Thursday, December 27, 2012

Ozcat and the Community for the Holiday Season of 2012

Being a part of the community is Ozcat Radio's mission. This page is about Ozcat Radio's presence in the community during the holiday season. As a community voice, Ozcat's mission is to serve the people who need their own spot on the dial. 
While Ozcat is a beloved member of the community at-large, since 2010 there has been the specter of certain folks working under clandestine hoods, who go so far as to paint the word "Nigger" many times on Ozcat's community center's front entrance, and to sabotage Ozcat's radio tower and equipment. However, despite the danger, the spirit of Ozcat Radio is not dampened during this Holiday Season!  Ozcat Radio asks that the community stand together for community radio, and to donate towards their non-profit. 


2012-12-07 "Solano AIDS Coalition needs toys" from "Vallejo Times-Herald"[http://www.timesheraldonline.com/news/ci_22144667/solano-aids-coalition-needs-toys]:
If the holiday season is in full swing, chances are Mario Saucedo of Solano AIDS Coalition is worrying about getting enough toys to give away to needy children. This year is no exception.
The Solano AIDS Coalition annual toy give-away takes place Dec. 21 at Saucedo's downtown Vallejo thrift store.
He said there are not nearly enough toys for all who will need them.
"I'm just hoping that people will have their hearts touched and they will bring in an unwrapped toy and help a kid have a nice Christmas," Saucedo said.
The sixth annual Solano AIDS Coalition toy drive will assist needy families whose lives have been impacted by AIDS/HIV. He expects at least 750 children to get a toy, visit with Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus and get some cookies and juice.
Those who would like to help are encouraged to drop off new and unwrapped toy to the Solano AIDS Coalition thrift store at Marin and Georgia streets or at Ozcat Radio Station at 600 Marin St.
They can also drop off toys at the Starbucks within the Vallejo Plaza Shopping Center at Sonoma Boulevard and Valle Vista Avenue.
Meanwhile, the Suisun City Salvation Army is also needs toys to help an estimated 1,000 families in Solano County and surrounding areas.
In a one-day only toy collection drive on Saturday, the Salvation Army will accept toys at the Walmart store in American Canyon.
Other donation spots are at 2701 N. Texas St., Fairfield, and 1501 Helen Power Drive, Vacaville.
Salvation Army Kroc Center, 586 East Wigeon Way, Suisun City, also will accept toys.


2012-12-09 "Annual Mad Hatter parade attracts hundreds to downtown Vallejo" by Irma Widjojo from "Vallejo Times-Herald"
[http://www.timesheraldonline.com/ci_22157198/annual-mad-hatter-parade-attracts-hundreds-downtown-vallejo.html]:
Last week's storm forced organizers to postpone the annual Mad Hatter Holiday Festival for a week, but it surely did not rain on the excitement.
Georgia Street in downtown Vallejo was lined Saturday afternoon with hundreds of people who watched the third annual parade.
"We were really concerned about postponing it a week," co-organizer Kathy O'Hare said. "But it's not a problem. We definitely have more people here than last year."
The parade has become an exciting city tradition for some.
"We came here last year, and we enjoyed it very much," Alberta Barton, of Vallejo, said. "So we decided to come back."
Barton was with her two granddaughters, Maddy, 6, and Abby, 4, who were excited for the parade's art
cars -- meant to be art on wheels -- and characters.
"I love it when everyone gets together like this," Barton said.
The parade featured a few familiar faces, like the Mad Hatter mascot; Miss Tickle, the Creature Quad -- a four-wheel cycle that has a moveable white dragon-like creature attached in the front; and the crowd-pleaser Chester, the Pony, a flaming vehicle with a horse head, which was also Santa Claus' ride in the parade.
Among the new additions were "Cat of a Different Color," an Ozcat-sponsored art car in the shape of a cat, and Andy Pischalnikoff, performing acts with a flame thrower.
It was also the first time for a Vallejo native to be involved in the Mad Hatter Holiday parade.
Norm Turley, 87, dressed up in a Santa Claus costume and rode his 1930 Ford Model A Deluxe Roadster.
"The city needs every cultural event," said Turley, who was accompanied by his 3-year-old Yorkie, Bullet. "This is a great thing for Vallejo."
Jesse Bethel High School and Hogan Middle School marching bands also added to the event's festivity.
The parade was part of the day-long Mad Hatter Holiday Festival. Entertainment and vendors were stationed at the end of Georgia Street, by the John F. Kennedy Library.
At the end of the parade, this year's Grand Marshal Joey "Jaws" Chestnut led the lighting of the city's Christmas tree.
Chestnut was born and raised in Vallejo, and is the reigning champion of Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest since 2007.
"This is awesome," he said. "Vallejo didn't traditionally have any holiday events like this. I can't wait for next year."
Mayor Osby Davis and a Con Funk Shun's member Michael Cooper were also in the parade. Con Funk Shun is Vallejo-based American R&B and funk band started in the 1970s.
"I think it's a great start to the season," Davis said. "It shows that Vallejo is still alive, and that people are excited for their community."


