What do you hope they gain from watching your videos?

Less than half my viewership is under 18, however teens have more time on their hands, so they are probably my most avid video watchers. I hope that my audience gains some perspective from watching my videos. Yes, I have a beauty channel, but I don’t always go on camera looking picture perfect. I showed my hair when I had a botched dye job, I’ve gone on camera without makeup. I try new hairstyles, hair colors, and makeup. It’s not always pretty, but it’s honest, it’s fun and creative. I hope they learn to have fun with their looks, but not to be ruled by them. I’m not a skinny, pretty, perfect girl, but I put it all out there, and I hope I inspire others to just be themselves, and be the best they can be. My motto is “Be Vintage Or Tacky, Just be Yourself!” That and to wear sunscreen.

What has been your most rewarding YouTube-related experience?

When people send me messages telling me how much my videos have helped them, with makeup, or skincare, or self worth and self esteem. Knowing that some people just like me and value my opinion and my videos has made me a more confident person, and has helped me though some tough patches in the last few years.

If you were just starting YouTube today, would there be anything you’d do differently?

I would probably have a different user name, and I wouldn’t have shared so much personal information, like my wedding blogs.

And a bonus question…
What’s your favorite make-up brand or beauty product?

Ah, the Million Dollar Question! My fave makeup brand is MAC, because of their quality and price (compared to other high-end companies, MAC is cheap), their palette system, the diversity of items, their pro line, and their recycling program. And, they don’t test on animals. My fave beauty product? Sunscreen. It’s the best anti-aging product ever.

YouTuber: Pursebuzz (www.youtube.com/user/pursebuzz)
What you’ll find on her channel: upbeat videos offering hair, makeup, and nail advice. Also, her “How to Fake Abs” makeup tutorial has over 13 million views. Respect.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rf3lcpHtbtg&playnext_from=TL&videos=cBGXiVBYNHk

What inspired you to start making videos? How do you stay inspired?

I started in 2006 on a separate channel to show my friend some makeup tips. After that I received some comments and that grabbed my interest. I was shocked that someone else wanted to know what I had to say. At the time I only saw professional makeup artists applying makeup on models but there weren’t any videos with makeup artists applying makeup on themselves or on everyday people. Sure, we would all love to have someone do our makeup and hair, but that’s not the case. I knew I had to start somewhere and I have always read in magazines on how to get (insert celebrity) look. So I broke down Carmen Electra’s look in her Max Factor ad showed it step by step, and I have loved it ever since. I am inspired each day by my readers and the things around me. I’ll watch a video about a movie, music video, or video game and I’ll just take something from there and make it my own. My viewers and readers inspire me because I do this for them. They will give me some fun requests and I am always up for the challenge.

What’s your favorite kind of video to make? Least favorite?

Favorite Video: I like videos where I can be creative and can express myself in characters. These videos are a great way to express yourself and have fun.
Least Favorite: I don’t have a least favorite, just depends on my mood. But I hate when I have deadlines and I have to stay up editing. I love my sleep.

How much time per week do you spend on YouTube?

Oh, I shouldn’t answer this. This will make me sound like a crazy person. I spend at least 3-5 hours each night answering questions, uploading, editing and catching up on videos. So I’d say at least 30 hours a week minimum.

What do you think of “haul” videos?

I love watching them. I feel like the beauty community is such a close group it is like watching a friend get things for Christmas.

Who do you think your audience is? What do you hope they gain from watching your videos?

My audiences are both genders looking expand their knowledge on cosmetic application, product reviews, and learn the latest hair styles. And some just like to watch so they can keep this information in their back pocket for that special occasion.

What has been your most rewarding YouTube-related experience?

Being able to help others. I am huge on understanding that your internal beauty is most important and makeup is just an accessory to your look. So it is rewarding to know that I have reached out to so many people and showed then how to be the best version of themselves. Like that phase “Give a man a fish and he’ll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he will eat every day”.

If you were just starting YouTube today, would there be anything you’d do differently?

I wouldn’t use a digital camera on Kleenex boxes, that is for sure. I wouldn’t change anything that I have done.

And a bonus question…
What’s your favorite make-up brand or beauty product?

I love all brands. Every single brand has something unique and special. But my love of and obsession with makeup began with my MAC Parfait Amour eye shadow.

YouTuber: Lisa Freemont Street (www.youtube.com/user/LisaFreemontStreet)
What you’ll find on her channel: classy vintage hair and makeup techniques inspired by Old Hollywood and pin-up girls.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gTHiqL3i6M&playnext_from=TL&videos=dNDEliC_wAI

What inspired you to start making videos? How do you stay inspired?

