The U.S. immigration system is indeed pretty broken (as Working East Bay points out) -- but it is what it is, and for now, folks must deal with it.

If you or someone you care about is wrangling with immigration issues, check out this free workshop on immigration at Oakland City Hall, Saturday Feb. 27, 10 am - 3 pm. Theme: How to avoid being defrauded. Consultations available in Spanish, French, Cantonese, Mandarin, Tagalog, and Vietnamese.

BLAST FROM THE PAST: Oakland's neighbor city, Richmond, may be having hard times now -- but at one time its future looked bright. Richmond Confidential recently explored a 229-page report published in 1912: "Report on Richmond Harbor Project," prepared for the city by a consulting firm, and obtained by a citizen through a public records request.

Richmond Confidential writes: "The city was only seven years old at the time... Some of its predictions and documentations held remarkably well. Nearly a century later, the oil refinery is still the city’s biggest employer, and among the largest facilities in the country. The growth in Richmond, however, did not prove as limitless as the report suggested."

BACK TO THE PRESENT: Mashups aren't just for maps or songs -- tonight there's a mashup fundraiser in Oakland. Starting around 7pm, several hardcore bands (including Black Cobra, Acephalix, and Somnolence) will play to support two fairly different causes: the local Street Level Health Project's Free Herbal Medicine Program, and New Mexico's Navajo Resistance Against the Coal Burning Power Plant. Sliding-scale admission: $6-20. The show location is somewhat mysterious: "Your Hauz" (also known as "Hauzmat" and other aliases), which is apparently somewhere in downtown Oakland. E-mail caps@riseup.net for directions.

If that doesn't suit you, try Oakland's Comedy Off Broadway at Miss Pearl's Jam House on Jack London Square. 18 & up, doors open 8:30 pm, $10 (students and military with ID, $8).

SHUTTERBUG ALERT: If you like taking pictures in Oakland, or if you enjoy the photo-sharing site Flickr, stop by the Oakland Flickr Group meetup this Sunday, Feb. 28. Bring your camera, walking shoes, some cash for food, and meet 11 am at Christ the Light Cathedral (Grand & Harrison). Yeah, at Oakland Local we heart the Oakland Flickr Group.

Find more local events for tonight and this week at the Oakland Local Calendar.

(This Daily Brief was prepared by Amy Gahran.)

About Susan Mernit

Susan Mernit is the founder of Oakland Local. She is also the consulting web strategist for The Center for Investigative Reporting, and a consultant & trainer. Susan lives in North Oakland, near the Santa Fe school, with her partner Andy, her housemate, a big old dog named Winston, and a yard full of ants. She is an aspiring gardener, a long-time blogger & entrepreneur, and a recovering journalist.