2012-12-10 "Owner says Vallejo Ozcat Radio hit by vandals again" by Irma Widjojo from "Vallejo Times-Herald"
[http://www.timesheraldonline.com/news/ci_22160674/owner-says-vallejo-ozcat-radio-hit-by-vandals]:
Ozcat Radio has been hit by vandalism for the third time since August, forcing the FM station to go off the air at least for a month, its owner said Sunday.
"I definitely think this is personal," founder and owner David Martin said. "They did not take much, but did a lot of damage."
Martin said he and a group of people went up to the station's hilltop transmission facility on Saint John's Mine Road on Sunday morning to fix the battery problems that arose from the first two incidents of vandalism.
Minutes before arriving, Martin said he received a phone call from the alarm company informing him that a hiker reported seeing a large hole in the wall of the shack that houses the equipment.
The security system was installed on the shack's door after of the previous vandalism incidents.
Inside, Martin said he saw snipped off wires and some equipment missing. However, the suspect, or suspects, took no copper or more expensive items, Martin said.
"With the first incident I thought it was a random act," Martin said. "But now, I know we are targeted. I don't know why they did it, and I might never know why."
He said all the vandalism this year could cost the radio station about $8,000.
"It might not be a whole lot of money for people," Martin said. "But it's a whole lot of money for us."
The radio station, 89.5 FM, was founded by Martin and his wife, Katie Martinelli, six years ago. It is a volunteer-based, non-commercial station that focuses
on playing local and independent artists.
"We spent the last six years of our lives on this radio, to serve the community," Martin said. "I'm hoping Vallejo as a community will support us."
Martin said he will report the incident to the Federal Communications Commission.
"At this point, I'm just at my wit's end," he said.
To donate to the radio station, the public can come to the station at the Atriums of Arts, 600 Virginia St., or visit www.ozcatradio.com and click on "Donate."
---
The OZCAT FM tranmission station has been vandalized for the third time in 4 months. This time vandals delivered a crucial blow that, according to owner David Martin, "could have the station off the air for 30 days." (Chris Riley/Times-Herald)



2012-12-10 "Vandals target Vallejo community radio station again" from "KTVU.com"[http://www.ktvu.com/news/news/crime-law/vandals-target-vallejo-community-radio-station-aga/nTRwP/]:
KTVU and Wires

VALLEJO, Calif. — Ozcat Radio, a community radio station in Vallejo, was vandalized Sunday for at least the third time since August.
David Martin, the station's owner and manager, said someone drilled a hole in a wall of the station's 8-by-10-foot wooden shed that contains solar batteries and transmission equipment on St. Johns Mine Road off Columbus Parkway in Vallejo.
The hole was large enough for someone to get inside the shed, and the burglar took two devices used to charge the solar batteries and a 24-volt converter, Martin said.
The vandal also snipped several wires but did not take any copper, Martin said.
Martin said he was on his way to the shed when the alarm company notified him that a hiker on the ridge reported that the shed had been vandalized, Martin said.
Someone had previously tried to cut off the lock on the shed, Martin said.
"We've definitely been targeted. Someone is hell-bent on keeping us off the air," Martin said.
He said he doesn't know why anyone would target the 2-year-old radio station.
"We're a music station with 37 volunteers. We play everything from rock to Bach. We play music that reflects the cultural diversity of the community, and we bolster nonprofits," Martin said.
The station is named after the classic movie "The Wizard of Oz." It provides recording facilities, music lessons, and a place to hone interview skills and give artists FM exposure, Martin said.
"We're a magical place where dreams come true. We're a one-stop shop for up-and-coming independent artists," Martin said.
Martin said he would like to replace the wooden shed with a steel shed and keep the equipment in a vault. He estimated that would cost $8,000.

Friday, December 21, 2012

A New Aeon Dawns

Rebirth the soul alongside all those who know...


Gathering of the Tribes
2012-12-21, 5:30pm
930 Marin st., Vallejo
A Liberated Zone in the heart of Vallejo's Art District at "St. Vinnie's Culture Club" and the "McCree Goudeau Gallery", affiliated with "Northbay Evolver Network"


2012-12-21 "Mexico's Maya heartland awaits dawn of new era" by Mark Stevenson from "Associated Press" [http://news.yahoo.com/mexicos-maya-heartland-awaits-dawn-era-065537327.html]:
MERIDA, Mexico (AP) — In the darkness before dawn Friday, spiritualists prepared white clothes, drums, conch shells and incense ahead of the sunrise they believe will herald the birth of a new and better age as a vast, 5,125-year cycle in the Mayan calendar comes to an end.
No one was quite sure at what time the Mayas' 13th Baktun would officially end on this Dec. 21. Some think it already ended at midnight Thursday. Others looked to Friday's dawn here in the Maya heartland. Some had later times in mind.
"Wait until the dawn on the 22nd; that is when we Maya will speak," Nobel Peace Prize laureate Rigoberta Menchu said earlier in Guatemala, another Maya area.
People gather in front of the Kukulkan Pyramid in Chichen Itza, Mexico, Thursday, Dec. 20, 2012. AP Photo/Israel Leal)

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Gift catalogue



[http://www.schoolsforchiapas.org/english/store/catalog.html?producttype=Mayan%2Bhandicrafts%2Band%2Bart]
Celestial Zapatista Drawstring Pouches (Item 1126). Using naturally dyed textiles, artisans have embroidered these cotton pouches with images of suns or moons most of which are sporting pasamontaƱas and/or paliacates. $11 - $30
Embroidered Baby Sleeveless Tops (Item 1019). Perfect for your favorite baby or toddler, these earth tone tops are great for warm weather or layered over long sleeves for colder weather. $10 - $25

Hand Embroidered Tortilla Warming Towels(Item 1027). These double fold towels are perfectly shaped to keep your tortillas warm. Measuring about 9 inches across, they feature extraordinary floral embroidery and are perfectly suited for corn tortillas or small flour tortillas. We have two sizes available: 8" (suitable for corn) or 10" (suitable for small flour). $12 - $25



Jewelry, ornaments & more made from disarmed & recycled nuclear missile systems [FromWarToPeace.com]

Remember to enter the RESIST coupon code so that the Nuclear Resister [www.nukeresister.org] gets 20% of the sale, and you get a 5% discount!
In addition to this beautiful filagree peace sign, there are bracelets, necklaces, earrings, ornaments, keychains in many designs* – not to mention the Beers not Bombs bottle openers and Make Wine Not War wine bottle stoppers!  (*Tree of life, peace sign, labyrinth, spiral, cross, peace lotus, Star of David, hamsa, mezuzah, St. Christopher medallion, 7 rings of peace, heiwa, infinity symbol, crescent moon and star, om symbol and much more.) 



