www.masbakersfield.com

One thing you have to understand about artists is that they typically are regular people like you and me. In fact, if you were to see them out and about you wouldn’t even realize what passion and creativity lies within them.

Having said that, let’s start the introductions with 40 year old Helen Acosta who teaches in the Communication Department at Bakersfield College. 

Regular job, right?

However let’s add a few more things to her resume. When she’s not busy with her “day job”  her and her husband produce and direct plays. As if that’s not enough, she also makes time for her art. Helen has been working with a new media each year for the past three years and is still struggling to find her own style.

She began with computer graphic art then moved to watercolors and recently started working with canvas. Even though she hasn’t quite found her “style” it’s definitely not something she’s discouraged about. In fact, when asked what the best compliment she’s ever received Helen commented, “I like it when people tell me my work is unique.  I had a friend tell me that he saw one of my pieces, didn’t know it was mine but, since it was so different from anything else in the show it must have been mine.  He got a little closer and, sure enough, the tag said it was.”

Helen says about her favorite colors to work with,"I love deep, rich color: blues and greens together, oranges and purples, bright pink and red tones together. But I also love to work tone-on-tone. Lately I've enjoyed working with multicolored metal leaf and finding ways to bring the colors of the leaf into my work."

Former English teacher Susan Reep didn’t have it easy growing up with a former painting professor as a father. So when he told her that her art was REALLY good she didn’t only consider it a compliment, but a challenge. Susan states, “I have a lot of ground to make up, having started so late with no formal training.”

See, Susan doesn’t want to just be remembered as the daughter who’s father’s paintings hang in museums everywhere, including the Smithsonian. Or the daughter of the man who’sbeen featured in a video about WWII artists. She wants to be known for her own art. When asked if there was a specific one she’d like to be known for she said, “So far, a collage named Blue Moon, which is hanging in my show at the Metro Gallery, is the work that springs to mind.  It represents so much personal about me.  It also came together quickly and just as I had envisioned, and that doesn’t often happen.  The art takes on it’s own life sometimes but this one behaved.  To me, it’s a balance of serenity and solitude, adventurousness and openness, and the unexpected which is pretty much my personality.  At least according to me.  Others may have a different opinion.”

Susan lives by what Chinese artist Liu Chun-Hau says when he explains feelings and reactions to art work, “Artistic creation is not mere decoration. The artist has to convey his inspiration to others while allowing them freedom of interpretation.”

——————— ——————— ——————— —-

When Micky Piercy was working on her art piece titled, “The Crucifixion of Mother Earth” she never realized how controversial it was going to become. But when asked which art work she’d like to be known for (and why) it’s the first piece that came to mind. 

“It’s my latest piece for the local all female show Burn the Witch IV, and one that caused a slight controversy here in Bakersfield for some individuals who thought it offensive. These persons decided to take it down from display and put it in the bathroom causing some damage to the piece in the process. Even still I took the piece home, repaired it and had it back in time for the press preview and the show. I wanted those other artist to know that even though we may not always be understood we can still be the better person,” she explains.

Micky says, "If you want to find something to do think outside the box and make it happen for you. There's loads to do if you use your imagination and stop waiting for something exciting to happen."

 

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 *This is the second blog post in the Burn The Witch series.

Click HERE for the first post: Let's Burn The Witch

 This year’s celebration of female creativity will be held at “Metro Special Events at Westchester” 2801 F Street, Bakersfield. 

-Opening Reception (YOU MISSED IT): October 17 from three to seven pm; five dollars at the door:  Food, wine, live entertainment! 
-Closing Reception: Halloween Party October 31; from three to seven pm; five dollars at the door:  Food, wine, live entertainment, games, costume contest, and an art raffle to benefit BECA, and The Alliance Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault.

Over dinner:

Big Mickey: “Mom? I been thinking a lot about this. And I think you really should take the t.v. out of our room.”

(insert very surprised look here… ) ever since they were wittle itty bitty babies they’ve ALWAYS had a TV in their room. In fact, they wouldn’t go to sleep without it at least on with no volume in the background.

Sort of a makeshift nightlight, if you will.

Oh sure, I’d get up and turn it off in the middle of the night but then ONE of them would wake up and turn it back on. ONE of them was scared of the dark. This ONE is now telling me he wants the TV out of his room. This is a very interesting turn of events. Could it be that he’s finally outgrown his fear? Could it be that my baby is growing up? Coudl it be that he’s maturing and no longer scared of silly things like the boogyman?

