JON STEWART TELLS SARAH PALIN HOW IT IS

The audio is pretty crappy, but Jon Stewart, while not under the language contracts of his Comedy Central show, tells Sarah Palin how it really is in a stand-up show for college audiences in Boston on Friday, October 17, 2008. Thank Gosh for Jon Stewart:

Transcribed as best I can:

"He [McCain] made an interesting vice presidential choice.

I like "the woods"... [I like..uh...] I just don't know if I would pull my vice president out of the woods randomly.

She's [great]... she went out today again. She was talking to a small town, she said that [it's the] small towns she really likes going to because that's the pro-America part of the country.

You know, I just want to say to her, just very quickly..."Fuck you."

I've never seen someone with a greater disparity between how cute they sound when they're saying something and how terrible what they're saying is.

"Don't ya know, Obama, he just, by golly, he just is a terrorist? [...] What? Oh, you know, he just, gosh, kills babies, you know."

I'm so over the idea that only small-town America is the heart and soul. You know what small-town America is? It's the same as cities. Cities are just lots of towns piled on top of each other in one place.

They have this whole thing that somehow we can write off entire swaths of the country, that we somehow... You know, New York City was good enough for fucking Osama bin Laden, it better be good enough for you.

I can't take it anymore. [...] After eight years of this divisiveness, we're back to this idea that only small-town America is the real America. That the other parts of America...

You know, I get it. I'm from New York. [...] We have a lot of gay people. [...] But homosexuals don't have sodomy on top of Russian flags."

POETS NEEDED FOR STORYTIME AT IMPROV-BOSTON

Jessica Sutich has been running a storytelling show at Improv Boston, full of true stories told without notes. Sutich is a comedian and improvisor, but she started the show with the hope of gathering people together from different artistic communities in Boston. The stories that people tell run between 5-10 minutes, and the style is similar to shows that are going on in New York and LA (The Moth, Sit 'n Spin, etc.)

Sutich is actively trying to get people from the writing community (both prose and poetry) and people from the slam poetry community in Boston/Cambridge area to get involved with this improv storytime, in hopes that they will not only bring great stories but also different styles and approaches to telling stories to audiences.

If you are interested, have any great stories, know anyone who might like this, or just plain want to know more, contact Jessica Sutich.

BOSTON COMEDIAN GETS YOUTUBED: SUPPORT LOCAL ARTS

Local Boston comedian and friend of the co-op, Dana Jay Bein, has two new videos up on YouTube showcasing his stand-up talents. In the spirit of all things networkish, please check them out, hire him for your local occasion, and share the videos with others.

PUBLIC EVENTS CALENDAR AND ACTIVITIES LISTINGS

WE WANT YOUR EVENTS:

The idea behind the public events calendar [see it] is that it is a directory of events for you, of you, by you. We want your artistic events, so let us know what is happening in your area, no matter how big or small.

Each listing on the calendar starts off with the closest largest city, if the event is not nationwide, so you can see at a glance if the event is applicable to you. The arrow in the upper right of the calendar screen gives you a dropdown key of calendar subjects by color, so you can narrow the calendar down to show only events that are important to you.

This calendar is a free, great, public place to list your artistic, social, political, or scientific event. Here's how:

Email us with:

• Closest big city to the event, if it is not national or Internet-based
• The who
• The what
• The where, as exact as possible
• The when, including time and time zone, and if the event repeats, etc.
• The why
• The how
• A copy of a flier or photo, if you have one, and photo credit name/link
• Any links/contact info where people can go to find more info
• Other necessary info: cost, 21+, sponsors, parking, etc.

Your event will show up as soon as we can upload it! We do reserve the right to refuse to list someone's event if it doesn't comply with our standards, ethics, or general overall good-for-the-peeps gut feeling, but if you're being cool, then we probably won't refuse it. Send in as many as you want (but please check to see if they are already listed, first! No repeats!)

SCUBA: AWESOME PUPPET SHOW THIS WEEKEND IN SEATTLE

Check out this absolutely cool puppet show going on this weekend in Seattle, called SCUBA: Super Cool Underwater Blacklight Adventure, incorporating marine biology, machine invention, blacklights, and amazing artistic puppetry. Decent prices, great visuals, kids are welcome, and adults are, too.

