From: "Jeff Stark" <jstark@nonsensenyc.com>
Subject: nonsensenyc: 8.28 t0 9.3
Date: August 28th 2009

Friday, August 28
* Food Justice Revival, Wassaic
* Team Spirit Animal Squad, Brooklyn
* Benefit Show for the First Brooklyn Skillshare, Brooklyn * 717 Prospect Place, Brooklyn
* Michael Jackson Memorial Birthday Sing-Along, Williamsburg * (Fake) Art Therapy Night, Williamsburg * Next Exit: Evolution, Brooklyn
* The Brooklyn Summer Stomp, Brooklyn
* April Fools: Absurdist Vegetarian Potluck Barbecue, Manhattan

Saturday, August 29
* Get Yr Fix, Brooklyn
* The-Good-Time-Watch-Your-Back Show, Williamsburg * Cinema 16, Brooklyn
* The Coolest Party Ever, Brooklyn
* The Beastly Beauty, Brooklyn
* Warriors Coney Island Benefit, Brooklyn * One of the Last Rooftop Parties of the Summer, Brooklyn

Sunday, August 30
* !#$%^& AMOK! Manhattan
* Really Really Free Market, Manhattan

Wednesday, September 2
* What Would Jesus Buy? A Brooklyn Premiere, Brooklyn

Thursday, September 3
* Upgrade! Williamsburg
* Mondo Fandom, Manhattan
* Closing Extravaganza for California Investigative Healing, Manhattan

Ongoing
* Updated

Wishlist
* New

Learning
* Haitian Dance

Help
* Fort Tyron

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

Dad fishing.

XXXXX FRIDAY, AUGUST 28 XXXXX

Food Justice Revival

Featuring J.P. Harris and the Tough Choices, the Rude Mechanical Orchestra, the Readnex Poetry Squad, and Broadcast Live. Also guest appearances and speakers, silent auction, great local food, locally crafted beer and wines, and information about food security projects in the Hudson Valley and the Northeast.

This will be a great summer event for everyone, and an opportunity to get to know each other and meet the folks from the Food Security Roundtable, convening our next northeast regional farming and food justice conference the next day at Wassaic Community Farm.

In keeping with our desire to promote urban/rural collaboration to establish local food sovereignty throughout the Northeast we are raising money for some farmers and activists to go to Milwaukee, WI for the annual Growing Food and Justice For All Initiative. The funding will be earmarked for at least half people of color and an even spread between urban and rural folks. They will have a chance to spend time together, to meet people doing food justice work around the country, and to learn some skills to help us build the world we all want to live in.

Wassaic Community Farm and Maxon Mills Grain Tower 35 Furnace Bank Road, Wassaic, New York Harlem Valley Metro North to the last stop $20-30 sliding scale includes camping at the Wassaic Community Farm next door, discounts for farmers, Wassaic locals, and for those who bought a train ticket to get there info@foodpower.org
foodpower.org

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

The Trapeze Loft presents:

Team Spirit Animal Squad

A totemic feast of animals and the spirit. Aerial feats, music, dance, and dream live. Starring Vic Thrill, Bamian.TV, Lone Wolf and Cub, the Bad Mittens, and T-Pow. Come dressed as your favorite spirit animal and lose yourself in our ecstatic ecosystem.

Galapagos
16 Main Street, Brooklyn
8:30p doors, 9p show; $20
galapagosartspace.com/

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

Benefit Show for the First Brooklyn Skillshare

Because education is a right, not a commodity. Help us raise funds for the first Brooklyn Skillshare.

With Mathew Snow and the Way It Was, Tenements, Flower Mound (Michael Powers from Beastheart with Jeremy Joyce), Gunfight!, the XYZ Affair, and DJs and a dance party from midnight.

The Brooklyn Skillshare is a free, day-long communal, hands-on, learning experience (information exchange) that aims to serve as a jumping-off point in the construction of an autonomous, nonexclusive, reciprocal learning community. Classes include: Bicycle Mechanics, Kombucha Brewing, Silkscreening, Jewelry Casting, DIY Electronic Audio Production, and many more.

Glasslands Gallery
289 Kent Avenue, Brooklyn
time?; $5
21 and over
brooklynskillshare.org

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

717 Prospect Place

Super Prime officially welcomes you to our inaugural exhibition, 717 Prospect Place, featuring the work of Ashley May, Ben Tear, Ben Dowell, Brittany Taylor, David Smith, Harry Gassel, Janet Cerda, Rachel Gerrard, Roland Tiangco, and Zachery Bruder.

The opening begins with wine and champagne, which will be followed by a DJ set from the legendary Ted Reese.

717 Prospect Place, Brooklyn
A,C trains to Nostrand station
8-11p; $free

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

Michael Jackson Memorial Birthday Sing-Along

I'm hosting the Michael Jackson Memorial Birthday Sing-Along. All of the best Michael Jackson music videos will be projected on a screen with subtitles for everyone to sing-along to.

Were going to have a MJ costume contest for prizes and a live MJ dancer who may even teach the audience a few moves. After the show were going to have two rooms with DJs going on in each for the rest of the night and I'm going to be hosting a Music Video After-Dance Party. This isn't a typical performance/music event, but it is an event none the less and it's a lot of fun and it's free!

It's more than just karaoke. It's more of a music video and artist/genre themed sing-along event for everyone to join in together en masse, turning the whole thing into somewhere between caroling and a dance party. Wouldn't caroling be better if it was a dance party instead of walking around everywhere? And with music videos? And alcohol? The answer is yes. No microphones. No requests. No terrible renditions of Frank Sinatra hits. No waiting for your turn to sing one song. It's kind of like Communist karaoke. Each sing-along is lovingly put together and subtitled by me with the choicest music videos put in for everyone's singing and dancing enjoyment. I've done Prince, Power Ballads of the 80s, XMas Pops, and will be doing the 90s Sing-Along next month.

Legion
790 Metropolitan Avenue, at Humboldt Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn L train to Graham Avenue station
9p; $free
21 and over
713 419 8462
legionsingalongs@gmail.com

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

(Fake) Art Therapy Night

Why let professional artists have all the fun? And why let art school critiques stopper the flow of your creative juices? Tonight at HiChristina you have a signed permission ship to let your long slumbering child-like creativity come out and play. Join our sexy art scientists as they lead activities such as Scribble Therapy (complete with spirograph fun), Glitter Expressionism (don't be shy, glitter the whole thing why don't ya), Body Outline Portraiture (we're bringing sweatpants back for this one...), and Finger Painting Twister (yes, this is really happening, lay down that tarp!). Special guest Laura Lee promises you'll leave feeling fitter, happier, messier. The night will come to a close with Post Woody Allen Gestalt Therapy. No prior artistic talent necessary! We at HiChristina do not guarantee the success of any of these techniques, but we wouldn't be surprised if they actually did work. Wear your play clothes. It will get sloppy (we have some too).

HiChristina
632 Grand Street, at Leonard, Williamsburg, Brooklyn 9p; $5 BYOB
HiChristina.com

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

Next Exit: Evolution

You're invited to the celebration of a momentous movement climaxing in a jettisoned joyride to a place called the Playa. It's a bon voyage from Brooklyn to Black Rock City. Some will be en route already and many will be traveling the next day. Your host will leave directly from the party to the airport.

So, whether you are holding down the fort in New York City or making the trek to the high desert for Burning Man, please join us for the launch into the Evolution revolution.

With DJs Arrow Chrome, Friar Tuck, and Tektite playing electro funk, booty breakbeat, deep dub, waxy house, and more.

Dares: Fire and Fierceness with Donia, do your own dare, aerial rig available, rooftop access. Deeds: magical mystery massage, slap happy spank haven, and jet juice joy rides. Dress: evolutionary adventurer, astro cowboy, space bachelor(ette), solar seductress, fiery funkster, moon maiden or simple earthling.

