Blog

Ho on Haight!- SantaCon 08

J-Rad — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 04:34:18 GMT

Come join me for Santa vs Hippie action in the Haight! Details to be announced on Friday at noon!

Long Live Tribe,

J-Rad — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 04:10:44 GMT

this may be my last post here on tribe. come check out my travel blog. http://www.blogabond.com/jradhirsch.

Road Trip Info

J-Rad — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 21:35:23 GMT

If you want to follow my road trip: http://www.blogabond.com/jradhirsch

My landlord is trying to kick us out

J-Rad — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 04:22:53 GMT

The phone rang last Saturday. It was my landlord. "Do you have a reptile in your apartment" she asked. I do. Katula is a 12 year old stunted ball python that Justine rescued from a friend who didn't know how to take care of him.This is a non poisonous, non lethal, 3 foot long harmless animal that lives in a secured tank. I explained this and was reminded of the terms of my lease. I am allowed to have my cat, Peanut, but no other pet. I asked her for some leniency. She said she would get back to me. On Thursday, I was emailed a notice of termination of lease and that we would need to be out on May 1st. WHAT!?!? I asked her if we could keep the snake and she answers by kicking us out? Justine, on the advice of a co-worker of mine contacted a local renter's advocacy group who told us that she needed to give us the opportunity (3 business days) to correct the violation. She hadn't. She answered that claim by stating that last Sunday at 7am, while in the company of a notary left me a violation notice on my door. Un fucking believable. There is no way that she did that. I left for work 3 hours later and there was no note. Also, she brought a notary at 7am on a sunday? bullshit. It turns out that the law says that she needed to hand me the notice at my home, failing that, my place of employment, and failling that, she can post it and then mail me the letter. She hasn't done any of those things. Bottom line, she wants us out. and will lie to do so. I'm so fucking angry, frustrated, and stressed out right now. On top of that Justine is losing something that she loves. If we're going to fight this, and we are, we have to get rid of Katula tonight and that's really depressing. So here I am asking my community and friends: Do you have the place in your life for a snake? perhaps on a long term basis? We would very much like to keep him close and if and when we decide to move out we would like to take him with us. Cats are an issue. If they are predatory and really want to get in to the tank, they can and will. Oh, and thank you to everyone who came out yesterday to race bigwheels. As fucked up as this housing sitch is, that was a day of pure ridiculous fun. We have a new home for our event and it is even better than Lombard on so many levels. We easily doubled last year's attendance and the neighborhood totally embraced us. The course was awesome and the time and effort everybody put into their rides and their outfits was inspiring.

The BYOBW is back

J-Rad — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 09:44:39 GMT

The BYOBW is back! That’s right kids, the 8th Annual Bring Your Own Big Wheel race is on SUNDAY MARCH 23rd at 5pm. Vermont St & 20th. Now this year we can’t use our old course cause too many of you last year found out about this crazy little event and after 6 years of holding this event, for the first time we were threatened with lawyers and what not. So this year, we decided to hold onto the information a little longer and part of the agreement not to sue was that we would need to find a new course. Well, we did. Undaunted by this, we found a street curvier than Lombard Street. We found Vermont Street. A true San Francisco hidden treasure. So, get your plastic ride in order and lets race! Watch the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFdJbS_gVOs and the official Website of ridiculousness: http://www.jonbrumit.com/byobw

SuperBowl and Big Wheels

J-Rad — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 22:24:31 GMT

So I was watching the Super Bowl yesterday (Way to go Eli) and this Toyota commercial comes on: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iz0_xGrnmVM I screamed at the TV about how they stole my event (well, it isn't my event, but I have a small degree of ownership over it) and got an email from Jon Brumit (the guy who started the whole race down Lombard with plastic wheels thing) who told me that they called him a while back wanting to pay him for the idea and that he turned them down. dude.

