Break out your gluttony-pants: Eat Real returns to Jack London Square this weekend…read more Eat Real is the big, fat fundraiser for Oakland's Food Craft Institute. I downed some delicious food/drink there last year but the highlight was sitting on a grassy expanse as the sun set over the Oakland estuary. DJ Odiaka was spinning vintage MJ and every shape and color of the Oaktown rainbow coalition was grooving on the beats. Yeah, good afternoon though a different review entirely. This one's about the people who brought you that party. Food Craft Institute offers up classes in artisan food production to food professionals and wanna-bes or may-bes. Currently underway is a 12-week, $2,750 class on "Pickles, Krauts, and Ferments" If you're not yet ready to let fermenting overtake your life, they have way more accessible classes like the one I attended: a 2-hour class with fermentation guru, Sandor Katz (about $30). If the intensive 12-week class seems like way too much $$$ just to learn about pickling and fermenting, think again. You leave the class not just with the knowledge to make the artisan products but with a business plan based on the expertise of people who've preceded you. I assure you, this is much more than my son (attending a private college at a cost waaaay more than $3/K) will be leaving college with. I should've sent him to Pickle U. Classes are held in a light-filled, high-ceiling, sparkling clean space in Jack London Square. Check it out; you might find yourself a new career or passion.

Amazing place to connect with the sustainable food business community…read more The classes are the best, super enabling of those who aim to roll up the sleeves and open their own businesses or perfect their food skills.

amazing, learned so much. I would recommend to anyone who wants to advance holistic health…read moreunderstanding or get into the field

It has been several years since my experience at AIM and I am still grateful for all of it. My…read moreprimary care physician is a graduate and speaker there and so is my osteopath who still assists there. Both are important friends to me. The unkind and judgmental words---directed at me personally---from John B. of Oregon in his AIM review indicates the lack of empathy, sympathy, or understanding that another human being can have for another. I do not hold anyone at AIM responsible for the cruel attacks attempting to discredit another person's experience. I am happy that most students benefit greatly from Francesca's program. She has built noteworthy institutions in both the Academy of Intuition Medicine and Energy Medicine University. I admire her accomplishments and even mentioned her university favorably in my novel series. Something that could help others be more sensitive to and possibly grow in knowledge in is the misconception that the human ego is somehow negative or bad---as John B. chose to denote. In my experience, ego is an essential part of our being and absolutely necessary for soular development and eventual spiritual ascension . . . with a refined ego. I am sorry that my observations and personal experience triggers anger in some to the point where they feel berating and putting down another is the right course of action. It, of course, is not. Making assumptions based on ignorance hurts people. That would be the second thing a healer should know. The first . . . kindness helps people. John B. and Jean T. of Fairfax, who both wrote defensive reviews that misconstrued my words, who do not know what happened, who do not know me at all, made substantially wrong conclusions about my intentions and my actual statements. It is as if they didn't read my review at all and produced some alternate interpretation to exhaust their resentment to my experience which differed from theirs. The teachings and curriculum are just fine. Nothing cultish there. It is the cult-like devotion I witnessed every class meeting by the teaching assistants telling me all the various ways Francesca knows what is going on with each student---even in their private lives. I have always and continue to be open to any opportunity to learn . . . from any source. The large quantities of e-mails, materials, and coursework I received at the Academy was fascinating and I read everything I was provided. Learning for me is not mutually exclusive . . . it is a way of life to gather knowledge, to learn all there is to learn. It would have been nice to receive my MIM diploma, because I like to finish what I start. But, I was not given that choice. Francesca told me many times that "you are too advanced for this program." If anyone knows Francesca, they would know she never patronizes nor says anything she doesn't think is true. And, how many of you have ever heard Francesca repeat herself many times in the same conversation? That was the first and only time I've witnessed it. It saddens me that people didn't accept that Francesca might be right in her assertion about me. Somehow, some think the very notion of being too advanced is impossible ergo a white lie said to pacify a rebel egotist. According to several AIM graduates I've bumped into after my Yelp reviews came out, some things did in fact change at the Academy. This was my reason for the review, to help create positive change. It is good to hear that John B's class benefited years later. I imagine a world that does not merely tolerate differences. I imagine a people who see the pain of others and offer a space of kindness where true understanding can flourish. I had made an error in assuming AIM was one such possible haven. Consequently, I was the one who had been hurt back then. Quite a few people have written to me via Yelp commending me for my reviews of AIM depicting their same experiences accurately. I was well liked and respected by my fellow classmates. It was one teacher assistant and the instructor who resented me for asking a few innocent questions. I was openly punished and told, "if I don't trust her wisdom then I'd better leave." So, I accepted her punishment, kept quiet, and opted to willingly comply . . . yet, I was still eventually expelled. I was later called by my AIM mentor and told to ingratiate myself and beg to be reinstated to earn my spot back in the Masters program, because the same thing had happened to him and that was what he did. His apparent transference involved belittling me and invalidating Francesca's statements about my being too advanced for the Masters program. If John B. represents even a tiny percentage of how AIM people think and feel, it is case in point for my disappointment in the discovery that some intuitive healers are not spiritual, at all. Which I suppose is the main talking point the others are making---AIM teaches energy medicine, not spirituality. This happens to be my exact same point as well. Update 0019 Feel.

