Calendar

Come fire up the grill on Big Tech, come laugh at our local tech firms!

Comedy acts interspersed with talks from NSA Comedy Host, former Amazon executive, and entrepreneur Vahid Razavi, author of Ethics in Tech, or The Lack Thereof and Age of Nepotism.

Friday Dec 14th, 6PM Doors open for networking, Show starts at 7:00 PM at the Internet Archive.

It’s better to laugh than cry. As the Romans used to say “illegitimi non carborundum,” “don’t let the bastards grind you down.” Come and make a difference with others who feel like you and have fun doing it too!

Besides the entertainment, it is a chance to have an amazing time while meeting others who are being the change they want to see in the world. Tickets available at EthicsInTech.com

Francesca Fiorentini is a correspondent, comedian and B-list internet celebrity. She was behind viral hits like “The Real Deal With the US Mexico Border” and “White Fragility in the Workplace”, and was host of the show Newsbroke on Facebook Watch. She has been in SF Sketchfest three years and counting and is currently host of the podcast The Bitchuation Room.

Chloe McGovern started doing stand-up comedy when she was 18 years old, a decision that proved to be irreparably damaging both morally and spiritually, but a true delight to audiences everywhere. She can be seen regularly opening for Rich Vos and competing in Roast Battles at The Stand, New York Comedy Club, and The Comedy Store.

The New York Times on Will Durst: “Quite possibly the best political satirist working in the country today.” The Boston Globe: “A modern day Will Rogers.”

San Francisco Examiner: “Heir apparent to Mort Sahl & Dick Gregory.”

Nichole Spain was raised in Detroit and NY now by way of Philadelphia, Nichole is multiracial, multicultural, addicted to food, love men, and can’t keep a job.

Nichole has done theatre 9 years with comedic and dramatic rolls. She attended Philadelphia Comedy College and recently was a contestant at Helium Comedy Club’s Philly’s Phunniest. She recently debuted at Philly’s Punchline Comedy Club.

Nichole is a regular at Broadway Comedy Club in Manhattan. Live cable tapings for Manhattan Neighbor Network and Tnos Comedy cable Show in Brooklyn.

Up and coming comedian Jared Horning, has performed at the Shippensburg Comedy Club and the Boomerang Bar and Grill.

Vahid Razavi is the host of previous NSA Comedy Shows. Previously employed at Amazon and many tech firms in the Valley. Author of a new book Ethics In Tech and Lack Thereof. Copies of the book will be shared with the audience.

All Net Proceeds from this event will be donated to split between three Non-Profit Organization. These include Internet Archive, Freedom of the Press Foundation and The Church of Fellowship of All People.

Video recording of the stage will be taking place at this event.

Download Ethics In Tech and Lack Thereof. A Free Book By Vahid Razavi at http://MyAWSStory.com

In the current political horror show, do you need some laughter? Some encouragement? Perspective? Inspiration? RIZE UP is Roy Zimmerman’s latest extravaganza, full of funny songs about ignorance, war, and greed. “With music this good and humor this insightful, there is good reason to be optimistic.” – No Depression Magazine

Roy’s songs have been heard on HBO and Showtime, and his videos have garnered tens of millions of views. He has recorded for Warner/Reprise Records. He’s shared stages with Bill Maher, Ellen DeGeneres, Holly Near, Robin Williams, Arlo Guthrie, John Oliver, Kate Clinton and George Carlin, and tours the country constantly with his wife and co-writer Melanie Harby. More information, videos, and merch at https://www.royzimmerman.com

**WEAR RED**

Endorse here:
https://goo.gl/forms/mioA4lTZSwSd2XOw1

California has the 5th largest economy in the world and the wealthiest in the nation but ranks only 48th in class size and 43rd in per-pupil funding. In terms of relative economic opportunity, California is 48th in cost of living and 49th in housing affordability.

Both United Teachers of Los Angeles and Oakland Education Association are fighting to improve student learning conditions that are their working conditions, for fair wages for educators and support staff, to decrease class size and caseload reductions, and support community schools, all made possible through increased funding that our students and schools deserve.

