September 2010

after 9/8, here after 9/24, here

Hawaii

and the Smiths' Kid, Jack, with older friend

 

9/1/10

our French School's first day

saw kids AND parents

 

 

"Cougar killed near Berkeley's Gourmet Ghetto" Henry K. Lee, Chronicle Staff Writer.

"Berkeley police shot and killed a mountain lion early [Tuesday] as it roamed a neighborhood around the city's world-famous Gourmet Ghetto for at least an hour, leaping over fences from one backyard to another.

 Residents speculated that the lion had been hunting for deer that are commonly seen in the area. But Patrick Foy, a state Department of Fish and Game warden, said it was unclear what the cougar was doing in a residential neighborhood, a bagel's throw from the birthplace of California cuisine. There were no signs that it had killed any domestic pets, he said.

'We found no reason why it should have been there,' Foy said. 'It's a very odd situation. It's just very unusual.' "

 

"Why the Berkeley mountain lion was not tranquillized" by Lance Knobel at berkeleyside.com.

"Our story yesterday, about the Gourmet Ghetto mountain lion which was shot and killed at 3.26am on Walnut Street, elicited unprecedented interest from Berkeleyside readers. Many of the commenters on the story wondered, in particular, why the police officers shot the lion, rather than tranquillize it.

According to Fish and Game warden Patrick Foy, there are very few instances where tranquillizers are an option with mountain lions. 'When the animals are bounding over fences, as happened in Berkeley, there aren't many options,' he said. 'When you put a dart in the animal, I've seen them go a half mile, even a mile or more. They become an even greater threat.'

Foy said that the ideal situation is being able to divert the mountain lion back into the wild. That would apply, for example, if a mountain lion was found near a wilderness area with a clear route back. This would have been impossible in the built-up area of north Berkeley.

Berkeley police don't carry tranquillizer darts, and they aren't standard issue for wardens either, Foy said. "

 

 

"Wounded Fremont officer 'a cop's cop" Henry K. Lee, Demian Bulwa,Matthai Kuruvila, Chronicle Staff Writers.

"Fremont police Officer Todd Young craved action, first as the head of Newark's SWAT team and then as a member of a southern Alameda County gang task force.

That craving, police say, led him to cross paths with Andrew Barrientos, 20, an alleged gang member from Union City arrested over the weekend on suspicion of shooting the 39-year-old officer in East Oakland.

Friends and colleagues describe Young as a dedicated police officer and devoted family man to his wife, Nicole, and their two children, an 8-year-old girl and 5-year-old boy."

 

 

 

 

"California Student Hampered by Budget Cuts" is a report at pbs.org.

" Twenty-year-old Jessica Martin has long dreamed of going to college at U-C Berkeley, near her hometown of Alameda, Calif. For the past three years, she attended Laney College, a local community college, until she was eligible to transfer to Berkeley.

But, at Laney, a funny thing happened: unable to get into certain classes at Berkeley due to state budget cuts, students from her dream school began taking classes at the community college, making it more difficult for Jessica and her classmates to get the credits they needed to move on to Berkeley. And, now that she's finally made it to Berkeley where she plans to study Japanese and linguistics, Jessica is discovering her battles with the cash-strapped California school system aren't over."

 

 

 

"The Mother of All Grizzlies, Ruth Bader Ginsburg shows how feminism is done. Again" by Dahlia Lithwick at slate.com.

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.Justice Ruth Bader GinsburgAnyone who didn't already believe Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg to be fashioned of pure steel was reminded of the fact Friday night as she delivered a speech to a group of lawyers and judges that was meant to have been delivered by her husband. Martin Ginsburg had been invited to deliver his remarks at the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals' conference in Colorado Springs, Colo., but he died in late June of metastatic cancer. As Ginsburg explained Friday evening, "He had his speech all written out." And so she read it-with a handful of interpolations-in its entirety to several hundred rapt listeners.

 

 

 

His Honor Da Boz emails (an excerpt)

City of Berkeley Awarded $1.8 Million MTC Grant to Improve Downtown BART Plaza
Wednesday, July 28th, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) awarded the City of Berkeley $1.8 million from the Transportation for Livable Communities Grants (TLC) to help revitalize the Downtown BART Plaza.  The TLC grant will be used to renovate the Downtown BART plaza, providing a brighter, friendlier, greener gathering spot for the downtown. 
 
Four years ago, the City completed the Downtown Berkeley BART Plaza & Transit Area Urban Design Plan.  The plan proposed a complete overhaul of the Plaza, creating a more pedestrian friendly center that increased access to public transit - specifically BART and AC Transit.  The TLC grant application was a perfect opportunity for the City to secure funding for the redesign of the Plaza. The award of $1.8 million will help us realize a greener and more vibrant downtown". 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9/2/10

Quote of the week from Emeryville USPS worker, Sharon.

"In the New Normal 'Maintaining' has replaced 'Getting Ahead' ."