ME: “Why?”(insert a very interested-in-your-conversation look here)

Big Mickey: “Because Annequin always wants to put it on HIS shows. And I would rather just have it OFF than to watch his shows. So I’ve thought about it a lot and decided the best compromise is to take it out of the room.”

ME:* No longer impressed and now somewhat cynical. “Uh, so in other words. Take the TV out. You win?”

Big Mickey: “EXACTLY!”

I think further discussion needs to go into this decision

• The following organizations will host discussions of the controversial novel:
  September 16 — Heritage of America Educational & Cultural Foundation
  A public discussion on the issues raised by AMERICA LIBRE will be led by Heritage
  of America’s Executive Director Dr. Jess Nieto with members of the Bakersfield, CA
  community and the Chicana Reader’s Book Club.  Event will be at the China Palace Restaurant, at the Mervyn's Plaza, at 6:00 PM.  Please RSVP at 661-325-5098.
  
• September 17 — California State University, Bakersfield
  Host: Professor Anthony Nuño, HispanicAmerican/MexicanAmerican Literature.
  The author will read from AMERICA LIBRE and take questions.

http://www.ed.gov/admins/lead/academic/bts.html

Please note speech scheduled one hour earlier to Noon Eastern Time

At 12:00 p.m., Eastern Time (ET), September 8, 2009, President Barack Obama will deliver a national address to the students of America. (Please note that this is a change from the originally scheduled time.) During this special address, the president will speak directly to the nation's children and youth about persisting and succeeding in school. The president will challenge students to work hard, set educational goals, and take responsibility for their learning.

The U.S. Department of Education invites students of all ages, teachers, and administrators to participate in this historic moment by watching the president deliver the address, which will be broadcast live on the White House Web site () and on C-SPAN at 12:00 p.m., ET. We also encourage educators to use this moment to help students get focused and inspired to begin the new academic year. The Department of Education offers educators a menu of classroom activities—created by its teachers-in-residence, the Teaching Ambassador Fellows—to help engage students in the address and stimulate classroom discussions about the importance of education.http://www.whitehouse.gov/l...

To learn more, please see the following:

• Additional Frequently Asked Questions (September 4)
• Frequently Asked Questions (September 3)
• Classroom Activities (Pre-K – 6)
    PDF (115K) | MS Word (119K)
• Classroom Activities (7 – 12)
    PDF (170K) | MS Word (184K)

To further encourage student engagement, the U.S. Department of Education is launching the "I Am What I Learn" video contest. On September 8, we will invite students to respond to the president's challenge by creating videos, up to two minutes in length, describing the steps they will take to improve their education and the role education will play in fulfilling their dreams.

We invite all students age 13 and older to create and upload their videos to YouTube by October 8. Submissions can be in the form of video blogs, public service announcements (PSAs), music videos, or documentaries. Students are encouraged to have fun and be creative with this project! The general public will then vote on their favorites to determine the top 20 finalists. These 20 videos will be reviewed by a panel of judges including U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. The panel will choose three winners, each of whom will receive a $1,000 cash prize.

Starting this Friday, you can visit www.ed.gov/iamwhatilearn to find out more.

Additional Frequently Asked Questions (September 4)

Q: What is the speech about?

A: The goal of the speech and classroom activities is to challenge students to set goals, work hard and stay in school. This isn't a policy speech.

Q: Who came up with the idea?

A: The White House and Department of Education collaborated

Q: Is it mandatory?

A: No. The Department is inviting schools to show the address. The choice is entirely up to schools and their communities.

Q: Who did the letter announcing the speech go to?

A: The e-mail went out on Aug. 25 to districts (all 14,000+) and schools (as many of the 100,000+ public and private as we could reach).

Q: Would the administration be willing to release the speech in advance of its delivery?

A: Yes. The speech will be released on Monday and delivered on Tuesday.

Q: Has any other President done something like this?

A: In 1991 President Bush addressed the nation's students on live television from an American history classroom at Deal Junior High, in Washington, D.C.

Q: How can I watch the speech?

A: You can watch it at 12pm ET on the WH website, on CSPAN or on the CSPAN website. It will also be available via satellite for schools. For more information you can visit www.ed.gov.

Q: If I miss the speech can I watch it later?

A: The speech will continue to be available on www.ed.gov and on .http://www.whitehouse.gov/m...

Frequently Asked Questions (September 3)

1. When will the president deliver his address?

President Obama will speak to the students of America at 12:00 p.m., ET on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2009. (Note that this is a change from the time originally scheduled.)

2. How can I watch the president's address to students?

Viewers may watch the address via the Internet by visiting the White House Web site, at /, where the address will be streamed live. http://www.whitehouse.gov/l...

