I live in Dallas

YNC’s Concerts @ Quadrangle with Becky Middleton

jennifer — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:51:13 +0000

Concerts @ Quadrangle: 'tis the season and all that jazz...

The YnC Concerts @ series have been a huge success - featuring local musicians Summer Ames, Kurk Thurmond, The Boss Level, and Traveler and supporting local charities Unearned and Stop Child Trafficking Now.

They close out the 2009 series this Friday, November 13th and they welcome back singer-songwriter Becky Middleton. The concert is still free and you and your friends are invited.

But what goes good with a free concert with your friends?

Being part of a solution with your friends.

YnC has partnered with some local DFW residents who are collecting items to help pass out to the homeless on Thanksgiving Eve. This week, sort through your closet and bag the items you know you will never wear again. It's that easy.

The beautiful Mother Theresa once said, "If you can't feed 100 people, then feed just 1." This is true - most of us cannot feed, house, or clothe 100 people. But we can help out one. If 100 people this Friday can gather 1 item/person, that's 100 homeless people in Dallas who will be just a little warmer because you cared. If we can gather together 2 items/person, that's 200 people who will be warmer. If we can gather together 3 items/person ... yea, I think you get the idea.

Here is a list of items they will be collecting at Friday's concert. They are also looking for people who can help pass them out Thanksgiving day and the days after until they are all passed out. Contact info@youngandcultured.com if you are that person!

Blankets
Coats
Hoodies
Sweatshirts
Help passing them out

AMLI Quadrangle
www.amli.com/apartments/dallas/quadrangle

2717 Howell St.
Dallas, TX 75204
(214) 444-9624
Get Directions

Becky Middleton on Twitter: http://twitter.com/BMiddletonMusic
Becky Middleton on MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/beckymiddleton
YnC on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/youngandcultured

About YnC:
YnC exists to act as the link between young adults and the culture in their community by fostering relationships centered around the discovery and appreciation of the arts in all its varied expressions.

If you would like to contact YnC directly, email info@youngandcultured.com.

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Electronics Recycling Drive Saturday

jennifer — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:56:15 +0000

Recycling is green is love by Spookygonk via Flickr

Old monitors and VHS tapes collecting dust in your garage? Do yourself (and the environment) a favor and drop them off for recycling at the Lakewood Green Living store this Saturday, November 7th, 2009 between 12 and 5pm.

Green Living
www.green-living.com

1904 Abrams Parkway
Dallas, TX 75214
(214) 821-8444
Get directions

Last year I volunteered to drop off the old electronic equipment that had been hanging around the office since '88. Or at least the design made it appear that way. The parking lot was FILLED with old electronics! Electronics that need not end up in our landfills.

Do your part this weekend and ask your friends, co-workers, boss, neighbors if they have electronics that need recycling and offer to drop it off for them!

Note: CRT Monitors have a $5 Recycling Fee and TV's $10 - $30 depending upon size. So if you are doing a good deed for a friend and dropping off a TV, make sure you collect some cash from them to at least cover the fee.

Receipts will be given out at the time of dropoff.

List of acceptable items:

CPU's
Printers/Copiers
Land & Cell Phones
Monitors
Fax Machines
Game Machines
Laptops
Scanners
Media Equipment
Main Frames
Keyboards/Mice
Video/CD Players
VHS Tapes & CDs
Net Working Equipment
Cables/Wires
Fluorescent Lights
Batteries
Hairdryers, Toasters and other small appliances

TOMS Founder Speaking at DCYD “Living Our Values” Series

jennifer — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 06:16:27 +0000

If any of you know me, you know I'm always wearing TOMS shoes. My first pair has the famous quote by Mahatma Gandhi written all over it, "Be the change you wish to see in this world," and they are sitting next to me as I type this post. TOMS is inspiring and it's the kind of change I wish to be a part of - even if I am just wearing the shoes for now.

For those of you who don't know TOMS shoes, it's simple:

For every pair you purchase, TOMS will give a pair of new shoes to a child in need. One for one.