 

 

"Northern California fishing report" by Tim Goode at mercurynews.com.

"Berkeley:Five days left in the salmon season. Boats have been going toward Duxbury and Double Point for salmon 10-30 pounds. Most boats get 5-6 fish per outing. New Easy Rider on Monday had eight halibut and half limits of rock cod for 14. Rock-cod trips to the islands result in limits. 510-849-3333, 510-223-5388, 707-334-4827."

 

 

 

"A Syllabus and Book List for Novice Students of Science Fiction Literature" by Annalee Newitz, wired.com.

"Want to start reading some science fiction, but aren't sure where to begin? We've put together an introductory sci-fi lit syllabus just for you.
SF 101: Introduction to Literature Syllabus."

 

 

 

"Our Garden: Tomato woes and native plants" by Joan Morris, Contra Costa Times.

"Our Garden is, above all else, a demonstration garden. In the past few months, we've demonstrated how to test your soil, prepare it for planting and keep it healthy. And now, completely unintentionally, we're demonstrating what rotten luck we're having with tomatoes.

We'd like to pretend, of course, that this was all part of our plan to make you feel better about your non-producing vines. For many, this has just been a terrible year for tomatoes, what with the cooler and sometimes wetter weather, punctuated with brief heat spells that have shocked the plants.

But if you visit Our Garden, you're likely to see very anemic-looking tomato plants and smattering of undersized fruit. Our problems illustrate that even Master Gardeners can be wrong, or at least unlucky.

The plots we chose for our tomato crop this year had an advantage over the plots we used last year. Not wanting to grow tomatoes in the same place two years in a row, we chose the area that had laid fallow last year -- we had plans, but the onslaught of ground squirrels diverted our attention and we never got around to expanding."

 

 

 

 

"California Legislature passes energy storage bill" by Todd Woody, theenergycollective.com.

"The California Legislature has passed the nation's first energy storage bill, which could result in the state's utilities being required to bank a portion of the electricity they generate.

Assembly Bill 2514 now heads to the desk of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has made climate change and green technology his political legacy as his final term winds down.

Energy storage is considered crucial for the mass deployment of wind farms, solar power plants, and other sources of intermittent renewable energy, as well to build out the smart grid.

On the West Coast, for instance, the wind tends to blow hardest at night when demand for electricity is low. If utilities can store that wind-generated power - and energy from solar farms - in batteries, flywheels, and other devices, they can avoid building and firing up those billion-dollar, greenhouse gas-emitting, fossil-fuel power plants that are only used when demand spikes.

AB 2514 won the support of Jerry Brown, the California attorney general who is the Democratic candidate for governor. The Sierra Club and union groups also support the measure. Various business organizations, including the California Chamber of Commerce, opposed the bill.

Sponsored by Assembly member Nancy Skinner, a Berkeley Democrat, the bill was stripped of its more stringent provisions by the time it emerged from the legislative sausage-making process on Friday."

 

 

"Investing in Wind Power Is Smart - But Not How We're Doing It" by Marc Gunther, wired.com.

You're probably a fan of wind power. It provides a limitless supply of clean energy. The turbines are manufactured primarily in the rust belt, creating much-ballyhooed green jobs for unemployed factory workers. Wind farms generate profits for local utilities, alternative energy companies, farmers, and ranchers, not to mention manufacturers like General Electric. What's not to like?

Well, there's this . . . "

 

 

"Firm to build 75 biofuel filling stations in California" by James Cartledge, brighterenergy.org.

"Efforts to establish more than 75 new renewable fuel filling stations across California over the next two years got underway this week.

Celebrations were held on Tuesday in Oakland, at the first of 20 new alternative refueling stations planned for the Bay Area.

It was announced that the program, called the Low Carbon Fuel Infrastructure Investment Initiative (LCFI3), will be supported by a $10.9 million grant from the US Department of Energy and the California Energy Commission. . . .

Three locations are open in the Bay Area ­ Fremont, Oakland and South San Jose ­ while more sites are planned for Downtown San Jose, North San Jose, Berkeley, Palo Alto, Redwood City, Livermore, and Concord in the coming months.

Along with the new filling stations, the LCFI3 program will run education and community outreach programs, working with community partners CALSTART and East Bay Clean Cities, to raise awareness about alternative fuels."

 

 

 

"HP wants new computer memory technology from Hynix" theinquirer.net.

"HP has signed a deal with the chipmaker Hynix to commercialise its memristor technology.

The innovative memory technology allows more computer memory to be stuffed onto smaller devices. HP and Hynix said we can expect to see something on the shelves in about three years.

The most likely application of memristors is for dense nonvolatile memories, like flash memory cards for products like cameras and PCs.

But the boffins at HP and Hynix think that it could play a role in other kinds of chips.

The idea was first worked out by Leon O Chua, a University of California at Berkeley electrical engineering professor.

