Kristin's List: A Guide to Cultivated Los Angeles

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As President Obama carefully considers our next move in Afghanistan, a decision that will define his presidency, we too are questioning what it means to further commit to this complex quagmire. Would a “counter-terrorism” strategy be more successful than a surge of 30,000 plus American soldiers? If we commit more troops will that actually help our original intentions of disabling al-Qaeda? How can we trust a partnership with Hamid Karzai after he rigged his last election and employs warlords in his cabinet? Do we really want to try and reform the dangerous Taliban factions?

The news is barely giving us a clear picture of what an escalated war in Afghanistan would look like. At this point we are left to piece together fractured bits of insider information. Coming to our aid is the Critical Issues Seminar, “Afghanistan: Which Way Forward?” Larry Mantle, the host of KPCC’s Airtalk, will moderate a panel discussion between Congressman Adam Schiff, a member of the House Select Committee on Intelligence and of the Committee on Foreign Operations; Dr. Kalev I. Sepp, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations; and Dr. Reza Aslan, author of “No God But God” and the upcoming “Words Without Borders: Writings From the Middle East.”

WHEN: 7:00pm
ADMISSION: Free
WHERE: The Autry National Center of the American West
ADDRESS: Griffith Park Campus, 4700 Western Heritage Way, Los Angeles, CA 90027
AUTRY WEBSITE: www.autrynationalcenter.org
COMMUNITY ADVOCATES INC WEBSITE: www.cai-la.org

It seems a shame to have to wait for California to make reusing washing machine water legal when, with the help of the Homegrown crew, I can start watering my plants with it today. Urban garden rebels Erik Knutzen and Lora Hill lead the way down the illicit path of hacking one’s washing machine to reroute greywater into the garden. In their hands-on workshop their guerilla plumbing tactics will be revealed and the day will culminate with installing a working system.

WHEN: 11:00am-2:0pm
ADMISSION: $50
LOCATION: specified upon reservation
RESERVATION REQUIRED:www.homegrownevolution.com/2009/08/homegrown-evolution-summer-workshops.html

According to the Fowler Museum’s press release a cup of tea is had three billion times a day. I think I consume about ten of those. As a serious tea devotee I have been tickled about the opening of the Fowler’s new exhibit, “Steeped in History: The Art of Tea.” Bringing together rare Chinese & Japanese ceramics, tea paraphernalia, Colonial American paintings, historical documents and more, the exhibit dares to capture the political, social and spiritual impact of this almighty drink.

HOURS: Wed-Sun 12noon-5:00pm; closed Mon-Tues
ADMISSION: Free
WHERE: The Fowler Museum
ADDRESS: UCLA campus
WEBSITE: www.fowler.ucla.edu
EXHIBIT DATES: August 16-November 29, 2009

Despite last week’s love-in about Chief Bratton and the wonders of the LAPD under his leadership, police brutality and harassment in Los Angeles is rampant. The targeting of area immigrants and youth is on the rise. The October 22nd Coalition will be holding an organizing meeting to plan the 14th Annual National Day of Protest to Stop Police Brutality. Viva la Revolución!

WHEN: 5:00pm
ADDRESS: Chuco’s Justice Center, 1137 E. Redondo Blvd (corner of West Blvd), Inglewood, CA 90302
FOR MORE INFO: (323) 446-7459

Meet up with Ari Kletzky, creator of the Islands of LA project, and enjoy a picnic on the traffic island at San Vincente & Del Valle Drive near Beverly Hills. I think this is a good “starter” island for me, sounds posh. I love that Ari is pushing us to rearrange our notions about public space and rediscover the easily missed “in-between” spaces. A post-picnic stroll through the other islands on San Vincente will follow an early streetcar route laid down in 1906.

WHEN: 8:00pm
ADMISSION: Free, bring food to share & a blanket to sit on
MEETING LOCATION: the traffic island at San Vincente & Del Valle Drive, Los Angeles
WEBSITE: www.islandsofla.org

Under the skilled guidance of the L.A. Urban Rangers, trailblaze into hidden public beaches in Malibu, the ones local residents don’t want you to know about. Learn the locations of secret accessways, how to spot signage and the politics of public and private boundaries. Complete with a public easement potluck, spend the day with Rangers fearless enough to delve into Malibu’s uncharted territories.

WHEN: 11:00am-2:30pm
ADMISSION: free
RESERVATION REQUIRED: e-mail info@laurbanrangers.org with name & number of people
MEETING LOCATION: specified upon reservation
WEBSITE: www.laurbanrangers.org
ALL MALIBU SAFARI DATES:
Saturday, August 2 - 11:00am-2:30pm
Sunday, August 16th - 9:00am-12:30pm
Saturday, August 22 - 3:00pm-6:30pm
Sunday, August 23 - 4:00pm-7:30pm

Join Fallen Fruit for its Annual Public Fruit Jam at Machine Project. Bring local fruit, empty glass jars and an enthusiasm for getting sticky with fellow jam-makers. The communal jam love-in is an opportunity to make up your own fruity concoctions. Last year my sister and I created a special blend of “Bedford-basil-strawberry-plum jam,” a delicacy definitely not available on any store shelves.