Improv Everywhere

J-Rad — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 04:50:38 GMT

There's this AWESOME-O group in NY that does all kinds of culture jamming and flash mob style stuff. This is one of their latest: http://www.improveverywhere.com/2007/08/22/the-mp3-experiment-four/

Czech please

J-Rad — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 17:28:02 GMT

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/24/arts/design/24abroad.html?ex=1358917200&en=d015458ee18560a2&ei=5089&partner=rssyahoo&emc=rss

The Klown made me Doooo It

J-Rad — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 00:27:01 GMT

and what a klown she is. If you don't know Jessica Berlin aka Achtung, well, then FUCK YOU. You should die. srsly. She said she missed my blogging, so here: I'm turning 33 in a couple months. I've been working professionally in the theater for 23 of those 33 years. I've had ambitions to follow and careers that opened up in front of me in a business I loved. For the last few years I've been looking ahead and haven't been able to see myself climbing any higher or staying any longer in the arts. I'm burned out, have lost the passion for what I do, have turned cynical, and grown depressed. About a year ago after some soul searching I decided that the next step in my life was open a bar. A bar for my community of creatively inspired counter culture individuals. A bar that was more clubhouse than dive, a place to work on projects, a place where you could name your own drinks, spend hours writing on a couch, join a sewing clatch, draw on the bathroom stalls with markers provided for you to be creative with. Decoupage materials for the walls to be covered with, Monthly themes voted on by the patrons, a gallery to show off the work you made there. A participants bar. The way my life has worked so far, opportunities have found me, I haven't ever needed to search them out. I've been lucky that way, but it has meant that I never learned how to be proactive about my life. I've been waiting for something to fall into my lap because that is how it has always worked. Well, no longer. I've resolved to quit my job and start looking towards my future. The Season at ACT ends in June and in June I will board a plane with Miss Sparkle Bottom headed for Thailand for vacation and to reset my life. When we get back, I will start bartending at night and working union stagehand calls in the day. Hopefully I'll learn what I don't know about the bar business and start working my way up to managing and then owning a bar as the theater work begins to recede into my past.

Sound of Music Sing Along- Sunday 1pm at the Castro

J-Rad — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 01:16:22 GMT

When I was 11 years old I played Kurt in the Sound of Music and loved every gay minute of it. It was on that stage that I was approached by a Japanese commercial director and my failed attempt at being a professional child actor began. I want to relive those scary years by going to the sing along Sound of Music this Sunday at the Castro Theater. Who wants to come? 10 bucks and we get to dress up. Cause we don't get to do that often enough.. nuns, edelweiss, Verdant glens, raindrops, roses, whiskers, kittens, or just a few of your favorite things. Climb every Mountain

Tribe may not be dead after all- and I love Sparkle Bottom

J-Rad — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 17:16:06 GMT

http://people.tribe.net/markpincus/blog/696641b6-8100-4598-8328-afcaf7d83122 AND I LOVE SPARKLE BOTTOM

Tribe bomb shelter

J-Rad — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 01:46:06 GMT

Just in case Tribe explodes, I've dug a bomb shelter over at Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=5921837134 some on down and make your self up a cot and open a can of beans.

Free tickets to Kiki and Herb

J-Rad — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 03:01:48 GMT

Perhaps one of the most amazing performances you will ever see is happening right now and I have a block of 50 seats given to me cause I'm so god damn cool and they want me and my friends to some and spread the word about it. Okay, the part about me being cool while true is not why I have the 50 tickets, but the part where the producer (my employer) wants all my friends to come see it and to spread the word about how truly amazing this show is completely true. how's that for a deal? Free tickets to see Kiki and Herb. Tuesday July 17, 8pm. Kiki and Herb are in the simplest description a drag cabaret act, but in actuality are bitingly funny, sardonic, ironic, and is one of those shows that makes you laugh until you cry and then you really cry. Because it's me giving you these tickets and because it will fit in so well with the show, the only thing you need do is RSVP with me, show up at the Gold Dust Lounge between 6 and 7 and show up in costume. Think Drag, Cabaret, Lounge Singer, Diva, Night out at the theater, Opera gloves, tuxedos, glitter, sequins, exaggerated eyelashes... you know, Fabulous. with a capital F. Kiki and Herb: Alive on Broadway at the American Conservatory Theater Tuesday July 17, 2007 8pm Geary and Mason pick up tickets at the Gold Dust Lounge, Powell between O'Farrell and Geary between 6 and 7pm. RSVP with me. up to 2 tickets per person

