SEPTEMBER 2009

after 9/7 here, after 9/15 here, after 9/25 here

First day of school

École Bilingue, Ninth Street Campus

from the Bowl restaurant RP

 

 

9/1/09

"Kermit Lynch rocks!" is a story at dallasnews.com. "And plays blues, country, folk and more. Kermit Lynch, the legendary Berkeley, California wine importer, owner of Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant and author of 'Adventures on the Wine Route,' will release a CD this fall, and has chosen a Texas wine shop as the venue for his record release party.

Lynch will be celebrating the release of 'Man's Temptation' on Monday, November 9 at a party at Vino Vino in Austin."

 

 

 

 

Our Councilman, Darryl Moore emails his update (excerpts)

Have You Considered a Career in Public Safety?

Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
This exciting training course combines 150 hours of classroom time with 50 hours of clinical observation with hospitals, fire departments and ambulance services. Students will learn how to provide basic emergency care to patients with acute illnesses or injuries. Successful students will be prepared to take the national board exam needed to become a California State certified EMT. Students must be able to pass a state background check in order to be certified.

Registration Open 8/19/09:
http://asap.berkeley.net/onlinereg/
Adult School Office: 510.644.6130
1701 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley
Fall Session Begins 09/14/09:
Mandatory Orientation 9/11, 0830-1130a
Winter Session Begins 01/08/2010:
Mandatory Orientation 01/06/10, 530-830p
Financial Aid:
Financial aid is available in limited amounts.
Contact the Berkeley Fire Fighters Association for more information; info@bffa1227.org.

Sponsored by the Berkeley Adult School, the San Francisco Paramedic Association and the Berkeley Fire Department.

 

 

Berkeley loves its libraries, and the Berkeley Public Library invites the whole community to attend the first of many neighborhood meetings to discuss branch improvements. 

Please come and share ideas, meet the architects, learn about the projects' scopes, and ask questions.  We value your input!

South Branch
1901 Russell Street at MLK, Jr. Way
Thursday, September 17th
6:30 ­ 8:00 PM

North Branch
1170 The Alameda at Hopkins
Wednesday, September 23rd
6:30 ­ 8:00 PM

Berkeley Public Library is embarking on a most vital program to renovate, expand and make structural, seismic and access improvements at its four branch libraries as well as the Tool Lending Library, including the restoration and refurbishment of historic features.  The neighborhood branch library buildings are in great need of these upgrades in order to make them not only seismically safe and ADA-accessible but also updated to meet modern library users' needs.  "This is a tremendously exciting time for the Berkeley Public Library and the entire community," said Board of Library Trustees President and City Councilmember Darryl Moore. "Within just a few years Berkeley will have safe, accessible, and modern neighborhood libraries for the new millennium.  Community members with whom I have spoken are thrilled to know that their branch library buildings will be safer, easier to use, more modern, and more comfortable."  
During Spring 2009 selections were made by the Board of Library Trustees, and approved by the City Council, of Architectural Resources Group (www.argsf.com/) in Association with Tom Eliot Fisch (http://www.tomeliotfisch.com/) as the architectural design team for North Branch and Field Paoli (www.fieldpaoli.com/) as the architectural design team for South Branch and Tool Lending Library.  Architectural Resources Group has a wealth of experience in doing historic renovations, including the renovation of the San Francisco Public Library's Golden Gate Valley Branch and the historic Angel Island Immigration Station.  Field Paoli has designed many public libraries and neighborhood community buildings, including San Jose Public Library's Almaden Library & Community Center. 
In support of the Berkeley Public Library's Branch Renovation Program, the Berkeley Public Library Foundation (BPLF) has undertaken a $3 million capital campaign that will fund all furniture, fixtures and equipment vital to the life of each branch.  "The Berkeley Public Library Foundation is thrilled to begin this campaign.  The branches need to be updated. We are excited to help complete the transformation of one of our community's greatest treasures," said BPLF Executive Director Roxanne Figueroa. 
 The City of Berkeley and the Berkeley Public Library look forward to engaging the whole community in the expansion and renovation of their Berkeley Public Library neighborhood branch libraries.  For updates on the branch projects, please check bulletin boards in any neighborhood branch location or online at, please got to http://berkeleypubliclibrary.org/ and click on Branch Renovation Projects.  To receive updates by email, please contact Alan Bern, Community Relations Librarian, alb2@ci.berkeley.ca.us.