Askmemakup, another YouTube guru, had a slew of really entertaining videos to offer. They were mainly retro styled makeup looks and I realized there weren’t many vintage hairstyles on the site to go with them. So I created my own tutorial for a Rita Hayworth style, using era specific music and a succinct style that would hopefully make it easier to watch. It did, I guess, because I got a lot of requests based on that one video and my channel has grown from there. These continued requests and the feedback of my viewing audience keeps me motivated.

What’s your favorite kind of video to make? Least favorite?

My series called “Diamonds and Dames” consists of requested looks by my viewers, based on their favorite hairstyles of classic film. These are the most fun for me because they require the most research. I have to figure out what setting was used to create the style or how to tailor the look to my own hair texture or length. I also include music from the year the film was released, to lend some extra credibility to the video, and I tend to really get into character by the end of filming. My least favorite videos to film are makeup application videos. I am not as comfortable with this medium and usually have difficulty getting good lighting or fitting the tutorial into the time allotted.
 
How much time per week do you spend on YouTube?

I watch videos while I work every day. I have a list of gurus that I follow faithfully and I like to keep up with their videos. On my own videos, I would say I spend about four hours a week, including actual styling time.
 
What do you think of “haul” videos?

It’s no secret that I don’t enjoy haul videos unless they also include a review of the product in question. Very quickly, a haul video can become a simple means of bragging to a large audience. However, if you are showing me something with the intention of sharing your opinion about the quality and whether it is worth my money … bravo!

Who do you think your audience is? What do you hope they gain from watching your videos?

I have come to realize that my viewers range in age from preteen to octogenarian. I love that! I get all kinds of comments from all over the world, from both men and women (the former say they watch my videos for the music … haha). The one thing I hope they take away is that if you enjoy and appreciate a vintage style, you should not let the world’s trends sway you.  Stay true to yourself and feel pretty all the time, even if you get a few odd looks along the way.

What has been your most rewarding YouTube-related experience?

I recently received an email from a teenage girl that felt overweight and unattractive amongst her peers, to the point that she felt invisible. After trying a few of the hairstyles featured on my channel, she began to develop confidence and to hold her head higher. She started to take pride in her appearance and participate in school activities. By the end of the year, her class gave her and award for “best hair” as well as a key part in the school play. Hearing that someone’s life changed by putting into practice a few simple beauty techniques that you taught them … that’s heartwarming.
 
If you were just starting YouTube today, would there be anything you’d do differently?

I think if I had known in advance how bad my lighting and camera quality was at first, I would definitely have invested in better equipment from the beginning. As it is, I will continue to try and improve my set-up so that the videos become even easier to watch and more helpful.

And a bonus question…
What’s your favorite make-up brand or beauty product?

My favorite beauty product is a plain white concealer stick. It can be used to provide a pale base for eye shadow or as a highlight for brows and cheeks.

Conspiracy Con will set you free

Andrew Lam
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Hair standing up on the back of your neck when you watch the news these days? Perhaps a little shiver of doubt when it comes to how our world’s being run? Trust no one, baby – Conspiracy Con 2010‘s coming to town, Sat/5-Sun/6. Buy your tickets now, before the government’s drones read your thought patterns and freeze your computer.

A word of intro from the website from executive producer, Brian William Hall™ (thought you were going to steal his identity huh, you succubus! You thought wrong – that thing is trademarked!):

There is a bumper sticker out there that sums up the “waking-up” process on this planet perfectly… “The truth shall set you free, but first it’ll piss you off!” And, I for one am pissed off. If you aren’t, then you’re either dangerously ignorant as to the way this world is truly run and controlled; you’re in complete denial about this reality; or you are a willing pawn in this global game of chess played by the worst of tyrants.

If you fall under that last category, I feel compelled to quote a line to you from the TV miniseries “V” in which a rebel declares, “Congratulations on selling out your race to a bunch of night crawlers.”

Well, there’s just no way, no how I’m selling out to the night crawlers. You shouldn’t either, so here’s a handy rundown of the skeptical geniuses who’ve cracked the code that you’ll find at Conspiracy Con X (tenth anniversary!) this year, their scam of expertise, and time slot so you can plan your weekend included:

 

Time slot: Sat/5 10:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m.

Conspiracy cracker: Dr. Michael S. Coffman, PhD

Scam he’s wise to: The global warming scam

 

Time slot: Sun/6 3:15-4:45 p.m.

Conspiracy cracker: Dr. Bill Deagle, MD

Scam he’s wise to: The mankind-is-unadaptable-to-the-coming-apocalypse scam.

 

Time slot:Sat/5 5-6:30 p.m.

Conspiracy cracker: Dr. Leonard Horowitz

Scam he’s wise to: The H1N1 virus scam

 

Time slot: 10:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m.