Nuclear Power? No Thanks!
TOTE BAGS AND YARD SIGNS
With the classic smiling sun “Nuclear Power? No Thanks” logo in yellow, red and black, licensed from www.smilingsun.org.

New!  The colors really stand out beautifully on the black twill bags. Perfect for a day at the beach or a trip to the store (or as a gift for your favorite anti-nuclear activist!)
These are fair trade bags made by the DouglaPrieta Works women’s sewing cooperative, part of a grassroots self-help project in Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico, just across the border from Douglas, Arizona (www.douglaprietaworks.org).

Bold and colorful, lightweight and rigid, the 18”x24” corrugated white plastic signs are great for use at vigils, demonstrations and public hearings, and make perfect yard signs with a wire stand (included).
The signs and bags are screen printed at the Gloo Factory, a progressive, community-centered union print shop here in Tucson (www.gloofactoryink.com). When you buy one (or more!), you’re supporting not only the Nuclear Resister, but also the Gloo Factory and, with purchase of a tote bag, DouglaPrieta Works!
$20 each, your choice (includes shipping; please add $5 for addresses outside USA)
You can order your bags and signs by contacting us via the blog or emailing us at nukeresister@igc.org and paying via paypal on the Nuclear Resister blog, or sending a note in the mail with your order (Nuclear Resister, POB 43383, Tucson, AZ 85733), along with a check or money order made payable to the Nuclear Resister.
(current as of 2012-11)


Gifts and Winter Items from the Ecology Center Store
The Ecology Center Store has plenty of ideas for your gift giving needs. We can also help you spiff up your house with our collection of earth-friendly cleaning supplies. Don't forget that your garden doesn't put itself to bed; we can help you get your winter crops going, or plan your spring tasks before they sneak up on you again. Need help planning? We've got calendars for that. Real ones. Here are some suggested gift ideas:

Hempy's Beanie -  Winter means cold, and the best way to keep the chill off is a good hat. Soft, in natural colors with great patterns, these sturdy beanies will keep you warm for years to come. $22.00 or $19.80 for members.

All Good Goop Healing Balm - Cold, wet, wind. Winter is brutal to skin. All Good Goop's Organic Healing Balm, made with beeswax and olive oil infused with calendula and other herbs, does wonderful things to dry and ravaged skin. Also great when it's not cold, this product is a year-round staff favorite! Starting at $8.50 or $7.65 for members.

Hevea Raw Rubber Duckie Bath Toy
Soft, natural, dye-and-paint free, sustainably harvested, squeak-free... What else could you ask for from a rubber duckie? Hevea's bath toys are designed to be great, safe natural fun, perfect for kids, big or little, who like a little company when they bathe. Bath toys include frog and fish; Hevea makes a line of natural rubber pacifiers and teethers as well. $10.99 or $9.89 for members.   

Schylling's Panda's Pick Bamboo Builders - Winter is the best time for indoor activities and games; Ecology Center now has a terrific selection of sustainable wood and bamboo games and toys for older kids. Try Panda's Pick Bamboo Builders, a log cabin building of the style favored by kids for generations. $30.00 or $27.00 for members.

Solmate Mittens - Hand stitched in Vermont and 100% recycled, Solmate's mittens are available both fingered and un-fingered. Like the socks, they are unforgettably colored and happily mismatched. No one will mistake them for anyone else's! $37.50 or $33.75 for members.

Cork Kindle Case from Eco Bay Home- Ready to settle in and read the long novel with the e-reader you just got? This cork case from Eco Bay is just the thing to wrap it in. Cork is soft, warm and deliciously tactile; it's also a sustainable way to keep your electronics safe from dents and scratches. $45.95 or $41.35 for members.

Uncle Goose Wooden Blocks -  Check out our Uncle Goose Wooden Blocks for an additional holiday gift idea. These wonderful learning tools are suited for ages 2+.  Made here in the USA, these products use non-toxic and child safe inks. Styles vary and include Sign Language, Braille Math, and Classic ABC woodblocks. Starting at $22.00 or $20.00 for members.

Monday, December 10, 2012

Gathering of the Tribes at the Mad Hatter Parade and Party!










Bringing the Cat of Many Colors to the parade...
Part One: To gather everybody at the Cat!

Part Two: Walking with the Cat to the parade

Part Three: KEEPING UP WITH THE CAT!!!
 

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Gathering of the Tribes presents "The End-Time Countdown Party"

Friday, 5:30pm until 8:30pm
930 Marin St., Vallejo, Vallejo, California
A Liberated Zone with poets, 'zines, and updates on alternative arts projects, opportunities, and special year end Tarot Card Readings.
 Bring something for the Pot-Luck! All dishes welcome!!
 Suggested donation $5, includes: Locally roasted Moschetti's coffee, teas, snacks and wine.
 During these darkest days of the year, isn't it nice to know there is somewhere warm and cozy in the heart of Vallejo?