Since TOMS launched in 2006, over 300,000 pairs of shoes have been given to children under the One for One model.

The founder of TOMS shoes, Blake Mycoskie, is coming back to his home roots and speaking at the Dallas County Young Democrats for the "Living Our Values" Speaker Series and Reception.

Yep, it didn't take me long to buy my ticket and post something about it (well, 40 minutes to be exact.)

Friday, November 13, 2009

Doors open at 6:00 PM
Event begins at 7:00 PM

South Side on Lamar Event Complex
1409 S. Lamar
Dallas, TX 75215
Get Directions

From the DCYD:

DCYD dedicated 2009 to community service. We sought to give our voice, time and money to causes we believed in. Doing so allowed us to remain true to the values shared by so many in our community.

Please join us as we celebrate a year of "Living Our Values" with a phenomenal speaker, Blake Mycoskie.

Other featured guests include Texas State Democratic Party Chair Boyd Richie, DNC Member Betty Richie and Travis County Democratic Party Chair Andy Brown.

Sponsorships are available. For more information about being a host, please contact Kurt Watkins at kurtthomaswatkins@gmail.com or 214.923.6903.

Pay Online Sponsorships:

$500 Patron

$250 Supporter

$150 Friend

Tickets are $25 and $10 for students with valid student identification. Students with voter registration cards and student identification are free.

Tickets:
$25 General Admission

$10 Student Admission

*Please Note: Space is limited. Purchase your tickets early.

Endowed Lecture Series in Women’s Studies

jennifer — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:11:33 +0000

M. Joycelyn Elders

The 15th Surgeon General of the United States

This is a bit of a late notice but had heard about the lecture only this morning via KERA's Think program. I caught just the last part of the interview with Dr. Elders and had one of those driveway moments - I reached my destination but stayed in the car to hear the rest of the interview. She is informative and frank on controversial issues like the legalization of marijuana and condom distribution in schools. Tonight she will speak at SMU for the 2009 Raggio Lecture series and she will address the present and future state of women’s healthcare in America.

M. Joycelyn Elders became the first African American and the second woman to hold the post of Surgeon General when she was sworn in on September 8, 1993. As Surgeon General, Dr. Elders initiated programs to combat youth smoking and teen pregnancy and to increase childhood immunizations. She remains an influential advocate for prenatal care, healthcare reform, women’s health and current treatments for HIV/AIDS.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

7:00 p.m. - Lecture

Hughes-Trigg Theatre
Hughes-Trigg Student Center
3140 Dyer Street
SMU campus
Get Directions

Tickets: $10 each
To purchase tickets to the lecture, or to make a donation to the Raggio endowment, print and complete this form.

Learn more about the SMU Women's and Gender Studies Program .

Dallas Institute of Humanities & Culture: The Ethics of Food – A Symposium

jennifer — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:17:08 +0000

Featuring Dr. James McWilliams and others

Nationally known environmental historian Dr. James McWilliams, winner of the 2009 Hiett Prize in the Humanities, will lead the Fall Symposium of the Institute's Environmental Forum. Appearing with Dr. McWilliams will be spokespersons from a variety of environmental fields.

McWilliams will explore questions on the ethical implications and consequences that affect our environment and more specifically the lives of other people.

During the opening reception and after the program, Dr. McWilliams will be signing copies of his new book Just Food: Where Locavores Get It Wrong and How We Can Truly Eat Responsibly.

Friday, November 6, 2009

Reception 6:00 pm; Program 6:30 - 8pm

Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture
www.dallasinstitute.org

2719 Routh St
Dallas, TX 75201-1968
(214) 871-2440
Get directions

Institute and Forum Members $20
Nonmembers $25
Member Teachers $7

Click here to register.

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Special Screening of the Documentary “Playground”

jennifer — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 20:14:24 +0000

Human trafficking is not an attractive topic. It's a topic that breathes fear and exhales suffering. A topic that is not discussed across mainstream media quite possibly because of it. Yes, we're busy fixing our broken health care system and fighting the H1N1 virus. But 300,000 women and children exploited for sex in our country deserves a headline story (or even a story link) on the homepage of cnn.com. Excuse me Jon and Kate plus 8, but it is time to go. Let's wake up, America, and start clicking on the issues and topics that deserve attention and action.

