a late Fall
morning in Potter Creek
11/14/11
MISCELLANEOUS RAMBLINGS
Weatherford's new building
site
early morning
At last Thursday's Zoning
Adjustment Board, the board unanimously voted to "recommend"
keeping the Berkeley Bowl parking-lot access-driveway on Heinz
and to not move it around the corner on 8th. This in an understanding
and appreciation of the neighborhoods' wish. The traffic department
however, remains emphatic in their recommedation for the change.
Talk is that city council
has doubts about the mutual aid contracts that our police have
with other agencies.
Mutual aid, in addition to
emergency back-up for internal security, is a daily part of 21st
Century policing--BPD cooperates with railroad police along the
tracks here is west-Berkeley, CHP handles accidents on the freeway
access ramps in west-Berkeley, CHP also is responsible for handling
school bus and officer involved accidents city wide, OPD and BPD
cooperate in the South Berkeley/North Oakland area, East Bay Regional
Park police and BPD cooperate along our access road, Alameda Sheriff
department polices transit routes throughout the city, and more.
And, mutual aid is particularly
important in a time of shrinking assets, both personnel and physical.
Further, in time of economic
and social unrest, Berkeley, often the center of demonstrations
and riots, is more likely to need and to benefit from mutual aid
than other municipalities. Cut back mutual aid? Something about
"cutting off your nose to spite your face?*"
*an expression
used to describe a needlessly self-destructive over-reaction to
a problem
"Occupy Oakland and News Media Coexist
Uneasily" at nytimes.com
from The Bay Citizen.
"In the last few days,
the Occupy Oakland encampment at Frank H. Ogawa Plaza has been
a scene of both peace and violence.
Immediately after a man was shot to death Thursday afternoon near
the Occupy Oakland encampment, Randy Davis, a cameraman for KGO-TV,
turned his lens on a group of protesters helping the victim. Then
part of the crowd turned on him."
"Pelosi's investments questioned in CBS
report" Carolyn
Lochhead, Chronicle Washington Bureau.
"House Minority Leader
Nancy Pelosi is the subject of a report on the stock investments
of members of Congress that is to air Sunday on CBS' '60 Minutes.'
The San Francisco Democrat
and House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, were questioned separately
at their weekly news conferences Nov. 3 by reporter Steve Kroft.
Neither had granted Kroft's previous requests for interviews."
Last week one of the Bay
Area TV locals did a story on the "upper one percent,"
mentioning particularly that in California it includes Senators,
Feinstein and Boxer as well as Representative Pelosi.
Probably going to hear a
lot of stuff like that in the near future, but remember even if
we weren't part of it, we all "bought into it." Believing
in Neo-Liberalism* was fun even after it stopped working for all.
*Neoliberalism is a market-driven approach to economic
and social policy based on neoclassical theories of economics
that stresses the efficiency of private enterprise, liberalized
trade and relatively open markets, and therefore seeks to maximize
the role of the private sector in determining the political and
economic priorities of the country.
END
POSTS FROM THE
PAST
11/14/08
At the moment there are 14--fourteen--building-projects
in Potter Creek in progress or recently completed. They range
from commercial and residential major-remodels to new multi-unit
residential construction, to the very-major new grocery store,
our Berkeley Bowl and our new manufacture, Swerve.
That certainly would be,
change apace in Potter Creek.
And in the week after election,
there could be found eating and drinking at our busy 900 GRAYSON,
our Sally and Richard with her new-to-Potter Creek family, the
Goldins, John and Suzanne, Paul Zaentz and staff, Pete Hurney,
fourteen of the Tippett staff, Don Yost and John Norheim and guest,
CEID's Cindy Dickeson, Mrs Meyer Sound and guests, Gene Agress
of Berkeley Mills, the Kruse family, residents of our Brickside
Lofts, Merryll and guest George Jones-Chronicle Berkeley reporter's
Dad, Bob and Carol, and friend of 30 years David Richardson, as
well as hundreds of other Potter Creek workers and residents.
The most significant result
of our Berkeley election is the victory of young, Mr Jesse in
District 4: a crack in the decades old establishment and a serious
generation change.
Last issue of our Planet
featured a cunning photo of Jesse, his Mom and Dad and Council
member Kriss Worthington. This issue has a story about Councilwoman,
Linda Maio and Patrick Kennedy. It ends with a year-by-year, sometimes
day-by-day account of their interaction. Is this almost-too-much-detail
driven by journalistic fervor or a Planet vendetta? Beat s#%t
out of me!
END
11/15/11
MISCELLANEOUS RAMBLINGS
Elf Yourself presents the
video Joe
and Milos' Jingle Bells break-dance.
