Friday, 1.23.15

The French Horn Collective at LILT Lounge 1/23/15

The French Horn Collective at LILT Lounge
Friday, 01/23/2015 – 10:00 pm – 01:00 am
LILT Lounge
270 Biscayne Way Blvd.,
Miami, Florida 33131
Webpage Link
Cost: Free

The French Horn Collective is a diverse band, ranging from three to eight talented musicians, producing a smooth mixture of progressive Gypsy, Parisian, Swing and World Music tunes. LILT Lounge brings the first high-design lounge to downtown Miami with nightly live music curated by Kristian Caro and creative cocktails by Dean Feddaoui. Lounge opens at 6 p.m. with social bites by acclaimed executive chef Wolfgang Birk including charcuterie & cheese, oysters & caviar, lobster cocktail and tuna tartare gazpacho.

Saturday, 1.24.15

Miami Dade College Free Affordable Care Act Information Workshops

Miami Dade College Free Affordable Care Act Information Workshops
Saturday, Jan. 10, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
North Campus
11380 NW 27 Ave.
Computer Courtyard, Building 2 (first floor)

Saturday, Jan. 24, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Kendall Campus
11011 SW 104 St.
Computer Courtyard, Building 2 (first floor)

Sunday, 1.25.15

The Lincoln Assassination and the End of the Civil War 1/25/15

The Lincoln Assassination and the End of the Civil War
Sunday, 01/25/2015 – 01/25/2015 01:00 pm – 04:30 pm
Main Library Auditorium
101 West Flagler Street,
Miami, Florida 33130
Webpage Link
Cost: Free

Join HistoryMiami and the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Foundation for an all-star 150th anniversary symposium on Abraham Lincoln’s death and the return of peace to the divided American Union. Enjoy historical insights from nationally recognized scholars on the meaning—and limits—of sectional reconciliation in 1865, plus a special guest appearance by actor Stephen Lang.**
The symposium will feature a keynote address by historian William C. Davis (author of the new book Crucible of Command) on Grant and Lee and the end of the Civil War.

**Special guest performance by award-winning actor Stephen Lang (Gods and Generals, Avatar) portraying Gettysburg Medal of Honor winner James Jackson Purman.
Reception will follow at HistoryMiami.

The Lincoln Symposium is sponsored by the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Foundation and the History Channel, with the support of William and Jean Soman.

 

Monday, 1.26.15

Part of the Flock – Industry Night

Industry Night

Date: Monday, January, 26 2015
Time: 10:00 PM

1/2 off for all of our friends in the industry
While the Haitian Hillbilly spins tunes all night
21+ || No cover

Tuesday, 1.27.15

Fashion & Art Mixer 1/27/15

Fashion & Art Mixer
Sunday, 01/27/2015 – 07:00 pm –

Touche Rooftop Lounge
15 NE 11th St.,
Miami, Florida 33132
Eventbrite Link
Cost: $20 Advance Tickets | $25 at Door

Care for Crohn’s Foundation and A Dream Group Presents: Cocktails, Conversation and Art For A Cause!

 Wednesday, 1.28.15

 Creating A Scholar Silent Art Auction 1/28/15

Creating A Scholar Silent Art Auction
Wednesday, 01/28/2015 – 06:30 pm – 09:00 pm
Miami Center for Architecture & Design
100 NE 1st Ave,
Miami, Florida 33132
Eventbrite Link
Cost: $15

The Women in Architecture (WiA) Committee of the Miami Chapter American Institute of Architects, proudly presents CREATING A SCHOLAR Silent Art Auction Show. Taking place on January 28th, 2015 at the Miami Center for Architecture & Design (MCAD), the event will raise funds to benefit a female creative industries student at New World School of the Arts and Design & Architecture Senior High. The evening will include drinks, music, lite fare and art curated by the WiA Art Auction Committee. Art pieces on display and available for purchase, have been donated by women in the creative industries—i.e. architects, artists, graphic designers, industrial designers—in supportof MCAD’s ‘Creating a Scholar’ program. MCAD is a 501c3 charitable organization and serves as a hub in our community for all things design.

