From: "Jeff Stark" <jstark@nonsensenyc.com>
Subject: nonsensenyc: 4.30 to 5.6
Date: April 30th 2010

Friday, April 30
* Freddy’s Bar Declares Victory, Brooklyn * New Faux, Brooklyn
* Audio Ergo Sum, Brooklyn
* Porn from Madagascar, Manhattan
* Da Birds and Da Bees, Manhattan
* HiChristina Annual Make New Friends, Manhattan * Janky Release Party / Homemade Noise, Brooklyn * Dances of Vice: Swan Lake Masquerade Ball, Brooklyn * Critical Mass, Manhattan
* Boogie Down Basement: Showpaper Benefit * Burlesque at the Beach, Brooklyn

Saturday, May 1
* Messhof x Fort90zine x Glow Artisan, Brooklyn * May Day Farm Fest, Brooklyn
* May Day at the Ding Dong: A Celebration of Labors of Love, Manhattan * All Together Now, Queens
* Sculpture 2010 Opening Party
* May Day Blanket Forts, Brooklyn
* Power to the People, Manhattan
* Business as Usual, Manhattan
* The Sweet Cheat
* Hobotech Hoe Down, Brooklyn
* Corporate Picnic, Manhattan
* R/D and Jupit3r, Manhattan
* Celebrate May Day the IWW, Brooklyn

Sunday, May 2
* Great Muppet Caper Sing-Along, Williamsburg * Death Bear, Brooklyn

Monday, May 3
* The Big Quiz Thing, Manhattan
* Keep on Truck(farm)ing, Williamsburg

Tuesday, May 4
* Success Stories, Brooklyn
* Trivia Night at Rope Presents: Star Wars vs. Star Trek Trivia Challenge * Footdown Festival, Manhattan
* Bushwick Book Club, Brooklyn
* Sister Spit Tour, Williamsburg
* Nora's Court, Williamsburg

Wednesday, May 5
* Cinco De Mayo Wrestiling Party, Williamsburg * Dorkbot, Manhattan
* Craftermath, Manhattan
* Peace-Themed Performance Art Happening, Manhattan

Thursday, May 6
* Cinema 16, Brooklyn

Wishlist
* Tiny Offerings

Spectre
* Acts of God

Learning
* Loft Tenants Meeting

Help
* Beethoven’s Ninth

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

A little gray boat in a hazy river.

XXXXX FRIDAY, APRIL 30 XXXXX

Freddy’s Bar Declares Victory

Freddy's Bar is not closing, it's moving. We are presently in negotiations with a landlord who is not a billionaire at 4th Avenue and Union Street. We will be having a Victory party on April 30 to celebrate what the little guy has been able to do in fighting a billionaire and the corrupt government agency that he controls. We feel we have dealt fatal blows to Ratner's organization. The Nets will not be sold to an international criminal, because the NBA can't afford to be associated with organized crime.

Freddy's Bar is not giving up the fight, we stand in solidarity with Prokhorov's sanctions-busting victims in Zimbabwe, and with the people of Yonkers who are paying the price for a Ratner bribery scandal. We will continuing to stand against the corruption that has dominated our lives for the last seven years, and are looking forward to moving out from under this sword of Damocles.

Forest City Ratner will leave Brooklyn a thousand years before Freddy's Bar does -- they have missed mortgage payments on their Metrotech Center, and the Yonkers and Zimbabwe sanctions busting scandals are criminal acts. The question is will they run out of money first, or face prosecution first. I am sure that both will happen.

The move is about the employees, and the business. We're little guys. We can't run our business into the ground as Ratner has and still survive. We have a lot of mouths to feed and we are not billionaires. The move is strategic. Very soon Freddy’s Next Bar will be standing tall, and Ratner will be in rubble, with no stadium, and hopefully with justice and karma finding him. This is a guy who closed a family homeless shelter in the dead of winter.

In order to assure our capacity to keep Freddy's alive in a another location, and keep people employed we have to move the contents of the bar in a particular timely fashion to lock down the next space, and thus we will not be facing an eviction situation in which a protest by chaining ourselves could happen.

The owner of Freddy's has had to consider those employed at Freddy's as well as his own situation, needing employment and food on the table. He made a difficult decision to pull out in such a way as to keep the contents of the bar and move it into another location. If we wait for condemnation we might sacrifice too much. I

We hope to open this new space as soon as possible, two or three months hopefully. The email address will not change, nor the web address.

Freddy's Bar
485 Dean Street, corner of 6th Avenue, Brooklyn freddys.backroom@verizon.net
freddysbackroom.com

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

New Faux

Performance fashion show. New Faux is a showcase of the city’s most innovative designers and performers, transforming the cat-walk into a spectacular stage to display imaginative works of wearable art. Expect the surreal and sincere as dancers, singers, aerialists, drag queens, and contortionists model bizarre and brilliant creations in a performance-infused fashion showcase built to excite and inspire.

Featuring collections from Kae Burke, Papusza Couture, Lolli Popitt, Third Earth Designs, Emma Emma, AlienNation, Xango by Jessi Klein and Celso de la Blanca. Performances by electro-pop trio Tayisha Busay, the infamous Narcissister, members Lady Circus, the Skybox Aerialists, dance by Celso de la Blanca, the musical stylings of IV and many more. Hosted by the infinitely stylish Dandy Wellington.

Dancing til late with music by D Juice, Tinseltown, and Paris. Complimentary cocktails will be available for eccentric dressers, so please feel free to show off.

House of Yes
342 Maujer Street, Brooklyn
8p doors, 9p show, dancing and performances until 3a; $10 houseofyes.org/events/newfaux

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

Audio Ergo Sum

I'm a huge fan of Nonsense and wanted to reach out to you on behalf of a festival I am organizing called Audio Ergo Sum taking place next week on April 30. Audio Ergo Sum developed as an idea to create architectural happenings out of music performance, and we're having our first event a week from Friday.

I'm personally inviting you to come out to our free mini-festival which features everything from groundbreaking 8-bit music from Nullsleep to animations and live illustrations from Molly Schwartz and No Carrier. Several artists and I are working to transform the park into a multi-sensory experience.

Audio Ergo Sum
Washington Park
5th Avenue between 3rd and 4th streets, Brooklyn audioergosum.com

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

Porn from Madagascar

What happens when women watch porn? Do they grow horns? Does their favorite porn involve unicorns and low-fat yogurt? We've all asked ourselves these questions. But now is the time for education. Hear first-hand accounts from an obese midwest evangelist, a Czech dominatrix, a very New Jersey mom and other seriously sick bitches, all played by solo performer Halley Bondy. Featuring performances by acclaimed chanteuse Mira Stroika and sideshow voice artist Zero Boy and bitchin' homemade videos. Bondy, a cabaret character performer won the 2008 Outstanding Playwright Award in FringeNYC.