WHEN: 10:00am-1:00pm
ADMISSION: Free
WHERE: Machine Project
ADDRESS: 1200 N Alvarado St, Los Angeles, CA 90026
WEBSITE: www.machineproject.com/events/2009/08/02/i-wanna-jam-with-you

With a penchant for showing the works of West Coast contemporary artists, the Frank Lloyd Gallery has brought together recent works by six groundbreaking sculptors who emerged in the 1960s. Attend the opening reception for “West Coast Sculpture” and get swept into the abstract flow of Larry Bell’s glass cubes, Jason Mason’s towering modular forms and Peter Voulkos’ bronze “Mimbres.”

WHEN: 5:00pm-7:00pm Opening Reception
ADMISSION: Free
WHERE: Frank Lloyd Gallery
ADDRESS: Bergamot Station, 2525 Michigan Ave, B5B, Santa Monica, CA 90404
WEBSITE: www.franklloyd.com
ADDITIONAL INFO: The exhibit runs from August 1-29, 2009

Not your dad’s “Clockwork Orange” anarchism, the new generation has organized its belief in a “culture of resistance” for a two-day conference and fair. Featuring such panel discussions as “Piracy and Hooliganism,” “Anarcha-Feminism” and “A Survival Guide for Obamamania,” the first day will be a veritable summit of current L.A. anti-authoritarianism. The second day, a cultural fair for confronting democratic ideals, will offer the sounds of 19 bands, a chance to stock up on anarchist wares and the opportunity to mingle with fellow freedom-lovers.

WHEN: Saturday, August 1 & Sunday, August 2
ADDRESS: see website for various locations & times
WEBSITE: www.anarchistconference.org

Meet legendary filmmaker and one of my personal heroes, Werner Herzog, for the signing of his recently released English translation of “Conquest of the Useless: Reflections from the Making of Fitzcarraldo.” Though Herzog once remarked, “Film is not the art of scholars, but of illiterates,” he managed to write a diary from 1979-1981 filled with poetry and prose about the excessive and insane process of shooting “Fitzcarraldo.”

WHEN: 5:00pm
ADMISSION: Free
WHERE: Book Soup
ADDRESS: 8818 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069
WEBSITE: www.booksoup.com
PARKING: Limited parking behind store & street parking

Screening films in the locations they were shot, the Filmmobile is pulling up in front of Silver Lake’s Music Box Steps to celebrate the legacy of “the fat guy and the skinny guy,” also known as Laurel and Hardy. Featuring the 1932 Oscar winning short “The Music Box” and other Laurel and Hardy gems, the Echo Park Film Center offers its viewers the surreal experience of sitting by the actual 133 step stairway while watching the comedy duo make their infamous piano delivery.

WHEN: 8pm
ADMISSION: Free
WHERE: The Echo Park Film Center’s FILMMOBILE
ADDRESS: Filmmobile will be parked at 923-935 Vendome Street (off Sunset Blvd. at Del Monte Drive, west of Silver Lake Blvd)
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE ECHO PARK FILM CENTER: www.echoparkfilmcenter.org
NOTE: bring a chair or a blanket to sit on

“Do you have the mettle to pedal?” Join other fearless navigators and register to compete in the Echo Park Lake Paddle Boat Regatta/826LA Fundraiser. Pull out all your nautical know-how and crush the likes of such teams as The Julie McCoy Experience, Inna Regatta Da Vida, Aquaholics and Knotty Girls. Go down in history as the “World’s Best Paddle Boat Racers” or maybe the MVP (Most Valuable Pedaler). Even if you don’t have the guns for the race, pledge your support for a team and help fund 826LA’s free writing and tutoring program for kids.

WHEN: 4pm
ADMISSION: Free to watch, register to compete at www.826la.com/regatta/
WHERE: Echo Park Lake Boat House
ADDRESS: 751 Echo Park Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90026
WEBSITE: www.826la.com/regatta/

Pulling up in Silver Lake for a special screening, the Filmmobile joins forces with the Echo Park Time Bank to present “Coming Home: E.F. Schumacher and the Reinvention of the Local Economy.” The 2009 documentary, inspired by E.F. Schumacher’s 1973 book “Small is Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered,” traces the work of communities that reinvent their local economies. Most notably known for their creation of the “BerkShare,” the nation’s most successful local currency, these communities give us insight into rethinking the power of local resources. Get started on your own sugar-based economy by coming early for the dessert potluck!

WHEN: 7pm dessert potluck, 8pm screening
ADMISSION: Free
WHERE: The Echo Park Film Center’s FILMMOBILE
ADDRESS: Filmmobile will be parked by the Silver Lake Reservoir on the corner of W. Silver Lake Drive and Westerly Terrace
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT: www.echoparktimebank.com/echoparktimebank/News_and_Events/Entries/2009/7/7_Film_Screening_July_26th.html
NOTE: bring a chair or a blanket to sit on

A design movement meets cinema meets the wardrobe department. Join the Art Deco Society of Los Angeles for an afternoon of exploring how the looks of such iconic film stars as Joan Crawford, Mae West and Gloria Swanson were influenced by Art Deco. Showing rare footage of Erte dressing Lucille LeSueur (later Joan Crawford) and color clips from 1920s “Fashion News,” fashion aficionado Louise Coffey-Webb examines the origins of Art Deco and its influence on the Golden Age of Film.

WHEN: 2:00pm
ADMISSION: $10 General/$8 Seniors & Students/$7 Members
WHERE: Egyptian Theatre
ADDRESS: 6712 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028
THEATRE WEBSITE: www.americancinematheque.com