In 1971, he worked out the idea for a fourth basic circuit element to join the resistor, capacitor and inductor. His memristor, or memory resistor was a simpler alternative to transistors. As you might expect it did not really go anywhere until a team of HP boffins figured out how to make it in 2006."

 

 

"Bionovo, Berkeley researcher receive NIH grant to develop obesity drugs" by Alaric DeArment at drugstorenews.com.

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine's small business technology transfer program, part of the National Institutes of Health, has given a researcher and a drug maker a grant to develop drugs for obesity and metabolic syndrome in women.

Drug maker Bionovo announced Thursday the grant, which it will share with University of California at Berkeley researcher Dale Leitman. The grant will fund the first phase of a study to evaluate Bionovo's drug based on plant tissue as a prevention for female-specific obesity and metabolic syndrome, which can lead to cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes."

 

 

 

 

"WH economist calls for more spending, less taxes" at washingtonpost.com.

"Departing White House economist Christina Romer says the government has the tools for bringing down unemployment, but policymakers need to find the will and wisdom to use them.

Romer called on officials Wednesday to move forward on policies that will increase government spending and cut taxes. She also called for investments in infrastructure and new trade agreements."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9/4/10

"Our Neighbors: Support late Berkeley police captain at Richmond golf tourney" by Chris Treadway in the Contra Costa Times.

"Police and fire departments -- including personnel in Berkeley, Albany, El Cerrito, Oakland and Richmond -- are being recruited in support of a benefit golf tournament dedicated this year to one of their own.

The 26th annual St. Mary's College High School Golf Invitational, on Sept. 20 at the Richmond Country Club on Markovich Lane, is dedicated to Berkeley police Capt. Phil Doran, an alumnus of the school and its golf coach for 25 years.

Doran, a well-respected 32-year veteran of the Berkeley department who died June 4, was a member of the class of 1963 at St. Mary's High who went on to attend Saint Mary's College and UC Berkeley. Both of his children attended the high school as well.

Doran, a longtime member of Mira Vista Golf and Country Club in El Cerrito, was given a plaque at last year's tournament in recognition of his years of service to the school.

The annual tournament benefits St. Mary's High's need-based tuition assistance that this year will total $1.9 million and reach 35 percent of the school's enrollment of 630 students.

The tournament entry cost is $200 per person, and a $50-per-person '19th Hole' social and hors d'oeuvres reception at 5 p.m. is open to nongolfers. A raffle will award prizes all day, including weekend getaways and golf packages at area country clubs.

For details and reservations, call Joanne Howe at 510-559-6227 or e-mail jhowe@stmchs.org."

 

 

"Hancock leads tour of her district's budget woes" Josh Richman, Oakland Tribune.

"The governor's proposed budget cuts and the legislative budget impasse already are hurting real Californians with the most urgent needs, state Sen. Loni Hancock said Thursday.

Hancock, D-Berkeley, led a tour of her district to visit with some of those people -- social-service providers and recipients at the Center for Independent Living (CIL) in Berkeley, students and faculty at Berkeley City College, and child-care providers and parents at BANANAS Inc. in Oakland."

 

 

"The other Berkeley: A world class marina for fisherman" a story at tricountyrecord.com.

"Like most outdoor types, I'll admit to being an opportunist. Whenever I travel, I keep an eye out for an outdoors adventure of some type - usually of the hunting or fishing variety. Such was the case last week when my wife and I flew out to California's Bay Area to drop off my daughter Erin at college - UC Berkeley to be exact. So while Erin embarked upon her college career at the University of California's hallowed halls of learning, I took some time to check out Berkeley's somewhat less hallowed "hulls" of fishing - aka the Berkeley Marina located on the eastern shores of the San Francisco Bay.

You'll find the marina at the westernmost end of University Avenue, about a fifteen minute bus ride from campus, with its comprehensive fleet of charter and headboats that ply the windy, wavy waters of San Francisco Bay and some that venture into the Pacific Ocean beyond the Golden Gate Bridge."

 

 

"Berkeley Debates the Demise of a Cougar" by Todd Woody at nytimes.com.

"The appearance of a mountain lion Tuesday near downtown Berkeley, Calif., caused a stir in this animal-loving, environmentally conscious community, where residents may obsess about locally grown organic food but don't expect to be on the menu.

The mountain lion, a 100-pound female, was spotted around 2 a.m. Tuesday in the city's Gourmet Ghetto district, according to the Berkeley Police Department.

The cougar roamed within pouncing range of Alice Waters's Chez Panisse restaurant, the temple of California cuisine, where twice-cooked kid goat with cumin, ginger, eggplant, and chickpeas was the featured dish that evening. But the state's top-level predator probably was on the hunt for venison and got lost, according to wildlife experts.

"A mountain lion traveling through an urban environment is infrequent but looking at aerial photographs of the surrounding area you can see why it chose Berkeley," said Marc Kenyon, the statewide mountain lion program coordinator for the California Department of Fish and Game.

