Friends,
below are some great events coming up at the Book Smith at 1644 Haight St. between Clayton & Cole (863-8688)
UPDATING IN PROGRESS - August 1, 2008
BROKE-ASS STUART
talk & booksigning for Guide to Living Cheaply in San Francisco
Friday, August 1 at 7:30 pmIn Broke-Ass Stuart's Guide to Living Cheaply in San Francisco, thrifty local and cult fave Broke-Ass Stuart uncovers city secrets for the young, the beautiful, and the broke. This gritty, anecdotal and often funny guide shows locals and tourists what to do and where to stay, eat, and drink without breaking the bank. " . . . a fun read for anyone on a budget . . . both amusing and wise." - SF Bay Guardian.
Broke-Ass Stuart has been called "an SF cult hero" (SF Bay Guardian), "Best Local Writer" (SF Weekly) and "the pimp daddy of budget travel" (Everywhere magazine). He is the publisher of a popular zine, has written for Lonely Planet, and is the author of the forthcoming Broke-Ass Stuart's Guide to Living Cheaply in New York.
JONATHAN EVISON
reading & booksigning for All About Lulu
Tuesday, August 5 at 7:30 pm"Anyone who has ever experienced obsessive love - or wanted to experience obsessive love - will find themselves at home in Jonathan Evison's All About Lulu. The voice is fresh as this morning's rain, the emotions are universal. Read this book and realize you aren't the only one knocked stupid for love." - Tim Sandlin
Jonathan Evison has worked in a wide variety of jobs - from rotten tomato server to syndicated radio talk show host. His comedy show, Shaken Not Stirred, was nominated for two Peabody Awards. He has received two Silver Microphones, and two Communicators, and was frequently nominated for the Soundie Award.
SHAWN TAYLOR
talk & booksigning for Big Black Penis
Friday, August 8 at 7:30 pmBeing black and male is serious business, but its many absurd contradictions are often laugh-out loud. In Big Black Penis: Misadventures in Race and Masculinity, Bay Area writer Shawn Taylor deftly leads us on a no-holds-barred tour of his masculine development, while acknowledging some deep but often hilarious truths about black men. Unapologetic and sharply critical, Taylor brings the subject of black masculinity into the 21st century.
Shawn Taylor is the author of People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm. He is a spoken-word performer and writer whose focus is gender, cultural identity, folklore, ancestry, and ritual. His solo performance, "Slower than a Speeding Bullet," was selected as the AOL.com pick of the week.
ANNA WINGER
reading & booksigning for This Must Be the Place
Thursday, August 21 at 7:30 pmAnna Winger's debut novel, This Must Be the Place, is the moving story of friendship between neighbors in a Berlin apartment building. Walter is a fading actor and Hope is a young married woman; both are coming to terms with the past. "As smart and cosmopolitan as the twenty-first-century Berlin she chronicles so well . . . an essential love story for our confused and difficult times. Funny, touching, and unforgettable." - Gary Shteyngart
Anna Winger grew up in Kenya, Massachusetts, and Mexico as the daughter of Harvard University anthropologists. Today, she is a professional photographer and the producer of the "Berlin Stories," which is heard on NPR Worldwide. Her journalism has been published in The New York Times Magazine, and other publications.
THORINA ROSE
reading & booksigning for The Heartbreak Diet
Friday, August 22 at 7:30 pmThorina Rose's beautifully illustrated memoir (akin to a graphic novel) charts the unexpected dissolution of her marriage and the struggles and adventures of single life. With humor and insight, The Heartbreak Diet: A Story of Family, Fidelity, and Starting Over blossoms into a moving and entertaining meditation on fidelity, family, and finding one's way. " . . . funny, poignant, and wise." - Laura Fraser
Thorina Rose is a San Francisco-based artist whose work has been featured in the books Office Kama Sutra and Lovers' Yoga, as well as Travel & Leisure and numerous other publications. She lives not far from The Booksmith.
Welcome to the Twilight Zone aka the Axis of Evil
Republican essentials:
1. Jesus loves you, and shares your hatred of taxes, homosexuals and Hillary.
2. Saddam was a good guy when Reagan armed him, a bad guy when Bush 41 attacked him, a good guy when Cheney did business with him, and a bad guy when Bush needed a "we can't find Bin Laden" diversion.
3. Trade with Cuba is wrong because the country is Communist, but trade with China and Vietnam is vital to the spirit of international harmony.
4. The U S should get out of the U N, but our highest national priority is enforcing U N resolutions against Iraq.
5. A woman can't be trusted to make decisions about her own body, but multinational drug corporations can make decisions affecting all mankind without regulation.
6. The best way to improve military morale is to praise the troops in speeches while slashing veterans' benefits and combat pay.
7. If condoms are kept out of schools, adolescents won't have sex.
8. A good way to fight terrorism is to belittle our longtime allies, then demand their cooperation and money.
9. Providing health care to all Iraqis is sound policy, but providing health care to all Americans is socialism. HMO's and insurance companies have the best interests of the public at heart.
10. Global warming and tobacco's link to cancer are junk science, but Intelligent Design should be taught in schools.
11. A president lying about an extramarital affair is an impeachable offense, but a president lying to enlist support for a war in which thousands die is solid defense policy.