$15 General Admission
$10 AIA Members

 

Thursday, 1.29.15

2015 Florida Venture Capital Conference 1/29/15

2015 Florida Venture Capital Conference
Thursday, 01/29/2015 – 01/30/2015 08:00 am – 02:00 pm
The Diplomat Resort & Spa
3555 S Ocean Drive,,
Hollywood, Florida 33019
Webpage Link
Cost: Before Friday, January 9, 2014: $599 per person; After Friday, January 9, 2014: $649 per person

The Florida Venture Forum, a statewide support organization for venture capitalists and entrepreneurs, is inviting company executives with mid-to-later-stage, Florida-based companies to apply to present their company pitches before investors and venture capitalists at the 2015 Florida Venture Capital Conference. The deadline for entries is Tuesday, Dec. 30. In addition, the conference will feature workshops, panel discussions, networking opportunities, and access to industry thought-leaders with many of Florida’s top companies. More details are available in the conference schedule.

This article was taken from the blog – Political Cortadito

Miami Beach Mayor Levine takes over finance committee

Miami Beach Mayor Levine takes over finance committee

Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine has restructured the city’s finance committee, booting Commissioner Deede Weithorn, the longtime chair, and appointing himself and two cronies just as they get ready to tackle next year’s budget.

The move — ten months before Weithorn is termed out — has everyone wondering just what he’s up to.

Ladra will tell you in two words: No good.

Weithorn, a professional auditor and renowned financial expert whose main role on the commission is to watch the city’s wallet, has served on the finance committee — either as vice chair or chair — for all of both terms she’s been in office. She was even the chair of the citizens budget advisory board before she was elected. Her expertise is money matters unmatched on the commission — and arguably beyond, as other cities, agencies and labor organizations often turn to her for advice.

The new Levine-appointed chair is Commissioner Jonah “Potty Mouth” Wolfson, III, who reportedly hasn’t been to any budget workshops even once and many suspect is just there to let Levine help more of his buddies and control any city spending on the convention center project. Funny enough, Wolfson — who has missed about 75% of the meetings for the land use committee, where he is a member — has been the poster boy for the campaign against the convention center. He has a reputation for only going to meetings when he wants to approve something or kill something.

This move comes a little more than a year after Levine — a control freak on a power trip who later forced the planning director to resign — changed the committee rules so that he would be a fourth voting member on all of them. So why appoint himself to it? What’s the point?

The move also comes 10 months before elections in which both Weithorn and Wolfson are termed-out. Why not wait it out?

The move also comes not just six months or so before the budget workshops, but in the midst of waivers for lucrative flooding mitigation contracts and the city’s centennial celebration — budgeted to cost between $250,000 and $500,000 for a tennis court on the beach, a concert at Lummus Park and a mass equal-opportunity wedding officiated by the mayor himself. Ladra sort of expects that figure to go up, especially since the festivities are being produced by another Levine buddy,Bruce Orosz.

What else is happening in the next 10 months that could be important (read: expensive)? Could this foreshadow more waivers of the competitive bidding process?

Las malas lenguas say this is all about the money. Because, think about it: Is this switch in the best interest of the city? Or is it, rather, in the best interest of Levine’s buddies. The city has already given the mayor’s pals the tennis contract and the lobbying contract and the centennial job.

The general consensus is that Weithorn was taken out for a reason, and it’s not to give her time to campaign for state representative in District 113 (more on that later). One option is to weaken her husband’s potential run for one of the open seats (more on that later). But more likely it is because Commissioner Weithorn won’t just rubber stamp everything that comes before her and might ask the wrong (read: right) questions. In fact, sources say she’s already been sniffing around about the mayor’s bloated expenses with new staffers and so many trips.