 

 

A few announcements from the Berkeley Climate Action Team

To learn more about the Berkeley Climate Action Plan please visit www.BerkeleyClimateAction.org
Berkeley Climate Action Plan Executive Summary available in hard copy
The Berkeley Climate Action Plan was unanimously adopted by City Council on June 2, 2009.  Hard copies of the Executive Summary are available for distribution and can be picked up at 2120 Milvia St.  Please reply to this email if you or your organization would like one or several copies to distribute.
Limited hard copies of the full Climate Action Plan report will also be available soon.
The Climate Action Plan is also available online at www.BerkeleyClimateAction.org.

 

 

Berkeley, Get Off Your Gas Again!  Contest

The City of Berkley is once again hosting a natural gas efficiency contest for the winter of 2009-2010.  All Berkeley residents (renters and home owners) who receive PG&E natural gas service are encouraged to start now to reduce their winter natural gas consumption by making deep energy improvements in their homes and apartments, from draft-sealing and insulating to turning down water heater temperatures to 120 F. and insulating water pipes and heating ducts. 
Prizes will be awarded to contestants who reduce their natural gas consumption from last winter (percentage of reduction, or lowest overall gas bill), or who devise creative ways to reduce their consumption. Last year's prizes included theater tickets, gift baskets, coupons to the Berkeley Farmer's Market, and free home energy testing valued at over $500.
Applicants are encouraged to attend the Home Performance Workshops listed above in this email, to learn how to maximize energy savings, increase comfort, and improve indoor air quality.
Applications will be available online in February 2010, but you must make the improvements NOW to be competitive.  For more information, please contact the Contest Manager at Energy@CityofBerkeley.info or call 510-981-7435. 

Sincerely,
Darryl Moore
Councilmember, District 2

 

 

So, if I run for mayor, I'd

be telling fairytales?

30-40K a year for story telling, . . . hmmm

 

 

Da Boz emails The Bates Update (excerpts)


 Downtown Area Plan - Next Steps
 
August, 2009: Opponents of Berkeley's new Downtown Area Plan, which could revitalize downtown and help the city meets its climate-change goals, have gathered enough signatures to put the issue on the ballot. 
 
It now appears that there are three options for the Council to consider: 1) Berkeley City Council can rescind the original Downtown Area Plan entirely, 2) Council can rescind the Downtown Area Plan and adopt a modified plan or 3) the Downtown Area Plan can be put on the ballot in June 2010.

Stay tuned for updates. 

For more information on the subject, please see the following articles:
- East Bay Express, July 1, 2009 - You're not an Environmentalist...  by Robert Gammon
- The Daily Californian, August 10, 2009 - Overdue by Senior Editorial Board

 


Vacancy on the Berkeley Housing Authority (BHA)  Board of Commissioners

August, 2009: Mayor Tom Bates is seeking a Berkeley resident to appoint to Berkeley's Housing Authority Board of Commissioners. 
 
The Berkeley Housing Authority administers approximately 1,939 subsidized rental-housing units through the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program and the Moderate Rehabilitation SRO program. The Berkeley Housing Authority also owns and manages 75 units of public housing. For more information about the Berkeley Housing Authority, please go to: 
http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/housing
 
Interested candidates are asked to send a resume with cover letter via email, fax, or mail to:

 Office of Mayor Tom Bates
2180 Milvia St. 5th Floor
Berkeley, CA 94704
Phone: (510) 981-7100
Fax:  (510) 981-7199
mayor@cityofberkeley.info
 

 
5th Annual Volunteer Mobilization Day
 
August 25 2009: On Tuesday, August 25, more than 85 incoming graduate students in public health spent the afternoon performing public service at nonprofit organizations throughout Berkeley as part of the 5th annual UC Berkeley School of Public Health Volunteer Mobilization Day. The event is sponsored by the UC Berkeley School of Public Health and the Berkeley Mayor's Office.  
It is a great opportunity for the public heath students to get to know and provide a helping hand to Berkeley's community service providers.

Sincerely,
 Tom 

 

 

"Hancock and Bates -- political marriage" by Dave Newhouse, Oakland Tribune columnist.

"What do the mayor of Berkeley and the state senator from California's 9th District have in common? Well, besides being married to each other, Tom Bates and Loni Hancock have walked the same paths politically, nearly tripping over each other."

 

 

"People making a difference: Dara O'Rourke:This consumer advocate teams up with analysts and rates products to make shoppers smarter" is by Michael B. Farrell Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor.