C-SPAN, the cable public affairs network, will cover the president's speech live on its C-SPAN television channel and provide live streaming video online at C-SPAN.org. The speech also will be aired live on C-SPAN Radio (90.1 FM in Washington, D.C., and channel 132 on XM Satellite Radio).

White House television will make the address available via satellite for access by local broadcast outlets and school districts. The satellite feed will be live for testing and calibration beginning at 11am ET on September 8th using the following coordinates:

• Galaxy 28/Transponder 17, Slot C (9 MHz)
• Uplink Frequency 14344.5 Horizontal
• Downlink Frequency 12044.5 Vertical

For updates related to the president's speech, please visit or www.ed.gov. http://www.whitehouse.gov/m...

3. What is the duration of the president's address?

The president is scheduled to speak for 15 – 20 minutes. The U.S. Department of Education provides resources for educators who may choose to use the president's address as a teachable moment. Two menus of classroom activities, one for students in grades Pre-K – 6, and another for students in grades 7 – 12, may be found here:

Classroom Activities (Pre-K – 6)
  PDF (115K) | MS Word (119K)

Classroom Activities (7 – 12)
  PDF (170K) | MS Word (184K)

4. Does the White House Web site have the capacity to host all of the potential live viewers for this event?

The White House Web site is equipped with the appropriate amount of bandwidth to accommodate a large viewership.

5. Will the address be available in some form after the original broadcast date and time?

Downloadable video of the speech will be made available at as well as on www.ed.gov. C-SPAN.org will provide archived and "on-demand" viewing options.http://www.whitehouse.gov/m...

6. Will the address include captioning for deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers?

The live address broadcast on C-SPAN will include captioning.

7. Is the "Get Schooled" television event in the evening on Sept. 8 hosted by the Viacom network and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation connected to the president's speech?

While the U.S. Department of Education is a partner in this effort, the president's noontime address is a separate event. Get Schooled is a five-year national platform developed by Viacom and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation that connects, inspires, and mobilizes people to find effective solutions to education challenges. The initiative provides resources, information, and creative programming aimed at engaging a range of audiences in an effort to address America's education crisis. A television event, Get Schooled: You Have the Right, formally kicks off the "Get Schooled" initiative at 8:00 p.m., ET on Sept. 8.

Why is it that every Friday this song by the Black Eye Peas (youtube video attached) comes to mind?

And I feel like jumping on top of my desk and yelling,

 ” Tonight’s the night night
Let’s live it up
I got my money
Let’s spend it up”

Now don’t get me wrong, last night was a great night too. Last night was “furlough Friday” for my husband so we had a couple of cocktails and enjoyed each other’s company.

I mean hell, might as well make the best of it, right? *wink *wink*

YES that's me during my "blonde" stage!

But tonight is Latination.

What IS Latination? Well, ladies and gentle folk! It’s an art exhibit at the Metro Gallery in Bakersfield (1604 19th St to be exact) dedicated to celebrating and exploring Latino culture.

It will showcase the work of such artists as Alberto Herrera

Picture taken by Lydia Gonzales for MAS Magazine

Barbara Reid, Patti Doolittle, Larry Jason, Tena Navarrete, and many others.

Tonights opening reception runs from 5pm to 10pm and rumor has it that Mento Buru and Velorio will be there rocking away to acoustic:

Also? The Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival is going to have a special screening of movie shorts.

So all that? A margarita bar, and an opportunity to talk with some of the artists? HELL YEAH!

I got a feelin’

I know that we’ll have a ball
if we get down
and go out
and just loose it all

I feel stressed out
I wanna let it go
Lets go way out spaced out
and loosing all control  

Now tonight? I’m going alone. Mr. Twinkie is staying home to hang out with a buddy visiting from San Diego so I’m drive gonna drive to this event alone.

Well, I mean, hopefully I’m gonna meet up with Ms. Josey and Happy Feet, two of my favorite Bakersfield bloggers.

But for all intents and purposes, I will be “alone.”

 So if you happen to see me? PLEASE come up and say hi! I love meeting new people especially fellow bloggers. I’ll be the one wearing the green shirt!

So I guess Dancing With the Stars is back soon for a “new exciting” season. (insert sarcasm here.) I was watching E last week? Or was it Entertainment tonight? Who knows? 

I was watching one of those foo-foo shows and they’re trying to make it all exciting about who the new celebrities are and all I have to say about it is, “WHO CARES?”

The only reason last season was even halfway exciting is because Gillis Marini was on the show.

 And the only reason THAT was even exciting was because my cousin “K” had met Gilles at the zoo one year.