The reason: deer, the mountain lion's main prey. Berkeley is wedged between San Francisco Bay and sylvan foothills that abut miles of forested parkland. It's a mountain lion smorgasbord with cougar chow wandering the hills and valleys. (On Wednesday morning, for instance, I walked out of my hillside house to find a pack of deer ambling down the street.)

'Where there are deer, mountain lions not far behind,' noted Mr. Kenyon." 

 

 

 

"Currying flavor" by Eve Mitchell, Contra Costa Times.

"It started more than 20 years ago with Indian curries cooked on the stove of an Oakland deli and sold to residents.

a Contra Costa Times photo

"Today, Sukhi's Gourmet Indian Foods is a multimillion-dollar business that makes a range of curry sauces, chutneys, samosas and other foods sold in grocery stores and served in corporate and college cafeterias nationwide."

 

 

 

I am aware of three "smash and grab" attempts in west-Berkeley, one successful, within the last ten days. The glazier who responded to one said he's had similar calls lately throughout Berkeley.

 

 

 

 

"First marijuana TV ad airs in Sacto (without the 'M' word)" is a report at sfgate.com.

"A Fox News affiliate KTXL made headlines this week when it ran what the station said was the country's first paid TV ad for medical marijuana. "

 

 

 

 

"U. of California Retirement Fund Faces $20B Shortfall" a report at insidehighered.com.

"The University of California system's retirement fund faces a shortfall of $20 billion, according to a study released Monday, the Los Angeles Times reported. A committee that produced the study offered a number of recommendations for closing the gap, including raising the retirement age for new employees, increasing the contributions made by both the university and its employees, and reducing benefits."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9/5/10

Friday Nights at The Bowl

On Friday September 10 from 5PM till 8PM the West Berkely Bowl Café will have "live music, delicious barbecued chicken, pulled pork, pork ribs, burgers, Portabello mushroom sandwiches and salad with beer or wine."

One of the café workers, Sean Hood, is playing music.

And, the plan is to set up the barbecue grill outside

Definitely check it out!

 

 

Consolidated Printing contractor, friend and biker, Jeff Gray, at The Bowl

I told Jeff it would be much easier

to go over and ask the fellow just exactly what it was that he was having

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Wife Of Fremont Officer: Life Turned 'Upside Down' " is a cbs5 report and press conference video-excerpt with Ofc Todd Young's wife, Nicole. It puts a human face to the tragedy.

"The wife of a Fremont police officer who was shot and critically wounded trying to arrest a suspect in Oakland last week said Friday her 'whole life turned upside down' when she learned he had been shot.

Speaking with a trembling voice to reporters at Highland Hospital in Oakland, where 39-year-old Officer Todd Young is still recovering from his gunshot wounds, Nicole Young said doctors initially told her that her husband 'wouldn't make it off the operating table.' "

Very, much worth watching!

 

 

 

 

 

"Steamboat graduate Austin Hinder adjusting well to California" by Luke Graham at steamboatpilot.com.

"A year ago at this time, Austin Hinder couldn't go anywhere without getting attention.

He had just walked off the field against Holy Family in the opening week of the 2009 high school football season having put most questions about his lofty recruiting ranking and early commitment to the University of California-Berkeley to rest.

That day, the Steamboat Springs High School quarterback threw for 326 yards and five touchdowns in a 41-21 win.

But now, after his first fall camp with Cal and on the day his new team is set to open the season, Hinder is basking in a little anonymity.

He's traded reps with the first team for limited reps and a playbook. He's gone from big man on campus to freshman quarterback at a major Division I college."

 

 

 

"In the N.F.L. on Fourth Down, Romer Says Go for It" Eric Dash at nytimes.com.

"David H. Romer is a respected economist whose ideas influence central bankers and governments hoping to pull out of a recession. He was an early adviser to the Obama campaign along with his wife and frequent collaborator, Christina, who spent the last two years as President Obama's chief economist.

But on any given Sunday, Romer is better known as the brains behind a different kind of policy advice: what should N.F.L. teams do on fourth down?

Should they punt and try to leave their opponent with lousy field position? Settle for an easy field goal? Or take a chance by going for a first down or even a touchdown?

In a seminal 2002 research paper, Romer captured the attention of football writers, sports nerds and even Coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots after he crunched the numbers and concluded that N.F.L. coaches made the wrong decision a shockingly large percentage of the time."

 

 

 

"Lectures to Go With That Mai Tai" Elaine Glusac, nytimes.com.

Taheima Wellness Resort & Spa The campus,

a New York Times photo

er, resort where scholarly lecture sessions are offered.

"The most taxing mental task that you'll undertake at many all-inclusive resorts is deciding between a margarita and a piña colada. But the Tahéima Wellness Resort & Spa, just north of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, gives its guests more to ponder in a number of lectures by members of the faculty of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of California, Berkeley."

