From: "Jeff Stark" <jstark@nonsensenyc.com>
Subject: nonsensenyc: 4.2 to 4.8
Date: April 2nd 2010

Friday, April 2
* Bananamania, Brooklyn
* Newsonic Loft Party, Brooklyn
* LAH Human Pilgrimage out of New York City for the spirit of Hal the 2006 Central Park Coyote, Manhattan * Le Fin de Siecle, Manhattan
* Midnight Delight, Williamsburg

Saturday, April 3
* Rumble, Brooklyn
* Michael Alan the Living Installation, Williamsburg * NYC Pillow Fight, Manhattan
* Newmindspace Fifth-Year Anniversary, Brooklyn * Cavalier Literary Couture Launch Party, Featuring the Poetry Brothel, Manhattan * Death Bear, Brooklyn

Sunday, April 4
* Roommates Wanted, Brooklyn

Tuesday, April 6
* Homespun and Handmade, Brooklyn
* Bushwick Book Club, Brooklyn

Wednesday, April 7
* Mimouna, Manhattan
* Vignettes for the Apocalypse 2010, Manhattan * Bailout Theater, Manhattan
* Bodega Down Bronx, Brooklyn
* Dorkbot, Manhattan

Thursday, April 8
* Flash Mob: Listen to Low, Manhattan
* Force of Forward, Brooklyn

Wishlist
* New Spaces

Spectre
* The Oldest Solution on Earth

Learning
* Clues

Help
* Carpenter

NOTE: For some navigation help, or an explanation for what this is all about, scroll all the way down to NONSENSE. You'll find snarky editorial comments and little bits of praise littered throughout this list. These nuggets are marked with all caps, like this: NOTE. Also, we make a lot of mistakes, especially with dates; you should always double check our work. And you can donate to this project at nonsensenyc.com/special.

XXXXX COVER ART XXXXX

Striped laundry on the line.

XXXXX FRIDAY, APRIL 2 XXXXX

Underground Peoples Party welcomes:

Bananamania

Hugo Capablanca (Berlin, Bananamania), Speculator (W.T. Records founder), Chupacabras, and Ron Morelli spin disco, mutant beats, cosmic treats. Hugo joined us for our legendary Halloween party at Market Hotel and will again this Friday for another late night of freaky, cosmic Fun again this Friday. Expect psychic thrills that only the Berlin (and NYC) underground can bring. Visual vibes by Luke Wyatt, the artist behind the recent Matrix Metals video. Vibe is the message, qt'z.

1142 Myrtle Avenue, Brooklyn
10p-late; $7
bodyactualized.blogspot.com

***** Also on FRIDAY *****

Newsonic Loft Party

Spring Is in the Air. We have another excellent evening of entertainment and love in store for you at the Newsonic Loft. There will live music and transcendent vibration from Mojo Mancini (whose members include the drummer from Saturday Night Live, and Rod Stewart's bass player!), Dynasty Electric, the Twin Shadow, the Dead Sextons, and Man Bird Lion. DJ Selectrick will be spinning dance music from trance to funk all night long, and the VJ team Suit Machine will be projecting psychedelic visuals throughout the space. There will be an open musical jam session with live video from 9-10p, so bring your instrument if you'd like to play. It's going to be a wicked party, come on by.

Newsonic, 76 Rutledge St., Brooklyn
9p-4:20a; $5 or free admission before 10p

***** Also on FRIDAY *****

LAH Human Pilgrimage out of New York City for the spirit of Hal the 2006 Central Park Coyote

Hear ye hear ye: Whereas the fourth anniversary of the death of Hal, the 2006 Central Park coyote is nigh and Whereas the year 2010 has seen an unusually high number of coyotes transgressing the borders of Manhattan. And Whereas it remains unknown as to how such coyotes cross from Nature into the City. And Whereas pedestrianism is regarded in high fashion. And Whereas human-coyote relations must be brought to light in general. And Whereas the coyote is a trickster of great repute. And Whereas to establish an annual tradition of action following last year's LAH coyote walk to the wilds of Westchester.

Therefore LAH 2010 shall commence on April 2, 2010.

In which a small group of people shall attempt to trace one of many coyote-like routes to the city in reverse: starting at Hallet Sanctuary in Central Park and traveling through green spaces for three days to end in the wilderness of southwestern Connecticut.

Let it be known then that for one hour the members of this group shall be found near Hallet Sanctuary in Central Park, New York City, and shall be receptive to well wishes, encouragement and spiritual verbalizations of the general public. And immediately following this, the LAH journey this shall commence.

Hallet Sanctuary in Central Park, Manhattan 9-10a; $free
implausibot.com/coyote

***** Also on FRIDAY *****

ABC No Rio, Z Collective and Insurgent Theater present:

Le Fin de Siecle

The last Ides show at the historic ABC No Rio space. The end of belief. The end of questions. All voices annulled by too much speaking. Hell is created and manifested by the minds of men.

All civilizations die of suicide. A special night of cataclysmic theater and percussive obliteration. Featuring Grady Gerbracht, John Loggiia, Shizu Homma, Miles Pflanz, Jen Kosky, David Tully, Parker Millar, Insurgent Theater, and Z Collective.

ABC No Rio
156 Rivington Street, Manhattan
8p; $free
zcollectivegmail.com
myspace.com/zcollective

***** Also on FRIDAY *****

Midnight Delight

Come and enjoy yourself at a classy little Friday affair called Midnight Delights, at Manhattan Inn, a fancy piano-bar and restaurant.

This week, the late-night entertainment will feature live vintage jazz, with songstress Shien Lee and accompaniment by Bryan Reeder on a beautiful baby grand. The breathtaking Pandora Scintillator will also be performing dances of the burlesque variety for your personal enjoyment.

This Friday is particularly special as it is the very first Midnight Delight, so come show your beautiful face and say hello, if only for a quick sip of a cocktail.

Its the perfect place to bring a date, and if you're single, its the perfect place to meet someone (or drink your loneliness away, whichever you prefer).

Midnight Delights at Manhattan Inn
632 Manhattan Avenue, between Bedford and Nassau Avenue, Williamsburg, Brooklyn G train to Nassau station
Midnight until late; $free

XXXXX SATURDAY, APRIL 3 XXXXX

Rumble

Throw on your dancing shoes, cats and kittens. The first-ever installment of Rumble! is hitting Brooklyn like a rock n roll cannonball.

Rumble! is Brooklyn's first retro rock-n-roll throw down for the queers, dykes, transfolk, and otherwise sexual. We're bringing you cheap drinks, homemade cookies, go go dancers, contortionist pin-up girls, and an exquisite blend of 50s-60s-rockabilly-soul-blues-protopunk-garage tunes to keep you boogying until the church bells ring.

Featuring on the ones and twos. DJ Drumpelstiltsken, Austin Brown, and Mr. Jonathan Toubin.

Dress code: (not mandatory, but encouraged): Your finest fifties/sixties kitsch. Leather-rocking greasers. Prom queens. Retro nerds. Sassy housewives. Outsiders. Rebels without a cause. This is our first party, and we're super excited. Please come out and help us make it a night to remember.

Outpost Lounge
1014 Fulton Street, Brooklyn
C train to Clinton Washington station
9p-3a; $5

***** Also on SATURDAY *****

Michael Alan the Living Installation

What happens when Michael Alan and Kenny Scharf team up to make art and build a installation out of humans in Cosmic Cavern? Join us for the happening of an alien artistic lifetime. Hosted at the three dimensional glow in the dark world Kenny Scharf built, Cosmic Cavern, (the inside a Scharf painting) this performance was created for people to come and be a part of. This living instillation with Michael Alan's talented army of performers will make one huge human sculpture. Scharf and Alan will paint and decorate their bodies with luminescent paint while the audience makes art; draws, sculpts and paints the world around them. Art that makes art that makes art. Come one come all, bring glow in the dark paint, pens, markers, make sculptures and bring a hot glue gun and stick them to the ceiling, or better yet just watch, and if Kenny is in a good mood join us for a dance session. This is life, all you have to do is show up.