I've created a Monster- byobw follow up

J-Rad — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 16:09:31 GMT

Oh My Fucking God. http://laughingsquid.com/bring-your-own-big-wheel-2007-photos-video/ When I went to my first byobw race there were maybe 20 riders The following year maybe a dozen. Last year I decided the "right" people didn't know about it, so I did some amateur viral marketing and we had about 30 riders, but about 500 spectators. It was brilliantly ridiculous. This year. Ummmm, I think I created a monster. We had 300 riders and over 1000 spectators. The only time I was able to go down the course, I couldn't even get to the bottom because there was a mob of people and big wheels so deep it backed up a full turn of the course. The riders, who usually walk up the steps were forced to walk back up the street. Normally, cars can pass between heats. This year we shut down the street for an hour. We normally run about 5 or 6 heats. this year we had sub heats. We had to stop the racers every 50 trikes, wait a few minutes, the release the next batch. This year redefined ridiculous. I was so impressed with how many people a) showed up, b) came with costumes , and c) cleaned up after themselves. It masy have gotten to big, but everyone was so excited, happy and laughing, that I may just go down to city hall and file a permit and see what happens. the cops were super cool. they offered to help next year even if we don't get a permit. Wow. what a day

BYOBW- Sunday April 8th, 4pm

J-Rad — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 04:11:12 GMT

Next to Burning Man, Santa Con, and The East Bay Costumed Pub Krawl, This is one of my favorite events of the year. My big Wheel has been purchased, I'm in the process of decorating it with black and gold spray paint, some rhinestone stars and a whole lot of gold glitter paint. It's hot. hot I tell you. hot. This is one of those quintessential San Francisco events that explodes in hilarity and ridiculousness. The look of wonder and bewilderment on the tourist's faces is priceless, and actually racing is ohmygawd fun. Looks scarier than it is, but CTP's ankle would disagree. So, come on down and race or just watch. You won't regret it. the Bring Your Own Big Wheel race is back and curvier than ever!* www.jonbrumit.com/byobw.html 7TH ANNUAL 'BYOBW' BIG WHEEL RACE FREE OUTDOOR EVENT EASTER SUNDAY, 2007 4 PM TOP OF LOMBARD ST, SF BIG PEOPLE ON KID'S TOYS NO RUBBER WHEELS HAND-MADE PRIZES FUN! 2007 will be the SEVENTH ANNUAL BYOBW, neighbors and police permitting, rain or shine ... there are always prizes, one year featured tighty-whities with custom denim iron-on Lombard Street Skid Marks and other years have featured paintings, string art, shellac plaques, and embroidered knit caps and t shirts, all made by me. Lombard Street is of course not the crookedest street, especially compared to Vermont Street in Potrero Hill, but with a built-in international audience and scenic landscaping, who could resist? Prizes are given for all sorts of reasons, occasionally for being first, always for being last, and as the race is designed for plastic children's toys which are prone to failure when carrying over 80 pounds, winning isn't the goal here - survival is. This is a free event!!!! www.jonbrumit.com/byobw.html *not actually curvier

BYOBW 2007

J-Rad — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 01:25:36 GMT

the Bring Your Own Big Wheel race is back and curvier than ever!* www.jonbrumit.com/byobw.html 7TH ANNUAL 'BYOBW' BIG WHEEL RACE FREE OUTDOOR EVENT EASTER SUNDAY, 2007 4 PM TOP OF LOMBARD ST, SF BIG PEOPLE ON KID'S TOYS NO RUBBER WHEELS HAND-MADE PRIZES FUN! 2007 will be the SEVENTH ANNUAL BYOBW, neighbors and police permitting, rain or shine ... there are always prizes, one year featured tighty-whities with custom denim iron-on Lombard Street Skid Marks and other years have featured paintings, string art, shellac plaques, and embroidered knit caps and t shirts, all made by me. Lombard Street is of course not the crookedest street, especially compared to Vermont Street in Potrero Hill, but with a built-in international audience and scenic landscaping, who could resist? Prizes are given for all sorts of reasons, occasionally for being first, always for being last, and as the race is designed for plastic children's toys which are prone to failure when carrying over 80 pounds, winning isn't the goal here - survival is. This is a free event!!!! www.jonbrumit.com/byobw.html *not actually curvier