Jim
and his family
are leaving Potter Creek
for a "house in the hills"
Jim now has a little sister
Marie Malin born at 4AM yesterday
and weighing 6lbs 14 oz.
Tavis Smiley talks with cellist
Yo-Yo Ma
here.
The 16-time Grammy-winning
cellist explains what traveling has done for his music and performs
a track from his new bluegrass album "The Goat Rodeo Sessions."
Considered the world's greatest
living cellist, Yo-Yo Ma has a discography of more than 75 albums
and numerous awards and honors, including 16 Grammys and, as of
this year, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Beyond the classics,
he's known for his versatility, ranging from Baroque pieces and
tangos to traditional Asian melodies and bluegrass, which is the
style of his newest project, "The Goat Rodeo Sessions."
His music can also be heard in several feature films. The
Harvard grad founded and is artistic director for the non-profit
Silk Road Project.
And Bob kubik sends the video
link
"Astonishing
Views of a Luminous, Bustling Planet."
END
POST FROM THE PAST
12/12/10
MISCELLANEOUS RAMBLINGS
Holiday decorations are beginning
to light up Our Town.
END
11/16/11
MISCELLANEOUS RAMBLINGS
looking west
from our city hall roof
Yesterday I was given a tour
of City Hall. A 1930s WPA building, it has recently been remodeled--in
fact gutted and given a new a "bauhaus-like" interior
the simple corridors and
office walls hung-full with donated art.
Its fifth floor was filled
with activity and there I met Councilman Capitelli among others
and saw Aide Ryan Lau. I spoke briefly with the Councilman.
After the half hour or so
tour, I had lunch at the filled-to-overflowing Gecko-Gecko
where my Peanut Curry was delicious with avacado slices a "California
touch."
The best part of my visit?
The Berkeley High kids filling
the grass around City Hall and Berkeley High eating lunch. A photo
would have been "worth a thousand words" but a snap
seemed intrusive.
The "new downtown"
is wonderful with an upbeat bustle and hustle, thanks largely
to the efforts of, among others, Da Boz.
Yesterday toward evening
between 3,000 and 10,000 people--depending on the source-- filled
the plaza in front of Spourl Hall to overflowing. Largely peacefull,
they listened to among others, Robert Reich. Earlier in the afternoon
some hundreds left the Oakland Frank Ogawa Plaza and marched five
miles to the UC campus and were among the thousands that filled
the plaza. During the demonstation some tents were set up and
a Cal Occupy announced.
This morning the man shot
yesterday afternoon at the Haas School died of his wounds.
"Which Side Are They On? How cops really
feel about the Occupy Wall Street protests" by Peter Moskos at slate.com.
"As to the protesters,
I have sympathy. I can only hope they will direct their anger
not toward the men and women following orders (lawful orders,
mind you), but to those with the power and means to actually affect
change.
As to the police, I also
have sympathy. You are stuck in the middle, as usual. But you
must exercise professionalism and restraint. The whole world really
is watching. And the good job of many can easily be undone by
the out-of-control action of few.
But to those who may be intent
on provoking and hurting police, I can offer no better warning
than one told to my friend years ago by his father: 'Don't get
into fights with police; they're not in the habit of losing.'
There's a dirty old joke
about two men watching three other men go at it, in bed. One observer,
a bit naïve, asks the other about the man on the left. The
second observer, more knowledgeable, describes his role. The naïve
one then asks about the man on the right and, after receiving
a detailed answer, finally asks about the third man, the man in
the middle. The cognoscente says, somewhat longingly, 'The man
in the middle? Why that's Lucky Pierre!' "
courtesy Bob Kubik
"Beyond Seizing Parks, New Paths to Influence"
at nytimes.com.
"The question is whether the Occupy Wall Street movement
will
die without a place to occupy."
"ABC7 News looks at a computer hacker's
plan to hijack radio and TV stations and the panic it could cause" a video report at abclocal.com.
Time to view
"V for Vendetta?"
"FBI says wanted Calif. Activist may be
in Mass." an AP
report at sacbee.com.
"The FBI says an animal
rights activist wanted in the 2003 bombings at two corporate offices
in northern California may be in western Massachusetts."
"Ionized Plasma Tapped as Cheap Water Sterilizer
for Third World"
by Sangeeta Ghosh Dastidar at ibtimes.com.
"Can ionized plasma,
likes the one in neon lights and plasma televisions, sterilize
water?
Scientists at the University
of Berkeley, California, have now shown that devices capable of
producing such ionized plasmas can not only sterilize water but
also make it antimicrobial, by killing bacteria. In addition,
the antimicrobial effect can be sustained for as long as a week.
"
"Berkeley Reveals Plan for Academic Center
in China" at nytimes.com.