In other words, Weithorn — unlike Wolfson and Commissioner Joy Malakoff,  a banker with some financial experience who was also appointed to the committee Thusday — is not in Levine’s pocket.

Caught moments before she was to teach an auditing class Friday morning, Weithorn would only say that she found the switch interesting, but that since all committee items still go before the commission, she was not going to just fade away.

“I think he [the mayor] missed an opportunity for me to train someone to lead the committee into the future,” she told Ladra. I forgot to ask Weithorn if she feels betrayed, since she was told she’d keep that committee chair if she fired her aide after the election (and she did) because he worked against Levine.

Former Mayor Matti Bower said the move is something to raise concerns. “It is strange,” Bower said.

She, too, once thought about removing Weithorn from the chairmanship to give someone else a chance, but then changed her mind. “Being a CPA and involved in economics, I think Deede had a good handle on that committee. She asked good questions,” Bower said.

Hopefully, we can still count on her asking the good questions at the commission meetings.

– See more at: http://www.politicalcortadito.com/2015/01/16/miami-beach-mayor-levine-takes-over-finance-committee/#sthash.8wBpt28D.dpuf

Today we want to highlight that a group within the city that is making an impact on the preservation of the art of architecture of our city. Art and the history or the design of our city is something to celebrate. This past weekend marked Art Deco Weekend and we want to give recognition to one of the organizations that made this event possible.

New Times names Palo! Miami’s Best Latin Band of 2014! 

Best Latin Band Miami 2014 – Palo

http://gopalo.com

Monday, January 19

Ben Howard at the Fillmore 

This British singer-songwriter is touring behind his new album, I Forget Where We Were. His complex, guitar- and emotion-drenched songs aren’t exactly signature Miami Beach material, but his live show is definitely worth a look. In the past, Howard has opened for alternative and pop luminaries like Coldplay and Mumford & Sons — he’s the headliner now, and he’s a must-watch.

 $29.50 and up

Tuesday, January 20

The B.I.G. Summit Technology Conference 1/20/15

The B.I.G. Summit – Technology Conference

Wednesday, January 21

The Power of Relationships in Business
Miami Beach Networking Event

7:45-9:30am

Keller Williams Conference Room
Suite 202 – 1680 Meridian Ave.
Miami Beach, FL

Open to the Public
Free Admission

Thursday, January 22

Rooftop Sessions 1/22/15

Recalling 2014: A Year of Resiliency & Continued Hope

2014 was a roller coaster year that exposed the sharp divide between the politics that win elections and the policies that our communities need to thrive. November alone not only saw too many gains for right wing extremists in Florida and across the nation, but also witnessed a belated reprieve to immigrants, and deplorable criminal justice verdicts in Ferguson and New York.

Yet this wave of disappointment and injustice was also met by a budding social movement that is increasingly being led by a new generation of young leaders who are willing to take to the streets to make sure that their voices are heard and the democratic rights of all are protected.

It is their dedication in seeing the urgency of the moment that is fueling our steps forward. In the horror of Mike Brown’s and Eric Gardner’s killings, it was the rallying cry of #BlackLivesMatter and the youth leading in the street that gives us hope and direction.  In the swamp and drowning that was the Congressional fight over comprehensive Immigration Reform legislation, it was the demands from militant youth and undocumented for Obama to stop deportations through Executive Action that prevailed – action that could provide relief to more than 600,000 people in Florida alone

The lessons learned in 2014, both at the ballot box and on the streets, must find their way back to our political system and our elected officials. Taking our cue from our youth, the time has come for different, political movement. One that is bold, energetic and fearless.One that values Black  and Brown lives, unites those at the margins, and offers a way to the anxious white working class to join in solidarity and in humanity. One that allows our elders to still play a vital role as they graciously pass the reigns of the organizations and institutions to the previously uninvolved.