The next phase

J-Rad — Sun, 15 Oct 2006 20:36:46 GMT

It was a year ago that Heather and I split. The year leading up to it was emotionally wrenching. I spent it trying to hold on to something that I thought I couldn't live without. I needed her in my life. After all, we were soul mates. We were going to spend the rest of our lives together. We would spend hours and hours in bed spooning, the world around us non-existent. For 12 years, It was just us, under the covers, feeding off of each other’s warmth. She gave me meaning, quieted the voices in my head. Cleaned up after me. Made sure I had clean clothes, Gave me style and fashion, made me laugh, challenged my fears, got me outside my box. She was Lover, Mother, Partner in crime, my everything, Too much of my everything. Where was I? Who was I without her? My identity was a dual one. Her and me. I didn't know where I stopped and she began. She saw it before I did. She pulled away, slowly over a year and a half. She needed to know who she was. Without me. It hurt. Like a bitch. I compromised on things I shouldn't have in the name of holding on to her. I gave her what I thought she wanted, without seeing what it was she wanted. It didn't work. I tested her love. I fought it. I blamed. I was angry. I felt betrayed. Abandoned. I thought a marriage was something you worked on. Why wasn't she working? Why did she give up? Why was she hurting me so? I was so good to her. I tried so hard. I loved her too much. Held on too tight. When I could finally see it, a year after she did, It was empowering, I cried. I let go. I was still angry, but I let go of "us." Slowly, still. I let go and started to rebuild my life because I had no other choice. The choice was how I was going to do it. I choose to see it as an opportunity. For every door that closes, a new one opens. I moved out. I got my own apartment. I lived by myself. no roommates. Just me. I gave up the things that distracted me from life like TV. I stopped smoking pot on a daily basis. I surrounded myself with friends who loved me. I quit my job and started a new one. New life, new apartment, new job. All at once. What a ride this year has been. I was at my lowest, and now I'm pretty high. Finding out who I am has been a glorious exploration. It seems so obvious now and I knew the words that applied to me: smart, funny, fabulous, kind, generous, but I used to think I was fooling people when they said nice things about me. Like they didn't know the real me. Not anymore. I own those words. I am those things. I understand why. I celebrate me. I sing the body electric. When I conceded to Heather a year ago, she told me that she was so excited to see what I become. It seeemd like such an insult at the time. I was in so much pain, but she was right. She could see what I couldn't. It took great courage for her to break my heart. She was in pain too, and couldn’t see the way out of it with me by her side. Now I am grateful. And now I have a new woman in my life. Justine (Sparkle Bottom to you). What a difference to not have to depend on someone else to fill my voids, but to share with them my joys and fears. Not a mother, but a lover. She's amazing. Eternally curious. An explorer, Has passions for strange and diverse things. Is an other like me, but an optimistic one which is rare to find. There's still a lot to figure out, but the next phase of my life is on. Let's go. Come along, hurry up.

Free tickets to ACT's Happy End

J-Rad — Wed, 12 Jul 2006 00:20:30 GMT

Well, the show I'm working on isn't selling and we have hundreds of free tickets if you want them. This is a really great show. It's a rarely done musical by Bertold Brecht and Kurt Weill as an encore to their smash hit of Three Penny Opera. It performs tonight, Wed, Thurs, Fri and Sat at 8pm, and Sat and Sun at 2pm. All you need to do is go to the box office, give my boss' name: Jeff Rowlings and ask for Comps. Geary Theater, corner of Mason and Geary, SF Seriously no joke

time is moving too fast and yet not fast enough

J-Rad — Sun, 11 Jun 2006 08:10:06 GMT

75 days. Dear god. I'm excited. and yet, I'm scared. I'm at that point that the thing I've been waiting for all year is just over the hill, but oh my god it's just over the hill and I don't think I going to be ready. not even close. I dream and talk and reflect and dream some more about our lovely experiment in the desert. The chatter gets louder as August approaches. All these plans, all these things I want to do. I have all these plans, and no work yet to make them happen. Panic! Money I don't possess to spend. Time I don't have to devote. fabric waiting for a sewing machine. essential survival to acquire. checklists to start let alone finish. Projects to volunteer for that I'll never see through. things from last year separated when I did the same from the woman I loved. Who gets what? when should I ask to go through it? should I not bother with the emotional weight assigned to inanimate objects and just go to the store with a credit card and start anew like my life? Last year was the end and the beginning. What will this year be? New people to camp with. Who are they? Who do they think I am? Who am I? Who do I think I am? with two clicks I have a folder of inspiration I've corralled this year. I look at them all the time. they kick my ass. tell me that I need to get moving or I'll let myself down. I've done the easy stuff. eBay. hundreds of bindis from India cheap. dozens of jelly spiked led flashing goodness. free dumpster finds re imagined into playa gifts. some stuff I found through the year to augment last year's costumes. new hats. but I need so much more. the essentials for living. the essentials for play. the essentials for reflection. the essentials. what is an essential? I use that question to justify why I didn't get everything done this year that I set out to do. It'll feel good at the time, but It will slowly gnaw at me. 75 days.