"The University of California,
Berkeley announced this week that it plans to open a large research
and teaching facility here as part of a broader plan to bolster
its presence in China."
"Why Wood Smoke May not Be Good for You"
at enn.com.
"Some people enjoy the
scent of a wood fire. Still smoke is full of particulate matter
and exotic trace chemicals. Two new studies led by University
of California, Berkeley, researchers spotlight the human health
effects of exposure to smoke from open fires and dirty cook stoves,
the primary source of cooking and heating for 43 percent, or some
3 billion members, of the world's population. Women and young
children in poverty are particularly vulnerable. "
END
11/17/11
MISCELLANEOUS RAMBLINGS
Though it has long been known
that the new city manger will be Christine Daniels, word is that
her replacement as assistant City Manager will be William Rogers,
now head of Parks and Rec.
email from mayor's
Chief of Staff, Julie Sinai
I wanted to let you all know
that I've accepted the position of UC Berkeley's Director of Local
Government and Community Relations.
As you are likely aware, I left the Berkeley Unified
School District in 2002 to work with Mayor Bates on his
top agenda issue of youth and education. Now,
with all levels of education massively under
siege from multiple fronts, I've decided that this is where I
need to refocus my professional efforts. This position gives
me the opportunity to work for accessible and quality education
by strengthening the partnerships between the University and Berkeley,
the East Bay, the greater Bay Area, and the private sector.
I want to extend the warmest
of heartfelt thanks to Mayor Bates for letting me have the honor
of serving him and the City of Berkeley for these past nine years.
These have truly been the some of the most fulfilling years of
my career. Mayor Bates is a visionary leader who has the rare
ability to transform his values and ideas into actions and results.
I also want to thank the
wonderful team we've had in the Mayor's Office
Calvin, Sbeydeh, Nils and Cisco for sharing
their commitment, expertise, and good humor. It has been
a joy to work with this dynamic people over the years.
I look forward working in
my new capacity with the City Council, City staff, 2020 Vision
for Berkeley's Children and Youth, the East Bay Green Corridor
Partnership, and all our community partners to make Berkeley,
Cal and the East Bay the best place in the world.
My last day in the Mayor's
Office will be November 30th.
After a relaxing month of December, I will begin my new position
at UC Berkeley on January 2, 2012.
Julie Sinai
Steve Smith emails the video
"Transparent VW manufacturing facility."
Definitely, check it out!
END
POST FROM THE PAST
3/17/09
our Kruse's solar array
with Acme's, bleacher-like,
in the background
END
11/18/11
MISCELLANEOUS RAMBLINGS
our Janine emails
I offered to help a friend
sell his grand piano.
It is a 6'5 Bechstein
grand, built in 1881, serial number 13177. (The same vintage as
Liszt's Bechstein.)
The action was professionally
restored and recently regulated by Israel Stein. It has new Abel
hammers appropriate to the instrument. Lovely tone, excellent
condition. Stable tuning. Asking $16,000. If interested please
email David Cates at pluck3@hotmail.com.
The piano is in Berkeley, CA.
"French horn players gather at UC Davis
in quest to master difficult instrument" by Edward Ortiz at sacbee.com.
sacbee photo
"Some call it a musical
dance that always tempts disaster.
Such is the way musicians
describe the devilish undertaking of playing the French horn.
A tiny mistake on the instrument?
That can lead to a blown,
or 'cracked,' note so self evident it is the equivalent of instant
stage nakedness."
"In a California Vineyard, Bluebirds Earn
Their Keep" at nytimes.com.
"In an innovative study,
nest boxes installed at a California vineyard attracted hundreds
of birds that picked the farmers' crops clean of pests in exchange
for the free housing. The experiment is heartening news for conservationists
amid reports of shrinking habitats and population declines for
so many species.
'Placing songbird nesting
boxes in agricultural landscapes can provide suitable nesting
sites for a lot of birds that used to be plentiful 100 or 200
years ago but lost their natural landscapes,' said Julie Jedlicka,
an ornithologist at the University of California, Berkeley.
Dr. Jedlicka set out to study
whether installing the nest boxes would help attract the birds
and reduce pests. Her research, published last week in the journal
PLoS One, confirmed her hunch.
In an innovative study, nest
boxes installed at a California vineyard attracted hundreds of
birds that picked the farmers' crops clean of pests in exchange
for the free housing. The experiment is heartening news for conservationists
amid reports of shrinking habitats and population declines for
so many species.
"Placing songbird nesting
boxes in agricultural landscapes can provide suitable nesting
sites for a lot of birds that used to be plentiful 100 or 200
years ago but lost their natural landscapes," said Julie
Jedlicka, an ornithologist at the University of California, Berkeley.