The Tank
354 West 45th Street, Manhattan
7:30p; $10

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

Animus presents:

Da Birds and Da Bees

Fun*raiser for two new, large-scale art installations going to Burning Man and Figment. Animus brings you a proper education on love, a sexy springtime adventure of creativity and great festivity. Yes, it's known by many names: a romp, a ride, the slip, the slide, sweet temptations, or just relations. Here's celebrating the art of the oldest creative act, as well as all the creativity that comes out of it. So sound your mating call, spread your colorful plumage, and break out your best mating.

With John O’Connor, DJ MLE, Narcotic Rhythms, Douggie Style, Eric Saga, and DJ Tek Life.

Interactivities by Animus: Graffiti Glow-Wall, Ode to Ferrofluid, Naughty Push Pin Poetry, walk down Memory Lane, mobile 3D photo booth. Featuring: The Return of O-Man, the Marc Whalen Awesome Photo Show, Built-2-Burn Preview, Original Blacklight Animus Art for the first 25 people in the door, sound and lights by Morphous, video visuals by MixaRitta, screen printing by the Printaholics Crew (bring your favorite T-shirt), Birthday Party for Lia, Squire, Sabrina, and O-Man, Hoop and Flag Performances, drink specials all night, and costumes by you.

Animus is proud to support feed the artists: Five percent of the night’s profit will go toward the creation of a new automated Feed The Artists website. Feed the Artists is an amazing Burning Man based project which pairs artists with theme camps, allowing them to break bread together and form new, meaningful, and lasting friendships.

Club Love
40 West 8th Street, Manhattan
9:30p-5a, or later; $15 presale, $20 door, $30 without costume 212 477 5683‎
AnimusArt.com
feedtheartists.net/

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

HiChristina Annual Make New Friends

Tired of old friends? You're not alone -- we have too. Meet an entirely new social network. Does it seem that your old friends have lost interest in you or your amazing new projects? Not attending your important events, dates or openings? Do they assume that because you two are Old Pal that they can take advantage of you yet not even call on your birthday?

Well, here at HiChristina we say, "Out with the old and in with the new!" You deserve friends who appreciate you for who you are, respect your lifestyle and choices, friends who call you back right away.

Come to HiChristina, your home for avant-garde art, performance and uncommon expression, a night of fun, Kool-Aide, crafts and blossoming friendships awaits.

HiChristina
163 Eldridge Street, between Delancey and Rivington, Manhattan 6p; $10 BYOB
917 642 6018
rxapparel(at)gmail(dot)com

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

Janky Release Party / Homemade Noise

Janky is an experimental art publication of rough B&W zine, glossy magazine, a soundzine cassette, pamphlets, handprinted photos, burrito receipts, and other stuff. Over 30 photographers, artists and experimental musicians from Brooklyn/NYC and around the country have contributed to Janky.

With audio treats and homemade instruments and DIY circuit wizardry: Fad Diet Sunshine (vocal dance improv from SoCal/Philly), Chattr (Tenori-on wrangler from Dirty Jersey), Futuree Circuits (fuzz boxes of destruction from Brooklyn), Dandelion Fiction (wooden Daxophone symphony from Brooklyn). Free entry. BYO drinks. Bring zines and tapes for trade.

LaunchPad
721 Franklin Avenue, Brooklyn
8-10p;
718 928 7112
brooklynlaunchpad.org

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

Dances of Vice: Swan Lake Masquerade Ball

Dances of Vice presents an enchanting Swan Lake inspired masquerade ball, featuring live harpsichord and music by Mistress of Harpsichord and her Baroque trio, opera by Charites, ballet performances by Company XIV, ballroom dancing demonstrations, and an extravagant fashion show of 18th Century inspired designs by Kathleen Marie Couture.

Galapagos Art Space
16 Main Street, Brooklyn
10:30p; $20 advance, $25 door

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

Critical Mass

Critical Mass is a spontaneous celebration of what our streets could look like. this fun group ride encourages new cyclists and creates safer streets and new green infrastructure. Strap some music to your bike and make sure to bring appropriate lights and bells.

About this month's ride: We should have a very interesting Manhattan CM this Friday. Last month we walked out. This month we may hit numbers that apparently require a parade permit. And some of us are going to dress in all white to represent that we are all ghost riders until we have truly safe roads. We've already lost too many wonderful bike-riding people to motor vehicles this year. Come and contribute to how this all plays out. Keep it positive. Wear white, decorate your bike white.

Union Square
17th Street and Broadway, Manhattan
7p; $free
critical-mass.org

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

Body Actualized Control presents:

Boogie Down Basement: Showpaper Benefit

DJs Etienne PD (Real Estate), Jan Woo (Second Life, Market Hotel), and very vewwy special guest DJs will throw down all manner of mind-boggling, fun, and smooth dance jams to create what is known as a "sexy vibe" starting at 11p and going all night long at Monster Island Basement. This event is a benefit for Showpaper, a fine local resource for DIY events and culture, much like No Nonsense. Please come out and support, or just come out for the unprecedented boogie.

Monster Island Basement
128 River Street, at Metropolitan Avenue, Brooklyn L train to Bedford Avenue station
11p, $5 donation benefit
All ages

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

Burlesque at the Beach

Wasabassco Burlesque's Coney Island medicine show. Experience a night of Wasabassco’s trademark couple-friendly, risqué-fun starring the Reigning Miss Coney Island herself, GiGi La Femme -- plus a cast of ecdysiasts, magicians, snake charmers and flim-flam artists unparalleled on the Eastern Seaboard. GiGi is joined by Bastard Keith and Nasty Canasta with Magician Eric Walton and Jen Dziura; Miss Coney Island 2009, Gal Friday; and the Shining Jewel of Burlesque, Sapphire Jones; plus Sizzle and Doc.

Coney Island USA
1208 Surf Ave.
10p; $15

XXXXX SATURDAY, MAY 1 XXXXX

Messhof x Fort90zine x Glow Artisan

Special performance by Blue Leader from Baltimore. With FORT90ZINE, Cream Wolf, Jizzzmoppa, the original Diner Dash, Glow Artisan.

