Came back from the holiday weekend and had an email from Justine. She’s finished most of the book’s initial layout so sent a link to the first section’s pdf file. She then sent another email with links to five other pdfs of the rest of the book save the last section (reference, how to, endnotes, etc.). Jennifer has tipped us off to yousendit.com, an online email service that handles large attachments. yousendit also gives links to the files, which stay online for a limited amount of time. The first section downloaded fine, but the system was busy for most of the morning when I tried getting the other files. The network eventually opened up and I downloaded them all. So exciting to see the book in digital form. I set up Acrobat to look at the pages as if they were in a book in my lap so I could get to see how Justine set up the two-page spreads. I had given Justine hopeful page counts for each artist, documentarian, section, etc., along with the photos that I sent her in order of my first choice to print to the last choice. I could tell right off that I had asked for too much space for the sections, and realized that only a few of the sections will get 3-4 pages of photos. I am also afraid that many of the 750 photos I sent her may not get in the book. I plan on going through the book with my photo credit file (the photos are in order on that file) to reference my choices with Justine’s. Overall, I like what’s going on with the book. I have mentioned the fact that all the photos might not fit, and am sad to see still more being edited. But I understand that that happens, especially when a small press publishes a full color book. I found a few obvious tweaks right off, and Jennifer encouraged me to look closer and find everything I think should change. I plan on doing that tomorrow. On the digital front, MySpace and Flickr moves forward. I add photos weekly and long in often to check out who’s gotten in touch. Good to see the buzz happening already, and I’ve seen some great art and met some new artists thanks to the sites.
What: Community Meeting to Keep the CELL Alive and Well
When: Monday, November 19th @ 7pm
Where: CELLspace
(2050 Bryant Street btwn 18th & 19th, Mission District SF)
the CELLspace community: anyone who has passed through our doors (or has been wanting to!) to attend an event, receive services, create some art, participate in community building, or for refuge.
Why: CELLspace’s future is in jeopardy. The collective and Board members are struggling to pay monthly operating costs. We need to refocus community support and revitalize our fundraising efforts and collective energies!
The Evening will provide an update of the current status, a gathering of creative thoughts and ideas, and an opportunity to get involved in our metamorphosis.
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A Benefit for the Sustainable Living Roadshow and the Green City Gallery
This Saturday, November 17th 7pm - Midnight
featuring :
performances, live music, short films, puppetshow, eco-carnival game , silent auction and dancing
With members of :
- Aphrodesia
- Gamelan X
- Beats Antique
- Sweet Snacks
- Big Tadoo Puppet Crew
Also:
- Hey There Mike
- Danny Cantrell
@ the Green City Gallery,
1950 Shattuck Avenue (1 block north of University Ave/Berkeley Bart)
$10-20 Sliding Scale Donation
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Things started happening today for the book project. Jennifer at Manic D started sending edited copy over for me to check out. She also started asking for some follow up things to go along with the text, one of them being to contact the artists who gave written comments and ask them some simple questions about when they started and where they do stencils. She also sent me the final version of the Stencil Nation cover, which I have had for a while now. Just wanted to be safe. Went ahead and posted it on MySpace and began to develop a Flickr page as well. I have worked on the MySpace site and have a layout that I’m happy with. It wasn’t easy to reformat, but it now looks different from all the other generic MS pages. Have started uploading photos on each site, as well as over on the Stencil Tribe. Got word that Janet Attard will be creating a window display for the book’s release. Glad that’s moving forward and hope that other artists will be interested in doing that in their cities. Now it’s on to reading the edits and picking up the loose ends that Jennifer has noticed. Also just got to take a look at Justine’s book designs. Only got the first 20 pages, but got a great idea of her vision for things. I gave her comments, design suggestions, opinions, and was told by the editor not to micromanage. Understand this and didn’t have any intention to continue to offer edits and critiques, but felt that I needed to voice some opinions early on to help guide Justine’s vision closer to my own. Guess I’ll be out of the design loop for the most part. I still plan on fighting for getting to view updates and progress (it is my book!).
When the band Blackfire comes through the area, they bring an eclectic blend of power trio rock/punk, activism, and their Native American/Diné cultural influences. I caught them live two years ago at the Women’s Building on 18th Street and was impressed at their dedication to preserving their traditional ways, fighting for their rights, and by their powerful stage presence when they spoke between songs. Their music is good too, with powerful lyrics, which never hurts.
If you don’t know what’s going on with the San Francisco Peaks or with the Diné struggle against Big Coal, this is a great place to find out and get inspired by a group of musicians who lead the way in educating us all about the good deeds that they and others are doing in Arizona. Blackfire will also be supporting other great local causes while in the area.
Wed. Nov. 14th at 2:30PM
In Celebration of Native American Heritage Month
At City College
San Francisco, CA
Free show!
Presented by NASO/SKIP-IT
Wed. Nov. 14th at 8:00PM
At La Pena Cultural Center
3105 Shattuck Ave
With Bug
Berkley, CA
$5-7
More info: After this show (At about 10:00PM) join a march to the UC Berkley Tree-sit to support the efforts to protect the Memorial Oak Grove!
Thurs. Nov. 15th at 5:00PM
5th Annual Richard Oaks Celebration!
w/ One Struggle & FUGA!
Jack Adams Hall - SFSU
San Francisco, CA
$5-7
More info: You are invited to a Sacred Sites/NAGPRA (Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act) coalition fundraising event and concert at SFSU. This is a 2-day event November 14-15th. The concert fundraiser will be on November 15th with three (3) bands performing (One Struggle/Blackfire/FUGA). The concert will begin at 5pm. There will also a be a raffle. All proceeds will go to the Sacred Sites and NAGPRA coalition who are fighting to protect sacred sites and for the repatriation of ancestors to tribes.
Update: The SF Bay Guardian just printed an editorial that voices some of my concerns.
Last Wednesday morning, a large cargo ship named the Cosco Busan, hit the San Francisco side of the Bay Bridge (the first time ever that a ship hit the span). At first, reports stated that the ship’s fuel tanks had been ripped open and only a few hundred gallons of bunker oil had leaked into the Bay. I didn’t think much of the small spill, having read about explosions at the Richmond oil refineries over the years as well as other small disasters in the region (Hunters Point being one of the big small disasters).
By Friday, headlines told a different story. About 60,000 gallons of the fuel had actually gushed into the bay in about 30 minutes. Clean up procedures were slow to start; the Chronicle recently reported that the first five “skimmer” boats responded to the spill over 2 1/2 hours after the last gallon leaked out of the busted ship hull. By almost 5 PM Wednesday, the Coast Guard finally realized the extent of the spill, so a whole day was wasted just figuring out what had happened.
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