 

 

 

 

 

9/6/10

Saturday it was brought to my attention that mid-week A LOCAL FIRM LOST SEVEN COMPUTERS  in  a  SMASH AND GRAB BURGLARY.  

This is a three day holiday weekend BE REAL VIGILANT!

And within the last two weeks there were two other smash and grabs close by in west-Berkeley. The glasier that reponded to one said he's had similar calls around the city.

 

 

 

Kubik emails

Did you know these guys were in the neighborhood?

a 1938 Buick in front of

a Kubik photo

Wheelskins

"the world's finest in leather motoring, 2821 10th, Berkeley CA, 94710"

 

 

 

"Solid independent filmmakers such as Woody Allen, Danny Boyle and Sofia Coppola are back this fall, and they have taken on subjects that seem intriguing and cast actors you want to see" writes Ruthe Stein, Chronicle Movie Correspondent.

"The most sterling credentials, however, can amount to nothing, as we've seen again and again. Still, by seeking refuge in indies you're guaranteed a 3-D-free zone. Here are a few films that look especially promising. Opening dates are subject to change."

 

 

 

"The Untold Story of the Honorable Detective and His Rendezvous With American History" by Yunte Huang is a sort a book review with editiorializing at sfgate.com.

"Charlie Chan, the portly fictional Chinese American detective immortalized in six novels and 47 movies, starting in the 1920s, was a popular American cultural figure, but not to many Asian Americans, who detested Chan's stereotyped speech pattern (dropped prepositions, etc.), fortune-cookie aphorisms and the 'yellowface' casting of white actors to play Chan.

To be sure, Chan fans liked the humor of the "Chanisms" ('Truth like football - receive many kicks before reaching goal.') and the detective's ability to outwit the bad guys.

The dormant, but enduringly potent cultural war may be'reignited by 'Charlie Chan: The Untold Story of the Honorable Detective and his Rendezvous With American History," by Yunte Huang, a professor of English at UC Santa Barbara.

Huang's goal in writing the book 'is to demonstrate that Charlie Chan, America's most identifiable Chinaman, epitomizes both the racist heritage and the creative genius of this nation's culture."

 

I've always enjoyed Warner Oland's Charlie Chan--the "original" film Chan. Oland's character has an admirable cool, analytic mind, always solves his case, is gentle and loving especially with his many children and has a Number One Son as American as Apple Pie.

And he often makes the other characters, mostly European, look foolish.

Ok, Oland speaks a Pigeon English and is Nordic by birth but his Chan portrayal is respectful. But I do remember that in the '40s my Aunt Hattie, best described as "free thinker," thought the portrayal racist. But of course Aunt Hattie also thought chop suey was Chinese food.

Still, her heart was always in the right place.RP

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9/7/10

Twice Sunday, a fusillade of "Bottle Rockets" was heard coming from the vicinity of 900 GRAYSON--once mid day and again in the early evening. After a particularly expolsive "Cherry Bomb," Marsha, by then standing across from Grayson at the French School playground, yelled loudly "Stop that now!"

They did.

 

 

"Police, businesses, People's Park users view violence in different lights" by Doug Oakley, Contra Costa Times.

"Although violent crime and drug sales are nothing new to Berkeley's iconic People's Park, a series of violent incidents last month has everyone -- residents, businesses, volunteers, police -- talking.

The UC Berkeley-owned park, which was born out of a violent protest between students and police and national guardsmen in 1969, continues as a hot spot for those who challenge authority.

'I question whether the city can control the streets and whether the campus can control the park, and that's an open question,' said Roland Peterson, executive director of the Telegraph Improvement District, which represents 200 business in the area.

Those who use the park -- including resident homeless, migrating homeless and park volunteers -- say city and UC Berkeley police officers have overreacted to recent events. City and university officials say it's a yearly pattern that they try to control through police and public works coordination.

Peterson said the same groups causing problems in the park are terrorizing pedestrians and customers of businesses on Telegraph Avenue just a block away.

On Aug. 17, two Berkeley police officers attempting to serve a warrant on a man in People's Park were surrounded by 30 people who screamed at them, videotaped them and threw cans of dog food at them. One homeless man was arrested on two counts of battery on a police officer and possession of a dangerous weapon.

Late last month, a group of people in the park surrounded some UC Berkeley tree trimmers, who were accompanied by Berkeley and UC Berkeley police officers, and forced the officers to leave. Reports vary, but people using the park say UC police used pepper spray on one man and his dogs."

 

 

KTVU-TV video-report about "People's Park violencewith interviews of park 'residents.'"

 

"Campus, city police form joint safety patrol" by Caleb Dardick, UCB Government and Community Relations.

"A new joint police patrol by the University of California Police Department and the Berkeley Police Department will target improving public safety at night in the city's Southside neighborhoods as well as after UC Berkeley home football games.

