Showing posts with label media. Show all posts
Showing posts with label media. Show all posts

Thursday, February 12, 2009

City From Below!



"The city has emerged in recent years as an indispensable concept for many of the struggles for social justice we are all engaged in - it's a place where theory meets practice, where the neighborhood organizes against global capitalism, where unequal divisions based on race and class can be mapped out block by block and contested, where the micropolitics of gender and sexual orientation are subject to metropolitan rearticulation, where every corner is a potential site of resistance and every vacant lot a commons to be reclaimed, and, most importantly, a place where all our diverse struggles and strategies have a chance of coming together into something greater. In cities everywhere, new social movements are coming into being, hidden histories and herstories are being uncovered, and unanticipated futures are being imagined and built - but so much of this knowledge remains, so to speak, at street-level. We need a space to gather and share our stories, our ideas and analysis, a space to come together and rethink the city from below."

THEMES TO BE CONSIDERED

* Gentrification/uneven development
* Policing and incarceration
* Tenants rights/housing as a right
* Public transit
* Urban worker's rights
* Foreclosures/financial crisis
* Public education
* Slots/casinos/regressive taxation
* Cultural gentrification
* Underground economies
* Reclaiming public space
* The right to the city
* Squatting/Contesting Property Rights
* Urban sustainability


Read more - get excited - submit proposals!

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Active in Oakland



Tuesday morning I went with my housemate Gabriel, the Campaign Director for Colorofchange.org, to the District Attorney's office in Oakland to hand in about 21,000 signatures demanding an explanation why not all offending officers in the Oscar Grant murder case have been charged (or at least investigated).

There was a great amount of media coverage, and those who participated in the action feel that it was very successful. Scope us these two videos:

ABC 7 KGO-TV

KTVU

I met some great people during this action (CAPE, Ella Baker), and I hope to become more involved with social justice organizations during my time in the Bay Area. I miss being out and about organizing and participating in actions - fighting the good fight. Hopefully some sort of internship could turn into some sort of paid job over time...

xo
Carla

Friday, January 30, 2009

new-to-me comic!

I love comics. I'm still very new to this one. it's challenging and the author is at times painfully self-deprecating, but it's well-done. enjoy.

xo
Carla

Monday, January 19, 2009

8 Years in 8 Minutes

Is it Tuesday yet?



We've got a mess to clean up, people!

Thanks for sharing, Aaron.

xoxo
Mrs. Olbermann

The Fierce Urgency of Now!

"Now is the time to make real the promises of Democracy!"

Let the good Doctor move you...



remember: today is not a day off, it's a day on!

xoxo
carla

Friday, January 16, 2009

Sex and Candy



new blog added to the blogroll:

Sugar Daddy Blog

very interesting blog from a dating website for you if you are (or want to be):
a sugar daddy, sugar mama, or sugar baby

check it out!

xoxo
carla

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Excellent Blogs




These two blogs are my new favorites:

Letters from Johns

Letters from Working Girls

It's been a while since I've posted about the sex industry. One of the main reasons I moved to California was to become more involved in sex workers' rights movements that are kicking ass here in the Bay Area.

I've been making contacts that will hopefully prove valuable. I'm just so broke now that I've had to put the social justice issues on the backburner while I try to find work to pay the bills (without working the red light).

love to love to love ya
'la

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Starbucks, GOOD, and Consumption...




Oh, hi there!

On Sunday afternoon I was walking around downtown San Francisco with two friends. One wanted Starbucks brand coffee (no other coffee would suffice), so we stopped in one of 6 Starbucks within a 5 block radius, and while he was up at the counter I stumbled upon a free publication called GOOD SHEET. It's a small folding leaflet that is created by the consumer zombie machines (I mean editors) at GOOD.

GOOD is a total facade for a group of greenwashed lying corporations that appease both the zombie consumer and the not-so-harsh critics for being edgy, trendy, hip, and eco-friendly (hey - it's published on 45% post-consumer recycled paper, and the offset their emissions!). It is self-described as "a collaboration of individuals, businesses, and nonprofits pushing the world forward. Since 2006 we've been making a magazine, videos, and events for people who give a damn."

The GOOD SHEET No. 011 (Nov 20-26, 2008) was a post-election look at the US holiday economy. It states:

"The winter holidays: a time to join with family and friends, give thanks, celebrate, and get out the plastic and cash. We are a nation of consumers and we consme the most in November and December - in those two months, the retail profits come rolling in."


It has a bunch of great receipt-inspired graphics that give facts about what consumers are consuming in the holiday season (131 million pounds of eggnog, 67 million turkeys...) and the amount of debt it causes the consumer (12.8 billion in new debt in 2007).