Cosmic Cavern
993a Metropolitan Avenue, Williamsburg, Brooklyn L train to Graham station
7p-midnight; $17 online, $20 door
michaelalanart.com

***** Also on SATURDAY *****

NYC Pillow Fight

Fifth annual massive pillow fight in New York City. Teddies fly and pillows soar as we gather for a massive urban pillow fight in Union Square. Swing and whack as you evade pillow-wielding assailants. Dress in pajamas and clean up your mess afterward.

This year's pillow fight is timed to coincide with pillow fights in cities all over the world. The Rules: soft pillows only, swing lightly, eliminate your feather use.

Volunteers needed for the cleanup effort. This year's goal is to clean up 100 percent of the litter. If you would like to help clean up, please bring some trash bags.

Union Square
East 14th Street and Broadway, Manhattan 3p; $free
all ages
newmindspace.com

**** Also on SATURDAY ****

Newmindspace Fifth-Year Anniversary

After the epic pillow fight, join us for a night of thumping beats at this spacious concert hall in Gowanus. Featuring top talent, a booming soundsystem, projections of Newmindspace events, spontaneous celebrations, and art installations of all kinds. Come early, stay late, dress wild.

Musical selections by Eclectic Method, B. Rich, Udachi, TK-8817, and Atom C.

The Bell House
149 7th Street, Brooklyn
9p; $15
18 and over
tinyurl.com/nms5year

***** Also on SATURDAY *****

Cavalier Literary Couture Launch Party, Featuring the Poetry Brothel

Join Cavalier Literary Couture, the first literary lifestyle brand, for the launch of its inaugural issue. The issue features work from Franz Wright, Maxine Kumin, Bruce Smith, Gabriel Spera, and more. This evening of dark, anachronistic fun will also showcase the Poetry Brothel. Guests are encouraged to come in the spirit of the evening to enjoy short readings, gypsy music, and a cast of poetry whores. Expect a full house, so come early to reserve a seat. After-party right around the corner.

KGB Bar
85 East 4th Street, Manhattan
7-9p; $free
myliterarycouture.com
thepoetrybrothel.com

***** Also on SATURDAY *****

Death Bear

We all have someone or something we would rather just forget. Things fall apart. Love hurts. Dreams die. But when you summon Death Bear to your door, you can rest assured that help has come. At first you may be intimidated by his stature and color (7 feet tall with a hard, black bear head, black jumpsuit, and black boots), but absorbing the memories of others is a dark art, and Death Bear must present himself appropriately for this solemn duty. Death Bear will take things from you that trigger painful memories and stow them away in his cave where they will remain forever allowing you to move on with your life. Give him an ex's clothes, old photos, mementos, letters, etc. Death Bear is here to assist you in your time of tragedy, heartbreak, and loss. Let Death Bear help you, and absorb your pain into his cave.

Serving all Brooklyn only
Text 347 742 2293 for an appointment
$free
Continues on SUNDAY
natehillisnuts.com/

XXXXX SUNDAY, APRIL 4 XXXXX

Roommates Wanted

This event is for people looking for roommates/housing/practice spaces in the Greenpoint/Williamsburg/Bushwick area. We're having a mixer of friends and strangers to talk about coming together to solve living and playing space needs. Forget the internet, meet in person, you'll get much more done this way.

Because you wanna: Find a new roommate for a new place; find a fill-in roommate for a current place; share info, get help with housing search; commiserate with comrades in homelessness; drink cheap drinks; meet artists/musicians looking to pool for studios; meet other people moving to your neighborhood.

Alligator Lounge
Leonard and Metropolitan, Williamsburg, Brooklyn 7p-midnight; $free
roommateswantednyc.com/

XXXXX TUESDAY, APRIL 6 XXXXX

Adult Education presents:

Homespun and Handmade

Adult Education is a Brooklyn-based monthly lecture series devoted to making useless knowledge somewhat less useless. In April, Adult Education welcomes a panel of presenters to speak on the theme of Homespun and Handmade. The line-up will include: Laura Silver, Consider the Knish; Michele Filon, Winners Never Quilt and Quilters Never Win; Matt Haber, Citizen Sid; Jessica Pigza, the Craft Heap of History; all hosted by Charles Star.

Union Hall
702 Union Street, at 5th Avenue, Brooklyn 8p show, 7:30p doors; $5 cover
adult-ed.net

***** Also on TUESDAY *****

Bushwick Book Club

It's a CD release. It's a night of songs inspired by Dolly Parton's autobiography. It's a CD release happening on a night of songs inspired by Dolly Parton's autobiography. Both are happening. The CD is 58 songs by over 30 artists who participated in last year's Bushwick Book Club. That's 58 songs about books -- books like Breakfast of Champions, What We Talk About When We Talk About Love, the Unbearable Lightness of Being, Flatland, James and the Giant Peach, Watchmen, No One Belongs Here More Than You, the Bible, a Confederacy of Dunces and On the Origin of Species. CDs at the show will be available for $10.

The show itself will be 11 musicians playing original songs written in response to Dolly Parton's autobiography, My Life and Other Unfinished Business. Songwriters for this night include: Franz Nicolay with Maria Sonevytsky, Major Matt Mason, Matthew Varvil, Angela Carlucci, Susan Hwang, Sweet Soubrette, Sarah Pappalardo, I Feel Awesome, the Johns, and DanyJulyDany.

Goodbye Blue Monday
1087 Broadway, Brooklyn
J,M,Z trains to Myrtle station
8p; $free
718 453 6343

XXXXX WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7 XXXXX

Reboot presents:

Mimouna

Mimouna food tasting with Sephardic chef Jennifer Abadi, author of the award-winning cookbook, Fistful of Lentils. Drumming by Raquy and the Cavemen. Special appearance by the Hebrew Mamita Vanessa Hidary and Moroccan beats spun by DJ Joroboro.

Mimouna is a Jewish-Moroccan celebration that marks the end of Passover and the return to eating carbs. For centuries, Moroccan Jews wandered from home to home on Mimouna enjoying festive meals (think crepes dipped in honey) and lively musical performances celebrating peace and good-fortune with their Muslim and Christian neighbors. Today, Mimouna is celebrated all over the world from Tel Aviv to Paris and now, NYC.

Kush Lounge
191 Chrystie Street, Manhattan
8:30p doors, 9p event; $10

***** Also on WEDNESDAY *****

EndTimes Productions presents:

Vignettes for the Apocalypse 2010

Following hot on the heels of their hits, Naked Holidays NYC, and Manson the Musical, EndTimes Productions is pleased to announce their fourth annual one-act festival: Vignettes for the Apocalypse 2010, a collection of 20 one-act plays, dealing with dystopian, futuristic, and apocalyptic themes.

Artistic Director Russell Dobular has chosen pieces that reflect a diversity of writing styles, ranging from sci-fi to traditional horror, the comic, and the dramatic, while representing a unifying vision of our culture and society, both past and present, as it faces the real possibility of imminent collapse. This year's festival sees the return of cult writer/actor, Mark Borkowski, author of last year's festival highlight, the Godling, with his new play examining the BTK killings, the Kids Are Awake. Playwright Steve Strangio also returns, with the premiere of his comic deconstruction of psychosexual horror film violence, Savage Hot Babe Massacre. Mr. Strangio offers the audience three different endings, but we're betting the Bollywood dance number will win out every time. Other highlights include a future first world eatery, with an unusual third world menu, a space station murder mystery, a zombie lothario who prefers a diet of women's hearts, and a future in which overpop ulation has reached such epidemic proportions that the average Manhattan apartment of today would seem luxurious by comparison.