* Be sure to listen to us live Thursdays, 3 to 6pm, on Ozcatradio.com, 89.5FM Vallejo [www.ozcatradio.com]
* Affiliated with the Northbay Evolver Network [http://northbayevolvernetwork.blogspot.com]

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Mad Hatter Parade postponed until Dec. 8th

2012-11-29 "Rainy weather postpones Vallejo's holiday events from Saturday to Dec. 8; Saturday's lighted boat parade also held Dec. 8" by Sarah Rohrs from "Vallejo Times-Herald"
[http://www.timesheraldonline.com/news/ci_22090980/rainy-weather-postpones-vallejos-holiday-events-from-saturday]:
Threat of steady rain and strong wind has put a damper on Vallejo's holiday events scheduled for Saturday - but just for one week, organizers said.
Mad Hatter Holiday Festival organizers decided Thursday to postpone Saturday's downtown Vallejo parade and tree lighting ceremony until Dec. 8.
Likewise, Greater Vallejo Recreation District will postpone its Saturday events at Children's Wonderland Park and also hold them on Dec. 8.
For both events it will be same time, same place - just a different day.
The Mad Hatter downtown parade will start at 4:30 p.m. Dec. 8 followed by the tree lighting ceremony behind the JFK Library.
Later, GVRD will hold its festivities starting at 6:30 p.m. Dec., 8 which include a tree lighting event, carolers, cookie workshops, plus Santa reading "The Night Before Christmas"
Malifrando said that while Saturday may clear up, the threat of rain posed too great of a risk.
"I just felt that even though there may be pockets of sunshine half of the people won't show up because they won't want to get wet," Mad Hatter organizer Frank Malifrando said.
Weather forecasts call for another storm system to roll in Saturday with 90 percent chance of rain.
By contrast, the forecast for Dec. 8 indicates a 10 percent chance of rain.
Another factor in postponement was that some festival favorite participants, such as the pony and dragon which shoot flames, were not keen on taking a chance of rain Saturday, Malifrando said.
"You have to look at the public and people and their perception. If it looks like you will have no let up on the rain you will have lesser of a parade. You can't get enough people and it looks dismal," he said.
"You want to be able to 'wow' the people," Malifrando added.
This Saturday will not be without holiday festivities, however, in the downtown are.
A Steam Punk-inspired Alice in Wonderland palace will be open 1 to 7 p.m. at 620 Marin St. with live entertainment by FiddleAroundcq and Thee Hobo Gebbelins.
Vendors, costumed characters and photos with Santa will also be held in that space, Malifrando said.
Following those events, a Masked Ball will be held in the same location.
On Sunday, holiday festivities continue with a home tour featuring Vallejo's architectural treasures, plus a reception at Dance Unlimited.
The Saturday evening lighted boat parade at the Vallejo Yacht Club was scheduled to take place rain or shine, but club manager Thursday said the event would also be postponed to Dec. 8.
The traditional lighted boat parade takes place when it starts to get dark, about 6 p.m.

2012-11-29 "Why the Art World Is So Loathsome: Eight theories"

by Simon Doonan [http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/doonan/2012/11/art_basel_why_i_m_not_going_hint_it_s_because_the_modern_art_world_is_the.single.html]:
Freud said the goals of the artist are fame, money, and beautiful lovers. Based on my artist acquaintances, I would say this holds true today. What have changed, however, are the goals of the art itself. Do any exist?
How did the art world become such a vapid hell-hole of investment-crazed pretentiousness? How did it become, as Camille Paglia has recently described it, a place where “too many artists have lost touch with the general audience and have retreated to an airless echo chamber”? (More from her in a moment.)
There are sundry problems bedeviling the contemporary art scene. Here are eight that spring readily to mind:

1. Art Basel Miami.
It’s baaa-ack, and I, for one, will not be attending. The overblown art fair in Miami—an offshoot of the original, held in Basel, Switzerland—has become a promo-party cheese-fest. All that craven socializing and trendy posing epitomize the worst aspects of today’s scene, provoking in me a strong desire to start a Thomas Kinkade collection. Whenever some hapless individual innocently asks me if I will be attending Art Basel—even though the shenanigans don’t start for another two weeks, I am already getting e-vites for pre-Basel parties—I invariably respond in Tourette’s mode:
“No. In fact, I would rather jump in a river of boiling snot, which is ironic since that could very well be the title of a faux-conceptual installation one might expect to see at Art Basel. Have you seen Svetlana’s new piece? It’s a river of boiling snot. No, I’m not kidding. And, guess what, Charles Saatchi wants to buy it and is duking it out with some Russian One Percent-er.”

2. Blood, poo, sacrilege, and porn.
Old-school ’70s punk shock tactics are so widespread in today’s art world that they have lost any resonance. As a result, twee paintings like Gainsborough’s Blue Boy and Constable’s Hay Wain now appear mesmerizing, mysterious, and wildly transgressive. And, as Camille Paglia brilliantly argues in her must-read new book, Glittering Images, this torrent of penises, elephant dung, and smut has not served the broader interests of art. By providing fuel for the Rush Limbaugh-ish prejudice that the art world is full of people who are shoving yams up their bums and doing horrid things to the Virgin Mary, art has, quoting Camille again, “allowed itself to be defined in the public eye as an arrogant, insular fraternity with frivolous tastes and debased standards.” As a result, the funding of school and civic arts programs has screeched to a halt and “American schoolchildren are paying the price for the art world’s delusional sense of entitlement.” Thanks a bunch, Karen Finley, Chris Ofili, Andres Serrano, Damien Hirst, and the rest of you naughty pranksters!
Any taxpayers not yet fully aware of the level of frivolity and debasement to which art has plummeted need look no further than the Museum of Modern Art, which recently hosted a jumbo garage-sale-cum-performance piece created by one Martha Rosler titled “Meta-Monumental Garage Sale.” Maybe this has some reverse-chic novelty for chi-chi arty insiders, but for the rest of us out here in the real world, a garage sale is just a garage sale.