The patrol is unique because it teams up in each of two squad cars one city and one campus police officer who will patrol neighborhoods near campus. Starting this semester, the patrols will take place Thursday through Saturday nights between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. Additional joint teams will be deployed before and after home football games.

Like all patrols city and campuswide, the new joint patrol's main charge will be to suppress violent and other crimes and to keep the peace."

 

 

 

Let's be frank, the city and university have decided for whatever reason to (again?) "clean up" the park.

In The Day, Moe then Mayor of Telegraph Avenue and always the mensch, still after an unpleasant encounter offered "We could trade one street person for two village idiots from Iowa and still come out ahead."

 

 

 

"Berkeley's Tilden Park has something for everyone" by Carole Terwilliger Meyers, Oakland Tribune Correspondent.

"How do I love thee, Tilden Park? Let me count the ways. And there are so many. This vast park, first opened to the public in 1936 and considered the main jewel in the crown of the East Bay Park District, has something for everyone.

Merry-Go-Round: Situated almost exactly in the center of the park, this restored antique gem pulls you into the fold with old-time tunes such as 'Let Me Call You Sweetheart' playing on its large band organ.

It was built in 1911 by the Herschel-Spillman firm in New York and brought to Berkeley in 1950. Thought to be one of only four classic four-row carousels remaining in Northern California, it closed temporarily in 2008 for major renovation. Now children and adults alike scamper to find their favorite ride -- a reindeer, zebra, giraffe, stork, frog, one of many horses or my favorite, the rooster.

Steam Train: The ride sits on private property, not inside the park, but no one seems to mind. The station is always bustling with smiling kids and picture-snapping parents waiting eagerly for the replica 15-inch gauge, 5-inch scale narrow-gauge, oil-burning miniature steam train to arrive. They squeeze aboard for the 12-minute scenic ride that includes one tunnel and two trestles."

 

 

"5 Things in September" at sfgate.com.

"Berkeley: This is the right place for a play called "Trouble in Mind," especially because it deals with themes of racism and civil rights in the 1950s. Alice Childress' play opens the 19th season of the Aurora Theatre Company and runs through Sept. 26."

 

 

 

 

"Plenty of choices in Berkeley City Council and school board races" by Doug Oakley, Berkeley Voice.

"Berkeley residents have plenty of work cut out for them on election day in November when they will choose four City Council members, three school board members and a city auditor.

Choosing a city auditor will be simple. Current auditor Ann-Marie Hogan is running unopposed.

But school board and City Council races are a bit more complicated. City council seats are chosen by districts and residents vote only for the candidate running in their district. On the school board however, each seat is voted on by residents across the city.

In City Council district one, on the northwest side of town, incumbent Linda Maio will square off against three challengers including community volunteer Merrilie Mitchell who is a regular at City Council meetings, youth recreation educator Jasper Kingeter and property manager Anthony Di Donato.

In district four, which is in the middle of the city, incumbent Jesse Arreguin is running against engineer and professor Bernt Wahl, geographic information systems analyst Eric Panzer and Berkeley planning Commissioner Jim Novosel.

The district seven race on the south east side of town near UC Berkeley features incumbent Kriss Worthington running against business owner Cecilia Rosales and computer programmer and community volunteer George Beier.

Beier has challenged Worthington two times before. This time around he has endorsements from six of the nine City Council members including Mayor Tom Bates, Darryl Moore, Susan Wengraf, Gordon Wozniak, Laurie Capitelli and Linda Maio. He's also endorsed by former Mayor Shirley Dean and Assemblywoman Nancy Skinner.

'I lost very narrowly last time by about 240 votes,' Beier said. 'Kriss Worthington has had 14 years on the council and people respect his work, but it's time for something fresh, something new, something different.'

Beier said his endorsements show a 'strong coalition' that is needed to help govern the city.

Worthington has said that even though Beier usually gets endorsements from several different groups, he still wins against him.

And the district eight race of the Berkeley hills, incumbent Gordon Wozniak is running against business owner Jacquelyn McCormick and teacher Stewart Jones."

 

 

 

 

"Bills would add CSU doctorates" by Laurel Rosenhall, sacbee.com.

"Two bills heading to the governor's desk raise a fundamental question about how California educates health care workers who are not physicians: How many of them need doctoral degrees?

Assembly Bill 867 would allow California State University to offer a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree, which would prepare professors to educate future nurses. AB 2382 would allow CSU to offer the Doctor of Physical Therapy degree, which a professional association has deemed will be necessary to become a physical therapist in 2015 and beyond."

 

 

 

"UAW's plan: Tap into worker discontent, focus on social justice" Brent Snavely of the Detroit Free Press.

"On this Labor Day weekend, the role of those who advocate for workers and those who want to work -- such as the UAW -- has never been more important.

U.S. unemployment stands at 9.6%, with Michigan at 13.1%."