EndTimes Productions, through its festivals, productions, and facilities, has provided opportunities for hundreds of theatre artists, since its inception in 2006. Endtimes provides its artists with free rehearsal space, staff support, complete coverage of production expenses, and for young directors a mentoring program in which they assist more experienced directors on full productions.

Red Room Theater
85 East 4th Street, Manhattan
7 and 9p; $18, $15 students, $25 for double feature, $75 for festival pass Continues through April 18
EndTimesProductions.org

***** Also on WEDNESDAY *****

Bailout Theater

We will have free dinner and desserts provided as always by friendly Village restaurants (John's Pizza and more) and potluck enthusiasts. At 8p., we will have a live original dance performance by Heather Heiner, followed by a dance improv session based on the family histories of audience members (you?!). If you would like to bring a small dish or dessert to add to a potluck, we love that, but it is by no means required.

Heather Heiner, a Utah native, brings some of the openness of the west to her choreography here in New York City. Characteristic themes of her work include: ancestral heritage, identity, and hope. She performs, teaches and choreographs within the city and abroad.

Judson Memorial Church
55 Washington Square South, Manhattan
7:30p; $free
212 477 0351 x 28
info@bailout-theater.org
bailout-theater.org

***** Also on WEDNESDAY *****

Bodega Down Bronx

Where does the food in your bodega come from? Who decides whether to stock tortilla chips or salad greens, and how much they'll cost? How come it's easier to find fresh fruits and vegetables in Brooklyn Heights than in the South Bronx? What's the connection between the incidence of diabetes and the food market supply chain? Bodega Down Bronx was produced by Jonathan Bogarín, a group of Bronx students, and the Center for Urban Pedagogy. Interviewing residents, bodega owners, distributors, politicians, and health professionals, it's a fantastic, holistic breakdown of the day-to-day realities that flow from public policy, and what you can do about it.

After the film, we'll be joined in our discussion by Patricia Llanos, the Brooklyn Outreach Coodrinator for the Healthy Bodegas Initiative (the NYC Dept. of Health and Mental Hygiene).

V Ultra Lounge
44 Wilson Avenue, Brooklyn
L train to Morgan station
7p; $5 suggested donation
youtube.com/watch?v=l-axY2RPdpc

***** Also on WEDNESDAY *****

Dorkbot

People doing strange things with electricity. The meeting is free and open to the public. Please bring snacks to share. We're always looking for (and playing) more dorkbot theme songs. Bring or email one and we'll play it at the meeting.

Featuring the endothermic and predaceous: Benjamin Gaulon aka Recyclism, Recent Projects; Tristan Perich, Interval Studies; Jeff Snyder, new instruments.

Location One
Greene, between Canal and Grand, Manhattan 7-9p; $free, but donation to Location One appreciated

XXXXX THURSDAY, APRIL 8 XXXXX

Flash Mob: Listen to Low

A flash mob is a large group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place, perform an unusual act for a brief time and then disperse. It's now time to assemble the masses to reclaim Low Memorial Library for Columbia University's first flash mob.

To take part follow these simple instructions:

1. Download our free podcast.
2. Invite at least 10 of your friends who you think would also enjoy taking part in this unique event.
3. Arrive at our secret meeting place in front of Butler Library with the following: ipod/mp3 player with the podcast ready to play, headphones, and a book of your choosing in hand.
4. Await a sign for when to press play and help reclaim Low Library.

Butler Library
Columbia campus, near 116th Street and Broadway, Manhattan 1p; $free
podcast: tiny.cc/listentolow
extantvolumes.wordpress.com/2010/03/31/flash-mob/

***** Also on THURSDAY *****

Force of Forward

Public video event. Force of Forward is a three-evening video event exploring the nature of momentum and forward motion as its basis, presented on the anchorage of the Manhattan Bridge.

As trains, cars, trucks, bicycles and pedestrians pass overhead, curator, Leo Kuelbs, has selected four artists, with international backgrounds, to articulate how the velocity of life varies from city to city. These differences are felt keenly by the artists who experience them from their own, unique, international and personal perspectives.

The program begins at sundown and is comprised of four short videos (mostly around five minutes) set to loop until Midnight.

Manhattan Bridge Anchorage
Front Street, Pearl, and Anchorage Place, Brooklyn 7:30p-midnight
Continues through SATURDAY
veszi.com
latincollector.com

XXXXX UPCOMING XXXXX

• Tour of Yonkers Sewage Treatment Plant, April 10
• Anarchist Book Fair, April 16-18
• Gemini and Scorpio's Swing House Two-Year Anniversary, April 24
• Opt-In presents Zero Day Exploits, May 15
• Underground Rebel Bingo Club, May 21

XXXXX ONGOING XXXXX

Nonsense is too long. The great thing about the internet is that it doesn't really cost much to run long listings and exhaustive descriptions. It turns out that's ... exhausting. After several complaints and a little deliberation, we're trying a new format: On the first Friday of the month we will run updated ongoing listings in each section: events, learning, and help. Other weeks we're going for leaner, meaner sections. If you're desperate for something to do on an off-Tuesday night we suggest you either look back a few issues ago in your inbox, or poke through our online archives, which you can find under the subscribe page.

Also, a note about better rock shows. Nonsense does not straight list rock shows in New York unless they occur in tandem with puppet shows or jump rope tournaments or in subway tunnels or in graveyards. For listings of good shows, especially shows that feature independent bands at quality venues like Death by Audio and those booked by hard-working promoters like Todd P or Sleep When Dead, consult resources like ohmyrockness.com, brooklynvegan.com/, sleepwhendeadnyc.com/calendar/, or the lively New York Happenings listserve on Yahoo groups launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/nyhappenings/. For the most exhaustive list of underground shows at unusual venues, track down a copy of the extremely useful -- and handsome -- Showpaper.

XXXXX WISHLIST XXXXX

What have you been wishing for? Collaborators, grant monies, a new home? Please send brief listings to Alita at alitanonsensenyc.com. We only list available apartments, lofts, studios, and one-off rentals -- not spaces wanted.

***** ARTY STUFF *****

• Tiny Offerings is a collaborative performance event where each person who attends is invited to make an offering to everyone else. Artists are encouraged to bring or do something other than what they usually do -- i.e. some other medium or type of performance. An offering can be anything people like to do (tell jokes, stories, sing, draw, things we often think of a "talent") or something they know how to do (a weird trick or genetic tic for instance) or want to "show and tell" (a drawing, photo, sculpture, found object of interesting or sentimental value.) There's a time limit of three minutes (less is more). There are two non-auditions coming up on April 28 and June 1. The event is June 3. Contact brendah555(at)gmail.com. See roulette.org/events/event.php/HUTCHINSON10
• UnionDocs is looking for some dedicated help for internships and volunteer positions in the areas of editing and post-production, event documentation, administrative, and programming help. Contact info(at)uniondocs.org.
• Looking for an architect to volunteer time (or charge less than the market-rate wage) to help with a really awesome green roof design for a house in Bed-Stuy. We own the building and we've got some money to make our dreams (greenhouse on roof, rooftop stream-and-water-filtration-system, and more, weird passive solar design/aquaponic system) a reality, if you can help us draft some plans and get DOB approval. We will cook you many delicious meals in exchange and be the best references you ever have for your next market-rate gig. Contact Lauren at lorilouroo(at)yahoo.com or 718 783 8443.

***** SPACES *****

• I'm writing an article on people who live in a converted shopfronts in NYC. Did your house used to be a shop? Does it have a cool shop window, or any features of the old shop? Or has it been renovated to be basically a regular groundfloor apartment? If you live in this kind of cool space please email me at Sarah.Maslin.Nir(at)gmail.com.