Every individual, every group, has an issue they stand and fight for. For filmmaker Libby Spears, she has devoted almost 10 years uncovering the sex traffic industry in lesser developed countries like the Philippines, South Korea, and Thailand. What she found out while filming there is that the United States is actually "influencing the global demand and growth of the sex trafficking industry." That not only is human trafficking for sex apparent in less developed countries, but it is also "every bit as real in North America."

After Spears' discovery, she started filming "Playground," which follows the story of victims in America and examines the United States' influence by interviewing activists and experts in this field.

"Wherever drugs are being sold, children are being sold." Eileen Jacobs, FBI

A special screening of this film will be presented by Dallas Women in Film and the Dallas Women’s Foundation on November 5th, 2009.

The event will be held at Studio Movie Grill – Royal Location, and begins at 6:30pm, 7pm screening followed by Q&A with director Libby Spears.

Studio Movie Grill
studiomoviegrill.com

11170 N. Central Expressway
Dallas, TX 75243
214 361 2966
Get Directions

The first 80 people to RSVP will be admitted for free. RSVP to Sherri Galbraith at sgalbraith@dallaswomensfoundation.org or 214-525-5301.

Thereafter, tickets are $5 for members and SMU students and $8 for nonmembers.

Buy Tickets

Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery that affects both Americans and foreigners, according to Children At Risk, the Houston-based advocacy and research center. It affects everyone, but women and children are its most vulnerable victims. And while human trafficking is a relatively unknown issue, Texas has become a hub for the international crime because of its interstate highways, bus stations, airports, shipping, a large amount of sexually oriented businesses, and its shared border with Mexico.

Film still from "Playground"

Spears' "Playground" is a hard-hitting, investigative look at the sex trade and human trafficking in the United States. She tempers hard-hitting facts and stark statistics with innovative animation and a thoughtful soundtrack, including music by Bjork, Radiohead, Chris Martin, Blonde Redhead, Cat Power, Sigur Rós, CocoRosie, Basement Jaxx, DJ Shadow, and Kazu Makino.

Nonprofits are invited to purchase blocks of tickets at the discounted member price. For more information, please email chickflicks@wifdallas.org or publicity@wifdallas.org.

The screening is also brought to you in part by the SMU Department of Cinema.

Directed by:
Libby Spears

Artwork by:
Yoshitomo Nara

Animation by:
Heather Bursch

Edited by:
Oreet Rees

Executive Produced by:
George Clooney
Grant Heslov
Steven Soderbergh
Abby Disney
Lauren & Gayle Embrey
Jeff Vespa

Produced by:
Martha Adams
David de Rothschild
Libby Spears
Arden Wohl
Julia Ormond
Devon Schneider
Stefan Nowiki

Oh, and from the playgroundproject.com website, here are 2 things you can do right now:

1. Refer 3 friends to the website to watch the trailer
2. Donate, and support their efforts to inform and educate

If you know someone who is being trafficked or sexually exploited, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-3737-888.

Resources:

10 Fun Things to Do on Dallas Craigslist Besides Hookup

Neil Lemons — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:18:33 +0000

scored a free trampoline on Craig's List

Craigslist is a big deal, especially in Dallas. According to their factsheet, this newspaper classifieds-style list was started as an event email list by Craig Newmark in San Francisco back in 1995. The website now receives 20 million pageviews a month and if you ask most people, they have heard of it by now. I started using Craigslist in 2004 after I heard about the hilarity and sadness of the missed connections section. Soon after, I started using the Dallas Craigslist to job hunt and recruit designers and 3D animators for a company. Contrary to popular belief, the Dallas Craigslist is not just for dating personals and rants, there are dozens of other fun things to do. Read on and you might learn something you didn't know about the Dallas Craigslist.

