Sunday, September 13, 2009

How to Communicate

The non-profit parenting organization that I volunteer for, Golden Gate Mothers Group (http://www.ggmg.org/index.html), has revolutionized large group communication.



Many moms (like myself) spend two to four hours each day catching up on their Yahoo! Groups forums, shopping online, and updating their social status on Facebook or Twitter. With GGMG's new communication solution on https://www.bigtent.com/ I will be able to do most of my online tasks in one place! Yipee!



The people at BigTent like to refer to their service as a "dashboard for your community involvement." I like to think of it as an online master planner where I can connect my volunteerism with my involvement at my kids' schools and more. The forums are similar to Yahoo Groups! since you can check all your forums by logging in to one place, but the capabilities of BigTent go far beyond.



Some of the extras BigTent provides are:

event calendar (collect RSVPs and no need for Evites)

manage memberships online (and volunteer duties)

collect dues or event registration fees online

email blasts to members (especially helpful for event or news posts)

group news (basically a group blog)



I like the fact that I can merge the information from all my groups that I belong to on BigTent.com. For example, I only have to manage one event calendar. With the click of a button I can see everything I have coming up, no matter what group it was originally listed under. I can check a box to populate my BigTent calendar with all my BigTent group activities, deadlines, etc (and just as easily I can uncheck and list them in their original separate calendars again).



All in all, I feel BigTent will do 2 things for our 4000 mommy members at GGMG: free up time and help our membership develop a deeper connection.



Kudos to BigTent for a great development and GGMG Board of Directors for taking our organization to the next level.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

How to Terminate California


Wow, all the waiting...and waiting...and waiting...for what? Education was the hardest hit AGAIN. So what the heck required all that deliberation?

In brief, here is what Arnie arm wrestled folks in to signing:

* Education spending -$9.3 billion.
* Health and human services -$3 billion.
* Government spending -$1.7 billion.
* State employees pay -$820 million.
* Prison spending -$785 million.
* Vetoes -$489 million
* +$1 billion shifted to state's general fund from other state accounts.
* +$1.4 billion from delayed payroll and health premium payments.
* +$3.5 billion from tax withholding and other changes.
* +$2.2 billion borrowed from local governments and the State Highway Account.

So what I see here is: 1) California schools will be taken off life support and now will be officially dead, mental illness and criminal activity will be on the rise, and Gavin Newsom better hold on REAL tight to the SF purse strings because the Governator is coming for our "rainy day fund." Yikes!!!

Monday, June 29, 2009

How to Walk Like an Egyptian

*photo of Canopic Coffinette from the deYoung Museum


If you don't have plans to escape the city for the Fourth of July weekend, head over to Friday Nights @ the deYoung Museum. Celebrate King Tut's return with free family programming this Friday July 3rd. Follow the trail of gypsies in Wilsey Court complete with a live performance from Stellamara and dancers Miriam Peretz and Hannah Romanowsky. Children get gilded with foil art from 6pm-8:30pm.

Beyond the free activities, tickets are required to visit the museum galleries, and special exhibit tickets are available for Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs (which include admission to permanent exhibits).

Before you go, make sure the kiddos get a glamour shot next to the large TUT sign out front. It will look really cool at twilight.

Sunday, May 17, 2009

How To Get Around SF


74X CultureBus (http://www.sfculturebus.org/) is a brand new, eco-friendly way to visit the city’s cultural centers and is especially convenient for those that live near one of the four stops: Yerba Buena, Union Square, Civic Center or Golden Gate Park. Tickets are $7 per adult (valid for 24 hours), $3 for Fast Pass holders and free for children four and under (cash only). 74X CultureBus runs every 60 minutes daily from 10am to 5pm and the ride is less than 40 minutes across town. Added bonus: discounted admission for California Academy of Sciences ($3 off) and de Young Museum ($2 off) with ticket stub.


Sunday, May 3, 2009

How a Girl Should Comeback

Yay! No Doubt is embarking on a reunion tour.