3. Art a la mode.
The growing mania for melanging fashion with art is great for the former, but it has been a gravitas-eroding catastrophe for the latter. The world of style is ephemeral and superficial by nature. Art, real art, fabulous art, high art, must soar and endure and remain unencumbered by the need to sell handbags and blouses. Example: Selfridges recently strapped a massive effigy of dot-queen Yayoi Kusama to the front of the store in celebration of her new collaboration with Louis Vuitton. Similar installations took place at Vuitton stores worldwide. There was no downside for the historic department store or for Maison Vuitton. From a fashion point of view the entire project was memorable and rather marvelous. But what about Art? Did the excitable hordes of tourists who were sticker-shocking their way through the spotty merchandise have any notion that they were scrutinizing the oeuvre of a so-called great artist? Did they, as a result, schlep to the Whitney to see the Kusama exhibit? And what of Ms. Kusama herself? How is the poor luv fairing after being dragged up Rodeo Drive and down 57th Street? Just as well she is already in a nut house. (She voluntarily committed herself to a psychiatric hospital in 1977 and has lived and made art there ever since.)

4. The post-skill movement.
“No major figure of profound influence has emerged in painting or sculpture since the waning of Pop Art and the birth of Minimalism in the early 1970s,” writes Camille P. But what about those annoying YBAs, the young British artists, the folks that noted U.K.-based art critic Brian Sewell has wickedly and accurately dubbed “The Post-Skill Movement”? Are they profound or influential?
As a window dresser (recently retired) who pursued his craft for more than 40 years, I have always taken a keen interest in art. I have occasionally collaborated with artists—Warhol, Rauschenberg, Mapplethorpe, Candyass—all the while enjoying the freedom of not being an artist myself. I always saw my work as a combo of street theater and Coney Island sideshow. This allowed me to switch styles and try anything without ever feeling the need to create profundity or permanence. Example: I am probably the only person on Earth to have incorporated—back in the ’70s—colostomy bags into a designer clothing display. Did it mean anything? Was it ART? No, emphatically, no! A nurse friend gave me large stash of dead-stock unused bags, and I felt compelled to rescue them, which is another way of saying that I had not prepared anything for my window installation on that particular week and was glad to take receipt of a ready-made prop.
For years I happily free-associated with my papier-mĆ¢chĆ©, my props, and my found objects … and then something weird happened. Artists put down their brushes and stole my objets trouves, my staple guns and glue guns. I first noticed the trend at the 1997 Sensation show at the Royal Academy in London. Enter the Post-Skill Movement.
With its Damien Hirst vitrines, Tracey Emin camping vignettes, and Sarah Lucas found-object tableaux, this landmark show was like one giant Barneys window. This realization brought me no satisfaction: “If art is morphing into display, then what the hell are we window dressers supposed to plonk into our constantly changing vignettes?” I asked myself as I gazed at Jake and Dinos Chapman’s defiled window mannequins. I felt like a professional hooker who is no longer sure what to wear because all the regular respectable ladies are now dressing like sluts. (Which, by the way, they are.)
In a desperate search of some gravitas and some skill, I fled the Sensation tableaux and ran next door to the adjacent, and infinitely more artful, Victorian Fairy Painting exhibit. FYI, the catalog for this strange and significant show is still available and makes a lovely holiday gift.

5. The flight of craft.
As stated above, a lack of skill and craft among artists is sucking the life and the gravitas out of the art world. There are, thank God, still some artists and designers who are bucking this trend and making gorgeous stuff. You won’t find it at trendy galleries or at Art Basel. You are more likely to find it among the potters and craftsmen on Etsy. My favorite artists at the moment work in the field of illustration and applied art: Examples include Ruben Toledo, John-Paul Philippe, and Malcolm Hill. 

6. Adderall a go-go.
 Short attention spans have made art into one quickie sight gag after another. Is that an oversized Tiffany bag? No, it’s a metal sculpture by Jonathan Seliger. Gotcha! Clearly, in our frenetic, technology-obsessed age we have lost the ability to contemplate and are interested only in visual puns. Camille to the rescue: Glittering Images—I keep banging on about her book, but only because it’s so fantastic—is an invitation to think, to scrutinize, to gaze, to stare, to shut the fuck up, to learn, and to self-cultivate. La Paglia dares to take us beyond the high jinks of contemporary art and refocuses our Internet-scrambled brains on the pure uncynical contemplation of high art. Surrender to her!

7. Dollars and shekels and rubles.
My father-in-law, Harry Adler, was a committed, ferocious, lifelong passionate artist who produced a massive body of work in all mediums. However, I never once remember him holding up a painting or a drawing and asking, “How much d’ya think I could get for this?” Unfettered by the impulse to grease his creative journey with financial validation, he pursued his art with freedom and authenticity.
Today’s successful artists, on the other hand, seem obsessed with money. How, you may ask, does this jive with the artist’s bohemian esprit? In the age of Occupy, when the 1 percent are so reviled, how do groovy, liberal, and, one assumes, democratic dealers and artists rationalize their politician-like reliance upon, and coziness with, the super-wealthy?
“Aha!” I hear you artists say. “But what about fashion? Aren’t fancy designers and retailers reliant on exactly the same group?” To which I reply, “Exactly my point. Fashion has no lofty goals. It’s about buying a dollop of transformative glamour and a jolt of prestige. Should art not aspire to more than that?”