Talking: Ramiro Corbetta - Glow Artisan Game Designer, Matthew Hawkins, Mark Denardo. Performances: Blue Leader, Graffiti Monsters. Secret Extra Game. And Babycastles, New York's first independent games arcade, is named after bite-size Portugese cakes in Japan. As a new function of a legendary all-ages venue for Brooklyn music and other local DIY-culture, Babycastles offers a physical place to play games made by amateur and independent game developers. The arcade is open during four or five nights a week during shows at the Silent Barn, with an opening party every month for new games.

Silent Barn Street
915 Wyckoff Avenue, Brooklyn
8-11p;

NOTE: The listing doesn't make this exactly clear, but it looks like this is a night of independent and hacked video games. We edited down a lot of confusing stuff from the version we got, which probably means a lot to some people, but it seemed pretty insidery. But in the cool way that some subcultures are just really insidery. Anyway, probably a fascinating night that isn't happening anywhere else in the city. Or a bunch of nerds who know it and love nerding out anyway.

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

May Day Farm Fest

I remembered your email blast, and thought maybe you'd like to spread the word for us. We signed a lease yesterday, so the Brooklyn Grange will soon be doing its installation in Long Island City. 1.2 million pounds of soil and a crane for three days.

Saturday we're having a little celebration party / barbecue in the backyard farm at Roberta's in Bushwick. Music, food, and beer. We have about 12,000 seedlings back there for the Brooklyn Grange, and over the course of a winter, they've converted a Bushwick junkyard into a moveable farm with produce for the restaurant, as well as a future wedding location come June. It's pretty rad.

With the Birdhive Boys, the Dead River Company, and DJ WG Snuffy Walden.

Roberta's Farm
261 Moore Street, Brooklyn
2-8p; $?

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

May Day at the Ding Dong: A Celebration of Labors of Love

Zine and small press fair with readings, music performances, and more. An uptown zine and small press fair -- May Day at the Ding Dong is being organized by a loose coalition of zinesters, small press folk, musicians, artists, and oral history enthusiasts, and will most benefit from the participation of you.

There will be: bookmaking by Esther K. Smith from Purgatory Pie Press, readings and oral histories by Buzz Poole, Fiction Circus, Sam Cohen, Samantha Chanse, Sarah Dziedzic, and Steven Hann, film poetry by Dimmer, music by Jeffrey Lewis, Ed Askew, CTown, the March Fourth!, Oh be joyful, and Phil and the Osophers, puppet show by Cassie J. Sneider, and open mike for all.

Ding Dong Lounge
929 Columbus Avenue, between 105th and 106th streets, Manhattan 1-8p; $freee
maydaydingdong.blogspot.com

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

All Together Now

Action Club invites you to participate in a live re-recording and broadcasting of Nina Simone's Sinnerman by hundreds of musicians, singers, artists, and dancers, and you.

The recording will be made using instruments made on the spot at Build It Green, recorded on salvaged equipment by literally hundreds of people. There will be some special dance moves too.

A bike parade launch from the McCarren Park in Williamsburg at 3:30 will sweep up participants. You can also meet us at Build it Green. Bring the kids, the dog, and instruments, and noisemakers!

The recording will begin at 5p sharp followed by celebration, barbecue, and drinks hosted by Build It Green.

Action Club is a collective of artists who come together to explore collaboration, social action, and intervention. Action Club is also the current artists-in-residence at Build It Green. Build It Green NYC is an environmental non-profit organization that sells salvaged and surplus building material at extremely low cost. Last year they kept 450 tons of material out of the landfill.

Build It Green
3-17 26th Avenue, at 4th Street, Queens 5p sharp; $free
action-club.org/alltogether.html

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

Sculpture 2010 Opening Party

Excalibur Bronze Sculpture Foundry invited sculptors from around the world to submit their best work for the First Excalibur Sculpture Foundry Group Show. Sculpture 2010 is a revealing and inspiring glimpse at the work of contemporary sculptors in New York City and beyond.

Guests will also have the rare opportunity to witness firsthand the ancient art of lost wax casting with molten 2,000 degree bronze by Excalibur during the Candlelight Bronze Pour scheduled for 7p.

Excalibur Bronze Sculpture Foundry
309 Starr Street, Brooklyn
L train to Jefferson station
6–9p; $free
joan excaliburbronzeny.com

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

Newmindspace presents:

May Day Blanket Forts

Stay up past your bedtime with Newmindspace in our sprawling, cozy fortresses made of blankets and pillows. Explore the labyrinthine complex of themed, soft forts installed inside a massive private loft 15 minutes from Manhattan. Enjoy midnight snacks from the kitchen fort, smoothies, hot cocoa and other delicious beverages. Bring a teddy bear and blanket or cuddle with one of ours. Pajamas and bath robes welcome. This is meant to be an intimate, wondrous evening among friends and friends of friends, as well as a fundraiser for our free, outdoor public events in 2010.

Location when you buy a ticket
10p-4a; $15
newmindspace.com

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

HyperGender Burlesque presents:

Power to the People

Power to the People will celebrate International Workers Day while stripping capitalism and globalization. From military to Central Park horse buggies -- nothing is safe or sacred in this show which may shock you, may excite you but will never leave you indifferent. Take your hard earned money and invest it in our pasties and merkins because underneath it all we are human and humanity is cheap these days. Politics was never this sexy.

Hosts: Award winning duo recently seen at Miss LEZ pageant, NYBF festival and more, JZ Bich & N. Guests: Current Miss LEZ Kirin Stevens, the PHD of Burlesque Dr. Lukki, always edgy Velocity Chyaldd, ExHotic Other, Alala Firefly, Dante' Anthony, and always amazing video by Anti Social.

Wow Cafe Theater
59-61 East 4th Street, fourth floor, Manhattan F, V to 2nd Avenue, 6 to Astor place
10p; $10
917 591 6185
hypergender@gmail.com
hypergender.com

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

Production 54 presents:

Business as Usual

Celebrate May Day with an all night, underground dance party in Soho, featuring Matt Shadetek and Tucci.

174 Mott Street, at Broome, Manhattan
midnight-6a; $5 cover

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

The Sweet Cheat

The Sweet Cheat is site-specific theater. Based on Rick Moody's science-fiction novella the Albertine Notes, the play incorporates music, video, and installation, all staged inside a massive abandoned building -- a relic of New York's industrial past.

With much of Manhattan decimated after a suitcase bomb explodes in Union Square, 20 percent of the population is addicted to a drug that allows perfect memory recall. Reporter Kevin Lee's assignment: Is it true you can get to the future on Albertine?

Featuring actors Helen Buyniski, Ben Cerf, Hannah Corrigan, E. James Ford, Dylan Gauthier, Monica Hunken, M. Scrivo, Lizzie Steelheart, and Trevor Zhou as Kevin Lee. Costumes by Sarah McMillan. Sets by Robyn Hasty. And a new score by George Graham. Directed by Jeff Stark.