Dr. Jedlicka set out to study
whether installing the nest boxes would help attract the birds
and reduce pests. Her research, published last week in the journal
PLoS One, confirmed her hunch."
"The Pollinator Crisis: What's Best for
Bees?"
"Pollinating insects
are in crisis. Understanding bees' relationships with introduced
species could help."
"Is a stranger genetically wired to be trustworthy?
You'll know in 20 seconds" Yasmin
Anwar, UC Media Relations.
"There's definitely
something to be said for first impressions. New research from
the University of California, Berkeley, suggests it can take just
20 seconds to detect whether a stranger is genetically inclined
to being trustworthy, kind or compassionate.
The findings reinforce that
healthy humans are wired to recognize strangers who may help them
out in a tough situation."
END
POST FROM THE PAST
11/10/08
Bob Kubik emails
Street Art on 4th south of
University
END
11/19/11
MISCELLANEOUS RAMBLINGS
a usually level-headed reader
emails about my visit to City Hall
the unstoppable DORF
Looks like you've been to
the inner sanctum and come back out alive! Did you challenge
Da'Bos to a mayoral race?
Charlie Rose conversation
about the New York High Line development must
be viewed.
"A Conversation about
the NYC High Line with Amanda Burden, director of the New York
City Department of City Planning, Diane von Furstenberg, Robert
Hammond, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Friends of the High
Line and Joshua David,Co-Founder and Executive Director of Friends
of the High Line."
Amanda Burden's "You
can measure the health of a city by its public spaces" would
leave west-Berkeley a little anemic.
Don't
be meek!
Make
John Coltrane Park
in
Potter Creek.
And Tavis Smiley's conversation
with Chris Isaak is seriously beyond entertaining.
"The singer-songwriter,
whose new CD is 'Beyond the Sun,' discusses the music of Elvis
Presley and, with his guitar, demonstrates why he thinks Presley's
music is 'just so damn pretty.'
Watch it here.
Finally, Rose conversation
"A
discussion about College Sports" is disturbingly honest.
It's with Joe Nocera, Taylor Branch and Jon Wertheim.
"IBM Watson Visits Stanford and UC Berkeley
to Engage the Next Generation of Leaders" at finchannel.com.
END
POST FROM THE PAST
11/18/10
Miscellaneous Ramblings
Around Six yesterday morning
Berkeley police talked a man down from a tree on Shattuck Avenue.
He came down, was not injured and was wearing what appeared to
be a dress--an attractive print. The street was reopened after
the man was taken into custody.
Merryll's, when women rule
absolutely
Also yesterday morning, our
city street-cleaner was thoroughly cleaning the streets in Potter
Creek. However our many over-night parked cars interfere with
perfect cleaning.
Tuesday the head of our Joint
Chiefs of Staff said that the national deficit is our number one
national security issue, so I'd watch and listen real close to
Charlie Rose conversation with"Erskine
Bowles and Alan Simpson, Co-chairs, US Deficit Commission"
of which one viewer wrote "This show concerning our country's
deficit was right on. Difficult decisions must be made and our
elected officials must listen and act now."
If you find Rose, Bowles
and Simpson on the our deficit too heavy, then let stand-up Dennis Miller mess
wtih your mind on the Tavis Smiley Show. Miller is one beautifully
deranged man.
END
11/21/11
MISCELLANEOUS RAMBLINGS
"A
five-alarm fire in Berkeley destroyed a four-story building on
Friday night Nov. 18, 2011, closing pubs and cafes and leaving
residents of its 39 apartment units without a home. No injuries
were reported but a pet Chihuahua was reported missing" a photo report at mercurynews.com.
The photos truely give a
sense of the fire's scope.
And because of the scale
of the disaster, in addition to Berkeley FD and Berkeley PD, other
city resources became involved including those of the Office of
Economic Development and the City Managers Office.
As of6:30 PM, 11/20/11 becasue
of the fire, the interesection of Telegraph and Haste remained
closed and the cause of the fire was undetermined.
"Occupy
protests spread to US college campuses"Christine Armario at seattlepi.com.
"Mellower
Occupy movement grows in the suburbs" writes Kevin Fagan, Chronicle Staff .
"And there is, unbeknownst
to many, a lot of occupying being done beyond big city borders.
At least 30 Occupy movements exist from Santa Cruz north through
Alameda and Concord to Vacaville, Napa and Santa Rosa.
The message is the same as
in the big cities."
"Foreign hackers targeted U.S. water plant
in apparent malicious cyber attack, expert says" Ellen Nakashima at washingtonpost.com.
"Foreign hackers caused
a pump at an Illinois water plant to fail last week, according
to a preliminary state report. Experts said the cyber-attack,
if confirmed, would be the first known to have damaged one of
the systems that supply Americans with water, electricity and
other essentials of modern life."