Brooklyn Urban Sanctuary
778 Bergen at Grand, Brooklyn
C train to Clinton-Washington station
10p-4a, $10
facebook.com/group.php?gid=110090085843

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

6362MetaForce presents:

The Brooklyn Summer Stomp

Stomp your support for democracy. Rev Billy is making a stand against King Bloomberg, and we�re supporting him with a get-out-the-vote stomp-fest featuring live San Francisco dubstep courtesy of Heyoka and live Hungarian night psytrance direct from Budapest by 1RGUM 3URGUM. More music from Gavin, Vishwaatmaaa vs. Fria. Live painting by the Slobtown Collaborative. Psychic readings by Psychic Hank. Visually transformed psychedelic environment by Julien Seyer Loiselle. Midnight Mass with Rev Billy and his Choir. Costumes. Craziness

Club Exit
149 Greenpoint Avenue, Brooklyn
G train to Greenpoint Avenue station
10p�6a; $20 online or before 11:30p, $25 after 6362MetaForce.net

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

April Fools: Absurdist Vegetarian Potluck Barbecue

Calling all pranksters, jokesters, and ne'er-do-wells. Join the crew at ABC No RIo for April Fool's: Absurdist Potluck Barbecue.

Bring costumes, practical jokes, foods that look like other foods, whoopie cushions, weird uncles, best friends. And of course vegetarian food to share. Part of ABC No Rio's Hanging Out at No Rio project.

ABC No Rio
156 Rivington Street, Manhattan
7-9p; $free
hangingout.abcnorio.org

XXXXX SATURDAY, AUGUST 29 XXXXX

The Fixers Collective, Sewing Rebellion and NYC Resistor are proud to present:

Get Yr Fix

A fixing/mending/hacking competition and fair. The Fixers Collective, our ongoing experiment in improvisational fixing and mending, has joined forces with the Sewing Rebellion and NYC Resistor for a sporting competition open to all. Bring your broken stuff.

Test your skills against the best NYC fixers, hackers, menders and makers. Attend workshops on sewing, soldering, fixing umbrellas, etc. Barter your skills. Or just come to drink beer and listen to live music by DIY bands Practice and Too Big To Fail.

Schedule:
2-5p: Individual tournaments (pair off for mano a mano fixing), workshops in sewing, soldering, fixing umbrellas etc 5p: Barter Auction - Got stuff? Got skills? Barter them with others 7p: Teams square off for the Big Competition Dancing afterward till 10 or so.

VOD Space
99 South 6th Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn 2-10p; $free
info@getyrfix.com

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

Fools On Fire presents:

The-Good-Time-Watch-Your-Back Show

A gritty cabaret at dead herring. We want you at our party so much that we're slashing prices. With three aerialists, ridiculous comedy, tantalizing burlesque, rousing music, cheap drinks, and dance breaks. Optional dress code: apocalypse-chic.

141 S. 5th Street, between Bedford and Berry, Williamsburg, Brooklyn L train to Bedford station
8p doors, 8:30p show; $10
foolsonfire.org

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

Cinema 16

Impose magazine presents. Julianna Barwick scores a film by Joel Schlemowitz and Francis Thompson.

Brooklyn Yard
Carroll between Bond and Nevins, Brooklyn 10p doors; $5
cinemasixteen.com/

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

The Coolest Party Ever

The infamous ferry boat has added silliness, snow, and a swimming pool for an unforgettable, all-night, winter-themed party to close the summer out right. This will be an unrelenting extravaganza of incredible music, drinks, fire, snow, water and dancing till sunrise. Shuttles take you to and from the boat every five minutes. The boat does not leave the dock.

Wear your swimwear, your tuxedo or prom dress, or just your coolest clothes, or be prepared to undergo the costume gauntlet.

Music: Miho Hatori (Cibo Matto, Gorillaz), Titonton Duvante, Justin Carter, Eamon Harkin, 2Melo, Sistine Criminals, Blacky II, Bellringerzzz, and more.

RSVP for location, Brooklyn (use password: Nonsense) 7p-7a; $20
bushwickboat.com

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

Alison Ward presents:

The Beastly Beauty

The Beastly Beauty is a performance piece that takes place on Coney Island�s beach and boardwalk. Elements of Baroque theater are combined with slapstick comedy and professional wrestling to produce a spectacular battle on the boardwalk between two armies that embody different elements of beauty and the grotesque. The two sides taunt each other with chants that merge cheerleading rallies with traditional battle cries and King Kong-style beating of the chest. The choreography combines wrestling moves with traditional dance and burlesque to create a physicality that is simultaneously violent, sexual, and humorous. The battle begins on the beach in front of the aquarium wall and proceeds up to the boardwalk, forcing the audience to chase after the performers.

Boardwalk in front of the aquarium, Brooklyn 10a-1p; $free
917 613 6016
texandtrixie.com
alisonward@texandtrixie.com

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

Warriors Coney Island Benefit

Warriors come out to plaaaaay. Can you dig it. Don't miss this once in a lifetime opportunity on the film's 30th anniversary. Be a part of history where the film was shot in the heart of the Coney Island Amusement District, and all for a good cause.

Festivities include cast appearances by Michael Beck (Swan), Dorsey Wright (Cleon), Brian Tyler (Snow), Thomas G. Waites (Fox), Terry Michos (Vermin). Discussion and Q+A with the cast prior to the screening.

1208 Surf Avenue, Brooklyn
11:15p; $20 non-refundable (show will sell out. try to get tickets beforehand) coneyisland.com/

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

One of the Last Rooftop Parties of the Summer

Some folks are throwing an end of summer party on my roof tomorrow. An electro dude and my buddy's 16 piece Ghana-style brass band will be playing. That will be a very booty shaking good time and we definitely want to get folks out.

Now that we are approaching the end of summer, you may realize that you haven't been on enough rooftops. Well, here it is, one of the last rooftop parties of the summer: come and dance the night away to the electro sounds of Wagner, and be blown away by 16-piece brass jams from Don't Give Small Money Chance Brass Band. Plus, all the drinks are $2, and DJs will be spinning to ensure the party keeps going. And, hey, even if it rains, there will be a covering to protect you from getting drenched.

170 Tillary Street, Brooklyn
10p doors, bands later; $free with $2 drinks

XXXXX SUNDAY, AUGUST 30 XXXXX

!#$%^& AMOK!

A benefit party for Circus Amok. Amok is New York's radical, queer, free circus company, which brings a new show to the public parks of our fair city every year, focusing on a timely social justice issue. The past few years have brought shows on racist credit exploitation and the housing crisis (Sub-Prime Sublime); the war in Iraq and the vanishing honeybees (Bee-Dazzled); immigrant justice and the Pink Tide of progressive movements in Latin America (Citizen Ship); as well as this spring's indoor extravaganza, Cracked Ice, on the Madoff scandal and the vaudeville circuit. Help keep free, radical theater alive in New York's parks. Join transtastic queerpunx Inner Princess, singing sensation Xavier, the raucous rebels of the Circus Amok Band, our host, cabaret impressario Ashley Brockington, surprise special guests, and of course the RudeMos for an unforgettable party. Extravagant, daring and fabulous outfits encouraged. We love glitter.

Sugarland
221 North 9th Street, between Driggs and Roebling, Williamsburg, Brooklyn 8p doors, 9p show; $10-20 sliding scale circusamok.org

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

Really Really Free Market

The Really Really Free Market is a bazaar and a celebration, where we discard capitalist notions of interaction and have fun trying new models of exchange. Expect and share free food, skills, music, clothing, books, other things and fun! This is an open participatory event some groups and individuals are planning to bring and share food, clothes, skills, music, and things, but there has always been space for you to do the same.

Expect to share and find live music, radical reference, haircuts, acupuncture, dental consultations, hugs, face-painting, silk screening, tarot card reading, and more and more.

