Art Monastery Project Fundraiser Event in L.A. Sunday April 6

ArtMonastery.org Fundraiser

In Support of
International Art

Come out on Sunday, April 6th to lend your support for an amazing project championing international art in its many varied manifestations.

The Art Monastery Project, based just outside of Rome, Italy, is a project worthy of your time, money and passion.

The Art Monastery was founded by local artists, musicians, and performers living overseas the past few years.

Exciting details at the Art Monastery website.

When:
Sunday April 6th

Time:
between 3:00pm and 5:00pm

Where:
Skirball Cultural Center
2701 North Sepulveda Blvd.

Donation Suggestions:
$20 Suggested donation
$40 Patron’s donation

Silent Auction of
Art and Culture

Great music that will captivate, mesmerise, and move your soul! Brought to your happy eardrums by beautiful divas with angelic voices.

Classical Concert

Classical Concert featuring Beautiful and Inspiring Divas:

• Moira Smiley
• Kristen Toedtman
• Kerry Walsh

The Burning Man Opera Connection

Christopher Fulling, one of the founding directors of the Art Monastery, and Twan have a history in that they were both involved with the Burning Man Opera, which was a major event at the Burning Man Festival from 1997 through 2002. Christopher served under master artist and sage Pepe Ozan as director, co-writer and co-producer, and Twan as co-producer. Visit the Burning Man Opera website for the history of this amazing (and sorely missed) experiment of cooperative art, community participation, and multi-composer musical scores… and a cast of thousands!

Patients Sought for Scientific Marijuana Study

Karen O’Keefe, Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) assistant director of state policies:

There is good reason to believe that marijuana can boost the efficacy of opioid pain drugs, allowing pain patients to get better relief with smaller doses of narcotic medications. University of California, San Francisco researcher Dr. Donald Abrams is looking for participants to take part in an important pilot study that could lay the groundwork for critical research in this area.

Dr. Abrams is conducting a trial of vaporized medical marijuana in conjunction with opioid medications in chronic pain patients. This is an opportunity for patients to try controlled doses of medical marijuana completely legally — under both state and federal law — for five days and for researchers to collect important data about the safety of medical marijuana.

The study will assess the clinical safety of using marijuana with opioids by monitoring the short-term side effects associated with combined therapy.

Participants in the study must:

• Have ongoing chronic pain
• Be 18 or older
• Be on a stable twice-daily dose of sustained-release oxycodone or morphine medication for at least two weeks before enrollment
• Not use marijuana for a month prior to entering the study
• Not be a cigarette and/or cigar smoker, or be willing not to smoke for two weeks before starting the study
• Meet some additional criteria

Participating patients will:

• Spend five days and nights in a clinical research center at San Francisco General Hospital
• Attend a screening appointment before the study begins
• Have blood tests and other measurements done
• Inhale vaporized medicinal marijuana three times a day

You can receive $520 for participating. For more information, call (415) 476-9554, ext. 315, or e-mail pcouey@php.ucsf.edu . The Community Consortium Positive Health Program of the UCSF Medical Service at San Francisco General Hospital is conducting the study.

Thank you for supporting the Marijuana Policy Project. Please pass this on to any chronic pain patients who might be interested in participating in the study.

The Marijuana Policy Project hopes that each of the 100,000 subscribers on our national e-mail list will make at least one financial donation to MPP’s work in 2007. Please visit http://www.mpp.org/donate to donate now.

We are required by federal law to tell you that any donations you make to MPP may be used for political purposes, such as supporting or opposing candidates for federal office.

Mind States Conference, Costa Rica

Mind States, Costa Rica

Wednesday, June 13, 2007 – Sunday, June 17, 2007

Featuring presentations by:

• Joe Coleman, apocalyptic artist
• Erik Davis, author of TechGnosis and The Visionary State
• Earth Erowid, co-founder of erowid.org
• Fire Erowid, co-founder of erowid.org
• Jon Hanna, author of The Psychedelic Resource List
• Jonathan Ott, author of Pharmacotheon
• Mark Pesce, futurist and author of The Playful World
• Alexander “Sasha” Shulgin, chemist & pharmacologist
• Ann Shulgin, co-author of PIHKAL and TIHKAL
• Tommy Thomas, gentleman farmer
• With Sheelo Bohm, facilitating morning Holotropic Breathwork sessions.

Held at an eco-resort on a 2000 acre sanctuary of virgin rain forest set at the juncture of two rivers near the town of Horquetas de Sarapiqui. Swim by natural waterfalls or in the pool, relax in a hot tub, enjoy refreshing beverages at the bar, challenge one of the presenters to a paddle boat race, marvel at the botanical gardens, or arrange a zip-line canopy tour, horseback ride, white water rafting trip, or massage through the resort.

Price includes admission to lectures and workshops, one spot in an incredibly spacious double-occupancy room, and all meals (vegetarian and vegan available).Not included in the price are airfare and transportation to the resort (about 1.5 hours outside of San Jose).

• Space is limited–purchase your ticket soon.
• Cost is $1,400 per person afterwards.