We are building towards coordinated local, regional, and statewide actions to fight for progressive and fully funded schools in all of California’s 1,050 districts; to defend public education against privatization and the further erosion of union sector jobs which fight to preserve decent working conditions for their workers, and to connect with struggles for social, racial, and economic justice so our students and communities can thrive.

OEA and UTLA are in intense contract negotiations and gearing up for possible strikes this coming winter. In response to the realtime needs of both UTLA and OEA, California Educators Rising is shifting the focus of this event on 12/15 (on the same day as UTLA’s “March for Public Education”) to a gathering of local union members, including OEA leaders and organizers, and community allies to build labor-community support for a possible OEA strike. We will engage in solidarity actions (photos, social media, art, etc) to support UTLA’s public march on the same day, and build our network of rank-and-file supporters that stand in solidarity with each other across the Bay. The more unions and adjacent organizations that participate in strike support, the better for the overall health and strength of the labor movement.

We envision this public meeting as an active participatory space that will build a network of rank and file union members and community allies who will support strike solidarity with OEA and UTLA and build towards future actions in the fight for fully and progressively funded public education in California. We welcome union members, community allies, and anyone in the Bay Area (and CA!) to join us on this date. We stand together with OEA and UTLA in the fight for the schools all our students deserve! Location and other details to be announced soon.

The meeting will include speakers, art, music, story shares and organizing meetings.

We welcome endorsements and participation from unions, organizations, and community groups for this mass meeting so that we can build the strongest base of support for OEA/UTLA and public education in California. We will also be showing our solidarity with UTLA’s “March for Public Education” happening on the same day.

If you are a member of a local union or community group, please bring this information back to your membership, and endorse here:
https://goo.gl/forms/Z5CNIWkSx8o2Y6Qw2

Join Berkeley Copwatch for a community potluck and games night. This is a chance to socialize and get to know some folks who are working to hold police accountable. Invite your friends! We will play some games, talk politics and build some community together.

Bring a dish, side dish or dessert, as well as any party games you would like to share. BYOB if you so choose. There will be vegan and vegetarian options available.

Sunday Morning at the Marxist Library

   What have things come to when arch racist Jeff Sessions and deep state spooks are canonized as by self-identified liberals and leftists as bulwarks against fascism? When all mainstream “opposition” politics can be summarized in a single word: Trump. And when the midterm elections ignored deepening impoverishment at home, endless wars abroad, and climate catastrophe  – let alone the tax cut for the superrich – instead focusing on the “threat” posed by (take your pick) immigrant workers and the Russians.

   The majority of eligible voters sat out the midterm spectacle, simply not bothering with politicians awash in ever more obscene tsunamis of corporate cash. Meanwhile, both the economy and the polity have become more concentrated and less democratic with an ever-wealthier elite perched atop of an ever-growing surveillance state, mass incarceration, and censored media on the internet.

   Economist Allan Miller, Green Party congressional candidate Laura Wells, and Peace and Freedom Party central committee member Roger Harris will try to inject reason to the rant, followed by robust questions and commentary. ICSS (Institute for the Critical Study of Society) member Raj Sahai will facilitate.

There will be an RPA membership meeting from 2-3:15 pm. Right after that, we will move into party mode and have our winter holiday party & fundraiser from 3:30 – 5:30. As usual, the meeting is for RPA members. But the party is open to all! Please invite friends, family and neighbors and help support the RPA in 2019.

About the party: Desserts and non-alcoholic drinks will be provided free of charge with donations accepted for beer and wine.

Our silent auction will provide an opportunity for you to bid on exciting gifts for others or for yourself, including: art work, art tour, piano tuning, dance lessons, Sushi and Cal-Mediterranean dinners, Cuban Rum and a 3 night stay in Cuba.

This event is open to the public and a great chance to get to know the RPA, build community, contribute to a great cause and pick up some wonderful gifts.

RSVP for the party here

After you register spread the free ticket link here, and spread the word via Facebook here

We’re featuring the best films from FILMS TO THE PEOPLE Short Film Festival. Because of the smoke caused by the fires, a lot of you were bummed that you weren’t able to attend. So we’re hosting a Best of the Fest at our next film night. You won’t want to miss this last chance to watch this slate of films that shows social justice can be touching, hard-hitting, and even funny.

