My Birthday Wish...

I'm so lucky to know and have such wonderful people in my life. I'm also fortunate enough to have everything I need and more. Really, my only birthday wish is that you'll help me reach my fundraising goal for the San Francisco Walk Against Rape. I'm still $1400 short so every little bit helps. http://www.firstgiving.com/bffteam

Thanks so much for your support, friendship and your generosity!
xoxo, jared

UPDATE: So many of my lovely, generous friends have donated money today that I'm now only $577 short of my $2500 goal. Every little bit helps. Woohoo!

happy birthday to me...

my birthday is on thursday so i'm using it as an excuse to raise money for my cause.

the 3rd annual san francisco walk against rape is on april 26th and i'm $1465 short of my $2500 goal. if you have a few extra bucks to share, please send it my way. you can donate here.

thank you!!!

That's what I'm talking about!

Look, I appreciate when ridiculously rich people give away large sums of money. After all, a million dollars is a a million dollars and can help a lot of people. But it's always seemed to me that the super rich could do MORE or else they wouldn't be SUPER RICH in the first place. I've never understood why multi billionaires couldn't donate most of their fortune and just live as multi millionaires so that MORE people can live a decent life with healthcare and food and shelter and education.

I know that's absolutely NOT the "American Way", but I really wish it was.

This morning, while watching "Sunday Morning", they did a piece on Chuck Feeney and my heart was warmed. If more wealthy people were like him, the world wouldn't be so full of assholes wasting their money cars and clothes and pets from pet mills.

Thanks for being a generous, caring, decent human being, Mr. Feeney!

3rd Annual SF Walk Against Rape

Hi friends,

I’m participating in the San Francisco Walk Against Rape again this year and I’m hoping to raise the most money again. Last year I raised $1400 on my own, so this year I’ve put together a team and we hope to raise $2500 or more. The walk isn’t until April, but I’m starting the fundraising now to make sure we reach or (hopefully) exceed our goal.

Support me by donating here: BFFteam

Although rape is a very serious and painful issue to think about, the walk is a really exciting, empowering, fun, feminist, community building event and everyone is welcome. If you’d like to join my team or just walk along with us, you’re more than welcome. Or you can just open your wallet and support us from afar.

Every little bit helps and will bring us that much closer to our goal and all proceeds will go to benefit San Francisco Women Against Rape (SFWAR), SF’s only community based rape crisis center.

Thanks in advance for your support!
xoxo, jared

Support me by donating here: BFFteam

Another Way to Give

I just heard about this organization on the news this morning and it sounds awesome. Instead of giving family and friends another sweater or CD or video game the don't need, you can donate to this organization and give the gift of sight, education, clean water, etc. to someone in need on your friend or family member's behalf. They'll receive a card announcing your gift and someone in need's life will change for the better.

Seva Foundation - Compassion in action.

Gifts of Service - Gifts that do a world of good.

Then there's also one of my personal favorites, Alley Cat Allies.

Give something that gives back instead of something that just takes up space. The world will be a better place for it.

Wishing you and yours Happy Holidays and a Wonderful New Year!

Today Is National Hunger Awareness Day...

The San Francisco Food Bank is still one of my favorite nonprofits even though they didn't hire me way back in the day. Their executive team is a little testosterone heavy, but they do good work:

Summer is an especially difficult time for working famililes with children. When school lets out for summer vacation, childcare costs increase and children lose access to school meals and snacks, increasing the burden on the family's finances.

Please help today - make a donation equal to the amount you normally spend on lunch - or what you spend for a whole week. Each $10 donation allows us to provide meals to 40 children - that's more than an entire classroom of kids! We ask you to donate today and forward this link to your friends so they can contribute too.

Here are some more ways you can help – and have fun at the same time!

Go shopping!
Make a $5 donation to the Food Bank at any San Francisco Macy’s store on June 5 and receive a 15% off savings pass for the entire day.

Enjoy dinner with a friend
Go to Kuleto’s on June 5 and order the special Hunger Awareness Day three course prix fixe dinner at Kuleto’s restaurant in San Francisco and the proceeds will be donated to the Food Bank. Call 415-397-7720 to make a reservation.

Take a cooking class
Learn how to make a gourmet Italian dinner at Sur la Table with Chef Bob Helstrom of Kuleto’s on June 5, Hunger Awareness Day. All proceeds from the ticket sales will be donated to the Food Bank. Call Sur la Table at 415.732.7900 for details and tickets.

Visit Union Square
Join us from 12:00 – 1:00 on Hunger Awareness Day to learn more about the issue of hunger and how you can run a food drive, volunteer or advocate for an end to hunger in San Francisco.

Every day, 1 in 5 San Franciscans lives with the threat of hunger. We need your support to give them the food they need to survive and thrive. Thank you!

