It’s not just on Friday, y’all…
From the East Bay Express:
Saturday Feb 18:
Third Saturday of every month, 2 p.m.
free
OaklandArtMurmur.orgA free curator-led tour of the gallery district.
Fun spot for cocktails and food in Jack London Square returns!
From the East Bay Express:
Good news and changes afoot, guys. Roughly three and a half months since the flooding of Miss Pearl’s Jam House, the restaurant is back up and running, according to Inside Scoop SF. The waterfront joint is slated to reopen for Fat Tuesday (February 21), with a newly renovated, modish interior and its menu still largely intact. It will continue hosting live events like Comedy Off Broadway, which soldiered on during the restaurant’s hiatus in one of the adjacent Regatta Rooms. By far the biggest change is the venue moniker: It’s been rechristened Miss Pearl’s Restaurant & Lounge, a name intended to reflect Oakland’s increasingly urbane, revitalized entertainment district.
Or have a party of your own…:-)
From the SF Bay Guardian’s On the Cheap Listings:
Tuesday Feb 21:
“Laissez les bons temps rouler” Mardis Gras party Jazz Heritage Center, 1320 Fillmore, SF. (415) 346-5299, www.thefillmoredistrict.com. 5 p.m., $5 for wristbands. Make it a merry Fat Tuesday this year by going out to the Fillmore District for a neighborhood party of stilt walkers, jugglers, and face painters. 10 Fillmore Street venues will have live music and Mardi Gras-themed drinks and treats for under 10 dollars.
Easily reachable by BART…
From the SF Bay Guardian’s On the Cheap listings:
Friday Feb 17:
A night with photographer Robert Altman Wix Lounge, 3169 22nd St, SF. (415) 329-4609,www.wixloungesf.com. 7-10 p.m., free. Robert Altman not only survived the 1960′s but photographed some of the best parts of it. He will be talking about his work for Rolling Stone and his experiences photographing icons like Mick Jagger and Bill Graham. Come hang out with this all-around cool dude.
Another great collaboration in the Oakland community…
From the SF Bay Guardian’s On the Cheap listings:
Saturday Feb 18:
“A Love Supreme” Harlem Renaissance art celebration First Unitarian Church of Oakland, 685 14th St, Oakl. (510) 893-6129, www.uuoakland.org. 6 p.m.-9 p.m., donations accepted. The Harlem Renaissance brought on an explosion of culture and redefined music, art, and literature in American history. Join local queer poets of color in a delicious potluck dinner and music-poetry session to celebrate how cultural richness and literary splendor have not stopped growing.
From the SF Chronicle Editor’s Picks:
The largest showing of the AIDS Memorial Quilt in San Francisco since 1999. At Noon on Sunday, February 12th, there will be a traditional unfolding and reading of names. The space will be open from Noon to 8 PM through Monday, February 20th
Nice mix of offerings here…
From the East Bay Express Weekender:
Sunday Feb 19:
Art Beat Bazaar
As if The Starry Plough (3101 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley) — the South Berkeley pub and restaurant known for its Irish beer and cider and traditional Irish dance and jam sessions — didn’t already provide its patrons with enough craic(Gaelic for “fun”), the Plough has added a new event to its already robust schedule. The Art Beat Bazaar, presented by the new nonprofit Art Beat Foundation, is a monthly showcase of music, poetry, and arts and crafts. The premiere bazaar, on Sunday, Feb. 19, includes music by indie folk band Upstairs Downstairs, poetry and spoken word by Tom Galbraith, a pop-up indie craft sale, and more. Every third Sunday of the month. 3-7 p.m., free. 510-841-2082 or StarryPloughPub.com. — Cassie Harwood
Lovin’ the sound of this one…
From the East Bay Express Weekender:
Saturday Feb 18:
Rogue Cafe
Last year a group of food-loving Oakland friends, including the owner of One Ninety Seven Coffee roasters, created a weekly donation-based backyard brunch. Soon word spread, friends of friends wanted in, and a bigger backyard was commandeered. Rogue Café (3204 Ellis Street, Berkeley) now runs every Saturday from 10 am to 1 pm, serving items like sourdough waffles with coffee whipped cream and house-made sausage and arugula on an English muffin (not to mention One Ninety Seven coffee and espresso). It’s all prepped in a tiny shed of corrugated tin and glass, and the eating area is a jumble of mismatched patio furniture and a treehouse for VIPs. Perfect place to linger on a sunny East Bay morning.Facebook.com/RogueCafe — Jesse Hirsch
Some good news to see…
From CNN/Money:
Once rivals, these smaller financial institutions have banded together under a common brand called Kasasa. A total of 128 banks and credit unions across 35 states have joined this brand alliance to pool their advertising and marketing resources and offer more competitive products to their customers.