Thankful this place shutdown. The owner was an egotistical maniac and at one point literally had a…read moreswearing/screaming tell off session with our group. He also enjoys using his "status" as a way of putting down ppl and making them feel less than. All of the "lessons" you take at this "school" can be found for free online and there is absolutely no need to drop $14K or more. Not only that, you're expected to do all of your own work in terms of networking and finding jobs during and after. You're deemed a lazy, entitled brat if you're not doing most of the work yourself. So not sure what we're paying the tuition for? I'm not surprised by the reviews here. The owner uses bullying tactics to scare ppl from speaking out such as telling students he will ruin you and that knows all the CEOs and founders in silicone valley (I highly doubt such an assinine person would be accepted in those circles). Hence my need to make this account to avoid jeopardizing my own career that I built myself from scratch. If you contact alumni and ask for the real tea, you will find out these shiny reviews are a farce and I welcome you to do that to save yourself. I hope this review saves people a ton of money and emotional abuse caused by this establishment.

I am an alum, and I am so glad to hear this place is shut down. The founder and his team are…read moreegotistical, delusional, abusive, and rude. I had low self esteem when I joined which is why I tolerated their attitudes. I was once yelled at by the founder's mother, she literally yelled at me at the school. And the team bullied students who were so afraid of losing the network. 14K was not worth it. I wasted my time and resources there. My previous 1 star review was deleted, not sure why. I am adding another one here. If they represent Silicon Valley, I would not touch SV because the culture is toxic.

Years ago I took lessons from Richard, and it helps not only my doctoral defense tremendously, but…read morealso my lecturing in college-level classes in the long run. Thank you Richard!

I never had voice lessons before and wasn't sure if I could learn how to project a clear unforced…read moretone. Richard has helped me understand how the voice works and to get my voice out in front of me. Singing has become effortless and unforced and I'm starting to hit ranges that I could never reach, with minimal effort and still producing a clear pleasant tone. I've been with Richard for just over a month and I can already hear the change in the way I sing and how clear and smooth the tone is being delivered. His studio is very private, and you're totally one on one with no outside distractions. He records every session to CD, which you get to take home. I'm very happy with my results,

let me preface by saying i had no idea who i was before i joined this life changing establishment…read more i was lost, young, dumb, broke.. the purps changed me. they changed my every day. at first i had heard weird things about the purps.. but the purps are everything i could wish for and more. from toe tingling sex to voluptuous viagra banana splits, let's just say morehouse made my life "more" ;) 10/10 would recommend made me jiggle with joy