Stark's last play, IRT, took place without permission in the New York City subway system. The Sweet Cheat continues this series of art in the real world, far from black box theaters and white-walled galleries. This is not guerrilla theater; it's trespass theater, where the risks are serious and the art questions the division between life and representations of it -- just like the story itself. The space has not been curated for safety. All audience members must approach the performance with extreme caution.

RSVP for location, Manhattan
3-7p; $25 includes roundtrip transportation, very limited rush tickets available 9a the day of the show Continues SUNDAY
infosweetcheat.org
sweetcheat.org

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

Hobotech Hoe Down

Growing right along with the number of foreclosures and laid off Americans, Brooklyn's Hobotech posse bring their unique Great Depression meets cutting edge techno sound to a bigger Brooklyn warehouse venue appropriately on the traditional spring party date.

The Hobotechies will celebrate May Day with blogger, scientist and DJ FutureBen, followed by Hobotech regulars FreeBass and Hobotrail. Around 1am Hobotech creator Jon Margulies will spin followed by ATOM. The night will climax with a tag team set from the Rising Smoke of the Hobo Kings (aka Haj - Resident DJ of Sub Swara and Freek Factory - and Jon Margulies). The DJs will be joined by the accordion boombox stylings of Dallow Texino and the Hobo Percussion Orchestra featuring Dave Sharma (also of Sub Swara) and Zemi17.

Not content to be just another Brooklyn warehouse throw down, this Hobotech event encourages all partiers to dress up hobo style including suggestions such as high-tech hobo, low-tech robot, tech-house hillbilly, boxcar betty, Experimental Plasma Wave Bindle Scientist, stew bum sys-admin, and Utah Phillips K. Dick.

Other event aspects that will add to the post-economy atmosphere include "some sort of model train madness;" Hobo IDs for costumed attendees with photography by Joe Che, and Hobo Intake Specialist Anu; video from the Housewives Guide to Anatomy, Doctor Mojo, and TwinA; plus a final visual element from the Amazing Bindlestick Blinkytron, an interactive light installation by Image Node.

RSVP for address, Brooklyn
10p; $15
hobo-tech.com

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

Corporate Picnic

Ever work for a mediocre company who loved to ride the annual corporate picnic. Not a weekend retreat, but those Sunday afternoon outings where you got to run in a three-legged race against your fellow proletariat? Wanna do it again but without the boss? This time the company is you and we are all co-stars in this afternoon bi-eat--alon.

Wear your summery shorts, plaid hats, mismatch-able socks, corporate Tshirts, and dot com golf ware from some place you left or still suffer at. Yes you too can represent the fabulous companies from Eden Prairie, Minnesota (Best Buy, Target, United Health).

What are we doing: eating for one thing, it's lunch, a wee bit on the afternoonish side but if you must, have a little nosh now and you should be fine. For our Corporate Picnic everyone should bring a container of something lunch-able to add to the potluck.

Are we playing games? You betcha Charlie Brown. After our little naps: potato sack races, 3-legged races, tug of war, apple from one mouth to the next, water balloon catch, ultimate mini Frisbee.

Rain dated SUNDAY.

Central Park
Sheeps Meadow, Manhattan
2-5p; $free
fluffsstuff.com

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

Urban Cabaret presents:

R/D and Jupit3r

Get ready for another amazing extravaganza by Urban Cabaret. Yes, we are rocking it to you again. Another West Coast East Coast mashup. The venue is underground, the vibe is art, beauty and love. And for you freaks out there, the music will be hitting your eardrums with sounds to make you weep with joy. We are freaks of nature, and we love it like that.

Line-up: R/D , Jupit3r, and Morphous featuring Shizaru, and Sneak Attack. Burlesque by the Maine Attraction, Stormy Leather. Performance by the Bex. Art show curated by Emma Randers with U.N.O and many more. Plus live painting and body paint by Lebanese artist Marwan Nahle.

RSVP for location, Manhattan
10p-4a; $15 presale, $20 door
urbancabaret.ticketleap.com/UrbanCabaretRDJupit3r rsvpurban-cabaret.com

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

Celebrate May Day the IWW

Three floors and a roof of revolutionary bands, DJs and speakers including Born in a Cent, the Flames of Discontent, Liberte Locke (IWW-Starbucks Workers Union), Spiritchild of Mental Notes, Nikki Patin, Rtronika, Rainy Day Parade, Things in Action, George Mann, Chris Chandler, Callejero, the Last Internationale, DJ Savalas, DJ JuanMapu, and DJ Velvet. May Day is the real worker's holiday, and what better way to celebrate it than with the IWW?

The IWW is a 100 year old grassroots, member-run radical labor union organized industrially rather than by trade. We practice what is known as "solidarity unionism," meaning that the workers themselves formulate strategy and take action against the company directly without mediation from government or paid union representatives.

Founded in 1905, the IWW has a long and rich history, and in recent years has once again found itself on the cutting edge of the labor movement, winning demands for Starbucks Workers, bike messengers, truck drivers, construction workers, and beyond.

Surreal Estate is a collective living space and events venue housed in two adjacent buildings in Bushwick. They offer many kinds of events open to the community, including readings, speakers, benefit shows, performances, workshops, a gallery space and Bushwick Food not Bombs!

Surreal Estate
13-15 Thames Street, Brooklyn
9p-3a; $5-10 sliding scale
iww.org/
myspace.com/surrealestatenyc

XXXXX SUNDAY, MAY 2 XXXXX

Great Muppet Caper Sing-Along

Come sing along to a screening of Jim Henson's classic Muppet musical, the Great Muppet Caper.

Starring Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, and Gonzo, (and featuring an amazing appearance by John Cleese) , the film combines qualities of A.A. Milne, Busby Berkeley and a small bit of Blake Edwards. For, this time the Muppets are out to solve a jewel heist, and foil a criminal plot to steal the fabulous Baseball Diamond.

Knitting Factory
361 Metropolitan Avenue, Brooklyn
4p; $7

***** Also on SUNDAY *****

Death Bear

Death Bear is emerging from his Central Park cave for one day of free pain collection. Upon summoning him through text message, this imposing 7 foot tall black bear will collect any items with memories that bring you pain. Give him anything as long as it fits in his black duffel bag. He will then take the ex-boyfriend's T-shirt or the ex-girlfriend's panties back to his cave where they disappear forever allowing you to move on. It's OK to cry.