The seeds have been planted and the investment that we are making in communities and leaders is beginning to show. As we begin 2015, we are heartened by brilliant responses in Ferguson and New York City, hopeful of the possibilities in winning local elections, and grateful to be a part of the New Freedom Movement that is emerging.

STATEMENT ON FERGUSON

Florida New Majority stands in solidarity with the people of Ferguson and with all young people of color who have been told again that their lives don’t matter. We, in particular, stand with the African American community. In Ferguson and throughout the country, poor and working class Black people are considered and treated as less than human. We recognize the historic and pivotal role of the Black freedom movement, and we call on all communities, Asian, Latino, Caribbean, Arab and White to support the dignity of the African American experience and their human right of respect.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the parents of Michael Brown, Eric Gardner and the thousands of African-American, Latino and other young people who are criminalized and brutalized by the police in this country every day. We condemn the militarization of the police against the civilian population in Ferguson and cities all over the United States as an offense against the most basic principles of fairness and democracy.

The failure of the Ferguson grand jury to indict Mike Brown’s killer illustrates the clear need for a complete overhaul of police departments throughout this nation. To do this requires a paradigm shift away from the mental and systemic nature of mass incarceration. Underneath this epidemic is the fear based drive to lock up and socially control Black youth and other people of color who are deemed threatening, dangerous, and undeserving. A drive that only further alienates members of the public from each other and increases racial anxiety and fear based violence.

This is a righteous and moral fight to be fought with all tools at our disposal, including in the streets and at the ballot box.

As we head into a new year, we call on all good people to keep up the fight, now and in the long run. Visit the Ferguson National Response Network to keep up with the latest actions and events around the nation, and support our work to battle police brutality, the school to prison pipeline, and the criminalization of youth right all across Florida.

ENGAGING VOTERS & IMPACTING THE 2014 ELECTIONS

In the past year, FNM spearheaded a number of civic engagement campaigns to lift up the critical nature and presence of the Rising New Electorate – African-Americans, Latinos, women, youth and LGBT communities – in reshaping the political landscape.

Staff continued to work in all year long to protect and expand the fundamental right to vote in Florida.The organization’s Right to Vote campaign, a cornerstone of our Expanding Democracy work, coordinated with legal advocates and policy experts to build legislative momentum towards policies that would neutralize attempts to suppress voting rights particularly in relationship to African-American, immigrant, youth, and Latino communities.

During the fall primaries and midterm elections, FNM trained and sent out brigades of voter protection volunteers to the polls to monitor operations. The organization also launched two voting campaigns designed to increase participation in the 2014 gubernatorial election. #BlackVotesMatter / #OurVotesMatter raised awareness about the issues at stake for black families in the election, increased power and influence of the black vote in state politics, and ensured that black interests and values were honored. #VotaPorMiGente had similar goals, utilizing multiple strategies ranging from, field and phone canvassing, leadership development, tele-town halls and other tactics to elevate the importance and impact of the Latino vote in state politics.

As a result, BlackVotesMatter built a field canvass of over 30 canvassers that knocked on approximately 60,000 doors and reached 17,000 voters in predominantly African-American precincts in Duval County. Working closely with SEIU’s  “Boricua Vota” campaign, #VotaPorMiGente helped bring a taste of Puerto Rican-style politics to Osceola with caravans and musical “flash mobs,” encouraging the public to vote early and send in their absentee votes. A month long phone bank produced nearly 5,000 calls and a statewide teletownhall in Spanish reached nearly 200,000 households and attracted more than 25,000 participants.

The campaigns motivated voters to care about the election, create energy for increased turnout, and built infrastructure and leaders for long term civic engagement.  Immediate results were seen in Central Florida, where interns and organizers were instrumental in helping FNM’s endorsed candidates, Viviana Janer and Cheryl Grieb unseat incumbent Republicans on the Board of Osceola County Commissioners, effectively turning the body from red to blue. The “dynamic duo,” as they called themselves, became only the second and third women ever elected to the Board, with Janer earning the distinction of being the first Latina elected to county-wide office. In Miami’s County Commission District 8, Daniella Levine-Cava also unseated an incumbent, bringing a needed progressive voice to that board.