The banks’ customers still conduct business directly with their individual bank (and their account is still FDIC-insured through the bank), but they are also getting the added benefits of being part of the broader network. For example, customers of member banks are able to open free Kasasa-branded rewards checking accounts and Kasasa high-interest savings accounts.
Pick of the Week February 10, 2012
Walking through the woodsy gates of this charming Montclair home immediately the plush lawn and meticulous landscaping caught my eye. Having visited so many homes I know right away that somebody is taking great care of this one and I’m anxious to enter. Inside is a home that while over 70 years old seems fresh and filled with natural light and warm with the gleam of its hardwood flooring. It feels quite solid and the meticulous care that was evident in the front walkway seems to pervade every step. It’s a linear path from the very comfortable living room with a beautiful fireplace through the amply-sized dining room into the large and remodeled kitchen. The family bedroom area is all on the left side of the home and all but one bedroom are up a few steps making this actually a split level home. Travel downstairs and you’ll find much more additional home. Another large sitting room with an additional fireplace and beautiful built-in woodwork sets the stage for the landing from the stairs. Beyond that is another bedroom and full bathroom. And beyond that is a significant amount of basement space wide open for more converted living space or a workshop or just storage. Walk outside of this downstairs den on a hot day and you have a refreshing kidney-shaped pool with a built in spa, all fenced-in, with plenty of patio space around it for your outdoor entertainment. But it doesn’t stop here, this property just KEEPS ON GOING. Beyond the pool is a double set of two-car garages housed together in one structure. One side is currently finished off to the level of additional living space with heat and electricity and is currently set up as an exercise room. The other side is currently used as a normal garage, but the two together must make up another 700-800 square feet, so it’s a significant amount of extra space in those garages. AND BEYOND THAT on this more-than-a-quarter-acre plot of land is a gorgeous additional patio space surrounded by mature trees and shaded from the sun and wind, making this home a sprawling estate from stem to stern where its meticulous care only adds to a comfort level that seems to rival a high end resort. This beautiful property is a diamond and it’ll be open this Sunday the 12th between 10am-1:30pm and 2-4:30pm. Check it out!
5575 Ascot Drive, Oakland— Click to View MLS Listing Info
Friday Feb 10:
From the SF Bay Guardian’s “On the Cheap” Listings:
Ninth Annual Food from the Heart Festival Ferry Building Marketplace, 1 Ferry Building, SF. (415) 983-8000, www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com. Through Saturday. 5:30-8 p.m., free entrance. Nothing says “I love you” like food. Give the gift of a happy stomach to your lover this Valentine’s in the candlelit Grand Nave of the Ferry Building, with a night of dancing and eating. Revel in the magic of the waterfront, sip on wine poured by local Napa Vinters, and taste a scrumptious hors-d’oeuvre or five.
Friday Feb 10:
From the SF Bay Guardian’s “On The Cheap” Listings:
Bardot A Go Go Pre-Valentine’s Dance Rickshaw Stop, 155 Fell, SF. (415) 861-2011,www.bardotagogo.com. 9 p.m., $10. “Music by French people for everybody” is the motto of the neato longtime roving Bardot A Go Go — and that includes a bubbly beretful of cute folks who revel in 1960s pop glamour filtered through contemporary va-va-voom. Live band Nous Non Plus is très adorable, and DJs Pink Frankenstein, Brother Grimm, and Cali Kid bring French kisses galore. Plus: free hairstyling by Peter Thomas Hair Design, d’accord.
Friday Feb 12:
From the SF Chronicle Editor’s Picks:
Black Choreographers Festival: Here \& Now ~ 2012
Today, Friday, Feb 10 8:00p
at Laney College: Laney College Theater,Oakland, CANon-profit Art Organizations Aaapac and K*Star*Productions have joined forces to present a comprehensive Festival celebrating the diverse artistic expression within the context of African and African American dance and culture. The festival strives to offer multi-faceted programming that addresses the needs of artists: networking, mentoring, training, outreach, and the community: affordable/accessible programming, cultural enrichment and arts education
Tuesday Feb 14:
From the SF Chronicle Editor’s Picks:
Valentine’s Comedy: How We First Met
Tuesday, Feb 14 8:00pat Marines’ Memorial Theatre, San Francisco, CALove Improvised! HOW WE FIRST MET, the hilarious hit improv comedy show inspired by real-life tales of romance. In HOW WE FIRST MET, comedian and emcee Jill Bourque interviews three couples live on stage about their first encounter while a team of brilliant performers transforms pivotal moments from each real-life romantic rendezvous into improvised sketches and songs.