"Dara O'Rourke wants to change the way we shop. He already is spurring a growing number of cautious consumers to think twice about what they buy ­ from soap to soup, detergent to deodorant. Mr. O'Rourke is cofounder of a website and iPhone app called GoodGuide, a sort of CliffsNotes to the confounding and complex world of ingredients typically ­ but not always ­ found listed on the back of everyday products. "

 

 

 

"World's smallest laser created by scientists. Scientists have created the world's smallest laser after they squeezed light into a space smaller than a protein molecule" is a report at telegraph,uk.com.

The breakthrough heralds a revolution in optical technology, paving the way to 'nanolasers' that can probe and manipulate DNA, and super-fast computers and telecommunications. "

 

 

"Berkeley Police Officers Played Key Role in Ending Kidnap Saga" is a report at insidehighered.com.

"The rescue of Jaycee Lee Dugard, kidnapped at age 11 in 1991 and freed only last week, has captured widespread attention. Her rescue is due in large part to the work of two police officers at the University of California at Berkeley: Lisa Campbell and Ally Jacobs."

 

 

 

"Girl's abduction offers lesson in trusting gut feelings" opines Marjorie Cortez at deseretnews.com.

"If we've learned anything about the abduction - and the 18-year captivity of Jaycee Lee Dugard - it's that you ought to follow your gut feelings."

 

 

 

post from the past

9/2/08

Jarad and Eva email

This beautiful cat has been a non-aggressive playmate for our cats for several months now. It looks skinnier than in the Spring of this year. We are wondering if anyone has info on a possible owner for the cat.
 
It comes by to visit multiple times a day at 2335 10th Street and has even invited itself indoors when we are home with the back door open.
 
If it is an abandoned stray (very friendly, but cautious), we'll need to try and find a home for it before the weather turns.

 The cat is very tall, sleek, elegant looking that reminds us of an Egyptian statue. If you have any info, please let us know.
 Jarad & Eva

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

posts from the past

9/2/03

HAPPY 100TH BIRTHDAY

MOTOR COMPANY!

 

WELCOME BACK E'COLE BILINGUE!

 

 

9/2/09

Claudia and Cameron just got a review of The Bark in Magazine Rack. Read it here at mediapost.com.

 

 

There is a bulletin board at the Bowl just outside the restaurant on the wall facing the parking area--neighbors are encouraged to post.

There was a block power outage in Potter Creek Sunday PM/Monday AM. It lasted about an hour.

Looks like a new roof for Andrew and Karen.

 

 

"New Berkeley Bowl dares to stand out" is a review of the West Berkeley Bowl's design by John King at sfgate.com.

"Here's what I like about the architecture of the new Berkeley Bowl: I notice that it's there. And in a world where most large retail boxes are designed to put you to sleep, that's quite an accomplishment."

Anticipation of the review gave Kava a restless night, Kava said.

 

 

"The price is high when taste comes first" by Samin Nosrat, Special to The Chronicle.

"Samin Nosrat was sous chef at Eccolo until it closed last Saturday. Here she shares what goes on behind the scenes as the restaurant struggled - and ultimately failed - to survive.

As I watched my cooks pack up their knives after Eccolo's final dinner service last Saturday, the first tears of the night assaulted my eyes."

 

 

 

"This year, rankings don't rankle Tedford so much" opines Ray Ratto, Chronicle Staff Writer at sfgate.com.

 

 


"Experts Point to 5 Emerging Majors" is a story by Jack Kadden at nytimes.com.

If you're not sure that majoring in English is going to pay off in the current economy, The Chronicle of Higher Education offers a few alternatives ­ what it calls "five emerging areas of study" as cited by academic experts, business analysts, and economic forecasters.

The new majors are service science, health informatics, computational science, sustainability, and public health."

 

 

 

"Redemption Song:Assessing the media version of the Kennedy 'legacy'" is by Christopher Hitchens at slate.com.

Refreshing analysis, bad timing. RP

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9/4/09

"Heisman Hopeful: Jahvid Best, California, Jr" is a short story at washingtonpost.com.

"Best could be the nation's most explosive player. He is the strongest Heisman Trophy candidate on the West Coast after making seven runs of at least 60 yards last season. If Best finds open field, he will eventually find the end zone just about every time."

 

 

"Five Bay Area happy hour spots" is by Jessica Yadegaran in the Contra Costa Times.

"In a time of great uncertainty, there is one thing we can rely on as we head into Indian summer. And it's not heat. It's happy hour.