Add this event to your Google or Outlook calendar
[Photo credit link]

NEW EVENTS CALENDAR

We have incorporated a new events calendar into our sidebar. It will feature all kinds of events, color-coded by subject [click on arrow in top right of calendar to see a dropdown list of all subjects]. You can subscribe to the calendar or individual subjects within the calendar, and it will be updated constantly. The calendar is accessible by clicking on the calendar in the sidebar, or by following the link below.

VIEW THE CALENDAR.

ARTOPIA BRINGS ALL-AGES STREET FAIR ART TO SEATTLE

Artopia is an all-day, all-ages, outdoor event in support of local artists that takes place in Seattle's Georgetown neighborhood. Last year's edition included such attractions as Hazard Factory's Power Tool Drag Racing, the Flight To Mars Birthday Cake, a child friendly carnival midway, live music, and some funky gallery shows.

Artopia '08 lands on Saturday, June 28th, 2008, and Ignition Northwest has decided to get behind it all the way in an effort to have a Burning Man-style art extravaganza that is all-ages. Thumbnail sketch: they're going to take over one "zone" of the fair with their own stage, theme camps, and art. And they're putting their money where their [collective] mouth is, with grants for artists and theme camps. Now, they need YOU.

The first step to getting involved is to join the conversation. Make sure you're on SEAVENT, the public event planning list for Seattle-area Burning Man and art-related activities.

To join, send mail to: seavent-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.
For more questions, contact Ivan Cockrum via Ignition Northwest.
More information will follow when more details are known.


[Photo taken from the Active: Rain blog]

JIMMY TINGLE: LOCAL COMEDY FUN-RAISING FOR HIRE

Support Jimmy Tingle, local comedian in Boston, on his trail of fundraising stand-up. He is using the "Tingle for President" show as a win/win fundraising opportunity for groups and organizations looking to raise money and spirits. If you are interested in raising some money while having some laughs, fill out the booking form. on his website. Click here for a list of upcoming shows in the area and to find out more about Jimmy Tingle.

FILM SHORTS FROM RUDY VALDEZ AND BEN WALKER

Please take a moment to check out a couple of film shorts from some friends of the co-op, New York residents Rudy Valdez and Ben Walker.

First Time Buyer
Stand-Up Comedy Show
[Must be 18+ and logged in to YouTube to view this third sketch, for flagged content.]

SUPPORT IMPROV-EVERYWHERE

ImprovEverywhere is a very awesome real-world improv group that inundates public spaces with masses of people conducting improvisational acts. These improv acts are videotaped and documented and put on their website for the world to see. Now, with that said, if you haven't seen them, do so. Right now. Their real-world (read: not taking place in a theater or in a staged venue of any sort) improv is amazing.

This one happens to be my personal favorite. It is just beautiful.

HARD LEFT PRODUCTIONS

Help support a cool acting/film production crew in Boston! Check out Hard Left Productions on YouTube, Myspace, and Facebook. Subscribe to their material, watch their videos, and support local filmmaking.

PECCADILLO IMPROV COMEDY PERFORMANCE - JANUARY 25

Peccadillo Improv Comedy Performance
Boston's newest long-form troupe performing at Friday's late night show!
Peccadillo is a 9-member Improv Comedy troupe that has formed out of the ImprovBoston Workshop Program
Host: Elena Mamlok, on behalf of the group
January 25 at 11:30pm - Midnight
ImprovBoston at 1215 Cambridge St. at the corner of Prospect, Inman Square.

ImprovBoston is also in the midst of a huge move to Central Square with a whole new facility that will fit its ever-changing theater needs. Please donate generously to help them make these necessary improvements a reality.

THE BRIDGE PROJECT - DANCE SHOW - THIS WEEKEND

This weekend, at the Odd Fellows Hall on Capitol Hill (the Century Ballroom building) in Seattle, there will be a set of dance performances called the Bridge Project. This is an annual event where three Seattle choreographers each develop a new show in three weeks' time, the results of which will be performed together this weekend. A good friend of the co-op, DJ Fauxfaux, will be mixing Bollywood music for the show by choreographer Kristina Dillard. If you are in the area, please support this awesome dance project.