"IBM reveals secrets of Watson's Jeopardy
triumph:Too many rules can spoil the bouillon bisque broth"
by Iain Thomson at register.com.
"IBM has explained the
principles behind how its Watson machine bested the world's finest
Jeopardy players, even if it can't handle Siri.
In a lecture at the University
of California at Berkeley, IBM research scientist Eric Brown outlined
the history of the project, and provided some details about how
Watson was able to sort through a variety of structured and unstructured
data in the fastest time possible. His team of 30 engineers spent
four years designing the current system, and believe it has great
potential for non-gimmicky purposes."
"A piece of World War II history discovered
in the Delta" by
Tom Barnidge, Contra Costa Times.
83 ft Cutter class
"When U.S. Coast Guard
Cutter 83525 was commissioned in 1944 -- the newest addition to
the American war fleet -- it was 83 feet of compact maneuverability,
ideal for convoy, search-and-rescue and submarine-busting missions.
. . .
It looked like a waterlogged
eyesore, not a piece of World War II history, when its bow was
pulled from Delta waters Wednesday near Fishermans Cut, where
the ship had been scuttled 10 years before. . . .
About the same time, Gianni
LaRosa, one of the ship's former owners, learned of its storied
past when his daughter Sophia unearthed recent research by a naval
historian. LaRosa had lived aboard the ship. . .
Once funding was acquired, the recovery mission began in earnest.
The bow that was raised from
the water Wednesday will be used to build a monument at the Rio
Vista Coast Guard station. The intact shaft, propeller and rudder
will be donated to a museum.
No one is more thrilled than
LaRosa, who proudly displayed a binder filled with official documentation
of the ship's honored place in history. He conceded that it was
sad to see its condition today, 'but it pleases us to no end that
it will not be forgotten as it has been for 60 years.' "
An ex-cop, in the mid-90s
after retirering, Gianni worked for Wells Fargo as security at
the Wells Potter Creek Business Center. At that time he regularly
contributed to Scrambled Eggs and Lox.
"During World War II, the Japanese maintained
a garrison on Aguijan.
This garrison is noteworthy because of its surrender to U.S. forces
September 4, 1945, two days after the surrender on the USS Missouri.
The surrender is unique because it was the only surrender hosted
by a U.S. Coast Guard Cutter, USCG 83525."
END
POST FROM THEPAST
5/23/06
Recently Gianni LaRosa spent
three weeks in his Sicily and Italy.
END
11/24/11
MISCELLANEOUS RAMBLINGS
HAPPY
THANKSGIVING!
"Time magazine names Santa Cruz predictive
policing program one of the year's top inventions" Jessica Pasko, Santa Cruz Sentinel.
"The city police department's predictive policing program
has garnered yet another accolade. The program is being named
as one of the 50 best inventions of 2011 by none other than Time
magazine."
Perhaps the best conversation
of the year is Charlie
Rose with Conservative NY Times columnist David Brooks. Filled
with insights of our times, Brooks simply out does himself.
END
POST FROM PAST
8/18/11
"Predictive
Policing: The Future of Law Enforcement?" by Beth Pearsall
at nij.gov.
"Law enforcement explores
ways to anticipate and prevent crime.
For years, businesses have
used data analysis to anticipate market conditions or industry
trends and drive sales strategies.
Walmart, for example, learned through analysis that when a major
weather event is in the forecast, demand for three items rises:
duct tape, bottled water and strawberry Pop-Tarts. Armed with
this information, stores in the affected areas can ensure their
shelves are fully stocked to meet customer needs.
Police can use a similar
data analysis to help make their work more efficient. The idea
is being called 'predictive policing,"'and some in the field
believe it has the potential to transform law enforcement by enabling
police to anticipate and prevent crime instead of simply responding
to it.
In November 2009, the National Institute of Justice, in partnership
with the Bureau of Justice Assistance and the Los Angeles Police
Department, held a Predictive Policing Symposium to discuss this
emerging idea and its impact on the future of policing. Researchers,
law enforcement officers, crime analysts and scientists gathered
in Los Angeles for three days to explore the policy implications,
privacy issues and technology of predictive policing.
What Is Predictive Policing?
Predictive policing, in essence,
is taking data from disparate sources, analyzing them and then
using the results to anticipate, prevent and respond more effectively
to future crime.
Predictive policing entails
becoming less reactive. 'The predictive vision moves law enforcement
from focusing on what happened to focusing on what will happen
and how to effectively deploy resources in front of crime, thereby
changing outcomes,' writes Charlie Beck, chief of the Los Angeles
Police Department."