A Pair Of Horns On A Female Homo Sapiens by Saleh Kashefi
Con o Sin Papeles by Aria Zapata
Cycles by Latajh Weaver
Guardian Movie by Nicolas Jara
Snow Mountain by Ed Ntiri
The Salmon Will Run by Survival Media Agency
ZOO by Andrew Schrader

Doors Open @ 4:30pm
$5 NOTAFLOF

A Valve Turner In Person!

Leonard Higgins and four other Valve Turners decided to turn off the valves that regulate the pipeline flow of Canadian crude oil into the US. They were following the honored tradition of civil disobedience – take the bold action, have it documented for all the world to see, then wait to be arrested. At their trials, they sought to use the Necessity Defense to challenge the nation’s energy policy.
Higgins is the only UU in the group of three men and two women. By their actions at the US borders, they demonstrated strong commitment to Environmental Justice.
Sponsored by the BFUU SJC.

SCHEDULE
8:20 Coffee & Bagels
8:30 Gathering & Opening Circle
8:45 Press Conference
9:00 Sgt. Russell’s Courtdate

Recently, it was revealed that Alameda County Sergeant James Russell and Lieutenant Timothy Schellenberg were caught on video admitting to the illegal recording of youth defendants in confidential conversations with their own attorneys.

This is a Constitutional Rights violation and our concern is that it points to a much larger systemic problem.

Recording a defendant and their lawyer is a violation of the 4th, 5th and 6th amendments, as well as CA Penal Code 632, which is a felony offense punishable by up to 3 years in prison.

Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time Alameda County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) have spied on a defendant as they spoke with their lawyer. It also happened back in 2012.

This is NOT an issue of “one bad apple.” We have a rotten tree that must be dealt with.

THE ENTIRE SHERIFF’S OFFICE SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE AS NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW.

Felony charges have been filed against one sergeant, which is a good start but certainly not enough. This is just the tip of the iceberg for a department riddled with problems and constant allegations of the violation of people’s rights.

We call on Alameda County’s District Attorney Nancy O’Malley to conduct a thorough investigation of this matter and pursue the appropriate criminal charges against the Sheriff’s Deputies who have broken the law.

SIGN THE PETITION: bit.ly/NotAboveLaw

We demand that the District Attorney Nancy O’Malley do the following:

1. PROSECUTE Sergeant James Russell on the four counts of felony eavesdropping to the fullest extent of the law. No slap on the wrist.

2. INVESTIGATE the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office to determine the extent of this egregious violation of the United States Constitution, make public the results of the investigation, and file felony charges against Lt. Tim Schellenberg for his complicity, as well as all other officers involved in the recording of these constitutionally protected conversations.

Three antifascist activists are facing serious charges for defending our city against neo-Nazis two and a half years ago. We’re calling on our community to come out to their 2nd pretrial hearing and show support for these brave individuals. It’s up to us to make it clear that we stand with them!

We will be meeting at the courthouse and attending their court appearance. Come in casual, formal, or semi-formal attire and be prepared to go through a metal detector. Avoid arriving or leaving alone, and leave the area as soon as the court appearance is over. The court date will begin at 9 am and continue until 5 pm or until the hearing has concluded, whichever comes first. This is a critical way to show your solidarity and be a presence for activists being unfairly targeted by the state.

About the court case:
On June 26th, 2016, members of the neo-Nazi gang the Golden State Skinheads attempted to rally at the State Capitol here in Sacramento. Hundreds of counter-protesters mobilized and successfully shut down the Nazi rally. After the rally was canceled, the neo-Nazis attacked demonstrators with knives and clubs, stabbing and critically injuring several. Since then, one neo-Nazi has been arrested and three anti-racist activists are facing charges. After several cancellations and continuations, this is the final court date before our comrades are put on trial. So far, our community has come out to each court date to support them. This is their most important court appearance until the trial, so it’s urgent that we show up in numbers and make our support known!

