Flash: Berkeley Graduate Released by Iran
Iran has released Sarah Shourd, one of three University of California at Berkeley graduates detained in the country for more than a year. -more-
Iran has released Sarah Shourd, one of three University of California at Berkeley graduates detained in the country for more than a year. -more-
When I first saw the news of the gas pipeline explosion in San Bruno on September 9, 2010 it seemed very close to home.
I grew up a couple of miles away from there, but the home I thought of first was my current Berkeley residence and an eerily similar situation that had played out along my block, fortunately without disastrous consequences, several years ago.
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Police in Berkeley are asking for the public's help identifying a suspect who shot and killed a man walking home with his fiancee after a party in the city early Sunday morning.
An Associated Press report in the San Jose Mercury News said that the victim was a 35-year-old Chilean man who had moved to California to be with his American-born fiancee.
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Cheerleaders, fire engines, bicycle police, electric go carts, bands, fencers, gymnasts, samba dancers, and assorted local politicians marched, danced, or rolled their way down Solano Avenue in the traditional parade that kicked off the Solano Stroll on Sunday, September 12. -more-
During my years of teaching writing, and long afterward, writers would ask me for advice on or reaction to their work. What most of them were really asking for was publishing contacts, and, when I honestly said I couldn’t help, they didn’t believe me. Even those who were more concerned about the writing itself believed that the stamp of quality on their work must be, could only be, its appearance in print by a commercial publisher. They were deaf to my insistence that writing is art and publishing is business; that 99% of commercial publishing is like dropping a book over a cliff, lost and forgotten in record time; that they were aware only of the 1% that became best sellers and movies—never a reliable measure of the quality of the art. -more-
Join State Senator Leland Yee in kicking off Jesse's positive, progressive re-election campaign this Saturday, September 18, from 11:00am - 2:00pm, at 2242 Bancroft Way (very BART accessible) just past Oxford. -more-
Recent Daily Californian front page stories reporting violent events in People's Park have sparked a barrage of flaming comments on-line. -more-
A reader sent this link to an interesting Daily Cal piece on city politics affecting the upcoming election: Election Politics May Have Swayed Council Pool Vote -more-
The Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association (BAHA) is offering three Fall Walking Tours of Downtown Berkeley to prepare voters for Measure R, the latest Downtown Area Plan proposal. -more-
BERKELEY—Berkeley residents are invited to join the tens of thousands of California volunteers who will help clean up our local beaches, bays, and waterways during this year’s Coastal CleanUp Day, September 25. -more-
The United States Supreme Court is once again deciding how much freedom to permit us. Old rules do not apply, it seems, in the age of the “war against terror.” Our government needs a whole new set of restrictions on speech and advocacy: see the decision in Holder v. Humanitarian Law Project, handed down 21 June. -more-
I am outraged by the Center for Independent Living (CIL)'s latest move, backed (or instructed?) by the City of Berkeley, in an effort to obtain City funding to supplement its programs. After announcing to the City and Easy Does It Emergency Services (EDI) on August 13 that they were withdrawing their application for Measure E funding, then retracting that withdrawal a few hours later, CIL has now modified its proposal for the Measure E contract. This revised proposal has been accepted by the City and forwarded to the Commissions on Disability and Aging, who will be voting to recommend a vendor for the Measure E Contract on September 15. -more-
I'm currently reading a book called "The Holocaust," and in one of its first chapters the author describes Adolph Hitler's rise to power in Germany — wherein, in the early days of the National Socialist party, Hitler's Brown-Shirts were thugs and bullies whose main policy was to pick only on vulnerable little guys. Apparently, Hitler's SS-in-training only went on the attack when they knew that they were significantly more powerful than their opponents. Their main targets were always elderly people, women, minorities and isolated random individuals out on the street by themselves. -more-
Jean Quan has gotten endorsements from neighborhood activists, and others praying for change, ANY change for the better, in Oakland. She’s the default candidate people return to after considering the others in the race. Don Perata’s victory isn’t assured, as evidenced by Rebecca Kaplan’s entrance into the race (and triangulating for votes on issues like Nic-Nak Liquors). Quan is a determined precinct-walker (the lawn signs dotting front yards show that), and this outreach may be interpreted by some as respect and appreciation for the grass roots and local communities, which would persist if she were elected. -more-