*Available immediately: Share large two-bedroom with one part-time roommate, in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. $920 plus utilities. This is a large (900 square feet) sunny apartment just a few blocks from Grand Army Plaza, 2, 3, B, and Q subway lines. The bedroom in question is furnished, but I would be happy to store that furniture if someone had their own they wanted to use. I am a mature male, adjunct NYU professor, filmmaker-activist, living in the city approximately three to four days/week. When I am in the city I am generally over-busy, hardly home. There is a cat who lives in the apartment full time, and would need feeding, etc. on the days I am away. The layout of the apartment is ideal for this kind of arrangement. I am open to a long-term arrangement, but initially would want a trial period of three months to see how things work out. Contact Mark at mr105(at)nyu.edu, and tell him something about yourself.

• We are looking for a new roommate for May 1, ideally committing to a year. We are one guy, 25, a lady, 29, and a cat, 8. We are into maintaining a relatively tidy common area (like clean up after yourself, but we don’t use a feather duster), an extremely clean bathroom (no leeway here: clean the drain post-shower, wipe the sink, etc.) and a clean kitchen that may allow for some laxity. It's on Prospect between Franklin and Classon. Close to Brooklyn Museum, Prospect Park, Vanderbilt Avenue’s developing bar scene. You are, ideally: a queer person, or a very queer-friendly woman, between 25-35, employed or in graduate school, relatively quiet. We’re friendly, social people, but if you’re looking for roommates who hang out together watching movies or cooking together, this is not the place for you. If you are looking for a respectful space where you can get work done as a student, or a pleasant room to come home to in after your busy social/work life outside of the apa rtment, then that’s what we’ve got to offer. We can talk about pets: no other cats (sorry, resident cat does not approve), but the right dog might be acceptable. What you’ll get: a room that fits a queen bed, a desk, bookshelves and a nightstand (it's unfurnished -- this is just what it could fit). Your room is in the front of the apartment, with the other two bedrooms in the back. Big bay window. Apartment has 12-foot ceilings with windows on two sides and an open living space. Big closet in your room. Great balcony off the living room. Rent is $700 with $700 deposit. Utilities (internet, electricity, gas) together run about $75 per month per person. Laundry is in the building. Contact Amanda, akrupman(at)gmail.com.

XXXXX SPECTRE PRIORITY XXXXX

Before we had a name, the Spectre Event Horizon Group used to meet at a bar to commiserate and trade what our business friends like to call best practices. The group has expanded since then, but it remains focused on smartening the crowd mind. There are no subject limits; our favorite is the incredible sci-fi present, or anything that goes toward a better understanding of human behavior and our universe's ecology. Our simple intent is to connect good minds with as much quality mind-blowing information as we can freely locate and create a space for the informal trade of specialized investigative research, presented for the non-specialist.

The Spectre email list, which is a separate group from this column, is a moderated open forum. People are encouraged to join and to post. The list is compiled for Nonsense by J. Sinopoli. Contact us at spectre.event.horizon.group gmail com or spectregroup.org. Here's some of what came in this week:

***** The Oldest Solution on Earth *****

spectregroup.wordpress.com/2010/04/02/the-oldest-solution-on-earth/

The Fungus That Eats Oil Spills
time.com/time/video/player/0,32068,13102109001_1879838,00.html fungi.com/mycotech/mycova.html
books.google.com/books?id=NPI8_-omzvsC
"What Stamets has discovered is that the enzymes and acids that mycelium produces to decompose this debris are superb at breaking apart hydrocarbons -- the base structure common to many pollutants. So, for instance, when diesel oil-contaminated soil is inoculated with strains of oyster mycelia, the soil loses its toxicity in just eight weeks."

Mycoremediation
ted.com/talks/paul_stamets_on_6_ways_mushrooms_can_save_the_world.html planet.wwu.edu/archives/2008/articles/winter/shroom-vacuum.php "Mushrooms eat more than just rotting wood. Give them oil, arsenic or even nerve gas, and they’ll give you back water and carbon dioxide. Mushrooms are nature’s prime decomposers, and they’re very good at what they do. They eat by releasing enzymes capable of breaking down substances from which they gain nutrients. Their usual diet consists of plants and other organic, or carbon-based, organisms. Since many toxins have similar chemical makeup to plants, fungi can break them down as well. These include petroleum products, pesticides, fertilizers, pharmaceuticals with estrogen, and even neurotoxins. Once the contaminants are broken down, the mushrooms are safe to eat. Mushrooms can also absorb heavy metals such as mercury, lead and arsenic. A species called oyster mushrooms, Pleurotus ostreatus, have a particularly high tolerance for areas heavily contaminated with cadmium and mercury. This means oyster mushrooms can grow in high-mercury areas and still decompose other po llutants. Mushrooms that ingest heavy metals are no longer safe to eat, because the toxins remain concentrated in the mushroom instead of being broken down. For this reason, heavy-metal laden mushrooms must be removed after absorption to prevent the metals from reentering the area when the mushrooms die and decompose. Mycoremediation was first attempted in Bellingham in 1998, when Stamets and a team of researchers from Battelle Pacific Northwest Laboratories in Sequim, Wash. treated plots in a contaminated truck maintenance yard operated by the Washington State Department of Transportation. After four weeks, the plots not treated with spores remained unchanged, but the spore-rich plot had sprouted a large crop of oyster mushrooms. Over the next five weeks, the mushrooms matured, reproduced and then died. Their life cycle attracted insects, birds and other animals, and life flourished on the once-dead plot. Fungi have a much different structure than plants. Mushrooms are part of a larger organism known as the mycelium. Mycelia are complex webs of hair-like fibers that resemble the neurological pathways in the human brain. Although only one cell wall thick, mycelia are responsible for cycling nutrients through the fungus and its surrounding environment, according to Stamets’ book. Mycelium mats can grow very large and connect entire forests in a nutrient-sharing network. One specimen covered more than 2,400 acres on an Oregon mountaintop; possibly the largest living organism, according to the journal Nature."

Mycotopia
salon.com/technology/feature/2002/11/25/mushrooms/index.html "As reported in Jane's Defence Weekly, one of Stamets' strains was found to "completely and efficiently degrade" chemical surrogates of VX and sarin, the potent nerve gases Saddam Hussein loaded into his warheads. "We have a fungal genome that is diverse and present in the old-growth forests," says Stamets. "Hussein does not. If you look on the fungal genome as being soldier candidates protecting the U.S. as our host defense, not only for the ecosystem but for our population ... we should be saving our old-growth forests as a matter of national defense." It's been more than 70 years since Alexander Fleming discovered that the mold fungus penicillium was effective against bacteria. And yet, complains Stamets, nobody has paid much attention to the antiviral and antibiotic properties of mushrooms -- partly because Americans, unlike Asian cultures, think mushrooms are meant to be eaten, not prescribed. But with the emergence of multiple antibiotic resistance in hospitals, says St amets, "a new game is afoot. The cognoscenti of the pharmaceuticals are now actively, and some secretly, looking at mushrooms for novel medicines." Based on a recent study documenting the ability of a mushroom, Polyporus umbellatus, to completely inhibit the parasite that causes malaria, Stamets has come up with a mycofiltration approach to combating the disease. Stamets is currently shopping this idea around to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, a front-runner in the effort to provide vaccinations in developing nations."