Judson Memorial Church
55 Washington Square South, Manhattan
3-7p; $free

XXXXX WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2 XXXXX

What Would Jesus Buy? A Brooklyn Premiere

Kings County Cinema Society is proud, and a little surprised, to present the Brooklyn Premiere of What Would Jesus Buy? Activist, prankster and preacher Reverend Billy Talen sets out on a cross-country bus tour to cure America of its addiction to buying and exorcise the consumerist demons in this fast-paced and funny 2007 doc produced by Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me). Join Rev. Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping as they hop from the Times Square Disney Store to the Mall of America to Walmart, in a tireless quest to get Americans out of the mall and into the true spirit of the holidays.

The reverend is now the holiest candidate for NYC Mayor, running on the Green Party ticket, and we'll be partying with Billy's flock and members of the Church of Life After Shopping to celebrate.

Littlefield
622 Degraw Street, Brooklyn
8-11p; $free
kingscountycinemasociety@gmail.com

XXXXX THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3 XXXXX

Upgrade!

The Change You Want To See Gallery is pleased to host another installment of the Upgrade! NY series on open source as it relates to activism and creative practice. This month we'll explore how changes in technology and social convention affect music, software, and culture in general.

We'll start the evening with a conversation between scholar and DJ Larisa Mann, and developer and open source advocate Karl Fogel. Their discussion will examine how Jamaican music has developed in the absence of an effective copyright regime, how technological and social conditions affect the music and musicians, and how this compares to the open source movement of today. Afterward stick around for a party and DJ set by Larisa Mann (aka DJ Ripley).

The Change You Want to See Gallery
84 Havemeyer St, at Metropolitan Ave
7:30p; $free
thechangeyouwanttosee.org

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

Mondo Fandom

Special series showcases extreme musical fandom. Including fan films devoted to Kiss, Dolly Parton, Judas Priest, Elvis, Stryper, and more. And also including the classic Heavy Metal Parking Lot. Including these special guests For The Love Of Dolly Filmmaker in Person, and Bill Baker from Kiss Loves You will also be in person.

This summer, Anthology explores a uniquely modern phenomenon with a series of films portraying extreme musical fandom, where appreciation gives way to hard-core obsession.

Anthology Film Archives
32 Second Avenue, Manhattan
Various times; $8
Continues through SATURDAY
anthologyfilmarchives.org

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

Closing Extravaganza for California Investigative Healing

With banjo players outdoors while we barbecue with a walking barbecue out front. Eric Lyle giving a reading from his book. Hexahexaflexagon Fortune-Telling Shoppe and Lemonade Stand (Damaris Drummond has been studying the art of origami fortune-telling since grade school. She is finally ready to share her divine findings with the world -- and serve you lemonade.)

Also interactive exercise and robotic DJ booth, videos, Mock Up On Mu film screening, electro shock treatment, spanish fly elixer and elixer robot, photos, drawings, chocolate mess machines, the glowing pickle, 40,000 Volt Garlic, book and ephemera table.

Jack Hanley Gallery
136 Watts, Manhattan
6-9p; $free
646 918 6824
jackhanley.com/current.php?site=ny
vimeo.com/6021875

XXXXX UPCOMING XXXXX

• Stranded 2009, September 5
• Manhattan Wonderwalk, September 12
• Conflux, September 17-20
• DUMBO Art Under the Bridge Festival, September 25-27

XXXXX ONGOING XXXXX

• 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.

***** ONGOING: FRIDAYS *****

• Burlesque at the Beach. August 28: This or That! 10p; $15. Sideshows by the Seashore, corner of Surf Avenue and West 12th Street, Brooklyn. coneyisland.com/
• Manhattan Critical Mass. Union Square, 17th Street and Broadway, Manhattan. Last FRIDAY of the month. 7p; $free.
• Brooklyn Critical Mass. Grand Army Plaza entrance to Prospect Park, Brooklyn. Second FRIDAY of the month. 7p; $free.

***** ONGOING: SATURDAYS *****

• Floating Cabaret. Trapeze, burlesque, song, dance. Hosted by Olga and Bjorn. Galapagos Art Space, 16 Main Street, Brooklyn. 10p doors, $10. 718 222 8500. galapagosartspace.com.
• Coney Island Film Society. August 29: No screening this week. 8:30p; $3-5, free popcorn. Sideshows by the Seashore, corner of Surf Avenue and West 12th Street, Brooklyn. coneyisland.com/
• Night Kayaking Tours, Manhattan and Brooklyn. Explore: Coney Island submarine, creepy Governors Island, gross Gowanus Canal, and money-making Manhattan. Website: http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=ddrw24x5_167dxdpf3d9
• Rock and Roll 101. Watch music documentaries projected on the wall. St. Jerome's, 155 Rivington, between Clinton and Suffolk, Manhattan. 4-9p; $free.
• Barefoot Boogie: No shooze no booze. The Boogie is a not-for-profit alcohol-free event that happens every second and fourth SATURDAY of the month. Insight Meditation Center, 28 West 27th Street, 10th floor, buzzer No. 27. 8:30p-12:30a. barefootboogie.org

***** ONGOING: SUNDAYS *****

• Coney Island Ask the Experts. August 30: Elizabeth Bradley. 4p; $5. Coney Island Museum, 1208 Surf Avenue, Brooklyn. coneyisland.com
• CrazyTown / Locoville. Odd open mike hosted by Steph Sabelli. Weirdoes welcome and encouraged. Under St. Marks Theater, 94 St. Marks, at First Avenue, Manhattan. 9p sign up-1a; $free.
• Grub. A cheap, simple dinner for strangers and co-conspirators. Rubulad home base, 338 Flushing, at Classon, Brooklyn. G train to Flushing or Classon stations, J,M,Z to Marcy, B61 bus to Flushing. First and third SUNDAYS, 6:30p doors, 7p dinner; $pay what you want, and bring your own booze. suckapants.com/grub.html
• Church of Craft, group crafting. Etsy Labs, 325 Gold Street, third floor, Brooklyn. 2-6p; $free. churchofcraft.org/
• NYC Bike Polo. No experience needed. We'll show you how to play. We have mallets and balls; bring your bicycle. 1:30-5p-ish (or later if it's really nice out); $free. Sara D. Roosevelt Park, Broome between Chrystie and Forsyth, Manhattan. groups.myspace.com/NYCBIKEPOLO

***** ONGOING: MONDAYS *****

• Glasslands Gallery Game Night. All ages, free sangria 8-8:30p, live music, and bingo. The Glasslands Gallery, 289 Kent Avenue, between South 1st and 2nd streets, Williamsburg, Brooklyn. 8p; $free. glasslands.blogspot.com/ and myspace.com/theglasslands
• Free movie screenings. Double feature, with free popcorn. The Lovin Cup, 93 N. 6th Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn. 9p; $free. myspace.com/movienightqueen
• Aerial Open Work Out. Come play in 29 feet of vertical fun. Use our silks, lyras, and trapezes, or rig your own. 8-10p; $15, Sky Box, 342 Maujer Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, L train to Grand Street. 585 507 1770. RSVP to skybox.info@gmail.com
• Williamsburg Spelling Bee, compete for bar tab at a real adult spelling bee, every other MONDAY, 7:30p; free, Pete's Candy Store, 709 Lorimer St., Williamsburg, Brooklyn. petescandystore.com
• The Big Quiz Thing. NYC's live trivia spectacular. Crash Mansion, 199 Bowery, at Spring, Manhattan. Two Mondays a month. 7p doors; $7, $200 grand prize.
• Show and Tell. Each performer gets seven minutes. Writing contest and Beer Walk for free beer. Hosted by the O'Debra Twins. Bowery Poetry Club, 308 Bowery, Manhattan. MONDAYS 10p; $3. Monday, January 31: The heavy and strange Thank You For Not Screaming open.

***** ONGOING: WEDNESDAYS *****

• Drink N Draw. Art. Nudity. Beer. We provide the beer and the model, you bring your drawing tools of choice. 3rd Ward, 195 Morgan, Brooklyn. Second and fourth WEDNESDAYS 8-10.30p; $15, or $20 for two. afenton3rdward.com, 3rdward.com/.