Conspiracy cracker: Ron MacDonald

Scam he’s wise to: The federal reserve “total slavery” scam

 

Time slot: Sat/5 1:30 -3 p.m.

Conspiracy cracker: Texe Marrs

Scam he’s wise to: The Rothschild-Obama-Palin-McCain-Bush death cult scam.

 

Time slot: Sat/5 9 -10:30 a.m.

Conspiracy cracker: H. Michael Sweeney

Scam he’s wise to: The new identification cards-systems scam (or “The Mark of the Beast” scam)

 

Time slot: Sun/6 9 -10:30 a.m.

Conspiracy cracker: Michael Collins Piper, featuring a live call to expert Jim Tucker

Scam he’s wise to: The Bilderberg Group scam

 

Time slot: Sun/6 1:30-3 p.m.

Conspiracy cracker: Michael Tsarion

Scam he’s wise to: Mind control through popular media scam (or the “Don’t Watch Avatar” scam)

 

Time slot: Sat/5 3:15- 4:45 p.m.

Conspiracy cracker: William White Crow

Scam he’s wise to: Unclear from program – possibly the government-alien mind control scam? White Crow is also well versed in “waking up the sheep.”

 

Time slot: Sun/6 5-6:30 p.m.

Conspiracy cracker: Special surprise guest, who “must remain anonymous up until the time of the conference for his own protection because of the nature of his research.”

Scam he’s wise to: The scam to stop the use of alternative energies

 

Conspiracy Con X 2010

Sat/5 (through Sun/6) 8 a.m. – 9 p.m., $99-129

Santa Clara Marriott

2700 Mission College, Santa Clara

(408) 988-1500

www.conspiracycon.com

Street Threads: New York City

Jesse Hawthorne Ficks
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0
Street Threads: New York City

Today’s Look: Fancy Nancy, Times Square

Tell us about your look: “Put it on!”

The Daily Blurgh: Out of Bolivia, park-ing lessons

Jesse Hawthorne Ficks
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0
The Daily Blurgh: Out of Bolivia, park-ing lessons

Curiosities, quirks, oddites, and items from around the Bay and beyond

Today in animals: Former circus lions from Bolivia plan SF stopover before cold chillin’ the rest of their days away in sunny San Andreas, crocodile mummies are returned to UC Berkeley, and the American Kennel Club allows mutts (aka “All Americans”) to compete in their own category.

*****
Rescue 911 — not so great from a cell phone.

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What better way to fight the war on terror than to discredit your enemy than by leaking a “video” of his supposed child-raping conquests?

*****

So, you wanna build a parklet...
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Headline of the day: “‘I am a predator’ – ruin follows him everywhere“

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Crack is whack! (via SFist)

 

Trash Lit: ‘Reckless’ could be ripped from headlines (minus a couple murders)

Jesse Hawthorne Ficks
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Trash Lit: ‘Reckless’ could be ripped from headlines (minus a couple murders)

Reckless
Andrew Gross
William Morrow, 404 pages, $25.99

Imagine if the head of a powerful banking company with close ties to the federal government conspired with some shady Saudi billionaires and a cruel Serbian ex-military thug to bring down the American financial system in a Darwinian plot that would allow the one firm with insider knowledge to emerge even stronger. How would it play out? Well, minus a few murders, more or less exactly the way the financial-sector meltdown of the past couple of years has played out.

That’s what makes this such a fun book. It’s not the most brilliant thriller ever – the structure involves a lot of flicking back and forth between parallel plots, and gets confusing at times. But the premise is delicious, and the execution is good enough to make it eminently enjoyable.

Reckless starts off nicely, with a Middle Eastern banker set to launch world economic ruin, an American private dick fucking his girlfriend as doom approaches, a Greenwich, Connecticut society divorcee fucking a sexy European stud with a dubious background and a brutal, bloody murder of a securities trader, his wife (who was an old pal of the PI) and one of their kids.

It slows down a bit after that, but not much.

Turns out the dead guy was way underwater in a complex deal. A few more traders, also underwater and scrambling, wind up dead, too. And then the economy really starts to fall – AIG goes under. Fanny Mae and Freddie Mac go under. There’s panic at every level of government.

Meanwhile, the bad guys try to kidnap the mildly retarded son of the PI’s girlfriend after a hockey game, leading to a spectacular hockey-stick-and-knife-in-the-locker-room fight that ends with the PI shoving a sharpened skate into the kidnapper’s chest (neat trick; I always wondered if that would really work).

By the time it all gets sorted out, there’s railroad trestle gun play, a federal agent who’s bleeding to death but still makes a spectacular shot, and an utterly predictable power-out, stuck-in-the-elevator sex scene. Maybe even worth forking over the hardcover price.

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