Saturday Feb 11:
From the SF Chronicle Editor’s Picks:
Named one of the world’s top ten parades, Chinese New Year Parade in San Francisco is the largest celebration of its kind outside of Asia. Over 100 units will participate in the parade, many of the floats & specialty units will feature the theme of this year’s Chinese zodiac sign. Some of the parade highlights include elaborately decorated floats, school marching bands, martial arts group, stilt walkers, lion dancers, Chinese acrobatics, the newly crowned Miss Chinatown USA & the Golden Dragon
Saturday Feb 11:
From the East Bay Express Weekender:
Chocolate and Beer Festival
If you’re having a tough time choosing from the slew of brew-themed events scheduled throughout the Bay Area during SF Beer Week (February 10-19), perhaps the promise of chocolate will help make up your mind. The Craneway Pavilion’s (1414 Harbour Way S., Richmond) third annual Chocolate and Beer Festival on Saturday, Feb. 11, unites brewers and chocolatiers for an afternoon tasting of suds and sweets. Attendees can sample beers from locals like Trumer and Triple Rock, paired with chocolates from Galaxy Desserts, Bittersweet Café, and others. Kids, designated drivers, and other sober sorts can opt for the less costly chocolate-only tasting. The Emperors’ Jazz, Beam, and others provide live jazz jams. 2-6 p.m.; $15-$40, free for kids under 9. 510-215-6000 or Craneway.com. — Cassie Harwood
Pick of the Week February 3, 2012
Oh, Redwood Heights!!! Nestled just a couple blocks from the Redwood Heights Recreation Center sits this wonderfully secluded, LEVEL, over a third of an acre parcel of land which makes up the setting for 4020 Reinhardt Drive. Already we’re in rare territory for Oakland with a level version of this sized lot, the grounds on which you’ll find a spacious lawn area with a polished concrete badminton court; a separate garden area with planters, garden shed, large additional storage shelves, mature flora growing and room to plant more; an out-building of about 400 square feet which could be renovated to be an office or art studio; a pool cabana with changing rooms, shower and restroom; and of course A POOL complete with a retractable covering rolled up and kept in its own wooden box at one end. I’m already thrilled and we haven’t even entered the house yet! Built in 1937, this home is a spacious dwelling with 4 bedrooms and 3 full baths. Set up with 3 bedrooms and 2 baths upstairs, the private family area is nicely separated from the common areas of the home. And on the lower level of the home sits the 4th bedroom and 3rd full bath— a separated space perfectly set up perhaps for an in-law, student, live-in caretaker, or semi-independent housemate to live with a separate entrance through the garage and a reasonable measure of privacy. ”Period woodwork” is found all over, both inside and out, although much of the intricate craftsmanship of that woodwork is only minimally pronounced on the exterior since everything is just one color. (Hint: Hire a “painted lady” house painter and see what emerges from this home’s exterior.) And finally, for those who love to entertain, an addition that includes a very large bonus room and adjacent closed-in sunroom (both with fireplaces) overlooks the pool area in the rear of the home. A kitchenette serves the sunroom and adds to the hospitable logistics of accommodating a significant number of guests in this area. Overall, this home not only feels like a “holiday estate” both inside and out, it also appears to have been very well maintained and shows how it’s clearly been loved as an oasis in the Oakland hills for over 80 years. Love this one!
4020 Reinhardt Drive, Oakland: Click here to view MLS listing and slideshow.
From David Dayen ad FireDogLake.com:
This is known as a side deal. California has a separate agreement with the five servicing units at the big banks to achieve this level of commitment. She breaks it down this way:
• $12 billion for either principal reductions or short sales, which she claims will help around 250,000 homeowners;
• $849 million for refis;
• $279 million for those “sorry we stole your home” $2,000 checks;
• $1.1 billion for forbearance, transition assistance, checks to communities to fix blight (which is part of the $2.75 billion distributed to states for foreclosure mitigation);
• $430 million in additional costs
• $3.5 billion to “relieve 32,000 homeowners of unpaid balances remaining when their homes are foreclosed.” That’s essentially to stop deficiency judgments. I assume that the banks will just back off, so this represents money they won’t collect.