This year they have people like Donni Osmond and Melissa Joan Hart, etc. In other words, quasi celebrities which … OK yes.. that’s what they usually are. But this time there is no really HAWT quasi celebrity like Gilles. Unless you count Julianne Hough?

Anyways, enough about that. Let’s talk about ME.

So my “diet” is going well, I think? I forget to add my food intake into my LOSE IT App on my iPhone (PLUS MY iPhone broke two Fridays ago) so I won’t bore you with the details of what I ate and how much over my allowed calorie intake I’ve gone, but I will say that I think I’m a lot better about making good food choices since I started adding them.

It makes me more aware of why I’m overweight. For example, did you know that it’s 430 calories for each personal size Schwans frozen pizza?

I mean really? It’s a itty bitty TINY ASSED pizza!

I don’t have a scale so I can’t tell you if I’ve lost any weight. All I can say is that my size 8 pants fit a little loose now AND I recently bought a size 6. So there you go. It really makes me rethink sabotaging my diet now that I’ve seen some sort of result. I still have the pony keg belly but I figure exercise will get rid of some if WHEN I start to exercises.

I will continue with my diet and just see how it goes. The results won’t be instant because I’m not exercising but it’s kinda cool to know that the minute I DO start exercising it will be that much faster to lose my weight OR at least to keep it off.

NOW… for those of you wondering if I’m going to talk about my AWESOME, INCREDIBLY FUN impromptu trip to Vegas, let me just say this: GREEN DAY ROCKS.

*For those of you that didn't even know I went to Vegas this weekend, well... it's because it was an impromptu trip. A friend had an extra ticket to Vegas, so off we went.

The rest of the details? Well, as you all know.. what happens in Vegas….  

 So I'm reading my online news when I come accross this little tidbit of information which got me FUMING!:

*At least 87 California Assembly staff members received raises totaling more than $430,000 on an annualized basis, even as the state faced a growing budget deficit that led to furloughs and pay cuts for many other government workers and steep reductions in core services. click here to read the whole article then come back and read my rant. 

The review of records obtained under the state Legislative Open Records Act found that part of the $430,000 salary increases given to the California Assembly staff members went to three employees in the office of Assembly Speaker Karen Bass, the Los Angeles Democrat who leads the 80-member chamber, and three to staff members of the Democratic caucus she oversees.

 The San Fransisco Chronicles also reports, “In the 40-member Senate, nine staffers had a boost in pay, leading to an annualized increase of $152,000.”

So let’s recap, shall we? My husband, along with all the other State employees are asked to “take one for the team” or to make a “small” sacrifice for the states “greater good.” While these bastards are getting pay raises? 

Shannon Murphy, spokesperson for Los Angeles Democrat Assembly Speaker Karen Bass even has the NERVE to defend the increases in by stating that the legislative employees are “working harder than ever.”

She said the cuts in the Assembly’s 2009-10 budget are nearly double what would have been saved by furloughing staffers three days each month.
 

“The pay adjustments going to Assembly staff, who have taken new jobs or duties, are about 1 percent of the reductions we’ve made,” Murphy said. “The Assembly’s budget is down, the number of Assembly staff positions is down and the Assembly payroll is down.”

Oh really now! So you FINALLY made those cuts you should have made a LONG time ago so we wouldn’t have gotten in this horrible mess to begin with and we’re supposed to applaud you? 

They have also made cuts in my husband’s department and even layed some people off and guess what? 

My husband STILL gets THREE furloughs a month.

Except, GUESS WHAT? They can’t afford to have him have a day off so he gets to WORK those furlough days and NOT get paid for them.

AND? When he gets “held over” for overtime? It’s actually STRAIGHT TIME.

Yeah, so don’t be bragging about the sacrifices your office has made because while the people that weren’t layed off have to “sacrifice” by working EXTRA.. they are getting PAID FOR IT while my husband does it FREE ”for the greater good of California.” 

So take this Ding Dong:

Assembly Speaker Karen Bass, Shannon Murphy, all you Legislature assholes that are protecting your asses through the The Legislative Open Records Act and refusing to make your payroll records available electronically, Assemblywoman Lori Saldana, Lucy Krohn, Joe Kocurek, Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, Jim Evans, Alicia Trost, and Arnold Schwarzenegger for not paying more attention to these assholes who seem to be profiting from our state budget crisis.

And shove it up your ass where the sun don’t shine! 

If my family is willing to make sacrifices and adjust our spending then all our California politicians and employees should be willing to do the same!

*CLICK HERE to read full article where this information was gathered from.