But it treats it as normal, and beyond that - as a great way to stimulate the economy in these uneasy times of recession.

How long can we continue to support this failing system of beg, borrow, and steal? I know I'm the paranoid idealist anarcho-feminist conspiracy theorist who is always struggling with living in a world full of contradictions... but I know I'm not alone in feeling like I want to watch it all crash and burn!

Maybe...
...I read too much.
...I'll build my off-the-grid hut in the woods, be a farmer, and make bicycles and babies.
...I should become a barista at Starbucks, or work at Whole Foods (ha!)
...You should help me light some fires to get this crash-and-burn started!

xoxo
'la

through rose-colored lenses

I was reading Jesse's blog and was simultaneously impressed and horrified by his latest post about Sekai Camera, which is a mind-blowing app for iPhone.

I was on a date the other night (hubba hubba) and the dude's friends kept checking their phones and looking up directions to a place around the corner (literally around the corner). I kept turning their phones over and telling them to enjoy life (real life) because we only get one (in my opinion).

But I guess very soon "real life" will be considered one through rose-colored lenses, brought to us by some techno wizards for a pretty penny.

<3
carla

p.s. now I have 'send me an angel' stuck in my head...

Monday, September 1, 2008

Well, That Happened




I want things like this to keep happening to the McCain/Palin team...

Their platform is amazing:

kill more brown people!

don't worry, oil will last forever!

Pregnant? No problem! Babies for everyone!

and don't forget... win more Beauty Pageants!

Sunday, August 31, 2008

Sex Workers are People, Too.

Dear New York Post,

Fuck you.

Love,
Carla

Yogurt!

I love yogurt so very much.

Hot, cold, salty, sweet, with dill, with garlic, with honey, strained, or liquidy - I could eat it at every meal. Sometimes I do.

This video is on point and I want you to watch it.




Did I really just blog about yogurt? Inspired by the PDD.

Love,
Yo Yo Ma

Wake Up, America!

The video below made me cry not only because it's a powerful speech, but also because it made me really worried about the future.

What if McCain wins? I'll probably need to renounce citizenship and move far far away. Seriously.

What if Obama wins? Will things change? It's all such a game and I'm sick of it.



xoxo
c

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Olneyville Needs You!


Every August I send an ask letter for donations to a specific cause. This year I am asking you to donate to English for Action, a 501(c)3 in the neighborhood of Olneyville in Providence, RI. My birthday is coming up, and I'm moving to California in November. If you were thinking of getting me a gift, please donate to EFA instead.

I have worked at EFA for two full years. I was hired as the coordinator of the arts-based child-care mentoring program (Nuestra Escuela / Our School) for the children of adult English learners. My weeknights for the past two years have been spent sharing wisdom, knowledge, and art with amazing youth in my community. I have never worked in a more peace-filled and imagination-inspired child-care program in my 12 years of experience. It's more than work - EFA is family to me now.

It was recently discovered that the organization was in a serious financial crisis. Federal and State budget cuts to education programs have dramatically affected our income, and the income of our major funders.

With the jarring news that EFA might have to lay off the entire staff and possibly close most or all services, the Staff, Board, and Learner community took immediate action. We did some rearranging of positions and roles. We cut our budget by 1/3. We created clearly defined financial goals for the next year. We rallied the support of our grassroots sister organizations in Providence. We have all been volunteering our free time to ensure that the few paid staff members remaining don't burn out. My new position at EFA is the Interim President of the Board of Directors, and my major duty is acting as a pro-bono Development Director to seek grant money.

While we are all busy working nights and weekends for the financial stability of EFA, we are simultaneously planning for another year of high-quality programming, including Participatory-based adult ESOL classes, arts-based child-care, native language literacy, health services, a food bank, free library, the action committee, and other blossoming partnerships with community organizations. The Action Committee (formally recognized by peer organizations as an outstanding group) recently had a very successful grassroots event to raise money, food, and basic supplies for the families of ICE detainees here in Rhode Island.

Our classes operate evenings at a nearby elementary school which has a beautiful saying painted along the entire exterior wall: "It Takes a Village to Raise a Child." We all know that nobody can truly succeed without love and support from a community of friends and family. The same is true for EFA. We cannot continue our necessary and passionate work without your financial support.

I have a personal goal of raising $1,000 through friends and family by September 9th. This money will go directly to the ESOL program expenses, including supplies, books, trainings, and ensuring that it is staffed. Staff members are dedicated lovers of education who come from all walks of life, and strive to apply the holistic mission of EFA to the ESOL program while constantly improving the measurable outcomes of the program.

Our methods are proven to be effective, and our mission is unique. We are a valued and valuable organization and we need your help!

Please donate via this link, or by mailing a check to the address below.