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

XXXXX MONDAY, MAY 3 XXXXX

The Big Quiz Thing

The ultimate live trivia experience continues. With $250 in cash prizes, plus much more. With our video round: The Magazine Flashback Mind-Teaser, and and our audio round with "Wild" and "Crazy" music and more, including the lightning round, smart-ass points, and the big three-way finale. Quizmastered by Noah Tarnow. With EDP and music by DJ GB.

Crash Mansion
199 Bowery, at Spring Street, Manhattan 7:30p; $7
21 and over
bigquizthing.com

***** Also on MONDAY *****

Keep on Truck(farm)ing:

Community Supported Agriculture in a Dodge Flatbed, with Ian Cheney. A few years ago, Ian Cheney moved to New York City and realized he didn't have any place to grow food; after a good long look at his 1986 Dodge pickup, Truck Farm was born. Using lightweight soil and heirloom seeds, Truck Farm creates a shocking amount of fresh produce right on the streets of Brooklyn. With his collaborator Curt Ellis, Ian is running a 20-member CSA out of the back of the Dodge and creating a short documentary film about the wild new world of urban agriculture. Join Ian for a video-rich discussion of why tiny urban farms are an essential ingredient in the new American diet.

Ian Cheney is a documentary filmmaker based in Red Hook, Brooklyn. He co-created and starred in the 2007 PBS documentary King Corn, directed the 2008 Sundance Channel documentary the Greening Of Southie, and is currently at work on a feature documentary about light pollution and the disappearing night, entitled the City Dark.

Pete’s Candy Store
709 Lorimer Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn 7:30p; $free

XXXXX TUESDAY, MAY 4 XXXXX

Adult Education presents:

Success Stories

Adult Education is a Brooklyn-based monthly lecture series devoted to making useless knowledge somewhat less useless. Each month is devoted to a given theme, and four speakers will address some aspect of that theme using visual aids.

This month's show includes: Andrew Feldman, Evolution of Tennis Costumes: From Bill Tilden to Serena Williams; Jonah Peretti, Mullets, Mormons, and Maniacs; Dan Rollman, These Ain't Yo' Mama's Records; Jill Stoddard, Feeling Successful. With your host, Charles Star.

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

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

Trivia Night at Rope Presents: Star Wars vs. Star Trek Trivia Challenge

The time has come to boldly go where no trivia night has gone before. For the month of May, Trivia Night at Rope presents Star Wars and Star Trek. Together. Bring your team of 3-5 nerds and test your trivia mettle against Star Wars and Star Trek fans alike to find out the true identity of Brooklyn's baddest combination Jedi knight and Starfleet commander. Compete for cash, booze, bragging rights, and chances to spin the Intergalactic Prize Wheel.

Rope
415 Myrtle Avenue, Brooklyn
8p; $2 per person and the winning team takes home all the money @RopeTrivia on Twitter

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

Footdown Festival

Footdown is a fun and friendly bicycle game. The object of the game is very simple: Don't put your foot down. Players ride inside of a circle, trying to force other riders to put a foot on the ground. Meet up at Union Square and then we'll take a little ride to a more private venue to play the game.

Union Square South
14th Street and Broadway, Manhattan
7p; $free

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

Bushwick Book Club

Songs inspired by Isabella Rossellini's Green Porno. Expect sexy animal inspired snacks and drink specials too. Songwriters scheduled: Corn Mo, I Feel Awesome, Buffie Roseanne, Susan Hwang, Deenah Vollmer, Preston Spurlock, Sweet Soubrette, and Anna Leuchtenberger.

Goodbye Blue Monday
1087 Broadway, Brooklyn
8p; $free
718 453 6343

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

Sister Spit Tour

The legendary, raucous, rowdy performance gang, Sister Spit, lands in Brooklyn with a vanload of queertastic brilliance. Don't miss this multimedia explosion of zinesters, fashion plates, slam poets, novelists, performance artists, poets, and fancy scribblers.

Secret Project Robot
210 Kent Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn 9p; $free
secretprojectrobot.org

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

Nora's Court

Courtroom drama for the barroom. Come battle it out Court Room Style. Prove you're right once and for all with third party mediation. Nora will hear both sides of the story, ask questions, and give her ruling. The audience will then weigh in and choose a side. Both parties will have their chance and leave knowing that a bunch of people agree with them or disagree with them. What could be better? "Nothing" you say? That's what I think too.

Pete's Candy Store
709 Lorimer Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn 7p; $free

XXXXX WEDNESDAY, MAY 5 XXXXX

Cinco De Mayo Wrestiling Party

Guacamole contest and margarita and Presidente festival.

Secret Project Robot
210 Kent Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn 8p; $free
secretprojectrobot.org

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

Dorkbot

People doing strange things with electricity. The meeting is free and open to the public. It's the last meeting of the season, so let's have a some fun. Please bring snacks to share. Yum. With Julia Vallera: Color Wheelz, Nick Didkovsky, recent software-assisted composition.

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

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

Craftermath

I'm sending you the latest event from, my Lower East Side group of crafty, subversive women. We chose our events and locations carefully, so they do not have a regularly recurring date. We especially like to do alternatives to co-opted holidays so the more creative public doesn't feel like they have to go commercial, typical events. If you could list it for us that would be great. Thank you kindly in advance for your consideration, and for doing what you do, always.

The Dressing Room
75 A Orchard Street, between Broome and Grand, Manhattan 7-9p; $free
craftermathnyc.blogspot.com

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

Peace-Themed Performance Art Happening

Please join us for a peace-themed performance art happening with collaborative video, music, and beat poetry. Directed by Clark Clark and produced by Larry Litt. Activist artists and performers will inspire you to make art, not war.

Cinco De Mayo is a very special day. Since the Battle of Puebla in 1862 no sovereign nation in the Americas has been invaded by an army from another continent. Bring a musical instrument, a camera, a yoga mat, a sketchbook, or anything else that brings you peace.

Emily Harvey Gallery
537 Broadway, Manhattan
7-9p; $free?

XXXXX THURSDAY, MAY 6 XXXXX

Cinema 16

Smack Mellon will host Cinema 16 as part of the gallery’s Press Play First Thursdays concert series. Performance by MotMot. The featured film is The Adventures of Prince Achmed, by Lotte Reiniger.