 

Our Consolidated Printers ae working full steam printing ballots for the upcoming elections.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9/8/10

Our American Starch is now our Henkel, Corporation, 742 Grayson, 510-548-6722. They're almost at the end of Grayson across from the Bayer south entrance.

Their website offers

"At the beginning of the Company's history, we meet a 28 year-old merchant who was interested in science - Fritz Henkel. On September 26, 1876 he and two partners founded the company Henkel & Cie in Aachen and marketed his first product, a universal detergent based on silicate.

During the following years, this German family of entrepreneurs and thousands of their employees built Henkel into a global company.

Corporate Culture

Henkel operates in a wide variety of countries and cultures. Our corporate culture and our Vision and Values help unite our diverse workforce and provide standards for how we conduct our business.

Vision & Values

From our Vision and our five Corporate Values, we have formulated globally binding behavioral rules which are specified in a series of codes. In all business areas and cultures in which we operate, they provide guidance for the behavior and actions of our employees.

Our Codes

The Code of Conduct contains general corporate principles and behavioral rules and helps employees to respond correctly and appropriately when faced with ethical and legal issues. The Code of Teamwork and Leadership provides guidance for the conduct of managerial and non-managerial staff at all levels. The Code of Corporate Sustainability describes our principles and expectations of sustainable business practices and corporate social responsibility. It is given concrete form by Company-wide standards.

Our Strategic Priorities

Our globally applicable codes and standards are backed up by integrated management systems and an organization structure with clearly defined responsibilities."

More about just what they do, here.

 

 

Rocket Restaurant Resources has just opened on Seventh a block north of Ashby and the "Public is Weclome."

 

 

David B emailed last night that there is a meeting of one of the Potter Creek groups at 6:30 tonight at 2700 8th--8th and Carleton. It's a brief get together to take a vote on their west-Berkeley Project position paper. I emailed him last night for some more details but by this mid-afternoon have received no reply.

 

 

 

"Reports show decline in wages, rise in health costs--Middle-class prosperity key to economic recovery" by Clare Howard, in the Peoria Journal Star.

"Labor Day 2010 saw more to mourn than to celebrate.

Two reports released last week document an erosion in wages for the middle class and an increasing portion of health insurance premiums that were shifted to employees.

Robert Reich, secretary of labor in the Clinton administration and professor of public policy at University of California Berkeley, concluded the recession won't end until the middle class starts sharing in prosperity, a lesson once learned painfully and slowly in the economic recovery after the Great Depression.

William Feipel, economics professor at Illinois Central College, said 10 tax cuts over time for the wealthiest Americans indirectly contributed to the current recession.

Recovery will come when the middle class has job security, real income growth and resumes spending, he said, noting the investment and spending needed to stimulate the economy does not come from wealthy Americans buying and selling stocks and bonds. It comes from investment in machines, equipment and factories."

 

 

 

"Berkeley Rep Brings Free Programs To Local Schools" a story at broadwayworld.com.

"With ongoing budget battles in California and across the country, local schools are caught in the crosshairs - and funding for arts education continues to decline. Yet here in the Bay Area, Berkeley Repertory Theatre persists in its 40-year commitment to keep the arts alive for children in our community. In addition to numerous low-cost programs for local schools and teachers, Berkeley Rep now offers one free teaching hour to every public school in the nine-county Bay Area!"

 

 

 

 

"Berkeley Olive Grove: Old Ways in the New World" by Sophia Markoulakis, Olive Oil Times Contributor.

"Don't be confused by the name. Berkeley Olive Grove 1913 extra virgin olive oil originates hundreds of miles from the East Bay's iconic gourmet ghetto streets. That's not to say that there isn't a connection-an academic link that turned educators into businessmen at the turn of the century. The area around Oroville, California, attracted the attention of several members of the University of California when reports were published between 1900 and 1904 regarding the region's exemplary olive-growing climate. In 1913, as many as 15 professors individually invested in some land and, within the course of their lifetime, managed the largest planting of Mission olive trees in the world.

Today you can still find this pristine piece of land producing Mission olives, its stately trees providing a protective habitat for a thriving ecosystem. Being good stewards to this abandoned piece of land was Darro and Olivia Grieco's primary intent when they heard it was bank owned and available. "Initially, I wasn't thinking about olive oil, but conserving and bringing the land back to its glory," says Darro Grieco. Within two years Grieco was producing award-winning extra virgin olive oil from this hundred-year-old grove under the name Berkeley Olive Grove 1913."

 

 

 

"Mad Men: 'The Suitcase' Is Tougher Than Sonny Liston" a summary and review at huffingtonpost.com.

How nice of AMC to run one of the better episodes of Mad Men on Labor Day weekend. (That's a little joke.) Fortunately, it's not one of the more mysterious ones. As always, there be spoilers ahead.

The episode is about people taking potential knock-out blows, and how they react. Not all of them bounce back up. And so it's not hard to figure out, it's organized around a famous fight, the May 25th, 1965 re-match of Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston for the world heavyweight boxing championship.

