Poster designed by Cindy Wang.

Poster designed by Cindy Wang.


Nerd Nite’s first event at the New Parkway was two years ago this month. We plan to ring in the anniversary with a fantastic live event. Hear about the Wong Jack Man/Bruce Lee fight from Sifus Rick Wing and Greglon Lee, learn about what gives disco clams their sparkle from Lindsey Dougherty, and navigate the world of litigation with Katelyn Knight.

DJ Citizen Zain and Rick will pull crackers and the Oakland Public Library will be there with a reading list and to issue cards. Be there and be square.

Monday 12/29/2014
Doors at 7 pm, show starts at 8 pm, show ends at 10:30 pm
The New Parkway, 474 24th St, Oakland
(less than half-a-mile from the 19th St BART)
$8
All Ages
Tickets
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g+

SHOWDOWN IN OAKLAND (AT THE NEW PARKWAY….): THE STORY BEHIND THE WONG JACK MAN – BRUCE LEE FIGHT by Rick L. Wing and Greglon Lee

Many say this fight was the most important fight in the life of the famed martial icon Bruce Lee. True or not? You be the judge. Many say that the fight between Wong Jack Man and Bruce Lee in 1964, spurred Lee on to create his personal art of Jeet Kune Do. This talk describes the context within which the fight occurred, how it all happened, why it happened, and what happened afterward. It is also a glimpse into the kung fu world of San Francisco Chinatown in the 1960s.

Sifu Greglon Lee is an accomplished martial artist, having learned from noted martial arts men such as his father, James Yimm Lee, Bruce Lee, and Wally Jay, among others. Bruce Lee (yes, that one!) moved into his house in Oakland in 1964 and stayed there until late 1965. As one might imagine, Greglon has a certain insight into Bruce Lee that others might not have. Greglon has given many seminars in kung fu, with an emphasis on the art of Jeet Kune Do. Greglon has also co-authored the books, The Dragon and the Tiger, Vols I and II, and also Remembering the Master. These books describe the beginnings of Bruce Lee’s personal style, Jeet Kune Do.
Rick L. Wing is a student of the noted kung fu master, Wong Jack Man. Wong Jack Man was the legendary kung fu master who battled Bruce Lee in 1964, a “fight” which has grown into mythical status, and was a major turning point in Bruce Lee’s martial career. This fight is an integral part of an upcoming movie entitled Birth of the Dragon. Wing has written the most complete version of this story. His e-book, Showdown in Oakland, goes into great detail on the events which lead up to the match, the actual match, and what happened afterwards. Wing has also written other martial arts books such as Shaolin #1: Open the Door, the Northern Shaolin Sparring Set, Shaolin #8 Uprooting Step, The Classical Three-Sectional Staff, and, among others.

DISCO (CLAM) ISN’T DEAD: SILICA BALLS CREATE FLASHING GLAM CLAMS by Lindsey Dougherty

When people think of clams, their minds often go to chowder (possibly accompanied by Pavlovian salivation). “Disco clams”, however, aren’t your average bivalves. These Indo-Pacific creatures are contrasted from their dull-gray, mud-living, soup-making brethren by their bright red tentacles, coral reef homes, and a vivid electric-looking flash that goes back and forth across their mantle. Originally thought to be bioluminescence, the broadband flashing is actually the result of reflection from silica nanospheres that are ideally tuned for the light wavelengths that dominate their environment. The purpose of this flashy display is still unknown. We’ll explore whether the flashing attracts a mate, scares away predators, or lures in prey. Or, perhaps, if the clam is just keepin’ the beat.

Lindsey Dougherty is a PhD candidate in the Caldwell lab at UC Berkeley. Growing up in land-locked Colorado, her childhood aspirations naturally centered around SCUBA diving. With a goal of someday owning a dive shop, she studied business at CU Boulder, and was soon offered her first post-collegiate job… as a toner salesman. Desperate to move to the coast, she accepted, and made >2x what she does as a grad student. Teaching honeymooners how to SCUBA dive in Zanzibar made her realize that research was a better excuse to dive than commercial ventures, so she got a second bachelor’s in biology and studied artificial coral reef systems in Indonesia, where she met and fell in love with the “disco” clam.

NAVIGATING THE LEGAL SYSTEM: JURISDICTION, PROCEDURE AND THE AVERAGE LIFE OF A LAWSUIT by Katelyn Knight

Around 200,000 new unlimited civil cases are filed each year in California’s Superior Courts, that is cases where the amount in controversy exceeds $25,000.  The Courts clear these cases at a rate that doesn’t quite keep up with new filings, resulting in more and more crowded dockets.  But what happens once a lawsuit is filed?  Why does litigation take so long, and why is it so expensive?  We’ll walk through the life of a civil suit in the California Courts from filing to termination…hopefully no more than a year or two later.
Katelyn Knight is a Senior Associate in the Law & Motion practice group of Murchison & Cumming, LLP.  Her practice is primarily defense-side civil litigation including employment, injury, and general commercial matters.  Ms. Knight was named a “Northern California Rising Star” by Super Lawyers Magazine for the past 2 consecutive years.