The Sky is falling! Tribe lays off half it's staff

J-Rad — Thu, 27 Apr 2006 21:37:33 GMT

http://tribeideas.tribe.net/thread/13a73b2b-4032-42c4-9144-90ee7dabedc1#42971175-d5e6-4f47-bfca-078d91b450a0

Just part of living in a city?

J-Rad — Tue, 25 Apr 2006 03:56:15 GMT

I volunteered to baby sit Heather's car while she was in Hawaii for a spell. Having a Hybrid would be great I thought as I would save lots of money and time on tolls and gas and commute. Boy was I wrong. Parking on my block requires a neighborhood zoning sticker which I have yet to figure out how to get, and my neighborhood has alternate side parking on the 2nd and 4th Mondays and Tuesdays respectivly. I got my first ticket forgetting that it was the wrong Monday. $60 I offered my car to Polly and Scott when their car suddenly lost it's insurance, which I thought would save me from future tickets as they can park it in a lot behind their house. Not so. This lot is owned by a parking company and for years now I have parked there without trouble when visiting. After they got the insurance restored on their car, they volunteered to let it stay there until Heather got back. The company had the lot swept and my car (along with theirs and another friends) was towed. $135 Bringing my car back to my neighborhood would turn out to be the most costly of all. In addition to another parking ticket, sometime Sat or Sun, someone(s) broke into the car, rearranged the contents of my glove box into a beautiful Jackson Pollock recreation, opened my trunk, took out my screw jack, jacked up the car, stole my front right tire and lug nuts, lowered the jack half way and left with the jack handle but not before stealing the registration sticker, resulting in yet another ticket for having expired tags. 7am this morning I walked to the tire store around the corner who sent me to Kragen's to buy a new jack and lugnuts, which didn't open for another hour, Trying to use the new Jack was a comedy in itself as the handle they give you nearly bent in half on the first turn. I scraped my knuckles against the curb, but managed to get the job done. later in the day I spent 20 minutes on the phone with the glass guy trying to explain to him that the key was inside the tire dealership and that I couldn't come down because I was in San Francisco. i still don't know of he got around to fixing it. ticket $60, glass- $140, tire and rim- $200, new jack and lugnuts- $50, registration ticket- $40. total- $500 All told, I think I spent somewhere around $700 in avoidable car expenses this last month and a half. Every month there seems to be some $300 unexpected expense preventing me from keeping any savings. I make more money now than I ever have before, and I'm still living paycheck to paycheck, I'm very, very slowly paying down the debt from a much more socially active last few years. $8000 in debt and I'm lucky to pay down $100/month. I know that I should go out less, pack lunch more, and be more aware of situations that will cost me money which is something that Heather advocated quite a bit while we were together. Maybe that's the lesson here. Now that I don't have a financial manager in my life, I have to become my own. I've been very sucessfull in replacing the confidence and social prowess I drew from her with my own, and now that my emotional house is in order, it's time to focus on the financial. Ganesh is not just the remover of obstacles, but sometimes the placer of obstacles that will in the end act to remove other ones.

BYOBW: The hill is a cruel mistress

J-Rad — Mon, 17 Apr 2006 01:44:19 GMT

It was not to be my day. The conditions were a bit slick on the first heat and we all slammed head first into the retaining wall on the first turn. It was comical, which is important, but the crash left an even more important part of my Big Wheel behind on the course: my rear tires. CTP let me borrow his somewhat banged up trike for the second heat, which was more of a success. I finished 2nd to last, but at least I finished. We're all winners really. awesome turn out. thanks to everyone who showed up despite the gloomy predicitons of rain. I'm sure there will be pictures and video popping up online in a few hours/days. Until next year.

BYOBW: last years ride

J-Rad — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 06:25:24 GMT

I found a picture of me "competing" in last year's race. notice the bit lip and the mad stylinz' of my ride.

BYOBW: the sticker

J-Rad — Tue, 11 Apr 2006 20:23:37 GMT

A good friend of mine sent me this. thought I would share.

BYOBW week continues on J-Rad.com

J-Rad — Tue, 11 Apr 2006 00:50:34 GMT

more shots of my bling