***** ONGOING: THURSDAYS *****

• The Lower East Side Community Choir, a non-auditioned choir that believes that everyone can sing and that singing together in harmony with others is essential for personal and community health and vitality. Our repertoire is eclectic. If you love a cappella music and want to be able to join a drop-in gathering of like minded people, then this is for you. Lower East Side Girls Club, 56 East 1st Street, Manhattan. 7-9p; $donations. ubuntuchoirs.net/locator_United_States.php
• Private Ear Audio Theatre: Radio Plays. 8:30p; $?. Brooklyn Lyceum. privateear.org
• $mall �hange and House of Yes present: No Parking on the Dancefloor. Next party: July 30. A party bringing it back to dancing. Basically we do not have any kind of dogma or judgment. Do what feels comfortable to you and be respectful to those around ya, that's basically all we ask. Different DJs every time. House of Yes, 342 Maujer, near Morgan, Brooklyn. Every third THURSDAY, 9ish-midnightish (starts/ends early); $5-10 suggested donation. NOTE: This event is every third Thursday, not every Thursday. Also, sometimes they cancel the event for some reason or another. You should check first: smallchange666@gmail.com
• Carmine Street Jugglers. All levels welcome to practice juggling and related arts. 7:30-9:45p. Club is free, but building requires NYC Parks and Recreation membership ($0-$75 per year). http://jugglenyc.com/clubs.html
• Rocky Sullivan's Pub Quiz, with Quizmaster Scott M.X. Turner. 8:30p; $free admission, potable prizes. Rocky Sulivan's, 34 Van Dyke Street, Brooklyn. rockysullivans.com/quiz.html

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 *****

• Glasslands Gallery is looking for interns ASAP to help with all aspects of running a music venue, bar, and art space. Looking for assertive, friendly, hardworking, natural go-getters with good communication skills. We will need help in contacting press, finding location shoots, assistance during big events and all-around administrative help. Must be able to come in every Monday from 2-6p and a night or two during the week for big shows. Strong possibility of employment. Some of our past interns are currently full to part-time employees. Compensation: university credit, experience in running a music venue and bar, transportation costs, free rock shows, and Monday, free lunch. Contact theglasslands(at)gmail.com with "intern" in heading.
• Wanted: Collaborators for October 3 Marshmallow Civil War by Newmindspace. Can you lead a battalion, create a marshmallow catapult, provide smoke effects? Please contact Kevin(at)newmindspace.com.
• Help the Yes Men: We need people who can sew or build things pretty well, people who want to try sewing or building things, even if they don't quite know how yet. People who know how to shoot and edit video, and have cameras. People who enjoy wearing deeply ridiculous costumes in potentially perilous situations. People who enjoy wearing deeply ridiculous costumes in situations where the only risk is of social embarrassment. The work will go on for four weeks starting now. You can volunteer for any length of time that you like. The location will be: 342 Maujer, Bushwick (L train to Grand Street). Contact larken(at)artevolve.org.
• Pursuit: Failure. Failure is essential to all greatness, not merely in providing its contrast but as an essential part of the processes of growing, experimenting, learning and living. We cherish the ever-failing C. Chaplin or Homer S. for their Sisyphusian predicaments, we quote Beckett, film in obsolete media and yet at the same time hardly any artist dares to embrace the option of artistic practice as failure itself. Call for Rejects: In this initial stage we are looking to gather accounts and documents of what visual artists consider their creative failures. Please send us an image of an artwork of yours that you yourself have rejected alongside a description of the rejected project. Whatever your reason for holding onto them, we want to hear about them and look forward to receiving images, scans and snaps of those works which got caught at the back of your plan-chest drawer, that are gathering dust on top of your shelves or languishing on a hard-drive somewhere. Contact : info(at)severalpursuits.org
• How do you create a warning system to prevent an accidental unearthing of 200 million pounds of radioactive nuclear waste? A simple sign, some chain link and a military post might work today. But what about 10,000 years from now? In 2002, the U.S. Department of Energy brought together engineers, archaeologists, anthropologists and linguists and asked them this question. What type of warning system can be put in place so people, 370 generations from now, won't open the glowing door? What they came up with is hardly inspiring: a large earthen mound with a salt core and two identical Dr. Strangelove-esque control rooms with a warning message written in the six official languages of the U.N. and Navajo. Construction of this Waste Isolation Pilot Plant is scheduled to begin in less than three years. What if an artist designed the system? Columbia: A Journal of Literature and Art is asking artists, architects, cartoonists, computer engineers, graphic designers, scientists -- and anyone else up for the challenge -- just that question. Design a warning sign, or create a work or system, that speaks to the nuclear gravesite issue. The artistic focus may be as narrow as an image on a sign, or as broad as a full-scale vision of the future. The Journal is encouraging maximum interpretation and creativity. Eight works will be selected for print publication in Issue 48 of the Journal (spring 2010), with additional, select submissions posted on the Journal website, columbiajournal.org. The deadline for submission is October 1. Please email submissions to columbia.journal.arts(at)gmail.com with the word "submission" in the subject line.
• The UnionDocs Collaborative is a one-year program for emerging media producers, theorists, and curators. It is both a rigorous platform for exploring contemporary approaches to the documentary arts and a process for developing an innovative group project. The program focuses on providing what we believe are the most effective educational resources for individuals at the beginning of their careers: regular mini-masterclasses with visiting artists, exposure to a wide variety of practices and models, dynamic interaction among a network of talented peers, regular group critique sessions, mentorship toward the production of an original collaborative work and exposure through a toured exhibition and/or publication. View program details and application online. Four non-resident openings for September 2009.
• Nonsense NYC celebrates 10 years in New York this October and we want your help. To kick off the weekend, we're organizing a poster show at 3rd Ward in Brooklyn. The goal is to start dreaming up what the hell we -- all of us, including you -- are going to do for the next 10 years. We want anyone who's ever listed an event on Nonsense (or wanted to) to be a part of this project. Give us a flyer, a poster, or a listing about your group, your project, or your event. To be clear, the posters should be for things that you want to do in the next 10 years, so you'll be creating posters for the shows, parties, and performances that you want to attend. Dream big. Dream small. Tell us about your cookie parties and your airships, your finger puppet operas and your mayoral re-election. Let's not live in the past. Let's live now and look the future square in the eye. It's going to be great. Email us if you want more details or to confirm that you'll get together a graphic. As always: jstark@nonsensenyc.com