It seems so long ago that I attended my first No Doubt "performance" (if you can call it that) at CSU Fullerton in a little sunken stage area near the dance studios. I stumbled upon them by accident, yet I remember that day pretty vividly.

It was one of the most amazing music experiences I've ever had (live horns, and no sound system!). All my wife beater and Dickies punk-ska days followed, and much later my slow and incomplete adoption of the Harajuku girl/L.A.M.B. ploy. Though, the latter may be considered Gwen's schtick (rather than No Doubt) and my non-compliance shouldn't be counted against me.

One of my most memorable No Doubt shows was the Bradley Nowell (of Sublime) benefit show at the Palladium. This is probably because I LOVED the tracks that Brad and Gwen sang on over the years...they were just varying degrees of raw talent and complimented each other well.


So here we are in 2009, Gwen and the boys offered a little No Doubt reunion sneak peek on the Today Show (a show worth little else): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNNFqYnu5AE.

No Doubt are so cool, they are actually offering a free download of their entire music collection to each ticket holder. This is a genius marketing tactic, as it will get concert-goers even more pumped for the show. And anyone who follows (worships really!) Gwen knows how in to the audience she is, always prompting a girly sing-along. How can people join in if they have to dust off their No Doubt CDs to "practice" in advance? Not needed, get your files downloaded ASAP to your iPod, iPhone, or whatnot and start re-learning those lyrics today! I wonder if it truly is their entire No Doubt discography? I haven't had a chance to download yet...

Anyhow, guess I better get some cool gear at H&M or somewhere else really one-time wear-ish...I don't know where the doc martens, white tanks, etc are anymore and they probably wouldn't fit anyhow! But I sure am looking forward to July 25th at Shoreline. http://www.livenation.com/edp/eventId/404693/

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

How to move on

Last Friday I was afforded the opportunity to attend Madame Speaker Nancy Pelosi's press conference at my son's preschool, Holy Family Day Home http://www.holyfamilydayhome.org/ in San Francisco (yep, that is ME with the curly hair and red glasses next to her!). HFDH was chosen in part due to its century long history of supporting low income families in our city. In addition to enrolling private pay students, HFDH secures government subsidies for over 85% of their students who come from low income homes. It is alarming how many families are considered "homeless" that attend the program (somewhere around 20%).

Speaker Pelosi shared with us that over $2 billion will go towards child care from the recently approved economic stimulus package. California will receive about 10% of these funds, or $200 million...which we really need. Hopefully these funds will start flowing around April, and will prevent a hike in child care tuition for the families that need it most. Really all families would benefit from keeping tuition hikes at bay, with unemployment STILL on the rise, not just subsidized families. Click this link for the SF Chronicle story: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/02/28/BAKF166L71.DTL&hw=nancy+pelosi&sn=010&sc=295


Other approvals affecting San Francisco:
$100 million to rebuild Doyle Drive (the rest of the $1 billion needed was previously secured)
$10 million for MUNI 3rd Street Light Rail
$8 million regional water recycling program
$1.9 million for Transbay Terminal
$1.75 million for Presidio Heritage Center
$951,000 SF biofuels program
$950,000 for GG Bridge movable median barrier
$476,000 for upgrade to Chinese Hospital
$333,000 for SFSU training programs for health professionals
$238,000 for the Glide Foundation

I understand that Speaker Pelosi and President Obama are under pressure and scrutiny for these earmarks, but they account for about 2% of the total spending bill. They will create jobs, and allow projects like Doyle Drive to finally be completed. It seems pretty ridiculous that the $1 billion project has been on hold all this time waiting for $2 million. And quite frankly, I am sick of watching the horrifying commercial on what will happen to Doyle if we have an earthquake.


The jury is still out on this stimulus package, and I think the amount of money this recovery will demand is nothing short of monstrous and threatening. However, as we have learned in the State of California...doing nothing can be just as costly. I have my fingers crossed...