Payment can be made with a credit card through the Mind States site

Or you may send a check or money order to:

Mind States
P.O. Box 19820
Sacramento, CA 95819

For more information, please visit the Mind States Web site

The Clare Foundation Art Auction: Art for Clare

The Clare Foundation
“Art for Clare” Art Auction at Bergamot Station

The CLARE Foundation is hosting its first annual Art for Clare art auction at Bergamot Station in Santa Monica

Buy tickets online now at the Clare Foundation Website

The CLARE Foundation Collaborates with the Art Community to Present ART for CLARE

(Santa Monica, CA) – The transformation of raw materials into a cohesive art form can mirror the transformation of an addict’s life from one of desperation and chaos to one of hope and recovery. In recognition of the healing power of art, on June 3, 2007 the CLARE Foundation, a major Westside provider of services to primarily homeless and low-income alcoholics and addicts, will collaborate with the art community to present Art for CLARE at Bergamont Station Arts Center.

Art for CLARE has invited over 35 local contemporary artists to participate in this one-day art auction and fundraiser, including Lisa Adams, Sophia Allison, Marcos Alvarez, Meredith Baxter, Quinton Bemiller, Judy Broumand, Rex Bruce, Richard Bruland, Mike Bullas, Jennifer Celio, Patrick Ceo, York Chang, Sarah Dunn, Carol Es, Colleen Flynn-Lawson, Judith Fox, Debi Gero, James Harrill, Susan Holcomb, Anthony Hopkins, Michele Jaquis, Gegam Kacherian, Sharon Kagan, Ursula Kammer-Fox, Jay Kelly, Elana Kundell, David Limrite, Larry Lytle, Meg Madison, Mela Marsh, Mery Lynn McCorkle, Bobbie Moline-Kramer, Doug Murphy, Glenn Ossiander, Ed Ruscha, Elizabeth Sadoff, Gina Stepaniuk, David Trulli, Kim Tucker, Jennifer Vanderpool, Claire Vesco-Felson, Ryan Villiers, Toni Waggoner, Susie White, and Leslie Yagar.

The afternoon will feature live entertainment, and actress and comedian Rachel Tomlinson will emcee festivities. Local Westside restaurants including Sushi Roku, Enzo and Angela, Le Chef Bakery, Piccolo Ristorante, and Pizzicotto, will provide a tantalizing array of food, with beverages contributed by Riven Rock Winery and Espresso Etc. Violinist David Wilson and musical stylist David Roberti will provide the afternoon???s musical backdrop.

Funds raised at ART for CLARE will make a significant impact in mending the broken lives of people suffering from addiction; a portion of the art sales will provide support to CLARE’s 11 recovery programs. Four tickets to the event can provide a week in CLARE’s Detox/Primary program for one client. The sale of a signed book of Ed Ruscha photography can sponsor a mother and her child in CLARE’s Women with Children program for five weeks.

For tickets to ART for CLARE or more information:

• call the CLARE events line at (310) 314-6212
• or visit ClareFoundation.com.
• Tickets are $25

Bergamot Station is located at

• 2525 Michigan Ave
• Santa Monica, CA 90404
• Parking at Bergamot Station is free of charge.

For more information or to have your questions answered, feel free to contact Julie Edens at jedens@clarefoundation.org or call (310) 314-6212

The CLARE Foundation is dedicated to providing services to all those suffering from alcoholism or substance abuse. An organization that began in 1965 with community members providing sobriety resources to the homeless alcoholics along Santa Monica’s beaches, last year CLARE provided recovery-oriented services to more than 25,000 men, women and children.

No Large Scale Proactive Participation in the U.S.

In early April 2007, hundreds of thousands of people gathered in Pakistan to show their opposition to radical fundamentalism and terrorism. And yet, not a peep about it in the U.S. Media.

It seems like this is good information and it lets the rest of the world see that there is the tiniest minority of ill-intentioned, misguided evil jackasses that want to cause major problems. The rest of us just want to live productive peaceful lives.

But if you were a megalomaniac who was desirous of attaining absolute control and who had a hidden agenda, and to achieve the objectives of that agenda required you to keep the fear levels in the population at a fevered pitch, while simultaneously keeping the masses ignorant and misinformed, this is the kind of information that you would NOT want to share with the masses. Control of the public mind becomes key.

Therefore, it is my duty to share with you this information.

Thanx to ‘ddp’ for posting it to his LoftBlog v2.0.

Says the culturally experienced, globe-trotting ddp:

Seems the citizens of Pakistan and Turkey are fed up with creeping Talibanization of their respective countries???

Sadly, there???s been little coverage of these massive rallies in the US media because it doesn???t further the radical right???s agenda to show that there???s even a moderate side to Islam.

Derrell Piper

If this topic interests you, please check his original posting for additional information.

Katrina Pix and Burners Without Borders Donations

New Orleans Photos by Paynie

Have a look at Paynie’s excellent photographs from his visits to New Orleans, documenting the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Any purchase will result in a donation being made to the Burners Without Borders organization.

Sez Paynie:

As you fly into New Orleans, it looks normal.

As you drive away from the airport, it looks strange.

When you stop and get out of your car, it???s devastating.

50% of any funds will be donated to Burners Without Borders.

Please help by passing this link around.

Paynie