Friday, June 12, 2009

Rise Up: Battle of the Bands

Many thanks to everyone who came out to our first annual Rise Up battle of the Bands!

There were over 300 people rockin' in our new warehouse. Thanks to We are Brontosaurus, the Adventure Galley, Hunters on the Horizon, the Autonomics, and the Space Hoax. Special congratulations to The Snag who took first place in the competition. With your help, we were able to raise over $1,000 for high school scholarships. These scholarships will give students the opportunity to go to school outside of La Chureca, the garbage dump (literally) where they live in Nicaragua's capital city of Managua. To find out more visit RISE UP

Here are a few snaps from the evening.

To see the entire gallery check out the Rise Up Flickr page here.

To read a write up from the Bend Bulletin about the Youth Movement|Rise Up|Battle of the Bands in Bend click here.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Late Night: Zack Attack with the Roots

When word got out that Conan was going to be taking over for Jay Leno, I was incredibly excited. I am a huge O'Brien fan! When word got out that Jimmy Fallon was taking over for Conan on Late Night, I was less than thrilled. When it was announced that the Roots (one of my favorite musical artists) would be holding it down as house band for Fallon, I figured I 'd give the show a shot.

Well, three months later I find myself trying to find excuses to give the show a 10th, 11th, and 12th shot at glory. Fallon esta no bueno as a host...but I do find myself watching next-day clips of the Roots back artists such as Paul Simon, the Lonely Island, and Public Enemy...I highly recommend checking these out.

While I am not a huge fan of Fallon as host, I do appreciate his efforts to reunite the cast of Saved By the Bell for the 20th anniversary of the show. Last night Mark-Paul Gosselaar showed up in character as Zack Morris. The references to story arcs, characters, and the infamous "time out" were priceless. If you were a Saved By the Bell fan...as I was...you have to watch this!





Saturday, June 6, 2009

From Concept to Creation: Color to Completion

Had my third and final sitting last week with Jeff Gogue, my tattoo artist of the last 7 years. Jeff (above) with one of his latest oil paintings.

Here are some photos of the color he added to the lantern that graces my backyard...



and the original photo...
and some more cherry blossoms galore!

You can see the before shots here.

Washington DC: Friends & Foodies

For the last four years, I have been able to attend some of the most intellectually stimulating conferences around the country because the church I work at (and community I am a part of) values the continuing of my education. I have been able to learn about economics and how to be a better grassroots organizer in our nation's capital, studied adolescent development in Sacramento with fellow youth workers, and learned about immigration in Tijuana while staying with recently deported migrants. This year, I attended Sojourners' Mobilization to End Poverty (M2EP) in Washington DC. I am a firm believer that a good conference experience includes three components: education, experience, and fun. The following entries are from my trip at the end of April 2009.

Fun is an important component to any conference experience. Listening to amazing speakers, while inspiring, can leave you feeling quite saturated with information and inspiration....unless you plan moments of escape along the way. For the second year, I stayed with my good friend from high school in Phoenix- Chris Perry (CP). Chris, Heather, and Zaid (CP's roomies) showed me an amazing time. Many thanks to them! Here are some snaps from our culinary and sporty adventures.

Ben's Chili Bowl

This classic, much-talked about DC spot was founded in 1958. CP and I had both wanted to visit the jaunt made famous by Bill Cosby and most recently President Obama (who visited when campaigning with Mayor Fenty). We both had the "half-smoke" and shared some chili cheese fries. Washing it down with red drink- I found myself set for the evening! Cool historical fact about Ben's...
In 1968, the assassination of Dr. King lit a fuse of rage. Riots ensued. Most of the city closed down; Ben’s remained open. Stokely Carmichael of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), which was located across the street, obtained special police permission to allow Ben’s to stay open after curfew to provide food and shelter for activists, firefighters and public servants desperately trying to restore order. After the riots, the area was in shambles. Businesses shut down. But there was some glimmer of hope in the neighborhood as the concept of "Black is Beautiful" emerged. Ben’s continued to serve an eclectic crowd of Regulars. You can read more about the history of Ben's Here.