The tradition has become elevated in recent years, as Bay Area restaurants offer dinner-sized appetizers and traditional bars add nibbles to their menus. These days, imbibing after work and stuffing our gullets is almost an art."

 

 

"AC Transit Proposes Series of Line Cuts" is by J. Douglas Allen-Taylor of our Planet.

"Faced with falling revenues, AC Transit is proposing a series of cuts and adjustments of service throughout the two-county bus district."

 

 

 

Susan Brooks emails

First Saturday Open House.

Saturday September 5th,12-5 p.m.

One of a kind Jewelry & Works on Paper

2547 Eighth Street # 24a (between Dwight and Parker) Berkeley

(The studio is also open every Thursday 12-5, by appointment,
and the First Saturday of the month)

I will be joining other artists and craftspeople in the
Sawtooth Building for Open Studios the First Saturday of each month

Hope you can drop by.

Susan Brooks
http://www.susanbrooks.com
2547 Eighth Street 24a
Berkeley, California 94710
510 845-2612

 

 

 

 

Pacific Garbage Patch' expedition finds plastic, plastic everywhere" by Paul Rogers at cctimes.com.

"Scientists who returned to the Bay Area this week after an expedition to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch brought piles of plastic debris they pulled from the ocean - soda bottles, cracked patio chairs, Styrofoam chunks, old toys, discarded fishing floats and tangled nets.

But what alarmed them most, they said Tuesday, was the nearly inconceivable amount of tiny, confettilike pieces of broken plastic. They took hundreds of water samples from the Farallon Islands near San Francisco to the notorious garbage patch 1,000 miles west of California, and every one had tiny bits of plastic floating in it. And the closer they sailed to the garbage patch, which some researchers have estimated to be twice the size of Texas, the more plastic pieces per gallon they found."

 

The first I heard of this was maybe two years ago and it sounded so absurd I thought I was being put on. Sadly, I wasn't. The guy who, it is clear now, scooped all and hipped me to this was "Big John" Norheim, not unknown for his straight-faced put-ons, however. RP

 

 

 

post from the past

9/4/03

 

 

 

Geoff, fellow record and motorcycle collector, is a regular visitor to Potter Creek,

sometimes on his limited edition Ducati

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9/5/09

Jackson, Steve and Patti are moving from Potter Creek today, Saturday.

 

Last night, Friday, KTVU-TV Channel 2 News at 5:30 reported on energy savings of our Berkeley Bowl. PG&E estimates that the Bowl's solar panels will generate about 150,000 kilowatts a year and presented a check to the Bowl for 167K for electricity so far produced and returned to the grid. Da Boz was there, lookin' good and presiding over the event.

 

linemen

removing telephone pole-supports along Pardee, yesterday

 

 

 

"Green Day stage musical opens Friday" is a story at rockradio.com.

"The stage musical version of Green Day's blockbuster 2004 album, American Idiot, opens on Friday (September 4th) at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre in Berkeley, California, with the theatre also announcing that the show's initial run has been extended due to record-breaking ticket sales. According to Green Day's publicist, the show will now play through November 1st after first being scheduled to close on October 11th. Tickets for the new dates go on sale next Wednesday (September 9th)."

 

 


"No. 12 Cal opens season against Maryland" reports Josh Dubow, AP Sports Writer at mercurynews.com

"For California, last year's cross-country trip to play Maryland turned into a lost weekend full of bad memories that still haunt the Golden Bears.

From the loss to an unranked opponent to the sight of star Jahvid Best on his knees vomiting following a hard hit, the 12th-ranked Bears feel like they owe Maryland something when the two teams open their seasons Saturday at Cal."

 

 

"Maryland @ No. 12 California: From East to West" by Brett Gellman at bleacherreport.com.

"While the California Golden Bears defeated Washington State by a whopping 63-point margin in the second week of college football last season, the Maryland Terrapins suffered defeat from the unlikeliest of foes in an ugly loss to Middle Tennessee State. Both teams were scheduled to face each other the following week, with Cal being the obvious favorite to win."

 

 

 

"Women's Soccer: Longhorns to face St. Mary's, Berkeley. Family and friends to make trip to Northern California to show off Longhorn spirit" by Laken Litman at dailytexan.com.

Sophomore Leah Payne is one of many Longhorns who get to return to their home state of California for games at Berkeley.

There will be more burnt orange in the stands than expected at the University of California, Berkeley this weekend.

