Unlike Andy Samberg, we love a good handout. Admit it: so do you. Nothing beats a late night perusal of the East Bay free stuff classifieds, only to discover that the wicker daybed you always dreamed of owning has been abandoned on the corner of Shattuck and Delaware, or that three whole sets of venetian blinds are waiting to be rescued from a compost bin in Albany, or that a sofa, upholstered in purple velour and possibly infested with bed bugs, is up for grabs near Rockridge BART. Sure, it’s a gamble. But hey, it’s free. And we’re downwardly-mobile 20-somethings. And it’s a recession.
Posted by Jill Cowan on Thursday, August 13, 2009 05:38 pm
Want to make the most of the last remaining dregs of summer? Have a car? Don’t have a car, but know someone who does? Then you should totally take advantage of that sliver of time between your final summer finals and the start of real school (barf) in about a week or so and go to a national park.
They may not exist for long, after all, and there is literally no better time than this weekend–because it will be free. Yep, yep, yep! You can get in touch with your inner Teddy Roosevelt at any one of these national parks, all of which usually charge admission, and none of which–as far as we know–are particularly accessible by BART. So there you go. When you get there, just remember to walk softly and carry a big stick. A big walking stick, that is … ( Hardy har. God, we’re funny.)
Image Source: Anoop Joy under Creative Commons U.S. National Park Service Free-Free Weekend Parks (By State) [NPS], via SFist
Posted by Jill Cowan on Monday, July 20, 2009 04:46 pm
Not to be out-free crapped by its competition, Ye Olde Coffee of the Astronomical Dollars and Ubiquitous Mermaid is offering free pastries tomorrow morning. On the off-chance you’re confused by our (incredibly unnecessary) epithet, we’re talking about Starbucks.
The catch(es)? You’ve got to get there before 10:30. In the a.m. Yeah. For those of you still reading, the other catches are that you have to buy a beverage and you have to present this ticket in order to get your purportedly healthier-than-ever-before carbo-licious treat. Worth it to get out of bed before noon? Possibly. Actually healthy? Probably not.
Posted by Jill Cowan on Sunday, June 14, 2009 06:01 pm
And by “on the cheap,” we mean for totally free. US News’ Professors’ Guide just posted some tips on how to take classes from top universities (ours included, nah-turally … ) via the interwebs. A couple of high rollin’ philanthropic foundations partnered with the OpenCourseWare Consortium to put course materials online, accessible to anyone with the cojones to undertake something requiring this much self-discipline. read more »
If the words “going green”–or more importantly, “free stuff”–mean anything to you, then we suggest you head out to the PLAYgreen Festival tomorrow in Pauley Ballroom, going on from 10 a.m. ’til 4 p.m. Basically, it’s going to be a bunch of companies trying to out-green each other—which we assume means we won’t be bombarded with fliers or ugly keychains (unless they’re on recycled paper and made of recycled tires, respectively). read more »
Posted by Christine Borden on Wednesday, October 08, 2008 11:22 pm
Thinking about grad school, young grasshopper? We hope you’re ready for a test with such obscure words that even an English major bursts into tears. And, well, if you’re not, we do have a few tips for a free way to study for that behemoth test.
Expand Your Vocabulary
Play the definition game over at Free Rice and supposedly donate some rice to needy people. All that matters is that you know the meaning of lollygag.
Each year, Homecoming floods the campus with old people and free stuff, the latter being a little more exciting. And OK, we’ll admit: Some of us went to Homecoming events mostly–alright, only–because they advertised free food, free entertainment…or somehow used the word free in conjunction with a noun. But with this week’s unimpressive turnout, we’ve been left to question the philosophy which generally guides our Homecoming experience: Whether the pursuit of the free stuff is worth it anymore.
First, the Sushi Social at Alumni House on Tuesday. Boasting both sushi and socializing, but delivering neither. OK, so we got there 40 minutes late because we had class, but this was no excuse for the decimated trays and the awkward remnants of mingling that ensued. The fallout from a sushi war, the dismembered and indistinguishable remains of fish parts didn’t resemble even a distant relative of sushi and the five or so people in a cluster in the corner didn’t quite constitute socializing. It looked like everyone else had the same reaction to free eats: get in, feign interest, get sushi, get out.
Young deer spotted this morning at Shattuck Avenue and Dwight Way. 9-1-1 calls were made, but police weren’t dispatched as the event was not seen as a real problem. Apparently, it’s still all fun and games until somebody gets hurt. [Mercury News]
The Tilden Regional Park has reopened its carousel after 8 months of renovation. Free rides will be offered to first 500 riders during local festivities on Oct. 4 [Contra Costa Times]
Officials discover car in Berkeley believed to be driven by murder suspects of 22-year-old Fairfield Councilman Matt Garcia. Arrests have been made, but police are still searching for 32-year-old suspect Henry Don Williams. [Mercury News]
UC Berkeley scientists set their sights to the sky and discovered a mysterious light source. For 3 months the light got brighter and brighter until it was 120 times its luminosity at the time of its discovery. The light remains unidentified; scientists hope someone else might help to “shed some light on it.” [Fox]
Posted by Danica Li on Tuesday, April 01, 2008 01:49 pm
Remember “21″? It’s that one movie based on real life card-counting MIT students who wring the Vegas blackjack tables for tens of thousands of Ben Franklins. It’s got Jim Sturgess in it. Jim Sturgess was previously seen doing a lot of trippy drugs opposite Evan Rachel Wood in “Across the Universe.” Jim Sturgess is pretty fine.
The same probably can’t be said about the movie itself. Rotten Tomatoes slapped “21″ with a score of 32%, and Metacritic isn’t too forgiving either. Nevertheless, Shattuck Cinemas is showing a free screening of the movie tonight at 8 p.m. Who can argue with free?
Doors open at 7:30 p.m. The theater won’t require passes, but keep in mind it’s first come first serve.
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Young deer spotted this morning at Shattuck Avenue and Dwight Way. 9-1-1 calls were made, but police weren’t dispatched as the event was not seen as a real problem. Apparently, it’s still all fun and games until somebody gets hurt. [