I have known about and been involved with Lafayette Morehouse since 1983. This organization teaches…read moreseveral courses in human sensuality and man/woman relationships that are very informative and valuable. It is a foremost organization in the arena of community living. There are also ongoing communication groups in people's homes which are led by Lafayette Morehouse teachers. These meetings are called Mark Groups and are open to the public. I have hosted Mark Groups for the past several years and I love having the opportunity to bring folks together to play structured communication games and get to know each other, with a little socializing at the end of the group. The Mark Group I host is in Oakland, CA and is on Tuesday nights. If you would like to learn more about my group, please feel free to send me an email message to magical_one@earthlink.net. I wholeheartedly recommend the fine work done by Lafayette Morehouse. Lakshmi Kerner

What an awesome experience! Whether you're and experienced woodworker and just want to make…read moresomething cool or a total novice with zero wood experience, this is the place for you! Michael provides clear instructions, quality equipment, and personalized advice to help you through the build process. Classes are flexible and he allows you to customize your project however you like. It makes the project feel much more personal! I took the cutting board class and he let me choose my materials (I chose walnut with maple), size of the board, and unique touches that I thought looked cool (rounded edges, handles). I couldn't be happier with how it turned out. It's fun to say to be able to say that you built something with quality materials that is going to last for years! The class took about 4 hours which I thought was totally reasonable. And I walked out of there with a finished project that I could show off right away. The shop is easy to get to and Michael works with you on scheduling to make sure you complete your project in a timeframe that works for you. The whole thing is really easy convenient! I'm looking forward to returning and taking other classes!

I had a great day learning from Michael this week. He's patient and flexible with the curriculum,…read moretailoring the session to exactly what I needed and asked for. I learned the proper a/k/a safe way to use: miter saw, jointer, planer, table saw, track saw, and router table all in one day. He's open for collaboration on future projects outside of the fixed classes, so when I come up with something that goes beyond any of my skills, we'll work together to design and execute. Awesome experience all around. Lesson learned: safe woodworking means no gloves and no long sleeves, so prepare to keep your core warm for sessions during the winter months.

Wonderful place for all sewing materials, very good knowledgeable staff, reasonable prices. It's a…read morereal find since there is a very limited selection of fabric stores in the North Bay area.

I posted an earlier review, because they wouldn't give me my discount after purchasing an expensive…read moremachine, because I was 1 day late. They called back and said they would and I was able to buy the items I wanted, which I would have purchased elsewhere online (same discount btw) I'm glad they decided to take my money, Lol, but really I feel that the customer service is good, and have a much better feeling about spending my money there. They have always been good about fixing the various machines I have brought here for the school I had been teaching at, and my own machines. (I also bought a serger here 10 or so years ago)

I cannot recommend the Institute of Urban Homesteading's Cheese Making Intensive enough…read more This day and a half "intensive" is a combination of the cheese making 1, 2 and 3 classes, taught by IUH founder Ruby. It's fast-paced and she throws a lot of information at you, but the whole process is warm, interactive and accessible. I immediately felt like I could leave Ruby's home and make these cheeses (and other dairy products!) we had learned in my own. I especially love that she's found what seems like the perfect middle ground between science lesson and home-cook/homesteader understanding. She brings her personal experience in with just enough of the science and technical understanding to make home cheese making incredible accessible and attainable. I also love that IUH also has a sliding scale for fees because it demonstrates the value they put on what they teach in making these classes more widely accessible. I already have the summer farm tours on my calendar, and I can't wait to take my next class.

I recently took the Canning tomatoes class- and left with all of the skills I needed to do it on my…read moreown. Ruby does such a great job of detailing everything you need to know- as well as why it works. She dispels a lot of myths and fears about canning- it's really not so hard as people think! The class was really fun, part listening and part hands on. We all left with a jar of tasty marinara and the confidence to do it on our own. I would highly recommend any of the IUH classes. They are professional, informative, and give you everything you need to do it on your own without costing an arm and a leg!