That's because as the Texas soccer team heads to the West Coast to play Saint Mary's and No. 14 Berkeley this weekend, six California-raised Longhorns will get to see their families, all of whom will be there watching.

 

 

 

"Drowned Body Found Near Berkeley Marina" by Richard Brenneman, the Planet.

"Coast Guard crew members pulled a man's body from the waters of San Francisco Bay near the Berkeley Marina Wednesday morning, and investigators are trying to confirm if the body is that of a possible suicide reported to Richmond Police Aug. 24."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9/6/09

I'm devastated!

Krispy Kreme's Pinole store has closed. Life will never be the same!

 

The average browsing time per page yesterday was 1 hour 42 minutes per reader.

"It's because it's so complicated" said Lipofsky.

 

 

Kubik and Carol email

We live on Pardee a block from San Pablo.  In the last week I have called in five whores and one pimp.
The trash and used rubbers in the street testify to a resurgence of sex traffic in our neighborhood.
I see them mostly at 6:00 am and after 5:00 pm into the evening- the corners at Grayson and Pardee
are central to their business.
     The Center for the Education of the Infant Deaf and the French American school as well as the 
new Berkeley Bowl are in this neighborhood and there are increasingly resident families.  We do not
need this type of illegal business here.  As you well know drugs are often associated with prostitution.
     Some years ago we were overwhelmed with prostitutes and pimps and the police came to our rescue,
Please help us before this spins out of control again.

Bob Kubik and Carol Whitman   981-9239  

 

 

"Seen and Heard in Berkeley" is a little report at washingtonpost.com.

"It's always a great scene in Berkeley, Calif. A cluster of fans gathered on Tightwad Hill, the popular name for Charter Hill which rises to the east of the stadium giving fans a great look at the game. The fraternity houses were rocking around College Avenue and surrounding streets. A little bit of a fog covered the top of the surrounding hills, and temperatures may dip to around 50 degrees."

 

 

"Merchant agrees to candy ban" by Doug Oakley, Berkeley Voice.

"A Berkeley store owner has agreed to stop selling candy bars and sodas to middle school students who come to his store for a morning fix in a move school officials say is a first in the city.

That means students seeking Snickers, Twix or Coca-Cola will be out of luck from 8 to 9 a.m. before they start their day at Longfellow Middle School.

Friendly Market owner Yaser Musid, who has five kids of his own, said he will lose up to $100 a day in the deal. But he agreed with school counselor Rosina Keren that keeping junk food away from kids before school is a good idea."

 

 

 

"Fine-tuning buildings' energy systems urged" by Matthew B. Stannard, Chronicle Staff Writer.

"What if there were a way to save the nation $30 billion a year in energy costs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 300 million tons a year and create thousands of new jobs - using existing technologies and at a price so cheap that it would pay for itself in the first year?

Evan Mills, a researcher at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, says there already is one: building commissioning, the art and science of maximizing the energy efficiency of commercial buildings."

 

 

 


"Suddenly, Maurice Sendak is everywhere" is a story by Jackie Burrell at Contra Costa Times.

"Higglety pigglety pop! And then there's Rosie, Max and his Wild Things, and Pierre, who just didn't care.

Maurice Sendak's images and plump-cheeked, irrepressible characters fill children's imaginations. Even now, perhaps decades after their last perusal of "Where the Wild Things Are," most adults can still recite entire sections of Sendak's classic picture book with delight.

So there can be just one reaction to the news that Spike Jonze's film version of Max and the monsters will hit the cineplex Oct. 16, barely more than a month after a major Sendak exhibit opens Sept. 8 at San Francisco's Contemporary Jewish Museum.

Let the wild rumpus start."

 

 

 

posts from the past

9/3/07

Great Block Party yesterday held by the work/live folks on 9th--good food, music and pretty much 40 people at all times. At which, Lipofsky smart-cracked about Cal's 45-31 victory over Tennessee "Not this much excitement in Potter Creek since the Berkeley Bowl."

 

 

9/8/07

Labor Day weekend in Potter Creek was peaceful with lots of folks out walking, biking, skate-boarding, rollerskating and playing.

 

Tippett's behind-Bob-and-Carol's-generator is now fitted with a high exhaust stack--and for a while now has been running in what looks like a large shipping container.

 

In keeping with the better-late-than-never, Kruse Plumbing's August 22 Green Chamber of Commerce mixer was a smashing success with about 80 people in attendance from all over the Bay Area. It lasted three hours and began with Dave Kruse introducing founder James Carter who spoke about the organizations' goals--food and drinks were served.