Be a Reality TV Star - Casting calls and try outs for up-and-coming reality TV shows, as well as movies in pre-production are posted on Craigslist. At one time or another you could try out for Cheaters, STAG, The Real World, MTV shows, and several TV pilots. Try out, but remember to keep it real.
Trade Houses - Do a housing swap, some are just for the holidays, other offers for keeps. How about a permanent swap for a house in Costa Rica for one in Dallas? ¡Fírmeme para arriba! Trade up for a tiki hut here.
Scalp Tickets - Whether it's the last Toadies show (we've heard that one before), or Slow Roosevelt is getting back together to play at Trees, you can always sell or find tickets high in demand and seemingly low in supply. Some people make a living doing this on Craigslist. Get your scalp on.
Find Free Stuff - Need a couch? It's amazing what people are giving away because it's too much of a hassle to move or sell. The good stuff goes fast. Six examples posted today: piano, 32'' TV, firewood, a trampoline, several couches, and a satellite dish. Seriously, one man's trash is another man's working washing machine. Get your next dining room set here.
Be a Promotional Model - You don't have to be runway material to pimp out new and tried and true brands of beer, liqueur, even beef jerky. Companies need live representatives and street teams. It is fun and easy, coming from a someone who had to ask innocent passersby to, "Step into a Slim Jim" one day at Six Flags. Bring sexy back here, here, and here.
Make friends- Sometimes you need a grocery partner or wingman. Find platonic peeps in Dallas here.
Laugh - Remind yourself some people are crazier than you, read miscellaneous rants from one love-struck stranger to another in the missed connections section. Laugh away.
Antique Shop - Go to the Antique Road Show (without leaving your house), check out the collectibles for sale section. There's less pressure than Ebay. Stock up or dispose of Beanie Babies here.
Carpool- Save on gas money, the environment, and meet new people by using the ridshare section.
Trade Stuff or Services - Got skills, but can't pay the bills? One recent bartering example: a Mercedes for concrete work. Do a swip swap here.

A Texas native, Neil Lemons is a 20-something adventurer, Law of Attractionist, and travel blogger. Read about recent adventures in Dallas and throughout the state on his blog, www.TexasTravelJournal.com.

Image above via Flickr by jackhynes

Laughing Squid Dallas Drinkup at CoHabitat and The Ginger Man

jennifer — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 21:35:09 +0000

It was around a year ago I started subscribing Laughing Squid, the San Francisco based website that talks about arts, tech, and culture.

Since then I've become a pretty big fan of Laughing Squid.

I dug up some of posts I had once favorited in Google Reader to share with you. They are on top of what's new and cover a wide range of interests - from art to technology/from funny to serious. It's everything an art geek could want. Which I guess is why I love it so.

Scott Beale, publisher and editor of Laughing Squid, is coming to town and hosting a two-part Drinkup for his fans in Dallas. Drop by CoHabitat on Friday, October 23rd from 5-7pm and say hello to your favorite tentacle. Drink sangria from a 5-gallon margarita pitcher and have a St. Arnold beer from the kegerator. Meet interesting people.

Following the drinkup will be more drinks (well, pints) at The Ginger Man.

CoHabitat
www.cohabitat.us

2517 Thomas St
Dallas, TX 75201
(415) 874-5504
Get directions

RSVP on Facebook for this event

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Artist Talk With Winspear Stage Curtain Designer Guillermo Kuitca

jennifer — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:20:59 +0000

Artist Guillermo Kuitca will join Noah Simblist, Associate Professor of Art at SMU, and Charles Wylie, the Lupe Murchison Curator of Contemporary Art, for a discussion of his work.

Artist Talk: A Conversation with Guillermo Kuitca
Free, October 21st, 6:30pm

Crum Auditorium - SMU
Collins Executive Education Center
3150 Binkley Ave.
Dallas, TX, 75205
Get Directions

Call 214-922-1826 or e-mail PublicPrograms@DallasMuseumofArt.org to reserve your seat.

Who is Guillermo Kuitca?

Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Guillermo Kuitca is one of the most important Latin American artists working today. His work finds inspiration in the realms of architecture, theater, and cartography. Kuitca’s work has been featured in major solo and group exhibitions throughout the world and is held in several major international collections, including New York’s Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), the Tate Modern in London, and the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía in Madrid.

Mr. Kuitca is also the designer of the Winspear Opera House permanent stage curtain that was done in collaboration with the center’s architects, Foster & Partners.

A computer rendering of Guillermo Kuitca’s curtain for the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House in Dallas.

The New York Times ran an article about the Kuitca's stage curtain, A Curtain As Ambitious As Its Stage, on October 4th. Here is an excerpt talking about how the curtain was made:

"Once Mr. Kuitca had finally settled on a design, creating the Dallas curtain took about five months, according to Jennifer Tankleff, a vice president at I. Weiss & Sons, a theater-rigging and stage-curtain company in Long Island City, in Queens. With a Photoshop image directing the exact placement and hue of the colors, the two velour panels, which started out white, were rolled through a 40-foot inkjet printer. Once the chocolate background and the red and gold details were sprayed on, the panels were laid out to dry. The satin gold appliqué, the final touch, was applied using a detail provided by Mr. Kuitca."

A selection of Mr. Kuitca's work can be seen on display at the Dallas Museum of Art during the exhibition “Performance/Art." The exhibit is on display through March 21, 2010.

Artist Talk: A Conversation with Guillermo Kuitca
Free
October 21st, 6:30pm

Crum Auditorium - SMU
Collins Executive Education Center
3150 Binkley Ave.
Dallas, TX, 75205
Get Directions

Convenient visitor parking is available directly across Binkley Avenue from the Collins Executive Education Center. Valet parking will be available as well.

Call 214-922-1826 or e-mail PublicPrograms@DallasMuseumofArt.org to reserve your seat.

Interested in more events like this one? Subscribe to ILID's RSS feed. Visit often but get out for yourself!

Local-Global: The French Experience Presented by Au Courant

jennifer — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 06:04:08 +0000

Last week I attended the open house for The Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture. The house on Routh St. is full of character and poise. The stained glass windows, wood floors, and books galore made the house very feel very welcoming. The Institute bought the house in 1980 and have since been calling the house a home. Hosting lectures, book clubs, and open-intellectual conversations have become a staple in Dallas culture and intellectual stimulation.

About a year ago, the Dallas Institute started a new group, Au Courant. The group, originally inspired by The Institute's vision, brings together Dallas' young creative up-and-coming leaders with Dallas' prominent and established leaders. This semester begins a series called "Local/Global."

Don't miss their first event highlighting the global bounty of our local scene. It starts with the French - who brought us art, architecture, literature, fashion, and of course food and wine.

Monday, October 19th from 6:00-7:30pm
Admission: Members $25; Nonmembers $35; Member/Teachers $10.

Accompanied by rich visual images, Dr. Elizabeth New of “French Affaires” will discuss various facets of French food, culture, and what makes French cuisine unique.

Benjamin Calais of Calais Winery in the Deep Ellum neighborhood will highlight the French culture of wine and talk about his wine offerings here in Dallas. We’ll top off the evening with a wine and cheese tasting.

Your parting souvenir will be a resource list of authentic French food and wine experiences in the Dallas area so you can continue the “Local-Global” theme after the French soiree at The Dallas Institute!

RSVP by calling Caitlin Hinton at 214 981-8822 or by registering online.

Monday, October 19th from 6:00-7:30pm

Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture
www.dallasinstitute.org

2719 Routh St
Dallas, TX 75201-1968
(214) 871-2440
Get directions

About The Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture:
The Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture is a nonprofit educational organization whose purpose is to enrich and deepen the practical life of the city with the wisdom and imagination of the humanities.

The Dallas Institute accomplishes its purpose through programs for school teachers and principals, general courses of study, public and professional seminars, publications, conferences, and civic involvement.

Självporträtt som fransman by Surrealistovich via Flickr