Month: August 2008

Obama Rally At The Park, With George Lakoff

Check out the special Barack Obama rally at Montclair Park, which begins right after the Farmers Market – Sunday at 1:00pm.  At the rally, Obama will only be there in spirit.

Professor George Lakoff will be the main speaker, and he will focus on what the Obama candidacy means to Oaklanders.  He teaches cognitive linguistics at UC Berkeley, and also has been writing about differences between conservatives and liberals for years.

Alameda County has favored Obama since the Presidential primaries.  Back on February 5th, here’s how we voted for Democratic and Republican candidates.

During the primaries, Lakoff penned a Huffington Post article about the splintering Democrats and different “issues” between Clinton and Obama.  He applauded Obama’s progressive agenda and will likely have some interesting insights to share at the Sunday rally, too.

This Obama gathering hasn’t been that well publicized – and I just happened to notice a sign posted on the Thornhill 7-11 door yesterday.  I think that Lakoff will be the main draw, because he won’t deliver a regular stump speech.

Of course, the rally will include more typical things, like Obama campaign swag, voter registration efforts and a few baked goods to lure you.

Event Updates: The Montclarion reported that 250 villagers heard George Lakoff, who “supported Obama even before the senator decided to run for the presidency.”  In the Oakland Tribune, one attendee said she’ll vote for the Dem because “I like my president to be smarter than me.”

Seussical For Almost Free

Why not pay homage to the great Horton?  Seussical is now playing at Woodminster Summer Theater, and each paying adult can take two kids, 16 and under, free.  Performances start at 8pm, tonight through Sunday.

Now in their 42nd season, these Woodminster shows have become an authentic summer tradition.  The theater is located within Joaquin Miller Park (map), near the main entrance.

Paid tickets run $23-38 per adult, depending on where you sit. To ensure that your paid and free seats are together, I would hit the box office right before the performance.  Here’s more info about the bargain deal.

Seussical is perfect fare for all youngsters who love Dr. Seuss.  This musical brings Horton and other great Theodore Geisel characters to life.  Horton’s just a cool elephant who tries to do the right thing.

For a little inspiration before you go, you could pull out the tried-and-true books or watch some movie clips.  Also try this interactive Seussville game where you select scenes, cast characters and write their lines.

Kids of all ages can’t go wrong at Seussical, taking in the amphitheatre ambience too.  Remember to bundle up, since it gets “cold” at night in the hills – as you well know.

Get 15 Minutes Of Gardening Fame

How can you get your 15 minutes?  Apply for a coveted spot on the Bay Friendly Gardening Tour, where you can showcase your lovely back or front yard efforts.  Your garden does not have to be large, but it must be eco-friendly – which means all standard lawns and water-hogging flora are thumbs-down.

It’s time for Montclair gardens to shine.  Last year, some really cool gardens were featured from other places.  One Berkeley garden contained a mini-orchard along with salvaged junk-art.  There also was a nice yard in Alameda, which included a picture-perfect pond – proving that HGTV shows come true.

When I visit homes throughout Montclair, I’m amazed by the landscapes and sheer variety around places.  Some are quite verdant spots, with different flowering trees and plants.  Others are more natural settings in the woods.  Still others have very nice decks and views, but the plant life is far more sparse.

While the Tour site says there’s an August 1st deadline, we have confirmed that local gardeners may apply online through month’s end.  The tour organizers would like to include a range of Oakland Hills gardens, along with the Friends of Sausal Creek’s native plant nursery.

To make sure your entry’s received properly, please reach Jeanne Nader at jnader@stopwaste.org or 510-891-6500.  Here’s hoping you get your 15 minutes of gardening fame, next spring!

Take An Oakland Port Cruise

To wrap up the summer, consider taking a free cruise through the Port of Oakland – the fourth busiest container port in the U.S.  This tour sounds like something fun to do with your kids, who should be thrilled to see the big cranes and container ships in our busy seaport.

The last summer cruise is scheduled for August 21st, from 10:30am-11:30am.  All passengers are asked to board the ferry boat a half-hour before departure from the Oakland Ferry Terminal, at Jack London Square (and Clay Street).

During the tour, there will be a guide who discusses Port operations and points out highlights.  The ferry sails around the Oakland estuary and harbor.

Unlike when you gaze from the Bay Bridge, this cruise allows you to view maritime activities from a very close vantage point.  It’s likely you will see ships unloading their cargo as well as other operations.

The boat also passes by the Middle Harbor Shoreline Park, an oasis that’s adjacent to the marine terminals.  When you’re back on land, it’s the prime spot to continue gawking at the big rigs.

Spots for this final summer tour may fill up fast!  Reservations can be made online or by calling the tour hot-line at (510) 627-1188.

If you miss out, there are fall cruises on September 18th and October 16th, at both 10:30am and 1:00pm.  These days won’t work for school kids – but you can take a reconnaissance tour.

Those Impressionist Gals

Sometimes it’s worth venturing beyond Oakland – this time to visit the Women Impressionists show across the Bay.  The Legion of Honor is the only U.S. venue for this exhibit, which displays 140 works loaned from museums and private collections worldwide.

Expect the calming effects of typical mothers and children, portraits, nature and other 19th century scenes.  Berthe Morisot, Mary Cassatt, Eva Gonzales and Marie Bracquemond were devoted to their artwork, in an era when they were supposed to sit home and eat bonbons.

While we like to think of these women as ground-breakers, they didn’t regard themselves that way.  They simply followed their creative muses and preferred the impressionist ethos.  Learn more about the artists from exhibit organizers and experts, in this recent KQED program.

All the French Impressionists were connected, whether male or female, in their rebellion from the formality of the French Salon.  Well-known men like Degas, Manet, Monet and Renoir welcomed participation by these talented women.

Degas first asked Cassatt, an American artist in Paris, to join the Impressionists.  Manet accepted only one student in his career, Eva Gonzales.  Morisot went a step further and married Manet’s brother.  Bracquemont actively participated in the group, despite protests from her husband.

Whether in art or other intellectual pursuits, a few doors were opening for late-19th century women.  (One proof statement might be Oakland’s Mills College, the first women’s college founded in the West.)  These opportunities set the stage for more widespread rights, not yet obvious to women of that era.

More Info:  The Legion of Honor is located in Lincoln Park, San Francisco (map).  Including the Women Impressionists exhibit, admission costs $15/head and parking is free.  Museum hours are Tuesday-Sunday, 9:15am – 5:15pm.  The exhibit runs through September 21st.