8. Cool is corrosive.
The dorky uncool ’80s was a great time for art. The Harings, Cutrones, Scharfs, and Basquiats—life-enhancing, graffiti-inspired painters—communicated a simple, relevant, populist message of hope and flava during the darkest years of the AIDS crisis. Then, in the early ‘90s, grunge arrived, and displaced the unpretentious communicative culture of the ‘80s with the dour obscurantism of COOL. Simple fun and emotional sincerity were now seen as embarrassing and deeply uncool. Enter artists like Rachel barrel-of-laughs Whiteread, who makes casts of the insides of cardboard boxes. (Nice work if you can get it!)
A couple of decades on, art has become completely pickled in the vinegar of COOL, and that is why it is so irrelevant to the general population.

Enough kvetching. Let’s end on a positive note. Not every blue-chip artist today is shoving his poo into tins and calling it art. I love me a little Nick Cave and an occasional Jeff Koons. And here’s the great news: While we wait for the art world to change direction and seek out a more meaningful place in our lives, there are no shortage of chuckles to be had. The landscape of art has never been more vast or intriguingly bonkers. The pretentions and foibles, to mention nothing of the gobbledygook theoretical justifications that accompany all the neo-Duchamp-ian bollocks, provide many occasions for amusement, mockery, and parody. If Jacques Tati were alive today he would have unwittingly blundered round that “Meta-Monumental Garage Sale” looking for a new raincoat. On his way home, he would have popped into a travel agent and booked his flight to Miami.

Friday, November 23, 2012

Let The Healing Begin! (Public Event by Northbay Evolver)

Wednesday, November 28, 2012
6:00pm until 9:00pm
930 Marin St., Vallejo, Vallejo, California
 Suggested donation: $10
 No one will be turned away for lack of funds.

 Sponsored by "Gathering of the Tribes" (c/o St. Vinnie's Culture Club, and the McCree Goudeau Gallery), and the Northbay FreeSkool Network

    We welcome you to a place with no walls, and all are welcome to learn about how the healing process can be upgraded with the science of: Energy; light, sound; color; symbols; singing; breathing; rhythm; feeling; freeing; believing; healing...
 This event we will be focusing on optimal ways to heal life's bruises.
 We will have special guests to inform us on Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), Reiki, Tarot, Medicine Wheel, Intergrated Energy Healing and more TBA....

 Northbay Evolver Network purpose is to create free & safe spaces for creativity and good energy to be shared and nurtured among like minded people. Together we will explore diverse alternative health methods and modalities, as well as how we can work together to implement healing in our own communities, and society at large.




Wednesday, November 14, 2012

2012-11-16 Gathering of the Tribes presents...

Nov. 16th, 5:30 to 8:30
at 930 Marin st. in the heart of downtown Vallejo's Art District...

Luella Hill-Dudley

Friday, October 19, 2012

Gathering of the Tribes presents...

the Gathering
October 19th, 5:30 to 8pm
at St. Vinnie's Culture Club, 930 Marin st. 
in the Art District, a Liberated Zone of Vallejo

Gatherings feature spoken word, entertainment,
and locally roasted Moschetti's Coffee and tasty teas (for a donation)... and a "pot-luck" with locally produced cheese and crackers!
Featuring Age Scott, raptoonist extraordinaire, with comix and rap lyrics.
He is a featured artist on "Gathering of the Tribes" radio!



followed
with...
A Gathering of the Tribes
a discussion circle for the expansion of alternative arts in Vallejo and beyond.
Tune in and listen to our radio program, Thursdays, 4 to 5pm, at 89.5fm KZCT Ozcatradio.com (Vallejo, Fairfield, Napa)

Here are some topics for the discussion circle, plus updates and things of interest.
If you would like to get involved with any of the items listed below, we can work it out so that it can apply to community service or school credit requirements.

 Northbay Battle of the Bands -
We would like to solicit a number of venues across the Northbay for a series of battles in various cities, with an all-out battle in Vallejo.

 Local music benefit album -
 Dr.G. is asking local bands to consider selling their tracks online with proceeds going to either Ozcat or to another alternative culture non-profit.

 Gathering of the Tribes radio -
 Thursdays, from 4 to 5pm, 89.5fm out of Vallejo. Artists, poets, music, calender listings and more.

 Northbay Freeschool -
 [http://tinyurl.com/73opy2o]
 The Northbay Freeschool is a catalog where people can find a free class to learn basic life skills, vocational information, and fringe subjects. Includes various Free School networks in other parts of the Bay.

 1st Amendment Distributions -
 A free newspaper, 'zine and magazine distribution service.
 Ask us for a list of all of our titles.

 Open Mics list: [http://tinyurl.com/7zjg32l]

 Vallejo Youth Commission -
 Alternative arts needs a voice on this community organization.

 Ozcat and V-CAT -
 Would you like to learn how to produce Indy Media?

 --
 You are in the Gathering of the Tribes.
 You exist under your own authority.
 This is your gathering.


2012-10-19 "Vote 4 Age!"

the Gathering oft he Tribes is pleased to have been the scene for the announcment of the "Age Scott 4 Prez" campaign!

photo showing tribal members giving Age some support!
On the flipside, the alternative to Age Scott is four more years of the same fascist politics!


Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Gathering of the Tribes presents...

the Gathering
October 5th, 5:30 to 8pm
at St. Vinnie's Culture Club, 930 Marin st. 
in the Art District, a Liberated Zone of Vallejo

Gatherings feature spoken word, entertainment,
and locally roasted Moschetti's Coffee and tasty teas (for a donation)... and a "pot-luck" with locally produced cheese and crackers!

followed
with...
A Gathering of the Tribes
a discussion circle for the expansion of alternative arts in Vallejo and beyond.
Tune in and listen to our radio program, Thursdays, 4 to 5pm, at 89.5fm KZCT Ozcatradio.com (Vallejo, Fairfield, Napa)

Here are some topics for the discussion circle, plus updates and things of interest.
If you would like to get involved with any of the items listed below, we can work it out so that it can apply to community service or school credit requirements.

 Northbay Battle of the Bands -
We would like to solicit a number of venues across the Northbay for a series of battles in various cities, with an all-out battle in Vallejo.

 Local music benefit album -
 Dr.G. is asking local bands to consider selling their tracks online with proceeds going to either Ozcat or to another alternative culture non-profit.

 Gathering of the Tribes radio -
 Thursdays, from 4 to 5pm, 89.5fm out of Vallejo. Artists, poets, music, calender listings and more.

 Northbay Freeschool -
 [http://tinyurl.com/73opy2o]
 The Northbay Freeschool is a catalog where people can find a free class to learn basic life skills, vocational information, and fringe subjects. Includes various Free School networks in other parts of the Bay.

 1st Amendment Distributions -
 A free newspaper, 'zine and magazine distribution service.
 Ask us for a list of all of our titles.

 Open Mics list: [http://tinyurl.com/7zjg32l]

 Vallejo Youth Commission -
 Alternative arts needs a voice on this community organization.

 Ozcat and V-CAT -
 Would you like to learn how to produce Indy Media?

 --
 You are in the Gathering of the Tribes.
 You exist under your own authority.
 This is your gathering.

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Gathering of the Tribes at Unity Day in Vallejo

Mis Demeanor and Carlos Kelly with Vallejo Mayor Osby Davis

Friday, September 7, 2012

Sept. 7th, 2012 Gathering of the Tribes radio

Interview with Hip-Hop collaborators Age Scott and Blackschear!

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Gathering of the Tribes presents...

the Gathering
August 10th, 5 to 8pm
at St. Vinnie's Culture Club, 930 Marin st. 
in the Art District, a Liberated Zone of Vallejo

This Gathering will feature conscious poet Stephen Pitters,
Ozcat radio show host of POETRY RISING, for poetry, prose, and musicians. (Starting Sept. 15th, Saturdays 5:30 to 6pm.)
with spoken word, entertainment, and locally roasted Moschetti's Coffee and tasty teas (for a donation)... and a "pot-luck" with locally produced cheese and crackers!
[Stephenpitters@gmail.com] [spokaneopenpoetry@kyrs.org]


followed
with...
A Gathering of the Tribes
a discussion circle for the expansion of alternative arts in Vallejo and beyond.
Tune in and listen to our radio program, Thursdays, 4 to 5pm, at 89.5fm KZCT Ozcatradio.com (Vallejo, Fairfield, Napa)

Here are some topics for the discussion circle, plus updates and things of interest.
If you would like to get involved with any of the items listed below, we can work it out so that it can apply to community service or school credit requirements.

 Northbay Battle of the Bands -
We would like to solicit a number of venues across the Northbay for a series of battles in various cities, with an all-out battle in Vallejo.

 Local music benefit album -
 Dr.G. is asking local bands to consider selling their tracks online with proceeds going to either Ozcat or to another alternative culture non-profit.

 Gathering of the Tribes radio -
 Thursdays, from 4 to 5pm, 89.5fm out of Vallejo. Artists, poets, music, calender listings and more.

 Northbay Freeschool -
 [http://tinyurl.com/73opy2o]
 The Northbay Freeschool is a catalog where people can find a free class to learn basic life skills, vocational information, and fringe subjects. Includes various Free School networks in other parts of the Bay.

 1st Amendment Distributions -
 A free newspaper, 'zine and magazine distribution service.
 Ask us for a list of all of our titles.

 Open Mics list: [http://tinyurl.com/7zjg32l]

 Vallejo Youth Commission -
 Alternative arts needs a voice on this community organization.

 Ozcat and V-CAT -
 Would you like to learn how to produce Indy Media?

 --
 You are in the Gathering of the Tribes.
 You exist under your own authority.
 This is your gathering.

Friday, July 6, 2012

2012-07-06 Gathering of the Tribes presents...

Jay Opada, who performed poems from his latest book of poetry "The Night Cafe"


Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Gathering of the Tribes presents...

the Gathering
June 22nd, 5 to 8pm
at St. Vinnie's Culture Club, 930 Marin st. 
in the Art District, a Liberated Zone of Vallejo

with spoken word, and entertainment... art
by Julia Krase [juliakrase.com]... locally roasted Moschetti's Coffee and tasty teas (for a donation)... and a "pot-luck" with locally produced cheese and crackers!
Showcasing wire-sculpture from Wire Works


followed with...
A Gathering of the Tribes
a discussion circle for the expansion of alternative arts in Vallejo and beyond.

Welcome to the Gathering of the Tribes (GOTT), an open mic followed by a discussion circle oriented towards blossoming alternative cultures in the Vallejo area.
Every 1st and 3rd Friday of the month, from 5:00 to 8pm, at the St. Vinnie's Culture Club, at the corner of Marin and Florida streets in Vallejo's Art District.

 Here are some topics for the discussion circle, plus updates and things of interest.
If you would like to get involved with any of the items listed below, we can work it out so that it can apply to community service or school credit requirements.