Please give today!

See? Lots of people in my neighborhood are activists!

I missed it coz I was at work but I'm glad so many other Tenderloin residents marched to end violence in our neighborhood. I read a flyer that said we'd had 4 murders and over 100 assaults in April alone.

I totally don't remember it being that violent when I moved here three years ago so it must just be getting worse and worse. I hope we can nip it in the bud and build a stronger, safer community.

This is what community building looks like:


Calling for an end to Tenderloin Violence

According to the San Francisco Police Department, in the past 90 days alone there have been four homicides, six forcible sex offenses, 113 robberies, 270 assaults and 875 drug crimes.

Some of the demonstrators believe the Tenderloin is a so-called containment zone, where city officials tolerate crime to prevent it from spreading to nicer neighborhoods.

Andre Williams, Tenderloin Resident: "Being safe should be a right instead of a privilege because you should be able to walk anywhere you need to walk without being harassed."

Amen, brother.

The Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corp. is another one of my pet non-profits.

"TNDC's mission is to provide safe, affordable housing with support services for low-income people in the Tenderloin community and be a leader in making the neighborhood a better place to live."

Feel free to toss 'em a few bones if you can spare it.

(via SFist)

I'm #1!

The numbers are in and I was "far and away" the highest individual fundraiser in the 2nd Annual San Francisco Walk Against Rape. I couldn't have done it without you!

With your help, I managed to raise $1400 ($150 over my goal!) and all together the walk raised more than $17,000 for SFWAR.

My goal next year is $1500 so look for more begging in the not too distant future...

Final Feminist Music Exchange Reminder...

If you'd like to be part of the feminist music exchange you need to contact me via email or comment and let me know by Friday. I'm going to close participation then so we can start sending out our mixes to one another pronto.

Can't wait for all the great music from y'all!

Updated:

Here's who told me they're participating.

1)Pippa
2)Sam
3)Bombadee
4)Ann
5)Amy
6)Heart
7)Boo
8)Jenn
9)Eilidh
10)Bean
11)Karla
12)me

If your name isn't here and you want it to be, email me or leave a comment by Friday.

Update #2 - 4.27.07
Participation is now closed. The email has been sent with all the shipping info for everyone who signed up. Happy mixing!

p.s. If you missed this round but really, really wanted to do it, I think this might become an annual thing so there's always next year.

I did it!!!

With the help of many generous friends, of course!

Thanks to everyone who donated and helped me not only meet, but exceed my goal. Yay us!

As of today, I've raised $1400 for San Francisco Women Against Rape. There's still a week and a half left before the walk so it's not too late to donate if you still want to. Just because I reached my goal doesn't mean we have to stop giving.

If you'd like to donate to help survivors of rape and sexual assault, you can do so here.

Again, many thanks to my online and offline friends for your incredible generosity and support. You restore my faith in people!

Another feminist music exchange reminder...

There's still time to get on the action so let me know if you'd like to participate. So far it's Pippa, Sam, Bombadee, Ann, Amy, Heart, Boo, Jenn, Eilidh, Bean, and me. Leave a comment if you want to join in.

We're hoping to start sending the cds out the 2nd week of May, so please email me the address where you'd like your cds sent. msjared@gmail.com.

Even if you participated last year, please send me an email with your shipping info coz I can't find the email from last year. At the moment the addresses I have are Pippa's, Heart's, Bombadee's, Bean's, Sam's, Eilidh's, Amy's and Ann's so if you wanna participate you need to let me know where to ship 'em!

In an effort to cut down on song duplication, here are some of the playlists from last year's exchange.

Jared's playlist
Tell Our Daughters - Besmilr Brigham
My IQ - Ani Difranco
My Ally - Victoria Williams
New Kicks - Le Tigre
I'm Sorry - Cristien Storm
The Beautiful - Michelle Tea
Dear Mr. President - Pink
Ooh Child - Beth Orton
Paths of Victory - Cat Power
At Seventeen - Janis Ian
You Alone - Dawn Landes
The Atheist Christmas Carol - Vienna Teng
Rainy Day - Lori Carson
What a Wonderful World - The Innocence Mission
Reformation - Alyssa Burrows
Guttermouth - Bree Sharp
Loose Lips - Kimya Dawson
Fatherless Child - Mystic
November - Azure Ray
The Littlest Birds - Be Good Tanyas
Clever Meals - Tegan & Sara
Can't Find My Way Home - Alana Davis
Everything Is Everything - Lauryn Hill
Freebird - Cat Power