Meanwhile, in Newtown Creek
riverkeeper.org/news-events/news/press-release-rvk-supports-epas-proposal-to-consider-newtown-creek-for-superfund-status/ scienceline.org/2007/01/24/liebach_env_greenpointe/ "For over 50 years, the Greenpoint section of northern Brooklyn has been sitting atop a staggering 17 million gallons of spilled oil -- almost 50 percent more oil than was spilled in the 1989 wreck of the Exxon Valdez supertanker in Alaska -- and almost nothing has been done to clean it up. The early refineries were careless in their operations, and it’s likely that they started spilling almost as soon as they began operating. Unhampered by environmental laws, few refineries had containment systems to catch spills, so what was released could seep into whatever was around to soak it up. “It was a very messy industry,” says Basil Seggos, chief investigator of Riverkeeper, an environmental watchdog organization. The biggest spill of all wasn’t revealed until 12 years after the Brooklyn Refinery shut down. During a helicopter patrol over Newtown Creek in early September of 1978, the Coast Guard noticed an oil slick on the surface of the water near Meeker Avenue, by the Pe erless Importers site. An investigation found that the oil that had saturated the soil underneath nearly 55 acres in Greenpoint. The Coast Guard stopped the seep by installing recovery sumps -- or basins -- to collect the oil, but until 1989, little was done to address what lay beneath the surface. That was the year Exxon Mobil accepted responsibility for the oil under the ground. Anecdotes of people suffering from asthma and other diseases have been circulating in Greenpoint for years. In addition to the vapors potentially reaching people near the water, some of the petroleum in the creek is dissolved in groundwater, which is also leaking out from the aquifer. But no matter how many grout walls or boom systems are installed, stopping the seeps isn’t a cure-all -- the leaks won’t cease until they’re traced to the source. For that to happen, though, there first needs to be a comprehensive removal of what’s inside the aquifer -- not just of oil floating freely on the water table, but of the oil stuck to the sandy soil and gravel. The pumping approach could take up to 20 years."

XXXXX LEARNING XXXXX

We look for the sort of classes you circled in college course catalogs but never managed to fit into your schedule. And we also look for the kind of things that no college could teach. Cheap and eclectic is the rule, though all rules get broken occasionally, and we especially love workshops, round-tables, and teachers who won't take your work out of your hands and show you how to do it right. One-time listings are categorized, with general recurring classes at the end. We thrive on your suggestions, so make sure to tell us about upcoming classes that you think are nifty-keen.

Learning is compiled and edited weekly by Libby Sentz. Send listing suggestions, announcements, and corrections to her at libby(at)nonsensenyc.com.

***** LEARNING: THIS MONTH *****

$30 for 30 Days of Dance

Take 30 days of unlimited classes in samba, salsa, reggaeton, zouk, hip-hop, yoga, and more for students who are new to Piel Canela. Online purchase only. Must use online code "samba" at the Piel Canela Online Store. For further instructions, call the studio.

Piel Canela at Pearl Studios
500 8th Avenue, 12th floor, Manhattan
212 924 6160

***** LEARNING: Also on FRIDAY *****

Clues From Family Photographs

Would you like to learn more about your old family photographs? The best clues are often found in the images themselves. This class introduces techniques for dating images as well as resources for researching photographs.

Stephen A. Schwarzman Building
South Court Classrooms
Fifth Avenue at 42nd Street, Manhattan
3:15-4:15p; $free
917 275 6975

***** LEARNING: Also on FRIDAY *****

Purejai Vinyasa Yoga

A special yoga class with live music by Kaleidhaphonic. Bring your own mat (only a few mats on site). 10% of profits go to Raising Haiti (a food program in Haiti).

Open House Gallery
201 Mulberry Street, Manhattan
7-8:30p; $20 suggested donation
openhousegallery.org

***** LEARNING: SATURDAY *****

Shop Tools 101

Are you the next superstar sculptor? Excited about your upcoming welding class with elite Artstar Ryan O'Connor? Well, before you can assemble the world's next great Big Rig Jig, you need to know how to use some of the great tools we have at Madagascar Institute.

This two-hour class, which should be a pre-requisite for most Madagascar Institute classes, teaches the basics of how to effectively prepare materials using our equipment. You'll learn to send sparks flying with grinders and cutters, make ridiculous amount of noise, and smoke out the other artisans in the shop. Oh, and there are safety tips. Taught by Gaylen.

Madagascar Institute
217 Butler Street, Brooklyn
1-3p; $25 members, $40 nonmembers
madagascarinstitute.com

***** LEARNING: Also on SATURDAY *****

Making the Most of Your Music: The Choreography of Events

In this community class we'll take a new piece of music every week and break it down into its performable components. Each student will have the opportunity to contribute ideas and moves so that no one aesthetic will dominate the class. We're interested in both exploiting the expected and turning those expectations upside down. We hope to explore each piece of music in traditional as well as innovative ways. You will hone and improve your creativity and and sense of timing, and learn to find cues in musical structure of which you were previously not fully conscious. Jo Weldon is the primary instructor, but any instructor from the school may be teaching it on a given day, including Jezebel Express, Gal Friday, Darlinda Just Darlinda, Peekaboo Pointe, and Julie Atlas Muz, as well as other stars of burlesque and visiting guest teachers.

School of Burlesque
440 Lafayette, Studio 4G, Manhattan
5-6p; $10
pre-registration required: schoolofburlesque.com

***** LEARNING: SUNDAY *****

The HoopSkool and HoopSculpt Sampler

Learn to hoop dance with grace, power, flow, and control. This class is great for beginners and intermediate hoopers. Why struggle through all the trial and error by yourself? Learn a vocabulary of dazzling tricks, sequences, and practice technique. We'll cover technique, stretching, choreography, developing your personal style, and everything in between. Each series in the four-week course, if you continue, will feature a guest instructor for one day to pass on his or her best gems of "hoopocity." The guest instructor this time is hoop master and certified badass Malcolm Stuart.

Theatre Row Studios
411 East 41st Street, bottom buzzer, Manhattan 7:30-9p; $10
facebook.com/event.php?eid=107508439271041 646 321 6675

***** LEARNING: Also on SUNDAY *****

A Rhythm and Prana Flow Plus Trance Dance

World-renowned yogini Shiva Rea leads this yoga and dance class featuring live musicians and global music including bhangra, traditional Indian rhythms, African grooves, dub, funk, and blues. Class begins with a Feldenkrais warmup with Frederick Schjang.

Bedford-Stuyvesant YMCA
1121 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn
7:30-11p; $20, $free kids under age 10 (one child per adult), $10 for adults over 65 917 439 8849, 347 204 9759

***** LEARNING: MONDAY *****

Goddess Burlesque

Come let go of your inhibitions and get comfortable in your own skin. In this six-week workshop, you will build a three- to five-minute performance piece incorporating a strip tease that reflects your individual attributes. You can release the Goddess within and learn how to send out healing energy while performing. Using tools of physical theater, archetypal energy, intuition, character exploration, and imagery, each participant creates an original performance piece, receives feedback, and learns how to further develop the piece, and then performs the creation while discovering how to be comfortable while doing it. Women of all backgrounds are welcome. Optional performance at the end of this session at Dixon Place on May 13.

Studios 353
353 West 48th Street, 2nd Floor, Manhattan Six Mondays; 7-10p
$300 ($250 for past students)
Registration: limited to eight; deposit required victorialibertore(at)gmail.com
howlingvic.com

***** LEARNING: TUESDAY *****

Austrian Desserts

Join Alex Grunert, renowned pastry chef of Blue Hill at Stone Barns, for a seasonal and sweet tour of Austrian desserts. Chef Grunert will share his all-time favorite recipes, from the nostalgic classics of his grandmother’s kitchen such as apple strudel and sacher torte, to avant-garde interpretations using the season’s bounty like golden beet cake with honey and wasabi. Sample these classic and original creations while the chef demonstrates the recipes and shares behind-the-scenes tips from his own pastry kitchen. Students will also enjoy a variety of wine, beer, and spirits as Thomas Carter, wine director of Blue Hill at Stone Barns, explains the philosophy behind finding the perfect match for your sweet endings.