I read the obituary on Silber in the NY Times and its limited focus on Sing Out! It mentioned he was in the Communist Party and left it, but didn't discuss his editorship of the National Guardian and creation of the Guardian Clubs that later turned into Front Line clubs. The most interesting part would be to hear from people who were in Front Line to explain what they meant by a pre- Party Organization. There were similar attempts like the Committees of Correspondence to form a party that was not in the same mode as the CPUSA or the SWP, October League, RU, et al--a non-party party? -more-
I am a Co-Secretary on the Board of Directors for Easy Does It Emergency Services. On Friday, August 13th , I took a half-day off work to be one of five representatives from Easy Does It to attend a pre¬scheduled two-hour negotiation/collaboration meeting with CIL representatives and Drew King from the City of Berkeley. We were surprised when right at the beginning of the meeting Yomi Wrong, the Executive Director at CIL, announced to the room that CIL was "walking away from the table," and that pursuing a slice of the Berkeley Emergency Services contract was costing CIL too much money and hurting their reputation in the community, that their only reason for pursuing part of the contract was in the interests of the community and not the funds, and that they had their funding for their repair shop and that the shop would go ahead, regardless. We were out of the meeting in 40 minutes and there was no discussion about a negotiation because it appeared that CIL was no longer interested in Measure E funds. In previous meetings, CIL continually stated that they wanted no part of the Emergency Attendant or Emergency Transportation elements of the program. -more-
On September 14, 2001, the U.S. Congress voted almost unanimously to hand President George W. Bush its constitutional power to declare war. Not a single senator and only one representative opposed a resolution that mentioned no enemy country and left it up to the president to fight anyone he decided had anything to do with the terror attacks of the 11th. He decided on Afghans. -more-
Chicago has often been called “The City That Works”. -more-
Each day it’s becoming more apparent that Democrats are headed for a whipping on November 2nd unless they get their act together. While it’s Barack Obama’s job to rally voters, a lot of Dems aren’t sure he can do it. We feel that somewhere over the course of the last 20 months, Obama lost his mojo and, as a result, doesn’t remember what he stands for or what the Democratic Party stands for. If Dems are going to pull victory out of the fire, we’re going to have to see passion from Obama; he’s going to have to take off his gloves and fight.
-more-“I just love Sleeping Beauty! The music, the sets, the costumes. It's so romantic!” declares Sex and the City’s Carrie Bradshaw… “You only like it because she sleeps for a hundred years and doesn't age” responds chum Stanford Blatch. -more-
Chris Newfield, a professor at the University of California Santa Barbara, has recently published an article called “Bain’s Blow to Berkeley”. It’s a gloomy analysis of how cost saving measures being implemented at UC Berkeley are likely not only to harm the University’s teaching mission, but in fact to increase rather than diminish costs. It’s a moving work. -more-
I found a little jewel last Friday night. There is a small 67-seat theatre at 999 E. 14thSt. in San Leandro called the California Conservatory Theatre of San Leandro. They touted themselves to be a professional theatre, but I doubted it from the looks of their website and the fact that you can’t buy a ticket online. But they lived up to their promise. If I had paid double the ticket price for The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee musical, I would have gone home happy. -more-
The last week to catch Inferno Theatre's unusual production of Galileo's Daughters, written, designed and directed by Giulio Perrone at the Berkeley City Club (review in last week's Planet). Thursday-Saturday, 8 p. m.; Sunday at 5. $12-$25, sliding scale. 698-4030; infernotheatre.org
TheatreFirst's Anton In Show Business, play about an ensemble of seven actresses rehearsing--and coming apart over--a production of Three Sisters, directed by the company's artistic director Michael Storm, is onstage at the Marion Greene Theater, 531-19th St., off Telegraph (and a block from 19th Street BART) on the north side of the old Fox Theater, uptown Oakland. Thursdays-Sundays through September 26. $15-$30. 436-5085; theatrefirst.com