Santa Cruz PD is on the predictive
policing cutting edge--my memory is that their mayor is a Socialist.
END
11/25/11
MISCELLANEOUS RAMBLINGS
a Potter Creek
Thanksgiving
Last week as I was leaving
City Hall after my tour and lunch, I said to the company "If
you ever hear that I'm running for mayor, call the men with the
butterfly nets in the white coats 'cause for sure I've lost it."
"That may not be a bad quality for a Berkeley mayor"
replied my host.
our Patricia emails
(excerpt)
Hi Ron
I am particularly interested
in your hazardous waste info---having lived [ here ] for 22 years
now I have seen (or smelled) the neighbourhood change. I try to
corroborate this with others in my building but they don't seem
to have as sensitive sniffers. I often smell the sulphurous night
releases . . . . I would like more info on this as no one seems
to be paying that much attention and this is a mixed residential
neighborhood with two schools withing a few blocks of me . . .
.
Patricia
This Fall I've started regularly
smelling "coal smoke" in Potter Creek. How do I know
it's "coal smoke"? I grew up next to a railroad freight
yard.RP
on 11/6/11 I posted
"I'm told LBNL will
be announcing their decision on the location of the second campus
not as scheduled in November but at the end of January
2012.."
Earlier this year, at the
time of the the Aquatic Psrk LBNL presentation, I'd heard that
the decidion would be annouced in late February. RP
"Berkeley Lab Decision Delayed to 2012" alamedapatch.com.
"The decision on the
site for Berkeley Lab's second campus originally expected in late
November will now be announced in early 2012" alamedapatch.com
"UC Starts Inquiry on Rally Violence"
Patrick Kulp, dailynexus.com.
"UC President Mark Yudof
and the California State Legislature announced yesterday that
they will launch separate investigations into recent university
"police violence"* against student protesters at UC Berkeley and
UC Davis."
*quotes mine
"What is it like being a professor of Corporate
Social Responsibility (CSR) at the University of California Berkeley
Haas School of Business when the Occupy movement takes the campus
by storm?" asks
huffingtonpost.com.
"For one thing, it makes
for some great teachable moments."
"Dreaming helps ease painful memories" timesofindia.com
"Dreaming acts as a
soothing balm to heal our wounds, according to a new research
from the University of California, Berkeley."
END
Merryll's ps
supremely funny
Happy Thanksgiving! From the Gobbler
11/26/11
MISCELLANEOUS RAMBLINGS
"Andronico's closing its Telegraph Avenue
store" Jason W.
Lloren, Chronicle Staff Writer. "Andronico's is closing
one of its three remaining stores in Berkeley, the 82-year-old
supermarket chain announced . . . ."
Potter Creek residents
in front of "Potter
Creek worker" van
"Occupy movement inspires rise in U.S.
campus activism"
at uk.reuters.com. "Violent confrontations between
police and protesters at two University of California campuses
have drawn a new cadre of students into the Occupy Wall Street
movement and unleashed what some historians call the biggest surge
in campus activism since the 1960s."
Conservative, Robert Weidemer
outlines a dire future but gives some survival strategies in "The
Unthinkable Is Poised to Happen, Economist Warns" moneynews.com.
"The Aftershock Survival
Summit is a gripping, no-nonsense presentation that's quickly
becoming a financial beacon in an economic tsunami."
"Europe's darkness at noon" Barry Eichengreen at cnn.com. "It
may be hard to imagine that Europe's crisis could worsen, but
it just has."
Still, . . . remember . .
. the"Internet
'has same weight as a strawberry"
. . . a report at digitaljournal.com.
END
11/27/11
MISCELLANEOUS RAMBLINGS
A Jerry Victor conclusion
of some years past that "Californians
must make big shift to electric power to meet long-term energy
goals" has become a miamiherald.com story by Mike Taugher
of the Contra Costa Times.
"California must be
fully electrified 40 years from now with residents driving only
electric cars and plugging them into a grid powered by carbon-free
power plants if the state is to meet its most far-reaching climate
goals, according to a new study."
And again years ago, Jerry
reported that his firefighter friends were concerned about the
safety of the then new hybrid cars because of their "untested
batteries."
AP reports "New
fires involving the lithium-ion batteries in General Motors Co.'s
Chevrolet Volt have prompted an investigation to assess the risk
of fire in the electric car after a serious crash, the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Friday."
and Steve Smith suggests
that in these hard times
"Estonian
Army" photo via Steve Smith
defense cutbacks will be
more severe in some countries than others
Perhaps unknowingly, in keeping
with exploring the "contradictions of capitalism," AP's
Chris Hawley asks at sfgate.com
"How much crazier can Black Friday get?"