Founding Farmers & Post-Peace Corps BBQ

My oldest friend (born six weeks apart/grew up next door to each other) Jean came down from New York to hang for the day. After we met up at the Lincoln Memorial, we began our hunt for a good breakfast. We stumbled upon a place called Founding Farmers because it was heavily guarded by police...we later found out that the cops were actually guarding the IMF from potential violent demonstrators.
Founding Farmers believes that everyone benefits by knowing more about the source of the food they eat. They understand the journey of their products from seed to harvest, and from Farm-to-Table. Owned by a collective of American family farmers, Founding Farmers exists to promote the products and services of family farms, ranches, and fisheries. They celebrate and share the long-standing connection between farmers - the first to lead the “green” movement - and their historic stewardship of natural resources (adapted from welcome statement).
The food was as good as we had hoped! I went for the Skillet House Hash with Sausage and a coffee; Jean opted for the Benedict with an Arnold Palmer. Later in the day, I re-met up with Jean at a house party thrown by one of her friends in the Howard University area. The bbq was great and filled with loads of folks who had spent time in the Peace Corps (Jean spent two years in Peru with the corps). It was great hearing stories from around the world before I began the trek back to Arlington/CP's for the night.

Rocket Bar for Game 7 of Washington Capitals vs. NY Rangers Playoff series

I have never been a big Hockey fan, but who can resist a Caps comeback from a series at 3-1? Not I. I joined CP and all of his friends at Rocketbar, a space age lounge that boasts many tv's, pool tables, and a great locale for the occasion (it was across the street from the game). Decked in Red and White, I quickly learned to chant C-A-P-S...forgoing my New York roots in favor of the underdog. It was a blast to say the least...plus they had Anchor Steam from SF on tap!Many thanks again to CP, Heather, and Zaid for hosting me! It was great to hang with you all- I look forward to my next time on the East Coast with you all!

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

RISE UP Event this Friday!


If you are in or around Bend, Oregon this weekend...come check out the Rise Up Battle of the Bands. This event will feature six young Bend-based bands and has been put on by the efforts of Rise Up High School Senior Intern extraordinaire Dana Munson!

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Washington DC: First Day of M2EP

For the last four years, I have been able to attend some of the most intellectually stimulating conferences around the country because the church I work at (and community I am a part of) values the continuing of my education. I have been able to learn about economics and how to be a better grassroots organizer in our nation's capital, studied adolescent development in Sacramento with fellow youth workers, and learned about immigration in Tijuana while staying with recently deported migrants. This year, I attended Sojourners' Mobilization to End Poverty (M2EP) in Washington DC. I am a firm believer that a good conference experience includes three components: education, experience, and fun. The following entries are from my trip at the end of April 2009.

One of the most wonderful things about DC is the public transit system. Each morning i would grab my i-pod and walk from Arlington (where I was staying), pass Iwo Jima, and hop on the Metro to get to the Convention Center. The energy was palpable as people of all ages rubbed shoulders, squeezed into the underground train, and left for work.

As the conference began, we heard from Rep. Rosa DeLauro, Rich Stearns (the President of World Vision, and Jim Wallis (founder/President of Sojourners). I have been to a few anti-poverty conferences and have heard plenty of talks about the movement to end hunger, but never have I heard speakers so optimistic. Wallis' words were moving as he talked about how people in the anti-poverty movement have been "sowing seeds for a long time," (Wallis himself has been arrested 22 times for protesting policy and budgets that affected the poor). His voice slowly grew to a roar as he called activists of all ages and experience to "reap what we have sown!" His optimism drew from his experiences of the first 100 days of the new administration. The President's budget had just been unveiled and passed, and he received a phone call from the White House asking if they left anything out. For the first time since Wallis could remember, it included programs for the poor, foreign aid, and reflected the values of the Christian call to "take care of the least of these" in Matthew 25.

You can read a great Washington Post article about the morning here.

And watch this 2005 interview with Jim Wallis on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart. This was the first time I had heard him.

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c
Jim Wallis
thedailyshow.com
Daily Show
Full Episodes
Economic CrisisPolitical Humor

Next up was a panel of three people from the Obama administration-
Josh Dubois, director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnership; Van Jones, special adviser for Green Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation; and Martha Coven, director of the White House Office of Mobility and Opportunity. It was great to hear about the White House's platform to fight poverty. I especially enjoyed hearing Van Jones (a TIME Magazine 100 Most Influential People nominee) talk about the creation of a green-collar economy- using the current environmental crisis as a launching pad for job creation. This got me even more excited about our high school trip to Chicago...the Windy City is leading the country in finding innovative ways to fight poverty through environmental justice.

