Bigger and Better Things

It’s time to relocate this weblog and buy the URL already. More culture commentary can be found here:

http://emilygoligoski.com/

Monterey Triathlon Prep

Tomorrow marks our third week of practice with Team in Training for the Monterey Triathlon in September–thankfully it’s not a swim in the Bay just yet, but I want to kick off the most important part of the race: raising money for people with leukemia and lymphoma. 

I haven’t done a triathlon in the past, oh, ten years, but I figure there’s no better way to honor my late cousin Julia’s life than getting out there and trying something crazy that also helps other people. She was always quick to break into a wacky dance or run, and she’d love the idea of meeting a bunch of people around you to do something unexpected (such as say, an Olympic distance tri). And if there were costumes involved..well, forget about it. You can see a little tribute of her here on Current.

Team in Training supports research for blood cancers that are a bit different from the kind that Julia had, but I’m participating with thoughts of her and the 823,000 Americans currently in need of cures for leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. My teammates and I are going to be training around the Bay Area this summer to offer hope, support, and, of course, funds for people with these diseases. I hope you can help (even if it’s with a comment). 

I’ll keep it updated with photos of myself (hopefully upright) on the bike and run. Donations are tax deductible and enable life-saving research. I cannot tell you how much the help is appreciated.

And now, off to the races.

Flyaway Productions featured in Bitch Mag

As a longtime reader of Bitch Magazine’s commentary on popular culture, academics and media, I’m excited that a piece I wrote about SF arial dance troupe Flyaway Productions last year landed in their pages. Choreographer Jo Kreiter’s performers have an ethereal quality and are breathtaking to watch, even (or especially) above Chinese donut shops in the Mission. See the magazine’s latest Genesis issue–it’s a great tribute to Bay Area dance pioneer Kreiter’s vision.

Never Make a Pretty Woman Your Wife

This week brought the Embarcadero opening of the film Surfwise about a doctor and his wife who raised their eight small children in a 24-foot camper while surfing up and down the US coast and Mexico. The documentary depicts the upbringing of seven sons and a sole gutsy daughter and their recollections of “Doc” Paskowitz, a visionary and somewhat hostile father. The bright design elements by SF production house Mekanism are beautiful, and you can only imagine what a bear this project was to edit after eight years of interviews. The family members’ stories about sexual angst and sharing clothing on the road ultimately make for a fun romp of a film, and it’s just enough to get you on the phone this Father’s Day.

Afro Espresso

Tokyo-based culture blog PingMag turned me onto new designs from Afro Coffee, a South African roaster whose iconic packaging is instantly memorable. It doesn’t take much to get me talking about my affinity for coffee or Cape Town, but this company’s efforts to get people thinking about where the coffee they drink comes from is admirable. As Ping quoted Afro’s Grant Rushmere:

“‘Our goal was to refocus people on the origins of coffee – that it in fact originated in Africa before being discovered by the Arabs and from Yemen, exporting around the world. Many people don’t know this, so we attempt to capture and celebrate this African spirit in our packaging and all we do.'”

Primary colors and beach-themed fabric are used to create coffee bags and tea tins that I’d love to see stateside. I’m not sure that drinking Afro Coffee will people’s solve problems of “no money and no ladies” as the roaster promises, but it’s certainly fun enough to help you get past that. The caffeine helps too.

Ritual Launches New Site

Take a look at Ritual Roasters’ slick new site. Napa location coming soon.

Frida, Finally

My high school art history project research and affinity for painter Frida Kahlo’s work came back when I was in Mexico City recently. The colors! The monkeys! The imagery! But my frustration with her art being on tour during my visit was relieved by the exhibition’s upcoming stop at the SF MOMA this June. Locals need no explanation of why the museum is such a good one with its frequently changing exhibits and a size that’s more manageable than New York’s. They’ll be doing timed appointment-style tickets for the Kahlo show (which is here until late September) to limit the number of attendees at any given time. Ticket costs are a steep $20 but I can’t resist.