 Northbay Battle of the Bands -
We would like to solicit a number of venues across the Northbay for a series of battles in various cities, with an all-out battle in Vallejo.

 Local music benefit album -
 Dr.G. is asking local bands to consider selling their tracks online with proceeds going to either Ozcat or to another alternative culture non-profit.

 Gathering of the Tribes radio -
 Thursdays, from 4 to 5pm, 89.5fm out of Vallejo. Artists, poets, music, calender listings and more.

 Northbay Freeschool -
 [http://tinyurl.com/73opy2o]
 The Northbay Freeschool is a catalog where people can find a free class to learn basic life skills, vocational information, and fringe subjects. Includes various Free School networks in other parts of the Bay.

 1st Amendment Distributions -
 A free newspaper, 'zine and magazine distribution service.
 Ask us for a list of all of our titles.

 Open Mics list: [http://tinyurl.com/7zjg32l]

 Vallejo Youth Commission -
 Alternative arts needs a voice on this community organization.

 Ozcat and V-CAT -
 Would you like to learn how to produce Indy Media?

 --
 You are in the Gathering of the Tribes.
 You exist under your own authority.
 This is your gathering.

Saturday, June 2, 2012

Gathering of the Tribes presents...

the Gathering
June 8th, 5 to 8pm
at St. Vinnie's Culture Club, 930 Marin st. 
in the Art District, a Liberated Zone of Vallejo

with spoken word, and entertainment...

showcasing art by Julia Krase [juliakrase.com]
and photographs by Blaze
 
with locally roasted Moschetti's Coffee, locally produced Wine and cheese, and other things provided for a small donation...

followed with...
A Gathering of the Tribes
a discussion circle for the expansion of alternative arts in Vallejo and beyond.

Welcome to the Gathering of the Tribes (GOTT), an open mic followed by a discussion circle oriented towards blossoming alternative cultures in the Vallejo area.
Beginning June 8th, and every 1st and 3rd Friday of the month, from 5:00 to 8pm, at the St. Vinnie's Culture Club, at the corner of Marin and Florida streets in Vallejo's Art District.

 Here are some topics for the discussion circle, plus updates and things of interest.
If you would like to get involved with any of the items listed below, we can work it out so that it can apply to community service or school credit requirements.

 Northbay Battle of the Bands -
 We are looking into booking a venue in Vallejo. The date will be in late Summer, either the final week of July or mid-August before highschool and college begins.
 It is open to all rock and roll bands. Although including alternative hip-hop and reggae was considered, some of us feel it may just "mess things up" as far as genres.

 Local music benefit album -
 Dr.G. is asking local bands to consider selling their tracks online with proceeds going to either Ozcat or to another alternative culture non-profit.

 Gathering of the Tribes radio -
 Thursdays, from 4 to 5pm, 89.5fm out of Vallejo. Artists, poets, music, calender listings and more.

 Northbay Freeschool -
 [http://tinyurl.com/73opy2o]
 The Northbay Freeschool is a catalog where people can find a free class to learn basic life skills, vocational information, and fringe subjects. Includes various Free School networks in other parts of the Bay.

 1st Amendment Distributions -
 A free newspaper, 'zine and magazine distribution service.
 Ask us for a list of all of our titles.

 Open Mics list: [http://tinyurl.com/7zjg32l]

 Vallejo Youth Commission -
 Alternative arts needs a voice on this community organization.

 Ozcat and V-CAT -
 Would you like to learn how to produce Indy Media?

 --
 You are in the Gathering of the Tribes.
 You exist under your own authority.
 This is your gathering.

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Mis Demeanor's Hitlist, card drop, with sponsor

Being dropped at a gas station and convenience mart near your 'hood!

And check our new sponsor: Homegrown Holistic Collective, Inc.!


the Gatherings begin

Welcome to the Gathering of the Tribes (GOTT), an open mic followed by a discussion circle oriented towards blossoming alternative cultures in the Vallejo area.
Beginning June 8th, and every 1st and 3rd Friday of the month, from 5:00 to 8pm, at the St. Vinnie's Culture Club, at the corner of Marin and Florida streets in Vallejo's Art District.

 Here are some topics for the discussion circle, plus updates and things of interest.
If you would like to get involved with any of the items listed below, we can work it out so that it can apply to community service or school credit requirements.

 Northbay Battle of the Bands -
 We are looking into booking a venue in Vallejo. The date will be in late Summer, either the final week of July or mid-August before highschool and college begins.
 It is open to all rock and roll bands. Although including alternative hip-hop and reggae was considered, some of us feel it may just "mess things up" as far as genres.

 Local music benefit album -
 Dr.G. is asking local bands to consider selling their tracks online with proceeds going to either Ozcat or to another alternative culture non-profit.

 Gathering of the Tribes radio -
 Thursdays, from 4 to 5pm, 89.5fm out of Vallejo. Artists, poets, music, calender listings and more.

 Northbay Freeschool -
 [http://tinyurl.com/73opy2o]
 The Northbay Freeschool is a catalog where people can find a free class to learn basic life skills, vocational information, and fringe subjects. Includes various Free School networks in other parts of the Bay.

 1st Amendment Distributions -
 A free newspaper, 'zine and magazine distribution service.
 Ask us for a list of all of our titles.

 Open Mics list: [http://tinyurl.com/7zjg32l]

 Vallejo Youth Commission -
 Alternative arts needs a voice on this community organization.

 Ozcat and V-CAT -
 Would you like to learn how to produce Indy Media?

 --
 You are in the Gathering of the Tribes.
 You exist under your own authority.
 This is your gathering.