Archway under the Manhattan Bridge
Pearl and Water Street, Brooklyn
8p show; $free
cinemasixteen.com

XXXXX UPCOMING XXXXX

• Rubulad's The New Now: Time Travel in Technicolor, May 7
• Megapolis Audio Festival, Baltimore, May 14-16
• Opt-In presents Zero Day Exploits, May 15
• Underground Rebel Bingo Club, May 21
• 2009 Folly Day Alert, April 25
• RE/Mixed Media Festival 2010, May 30

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 *****

• Open Call No. 1 for Tiny Offerings, April 30 at Harvestworks, 6-8p. Tiny Offerings is a performance event where each person who attends is invited to make an offering to everyone else. An offering can be anything people like to do (tell jokes, stories, sing, draw, things we often think of as talents, etc.) or something they know how to do (a weird trick or genetic tic for instance) or want to show and tell (a drawing, photo, video, sculpture, found object of interesting or sentimental value, etc.) Make it something that you care about or that's revealing in some way- (serious or goofy). Artists are encouraged to bring or do something other than what they usually do- i.e. some other medium or type of performance. Collaborations are also good. Only restriction: three minutes or less! Just show up or RSVP: TOfferings(at)gmail.com. Performance will then be 8:30p at Roulette on Thursday, June 3.
• Bushwick Open Studios and Arts Festival is an all-volunteer, self-organized art festival held in Bushwick. This year's festival will take place on the weekend of June 4-6. Anyone in the community is welcome to participate by presenting art work, organizing activities and events, or by helping to produce the Festival. Registration for Bushwick Open Studios 2010 is now open. The registration period will run through Sunday, May 2. Registration happens entirely online. Please visit artsinbushwick.org to learn more and register.
• Do you know of any actresses (they don't necessarily have to be queer) who would want to try out for a queer part for a short film? The character is a somewhat masculine or even androgynous woman named Frances whose in a relationship with a more femme woman named Rosita. The two of them are trying to reconcile differences in their relationship and it all comes to a head at Rosita's birthday party. Frances in the short film is white but if you know any women that might fit the role (doesn't matter their sexuality or race) please let me know. jenniobidike (at)g mail.com.
• An uptown zine and small press fair -- May Day at the Ding Dong -- will be held on May 1, 2010, from 1 to 7p at Ding Dong Lounge, 929 Columbus Avenue (between 105th and 106th Street). It's being organized by a loose coalition of zinesters, small press folk, musicians, artists, and oral history enthusiasts, and will most benefit from the participation of you.
• Vendors Wanted: May Day at the Ding Dong: A Celebration of Labors of Love is a zine and small press fair with readings, music performances, and more taking place on Saturday, May 1, 1–7p at the Ding Dong Lounge, 929 Columbus Avenue, between 105 and 106 Streets. Tables are $15. Check our website to pay by PayPal, or email dingdongtables(at)gmail.com for alternate payment options. See: maydaydingdong.blogspot.com/

***** SPACES *****

• Sublet April 26 - May 16. I am offering my bedroom in a nice loft shared with four other people and one doggy. My room is fully furnished, cozy with thirteen-foot ceilings, insane amount of light. The house is a legitimate beauty with full kitchen, tub, projector/DVD, WiFi. Short walk to Lorimer L/Broadway G and Lorimer J trains. Will need rent upfront by April 24. You will not be responsible for utilities but please be clean and considerate. Contact Heidi, tullmantor(at)gmail.com.
• $675 huge, studio-sized room in huge apartment, ten minutes to Brooklyn College, thirty to Manhattan, for a quiet, calm, peaceful female roommate. Very safe area (walk-around-at- four am-with-no-issue, backed up by statistics)! Available now, or perhaps if you want to move-in by May 1 or so, that would be ok too). I prefer as soon as possible. Five month minimum stay or longer. The room is 200 square feet in itself, a large rectangle, with five windows. Ceiling fan and light, air conditioner. Furnished if wanted with a queen bed and modern, tasteful computer desk. There is also an extra studio/office/sewing room you can use. Plus-sized living room/dining room/kitchen. I have one cat, and cannot take in any more cats. I am a (rare) occasional smoker. I'm an introverted, stable, kind, artsy/bohemian thirty-year-old woman employed in a creative field and have a similar twenty-nine-year-old roommate (have lived with many younger people too). Apartment is a five bedroom, but the re are only three people total at all times, including myself and maybe you. Transportation: four blocks to train. Kings Highway station stop on Q/B express train. Around the corner from shops/restaurants/gyms of every kind. Full kitchen, free laundry in building basement, utilities only about $35 per month. Email me back with a note about yourself- your lifestyle/work/job/school/interests/past living situations/personality/expectations/guest habits/daily schedule of work/school/sleep, etc. Contact thevolutionoflove@live.com.
• Bronx Summer Sublet Bonanza. We are a two-apartment, six bedroom household in the Bronx, and many of us are planning on vacating -- for housebuilding, vacationing, fieldwork, and adventure -- for much of the summer. Both apartments are sunny, floor-through, three bedrooms with lovely bathtubs, big kitchens, ceiling fans, comfy sofas, and lots of beautiful plants. Queer friendly. The rentals come with a CSA share, and possible access to a garden plot around the corner. We live in Mott Haven, right by the 3rd Avenue 138th Street stop on the 6 train, and also walking distance to the 4/5 and 2. We're about 25 minutes from Union Sq. There is wireless access, free laundry in the building, and lots of big grocery stores really close by. If you’re interested, write anna.starecheski@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:

***** And Other Bad Options *****

http://spectregroup.wordpress.com/2010/04/29/a-controlled-burn/

Only Bad Options
deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/go/site/2931/

1. Create a Burn Zone google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gV0p8P5QaVLyjmDfzlfO0W_59k9Q "Emergency teams launched a "controlled burn" operation on Wednesday to stop a giant oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico from washing up on Louisiana's ecologically fragile coast. A fleet of skimming vessels deployed by the US Coast Guard and British energy giant BP were sweeping the most dense concentrations of crude into a 500-foot (150-meter) fire resistant boom. "This oil will then be towed to a more remote area, where it will be ignited and burned in a controlled manner," a joint statement said. US Coast Guard told AFP that the initial burn-offs would be evaluated before any larger operations were attempted. "Today they are just seeing this as a kind of trial fire to see if it even can be done," she said. "I believe that they use an actual accelerant to start it. You can't just throw a match in it and have it start." The accident has not disrupted offshore gulf oil production, which accounts for more than a quarter of the US energy supply."