Lots o’ Tech

Two upcoming Bay Area events for the gadget-and-film set:

• Women 2.0, a Silicon Valley-focused entrepreneurship group known for its business plan contest sponsorship, is hosting a conference in Palo Alto with Stanford Women in Business on May 10. Frog Design, Google.org and a handful of startups make for an intriguing list of presenters. I’m excited that so many forums are opening for us novices working in this space to interact with the people we look up to (I’m a Girls in Tech fan myself but also able to get behind the idea of the more, the merrier).

• Bay Area Women in Film and Television’s monthly meeting on May 14 will focus on marketing your media and will include panelists from online video analytics and distribution company Tubemogul and PodTech. The get togethers are a fun way to meet other young producers, video hosts and the like. The SF School of Digital Filmmaking is worth a visit even if not for this event (although I’d eat beforehand–the falafel at the April meeting had me running scared). The $5 to attend will be money well spent, and signing up in advance is recommended.

Make More

Had a most enjoyable time at this weekend’s Maker Faire at the San Mateo Fairgrounds. The creators of Make Magazine and the Weekend Projects Podcast I dearly love drew an eclectic group of crafters, kids, and tech-heads. A Lego truck and wooden bikes invited participation, and it was fun to see the reactions hundreds of people had to seeing the visual explosion of Diet Coke and Mentos (my video from the back of the crowd doesn’t do it justice–the original viral clip is much more enticing).

Act Out

I never thought I’d feature Will Ferrell video clips (now that just sounds snobbish) but his recent work for the US Campaign for Burma, a U.S.-based group that works to empower grassroots activists in bringing an end to the military dictatorship in Burma, deserves attention. Sure, I do really like his line about being alone in your room in Toledo and not knowing what you can do to help, but it’s the cause to get one million people to work toward international intervention that really appeals. Say what you will about celebrity endorsements, but this at least invites a different audience to be exposed to news about Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and hear about the National League for Democracy for the first time.

“Carne Asada Is Not a Crime”

Morning Edition turned me onto a colorful story this morning about a graphic designer who used his interest in maps as a springboard for making good Mexican food easier to find. Yum Tacos, a “guide to the taco trucks of California,” could become your new best friend if you find yourself in, Fresno or–God forbid–Sactown after a late night. I’m hopeful that ads from the likes of Iron Chef will keep the service afloat. I love the “know a truck? list it here” interaction.

In other news, the SF burrito eating tribute that David Anderson and I recorded is back up on the Peanut Gallery podcast–take a listen.

Arte

Just returned from an amazing (and art-filled) trip a la Ciudad de Mexico. The Feria Mexico Arte Contempo Raneo (FEMACO), a five-year-old international sculpture/painting/digital show, was a major highlight; its opening night event shed a lot of light on who watches the art market (wealthy whites, primarily silver-haired 60-somethings and blondes with killer calves) and the relatively low number of Mexican artists who got to show their wares among the abundance of Greenwich Village galleries.

Still, the work was fun to see, especially the large scale neon “Spectacular” and “You” pieces. Artkrush, Flavorpill’s design counterpart, ran a great piece on contemporary Mexican art this week that’s worth a read. While Bellas Artes, one of the major mural museums, was a bit disappointing, the Museo de Arte Moderno was the best use of a single hour during the trip. Its size was easily manageable, its design simple and inviting, and its permanent collection (including José Clemente Orozco’s arresting work) worth writing home about.

Special thanks to Ms. Bethany Davis for her generosity and fellow art criticism.

Not Your Grandmother’s Swap Meet

It’s unclear who’s planning this Dolores Park bike extravaganza next weekend, but I’m intrigued by the description: “track, fixed gear, fixed, fixie, fixed-gear, Italian, NJS, Keirin, Campagnolo, Shimano, swap, swap meet, trade.”

On the Medi(ums)

Tuesday and Wednesday brought many a Northern Californian downtown to protest the Olympic torch coming through on its way to the Beijing Games (although you don’t have to come here for coverage–print outlets have been covering it pretty religiously). It was great to see so many people participating in the work of Tibetan activists and coming out to see Archbishop Desmond Tutu speak about the Chinese government’s wrongdoing (I will truly follow that man anywhere). 