The Kitchen at Astor Center
399 Lafayette Avenue, Manhattan
$75; 6:30-8:30p
astorcenternyc.com

***** LEARNING: Also on TUESDAY *****

EcoBizNYC Workshop: The Non-Toxic Office and Home

This workshop teaches how to make changes to your office and home to live healthier, lower medical costs, and increase productivity. Learn about the toxins and hazards in your work and home and how to reduce their effects to create a nontoxic environment. Workshop attendees get a 10-percent discount on Green Depot purchases on the night of the workshop. Registration is recommended.

Green Depot
222 Bowery, Manhattan
6-7:30p; $free
info(at)lesecologycenter.org
lesecologycenter.org

***** LEARNING: WEDNESDAY *****

Botanical and Floral Graphite Drawing

After the dismal winter, welcome spring by acquiring the skills to see, draw, and paint exquisite flowers from aster to bromeliad to sorrel. Study composition using the details of botanical forms, and receive guidance on techniques to upgrade your drawing skills and artistic abilities. Suitable for all levels. Bring your own materials; a supply list will be sent to you upon registration.

Brooklyn Botanic Garden's Palm House
1000 Washington Avenue, Brooklyn
Four Wednesdays
10a-1p; $113 member, $128 nonmember (includes $5 materials fee) 718 623 7220
bbg.org

***** LEARNING: Also on WEDNESDAY *****

How to Blog

Learn how to blog in this hands-on workshop covering technical, creative, and conceptual issues. In this class we will discuss blog design, how to write a great blog post, the top-10 tips for new bloggers, search engine optimization, social networking platforms, and more. You don’t need to know a thing about blogging. Led by Louise Crawford.

Brooklyn Arts Exchange
421 Fifth Avenue, Brooklyn
Four Wednesdays
7:30-9:30p; $50
bax.org

***** LEARNING: Also on WEDNESDAY *****

Free Lunchtime Workouts: Nimble Fusion

TerraCycle's Green Up Shop is offering free weekly lunchtime workouts. This week's workout session is an open-level class that rejuvenates the body with a combination of yoga, Pilates, calisthenics, cardio sets, and stretching. Prepare to feel taller, lighter, stronger and more limber—not to mention sweaty.

Port Authority Bus Terminal
641 8th Avenue, Manhattan
Noon-1p; $free
347 546 4868
greenupshop.terracycle.net./workouts.htm

***** LEARNING: Also on WEDNESDAY *****

Dorkbot-NYC Meeting

A free, open meeting, featuring the endothermic and predaceous. Benjamin Gaulon aka Recyclism discusses recent projects that focus on issues like e-waste, obsolescence and disposable society. Tristan Perich discusses recent work, Interval Studies, which investigates the concept of a musical interval as a dense continuum of sound, expressed physically as sound panels totaling hundreds of individual speakers. And learn about new instruments with Jeff Snyder, a composer, inventor and instrument builder, who will show some of his recent research into electromechanical oscillators. Bring snacks or music to share.

Location One
Greene Street (between Canal and Grand), Manhattan 7-9p; $free (donation to Location One appreciated) dorkbot.org

***** LEARNING: THURSDAY *****

Sewing (Monsters)

Always wanted to make something but afraid of pins and needles? Join Jason for an introductory sewing class and learn basic needle and thread sewing, how to operate almost any household sewing machine, making a pattern, and how to put something from your brain into fabric format.

Madagascar Institute
217 Butler Street, Brooklyn
7-10p; $20 members, $40 nonmembers
Register: madagascarinstitute.com

***** LEARNING: UPCOMING *****

• Embroidered Portraits, Textile Arts Center, Brooklyn. April 10, 17, 24, and May 1; 11a-2p; $150, $25 materials fee. textileartscenter.com
• Forage & Feast (a foraging field trip deep inside a Yonkers public park plus a cooking class in Brooklyn). April 17; noon-10p; $35. Must register in advance: lab247.ning.com/events/forage-feast-1

***** LEARNING: ONGOING *****

NOTE: The Ongoing section of LEARNING runs only on the first Friday of each month.

BODY

• Free African dance classes with Sandella at Booker T. Washington Middle School gym. Manhattan. Fridays 6:30-8p. $free. 212-942-3566. (Class airs Wednesdays 2p on Time Warner Channel 56.)
• Tao Yoga and Tsa Lung (The Shamanic Yoga of Zhang Zhung) led by Lama Ji at Surreal Estate. Brooklyn. Tao Yoga Saturdays at 10a; Tsa Lung Tuesdays at 5:30p. $donation. surrealestatenyc(at)gmail.com
• Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu at Triskelion Arts. Brooklyn. Training is centered on jissen gata combat fighting. Membership is selective, but you may attend the first class free. Saturdays 5-7p, Sundays 2–4p. triskelionarts.org/events.htm#classesoffered
• Afro-Haitian dance with Julio Jean at Ripley-Grier Studios. Manhattan. Saturdays 6-7:30p. $10. jeanjulio(at)gmail.com
• Haitian, African, Afro-Caribbean, Samba dance and much more at the new Djoniba Dance and Drum Center. Manhattan. Daily, various times. $17. djoniba.com
• Flirting with Burlesque at the School of Burlesque. Manhattan. Thursdays 7-8p. $15. schoolofburlesque.com
• Tribal Fusion bellydance class with Fayzah at Battery Dance Studios. Manhattan. Tuesdays 5:30-7p. $20. dancespiral.com or fayzahfire(at)gmail.com
• Contemporary dance, hip-hop, belly dance, and much more at Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation. Brooklyn. Various days and times. $12. 718-636-696
• Congolese dance with Funmilayo at Resurgent Fitness, Brooklyn, Wednesdays 6:30-8p; at Boy's Harbor Conservatory, Manhattan, Thursdays 7:30-9p; and at Alvin Ailey Extension, Manhattan, Sundays 4:30-6p. $varies. fushadance(at)aol.com or krosebud14(at)hotmail.com
• Open company class with Perceptions Contemporary Dance Company, intermediate/advanced. Brooklyn. Thursdays 5-6:15p. $12. RSVP at perceptionsdance.com.
• Balkan folk dance at the Hungarian House. Manhattan. Wednesdays 6:30-8p; $12. nycfolkdance.org
• Introduction to House Dance with Linda La Naija at Black River Dance. Harlem. Fridays 6-7:30p; $14. blackriverdance.com
• The Art of the Samurai Sword with Raab Rashi at The Workman’s Circle/NYR Studios. Manhattan. Thursdays 6-7p; $free intro lesson, $15 beyond. swordclass.blogspot.com
• Capoeira, a Brazilian martial art and dance, with Capoeira Angola Quintal. Manhattan. Various days; $15. afrobrazilarts.org/newyorkcapoeira/index.htm
• Parkour workshops. Manhattan. Sundays 4p; $15+. nyparkour.com
• Aerial classes (silks, trapeze, lyra, pole dance, ballet) at the Sky Box at House of Yes. Brooklyn. Monday through Saturday; $15. theskybox.org/classes
• Aerial yoga. Manhattan and Williamsburg. Various days; $20. aerialyoga.com
• Group tightwire walking, foot-juggling, and more at Trapeze Loft. Williamsburg. Sundays 5-6p; $25. thetrapezeloft.com
• Trampoline at Streb Lab for Action Mechanics. Brooklyn. Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays 7-8:30p; $25. streb.org/V2/school/adults.html
• Co-ed nonsexual naked yoga. Manhattan. Various days; $?. groups.yahoo.com/group/coyoga/