January 25, 26, 27, 2008
8 p.m.
Tickets: $15 [buy them now]
Info: 206.325.8773, info@velocitydancecenter.org
Velocity MainSpace Theater
915 E Pine St, Seattle WA
2nd Floor

GET INVOLVED IN THE ARTS IN SEATTLE - SAVE THE DATE - JANUARY 16

The latest from the King County chapter of Americans for the Arts Creative Conversation series:

Happy New Year to you all! 2008 is going to be quite a ride, we have a feeling, and what better way to kick it off than with a down-to-earth, nitty gritty, no-holds-barred session about the future of Capitol Hill (Seattle) culture:

Do you care about culture? Do you love Capitol Hill?

If you said yes to one or both of the above, then SAVE THE DATE on January 16^th, for a special panel discussion presented by the Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce and featuring panelists from the Mayor's Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs, 4Culture (King County Cultural Development Authority), the Mayor's Office of Economic Development, and the Seattle Arts Commission.

Panel Discussion: Is there still room for culture and entertainment on Capitol Hill?

Content of the Panel: Concrete ideas for creating win-win solutions for real estate and culture on the Hill.

This conversation has been prompted by a large demand from the community to have a venue to discuss important landmark cultural institutions past, present, and future. Current hot topics that we are likely to discuss will include Oddfellows' Hall, Washington Hall, First Church of Christian Science (First Center for the Arts), and the imminent surplus of area schools. Local models from which to learn will include Tashiro-Kaplan, Youngstown Arts Center, Vera Project, Phinney Ridge Neighborhood Center, and more. In the course of the discussion we hope to touch upon the pros/cons of Public Development Authorities, 63-20 Financing, Affordable Artist-Preference Housing, Public/Private Partnerships, and Public Facilities.

PANELISTS CURRENTLY CONFIRMED:

• Susan Shannon, Director, Mayor's Office of Economic Development
• Michael Killoren, Director, Mayor's Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs
• Charlie Rathbun, 4Culture: King County's Cultural Development Authority (a PDA)
• Randy Engstrom, Seattle Arts Commission and Director, Youngstown Arts Center

SPONSORS:

• Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce
• Creative Conversations, King County Chapter, Americans for the Arts
• Capitol Hill Arts Center

WHERE AND WHEN:

• 6:00p – 7:30p
• Showroom Theatre (Main Floor)
• Capitol Hill Arts Center
• 1621 – 12^th Ave (@ Pine)

Capitol Hill currently is one of the most unique neighborhoods in the nation, with one of the most highly-educated and artistic populations to be found globally. Capitol Hill, the most residentially dense neighborhood on the West Coast north of San Francisco, also is the historic home of artists and alternative arts organizations. In 2007, the Urban Land Institute named Seattle the number 2 real estate market in the nation (after Manhattan) and Americans for the Arts named Seattle the number 1 city as measured by artists and arts organizations per capita. This combination means that we have the most artists and arts organizations per person, but the least affordable real estate for them to be able to survive. The problem is exacerbated in our densest neighborhood, Capitol Hill. The Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce has been formed to increase vital economic activity in the neighborhood, and the arts have traditionally been the backbone of driving traffic into the neighborhood to live, shop, dine, and work. What are some of the options we can explore for maintaining a strong cultural presence on Capitol Hill?

OTHER DETAILS:

• This event is FREE and ALL-AGES
• For non-Chamber members, donations suggested to help defray costs
• Drinks and Cocktails will be available at a cash-bar

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There's more to come from the King County chapter of Americans for the Arts Creative Conversation series, as opportunities to be in dialogue with regional planning efforts continue, and new volunteers identify and take on new issues. In the mean time, join us on January 16th - it's sure to be exciting and will be a great opportunity to get reconnected with each other in the new year.

RAISE SOME FUNDS FOR IMPROV-BOSTON

The Inman Square-based stand-up comedy theater ImprovBoston is moving its location to a space that will better fill its needs and the needs of audience members. Although we love having the comedy club right down the street from us and will miss it tremendously, we are fully supporting the move of this great stand-up theater to its new location in Central Square. The move and new theater improvements, however, are expensive; so the theater needs your help. Even if you are not familiar with this great theater, please find it in your creative mind to support the arts and to better the future for an artistic world to come. Please donate what you can. A gift of $25 helps tremendously. A gift of $100 helps more. Think how quickly their funds could grow if everyone just donated $25! And if you can give more, please do. The art world thanks you.