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THE INEVITABLE examines Hillary Clinton’s failed bid for the presidency the most fascinating event during the 2008 presidential campaign. I believe the roots of Clinton’s failure were psychological. She began the campaign believing her nomination and election were certain and, therefore, lost touch with her primary intention. Once the bubble of inevitability burst, Clinton faced an external and internal crisis. She had to reorganize her political campaign and get her head straight. As Clinton struggled to get her political act together, warring instincts within her own personality battled on stage. By the time this conflict was resolved, Clinton had become the effective candidate many of us expected, but it was too late for her to overcome Obama’s delegate lead. -more-
The Berkeley Historical Society greets the fall with a flourish this coming weekend with back-to-back town / gown events. -more-
When I lived in the Southwest between ’66 and ’71, I attended a Ute sundance, many Pueblo Indian ceremonies and, when I worked on the To’Hajiilee reservation, many Navajo healing rites that few outsiders have ever seen. But I’d never been to a pow wow. The first pow wow I ever attended I also helped organize, on Berkeley Indigenous Peoples Day 1993. -more-
For those of you with a special spot in your heart for bats (not too many, I daresay), you should be pleased to hear of a September 21st meeting of the Berkeley Garden Club. On this occasion,the guest speaker will be Maggie Hooper of the California Bat Conservation Fund. -more-
Could Berkeley Ever Work as Well as Chicago? 09-14-2010
Odd Bodkins: Dan O'Neill 09-14-2010
BOUNCE: Teaparty no one like me By Joseph Young 09-14-2010
BOUNCE: Madhatter By Joseph Young 09-14-2010
Letters to the Editor 09-14-2010
Fighting for Free Speech:The Defendant is Not Important By Chandler Davis 09-14-2010
An Open Letter to the Berkeley City Council Regarding Emergency Services for Disabled Citizens By Morning Chu 09-14-2010
Applying for food stamps: "Don't you feel guilty?" By Jane Stillwater 09-13-2010
A Jean Quan Land-Use Backstory: The Past as Prologue? With a supporting cast including Don Perata, Ignacio De La Fuente, and Jerry Brown By Bob Brokl 09-14-2010
Open Letter to Those Who Knew Irwin Silber: By R.G. Davis 09-13-2010
Save Easy Does It! Don Brownell 09-14-2010
Nine years after casting a lonely nay on Bush’s war,in 2001, Rep. Lee will be honored for her peace work and address pro-peace groups on Sept. 26 in Berkeley By Paul W. Lovinger 09-14-2010
Flash: Berkeley Graduate Released by Iran By Dan McMenamin 09-14-2010
DiFi’s Spouse Buys into Berkeley Prof’s Company By Richard Brenneman 09-13-2010
Berkeley's Experience with Gas Leaks By Steven Finacom 09-13-2010
Man Killed in Robbery Attempt near Ashby BART in South Berkeley By Bay City News and Planet sources 09-13-2010
Solano Stroll Was a Great Party As Usual By Steven Finacom 09-14-2010
First Person: Bequeath Your Treasure By Dorothy Bryant 09-14-2010
Press Release: Arreguin Headquarters Kickoff to Feature State Senator Leland Yee (EVENT) From Anthony Sanchez and Jesse Arreguin 09-14-2010
Recent People's Park Incidents Spark Controversy, Ignite Nov. District 7 Councilman Race (COMMENTARY) by Ted Friedman 09-13-2010
Election Links 09-14-2010
BAHA Offers Free Fall Downtown Walking Tours in Measure R Area (EVENT) By Daniella Thompson 09-13-2010
Berkeley Residents Invited to Clean Up Coast on September 25 From the Parks and Recreation Department 09-14-2010
The Public Eye:Calling Obama the Fighter By Bob Burnett 09-14-2010
Senior Power:Sex and the Senior Citizen By Helen Rippier Wheeler 09-14-2010
Blogbeat: How UC Berkeley is Being Dismantled By Thomas Lord 09-14-2010
Classical Music-East Bay Through September 26 09-14-2010
Classical Music-San Francisco Through September 26 09-14-2010
Galleries-San Francisco Through September 26 09-14-2010
Professional Dance Through September 26 09-14-2010
Readings-East Bay Through September 26 09-14-2010
Stage-East Bay Through September 26 09-14-2010
Stage-San Francisco Through September 26 09-14-2010
Galleries-East Bay Through September 26 09-14-2010
Museums-East Bay Through September 26 09-14-2010
Museums-San Francisco Through September 26 09-14-2010
"Lost Keaton" and the Talmadge Sisters By Justin DeFreitas 09-14-2010
Theatre Review: SPELLING BEE Serendipity:Who Knew there was a Real Pro Theatre in San Leandro? By John A. McMullen II 09-13-2010
Around and About the Bay Area By Ken Bullock 09-13-2010
Staged Reading: THE INEVITABLE by Bob Burnett 09-14-2010
Dance-East Bay Through September 26 09-14-2010
Exhibits-East Bay Through September 26 09-14-2010
Exhibits-San Francisco Through September 26 09-14-2010
General-East Bay Through September 26 09-14-2010
Highlights-East Bay Through September 26 09-14-2010
Popmusic-East Bay Through September 26 09-14-2010
Kids-East Bay Through September 26 09-14-2010
Outdoors-East Bay Through September 26 09-14-2010
New: Berkeley Historical Society Fall Events Start This Weekend By Steven Finacom 09-14-2010
Pow Wow Now: series about the Berkeley Indigenous Peoples Day Pow Wow (part 1: Origins) By John Curl 09-14-2010
Don't Miss This: Bats in the Belfry By Dorothy Snodgrss 09-14-2010