BRAIN

• Free Hacker Helpline from Eric Singer of LEMUR (lemurbots.org) to answer your questions about projects, electronics, software, robotics, physical computing, Max/MSP, etc. For help, open Skype, add contact "hackerhelpline," and go to the Mood section to see dates and hours. e(at)ericsinger.com
• Free open craft/hack nights at NYC Resistor. Brooklyn. Thursdays 6-9p; $free. nycresistor.com/2008/11/22/open-craft-hack-nights-on-thursdays/
• Free math studies at the School of Mathematics, which cultivates a natural, stress-free environment where everyone can explore, study, and discover mathematics. Prior knowledge is not assumed. Brooklyn. Various days; $free. thewe.net/math
• Sysadmin Saturdays at Alpha One Labs, Brooklyn. Saturdays 6-7p; $5 suggest donation. nada(at)alphaonelabs.com. RSVP: sysadminsaturdays.eventbrite.com/
• Writing with constraints at the Writhings Society. Practice writing with arbitrary, sometimes mathematical, rules invented by the French group Oulipo and others; no experience necessary. Brooklyn. Wednesdays 6:30-8:30p; $5+. proteusgowanus.com
• Study Hall (a workplace for writers and thinkers) at Proteus Gowanus. Brooklyn. Mondays through Fridays, 10a-5p. $50 a month, includes free WiFi, free coffee, and free home-baked bread. proteusgowanus.com

HANDS

• Assorted artstar classes at the Madagascar Institute! Brooklyn. Various times; great prices. madagascarinstitute.com
• Free casual ladies bike repair workshop at Velo Brooklyn. Bushwick. Saturdays 4-6p; $free. marin.tockman(at)gmail.com
• Free Craft-On (fun with yarn, thread, and more) with Church of Craft. Brooklyn. Various days; $free. churchofcraft.org/2008/10/01/welcome-nyc-crafters/
• Free bicycle repair classes at Time's Up! Manhattan and Brooklyn. Various days. $free. times-up.org/index.php?page=bike-co-op
• Free home-improvement classes, from tiling to drywall repair, at Home Depot stores. Saturdays and Sundays; $free. homeimproverclub.com/workshops.aspx?Type=3
• The Fixers Collective is a social experiment in improvisational fixing and mending. Participants bring their broken objects and put them on a large, common fixing table and share ideas and techniques for repairing, mending, enhancing, or repurposing the objects. Brooklyn. Thursdays 6-9p; $5. proteusgowanus.com/main/fixers-collective
• Figure drawing at Brooklyn Artists Gym. Mondays 6:30-9:30p and Saturdays 12-3p; $8+. brooklynartistsgym.com/events.html#workshops
• Guinean Rhythms drum class with Ibrahima Kolipe Camara at Chelsea Studios. Please bring a drum. Manhattan. Fridays, 6:30-7:30p. $15. kolipe81(at)yahoo.com; 646-897-2293
• Beading classes at Brooklyn Bead Box. Various days; $varies. brooklynbeadbox.com/classes.html
• Classes in the needle arts at Brooklyn General Store. Various days; $varies. brooklyngeneral.com/shop/classes/
• Knitting and spinning classes at the Yarn Tree. Various days; $varies. theyarntree.com/studio/classes/
• Mosaic workshops. Manhattan. Wednesdays 1-4p and 6-9p; $100 for four-class workshop. newyorkartworld.com/things/things-mosaic.html
• Wheel and handbuilding classes at La Mano Pottery. Manhattan. Various days; $300 for eight-week class. lamanopottery.com
• Studio Sundays: Intergenerational Programs at Museum of Arts & Design. Manhattan. Sundays 2-4p. $10 (includes admission and materials) 212-956-3535.madmuseum.org
• Females-only African drum class at Oduduwa Cultural Arts Center. Jamaica, Queens. Sundays 11a-noon. $10. balletintlafricans.com

GRAB BAG

• 3rd Ward offers multi- and interdisciplinary courses in visual art, technology, and fabrication. Various days; $varies. 3rdward.com/classes
• Gearilla!, a street theater workshop (on bikes). Various locations. Tuesdays 2p; $10-plus. monicahunken.com/classes.html
• Creative arts classes at Spoke the Hub. Brooklyn. Various days; $varies. spokethehub.org
• First aid for cats and dogs. Manhattan. Saturdays 10-2p; $65 (if purchased online). nyredcross.org/viewclass.php/prmCID/32/month/08/year/2009

XXXXX HELP XXXXX

It is a wonderful thing, to help. Helping strengthens communities and allows you to meet new friends. With that in mind, we look for one-day volunteer opportunities with no long-term commitment required. We want to be open to fresh ideas and think of help in a broad way. These listings could include anything from a large-scale day-long service project to a local theatre company that needs volunteers for load-in; from an artist looking for film extras to a community garden that needs a few extra hands. Our goal is simply to help groups or individuals that serve the greater good in small but significant ways. Unique and interesting job opportunities are acceptable fare for this section as well. Looking for ways to help out? Need volunteers to get your own community project off the ground? Know of any existing opportunities? Send your requests to Rob Voigt at robpastyvoigt(at)gmail.com.

***** HELP: FRIDAY *****

Green Spaces SalonEco Party

Tonight is a party for the Opening of NYC's newest green event venue, Green Spaces SalonEco. Meet high-level green executives, friends of the green community and socially conscious New Yorkers. Perfect for people looking for exposure to the environmental sector. Anyone who comes will also get a complementary session with one of the partners on how to seek a green career if that's what you’re looking for.

People who volunteer will receive free admission to our party, and will have time to network throughout the event. We need people for check-in, bar and food, coat check, flow, running errands, marketing, and A/V. Wear black -- nothing too provocative. It’s tonight, so e-mail ASAP if you’re available.

6-11p, or in 2-hour shifts
bit.ly/aIKyPT

***** HELP: WEDNESDAYS and SATURDAYS *****

Hudson River Pageant Costume Workshop

Join us at Earth Celebrations Puppet and Costume Workshops, helping teens and adults create the spectacular costumes, masks, and giant puppets for the Hudson River Pageant, inspired by the diverse marine species of the Hudson River. Workshops culminate in Earth Celebrations' Hudson River Pageant. The pageant is a magnificent creation of art, performance and community engagement to honor and restore the Hudson and address climate change. This event will recur every Wednesday and Saturday through May 19, with the actual parade on May 22.

World Financial Center, Courtyard Gallery 220 Vesey Street, Manhattan
Wednesdays 6-9p: Costume Workshops
Saturdays 12-4p: Puppet Workshops
Earthcelebrations.com
212 777 7969
mail(at)earthcelebrations.com

***** HELP: THURSDAY *****

EuroChallenge 2010

The Euro Challenge is an exciting educational opportunity for high school students to learn about the European Union (EU) and the euro. Student teams of three to five students are asked to make presentations answering specific questions about the European economy and the single currency, the euro. They are also asked to pick one member country of the euro area (the 16 EU member countries that have adopted the euro so far), to examine an economic problem at the country level, and to identify policies for responding to that problem.

We are in need of event staff on the day of. Possible responsibilities include assisting at registration, escorting teams presenting from waiting room to presentation rooms, managing waiting and post presentation rooms, setup and cleanup.

Credit Suisse
11 Madison Avenue, Manhattan
7:30a-3:30p
bit.ly/bSIaMg

***** HELP: SOON *****

Carpenter for a Non-Profit

Picture the Homeless, a Bronx-based, member-led homeless organization, is in the process of developing our library to provide our members and staff with the best legal, educational, and historical material relevant to our Housing, Civil Rights, and legislative campaigns. We are looking for someone with carpentry skills who will be able to make our bookcases sturdy and usable. For the most part, this involves adding and moving shelves. We also need carpentry help with building recycling containers.

picturethehomeless.org
bit.ly/9EjJCk

***** HELP: INTERN *****

The Last Supper

Committed to the principle of ensemble performance through the collaboration of a company of actors, directors and playwrights, the Rising Sun Performance Company (RSP) is a non-profit with a mission to advance the vitality and diversity of American theater by nurturing artists, encouraging repeatable creative relationships, and contributing new works and revitalized pre-existing work to the national canon. We realize this goal by providing a safe artistic home that stimulates risk-taking without limits of genre or agenda.

