Memory Dump

Save Oakland Arts!

daxle — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 00:21:50 GMT

**I know a lot of you are into the Crucible and Art Murmur. I received this from the RPSC mailing list today. I had no clue. It only take a minute to send an email, please do it!** An Urgent Message from City of Oakland Cultural Affairs Commission and RPSC! Dear Artists, Members & Patrons, The Oakland City Council is considering suspending Oakland Arts funding this year as an alternative to the Mayor's Budget. We need your help- Whether you live or work in Oakland or elsewhere in the East Bay- Berkeley, Emeryville, Richmond, Alameda! If you like the Oakland Art Murmur, community programming, free classes, and collaborations RPSC offers, then this affects you! A suspension of this program this year would have dire impacts on all of Oakland Arts, including Creative Growth, the Oakland/East Bay Symphony, the Crucible, Pro Arts, Eastside Arts Alliance, MOCHA, and RPSC! This is the time to act! Here's how: 1.) Forward this urgent email to as many people as possible. 2.) Sign the online petition at http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/Oakland_Arts_Funding/index.html 3.) Come to the Oakland City Council Meeting on Tuesday October 21,6pm City Hall- One Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, Second Floor Oakland, CA 94612 4.) Contact an Oakland Council Member and let them know how important Oakland/East Bay arts are to you! Funding for the Cultural Arts and Marketing Department is on the chopping block and will be voted on by the Oakland City Council this Tuesday, October 21. The meeting begins at 6pm and this topic is currently Item 19 on the Agenda, so it could be a long night. Grant funding is in jeopardy, as are all of the staff positions. This is a serious threat to a thriving but already under-funded community. We do understand that the City's finances are in a dire situation, but the fact of the matter is that the cultural arts department has historically borne more than its share of cuts and now represents only .4% (4/10 of 1%) of the overall city budget, yet serves 6,273 children and youth through the art in the schools program (most of whom would not have access to arts without these programs), and another 957,650 people through performances, events, etc. Not only will department staff lose their jobs: staff an d teachers in the already-fragile arts sector will also lose jobs. The arts are not a luxury! Children and youth who participate in arts programs and learn positive ways to express themselves are less likely to engage in unsafe or criminal activities. Neighborhoods with visual and performing arts venues bring in $$s to the local economy, help prevent crime and violence by "keeping the lights on", and add to the overall quality of life in our city. If you are an artist, educator, work for an arts organization, enjoy arts events, have a kid in an arts program in one of Oakland's schools or community centers, or have friends that are artists, please join us to make our voices heard. WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE! There are currently three council members who are opposed to cutting arts funding: Nancy Nadel, Jane Brunner, and Desley Brooks. All other council members have indicated that they will vote to cut the program. Please don't let this happen!! Contact your council person immediately (preferably before Monday) and let them know that cutting the arts program is unacceptable. Also, let the three council members that support the arts know how much you appreciate their support. Below is contact info for each of the district council members: District 1, Jane Brunner, jbrunner@oaklandnet.com, (510) 238-7001; District 2, Pat Kernighan,pkernighan@oaklandnet.com, (510) 238-7002; District 3, Nancy Nadel, nnadel@oaklandnet.com, (510) 238-7003; District 4, Jean Quan, jquan@oaklandnet.com, (510) 238-7004; District 5, Ignacio de la Fuente. idelafuente@oaklandnet.com, (510) 238-7005; District 6, Desley Brooks, dbrooks@oaklandnet.com, (510) 238-7006; District 7, Larry Reid, lreid@oaklandnet.com, (510) 238-7007 At-Large, Henry Chang, Jr., hchang@oaklandnet.com Not sure who your council member is? Click here to find out: http://www.oaklandnet.com/oit/CDST/DistMain.cfm Please forward this to your staff, board, friends, students, their parents, your mailing list, etc. It is our responsibility to make our voices heard - and to let the officials know that we represent a larger portion of the public than they think! Thank you in advance for getting involved, Lori Zook, Acting-Chair City of Oakland Cultural Affairs Commission Nicole Neditch, Co-Dierctor, Oakland Art Gallery Vice-Chair, City of Oakland Cultural Affairs Commission RPSC Members and Volunteers