***** SPACES *****

• Space Available: Refuge. Two floors, 10,000 square feet total indoor space plus beautiful rooftop. Raw and dirty downstairs has high ceilings, stark white loft upstairs is perfect for everything else. Dance parties, fundraisers, galas, art installations, photo exhibitions, you name it. For photos, visit our website refugenyc.org, and to rent it, contact info(at)refugenyc.org
• One bedroom in a three-bedroom first floor apartment for rent, in Bushwick at Locust and Broadway, between JMZ Flushing and Myrtle. Bedroom for rent is about 9 by 9 by 9, with decent sized closet and large window. Hardwood floors. Room unfurnished. Rent is $617 per month, plus equal share of electricity and internet. Move-in date September 1 or can be flexible, you will not be on the lease but we'd prefer a six to nine month commitment. Large common area/kitchen furnished (about 30 by 13). 1 full bathroom to share. Two outdoor patio/garden areas private to our apartment available for hanging out in, or planting things. Enough space for your bike either outside or inside on a wall hook. Compost outside. Your future roommates are: one graduate student at NYU who will be working from home about half the time, one crafts artisan working for theater companies making costumes who works 9 to 6 daily. Both are late-20s females who are financially stable, environmentally aware, vege tarian- and queer-friendly, like to cook, equally share household cleaning responsibilities, have already lived together for a year, and don't have crazy parties but enjoy dinner gatherings and having friends over from time to time. Also there will be one friendly indoor cat. Please feel free to be in contact if you identify with the following: you don't work from home, are financially stable/pay bills on time, are generally responsible and respect responsibility in others, are not allergic to cats, will recycle/compost, are veg/queer friendly, will equally share household cleaning responsibilities, and are interested in contributing to a peaceful, creative and chill household. Contact rhe217(at)nyu.edu.
• I'm a grad student, adjunct, and media activist, looking for a kid-friendly, queer-friendly, safe, responsible roommate to share my two-and-a-half bedroom apartment in Crown Heights on a small street near the 2,3,4,5, Franklin Ave subway, a few more blocks to the Brooklyn Museum of Art, Central Library and Prospect Park. The unfurnished room is about 10 by 12, has lots of light and a large closet. Rent is $800 per month plus average of $40 utilities, including wireless internet. And it's available now. In terms of the kid-friendly part, my 11-year-old son stays with me on weekends through the school year and quite a bit over the summer. There�s a laundromat and decent food shopping close by, including some corner stores, the Grand Army Plaza farmers market, and the Park Slope food coop is not too far away. Contact fivel.rothberg(at)gmail.com.
• We are looking for one or two roommates to rent two sets of rooms in our large lovely house in Sunset Park, Brooklyn starting October 1. The rent is $700 per month (for two rooms together) plus utilities ($20-30 per month). Option one: two good-sized rooms which are adjoining, with lots of closet space. The rooms have no natural light, but are next to a lovely sunny common area. Option two: A small sunny room with a window plus another non-adjoining room without a window, but has a skylight. The two-story house is shared by three fabulous others. Two kitchens, two bathrooms, one living room, and a beautiful garden. Big windows, lots of wood, plants a-plenty, and great dumplings nearby. No pets. Please email helkifrantzen(at)gmail.com.
• My girlfriend and I have two unique options for housing in Bed-Stuy, Quincy at Nostrand. If you are going to look into option one (the one-month sublet) I wanted to let you know a bit about our household. We are creative, queer, clean, responsible and respectful people. We live in a quiet building with great neighbors and a cute backyard. We are close to the G at Bedford/Nostrand, the A/C Nostrand, the B44 and the B52. Option one: September sublet, we have two bedrooms, $700 each, in a four-bedroom two-floor apartment with lots of space and a huge yard. The rooms have a bed and a cleared-out closet, aside from that there is not much furnishing in the bedrooms. The house is well lived in and has all the amenities one might need (and a fresh paint job.) Option two: the second option can begin September 1 or October 1, and it is an 11- or 12-month sublet of the basement apartment. $1400 plus electric and $25 if you want to share the Internet. We have a two-floor place, with fo ur bedrooms that my girlfriend I remodeled as its own unit. There is a kitchenette, bathroom, two bedrooms, two private entrances and a sole access to the large backyard (there is a patio and a veggie garden). We are looking for clean, responsible, queer-friendly people to take over the space and make it a home. It is perfect for a couple or two people. Move-in is first, last and deposit. Contact karen.krausen(at)gmail.com
• Huge room in huge apartment, minutes to Brooklyn College, 25 minutes to Manhattan on B/Q/F trains (Kings highway stop) in Midwood, Brooklyn, a very safe, calm and boring area. Available September 1 for a low-key, calm, quiet female roommate. 6-month minimum stay or longer. I'm 29, artistic and intellectual, and have lived in this apartment for six years. 200 square feet in itself (about 20 ft by 10 ft), huge rectangular room, with five bright windows. Brownish earth stone-like tile floor, ceiling fan and light, A/C. Have never had heating complaints either. Comes unfurnished, but I can probably help you find furnishings if you want, for free, like from craigslist or freecycle.org. There is also a studio/sewing room you can use. I am never in there anyway. It's small, and I have fabric and a linen closet stored in there. There's a big table and some sewing machines too. You can use it to study or as an office, or whatever. Apartment itself is huge (1700 square feet) and very well set up for the total of three people who live here, including myself (free laundry, dishwasher, two refridgerators, water cooler, etc). Contact thevolutionoflove(at)live.com
• Best of both worlds: apartment upstairs/storefront below. You can live in the apartment room upstairs or in a room in the storefront downstairs. You will share with two people. We will be practicing music, hosting events, and painting in the storefront. Hopefully, you will too. Studio space will be shared, not partitioned. Bathrooms on both floors. Kitchen and tub upstairs. Move in September 1st or 15th. First month�s rent is $500, deposit is $667 because the downstairs won�t be ready until Sept. 15th. After the first month, rent will be $667 a month plus electric. Water included with water radiator upstairs. Electric heater downstairs, but the space will be easy to heat. I am getting the keys for the place this Wednesday so you can come by and take a look. Internet around $15. Located in Crown Heights. Call (don�t text) 347.701.3519 or email kyle.e.kessler(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 about the news and trade what our business friends call best practices. The group has expanded since then, but it remains premised on smartening the crowd mind. There are no subject limits; our favorite is our sci-fi present, and we like anything that goes toward a better understanding of human behavior and ecology. Our basic idea is to connect minds with mind-blowing information 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. This section is compiled for Nonsense by J. Sinopoli. Contact us at spectre.event.horizon.groupgmail.com or spectregroup.org. Some of what came in this week:

***** I Think It's Working *****

http://spectregroup.wordpress.com/2009/08/28/i-think-its-working/

http://www.wnyc.org/shows/radiolab/episodes/2007/05/18 http://www.wired.com/medtech/drugs/magazine/17-09/ff_placebo_effect Placebos Getting More Effective; Drugmakers Desperate to Know Why "The roots of the placebo problem can be traced to a lie told by an Army nurse during World War II as Allied forces stormed the beaches of southern Italy. The nurse was assisting an anesthetist named Henry Beecher, who was tending to US troops under heavy German bombardment. When the morphine supply ran low, the nurse assured a wounded soldier that he was getting a shot of potent painkiller, though her syringe contained only salt water. Amazingly, the bogus injection relieved the soldier's agony and prevented the onset of shock. Returning to his post at Harvard after the war, Beecher became one of the nation's leading medical reformers. Inspired by the nurse's healing act of deception, he launched a crusade to promote a method of testing new medicines to find out whether they were truly effective. At the time, the process for vetting drugs was sloppy at best: Pharmaceutical companies would simply dose volunteers with an experimental agent until the side effects swamped the pr esumed benefits. Beecher proposed that if test subjects could be compared to a group that received a placebo, health officials would finally have an impartial way to determine whether a medicine was actually responsible for making a patient better.

Now, after 15 years of experimentation, Benedetti has succeeded in mapping many of the biochemical reactions responsible for the placebo effect, uncovering a broad repertoire of self-healing responses. Placebo-activated opioids, for example, not only relieve pain; they also modulate heart rate and respiration. The neurotransmitter dopamine, when released by placebo treatment, helps improve motor function in Parkinson's patients. Mechanisms like these can elevate mood, sharpen cognitive ability, alleviate digestive disorders, relieve insomnia, and limit the secretion of stress-related hormones like insulin and cortisol. Benedetti often uses the phrase "placebo response" instead of placebo effect. By definition, inert pills have no effect, but under the right conditions they can act as a catalyst for what he calls the body's "endogenous health care system." Like any other internal network, the placebo response has limits. It can ease the discomfort of chemotherapy, but it won't stop the growth of tumors. It also works in reverse to produce the placebo's evil twin, the nocebo effect. For example, men taking a commonly prescribed prostate drug who were informed that the medication may cause sexual dysfunction were twice as likely to become impotent.

In other words, one way that placebo aids recovery is by hacking the mind's ability to predict the future. We are constantly parsing the reactions of those around us�such as the tone a doctor uses to deliver a diagnosis�to generate more-accurate estimations of our fate. One of the most powerful placebogenic triggers is watching someone else experience the benefits of an alleged drug. Researchers call these social aspects of medicine the therapeutic ritual. Ironically, Big Pharma's attempt to dominate the central nervous system has ended up revealing how powerful the brain really is. The placebo response doesn't care if the catalyst for healing is a triumph of pharmacology, a compassionate therapist, or a syringe of salt water. All it requires is a reasonable expectation of getting better. That's potent medicine."