12. Government should limit itself to the powers named in the Constitution, which include banning gay marriages and censoring the Internet.
13. The public has a right to know about Hillary's cattle trades, but George Bush's driving record is none of our business.
14. Being a drug addict is a moral failing and a crime, unless you're a conservative radio host; then it's an illness and you need our prayers for your recovery.
15. Supporting "Executive Privilege" for every Republican ever born, who will be born or who might be born (in perpetuity).
16. What Bill Clinton did in the 1960's is of vital national interest, but what Bush did in the '80's is irrelevant.
"We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names, and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box" - Robert Fulghum
TRIVIA
A friend of a friend of mine sent me this. Some interesting bits of trivia. Cheers, Marliese
Buddy Holly's backup band, the Crickets, got their name by flipping through the 'Insects' section of an encyclopedia. One of the names they rejected was 'The Beetles'. The Beatles chose their name in honor of The Crickets. And The Hollies chose their name in honor of Buddy Holly. And Badfinger's original name, The Iveys, was in honor of The Hollies.
Led Zeppelin's original name was "The New Yardbirds". Guitarist Jimmy Page had briefly been a member of the Yardbirds, and the band sprang out of an attempt to reform the band with new members.
Lynyrd Skynyrd named themselves after their high school athletic coach, Leonard Skinner, who'd told them that they'd never amount to anything.
"Mr. Mojo Risin'" (a phrase used in The Doors' song " L.A. Woman") is an anagram for Jim Morrison.
The Aerosmith hit "Walk This Way" was inspired by a gag in Mel Brooks' "Young Frankenstein"
The band Nirvana was originally called "Skid Row", the members somehow unaware of the very popular heavy metal band by that name. When they finally heard of the band, they changed their name to "Nirvana", and were promptly sued by the members of a practically unknown sixties band that had gone by that name.
-First choice for Terry Doolittle in "Jumpin' Jack Flash" was Shelly Long. Whoopi Goldberg got the part.
-First choice for Bernie Rhodenbarr in "Burglar" was Bruce Willis. Whoopi Goldberg got the part.
-First choice for Rita Rizzoli in "Fatal Beauty" was Cher. Whoopi Goldberg got the part.
-First choice for Deloris Van Cartier in "Sister Act" was Bette Midler. Whoopi Goldberg got the part.-First choice for the title role in "Carrie" was Carrie Fisher. Sissy Spacek got the part.
-First choice for Princess Leia in "Star Wars" was Sissy Spacek. Carrie Fisher got the part.The Professor on 'Gilligan's Island' was named Roy Hinkley. The Skipper was named Jonas Grumby. Both names were used only once in the entire series. Gilligan's full name was never revealed (even Bob Denver, who played Gilligan, was never told his full name, nor was he sure if Gilligan was his first or last name), though some insiders claim his name was supposed to be Willy Gilligan. And Mary Ann's last name was Summers, and Mrs. Howell's maiden name was Wentworth.
Hot water weighs more than cold water.
If a pin was heated to the same temperature as the center of the Sun, its heat would set alight everything within 60 miles of it.
If the Sun's energy output would decreased by one-tenth, the entire Earth would be covered in ice one mile thick; if the Sun's energy increased by 30 percent, all life on Earth would be burnt to a cinder.
If something were to happen to Washington, D.C., the city of Port Angeles, WA, would become our nation's capital.
If you ever need to call someone in Antarctica, the area code is 672.
In medieval England, beer was often served with breakfast.
Beetles taste like apples, wasps like pine nuts and white worms like fried pork rinds.
John Larroquette was the narrator of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre"
Leonardo DiCaprio's acting debut was on TV's 'Romper Room'.
Roald Dahl, the children's writer who wrote "Charlie And The Chocolate Factory" and "James And The Giant Peach", wrote the screenplay for "You Only Live Twice", the fifth James Bond Movie.
Female wrestlers are called "siffleuses"
Most tropical marine fish could survive in a tank filled with human blood.
Spiders never spin webs in structures made of chestnut wood. That is why do many European chateaux were built with chestnut beams - spider webs on a 50-foot beamed ceiling can be difficult to clean.
>From the same list with my own addition:
What do Jerry Garcia, Jimi Hendrix, Kris Kristofferson, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Marvin Gaye, Michael Nesmith (of The Monkees), Bill Wyman (of The Rolling Stones), The Everly Brothers, and Gene Vincent all have in common that Rush Limbaugh, Bill Kristol, Dick Cheney, Paul Wolfowitz, Scooter Libby do not? They're veterans of course.
Underground Hour
Tuesdays 7 to 8 p.m.
http://ksfs.sfsu.edu/
MUSIC by MiKo
Paper Mill Creek Saloon, Forest Knolls, CA, - FREE - EVERY Tuesday, 8-11 PM, West on Sir Francis Drake, turn left at the Forest Knolls intersection (before Lagunitas). Thought for the day: Q What is the only food that doesn't spoil? A Honey ..via Michael Welch
Cafe Trieste, 1002 Court St - San Rafael, CA - FREE - EVERY Friday, 6:30 -9:30 PM, Featuring Brian "The Don" Fischer on drums, Rocky of "The Rocoons" on bass