Meditation tomorrow night, Vinny

daxle — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 00:00:03 GMT

For the people who always say "Oh, remind me when that is!" Details from the weekly email: Hello, Urban Dharma Sangha... Vinny Ferraro will be leading the group this Friday night. Hope to see you all there! URBAN DHARMA TEACHER SCHEDULE Nov 30th - Vinny Ferraro Dec 7th - Gene Lushtak Dec 14th - Kris Bailey Dec 21st - Vinny Ferraro -claudine * * * * * * * * * * * Urban Dharma (aka "The Back of the Bus") Led by Vinny Ferraro, Kris Bailey & Gene Lushtak Fridays, 7:30pm-9:00pm at the Cultural Integration Fellowship 2650 Fulton St @ 3rd Ave, SF 94118 * * * * * * * * * * * A few reminders: - Bring your valuables into the main meditation hall with you (do not leave your bags unattended in the foyer) - If you smoke, please do so outside on the street corner by the mailbox (not directly in front of the building)... and be sure to take your cigarette butts with you.

Free Stuff!

daxle — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 23:31:05 GMT

I am left with the joy of getting rid of the furniture that Kitty left behind (at this point I am still working on getting rid of a tall and short bookcase and a few other minor items). In addition I've decided to get rid of my coffee tables and futon. So if you know anyone looking for funiture, pass the word on.

Beercan

daxle — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 23:17:34 GMT

Alcohol on my hands I got plans To ditch myself and get outside Dancing women Throwing plates Decapitating their laughing dates Swirling chickens caught in flight Out of focus Much too bright Coming down Shiny teeth Game show suckers trying to bleed But I got a drug and I got the bug And I got something better than love How you like me now Pretty good Going on, feeling strong I quit my job blowing leaves Telephone bills up my sleeves Choking like a one man dustbowl Freedom rock slimeball Talking in code We went down Lit up the shack Grab me a beer out of the sack Everybody bent over twice Painting the walls throwing some dice Leaping up into the air getting juiced up beyond belief And they were singing like this Winos throwing frisbees at the sun Put my soul between a bun Now Im hungry now Im drunk Now Im running like a flaming pig Oh yeah Scraping off the attitude Old man eating all my food Dont be kind Dont be rude Just shake your boots and let it all get loose Oh yeah My goodness Fluffy clouds Jumping rainbows Fluffy clouds Im sad Jumping rainbows A soft and snuggly place [repeat] Fluffy clouds Im sad and unhappy Oh yeah, I like it like that Oh that is cold Somebody put a flame-thrower on that Oh my goodness Take me down to the depot Buddy put me down on the bus Oh yeah I like it like that Somebody bring me a plate of sassafras Hey hey hey Uh-huh Whats happenin (classic Beck) ((I used to love me some Beck)) (((I have this single)))

Mister, the sky's a contortionist.

daxle — Sat, 19 May 2007 06:19:50 GMT

The streets are skipping records blaring hiss. Camouflage, camouflage. The city's draped in camouflage. The taxis are jaguars throwing fits. Subways are subterranean bullets.

This is It

daxle — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 04:28:58 GMT

End of nightmares? Who knows.

Stop trying to control everything

daxle — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 05:54:10 GMT

and JUST LET GO! ...ah fight club, again.

"Abandon Hope"

daxle — Wed, 22 Nov 2006 01:57:45 GMT

"In a nontheistic state of mind, abandoning hope is an affirmation, the beginning of the beginning. You could even put "Abandon hope" on your refrigerator door instead of more conventional aspirations like "Every day is every way I'm getting better and better." Hope and fear come from feeling that we lack something; they come from a sense of poverty. We can't simply relax with ourselves. We hold on to hope, and hope robs us of the present moment. We feel that someone else knows what's going on, but that there's something missing in us, and therefore something is lacking in our world. " -Pema Chodron I am totally gonna put that on my fridge. For more of the chapter on Hopelessness http://teach.lanecc.edu/lugenbehld/R202/handouts/Chodron%20on%20Hoplessness.htm This is from 'When Things Fall Apart" by Pema Chodron, which is chock full of quotables. Excellent book. Thank you NumNum for loaning it to me!