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

How to ruin a good thing

Last time I checked 1) San Francisco has effortlessly lived up to our "Only in San Francisco" tagline and 2) we are in a down economy and really need some "cheap thrills." Well, don't count on Bay to Breakers for that in 2009. The editor (aka "fearless leader") of GGMG newsletter (which I write features for) just informed me at tonight's meeting of Bay to Breakers "new improvements and policies." Their language is pretty strong considering "improvements" are based on interpretation and are therefore largely subjective. Thoughts?
http://www.ingbaytobreakers.com/main_home.html

I can't even fathom that the Castro Halloween event has been cancelled two years in a row (http://www.halloweeninthecastro.com/). They say it is gone for good, but I am in denial. I only went once (and I was preggers, so no drinky poos), but I have never laughed so hard in my life. Pure shock value. And...that event was just one of those San Francisco happenings that make this city so unique and raw. I have always been proud that SF is diverse and that you can go do your professional duties by day, you know...your "real job"...yet dip in to the craziness that is SF at night. Of course, this doesn't occur much for me now that I have two little ones under the age of three. My life is much more linear. But I like the option to get crazy if need be!

While I refuse to say goodbye to the Halloween festivities that are SF history, I can let go of B2B. As a matter of fact, I am already embracing my change of heart. This year, I won't stand on my balcony watching the passersby and thinking to myself "next year I MUST sign up, and run with the kids, and a keg too!" Really, without the nudity and alcohol, Bay to Breakers is just another opportunity to get or stay fit. And let's face it, the booze and lack of clothing were the only reasons I ever entertained the idea to begin with! Now, I just need to figure out where I can be that day instead, don't want my car to get blocked in the garage.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

How to go quickly and quietly

I hope I don't have any babystyle gift certificates lying around anywhere...just heard news on GGMG that http://www.babystyle.com/ swiftly went under. No public announcement, no viral heads up, just gone. I called their Burlingame store, and the phone number was disconnected "ring, ding, ding, we're sorry, you have reached a number that has been disconnected or is no longer in service." And No, I don't feel I have reached this recording in error.

Their website is even less detailed http://www.babystyle.com/: "We're sorry but we have suspended operation of our site." We're sorry too, and where the hell have I been? I will say that there were whisperings of trouble a year ago, but nothing hinting at the website and Bay Area store closings http://venturebeat.com/2008/03/24/babystyle-the-baby-retailer-files-for-bankruptcy-victim-of-misguided-investors/.

Rats! I really liked babystyle and would have loved to take advantage of any liquidation sale offered. I always said they had the best and softest layette and basic cotton for kids (I like This Little Piggy Wears Cotton too http://www.littlepiggy.com/).

For me, this really is a sign of the times. I thought babies were "big business" and the obsession with baby gadgets and gizmos, better known as keeping up with the Jones', was unwavering...guess everyone is pinching pennies now. Yikes!

Hang on to your hats everyone...remember Mr. Toad's Wild Ride @ Disneyland http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Toad? Yes, he was replaced by Winnie the Pooh, but his spirit lives on. And unlike most major airlines Mr. Toad isn't hurtin' for passengers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j86Eb3toGIM

**Update: Turns out Mr. Toad's Wild Ride in Disneyland is alive and kicking (or "rollering" to be exact). Only the Floridian version of it was turned in to the Original Poo others refer to as Winnie. Another reason why Cali rocks over Fl...no offense!
http://www.ocweekly.com/bestof/2008/award/best-ride-at-disneyland-258477/

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

How to say "Goodbye" when you really mean "Good Riddance"


I feel for Cindy Sheehan, I really do. I appreciate her stance on the war, and try to be empathetic to her losing her son. I will (hopefully) never understand what she feels. I will say, however, that more often than not she is far too progressive for my tastes. But this is AMAZING, and if I had $100 laying around and a closet that wasn't already full of my husband's old trusties, I would be ALL OVER THIS. Later...George Bush...we couldn't have survived another day!