In Situ Burning
fire.nist.gov/bfrlpubs/fire01/art076.html blog.al.com/live/2010/04/burning_should_have_started_a.html "Federal officials should have started burning oil off the surface of the Gulf last week, almost as soon as the spill happened, said the former oil spill response coordinator for the NOAA. Ron Gouget, who also managed Louisiana's oil response team for a time, said federal officials missed a narrow window of opportunity to gain control of the spill by burning last week, before the spill spread hundreds of miles across the Gulf, and before winds began blowing toward shore. Gouget was part of the group that created the 1994 In-Situ Burn pre-approval plan that was designed to allow federal responders to begin burning oil as soon as a major spill occurred. "They had pre-approval. The whole reason the plan was created was so we could pull the trigger right away instead of waiting ten days to get permission," Gouget said. "If you read the pre-approval plan, it speaks about Grand Isle, where the spill is. When the wind is blowing offshore out of the north, you have preapproval to bur n in that region. If the wind is coming onshore, like it is now, you can't burn at Grand Isle. They waited to do the test burn until the wind started coming onshore." Asked why officials waited for a week before conducting even a test burn, Gouget said, "Good question. Maybe complacency was the biggest issue. They probably didn't have the materials on hand to conduct the burn, which is unconscionable." Gouget said officials could still make a big dent in the amount of oil that will hit seashores over the next several months by burning. "If they set up multiple boat/fire boom sets and begin a 'bucket brigade' grabbing fresh oil, they can set up a production system to remove huge amounts," Gouget said. "They've got to ramp up the burn program. It's one of the most important tools they have to limit the damage.""

2. Send Underwater Robots
guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/apr/26/deepwater-horizon-spill-underwater-robots "Underwater robots dived to the ocean floor yesterday in a new effort to staunch the 42,000 gallons of oil a day being pumped into the Gulf of Mexico in America's worst offshore oil rig spill in 40 years. The robots will attempt to activate a blowout preventer, a 450-ton valve on the ocean floor that offers the only timely option for stemming the flow. The plan put into operation yesterday called for four underwater robots to dive 1,500 meters (5,000 feet) below the surface of the water to try to activate the gargantuan system of pipes and valves that sits next to the well on the ocean floor. BP said it was the first time such an operation had been mounted at this depth."

3. Build a Containment Dome
redorbit.com/news/science/1856257/engineers_rush_to_contain_us_oil_spill/index.html "Just in case robotic submarines are not able to plug up the oil leak on a sunken rig in the Gulf of Mexico, engineers rushed Tuesday to build a giant containment dome to keep the spill quarantined. “It's a dome that would be placed over the leak and instead of the oil leaking into the water column it would leak into this dome structure,” said a US coast guard spokesman. “They started working on the fabrication of this dome structure fairly recently and its estimated it will take two to four weeks to build.” The dome would gather the oil and allow workers to pump it out of the dome. “If you could picture a half dome on top of the leak and the oil collects inside of this dome and is pumped out from there, that is the idea behind it,” said Danner. The dimensions of the dome are still being worked out, but officials said it would be similar to welded steel containment structures called cofferdams that are already used in oil rig construction.

APRIL 30

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: FRIDAY *****

The History of Brooklyn Transportation: The Horsecar Railway

Crossing the street in Brooklyn was a dangerous and sometimes life threatening experience in the 19th century because of its street railway system, the most extensive in the nation. In fact, the name Brooklyn Dodgers was a shortened version of the Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers. Darryl Heller will discuss the horsecar railway, ubiquitous in Brooklyn between 1853 and 1898, and its place in the history of Brooklyn transportation.

Proteus Gowanus
543 Union Street, Brooklyn
7p; $5
718-243-1572
Reservations: info(at)proteusgowanus.com

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

Free West African Dance in the A.M.

Ifetayo Cultural Arts Academy in partnership with the Church of St. Mark’s presents free adult West African dance class in the spirit of renewal, rebirth, and wellness. Every Saturday morning through June 5.

St. Mark’s Day School
1346 President Street, Brooklyn
7:45-9:15a; $free
RSVP: arts(at)ifetayo.org

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

Vermicomposting Workshop

Red wiggler worms rapidly eat kitchen scraps transforming all of this “waste” into a useful fertilizer, aka NYC Black Gold, that can then be fed to hungry plants and trees. Learn how to set up and maintain a worm bin in your apartment. Participants will be able to purchase a “worm condo” for the reduced price of $44.

Lower East Side Ecology Center
M'Finda Kalunga Community Garden
Rivington Street between Chrystie and Forsyth streets, Manhattan 2-4p; $5
Register: info(at)lesecologycenter.org
lesecologycenter.org

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

Free Memoir Writing Class

Gotham Writers' Workshop presents this free memoir writing class, led by Cullen Thomas.

McNally Jackson Books
52 Prince Street, Manhattan
6-7p, $free
writingclasses.com

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

Beginning Spanish for Activists

The Brecht Forum presents this eight-session course for those with little to no previous knowledge of the language, led by Marisol Ruiz. Students speak Spanish from the first day and acquire basic speaking, reading, and writing skills while learning about Spanish and Latin American culture. The course introduces basic grammar and pronunciation while developing fundamental communication skills. Students learn to express opinions, physical sensations, feelings, and needs in a simple way. Students will be able to comprehend brief letters and texts related to daily life. (NOTE: Intermediate Spanish Class for Activists begins Tuesday at 5:30p.)

The Brecht Forum
451 West Street, Manhattan
5:30-7:30p; $275
212-242-4201, ext.11
Register: brechtforum.org/civicrm/event/info?id=11616&reset=1

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

From the Bony Skull to the Warm Smile: Sculpting the Human Head for Beginners

This three-session course will give students with an interest in portraiture and figurative sculpture a thorough understanding of the anatomy of the human head in a practical and fun way. Students will learn how to sculpt an anatomically correct human skull, add muscles to this skull, and create an expressive figurative sculpture. As a class we will look at what generally distinguishes the male from the female facial structure as well as how age and weight affects facial features. Students also learn how to create believable expressions of sadness, anger, and joy in our sculpture through understanding how the face moves.

Students will work without a life-model, gaining confidence in the fact that thinking anatomically through volume and form and appreciating how muscles, bones, and fat interact, can help them to create what we recognize as the human head. Students will look at anatomical drawings, handle a model skull, and use their own heads as guides in turning science into art. Bring a camera to document your work as it progresses between classes. Led by Juliana Cerqueira Leite. Mention Nonsense NYC when you register (deadline April 30) for a 10% discount.

3rd Ward
573 Metropolitan Avenue, Brooklyn
Three Tuesdays, 7-10p
$135 members, $165 nonmembers, $25 materials 3rdward.com

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

Evening Painting and Drawing

Spend relaxing, enjoyable evenings at BBG through May and June, recording on paper the transition from gorgeous spring blooms to early-summer annuals to cool green landscapes and water lilies, using watercolor and colored pencils. Receive expert tips on the technique of your choice, and learn new ways to achieve beautiful, lifelike effects when depicting flowers. A supply list will be sent to you upon registration. Led by Adele Rossetti.