We’re seeking skilled volunteers for our upcoming production The Last Supper, to do work on our street team, marketing, promotions, ushers, light/sound board operators, fundraising/sponsorship, and props support. E-mail us if you’re interested.

submissions(at)risingsunnyc.com
bit.ly/bo9s7j

***** HELP: UPCOMING ******

• Before Friday, April 9. The American Cancer Society is looking for volunteers for the 19th annual Bark For Life, a canine event to fight cancer, taking place on Sunday, May 2, 2010 at Riverside Park, NYC, located at West 108th Street and Riverside Drive. The American Cancer Society’s Bark for Life event is a noncompetitive walk for dogs and their owners to raise funds and awareness in the fight against cancer. Bark For Life is a fun and exciting event featuring demonstrations, contests, activities and a relay-styled 5K walk. This fundraising event celebrates the care giving qualities of our canine best friends and honors their contribution to helping people stay well and get well. By supporting Bark for Life, you help the American Cancer Society save lives, and that helps us move closer to our ultimate goal of creating a world with less cancer and more birthdays. For more information on the event and to sign up to volunteer, please visit us at RelayForLife.org/NYCBark. Vo lunteers must be confirmed by April 9, 2010. bit.ly/cY7JFc
• Saturday, April 10. Art party and benefit for Ray Cross. The Addtract Consortium and Page Not Found are joining forces to host a benefit for Bushwick Print Lab owner Ray Cross, who was robbed not once but twice after a horrific bike accident. Incidents like this should remind us of how blessed we are as a community: we create with total freedom, make lavish performance spaces out of dingy warehouses, and parade costumed through the streets with bacchanalian abandon. We're there for the good times, so let's support each other through the bad. Want to help out? Here's how: Artists: Donate your work. Page Not Found will be holding a silent auction, so if you've got a piece (or two) you'd like to see go to a good cause, look no further. Performers/Make-Up Artists/Oddballs/Carnies/People Dressed as Robots/Robots Dressed as People/DIY Weirdos of Every Persuasion: Donate your antics. Ya'll know what to do. Good Folks Everywhere: Donate your time. Volunteers to work the door, do a little crowd control and help out with set-up and tear-down will receive serious karma points. Let's get together on this one, people! Contact lily: addtract.ncc(at)gmail.com to get involved. Love, Joe Che, Lily M, and the PNF/Addtract crew.
• Friday - Monday April 9-12. The spectacular MoCCA Festival is a two-day event featuring hundreds of the best comic and cartoon artists from around the globe. The MoCCA Festival is the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art's biggest fundraiser, so we need a ton of volunteers to make it possible. Volunteers get free admission, lunch, discounts, a party, and more. If you'd like to volunteer for this year's festival, the process begins when you fill out the survey at is.gd/aIox2, which will tell us when and how you'd like to volunteer. Feel free to pass that link along--the only thing funner than volunteering at MoCCA Fest is volunteering with friends. moccany.org/content/mocca-festival
• Likely last week of April, but soon. Domes for Haiti. The following positions will be needed: Assistant Project Manager: Someone with a good amount of free time and a keen ability to be organized and stay on task. Book Keeper: Someone who can keep track of the funds we take in and spend. This person would also write out a detailed budget for grantwriting. Grant Writer: Self explanatory. Truck Driver: We need someone with a truck to go on runs to pick up donated goods, vinyl, and so on. Assistant Project Manager for phase two in Haiti: Must speak Creole fluently and be willing to get muddy. Familiarity with Haiti is key, connections, family members and friends in the local community there are needed. Haitian-Americans or Haitians especially sought. Travel expenses will be paid. Documentarian: needed for both phases of project, in Haiti as well as Brooklyn. Someone to be shooting video and taking photos during work. I also need someone to make a short video for the website an d kickstarter. Fundraiser: A person to create benefit shows to raise money - this could happen anywhere in the country. Phone person: A person good on the phone to cold call as many local businesses as possible to get donated materials. Media person: Call, email and write to newspapers, TV and radio. Write blurbs. Builder Consultant: We could really use some expert advice. If you could fill any of these roles, please contact us. domesforhaiti.org, domesforhaiti.blogspot.com, 917 648 7220, info(at)domesforhaiti.org

***** HELP: ONGOING (posted the first week of each month) *****

SOCIAL

• Street Project: Serve at the University Soup Kitchen, Saturdays from 11:45a - 3:30p. streetproject.org/eventarchive.php
• St. John's Bread and Life: Help with the Soup Kitchen, Mobile Soup Kitchen, or Food Pantry. breadandlife.org/volunteer.htm
• GiveGoodGet Project: Recognize people doing good for their community. facebook.com/givegoodget
• GALLOP: Therapeutic riding program for individuals with diabilities. gallopnyc.org
• RightRides and SafeWalk: Late night rides - help to increase safety in our communities. rightrides.org
• The Fortune Society: Volunteer to teach reading, writing and math to former prisoners and young people facing prison time. 212 691 7554 x250 or fortunesociety.org
• Samitarians: Volunteer for a suicide-prevention hotline. samaritansnyc.org/volunt.html
• The Rock Dove Project: Connects health care practitioners who offer cheap/free services with seekers of those services. rockdovecollective.org/project
• New York Cares: Attend an orientation to learn about volunteer opportunities. newyorkcares.org/volunteer
• Books Through Bars: Sends books to prisoners all over the country. Mondays and Thursdays 7:30-9:30p and Sundays 5-8p. abcnorio.org/affiliated/btb.html
• Food not Bombs: Serves vegan food in Tompkins Sq Park. Sundays 1p on. abcnorio.org/affiliated/fnb.html
• Volunteer Referral Center: Get your interests, skills, and schedule availability matched with a non-profit organization that needs your help, for free. volunteer-referral.org
• City Harvest: Help feed the homeless by volunteering at a special event. cityharvest.org
• Housing Works: Provides housing for individuals affected by HIV and AIDS. Volunteers of all types needed. housingworks.org
• New York Road Runners: Work with kids, help out at a race, and more. volunteers.nyrr.org
• Computers for Youth: Help this organization increase the educational resources available to low-income youth. cfy.org
• El Museo del Barrio: Help this Latino cultural institution with one of their many awesome events. bit.ly/4U1UG6, elmuseo.org
• National Language Service Corps: Use your language skills to help others. nlscorps.org

CREATIVE

• NY Street Opera: Non-profit musical theatre. Light administrative duties. cheron.g.cowan(at)gmail.com or nystreetopera.com
• NY Artists Unlimited: Brings theatre and art to under-served audiences. nyartists.org
• Stoked Mentoring: Mentor kids through skateboarding, surfing and snowboarding. infostoked.org
• 826NYC: Volunteer as a writing tutor for 826NYC.org

POLITICAL

• Transportation Alternatives: Biking, walking, and public transit advocacy. Office volunteers needed. elena(at)transalt.org or transalt.org
• lowercased democrats: Design a citywide public meeting house, support a petition drive. lowercased.org

ENVIRONMENTAL

• Project Safe Flight: Rescue disoriented and injured birds and help migratory birds. volunteernycaudubon.org
• Brooklyn Animal Rescue Coalition: Help with dog walking and cat petting. barcshelter.org
• Time's Up!: Direct-action environmental advocacy. times-up.org
• The New Jersey Tree Foundation: Help plant trees in Newark, events most Saturdays. newjerseytreefoundation.org

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Seemingly angry, even in moments of gratitude.