Self-Healing Research
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/news/07/07/images/painpathway.mov http://www.columbia.edu/cu/news/07/07/placebo.html Columbia Researchers Demonstrate How Placebo Effect Works in the Brain

Obecalp
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/27/health/27plac.html Experts Question Placebo Pill for Children / May 27, 2008 "Jennifer Buettner was taking care of her young niece when the idea struck her. The child had a nagging case of hypochondria, and Ms. Buettner's mother-in-law, a nurse, instructed her to give the girl a Motrin tablet. "She told me it was the most benign thing I could give," Ms. Buettner said. "I thought, why give her any drug? Why not give her a placebo?" Studies have repeatedly shown that placebos can produce improvements for many problems like depression, pain and high blood pressure, and Ms. Buettner reasoned that she could harness the placebo effect to help her niece. She sent her husband to the drugstore to buy placebo pills. When he came back empty handed, she said, "It was one of those 'aha!' moments when everything just clicks." With the help of her husband, Dennis, she founded a placebo company, and, without a hint of irony, named it Efficacy Brands. Its chewable, cherry-flavored dextrose tablets, Obecalp, for placebo spelled backward, goes on sale on June 1 at the E fficacy Brands Web site. Bottles of 50 tablets will sell for $5.95. The Buettners have plans for a liquid version, too. Because they contain no active drug, the pills will not be sold as a drug under Food and Drug Administration rules. They will be marketed as dietary supplements, meaning they can be sold at groceries, drugstores and discount stores without a prescription. "This is designed to have the texture and taste of actual medicine so it will trick kids into thinking that they're taking something," Ms. Buettner said. "Then their brain takes over, and they say, 'Oh, I feel better.'" "For this to work really well as placebo, you cannot let the parents know that it's a sugar pill," Dr. Brody said. "You have to lie to the parents, too, if you expect them to fool their kids."

By Prescription
http://articles.latimes.com/2008/jan/14/health/he-placebo14 Doling out the placebo effect
"UCLA psychiatrist Dr. Andrew Leuchter stresses that even when a doctor doesn't reach for a placebo to treat a patient, he or she should have no qualms about employing a placebo's power -- essentially, the power of suggestion -- to help bring about relief. Physicians are accustomed to thinking of placebo as the "no-treatment option" in clinical trials and as a result tend to doubt its effects, says Leuchter, who has studied those effects extensively. "But as a clinician, the placebo is my friend," says Leuchter. "Whatever will help a patient get better is a good thing." Leuchter says that in proposing treatment, say, for a patient with depression, "I always tell [the patient], 'I think this medication is going to help you get better.' " He does so, first, because he knows from clinical experience "there's a better than even chance" that a patient's depression will yield to some antidepressant. But he also does it because "I do think that hope is one of the most powerful treat ments we have, and the confidence that patients have in the healthcare practitioner -- that is a powerful treatment that we have to take full advantage of."

Marjorie Gaitan, a 35-year-old Los Angeles resident, was shocked to learn in November that she had been taking a placebo pill instead of an antidepressant for three months, when she was a subject in a trial by Leuchter. It had taken at least a couple months for her to feel better. But Gaitan, who had just moved to L.A. from New York, found she was progressively overcoming her sadness and emotional paralysis and able to organize herself for a job search. She presumed the improvement was the work of the pills she was taking. "I couldn't believe I was leveling my mood swings on my own," says Gaitan. "I felt better! It's like you're playing tricks with your mind, and you don't even know the power of it.""

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 listings, announcements, and corrections to her at libbysentz(at)me.com.

***** LEARNING: FRIDAY *****

Free Absolute Beginner Tango Workshop

One-hour intro to Argentine tango, for absolute beginners only.

Triangulo
135 West 20th Street, #301, Manhattan
8:45-9:45p; $free
(Also held on Saturday at 8:30p)
212-633-6445
tangonyc.com

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

Get Yr Fix: A Fixing/Mending/Hacking Competition and Fair

The Fixers Collective, Sewing Rebellion, and NYC Resistor are teaming up for a big event that begins with workshops in sewing, soldering, fixing umbrellas, and more. Featuring competitions, dancing, bands, and beer.

VOD Space
99 South 6th Street, Williamsburg
2-5p workshops (event continues until 10p) info(at)getyrfix.com
proteusgowanus.com

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

A Thyme to Heal: Using Herbs

Learn practical uses of herbs for health and well-being with avid gardener and herbalist Yonnette Flemming. (Rain date: August 30, 11a.)

Dias y Flores Community Garden
520-522 East 13th Street, Manhattan
11a-1p; $free
skrem32(at)yahoo.com

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

Advanced Hiking

Adventures NYC leads an invigorating hike up and over the Rock Shelters, past the Overlook, and down past the old Bald Eagle Nest. Intermediate and experienced hikers only.

Inwood Hill Park's Nature Center
Enter park at West 218th Street and Indian Road, Manhattan 1p; $free
212-304-2365

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

Intro to Haitian Dance: Movements of Snakes and Dirty Old Dead Men

This Night School class led by Nonsense Learning Editor Libby Sentz offers an introduction to Afro-Haitian folkloric dance. We'll practice the undulating, snaky moves of Yanvalou; the carnival dance Rara; and Banda, where we'll mimic gede spirits (who drink, cuss, and dance naughty to stimulate procreation and to create laughter). To get into Banda, wear ripped up black/purple clothing you can move in; consider bringing a cane, one-lens sunglasses, and a hat. Featuring Haitian rum and live drumming.

House of Yes
342 Maujer Street, Brooklyn
9-11:30p; $10-$25, sliding scale.
libbylibbyhey(at)gmail.com
houseofyes.org

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

Copyright and Creative Practice in Jamaica and Beyond

Eyebeam and Not An Alternative continues the Upgrade NY series on open source as it relates to activism and creative practice. Larisa Mann/DJ Ripley (a PhD candidate in jurisprudence and social policy at UC Berkeley Law) and Karl Fogel (an open source software developer and writer) will lead a discussion on how Jamaican music has developed in the absence of an effective copyright regime and how technological and social conditions affect the music and musicians, and then they will compare this to the open source movement today. They'll look at how changes in technology and social convention affect music, software, and culture in general. A set by DJ Ripley will follow.

The Change You Want to See Gallery
84 Havemeyer Street, Williamsburg
7:30p; $free
upgradeny.net

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

The Mission of Art, a weekend workshop on creativity as a spiritual path, at CoSM Art Sanctuary. September 11-12; workshops(at)cosm.org; cosm.org.

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

BODY

• Sunset qi gong overlooking the Hudson and the Palisades at Fort Tryon Park (enter at Fort Washington Avenue, walk north along the promenade, up steps to Linden Terrace). Manhattan. Mondays (through September 14) 6:30-7:30p; $free.nycparks.org/parks/forttryonpark/
• Open tai chi at Bryant Park's Fountain Terrace, 42nd Street and 6th Avenue. Manhattan. Tuesdays and Thursdays rain or shine (through October 8) 7:30-8:30a; $free. bryantpark.org
• Yoga in the park with Laughing Lotus at 10th Avenue and 15th Street. Manhattan. Wednesdays (through September 2) 7-8p; $free. laughinglotus.com
• Self-defense at St. Mark's Church. Manhattan. Wednesdays 7:30-8:30p; $free. mkdkarate.com/classes.html
• Trampoline at Streb Lab for Action Mechanics. Brooklyn. Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays 7-8:30p; $25. streb.org/V2/school/adults.html
• Balkan folk dance at the Hungarian House. Manhattan. Wednesdays 6:30-8p; $12. nycfolkdance.org
• 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 without paying dues. Saturdays 5-7p, Sundays 2�4p. triskelionarts.org/events.htm#classesoffered
• Group tightwire walking and foot juggling workshop at Trapeze Loft. Williamsburg. Sundays 5-6p; $25. thetrapezeloft.com
• Power vinyasa with Hosh Yoga in McCarren Park. Manhattan. Saturdays 3p; $donation. hoshyoga.org/schedule.html
• Capoeira, a Brazilian martial art and dance, with Capoeira Angola Quintal. Manhattan. Various days; $15. afrobrazilarts.org/newyorkcapoeira/index.htm
• Co-ed nonsexual naked yoga. Manhattan. Various days; $?. groups.yahoo.com/group/coyoga/
• Kayaking on the Hudson River. Slots are 20 minutes, but kayakers may go more than once. Manhattan. Weather permitting, Saturdays and Sundays (through October 11) 10a-5p; $free. nycgovparks.org/parks/riversideparksouth/events/166151
• Parkour workshops. Manhattan. Sundays 4p; $15+. nyparkour.com
• Canoeing and kayaking in Hallets Cove. Socrates Sculpture Park, Long Island City. Weather permitting, Sundays (through October 25) 1p; $free. licboathouse.org
• Aerial yoga. Manhattan and Williamsburg. Various days; $20. aerialyoga.com