But whoa . . . Tony Burchyns
of Vallejo Times-Herald reports "Technically,
online shoppers throughout California owe sales tax on purchases."
Again at sfgate is story
about the tension between food trucks and restaurants. Worth reading,
but
a student reporter at Washington DCs abclocal.com cuts to the
chase in a minute or so video report that is simpler, tightly
informative, and fresh . . . and I enjoy the straight ahead "DC
Perspective."
Also in Washington, the Post
asks "Why African Americans aren't embracing Occupy Wall
Street" . . . and answers it here.
Finally, Kubik sends a link
to to Bloomberg's "U.S.
Workers' Sliding Share of Pay Poses Spending Risk.
Income gains in the U.S.
are slowing and workers' slice of the earnings pie is shrinking,
raising the risk that consumer spending slackens next year."
END
December 2011 here
from my log
11/12/11--9:52 AM---dry
dirty air in front room, "asbestos"* odor, mucus
membrane irritation. 6:06 PM--SERIOUS irritant in front room,
burning dry air, mucus membrane irritation. 6:51 PM--dry dirty
air in front room, "asbestos"* odor, mucus
membrane irritation, watery eyes, blurred vison. 8:25 PM--dry
dirty air in front room, "asbestos"* odor, mucus
membrane irritation, watery eyes, overrides HEAP filters, wear
respirator.
11/13/11---12:59 PM--SERIOUS
irritant in front room, burning dry air, mucus membrane irritation,
watery eyes, blurred vison.
11/14/11--11:02 AM--dry
dirty air in front room, "asbestos"* odor, mucus
membrane irritation. 5:28 PM--dry dirty air in front room, "asbestos"* odor,
mucus membrane irritation.
11/15/11--10:31 AM---dry
dirty air in front room, "asbestos"* odor, mucus
membrane irritation. 7:17 PM---dry dirty air in front room, "asbestos"*odor,
mucus membrane irritation.
11/16/11-- 10:13 AM--dry
dirty air in front room, "glass manufacturing" odor.
11:11 AM--dry dirty air in front room, mucus membrane irritation.
11:25 AM--nausea. 1:06 PM--dry dirty air in front room, "asbestos"
* odor,
mucus membrane irritation. 9:15 PM--irritant in front room, burning
dry air, mucus membrane irritation, watery eyes.10:01 PM--dry
dirty air in front room, "asbestos" * odor, mucus
membrane irritation. Most probably these odors and irritants
are a product of manufacturing, which of course is prohibited
in our MUR zone after 10:00 PM.
11/17/11--12:04 PM--dry
dirty air in front room, "asbestos" * odor, mucus
membrane irritation. 2:35 PM--similar. 2:50 PM--nausea, light
head. 4:17 PM--similar.
11/18/11-- ~1:00PM---dry
dirty air in front room, mucus membrane irritation. 5:03 PM---dry
dirty air in front room, "asbestos"* odor, mucus
membrane irritation. 6:45 PM--dry dirty air in front room, "asbestos"* odor,
mucus membrane irritation. 7:24 PM--VERY SERIOUS irritant and
dry dirty air in front room, "asbestos"* odor,
mucus membrane irritation.
11/19/11--6:02 AM--irritant
in front room, mucus membrane irritation. 6:36 AM--similar. 4:11
PM--VERY SERIOUS irritant in warehouse front and front of warehouse.
11/20/117:51 AM--irritation
in warehouse front and front of warehouse, mucus membrane irritation,
Marsha same. 2:34 PM--dry dirty air in front room, "asbestos"* odor,
mucus membrane irritation. 3:44 PM-- irritant and dry dirty air
in front room, "asbestos"* odor, nausea, mucus membrane irritation, overrides
HEPA fitlers. Only appartent surrounding activity, worker at
Adams and Chittenden Scientific Glass. 6:31 PM-- irritant and
dry dirty air in front room, "asbestos"* odor,
mucus membrane irritation, overrides HEPA fitlers. 8:17 PM:irritant
and dry dirty air in front room, "asbestos"* odor,
mucus membrane irritation.
11/21/11--4:50 PM==SERIOUS
irritation in warehouse front and front of warehouse, mucus membrane
irritation. Off-and-on, evening, night, morning, dry dirty air
in front room, mucus membrane irritation.
11/22/11--3:17 PM---dry
dirty air in front room, "asbestos"* odor, mucus
membrane irritation. 5:10PM--similar, off-and-on since 3:17 PM.
11/24//11--12:32 AM--irritation
in warehouse front and front of warehouse, mucus membrane irritation.