English for Action
PO Box 29405
Providence, RI
02909

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

INOPERAbLE in NYC

My very good friend Nick is hosting this dope event:



I might take a rideshare to NYC after work tomorrow and stay up all night with the Austrians and then catch a train back to PVD to be back at work at 11am.

here's some more info:

„INOPERAbLE in NĂ¼ York"
July 10th, 6pm-1am, ONE NIGHT ONLY
Alphabeta, 70 Greenpoint ave. Brooklyn
(Greenpoint Stop on G, or Short walk from Bedford Stop on L)

We are going to welcome our clever foreign friends (can pockets on lederhosen?) with a bang, so we're giving them the good ol' hot dog and beer suckerpunch.

What you can expect:


* An art show and installation of work by street and graffiti artists you've never seen on this side of the pond.

* Live painting in the huge outdoor back area 6pm to 11pm, featuring Nychos, Maggot, Knochen, Holy Sin, DNM, I Love Ally, & Franke

* Ultra cheap hot dogs (til Midnight) and BEER (forever), like we promised.

* GRL (yes, graffiti research lab has an Austrian contingent) killin it live with their 'Drip Sessions' at 11:30pm.

* DJ Stereotyp and Boundless' own Tes Uno on the decks, ALL NIGHT LONG.

* Room to dance if you wanna, because you will.

* A silent auction on the artwork.

* Photos by the infamous Texas from the New Pop.

* The flyer image was made into hand screenprinted, numbered posters by Atzgerei, and you can buy one at the party for cheap if the art is too spensi for you.

* It's walking distance from Bedford, really...


Whats not to love? Come chill with the paint splattered family, discover new art and see Brooklyn's only spot to buy cans.

All you gotta do is RSVP here and show up. There is a $5 suggested donation at the door, but you get a ticket good for a beer or a hot dog FREE if you throw down, and it's an optional show of support.

21 and over get a wristband and can drink. 21 and under get dogs and hugs. We'll be there all night kids.

Spray paint sponsored by Plutonium G. Special thanks to Anonymous gallery.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Since They Asked So Nicely...



Hi Carla,

As you may know, this month we are trying to reach every nonprofit
organization in the country to invite them to post their jobs and
volunteer opportunities on Idealist.org.

The biggest challenge we face in doing this, is that after 12 years of
promoting Idealist solely by word of mouth (we've never had any money
for advertising or marketing) we are suffering from a classic 'network
effect' - in some places we are very well known, while in other places
no one knows us, and therefore no one knows us…

At the bottom of this email you can see the number of nonprofit job
postings we’ve had so far this month, state by state. As you can see,
we could be doing better in Rhode Island :-)

And this is why I am writing you: to really jumpstart Idealist in
Rhode Island we need your help.

Are there any mailing lists in the state where you could post this
message? If you blog, or if you use Facebook or Twitter or any other
networking tool, can you give Idealist a plug and invite your friends
to join us?

Lastly, if you want to do more, let me know and we'll put together a
team of people who want to help share Idealist in Rhode Island.

Thanks in advance for your support, and all the best!

Ami Dar
Executive Director
http://www.idealist.org

Job postings on Idealist.org, June 1-17, 2008

NY - 1816
CA - 901
MA - 855
DC - 719
IL - 334
WA - 323
MD - 260
PA - 254
VA - 201
OR - 157
NJ - 146
TX - 116
FL - 111
MN - 86
OH - 84
CT - 78
CO - 74
NC - 70
AZ - 60
GA - 60
WI - 58
MI - 45
MO - 36
ME - 34
IA - 32
LA - 30
VT - 30
TN - 25
NM - 25
KS - 24
NV - 24
DE - 22
Rhode Island - 21
AK - 18
NH - 18
OK - 18
MS - 15
MT - 15
IN - 13
SC - 8
UT - 7
KY - 6
AL - 6
NE - 6
WV - 4
ID - 4
AR - 4
HI - 3
SD - 2
ND - 2
WY - 1

For more details, here is two-minute video about why Idealist.org is a
great place to post a nonprofit job.

cars are for idiots!



Nick is in town from Vienna, where he has his art gallery, INOPERAbLE!

He is hosting a show of some Austrian artists in NYC. I'm having trouble finding a flyer for it, but when I do, I'll let you know.

bikelove,
Cyclocross Carla

P.S. That's him bike-skiing in the video.

P.P.S. The revolution will not be motorized.

Monday, June 16, 2008

Coming Soon...



...a reflection on Lil Wayne's new album, "Tha Carter III"

The most anticipated album has dropped.

Please have a listen.

I need a little more time to gather my thoughts.

"If hip hop is dead I am the embalming fluid"

Weezy is on some other shit.

xoxo
lil c