Busy weekend for the tentacles. It started with a contingent attending the NCPC meeting for 10X(police's designation for our neighborhood). Some highlights include the police priorities on prostitution and drug dealing, crackdown on cyclists, and recent wave of incidents on 62nd Street. It was good meeting the old timers and other neighbors committed to improving our neighborhood.
On Friday night the house hung out at the Van Kleef and then moved to Lanesplitter in celebration of Bussolini's turning the page and moving on to greener pastures. Not very good selection of beers at the Kleef, but the service is great, especially the free lasagna. At the Lane the pizzas didn't disappoint. Big up!! Also looking forward to reading b2's blurbs on the SF Guardian.
Saturday night several tentacles were deployed in Alameda to cover Loose Threads' premier in the Bay Area. The art/music/fashion show, dubbed What You See Galore!, was awesome and well attended. It inspired us to put on a show of our own. Will definitely return to this topic.
On Sunday, we took the opportunity of the glorious day to implement another activity in our ongoing 'reclaim our street' initiative. We hosted a bbq in our front yard and invited many of our neighbors. We started with the neighborhood kids raiding our guacamole and ended up late night downing Tecates with the Belgians. Great day! Great weekend.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Medellin's Top 10
Here's my favorite things from Medellin:
10. Paisa Pride- paisas are the people from the traditionally coffee growing states, including Antioquia , the state where Medellin is located. Love thyself it's an important first step but it can be overwhelming.
9. Pasofino Horses- a breed unique to Colombia. These are excellent show horses with a unique gait when they trot and gallop.
8. Picado Plates- a tray with varied chopped meats(pork, beek, chicken), with arepas, french fries, and fried platanos. Delicious for the first three days but a bit overwhelming after that.
7. Women- hot women everywhere with the unique combination of big boobs and big butts (i cannot lie!). Wasn't too into it after I found out how much plastic surgery goes on and the prevalence of jean ups.
6. Weather- the city of eternal spring, the capital of the mountains. The beautiful Valley of Aburra has the perfect combination of tropics and altitude.
5. Sports- lots of people doing sports, keeping in shape, and the city is dotted with sports complexes. We saw lots of bikers and the rides down the hills looked hella fun! The city also closes some streets during the week where people can bike free of traffic.
4. Greening Efforts- lots of recycling going on, and efforts to minimize the pollution in the city. For instance, they are starting pico plata, a program where if the plate in your car starts with a certain number you can't drive that day. Another more subtle point is the use of local materials; virtually all houses were made of clay bricks. It looks good too.
3. Fashion- they use their own cotton, own factories, own designers and of course own models. My favorite... Velez.
2. Progressive Taxing- this is pervasive throughout city services. The rich pick up the tab for the lower classes. McCain doesn't believe in redistribution of wealth but I do!
1. Libraries- okay, as a librarian, this is totally biased. But the sheer number of educational institutions is a sign of a place with it's priorities straightened. The buildings themselves are amazing and well equipped that work as true community hubs.
10. Paisa Pride- paisas are the people from the traditionally coffee growing states, including Antioquia , the state where Medellin is located. Love thyself it's an important first step but it can be overwhelming.
9. Pasofino Horses- a breed unique to Colombia. These are excellent show horses with a unique gait when they trot and gallop.
8. Picado Plates- a tray with varied chopped meats(pork, beek, chicken), with arepas, french fries, and fried platanos. Delicious for the first three days but a bit overwhelming after that.
7. Women- hot women everywhere with the unique combination of big boobs and big butts (i cannot lie!). Wasn't too into it after I found out how much plastic surgery goes on and the prevalence of jean ups.
6. Weather- the city of eternal spring, the capital of the mountains. The beautiful Valley of Aburra has the perfect combination of tropics and altitude.
5. Sports- lots of people doing sports, keeping in shape, and the city is dotted with sports complexes. We saw lots of bikers and the rides down the hills looked hella fun! The city also closes some streets during the week where people can bike free of traffic.
4. Greening Efforts- lots of recycling going on, and efforts to minimize the pollution in the city. For instance, they are starting pico plata, a program where if the plate in your car starts with a certain number you can't drive that day. Another more subtle point is the use of local materials; virtually all houses were made of clay bricks. It looks good too.
3. Fashion- they use their own cotton, own factories, own designers and of course own models. My favorite... Velez.
2. Progressive Taxing- this is pervasive throughout city services. The rich pick up the tab for the lower classes. McCain doesn't believe in redistribution of wealth but I do!