MOBILIZATION & COMMUNITY EDUCATION

December was also a time of innovative launches. In Miami, local artists, muralists, and live performers participating in our “Culture is a Weapon” event transformed FNM’s Miami offices into a vibrant arts space to celebrate the year and raise funds for the important work tof delivering on the promise of a fair and equal democracy.

Staff also brought FNM’s “Freedom Flicks” effort (a series of socially-conscious movies and discussion for high-school and college-age youth) to Kissimmee with a showing of the movie “Mandela”.

Moving forward, the Orlando/Kissimmee office plans to host these movie nights once a month, each with a different theme and in partnership with organizations and community leaders to engage our youth in dialogue around social justice issues.  Next up in January is immigration reform, in collaboration with Mi Familia Vota and the Florida Farm Workers’ Association.

STAFF INSPIRATION:  WHY OUR WORK MATTERS NOW MORE THAN EVER

“From Trayvon to Mike Brown”

Young men who were at the wrong place, at the wrong time, and apparently in the wrong skin. I understood the injustice of those murders. But now it feels different. It feels personal. It has rattled my spirit… Maybe because Mike, like Trayvon, was no different than my 20 male cousins, 3 nephews, 2 Godsons, and countless friends. Maybe because I watched the media alter the image of a child to justify his murder. Maybe because I saw a nation of people more willing to believe he was a ‘thug’ than accept the possibility that he was profiled and shot for merely walking down the street.  Maybe it’s personal because I am black woman and anything that comes from my womb will be, to some degree, another Trayvon Martin, another Mike Brown. I felt as if I knew his laugh and his smile; his desires and dreams; his fears and his future. Maybe in a way I did.

“An Historic Moment “

We are witnessing a collective awakening to the reality of this nation. This is the moment we confront our history and our present so that we can move forward as a nation.

This moment is painful, but it’s needed.  It’s when real change can begin.  It’s when we realize poverty, injustice and marginalization are not inevitable facts of life, but the result of conscious decisions made at every level of government.  And it’s the moment we realize that we have the power to make change happen by becoming engaged in our neighborhoods and cities, and at the ballot box.

“We Need Lasting Change”

It is obvious that something is wrong and something needs to be done to bring more “equality” to the halls of Justice.  Protesting has been an outlet thus far for some Jacksonville citizens and it is supportedas long as it fits within the rights protected by the First Amendment of the U. S. Constitution.  We need to take this raw emotion and nourish it thereby cultivating it in a manner that will bring lasting change.   We need to educate so that the citizens of Jacksonville will have an understanding of what is going on policy wise as well as a clear understanding of the potential ramifications as a result of inaction. We need to continue organizing trainings because if we are on one accord we can cause change in our communities.  One of the best ways to do that is by utilizing the ballot box.  Taking proactive action to elect officials that have open minds, hearts and listening ears to the daily plight of the people that they serve.

Yesterday Ray Downs posted an article in the Palm Beach New Times. We thought that it was worth the mention.

Everybody knows Florida likes to lock people up. It’s the state with the third-highest prison population in the country that has the world’s highest prison population. But some recent data analysis by the Washington Post points out an interesting fact: Nearly every county in the Sunshine State has more than 1,000 people locked up.

The data used combines state and federal prisons as well as local jails. The counties with the most prisoners are right here in South Florida. Miami-Dade unsurprisingly leads the way with 12,127 prisoners, which is by far the highest in the state. Broward, meanwhile, has 6,390 people locked up, and Palm Beach has 6,055. Combined, the two counties actually have more prisoners than Miami-Dade, with a total of 12,435.

The county with the lowest number of prisoners? That distinction goes to Highland County, which has about 388 people locked up.