1:41 AM--similar. 1:04 PM--dry dirty air in warehouse front and
IMMEDIATELY in front of warehouse, mucus membrane irritation,
watery eyes, blurred vision. 1:25 PM--similar. 1:48 PM similar
and light head, headache, overrides HEPA filters. 6:00 PM--dry
dirty air in front room, mucus membrane irritation, overides
HEPA filters. Off-and-on all day.
11/25/11--1:26 PM--irritant
in warehouse front and front of warehouse, mucus membrane irritation.~3:45
PM---dry dirty air in front room, mucus membrane irritation.4:12
PM--"gas odor" in warehouse front. 4:51 PM--VERY SERIOUS
irritant in warehouse front and front of warehouse, SERIOUS mucus
membrane irritation, watery eyes, running nose, etc. Marsha similar.
5:52 PM--dry dirty air in front room, SERIOUS mucus membrane
irritation, Marsha similar, overides three HEPA filters. Only
appartent surrounding activity, Adams and Chittenden Scientific
Glass.8:27 PM-- irritant and dry dirty air in front room, "asbestos"* odor,
nausea, mucus membrane irritation, overrides HEPA fitlers.
11/26/11--1:365 PM--VERY
SERIOUS irritant in warehouse front and IMMEDIATELY in front
of warehouse, SERIOUS mucus membrane irritation, watery eyes,
running nose, nausea, etc. Marsha similar. Off-and-on all AM.
2:07 PM--similar, nausea and overrides three HEPA filter, wear
respirator. 2:56 PM--similar, "high end" odor, chills.
6:00 PM--dry dirty air in warehouse
front and IMMEDIATELY in front of warehouse, mucus membrane irritation.
11/27/11 11:01 AM-- dry
dirty air in front room, mucus membrane irritation. 4)5 PM--dry
dirty air in front room, mucus membrane irritation. similar off-and-on
all day.
11/28/11 ~5:00PM till ~9:00
PM SERIOUS irritant in warehouse front and IMMEDIATELY in front
of warehosue, dirty dty air, SERIOUS mucus membrane irritation.
11/29/11--8:06 PM-- dry
dirty air in front room, "asbestos"* odor, mucus
membrane irritationdry dirty air in front room. Similar off-and-on
all day.
11/30/11--7:33 AM--mucus
membrane irritation. 7:57 AM--similar. 7:01 PM, dry dirty air
in front room, mucus membrane irritation.
* actually the odor is EXACTLY
like that coming from a freshly opened tube of EPOXY.
Understand, length
of exposure to irritant is critical, just walking past warehouse
is not sufficient; "IMMEDIATELY in front of warehouse"
means just that--a few feet or less, and for some time; the irritant
is often odorless--understand even some lethal gases are; irritant
is experienced only "now and then"; and irritant has
after life.
eternally useful
links
Bay Area home prices from sfgate.com
Bay Area foreclosures from sfgate.com
Our City Council update is
here.
Our Planning Commision update
is here
You can find more information
about our current weather conditions than is good for you at www.wunderground.com
Want to see weather coming
in, going out, beautiful sunsets, and much, much more? Check out
http://sv.berkeley.edu/view/
This very hip site was in an email from reader and contributor,
Tony Almeida. Read Tony's Jimi Hendrix story on the only page that routinely gets
more hits than Scrambled Eggs.
Best gas prices in 94710,
as well as all of US and Canada, are here
at gasbuddy.com
Kimar finds Costco routinely
has the lowest price.
Richmond
Ramblers' motorcycle club member, Cliff Miller emails a very
useful link
If you ever need to get a
human being on the phone at a credit card company or bank, etc.,
this site tells you how to defeat their automated system and get
you to a human being within a few seconds.
http://gethuman.com/
Markets
is not just a reference for Berkeley-Hills radicals with 1.5 mil
homes and considerable portfolios.
Our City of Berkeley Boards
and Commissions page is here--redone
and friendly.
Berkeley
Police reports at insidebay area.com are here.
Our Berkeley
PD Site with crime statistics and more is here.
Crime Log for 94710 is
here
This site is NOT affiliated
with Berkeley PD.
Take time to report
crime!
All reports
of crime-in-progress should first go to Berkeley PD dispatch--911
or non-emergency, 981-5900. THEN make sure you notify EACH of
these City people.
The contacts
are below:
Our Area
Coordinator, Berkeley PD - 981-5774.
AND check out BPD feature
"Who
are these Suspects."
Ryan Lau,
aid to Darryl Moore - 981-7120 rlau@ci.berkeley.ca.us
Darryl Moore,
City Councilman dmoore@ci.berkeley.ca.us
More
Scrambled Eggs & Lox, here
and
Stories about Berkeley and stories about recorded-music
are at
Journal of Recorded Music 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11
ronpenndorf@earthlink.net
The original owner of all
posted material retains copyright. The material is used only
to illustrate.