Amy's Playlist
All That We Let In – Indigo Girls
Amaze Me – Girlyman
Become You – Indigo Girls
As Cool As I Am – Dar Williams
CodePINK – Emma’s Revolution
Goodbye Earl – Dixie Chicks
Gratitude – Ani Difranco
I Ain’t Movin’ – Des’ree
I Don’t Understand – Laura Love
Kilimanjaro – Emma’s Revolution
Malo – Bebe
One Voice in the Crowd – Judy Small
The Rock Will Wear Away – Meg Christian
Shame on You – Indigo Girls
Silbury Hill – Inanna
Tether – Indigo Girls
Women’s Bodies – Rebecca Riots

Spotted Elephant's Playlist
God Is a Real Estate Developer - Michelle Shocked
On the Greener Side - "
The Cement Lament - "
Looks Like Mona Lisa (Smells Like Tuna Fish) - "
Too Little Too Late - "
Start Together - Sleater-Kinney
Hot Rock - "
Burn, Don't Freeze - "
Don't Talk Like - "
The Size of Our Life - "
Living In Exile - "
Mississippi Goddam - Nina Simone
Funkier Than a Mosquito's Tweeter - "
I Envy the Wind - Lucinda Williams
Blue - "
People Have the Power - Patty Smith
Frederick - "
Paths That Cross - "
Good Enough - Sarah McLachlan

Pippa's Playlist
Breathe - Melissa Etheridge
Become You - Indigo Girls
One Big Love - Patty Griffin
Whole New You - Shawn Colvin
Sunday Girl - Blondie
Lately - Skunk Anansie
She's Got Her Ticket - Tracy Chapman
Girl's Just Wanna Have Fun - Cyndi Lauper
Big Time Sensuality - Bjork
My Way Home - Kirsty McColl
Moment of Forgiveness - Indigo Girls
Silent All These Years - Tori Amos
Blue Sky - Patty Griffin
Wise Up - Aimee Mann
Baby Can I Hold You - Tracy Chapman
Lucky - Melissa Etheridge
Nuevas Senoritas - Indigo Girls
I'll Say I'm Sorry Now - Shawn Colvin

Verbify's Playlist
Cunt Country - Alix Olson
I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to be Free - Nina Simone
Fairytale - Sara Bareilles
Eve's Mouth - Alix Olson
Lost - Nicole Blackman
It's a Woman's Perogative - Mildred Bailey
'Tain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do - Dinah Washington
Broken In - Jenn Jozwiak
Gender Game - Alix Olson
Flesh & Emotion - Doria Roberts
Dear Mr. President - Pink & Indigo Girls
Don't Think Twice It's Alright - Indigo Girls & Joan Baez
My IQ - Ani Difranco
Mama I'm Strange - Melissa Etheridge
Woman - Neneh Cherry
Miss Otis Regrets - Kirsty McColl & The Pogues
To Keep My Love Alive - Ella Fitzgerald
Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves - Aretha Franklin & The Eurythmics
Love Is All Around - Joan Jett

Burrow's Playlist
Ordinary Love - Selina Martin
Work Song - Nina Simone
Inside & Out - Feist
In Fact - Gregory & The Hawk
Girl for All Seasons - Northern State
2 Days Smug & Sober - Carolyn Mark
Memorize the City - Organ
The Carolina Sky -Jenny Lewis
Sister Kate - The Ditty Bops
Shattered - The Trucks
For Lack of Anything - Kristin Allen-Zito
I'd Rather Eat Bees - Selina Martin
The Wine Song - Carolyn Mark
Avant La Bagarre - France Gall
Little Maggie - Barbara Dane
Call You Out - Brandi Carlile
Maria Moita - Rosalie de Souza
Ode to L.A. - The Ravonettes
Deep Wilson - Kristin Hersh
The Bolder Thing to Do - Gregory & The Hawk
Thrice All American - Neko Case
Snow Globe - Kristin Allen-Zito

Sam's Playlist
Girl Germs - Bratmobile
Feminist - Andrea Florian
Sparkly Queen Areola - Bitch and Animal
Army of Me - Bjork
They - Jem
Happy Home - Paula Cole
Walk the Walk - Poe
#1 Must Have - Sleater-Kinney
On Guard - Le Tigre
Don't Make Me Come to Vegas - Tori Amos
The Bees - Belly
Deep Red Bells - Neko Case
18 Wheeler - Pink
Me & Jerome - Sarah Slean
Gonna Be an Engineer - Peggy Seeger
Black Boys on Mopeds - Sinead O'Connor
Get Out - Lisa Hightower
The World's Not Falling Apart - Dar Williams
Fly - Lamb

(If your playlist is missing it's because I couldn't find it. Please leave it in the comments and I'll add it.)

Once again:
This is to promote female artists. The goal is for women to share music by women with other women so this exchange isn't open to men.

The music doesn't have to be about feminists or feminism specifically. The only rules are that the artists must be women and that the lyrics not be sexist, racist, homophobic, misogynist, etc.