Here’s what the map looks like, with purple designating more than 1,000 prisoners. Dark pink notes counties with at least 250 and up to 999:

The Post data also points out another interesting fact: Around the country, the United States has more jails than degree-granting colleges. At least Florida isn’t that bad, though. There are 207 degree-granting institutions around the state but only 157 state, local, and federal places to be locked up.

However, there are more people living behind bars than on college campuses.

See also: Florida Leads Country in Prisoners Serving Max Sentences, Being Released Without Supervision

According to the Florida Department of Corrections, there are 100,942 prisoners in state prisons at last count and about 55,371 in county jails. The Federal Bureau of Prisons says it has 39,420 in people in federal facilities around Florida. In all, there are about 195,733 people locked up at any given time in our state — a number big enough to be the 25th most populated county.

The only other state that appears to come close to Florida’s prison population by county is California, which has the highest state prison population in the country. But at least California has a county with fewer than 388 people locked up (at actually has 11 counties in that category).

In fact, it looks like Florida is the only state in the country that doesn’t have at least one county with fewer than 250 prisoners.

But all this shouldn’t be surprising considering the sharp and steady rise of Florida’s prisoner population. Believe it or not, back in 1980, there were only 20,000 people in Florida’s state prisons. Today, there are fives times that number — and every county is pitching in:

Sentencing Project

See also: Richard DeLisi Continues 90-Year Sentence for Cannabis After Judge Denies Release

Follow Ray Downs on Twitter:

E-mail him at Ray.Downs@browardpalmbeach.com.

Exciting Announcements were made for Sebastian Solano this past week. The article below was published in New Times Miami on 1/1/15!

http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/crossfade/2015/01/life-in-color_sebastian-solano_forbes_30-under-30_miami_2015.php

Enjoy the read!

“We’re a brand that’s growing from the bottom up,” the Life in Color crew told Crossfadeback in 2013, just days before the first-ever LIC Festival was set to splatter neon paint across the Magic City.

“We want to just stay hungry, stay humble, and if all goes well, we’ll have something very special that we are going to be able to take across the world.”

Almost two years later, this prophetic vision for the LIC brand is becoming a reality. And now co-founder Sebastian Solano has even been named one of Forbes‘ 30 Under 30 in Music for 2015.

Forbes may be recognizing Solano as la crème de la crème in the music biz this year, but Life in Color’s success has been in the works for nearly a decade.The only Miamian to make the cut, Solano is joined by up-and-coming pop stars FKA Twigs, Charlie XCX, and Chance the Rapper, as well as Revolt TV’s Kai Wright and Nas’ manager, Anthony Saleh, among others.

Formerly known as Dayglow, “the world’s largest paint party” began in 2007 when a couple of college dudes from Florida State University noticed a growing, yet unorganized trend of paint parties hosted by frat houses and sororities. That in mind, Solano and his buddies threw their first major 1,000-person neon bash at downtown Miami’s Mecca.

A hit, the guys soon found themselves putting on Dayglow events in cities across the state. In 2010, the paint fest crossed the border to Mexico for it’s first international rager in Cancun during Spring Break. With a now solid rep, Solano and his party crew put on a total of 65 U.S. shows in the spring, and another 65 shows in the fall of the following year.

Then in 2012, Life In Color was purchased by Robert F.X. Sillerman, who connected LIC with dance music powerhouse ID&T, the entity behind the Sensation Tour, a move that’s allowed the fest to expand exponentially.

From throwing EDM paint parties for college students to filling up stadiums across the globe, Life In Color has attracted the likes of Steve Aoki, Calvin Harris, Kaskade, and other mega DJs, bringing Cirque-du-Soleil-style acrobatics, and, well, tons of neon to thousands.

In fact, LIC has left 600,000 people in over 55 countries oozing in paint.

Sure, Solano and his crew are moving on up in the biz, but the LIC guys are only getting the neon party started. For now, they’re just reppin’ the 305 and “staying hungry, staying humble.”