Meanwhile, Don has an urgent phone message from California. Anna Draper's foxy Berkeley coed niece Stephanie is calling. Fearing the worst, Don avoids her and starts drinking. He chooses his true escape. Not simply alcoholism, but workaholism. (Let's see some moralizing about that.)

 

 

"Hummingbirds: Magic in the Air--Video Full Episode" is a most extraordinary program at pbs.org.

"Hummingbirds are the tiniest of birds, yet they are some of the toughest, most energetic creatures on the planet. Their unique flying abilities give them unmatched maneuverability, but at the cost of a supercharged metabolism that keeps them on the edge of survival. Hummingbirds spend most their lives in fast forward, but now high-speed video lets us enter their world."

 

 

 

"Rich African food helps Ethiopians mark Enkutatash" at sfgate.com.

"Labor Day might mark the end of summer for some, but in Ethiopia, September means the springtime celebration of a new year. Called Enkutatash, the holiday enticed a crowd of African ex-pats and other curious locals to an outdoor festival at Berkeley's Civic Center Park this Sunday.

Organized by Oakland's own Ethiopian Community and Cultural Center (ECCC), the event showcased crafts and clothing, a variety of ethnic foods, and Africa-conscious charitable organizations from around northern California.

Down Center Street, vendors sold an array of Jamaican, Ghanaian and Ethiopian foods. Along with sunny weather and live Reggae music, the wafting blend of cumin and chili peppers helped create a festive mood. People in T-shirts and jeans mingled with traditionally dressed Ethiopian and Sudanese men and women to get a look at the African-themed wares on display."

 

 

 

 

"Internal SFPD probe over body in suitcase" Jaxon Van Derbeken, Chronicle Staff Writer.

"San Francisco police have ordered an internal probe and reassigned a veteran investigator amid allegations that he mishandled a report of domestic violence by a homeless woman whose body was later found in a suitcase in the bay, The Chronicle has learned.

In the months before her death, the victim had told various authorities she had been repeatedly attacked and threatened by the man suspected of eventually killing her, but police did not put two and two together until it was too late, according to department sources.

'The bottom line is we are concerned - and we are looking at all aspects of the investigation to determine if there was some violation of department policy,' said Assistant Police Chief Jeff Godown.

The case involves Pearla Ann Louis, 52, who was beaten so badly in January that she was hospitalized with four broken ribs and a gash on her forehead. The department's domestic violence unit handled the case."

 

 

 

 

from my log

8/18/10--7:48 AM--VERY SERIOUS irritant in front room, dirty air, SERIOUS mucus membrane irritation, watery eyes, SERIOUS nasal congestion, sneeze regularly. Marsha similar,leave.

8/20/10--12:31 PM--VERY SERIOUS irritant in front room, dirty dry air, watery eyes, dry itchy skin, "chlorine bleach" odor, wear respirator.

8/27/10--11:45 AM--irritant in front room dry eyes, itchy skin. 12:00 Noon--similar but worse. 12:45 PM--SERIOUS irritant in warehouse front and front of warehouse, mucus membrane irritation, eyes water, sinus irritation, nose runs, eyes plugged and ringing, nausea, light head., LEAVE. 6:48 PM--SERIOUS irritation in front of warehouse, cough nasal congestion, Marsha same. 8:27:: SERIOUS irritant in front room, similar symptoms. 8:49 PM--similar. 9:17 PM--similar, with asbestos odor, over rides three HEAPA filters..

8/28/10--late afternoon, SERIOUS irritant in warehouse front, dry dirty air, burning eyes,burning throat, short breath.

 

 

The irritants sometimes experienced cause coughing; dry/burning eyes, nose, mouth; light head; occasional short breath; occasional nausea.

Though the irritants we experience sometimes over ride as many as four HEPA filters, our SO Safety respirators with 8053-P100 Cartridges seem to filter "all" the irritant. These are filters for organic vapors, chlorine, chlorine dioxide, hydrogen chloride, hydrogen fluoride.

I am left to conclude that possibly (probably?) some of the irritants we regularly experience, those that our SO Safety 8053-P 100 cartridges successfully filter, are identifiable, ironically, by their absence when using the respirator. The HEPA filters don't remove them, the SO Safety filters do. So what they remove--chlorine, chlorine dioxide, hydrogen chloride, hydrogen fluoride--must be some of the irritant.

Though the respirator-filters largely prevent inhalation of the irritant, it is clear from "health effects" that irritants can enter the body's system through the skin.

"I feel like ants are crawling on me" said Marsha.

 

I've noticed recently some neighbors have similar symptoms, some more severe--redness of the eyes, nasal congestion. And neighhors stopping-by in front to talk have experienced watery eyes and coughing.

 

 

 

 

 

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

AND check out BPD feature "Who are these Crooks."

 

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.