Else

daxle — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 07:16:25 GMT

{I forgot how much I used to love this song...} Finally I don't mind Worthless tries at finding something else Best not talk too loud You're not as smart as you require of them Your body breaks Your needs consume you forever And with this lies the need to be here together Funny thing with blood You try to stand but neither leg's awake Just this side of love is where you'll find the confidence not to continue Your body breaks Your needs consume you forever And with this lies the need to be here together -Built to Spill

P.S.

daxle — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 08:35:31 GMT

In case it wasn't clear, I'm not slipping into some state of doom or melancholy. Just my usual contemplations on the mysteries of the universe. Specifically, people and how they work.

Daily Om, so astute

daxle — Mon, 13 Nov 2006 19:39:45 GMT

We all go through times when we wish we could press a fast-forward button and propel ourselves into the future and out of our current circumstances. Whether the situation we are facing is minor, or major such as the loss of a loved one, it is human nature to want to move away from pain and find comfort as soon as possible. Yet we all know deep down that we need to work through these experiences in a conscious fashion rather than bury our heads in the sand, because these are the times when we access important information about ourselves and life. The learning process may not be easy, but it is full of lessons that bring us wisdom we cannot find any other way. The desire to press fast-forward can lead to escapism and denial, both of which only prolong our difficulties and in some cases make them worse. The more direct, clear, and courageous we are in the face of whatever we are dealing with, the more quickly we will move through the situation. Understanding this, we may begin to realize that trying to find the fast-forward button is really more akin to pressing pause. When we truly grasp that the only way out of any situation in which we find ourselves is to go through it, we stop looking for ways to escape and we start paying close attention to what is happening. We realize that we are exactly where we need to be. We remember that we are in this situation in order to learn something we need to know, and we can alleviate some of our pain with the awareness that there is a purpose to our suffering. When you feel the urge to press the fast-forward button, remember that you are not alone; we all instinctively avoid pain. But in doing so, we often prolong our pain and delay important learning. As you choose to move forward in real time, know that in the long run, this is the least painful way to go.

XXX

daxle — Sat, 28 Oct 2006 19:37:50 GMT

She'll do anything....

daxle — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 14:26:45 GMT

Since I've woken up I've had a line from the Beck song, "Asshole" stuck in my head: "As she dangles carrots, it makes you feel embarrassed, to be the fool you know you are."

Gratitude.

daxle — Mon, 09 Oct 2006 05:26:06 GMT

For weeks I have been wanting to think of some eloquent way to express how in love I am with my friends, how very greatful I am that they are in my life. Because honestly, this is what I have always wanted. So many interesting and beautiful people in my life. To go somewhere and be ready for so many hugs and hellos. I just don't know any other way to say it. I love this. I love you all. Thank you for being in my life!

loudQUIETloud

daxle — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 01:54:52 GMT

I need to figure out a time to see this. Weekdays don't look good. Maybe the weekend matinee on Sat? loudQUIETloud A Film About The Pixies "This fly-on-the-wall account of the titular rock gods' 2004 reunion tour isn't about how great the Pixies are. It's about who the Pixies are. Ten years and some change after the band's breakup, guitarist Joey Santiago is scoring a documentary. Alterna-queen bassist Kim Deal is recently rehabbed and refuses to tour without twin Kelly by her side. Songwriter and singer Charles Thompson, is getting divorced, getting remarried, and becoming a father. And drummer David Lovering is in really bad shape - his father has inoperable cancer. Old dysfunctional habits die hard - "We don't talk to each other that much," Deal observes - but touring and performing just might pull everyone together, after all. Of course, the performance footage is fantastic, and the filmmakers make clear how girl rockers worship Deal. But the real draw is the insight into the group's dynamic, heretofore shaded in mystery despite the best efforts of Spin. The scene of Lovering's inevitable meltdown , onstage during "Vamos" - is a shining moment in the rock-doc genre." -- Marrit Ingman, Austin Chronicle. Directed by Steven Cantor & Matthew Galkin. Cast: Charles Thompson (Frank Black), Kim Deal, Kelly Deal, Joey Santiago & David Lovering. Check it all out along with the trailer at www.loudquietloud.com. Running time: 82 mins. Show times: Nightly at 6:15, 8:00, 9:40. Additional Sat, Sun & Wed mats at (2:30) & 4:30.