Diana Whitehead, Kruse' Controller organized the event. Diana is also a member of the Green Chamber's Board of Directors. For information about the the Green Chamber check out www.greenchamberofcommerce.net. They plan to meet every 2 months.

 

Tulip Graphics has leased warehouse space across from Consolidated Printing.

 

Bill from Mobility Systems stopped by yesterday morning. In addition to providing transportation for the disabled for decades, Bill raced dirt cars in 1980s/90s. I've been trying to get photos of those days from him--he's still looking.

 

Our new mailwoman starts this week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9/7/09

The average browsing time yesterday was 41 minutes per reader.

 

"It's like sitting next to a piccolo player I thought to myself." That's the noise, constant during the day, probably coming from the Bayer facility. Carried on the wind, it's like it's across the street. The sound has been noticed by Merryll, Morgan and Tracy, me and Marsha, and Marvin who is four blocks downwind. The noise is REALLY annoying, mostly because of it's pitch. Marvin talked to Bayer security Saturday who said she'd called it in. MW biked around the Bayer property and said you can't really hear it north of Pardee and 7th, but it's REALLY loud on Grayson at the Bayer south gate.

 

 

Patti Siri's few parting words on moving from Potter Creek. "The people are real here. At night with all the business gone it's deserted, I don't feel safe. Steve likes being around all the workers, he was raised in the mid-West, in Ohio."

 

 

 

Kubik's down but not out--his email

Sunday I had a bike accident - I've had worse, but I managed to break my helmet instead of my head, and crack a rib.
Only a little road rash, but also a bruised hip.  So, I won't be at yoga or Pilates or weights for a while, in fact I've put my 
gym membership on hold until I can comfortably return.  I'm being well cared for by my resident nurse.  The biggest problem
is sleeping at night due to the cracked rib.
     I did it all by myself no one else was involved.  I'll probably be out for a month or six weeks.  It gives me a chance
to do a home practice on the yoga postures available to me.

 

Kimar emails

Hi Ron
I read about your friend Kubiks' bike accident and cracked rib.  My brother Gordie did the same thing last month, he too had trouble sleeping.  His solution, sleep in a recliner or lawn chair or chaise lounge in an almost sitting up position.  He said he was all supported with pillows etc, not like trying to sleep on an airplane.  He did sleep well and the rib did heal, and he is back to riding his electric bike

 

 

 

 

"Venice honour for Pixar directors" reports BBCNEWS.

"The animation directors of Pixar studios have won the Venice Film Festival's lifetime achievement award - the first team to be given the honour.

Chief creative officer John Lasseter and its other directors are behind hits including Finding Nemo and Toy Story.

Pixar has made 10 films, four of which have won best animation Oscars. "

 

 

 

 

 

post from the past

9/8/07

About a film edited in Potter Creek's Fantasy Studios Patricia Yollin writes " The making of a feel-good film: 2 Bay Area women trace the (shocking) history of vibrators

Bay Area filmmakers Wendy Slick and Emiko Omori never imagined that it would take more than seven years to make a documentary about one electrical appliance. They were wrong.

Their subject was the history of vibrators.

'Wendy and I both came out of the sex and drugs and rock 'n' roll
generation,' Omori said. 'We thought we knew it all. We hardly knew
anything.'"

I met Wendy and Emiko at lunch a week or so ago at 900 GRAYSON. I was with Marvin and Ruth, and Emiko, a friend of Ruth stopped at our table.

Marvin and Ruth were having Grayson Burgers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9/8/09

I'm told by several reliable sources that Kava purchased the Hustead property last week from the owner and that the "deal has closed." I'm also told that Kava has no immediate plans other than cleaning up and then leasing a south part to the Bowl "for parkng." I believe the wrecking yard will be closed.

 

I'm also told that Flint Ink has been "bought" and is in closing.

 

 

 

Berkeley PD Lt Greenwood emails

Ron,
 
Thanks for putting (out the Eva Pena missing person bulletin). Glad to report she was located in Oakland last Friday.
 
Sgt. Kusmiss let our folks know:
 
The missing person, Eva Pena, the subject of this earlier release has just been located in Oakland. We wish to thank the community and the media for their support.
 
Best regards,
 
Andy G.

