Happy New Year! -more-

It wasn’t holiday presents but a twitching reminder of its potentially destructive presence that the Hayward Fault gave East Bay residents this holiday season, ending—for the moment—with a weak Thursday morning spasm. -more-

Seventeen years have passed since the day I signed the rental agreement on my one-bedroom apartment in November, 1989. The day before, my husband Ed and I had shared in the Thanks-giving festivities at my brother’s house, and chose not to reveal that we had decided to end our seven-year marriage. But, bright and early on the following day, I set about looking for a suitable apartment for myself. -more-

The magic happens the moment I step forward into the acoustical ambiance of a music hall and I hear that first cacophonous onslaught of instrument and musicians. They’re not just tuning up although there’s that, too. Some violinist is frantically last minute practicing a difficult phrase, at the same time the flautist is re-doing a trill. I watch the kettle drummer bending his head to catch the tremors as he taps the taut drum head. The uncorralled musicians of this moment in contrast to the program’s promised presentation ! -more-

I want to write a piece for my writing class but what can I write? It is 6 p.m. on Wednes-day, class begins at 7 p.m. No, I do not have to have something to show this week, after all it is an adult school class, no grades. I have finished with that when I finished with school, no more worrying about grades. -more-

Both my wife Selina and I were strong believers in public schools. It seems strange therefore that, when the time came in 1958, we became private school parents. There were three reasons. -more-

I really wish that I didn’t have to leave Lycos. After all, it was my major source of information and was also a means of connections with family, friends, and political action for more than six years. From practicing on Lycos, I moved to a second account with Yahoo, and now a third account, also with Yahoo, as I must end this relationship with my friend Lycos, which is now my enemy. I had some problems with Lycos in the past. -more-

On this darkest night -more-

Irene -more-

Peace on earth requires not just an absence of war among countries, but harmony among peoples. Social harmony requires the recognition of a universal ethic that prescribes equal rights for all, privileges for none. There is no peace when you impose your values on others. Let us abolish all laws restricting and imposing costs on peaceful and honest human action. Be at peace with nature and humanity by taxing pollution, not labor. Abolish poverty by sharing the surplus from land, rather than depriving people of benefits from enterprise. Do not mistake “silent night” for peace, for there is no peace without liberty. -more-

The hat lands in a pail of green mossy water and sober felt. -more-

Hello everyone. I have a request. Please, I would very much appreciate the assistance of anyone computer savvy enough to send the following message around the world to as many newspaper editorial sections in as many languages as possible. -more-

I talk to God -more-

Whatever does not spring from a man’s free choice … does not enter into his very being, but remains alien to his true nature; he does not perform it with truly human energies, but merely with mechanical exactness. -more-

You couldn’t find a better caregiver than my mother; she nursed my grandmother and two uncles to their end. Almost. Though unsurpassed at nursing, she could do it only to a point. A crucial point. She was incapable of overseeing a patient’s death. -more-

I got on the bus in a major city just the other day. After loading my bicycle on the front rack, I removed my bike flag and carried it on board with me. I went to the back and found a seat facing the front. The pair of seats opposite me faced the back of the bus and there I saw a teenage boy. It was clear he was friends with another young man who sat on the opposite side of the bus. -more-

I took this photo in south Berkeley in late November, 2006 ... not very "holiday," but pretty peaceful, don't you think? Photograph by Max Batts. -more-

I stew my goose in green Chartreuse, -more-

On the way to the kitchen at midnight -more-

DEAR earth commUNity friends -more-

At the tender age of 64 I decided to start a new art gallery. Did I realize what I was getting into? Well ... I did know two things: there are a lot of fine artists in the Bay Area, and while I feel good it’s best not to waste feeling good. I enjoy sharing beautiful work with others. And good conversation has always been a favorite pastime; Saturday afternoons are turning into conversation hour, with a couple of regulars who enjoy chatting about art and philosophy. That’s fun, too. -more-

My mother painted white lights with scarlet nail polish for Christmas during the war—I was just born, “fifth dependent” my father bragged since I kept him from active duty. -more-

It was one of those sparkling September days here in the Bay Area, blue skies and warm with little or no wind. What fog there was had melted away by the time I reached dockside where the boat the Salty Lady was moored. -more-

Last Spring I noticed that articles about Venezuela and its president, Hugo Chavez, began to appear more and more in the media. At first they were almost all negative, from attacks in the New York Review of Books, to snide comments in the New York Times. -more-

Still ... Still ... waiting for the storm -more-

My friend Joe had a nose that expanded during puberty to become the dominant feature on his face. It was long and beaklike with an unexpected wideness at the downward slope so that when you looked at him dead on you saw a diamond shape that was narrow between the eyes, wide at the midpoint and sharply narrow above the lip. -more-

The Scene: The WHITE HOUSE GREEN ROOM. The PRESIDENT is briefed by his PROTOCOL OFFICER just before the summit meeting with the leaders of China, Hu Jintao, Wen Jiabao and Zhu Rong Ji. -more-