1. Libraries- okay, as a librarian, this is totally biased. But the sheer number of educational institutions is a sign of a place with it's priorities straightened. The buildings themselves are amazing and well equipped that work as true community hubs.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Food Club
Each and every week, on several nights and in several locations, about 10-20 people will get together to cook a mostly organic and entirely vegetarian meal, eat, clean-up, and connect with one another.
nk2 had fun and if anyone else is interested in going another Tuesday, check out the Frugal Foodies.
still on the food topic nk2 shares this poem
A Terroir-ist's Manifesto for Eating in Place
Know where your food has come from
through knowing those who produced it for you,
from farmer to forager, rancher or fisher
to earthworms building a deeper, richer soil,
to the heirloom vegetable, the nitrogen-fixing legume,
the pollinator, the heritage breed of livestock,
& the sourdough culture rising in your flour.
Know where your food has come from
by the very way it tastes:
its freshness telling you
how far it may have traveled,
the hint of mint in the cheese
suggesting what the goat has eaten,
the terroir of the wine
reminding you of the lime
in the stone you stand upon,
so that you can stand up for the land
that has offered it to you.
Know where your food has come from
by ascertaining the health & wealth
of those who picked & processed it,
by the fertility of the soil that is left
in the patch where it once grew,
by the traces of pesticides
found in the birds & the bees there.
Know whether the bays & shoals
where your shrimp & fish once swam
were left richer or poorer than before
you & your kin ate from them.
Know where your food comes from
by the richness of stories told around the table
recalling all that was harvested nearby
during the years that came before you,
when your predecessors & ancestors,
roamed the same woods & neighborhoods
where you & yours now roam.
Know them by the songs sung to praise them,
by the handmade tools kept to harvest them,
by the rites & feasts held to celebrate them,
by the laughter let loose to show them our affection.
Know where your foods come from
by the patience displayed while putting them up,
while peeling, skinning, coring or gutting them,
while pit-roasting, poaching or fermenting them,
while canning, salting or smoking them,
while arranging them on a plate for our eyes to behold.
Know where your food comes from
by the slow savoring of each and every morsel,
by letting their fragrances lodge in your memory
reminding you of just exactly where you were the very day
that you became blessed by each of their distinctive flavors.
When you know where your food comes from
you can give something back to those lands & waters,
that rural culture, that migrant harvester,
curer, smoker, poacher, roaster or vintner.
You can give something back to that soil,
something fecund & fleeting like compost
or something lasting & legal like protection.
We, as humans, have not been given
roots as obvious as those of plants.
The surest way we have to lodge ourselves
within this blessed earth is by knowing
where our food comes from.
Gary Paul Nabhan, January 2007
nk2 had fun and if anyone else is interested in going another Tuesday, check out the Frugal Foodies.
still on the food topic nk2 shares this poem
A Terroir-ist's Manifesto for Eating in Place
Know where your food has come from
through knowing those who produced it for you,
from farmer to forager, rancher or fisher
to earthworms building a deeper, richer soil,
to the heirloom vegetable, the nitrogen-fixing legume,
the pollinator, the heritage breed of livestock,
& the sourdough culture rising in your flour.
Know where your food has come from
by the very way it tastes:
its freshness telling you
how far it may have traveled,
the hint of mint in the cheese
suggesting what the goat has eaten,
the terroir of the wine
reminding you of the lime
in the stone you stand upon,
so that you can stand up for the land
that has offered it to you.
Know where your food has come from
by ascertaining the health & wealth
of those who picked & processed it,
by the fertility of the soil that is left
in the patch where it once grew,
by the traces of pesticides
found in the birds & the bees there.
Know whether the bays & shoals
where your shrimp & fish once swam
were left richer or poorer than before
you & your kin ate from them.
Know where your food comes from
by the richness of stories told around the table
recalling all that was harvested nearby
during the years that came before you,
when your predecessors & ancestors,
roamed the same woods & neighborhoods
where you & yours now roam.
Know them by the songs sung to praise them,
by the handmade tools kept to harvest them,
by the rites & feasts held to celebrate them,
by the laughter let loose to show them our affection.
Know where your foods come from
by the patience displayed while putting them up,
while peeling, skinning, coring or gutting them,
while pit-roasting, poaching or fermenting them,
while canning, salting or smoking them,
while arranging them on a plate for our eyes to behold.
Know where your food comes from
by the slow savoring of each and every morsel,
by letting their fragrances lodge in your memory
reminding you of just exactly where you were the very day
that you became blessed by each of their distinctive flavors.
When you know where your food comes from
you can give something back to those lands & waters,
that rural culture, that migrant harvester,
curer, smoker, poacher, roaster or vintner.
You can give something back to that soil,
something fecund & fleeting like compost
or something lasting & legal like protection.
We, as humans, have not been given
roots as obvious as those of plants.
The surest way we have to lodge ourselves
within this blessed earth is by knowing
where our food comes from.