Feminist music exchange reminder...

It appears that this week's postings are all about fluff because the powers that be seem to expect me to work hard for the money. How dare they?!?!

Anyhoo, I wanted to post a reminder about the feminist music exchange and see if anyone else wants to get on board before we start burning and shipping. (Tentative shipping date is May 7th so start perfecting those mixes now!)

Currently it's just Pippa, Sam, Bombadee, Ann, Amy, Heart, Boo, Jenn, and me, so leave a comment if you want to join in.

Reminder: This is to promote female artists. The goal is for women to share music by women with other women so this exchange isn't open to men.

UPDATE: I just want to clarify that the music doesn't have to be about feminists or feminism specifically. The only rules are that the artists must be women and that the lyrics not be sexist, racist, homophobic, misogynist, etc. Basically, just music by women that lifts your spirits, inspires you, and makes you feel happy to be who you are. Music that you want to share with other women to lift our spirits, inspire us, and make us happy to be who we are.

Have fun!

Another fundraising plea...

Before I forget - I'm now only $200 shy of my $1250 goal so if you'd like to sponsor me in the 2nd annual SFWAR Walk Against Rape, you can make a donation here: firstgiving/msjared2

The Walk Against Rape is on Saturday, April 28th so I've only got a few more weeks to raise the rest of the money. Anything you can spare is greatly appreciated!

(And thanks SO MUCH to everyone who's already donated!)

Apropos of the foiled rape attempt post below...

Why dontcha sponsor me in the 2nd Annual Walk Against Rape?


Thanks to some very, VERY generous readers, friends, and friendly readers, I'm only $480 shy of my $1200 fundraising goal. Feel free to give until it hurts...so good.

Thank you!

Feminist music exchange - round dos.

(oops. i keep forgetting i'm using caps from now on!)

My friend Pippa recently reminded me that it's been awhile so lets get started on round two!

For those of you who weren't here for round one, basically all you have to do is drop a note in the comments or send me an email letting me know that you want to participate and then create your very own "perfect, desert-island, feminist mix".

Once I've gathered the names of all the participants, I'll send you an email so you can let me know where you want to have your mixes sent. (p.o. boxes and work addresses are fine if you don't want to use your home address.) Then I'll send out a group email with everyone's shipping info and you just need to send a copy of your mix to everyone on the list and then wait by your mailbox for everyone elses mixes to show up at your door. It's as easy as that!

We had a great turnout last year, I think there were eleven of us, and I got so much great music and found so many wonderful women artists I'd never even heard of before. You should definitely participate!

So this is the first call. I hope we can start sending our mixes out in about a month or so. So far it's Pippa, Sam, Bombadee, Ann Bartow, Amy, Heart, and me, so leave a comment if you're interested in joining in.

P.S. This is to promote female artists. The goal is for women to share music by women with other women so this exchange isn't open to men. Feel free to have your own music exchange and leave us out if you want to, though.

blogging against misogyny...

since today is international women's day and since blogger is empowering me at the moment, i thought i'd take the opportunity to ask for money again. in case you've forgotten, i'm doing the walk against rape next month and i'm $630 shy of my goal. feel free to toss a few bones in my direction and help survivors of sexual assault.

also, i'll be offline all day monday because i'm attending the sex trafficking conference at sf state. i'm sure it's going to be really informative and hopefully it'll give me some tools to really help some of the women in my neighborhood. i'm also sure there will be at least a handful of pro-pornstitution feminists there to ag me out, just like the "but what about the men?!?!?!11?!" feminists that were buggin' at the dv conference last year.

and speaking of derailing a conference, victoria marinelli has a poignant post on that very subject although i'll warn you, some of the comments over there are (IMHO) of the highly infuriating variety.

p.s. give me some money before you go! please!

2nd annual walk against rape...

i'm getting the fundraising started early this year coz i've set my goal at $1000 so bust out your wallets and send me some money! if you don't have any money, you should pester your nearest and dearest to sponsor you and walk with me. let me know if you need deets on how to register.

you can visit my fundraising page to donate and watch my progress.



click here to donate thanks for your support!

do good...

blanca anel leyva franco is one of the daughters of luz maria franco fierros, the woman who was dragged a mile to her death by her boyfriend. blanca has been commenting on heart's blog, saying how much she appreciates everyone's kind words and thoughts of her mother. she also linked to an article in the denver post about her mother. the article says that you can make donations:

Donations for the family can be made at any Wells Fargo Bank into an account in the name of Luz Maria Franco Fierros. The funeral home that handled her remains, Funeraria Latina, has fronted the money to ship her body home. The mortuary will be reimbursed, but it is not yet clear by whom.

please give what you can to help this family get through their grief and to make the most of their lives as their mother wished for them. thanks.