BRAIN

• 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
• 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
• Open craft/hack nights at NYC Resistor. Brooklyn. Thursdays 6-9p; $free. nycresistor.com/2008/11/22/open-craft-hack-nights-on-thursdays/

HANDS

• Knitting for beginners by Gotta Knit! in Bryant Park, Upper Terrace. Manhattan. Tuesdays 1:30-3p. $free. Pre-register: 212-989-3030.
• 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
• Craft-On (fun with yarn, thread, and more) with Church of Craft. Brooklyn. Various days; $free. churchofcraft.org/2008/10/01/welcome-nyc-crafters/
• Freegan Bike Workshop: Learn how to turn found bike parts into working bicycles and build your own bike. Brooklyn. Wednesdays and Saturdays; $free. 123communityspace.org/event
• 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/classes.htm
• 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
• Figure drawing at Brooklyn Artists Gym. Mondays 6:30-9p and Saturdays 12-3p; $8+. brooklynartistsgym.com/events.html#workshops
• Project Film School's film-theory freeschool with a weekly screening series and online resources. Brooklyn. Sunday nights; $free. projectfilmschool.org
• Screenprinting at 123 Printshop. Brooklyn. Fridays 5-8p and Saturdays 3-5p; $3+. 123communityspace.org/program/screenprinting-workshop-50
• Bicycle repair classes at Time's Up! Manhattan and Brooklyn. Various days. $free. times-up.org/index.php?page=bike-co-op
• Home-improvement classes, from tiling to drywall repair, at Home Depot stores. Saturdays and Sundays; $free. homeimproverclub.com/workshops.aspx?Type=3

GRAB BAG

• Night School at House of Yes. A different workshop each week on everything from whistling to wine tasting. Email kaeburke(at)gmail.com if you are interested in hosting your own workshop. Brooklyn. Wednesdays 9p; $varies. houseofyes.org/events/
• 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+. monicahunken.com/classes.html
• Didgeridoo classes in Prospect Park for music, meditation, and healing. Saturdays; $10. didgeproject.com
• 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

Ever taken part in an old-fashioned barn raising? We never have, but we think it would be kind of cool -- all those neighbors in funny hats and overalls coming together to pound nails, stand up walls, and raise the collective roof. In that spirit, we look for one-day volunteer opportunities with no long-term commitments required. Our goal is to help groups or individuals that serve the greater good in small but significant ways, avoiding mega-nonprofits and people just looking for free labor. Know of any existing opportunities? Looking for ways to help out? Or need volunteers to get your own community project off the ground? Send your requests to Joanie Schaffer at schafferificgmail.com.

***** HELP: SUNDAY, AUGUST 30 *****

Fort Tryon Park Beatification

Please join us at the Ft Tryon Park. All we will be needing is a group of focused people. First time gardeners and those whom have never done any gardening work are welcome. Groups are welcome as well. Please be prepared to be flexible as we will be doing various task. All volunteers must be 18 years and older. Volunteers must sign-in via the streetproject website. Group coordinators, please ensure that everyone in your group is signed up prior to the event. All participants will need to sign in and out.

Ft. Tryon Park
Fort Washington Avenue and Margaret Corbin Circle, Manhattan 10:30a-1p
streetproject.org/eventdisplay.php?eid=1012&pid=

***** HELP: TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1 *****

Choose What You Read NY

Choose What You Read NY is a program for New York�s commuters� offering them free books, encouraging them to read. On the first Tuesday of each month, CWYR NY hands out free books outside major subway stations. All books are donated by the public. We collect your old books that would otherwise be thrown out and recycle them within our community. CWYRNY is looking for volunteers who would like to help us hand out books for 2-3 hours on Tuesday. Help us carry books to the stations, hand them out to the public and encourage them to read

Upper East Side, Manhattan
5-7:30p
choosewhatyoureadnygmail.com

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

• Brooklyn Animal Action is a non-profit in the works looking to do animal rescue work in Brooklyn...the papers are being filed with the lawyer and it's close to being a done deal. Now we are looking for someone who would be willing to donate a little time and help us create a logo. Most of our work is with cats, simply because there are so many homeless cats in Brooklyn, but we don't rule out helping dogs, rabbits, or other animals in need. We do a lot of trap-neuter-return work as well as find foster and permanent homes for all of the kittens and friendly adult cats we come across. Our goal is to find homes for as many as we can, and for those we can't, we aim to at least improve the quality of their lives by providing them with medical care - neutering and spaying, vaccinations, etc, � and work to keep the population down. If any of you are artists and have an idea for an image, or if you know anyone who might be interested, it would be greatly appreciated (and I'm sure we could find a way to plug you/your business in our newsletters/at fundraisers, etc.)
• August 20-September 22: The Age of Stupid team seek 5 New York based interns for one month packing out US screenings, promoting Age of Stupid, pulling off the biggest and greenest film premiere and helping to avert runaway climate change. We will be working out of our temporary New York Office in Chelsea. On September 21 and 22, The Age of Stupid Global Premiere will launch the film in over 40 countries and in 400 cinemas across the US. We are planning the biggest and greenest film event the world has ever seen, with the aim of catapulting climate change right into the centre of the public consciousness in the last few months leading up to the crucial Copenhagen summit this December, when all our futures will be decided. At the heart of the event will be a solar powered cinema screening in New York. This is going to be a massive event and we need your help to do it. Please send your CV to internageofstupid.net (subject line: "NEW YORK INTERNSHIP APPLICATION: YOUR NAME" ) along with an answer to the following question in 300 words or less: 'I want the internship because?'. Please make it clear which internship you are applying for. Applications must be in by midnight on Sunday, August 9. Find out more at: ageofstupid.net, notstupid.org
• September 5: AAI (Artists Alliance Inc) is at Howl again this year. Our two events are Splash - kids painting on canvas. You pour paint colors, help with smocks, help pick out brushes, etc.; and Life Drawing, where both children and adults. draw live models. We always need models and teachers. If you are interested in helping with our art events, please contact zeina.assafaai-nyc.org
• November 12. Set up help for the NephCure Foundation. Help is needed for the NephCure Foundation's 2009 New York Countdown to a Cure. Ten volunteers are needed to help with set-up for this charity event. Volunteers should arrive at 1p to begin set-up and will be fed. Countdown to a Cure will be held at the Citi Field Caesars Club in Flushing, Queens. Over 800 guests are expected. The reception-style dinner will begin at 6:30p. All proceeds benefit the NephCure Foundation, the only organization committed to finding a cause and cure for two devastating kidney diseases, Nephrotic Syndrome and Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). Minimum age 15. Please contact Miriam Long at mlongnephcure.org for more information. volunteermatch.org/search/opp572855.jsp
• September 25-27: Art Under the Bridge. Join the Crew and be a part of a community of artists and art administrators. Experience the latest innovative work of local and international artists and be a part of the festival crew in Dumbo, Brooklyn. The Dumbo Arts Center relies on your talent as volunteers to ensure the festival continues introducing new and creative ideas to the public within a large collaborative effort. We welcome anyone to sign up and volunteer for a glimpse into the production of art installations and interactive work. Contact festivaldumboartscenter.org.