Brooklyn Botanic Garden
1000 Washington Avenue, Brooklyn
7 Tuesdays, 6-9p
$188 member, $208 nonmember (includes materials) bbg.org

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

Stitched Books, Three- and Five-Hole Bindings

Build your own binder. Make your own moleskin. Generate your own journal. Bind your own book. This workshop will introduce hardcover book forms and stitched signature bindings. Though these are advanced techniques, don’t be intimidated, all levels are encouraged to attend. Step by step directions and recognition of construction patterns will help bring beautiful books into being. The magic of making is that once a skill is in your hands, you have it for life. This workshop, led by Joy Suarez, is part of the Creative Infusion Workshop Series.

Materials for the Arts
33-00 Northern Boulevard, third floor, Long Island City, Queens 5-7:30p, $10
mfta.org

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

Mom's Day Special: Homemade Bath Salts, Scrubs, and More

Learn to make homemade bath bombs, herb-scented bath salts, sachets, and more at the Madagascar Institute. Veronica will show you how give your mom the best Mother's Day present since that handprint ashtray you made in juvi.

Madagascar Institute
217 Butler Street, Brooklyn
7-9p; $25 members, $45 nonmembers
Register: madagascarinstitute.com

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

• Brooklyn Brainery will host a mixed bag of collaborative classes at the Gowanus Studio Space, starting May 17. Brooklyn. Various days; $varies. brooklynbrainery.com/courses

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 and SATURDAY *****

The Home Show

Box office volunteers are needed for Ice Theatre of New York's major spring event, the Home Show. On Thurs, April 29-Sat, May 1, 2010, we will be performing pieces from our repertory, joined by guest performers from the competitive world. The performance will feature Elisa Angeli and Tyrrell Gene in Jacqulyn Buglisi's "The Dreame", and the Ensemble in Elisa Monte's "Draughtsman's Contract" and Alberto Del Saz's "La Revolte des Enfants". The ensemble will also perform this season's new works, "Dare Greatly" and "Primavera", both choreographed by ice choreographer Douglas Webster.

Tasks for volunteers involve receiving payments (cash and check only) and administering tickets and program. In exchange you will get to see the show for free.

Sky Rink, Chelsea Piers
Pier 61 and the Hudson River, Manhattan 5-8p
bit.ly/98WjSn

***** HELP: SATURDAY *****

The Great Saunter

Shorewalkers is seeking volunteers and hike leaders for the 25th annual Great Saunter on May 1. The Great Saunter is a unique 32 mile hike around Manhattan's waterfront starting at the South Street Seaport and ending back where we began. The Great Saunter attracts tourists and New York City residents of all ages and backgrounds.

We are seeking volunteers interested in cheering on the walkers as they pass by and giving directions, handing out water and snacks, and assisting with registration. We are also looking for voluntary hike leaders familiar with New York City's shoreline parks to guide groups as the day progresses. Looking for fun upbeat individuals interested in making a difference to our waterfront parks and meeting new people.

93 South Street, Manhattan
7a-7p
shorewalkers.org/great.html
bit.ly/ad09Nd

***** HELP: SUNDAY to WEDNESDAY *****

Chi Heng Foundation Videographer

The Chi Heng Foundation moves from village to village throughout central China offering help to any child with at least one parent who is living with or has died of HIV/AIDS since 2002. CHF thus provides care not only to AIDS orphans, but also AIDS-affected children, thereby ensuring that no child is excluded and each child’s needs are fully understood.

We are looking for an experienced video camera photographer/operator to assist in a short length video production in NYC for two half-days between May 2 to May 5. Please forward your credentials if you’re interested in helping us out.

www.chfaidsorphans.com
bit.ly/9djd9O

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

Design on a Dime

Housing Works Thrift Shops’ sixth annual Design on a Dime fundraiser kicks off this Thursday with the Opening Night Reception at the Metropolitan Pavilion. Join us for New York City’s most popular interior design benefit event, where customers will enjoy exclusive preview shopping, cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and live entertainment. All sorts of volunteers are needed to make this event a success - for more information, please visit our website.

bit.ly/dvOxiT

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

Donate your Trash for an Eco-Art Project

We’re making a large-scale eco-art project to be displayed on Governor’s Island in June, but we are no where near our goal for plastic take out containers. Save the container you are eating at lunch today - we need your containers, and we’ll come pick them up. Check out our website or send us an e-mail if you’d like to volunteer to collect.

mslk.com/take-less
demetra(at)mslk.com

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

Haitian Creole Translation

The Konbit Shelter Project, a Brooklyn based volunteer sustainable housing and living systems project for Haiti is looking for help with Haitian Creole translation for our website and other items. Please check out our website, and contact us if you are interested.

konbitshelter.org
konbit.shelter(at)gmail.com

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

Domes for Haiti Tool Drive

We are doing a tool drive, we are looking for the following tools to bring with us to Haiti along with the domes: metal shovels, posthole diggers, metal rakes, pick axes, sledgehammers and adjustable wrenches. If you want to donate tools, please drop them off or ship them to the address below. Also, please keep your eye out for upcoming events at the House of Yes on the 25th and Sugarland on the 29th, and visit our website to donate money to our efforts.

Domes for Haiti c/o 3rd Ward
195 Morgan Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 12237
www.domesforhaiti.org

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

• June 26. American Diabetes Association’s NYC Tour de Cure. The Tour is a ride, not a race, with routes designed for everyone from the occasional rider to the experienced cyclist. Whether participants ride the 15 miles or 100 miles, they will travel a route supported from start to finish with rest stops, food to fuel the journey and fans to cheer them on. Help the American Diabetes Association make this experience the best it can possibly be by volunteering - volunteers needed for route marking, set up, breakdown, working the rest stops and more. If interested, please fill out a volunteer form: bit.ly/8CNKZe

XXXXX NONSENSE XXXXX

nonsense nyc is a discriminating resource for independent art, weird events, strange happenings, unique parties, and senseless culture in new york city.

please remember that you are always free to pass nonsense nyc along to anyone who needs to see it, but you do not have permission to use any of the listings for your commercial publication. if you are receiving this list as a forward from someone else you can sign up for yourself at nonsensenyc.com/subscribe.

we now accept donations to cover the costs of producing this list, and suggest $5 a year from individual readers or $20 a year if we list your events. to be clear, this is not a traditional subscription, but a donation because you believe that independent artists should support other independent artists. if you've ever paid for a ticket to see your friend's band you know what we mean. you can make donations here: nonsensenyc.com/special/. and thank you.

XXXXX END XXXXX

Getting away with it.