 

 

 

a concerned mailworker emails a heads up (excerpts)

Ron,

Potter creek residences need house numbers clearly visible from the side walk.  No house numbers, no mail delivery by substitute letter carriers.  (Applies to any houses on 900 Grayson.) . . .
 
Recently our routes have had blocks added from routes that were abolished.    We are pretty tired by the time we finish our own added-onto route.
 
We, substitutes,  do not guess what the address is suppose to be for the house(s) without numbers visible from the side walk, but just mark on the mail:  "No number, no delivery." 
 
 Numbers painted on the curb "do not count", as we walk on the sidewalk not in the street.   
 
Some of us have been disciplined for delivering mail to an incorrect house.  It is our responsibility to correctly deliver the mail to the correct house, but with no visible number on the house or mail box we now bring the mail back for the regular letter carrier . . .

 

 

 

Viva Burrows emails a link to her web-page, shoot-to-edit, here.

Lead today is the thought

"The Deaf Community in Palestine

A new idea I'm pondering. A voice that is never heard in the politics of the Israeli Occupation for more reasons than one. This will be a documentary film project in collaboration with my sister, Nora Barrows-Friedman and her friend Jennie. We have our first brainstorming session tonight. What a powerful and visually stunning project this could be. Stay tuned for updates! In the meantime, take a second to look at this center in Gaza for families of deaf children called Atfaluna. They do incredible work and hopefully they will be who we feature in our film."

 

 

 

 

Extensive quote from a story at policeone.com"Understanding Domestic Violence: The 'arrest default position' for domestics."

"Data from the Berkeley Police Domestic Violence Prevention Unit
The University of California (UC) Berkeley is generally recognized as one of the best and most prestigious public universities in America. The Berkeley, California census reports that Whites account for 59.2 percent, Asians 16.4 percent, African-Americans 13.6 percent and Hispanics 9.7 percent of the population of Berkeley, California.

The report, Creating a Structured Decision-Making Model for Police Intervention in Intimate Partner Violence is the result of a collaborative effort between domestic violence interveners, the Berkeley Police Department, and researcher Madeline Wordes.

On page 12 of the MFSJ report, the author questions what the implications of the DOJ default arrest policy will be for poor men and men of color. The data from Berkeley is quite clear about the ramifications of the default arrest position. The data from Berkeley, when carefully read and clearly understood, demonstrates that the DOJ and the African-American community need to become concerned about DOJ sponsored 'default arrest' policies.

On page 23, the Berkeley report documents that while African-Americans account for only 13.6 percent [a little more than 1 in 10] of the population they account for 68 percent of suspects almost 7 of 10] in domestic violence police reports. Whites account for 59.2 percent of the population and only 11 percent of [about 1 of 10] domestic violence police reports.

What is equally stunning is that the data in the Berkeley report regarding the differential of these arrests has been ignored by the DOJ and overlooked by many researchers. These numbers represent real differentials that can not be ignored. We need to understand what these differentials represent. Do these differentials represent racial bias, cultural differences, class inequity, or perhaps a combination of all three?

Regardless of the specific context, circumstances, or characteristics of these arrests, they may confirm the worst fears about the 'mass incarceration of poor men and men of color' expressed in the MFSJ report (p. 12). The DOJ needs to sponsor a study that justifies or explains to'the African-American community, and in fact all Americans, the reasons for these dramatic 'Berkeley differentials."

This Berkeley 'arrest as a default position policy' takes place in one of the more, 'wealthy,' and 'educated"'communities in America. The DOJ also needs to examine just what this 'default arrest position' has created in communities that are not as 'wealthy, or educated?' A 2004 National Institute of Justice report, When Violence Hits Home: How Economics and Neighborhood Play a Role, documents; 'Because a higher percentage of African-Americans live in disadvantaged neighborhoods and face economic distress, they experience higher rates of intimate violence compared with whites'(p. ii).

Safety and Preventative Concerns
The Berkeley report, as do an increasing number of others, raises questions of the efficacy of making arrests for all domestic violence incidents. In Berkeley the highest repeat abuse rates are found for incidents where arrests are made despite the lack of evidence [problem cause] that an assault had actually taken place (p. 26).

In Berkeley approximately one in five (21 percent) arrests are being made where there is no observable criminal behavior, no injury and there are implications that the arrest exacerbated the conflict and did little to resolve the underlying problems (p. 26).

This data demonstrates that officers made arrests in these incidents that lack traditional 'probable cause' due to a department presumptive arrest policy that encourages arrest for all domestic violence incidents, including some incidents that may not have any physical contact (p. 10).'