Celebrating the publication of Human Rights and Wrongs and Plan Colombia

Authors Adrianne Aron and John Lindsay-Poland discuss their new books, Human Rights and Wrongs (Sunshot Press) and Plan Colombia: U.S. Ally Atrocities and Community Activism (Duke University Press), respectively. Both books recount stories of individuals and communities – especially in Latin America – resisting U.S. and state violence, often at great cost, and the power of human solidarity. Aron’s vignettes in the style of Eduardo Galeano draw from her experience as a psychologist and work with Central American refugees.

Lindsay-Poland narrates a Colombian peace community and a massacre, as well as the policy of training and equipping Colombian forces that serves as a template for U.S. intervention globally.

Books will be available for sale and signing.
www.sunshots.org/human-rights-and-wrongs
www.dukeupress.edu/plan-colombia (Preface and Introduction free online)
Sponsored by the BFUU SJC.

JOINT WALK‐IN CLINICS with Public Defender and EBCLC

*Please bring your statewide CA DOJ RAP sheet
if you have it or we can give information at clinic*

We may be able to help with:
 Dismissal of Conviction – PC 1203.4
 Felony Reduction / Prop 47 and 64 Relief
 Early Termination of Probation
 Certificate of Rehabilitation
 Sealing Arrest Record – Factual Innocence
 Juvenile Record Sealing
 Post-Conviction Relief for Immigrants and
Survivors of Human Trafficking
 Employment denials due to criminal background
reports
 Occupational Licensing Denials(DSS, Security
Guard)
 Voting Rights, Jury Service Rights

Tomorrow @ 12 pm, the Landless People’s Alliance is holding a press conference @ Alameda County Admin Building 1221 Oak St. to speak out against the mistreatment of unhoused folks in the Bay Area. Please show up to support their demands for justice&dignity https://t.co/oOZsFJl7U0

— The Village, Oakland (@VillageOakland) December 20, 2018

A presentation, The True Cost of Healthcare, by David Belk, MD

Have you ever wanted to build a socialist utopia out of gingerbread houses? Want to learn more about what East Bay DSA is doing around housing? Wondering what exactly is “social housing?” Join the East Bay DSA Housing Committee for a fun evening of making gingerbread houses and socializing with comrades. This is open to the general public. Bring your friends! Hot chocolate included.

Mycologist Alan Rockefeller will give a lecture on the identification of psilocybin mushrooms. It will include an overview of all North American species, focusing on the species which occur in the San Francisco Bay area. The audience will learn important characteristics for accurate identification and how to spot poisonous lookalikes. Participants are invited to bring legal mushrooms for a hands-on discussion of how to identify mushrooms you encounter.

Alan Rockefeller is a mycologist living in Oakland. He spends half the year hunting mushrooms in Mexico where he documents a wide variety of fungal species. His experience in the field has focuses on mushroom identification, DNA analysis, microscopy and photography.

In the lab Alan sequences the DNA of mushrooms from all over the world, gaining new insights into existing species, discovering new ones and eliminating duplicates in the taxonomic record.

$10 Suggested Donation – RSVP Below
http://psychedelicsocietysf.org/event/alan-rockefeller-psychedelic-mushrooms-of-california-talk-and-presentation/

By donating to this event you will help Alan do his work in the field as an independent mycologist, the SF Psychedelic Society, and The Omni Commons, a trifecta of open source, community-centered people and organizations. Thank you for your support this Holiday Season.

2019 is shaping up for an upswing of direct action, movement building and new thought against ecological collapse, wealth inequality, and for social justice.

This film has worthwhile history and some inspiration for folks just plugging in. Interviews plus archival footage. (1990 Documentary Directed by Mark Kitchell -117 minutes)

The 10th Annual Oscar Grant Vigil will be held on Tuesday, January 1, 2019 from Noon till 4pm at the Fruitvale BART station. You are invited to join the Justice4Pedie and Justice4Terry Amons Jr. march, which will meet at 12:30 outside the Guadalajara restaurant (1001 Fruitvale Ave., Oakland) and march to join the vigil at 1pm.

Hope to see you there!