February 12, 2003

Celebrate dance and art

Thursday, Feb. 13, ArtSF and Ascension 03 put on "A Celebration of Electronic Dance and Art Culture," an art and dance party benefiting the San Francisco Late Night Coalition. State assembly member Mark Leno and Sup. Chris Daly join numerous performance groups and visual artists at the event. 9:30 p.m.-3 a.m., 1015 Folsom, S.F. $15. (415) 273-4663.

Prison Focus benefit

Thursday, Feb. 13, DJs Cheb I Sabbah, B-Love, Plus-One, and Peat Moss perform at "Spinning Down the Walls," a benefit party for California Prison Focus, which fights the abuse and torture of prisoners in California. 7:30 p.m.-midnight, Peacock Lounge, 552 Haight, S.F. $5-$10 donation. (415) 252-9211.

Report from Brazil

Thursday, Feb. 13, join special guests from Brazil's Landless Workers Movement for a report on the first few weeks of the administration of new Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, plus stories and lessons from the World Social Forum held in Porto Alegre in January. 7:30 p.m., La Peña Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck, Berk. $5 donation. (415) 255-0795.

'Target Iraq'

Thursday, Feb. 13, Norman Solomon, renowned political analyst, founder of the Institute for Public Accuracy, and a Bay Guardian contributor, and Reese Ehrlich, a foreign correspondent, discuss their new book, Target Iraq: What the News Media Didn't Tell You. The authors examine the underlying realities of arguments for and against the invasion of Iraq and how the U.S. media market these ideas. 7 p.m., New College Theater, 777 Valencia, S.F. $5-$10 sliding scale. (415) 437-3425.

School and library rally

Friday, Feb. 14, attend a Valentine's Day rally sponsored by Oakland teachers demanding funding for schools and libraries, not prisons and war. 3-6 p.m., Frank Ogawa Plaza, 14th St. at Broadway, Oakl. Free. (510) 654-8613.

New V-Day

Friday, Feb. 14-Sunday, Feb. 16, celebrate Valentine's Day in a new and creative way with the students and faculty of New College of California as they present Eve Ensler's Vagina Monologues in conjunction with music and dance performances and a raffle benefiting the Community Resource Center at the San Francisco Women's Building. Fri/14-Sat/15, 4-8 p.m.; Sun/16, 7 p.m., New College Theater, 777 Valencia, S.F. $10-$20 sliding scale. (415) 269-8809.

'Global Women'

Saturday, Feb. 15, Barbara Ehrenreich and Arlie Hochschild present a discussion titled "Global Women: Nannies, Maids, and Sex Workers Today." Ehrenreich, author of Nickel and Dimed, and Hochschild, author of Time Bind, focus on globalization's effects on women. 8 p.m., First Congregational Church of Oakland, 2501 Harrison, Oakl. $12, $10 in advance. (415) 255-7296, ext, 200.

Mary C. Dunlap memorial

Saturday, Feb. 15, celebrate the work and life of Mary C. Dunlap, a civil rights lawyer and director of San Francisco's police-watchdog agency, the Office of Citizen Complaints. Dunlap passed away Jan. 18 from pancreatic cancer. 2-4 p.m., Herbst Theatre, San Francisco War Memorial and Performing Arts Center, 401 Van Ness, S.F. Free. www.marydunlapspancreas.org.

Reparations tribunal

Saturday, Feb. 15, attend an event exploring the devastation of African and indigenous peoples that started in 1492 and continues today. Guest speakers include Saikou Diallo, father of Amadou Diallo, who was killed by New York City police in 1999, and Willie Ratcliff, publisher of the San Francisco Bay View. 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Mandela Arts Center, 1357 Fifth St., Oakl. Free. (510) 625-1106.

Antiwar rally

Sunday, Feb. 16, bring friends and family to an antiwar rally as the Bush administration builds up troops for an invasion of Iraq. Sponsored by Not in Our Name and International ANSWER among hundreds of others, this rally is possibly the last chance to show opposition to the war before it starts. Assemble at Market and Embarcadero 11 a.m., march to Civic Center, Larkin between Grove and McAllister, 1 p.m., rally at Civic Center 2 p.m., S.F. (415) 575-5555.

Alioto's kickoff

Tuesday, Feb. 18, show your support for mayoral hopeful Angela Alioto at her campaign kickoff party. A longtime champion of public power, Alioto needs your help in the battle against the big-money conservative forces that dominate city hall. 5:30 p.m., San Francisco Italian Athletic Club, 1630 Stockton, S.F. Donations accepted. (415) 434-2100.

'Mission for Peace'

Tuesday, Feb. 18, discuss the looming war with Iraq and the options open to the antiwar movement at "Mission for Peace," a neighborhood group meeting. 7-9 p.m., New College of California, 766 Valencia, S.F. Free. (415) 923-1185.

Traditional values

Tuesday, Feb. 18, join Zachary Norris of the International Society for Ecology and Culture for his presentation "Ancient Futures: Traditional Values for a Modern World." Norris discusses the crucial insights the contemporary world can glean from older cultures. 7:30 p.m., Fellowship of Humanity, 390 27th St., Oakl. Free. (510) 393-5685.

Ammiano's kickoff

Wednesday, Feb. 19, Sup. Tom Ammiano invites you to his mayoral-campaign kickoff party for great food and music, as well as volunteer opportunities. Help this progressive candidate make the most of his campaign against the downtown political machine. 5:30-8 p.m., San Francisco Plumbers Hall, 1621 Market, S.F. donations. (415) 552-0345.