The report also suggests that arrest does not deter people who are 'heavily involved in the criminal justice system' (p. 26). The report documents that, 'Suspects having a prior conviction for domestic violence also shows a slightly higher recidivism rate than average (p. 33).'

The Berkeley study is a most interesting and informative DOJ-sponsored report. The Berkeley study supports the belief that arrest is a far too simple a solution to what is a very complex and multifaceted problem. It is time to question why so many negative outcomes of an 'arrest default position' continue to fall silent on the ears of so many interveners, researchers, and the DOJ." 

 

"Berkeley teen convicted in murder of this father" by Doug Oakley, Oakland Tribune.

"Charles Faison, of Berkeley, was a hardworking father raising three kids on his own when one of them, for reasons unknown, murdered him with a gunshot to the head last summer, a prosecutor said Monday.

A judge last week found 16-year-old Davon Faison guilty of first-degree murder with an enhancement for using a gun in the death of his 40-year-old father, said Georgia Santos, a deputy district attorney in the Alameda County Juvenile Justice Center.

Davon Faison, who turned himself in four months after the shooting, on June 19, 2008, will be sentenced Oct. 8."





"Green day's Idiot musical gets extended run" is a story at moneytimes.com.

"Green Day's highly-anticipated punk rock opera American Idiot is proving to be a hit with fans - theatre bosses have extended its run by three weeks due to 'unprecedented demand' ".

 

"Change sweeps through Bay Area performing arts organizations" opines Richard Scheinin at mercurynews.com.

"Longtime leaders are out. Fresh blood is in. A changing of the guard is under way this fall at a bevy of Bay Area arts groups - including San Francisco Opera, the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra and Cal Performances, to name three with national cachet.

Winds of change don't often blow so sweepingly through the cultural landscape. But with a troubled economy and tighter budgets, the organizations are hoping the fresh talents will connect with their established audiences - and bring in new folks, too. Yet the margin for error is slim, even for well-funded groups such as the opera. "

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9/9/09

The average browsing time per reader on Tuesday was 20 minutes for a total of 3477 hits.

 

Acme's Ken, who managed the 9th Street fleet of delivery trucks worked 75 hours on his five day weekend with the closed Bay Bridge. Tuesday morning he came to work at 2 AM planning for deliveries this morning with a still-closed bridge. Bridge opened and Ken left and got some sleep.

 

 

"Kosher wines as special as the High Holidays" writes Jessica Yadegaran, Contra Costa Times.

"Last Rosh Hashana, I took a bottle of Barons de Rothschild Haut-Medoc to my parents' house for the sundown dinner. My brother-in-law eagerly filled his cup with the fine, kosher wine. My sister, pregnant at the time, sniffed it with envy. But, my father, ever the traditionalist and the son of a rabbi, stuck to Manischewitz."

 

 

 

"Hello, Goodbye: Berkeley Chamber of Commerce CEO Resigns" reports Riya Bhattacharjee of our Planet.

"The new CEO for the Berkeley Chamber of Commerce has left before he even arrived."

 

 

"Scribbles in TheMacBundles September Bundle" is a press release at prmac.com. "atebits has announced that Scribbles is part of TheMacBundles September bundle, along with 11 other fantastic Mac apps. Scribbles is a drawing tool for everyone. Whether you want to sketch a cartoon, draw a birthday card or jot down some design ideas, Scribbles can help bring your imagination to life."

 

 

"California Golden Bears: The Ready for Primetime Players?" opines Ian Chaffee at bleacherreport.com.

"Last Saturday in Berkeley, spirits were running high, with the kind of spirit they haven't had, well, one hopes, since 1959.

Maybe it was a result of what is usually the longest offseason in all of major American sport, producing an effect on the opening day of college football akin to, ironically, the last day of school. Maybe it was because everybody was another year older, and any (and, for the most part, condoned) excuse to regress into post-adolescence is more welcome than ever. Maybe, on a related topic, it was those long and tall pours they give you at the campus pub The Bear's Lair.

Or, maybe, just maybe, there's something special in the air about this season, something the fans can't put their finger on just yet, but know they can feel."

 

 

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 new Area Coordinator is Officer Karen Buckheit, Berkeley PD - 981-5774 kbuckheit@ci.berkeley.ca.us

Angela Gallegos-Castillo, City Mgr Off - 981-2491 agallegos-castillo@ci.berkeley.ca.us

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.