just sayin'

daxle — Sun, 01 Oct 2006 02:39:16 GMT

I am currently relaxed, relieved, greatful, and happy. For the record. Just so you know. -and- I hope you'll all be at bass libration, because I assure you I am going for you guys, not the bass.

Friday night Richter Scales

daxle — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 17:48:12 GMT

Our very own Gothscoutmaster Brian is performing, and I am going. Anyone wanna come with me? and perhaps some further debauchery afterwards... what else is going on Friday night? "Please join us at the Noe Valley Ministries on Sep 29th when the Richter Scales have their first annual CD release party. That's right. Our CD will finally be finished and ready for human consumption, hopefully by September 29th. That's a good three years in the making, so it better be good. Friday September 29th 8 pm FREE! Noe Valley Ministries 1021 Sanchez St. San Francisco CA 94114 For more info: www.richterscales.com"

when i say dance you best dance motherfucker!

daxle — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 06:11:52 GMT

sometimes it helps to remember who you were where you were vs. where you are now and what's different and what's not and what seemed like the end of the world but wasn't but sometimes you have to just shut up and dance

Relationship Addiction: Is it Love?

daxle — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 05:44:26 GMT

I don't agree with all of this but it's some interesting reading http://theemergencesite.com/Tech/TechIssues-Relationship-Addiction.htm

heart cooks brain

daxle — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 05:09:16 GMT

[this song has been haunting me for years now... one of my all time favorites] Slow walk It's land mine It's coal mine It's a bad thought On the way to god don't know my brain's the burger and my heart's the coal I'm trying to get my head clear i push things out through my mouth i get refilled through my ears i'm on my way to god don't know or even care my brain's the weak heart, and my heart's the long stairs Inland from Vancouver shore the ravens and the seagulls push each other inward and outward inward and outward in this place that i call home my brain's the cliff, and my heart's the bitter buffalo my heart's the bitter buffalo we tore one down, and erected another there the match of the century: absence versus thin air on the way to god don't know my brain's the burger and my heart's the coal on this life that we call home the years go fast and the days go so slow -modest mouse

I needed this reminder

daxle — Tue, 19 Sep 2006 06:57:11 GMT

The only way I could be doing this wrong, is to think that it needs to be some other way. This is my mediation.

aloneness

daxle — Tue, 19 Sep 2006 01:51:07 GMT

How much time do you spend alone? Not on the internet or on the phone. What sorts of activities can you do where you're really aware of your aloneness? Reading and movies can leave you essentially unaware. What's valuable about being alone? Time to think? Can you think while you're engaged in other activities? What if you're already completely exhausted by your level of thinking?

Need Recommendations

daxle — Fri, 15 Sep 2006 16:42:32 GMT

So I am being a bit slow about keeping up with my goals to meditate and do yoga more often. I am looking for recommendations for a cool sangha to meditate with in the east bay, preferably near north oakland. Also looking for a Yoga studio nearby. I prefer hatha but I'm open to ashtanga. I've tried Funky Door (not going back) and Inner Heat (might go back).

Ouch

daxle — Thu, 14 Sep 2006 17:36:26 GMT

A lot of things in life are like that thing where the Zen Master slaps their disciple upside the head. I was ironing and I burnt my finger. I thought to myself "maybe I should step out of my head and pay attention to what I'm doing here". Then I launched right back into thinking about something. Then, I burnt my leg (I was doing this on the floor). The universe was like "No really, shut the fuck up!"

Roller Derby!

daxle — Wed, 13 Sep 2006 17:36:51 GMT