***** HELP: ONGOING *****

• Help Seniors Hungry to E-mail. City Hall Senior Center has a computer lab with six computers but no instructor. If you have a solid handle on computer skills (you don't need to be a whiz, although that's a plus) and want to work with seniors, we need you. Our seniors are eager to learn the basics of internet navigation and email use. You will teach a weekly class of seniors in the early afternoon. You can even develop the class into a program with intermediate and advanced classes if you want. This is a great opportunity to develop your teaching skills and make a difference too. Comfort with and knowledge of basic computer uses, desire to work with seniors and teaching experience are a plus. volunteermatch.org/search/opp573589.jsp
• Food Servers of St. John's Bread and Life. We are in need of groups that would be interested in helping out in our Soup Kitchen and Food Pantry. Minimum age 21. 795 Lexington Avenue, Brooklyn. volunteermatch.org/search/opp572876.jsp
• Looking for volunteers to do light administrative duties for non-profit outreach opera/musical theater group based in Washington Heights and Inwood. Most of the duties can be performed at home on your own computer. This is a great prospect for some one pursuing a degree in artistic administration. Looking for someone who can volunteer 5-10 hours a month. Again, just looking for someone to perform light administrative duties. For more info, contact cheron.g.cowangmail.com or visit nystreetopera.com.
• The GiveGoodGet Project is looking for "Good Deed Ambassadors" to take to the streets and find people doing good for their community! GiveGoodGet is a brand new project, still in its pilot stage, with the purpose of acknowledging good Samaritans for their contributions to making their neighborhoods stronger, friendlier places to live. We need outgoing, dedicated volunteers to identify and interview Samaritans on the streets, and award them with a small token of appreciation. To top off the fact that this is a great way to spread positive energy around the city and meet great people, all Good Deed Ambassadors will be compensated for their time (15/hr)! Interested? Please email marliewilsonstreetattack.com with your contact information, resume, and reason why you want to get involved.
• Reverend Billy Talen of the Church of Life After Shopping is the Green Party candidate for Mayor of NYC. The election is November 3 and we're looking for volunteers to help us between now and the election. Come share your fabulous talents with us, whatever they may be. We have a new headquarters at 250 Lafayette (between Prince and Spring) in lovely SoHo. Whether you're a poet, an artist, an organizer, or just willing to do odd jobs around HQ, like run errands or stuff envelopes, we'd love to have you working with us. To get involved, go to our web site and sign up on the volunteer page, stop by HQ, or come to our weekly meeting for new volunteers on Wednesdays from 7-9p in HQ. Right now we're especially in need of web savvy folks who know Drupal - we need Drupal administrators and Drupal themers to help with our web site. VoteRevBilly.org.
• Lit Drift: �Storytelling in the 21 Century� Seeks creative folks. I'm looking for bloggers, marketers, event organizers, and tech people to help out on our new blog dedicated to highlighting innovations in storytelling, with the ultimate goal to celebrate the art and craft of storytelling (in all its forms) by serving as a storyteller's resource and community. Lit Drift will start out as a blog, and eventually grow into an offline headquarters and creative space. But in the meantime, it's just a blog, so no one is getting paid until the site starts generating serious traffic and revenue. All I am looking for is a few passionate, creative people to pitch in for a few hours each week from the comfort of their own homes, and maybe get together every once in a while to discuss how the site is doing, where it's going, and schmooze over a beer or two (or ten). Please get in touch if you're interested at julialitdrift.com and tell me about yourself. litdrift.com.
• We can always use help in our office during regular business hours. There are a range of projects that volunteers can help with, some examples: press clippings, a Google Maps project (related to Community Boards and Council Districts), lending a hand in our events closet re-organization, general data entry projects and much more. Volunteers are welcome to come in for short or longer shifts, as often as you want. Please feel free to call or email Elena (volunteer and membership outreach coordinator) with any questions or to set up a time to come by and help out. elenatransalt.org 646 873 6036
• GALLOP, a New York City-based nonprofit corporation offers therapeutic riding lessons to individuals with disabilites at the historic Kensington Stables in the East Windsor Terrace section of Brooklyn, near Prospect Park. Staffed by a riding instructor certified by NARHA (North American Riding for the Handicapped Association) and a supported by licensed physical therapists, as well as a dedicated and experienced group of volunteers, the program offers a safe and supportive environment in which an individual can reap the many benefits of therapeutic riding. GALLOP is always in need of volunteers to help out with our program in any way. No horse experience is necessary, but it does help. We provide all the training you will need. We need people to help out at the stable with the horses and riders during lessons. Also, we have tons of "behind the scenes", such as office work, fundraising, grant writing, etc. Visit gallopnyc.org.
• SafeWalk is a free service to increase safety in our communities. From 11p Friday to 2a Saturday, we organize volunteers to take your call, bike to your location, and walk you to a destination within a 10-15 block radius. Our area of service currently includes Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Bedford Stuyvesant, Bushwick, Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, and downtown Brooklyn. Interested in becoming a volunteer? Contact safewalknycgmail.com or visit rightrides.org/templates/volunteer.php?page=vol_service.
• More than a barn, we're raising the mother of all meeting houses. New Yorkers deserve the basic democratic right�enjoyed by most other Americans and in most of the country's big cities�to have a direct say in our city's future and the laws we live by. (Just think: we could actually make dancing legal again.) The right of citizens to propose and vote on laws is fundamental to democratic government around the country. Some of NYC's lowercase democrats aim to win it and bring it into the 21st century. Join in designing the meeting house (i.e. writing the needed amendments to our city's charter), help grow the November '09 - June '10 petitioning drive, or find out more at lowercased.org.
• The Fortune Society is looking for volunteers to teach reading, writing and math to former prisoners and young people facing prison time. Contact 212 691 7554 x250 or visit fortunesociety.org.
• NY Artists Unlimited is a 25 year old, multicultural nonprofit that takes professional theatre and art to under-served audiences. Volunteers/ interns are used in all areas: administration, office work, design, graphics, technical, fundraising & development, PR/marketing, creative areas, and more. We are soon moving back into our renovated East Village arts center and need help in design, planning & development, fundraising, PR/marketing. In the summer, we present the International CringeFest, which includes the Bad Plays, Bad Musicals, and Bad Films Festivals. All proceeds go to support our work with under-served audiences. Class credit is available for college interns. Come join us in an artistic, supportive environment where noble deeds are being done and great creativity is taking place. No pay, but snacks, beverages, occasionally lunch available. Visit the website for further info: www.NYartists.orgVisit the website for further info: NYartists.org or contact Nyartunlt[a t]aol.com.
• The Rock Dove Project focuses on connecting health care practitioners who offer cheap/free services with seekers of those services. rockdovecollective.org/project
• Mentor kids through skateboarding, surfing and snowboarding at Stoked Mentoring. Contact infostoked.org
• Rescue disoriented and injured birds and ultimately help migratory birds make it to their destinations as a Project Safe Flight Volunteer. volunteernycaudubon.org
• Volunteer with Books Through Bars, an affiliated project of ABC No Rio that sends books to prisoners all over the country. Books Through Bars meets Mondays and Thursdays 7:30-9:30p and Sundays 5-8p at the NYC AIDS Housing Network, 80-A Fourth Ave, Brooklyn. abcnorio.org/affiliated/btb.html
• Help feed the homeless by volunteering at a City Harvest special event. cityharvest.org
• Volunteer as a writing tutor for kids at 826NYC. 826NYC.org
• Dog walking and Cat Petting at the Brooklyn Animal Rescue Coalition. barcshelter.org

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