Thomas Matsui hadn’t slept for almost 46 hours. The Italians had long stopped the fight, but the Nazis kept at it. Mortar shells exploded nearby with a frightening consistency. The rocky Italian hillside bucked and rolled with each explosion. -more-

We will have victory in Iraq, said President Bush -more-

She sits with her -more-

Daisy Howerton, 9 months, enjoys an issue of the Daily Planet. Photograph by Michael Howerton. -more-

Our town has moments which stand out, and keep me surprised and in love with this place. -more-

Confessions from a West Berkeley Fenix -more-

Daniel Ortega Saavedra of Nicaragua’s Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional is once again president of his country. A hollow shell of the militant Marxist that he was in his first term 1984-1990, one can question how much satisfaction his victory provides for those from Berkeley and elsewhere who trekked to Nicaragua during the 1980s to work for the revolution. -more-

Kuma was adopted from the Milo Foundation in January 2006, and has since spent many happy days greeting visitors to the Berkeley Daily Planet newsroom. Photograph by Caroline Wagley-Pedemonte. -more-

What is it that the City of Berkeley doesn’t get about Californians and their cars? -more-

During my lifetime I have had several narrow escapes from almost certain death. -more-

This is the time of year when many of us take time out to count our blessings and, perhaps, say a few prayers for peace on earth. Of course, I want peace on earth, too. But what I want first is the truth. -more-

The Muzak carols waft over the manic shoppers; -more-

Lilacs bend and stoop -more-

I was in a period of dark despair. My marriage of six years was over. Despite my high tolerance for emotional abuse, my husband crossed the line when he pushed me against the wall for disagreeing with him. The following day I packed a few essentials and moved into a small furnished apartment in West Los Angeles. -more-

(With Apologies to John Galsworthy) -more-

As in a nightmare he woke to a wasteland—he was alone—for all he knew he was the last human being left on Earth—and when he died the sound of the human voice would never be heard in the Cosmos again—and for his remaining days he had to live with the horror of that thought foremost in his mind—but he had already lived through the death of birth of our species, and so he was resigned to his and our species fate—what could the meaning of his life be now that he was the sole survivor of our species? -more-

Inspired by my sister -more-

Now, when the world’s attention is pinned on Iraq, the Iraq Study Groups’ findings, Syria, Iran and the possibilities for a new outcome in the region, my mind wanders to Ahmed and Palestine. -more-

Southwest winter -more-

During my lifetime I’ve had several Little Old Lady Friends who might be of interest to the readers of my memoirs. -more-

Yes, there are New Year’s resolutions for gardeners. We’re prone to every other bad habit known to humanity; why not resolutions we know perfectly well we’re not going to keep for more than a month or two? -more-

Mr. & Mrs. American home owner, are you suffering from Stinky House Syndrome? Does your house smell bad? Do strangers flee your dwelling soon after entering? Do relatives plan family gatherings at the homes of less scintillating family members? Are you engaging in microbial experiments without possession of the pertinent advanced degree? If you answered yes to any of the above, you may be a candidate for dehumidifier ownership. -more-

Don’t Blame Uncle Hayward -more-

New Year’s Eve and Day may be celebrated for free at two remarkable and complementary shows at two venerable Berkeley venues—the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Benjamin Simon, with guest artists pianist Robert Schwartz and trumpeter Jeffrey Strong at 8 p. m. on Sunday, New Year’s Eve, First Congregational Church (2345 Channing Way at Dana)—and Parlor Tango (bandoneon player Odile Lavault, pianist Marco Casasola and cellist David Morris) inaugurating a new, no cover Monday night Arts Events series, New Year’s Day at 7 p.m. at Le Bateau Ivre Restaurant & Coffee House, 2629 Telegraph Ave. -more-

In “Bobby,” the final day of Robert Kennedy’s campaign for the presidency, is brought to life through the lives of an ensemble of characters. -more-

Take two sheets of red construction paper, one sheet of green construction paper and one sheet of regular white paper. Pencil-sketch an outline for a large egg-shaped peace symbol on the white paper, making almost as big as the whole sheet. Staple the white sheet on top of the green construction paper and carefully cut out your peace sign through both sheets. -more-

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9 Laughers, 11 Laments; the rest just a combination of the two or wholly unclassifiable. -more-

Saturday morning, make to do list -more-

Two Cheers -more-

I was a sophomore to opera 25 years ago in 1981. It was early December and an opera friend, Alice, called me to offer a ticket to use her box seat at a performance of The Walkure. I knew only three things about The Walkure: It was long, loud and the costumes were strange. -more-

Single Mom Seeking: Playdates, Blind Dates and Other Dispatches from the Dating World is a spunky, sexy, page-turner of a book about Berkeley author Rachel Sarah’s search for a good man. I got to practically witness it being written as her story unfolded, since Rachel and I are in a writing group together. -more-

I always liked the guys in the black hats—the “bad guys”—when I went to the cowboy movies as a kid. Jesse James, Billy the Kid, Butch and Sundance: talk about grabbin’ for the gusto—these guys had it goin’ eight ways ‘til Sunday. -more-