On their show “Global Pulse,” SF-based international news network Link TV ran a great synopsis of the differences in major outlets’ coverage of the chaos:

Fiesta with SF Women’s Film Fest Tomorrow

The beloved SF Women’s Film Fest is holding its opening party tomorrow night at Varnish Fine Art downtown. Tickets are $15 for the drinks/short films/independent art event and available online or at the door. The films speak for themselves:

Women + Art = Revolution directed by Lynn Hershman Lesson (U.S.A., 2007, 8 min/work-in-progress trailer)
Conversations with visionary artists who shaped the Feminist Art Movement.

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Exposing Homelessness directed by Kerri Gawryn (U.S.A., 2006, 21 min)
This film tells the story of three formerly homeless women who participated in a photography workshop in which they were each given 35mm cameras. Drawing on their personal experiences, they were asked to use photography to express their insight into the issue of homelessness so that viewers could be exposed to a more complex and deep examination of the issue.

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Identity (Maria) directed by Ana Alvarez-Errecalde (Spain, 2005, 8 min)
Jorge Rodriguez-Gerada transforms common people into icons by rendering them in charcoal as urban murals, delving into the identity of his neighborhood.

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See What I’m Saying: The Deaf Entertainers Documentary directed by Hilari Scarl (U.S.A., 2007, 5 min/work-in-progress trailer)
Deaf people can do anything but hear. But an all-deaf rock n’ roll band? A deaf comic famous around the world but unknown to hearing people? A modern day Buster Keaton who is homeless yet teaches at Juilliard? This documentary follows the journey of deaf artists and performers.

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Love of Indigo directed by Sandra Mbanefo Obiago (Nigeria, 2007, 5 min)
Nike Okundaye is an internationally renowned artist specializing in adire, the traditional Yoruba indigo art from Western Nigeria. She attributes her strength and success to her own early life – losing her mother at six, escaping forced marriage at 13, and overcoming polygamous marriage, physical abuse, and poverty. Nike’s work is shown in museums around the world, and she trains disenfranchised young Nigerian women- in adire, pottery and weaving, giving them the skills to earn their own, independent living.

Baller, Meet Biker

The sneaker trends site HighSnobiety (which I’m pretty sure I’m not, and may never be, hip enough to take part in) featured a photo of these Hyperdunks to my delight. Nike’s new shoe includes bike clips on the bottom that are said to be comfortable enough to transition from cycling to city walking. Send updates on a release date if you catch one (from my office I may be able to see people sleeping in front of the downtown Nike store).

From the Street

The Sartorialist, a design site by a former men’s fashion director at Bergdorf Goodman, features beautiful snapshots of fashionistas the world ’round (or Milan, New York, and Florence at least). Hoodies and stilettos alike get equal treatment, earning the blog a spot on Time’s first annual top blog index.

A New Yorker featured on The Sartorialist pulls out all the stops. Damn girl.

Art + Yoga + Positive Approach to Nonviolence

Common Ground, the SF-based sustainability and healthy lifestyle magazine, ran this piece about yoga as an outreach approach to girls who have committed crimes and been victimized:

“Violence. Vulnerability. Mistreatment…Meditation? No, it’s not a game of which word doesn’t belong — it’s the prototypical path to healing followed by teenage participants in the Art of Yoga Project, a local nonprofit that’s taught yoga, writing and art to hundreds of girls in the California juvenile justice system since 2002.”

You can pick up a free issue at grocery stores and yoga studios around the Bay Area. To find out more about donating to or volunteering to the project, visit Art of Yoga (much more worthwhile than the next seven minutes you’ll spend on YouTube).

Tibet Rally Tomorrow

BoingBoing reported that there will be a Tibet rally tomorrow at UN plaza with Archbishop Desmond Tutu to protest China’s interference in the country. Speeches and “culture/music” kick off at 6 PM. Should be worthwhile.

“*Yes, They’re Real!”

I could read Postcards From Yo Momma for far too long–the promise of emails from mothers to their young adult children really delivers as far as easy-to-create (or copy) content goes. The only teaser I’ll provide is as follows:

“Your senior pictures are beautiful!! I like them alot (sic) better than the hippie one. ps Ali looks much better as a brunette.”

I think that exact note was in my emgollie@aol account about seven years ago.