Gary Paul Nabhan, January 2007
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Week in review: 62nd Street is a busy place
At approximately 11:10 p.m. on August 12, the residents of the Octopus hit the floor as a volley of 8-12 shots rang out in close proximity to our home. Tentacles immediately placed calls to OPD's emergency number, and after several minutes' hold time, finally got through. We remained on the floor of the kitchen until the police arrived several minutes later.
Further down the block, in front of the apartment building, two cars were struck, with one man (who witnesses believe was not a target) nearly being shot, and a young passenger in one of the cars sustaining injury from broken glass. It appears that despite the fusillade nobody was actually shot.
Two hours later, the street remained in disarray and we housemates remain in a state of shock. Along with the five shots that woke us up from our sleep last Friday morning at approximately 3:40 a.m., the past week has been the most violent I have experienced in the two years we've lived in this neighborhood.
According to a neighborhood elder, much of the problem revolves around the Oakland Housing Authority buildings and their poor tenant screening and lack of controls on tenants' behavior, and that's a problem that can be resolved with some focused, consistent attention and the involvement of the local city councilmember, Jane Brunner, and the police-civilian apparatus.
The following people are our contacts in Neighborhood Services. They work directly with residents:
Also, the Neighborhood Crime Prevention Committee is meeting next Wed., Aug. 20th and several tentacles will attend and report back. Other safety measures we're considering are more sensor lights, a community event, a new screen door for the back door, and a possible evaluation by a security consultant.
Further down the block, in front of the apartment building, two cars were struck, with one man (who witnesses believe was not a target) nearly being shot, and a young passenger in one of the cars sustaining injury from broken glass. It appears that despite the fusillade nobody was actually shot.
Two hours later, the street remained in disarray and we housemates remain in a state of shock. Along with the five shots that woke us up from our sleep last Friday morning at approximately 3:40 a.m., the past week has been the most violent I have experienced in the two years we've lived in this neighborhood.
According to a neighborhood elder, much of the problem revolves around the Oakland Housing Authority buildings and their poor tenant screening and lack of controls on tenants' behavior, and that's a problem that can be resolved with some focused, consistent attention and the involvement of the local city councilmember, Jane Brunner, and the police-civilian apparatus.
The following people are our contacts in Neighborhood Services. They work directly with residents:
- Brenda Ivy, Neighborhood Watch: 510-238-3091
- Titus Taylor, Community Policing Advisory Board Support and Personal Safety Specialist and Neighborhood Watch: 510-238-2384
- Claudia Albano, Neighborhood Services Coordinator Supervisor: 510-238-6372
Also, the Neighborhood Crime Prevention Committee is meeting next Wed., Aug. 20th and several tentacles will attend and report back. Other safety measures we're considering are more sensor lights, a community event, a new screen door for the back door, and a possible evaluation by a security consultant.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Mozambique Summer
I didn’t expect to be seduced by Mozambique this time. I left there for a reason - I needed something other than the routine life of the enxada. But back among those burning sunsets and unknown hours it is impossible to deny that I feel more human. That the lessons of simplicity and human contact which were once habit had been defeated by efficiency. And now returned to this land of deadlines and traffic I feel my grip on beauty slipping. I sense my quite stillness blurred. But...A Luta Continua
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Tentacle to Work Days
I had two occasions of Take-a-Tentacle-to-Work-Day. The first is when the Elder came to my work at Tides for the Momentum conference at the W Hotel is San Fran on July 20-22. As the conference said, it was "an invitational forum where some of the most creative minds in the progressive movement come together to challenge, inspire and energize each other."
I think that Tides pulled it off, there were definitely many speakers whose words have stuck with me. The plenaries were formatted with 5-6 speakers and each speaker had less than 20 mins to present what was the most inspiring-interesting-thought provoking message that their work presents at this present moment in time. The sessions were broad and called: Neighborhood, Wars, Health, Media, Earth, Money and i´m missing one. There was no formal Q and A with speakers but lots of time for open space conversations and mingling. The Elder and I sort of vibed off our debrief each night over dinner as we shared our experiences to the house of what dug into us and reverberated in our senses. Most notably was the woman from the End Mountain Top Removal organization in Ohio (?). Her presentation was amazing and everyone needs to see what the mining companies are doing to extract ore these days-- seriously, they are chopping off mountains, like entire ranges where forests grow and life exists. And it´s creating job-LOSS and health-DECLINE for the folks that live there. Check them out: http://www.ilovemountains.org/. Peeps need to see what´s going on.
Here´s the rest of the conference details, b/c there were lots of great speakers: http://www.tides.org/momentum/about
The other tentacle to work day was with Chris, Sleepopus. We met over tea to talk about how her org could focus more in a health frame in their transportation and land use coalition efforts.
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