You can read the TIME 100 article on Van Jones by Leonardo DiCaprio here.
My day concluded with an Evangelical Lutheran Church in America/ELCA (the denomination Nativity is a part of) sponsored happy hour at a local micro-brewery. While I usually am quite skeptical of ELCA functions, this was reallt great. I mean, after all...whose not gonna enjoy free rounds of beer??? Since I got lost and arrived late, I sat with some of the presenters at the conference. I thoroughly enjoyed talking with Bob Francis from the DC advocacy office of the ELCA; Alexia Salvatierra who serves as executive director of C.L.U.E. (Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice) in Los Angeles; and Rachel Anderson from the Boston Faith and Justice Network and recipient of this year's Organizer Award. I kind of felt a little out of my league, but really enjoyed the connections and felt like I was able to contribute a perspective on mobilizing youth for social justice.

I often struggle with labeling myself "Christian" or "Lutheran" or even "Youth Minister." This is mostly because of the unfortunate reputation that precedes us in Central Oregon. After this first day, I was reminded that I share faith with some really great people out in the world representing well. People who are inclusive, who are fighting for those not often heard in society, who promote peace and justice as a way of life.

To all I met in DC...keep fighting the good fight!

Washington DC: Running with Rage

For the last four years, I have been able to attend some of the most intellectually stimulating conferences around the country because the church I work at (and community I am a part of) values the continuing of my education. I have been able to learn about economics and how to be a better grassroots organizer in our nation's capital, studied adolescent development in Sacramento with fellow youth workers, and learned about immigration in Tijuana while staying with recently deported migrants. This year, I attended Sojourners' Mobilization to End Poverty (M2EP) in Washington DC. I am a firm believer that a good conference experience includes three components: education, experience, and fun. The following entries are from my trip at the end of April 2009.

For the last few weeks I have been training for the infamous Bend area Pole Pedal Paddle competition. The race takes place on may 16th and is a relay of sorts that starts off with a downhill ski to cross country ski to bike to 10K run to paddle on the river to sprint. To see a more detailed description of the race check out my teammate Nole's blog here. I will be running the 10K, hopping in a canoe with Nole to paddle, and closing out the race by jumping out of the canoe and sprinting to the finish.

Since I am in DC for 5 days, I have to make sure to continue with my training while here. The other morning I went for an incredible run from the Smithsonian to the Washington Monument, around the National Mall and finished with a dramatic climb up the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
Running in DC is incredible.

Reason #1: Elevation
I felt like a superhero because my lungs are used to running at 3,600 feet above sea level...therefore I ran a lot longer than ever before.

Reason #2: Sights
With so much to look at- monuments, people, cherry blossoms, etc...one cannot help but be distracted from the task at hand. I am a firm believer that the sport of running is 90% psychological...in other words, I'll take all of the dirstractions I can get!

Reason #3: Musical Reflection
While running along the Reflection Pool, I couldn't help but think of all of the great protests that have taken place on the very ground I stepped on. I decided it fitting to listen to Rage Against the Machine's first album while I ran.

+Notable moments included listening to the words "all of which are American dreams," from the song Know Your Enemy while staring down the Monument dedicated to our founding father George Washington.

+ Listening to Wake Up while catching a breather and walking by the Vietnam Memorial...the words of Zack de la Rocha ringing in my ear...

"Movements come and movements go Leaders speak, movements cease When their heads are flown 'Cause all these punks Got bullets in their heads Departments of police, the judges, the feds Networks at work, keepin' people calm You know they went after King When he spoke out on Vietnam He turned the power to the have-nots And then came the shot"

+and finally, climbing the steps of the Lincoln Memorial drenched in sweat while hearing the chorus of the album's final track Freedom. When I got to the top my eyes met President Lincoln's for the second verse...I turned around walked down a few steps, looked out upon the reflection pool and saw the following at my feet- "I Have a Dream." Engraved in the marble, the words of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr...delivered here over 40 years ago.

I stood there out of breath and full of emotion. Freedom indeed.