NOVEMBER 2007
Concrete pour at the Bowl--a
Bob Kubik photo
11/1/07
Last week of October, in
Bob and Carol's Pumpkin Patch
this CEID two-year-old was
already taken with photographer, Cindy
Check out École
Bilingue's Halloween Parade.
11/2/07
John Phillip's
friend and client, harpsichordist JungHae
Kim emails
I cordially invite you to
come to the Ensemble Mirable concerts.
Baroque Concerti with Ensemble
Mirable Chamber Orchestra , Saturday, November 10, 2007, at 7:30
PM at Mission Blue Concert Serie, Mission Blue Center, 475 Mission
Blue Drive, Brisbane, CA 94005.
Ensemble Mirable with soloists:
Janet See, Baroque Flute; Carla Moore, Violin; Joanna Blendulf,
Cellist; JungHae Kim, Harpsichord perfrom Brandenburg Concerto
No.5 BWV 1050; J.S. Bach Violin Concerto in a minor BWV 1041;
J.S. Bach Flute Concerto RV428 "Il Gardellino"; Antonio
Vivaldi, Cello Concerto in g minor.
You can order tickets here
The same concert can be hear
on Sunday, November 11, 2007, at 7:00 PM at the San Jose Chamber
Music Society, Le Petit Trianon Concert Hall, 72 N. Fifth St.,
San Jose 95112. Tickets are available by calling 408-286-5111
In 2004 JungHae was Scrambled
Eggs
Babe of the Year
And recently, JungHae released
her solo harpsichord CD, The Virginalists. Of it a reviewer writes
"This collection of works by Byrd, Farnaby, Sweelinck and
others may owe its existence to the restless work of a rebellious
and wealthy prisoner. The Fitzwilliam Virginal Book was compiled
by Francis Tregian (1574-1618) in the last decade of his life
and is well known for the famous but probably apocryphal story
that it was compiled while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London.
Wherever it was assembled, the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book is a
great repository of musical heritage, and this compilation of
music from it by harpsichordist JungHae Kim is a beautifully elegant
celebration of its more complex variations. Ms. Kim is well known
for her work with Ensemble Mirable and many other period instrument
groups, but in her solo work you can realy appreciate how fresh,
relevant, and virtuosic her style is; these piece don't sound
stuffy for even a moment--they're graceful, poignant, and renewing."
More important these selections,
JungHae's favorites, are filled with song, played with passion
and make you feel good. And though often technically demanding
they are not academic--they're fun to hear. Check them out at
Magnatune here.
JungHae is
also the harpsichordist on one of my favorite cello and harpsichord
recordings, the Triemer Cello Sonatas. Here she plays along with
long-time friend, cellist Joanna Blendulf. Tune filled, played
with exciting embellishment, and perfect ensemble, I've been in
love with this production since its 2003 release. I still am.
Also available through Magnatune.
Buy one for
yourself and give many others as Christmas presents.
Our Janine Johnson, harpsichordist
emails
I am giving another house
concert in two weeks, this time all Bach. The inspiration for
the upcoming program fell in my lap, so to speak. I'd purchased
a facsimile of Bach's Clavierbung III for the Duets, only to discover
a wealth of fabulous organ music, much of which I have heard and
loved in concerts. The temptation was too great to not attempt
these on the harpsichord. After a rather lengthy stretch of practicing
(and stretching of hands) I am finally happy with the following
program.
Much is written about the
organization of these works (which I fear I changed for the recital),
their symbolism, use of numerology, and so forth, but all that
aside, these are truly Bach at his best and most passionate. Counterpoint
lovers will revel in the complexity of many of these works, and
those who love Bach's more lyrical side will also be moved. How
Bach can interweave so many voices, often in strict canon, and
yet produce a whole which is enjoyable with no knowledge of this,
is of course part of his genius. I have been relishing this music
myself, for many months now, and am eager to share it!!
I expect you have never heard
these (except the duets) on harpsichord, so unless you frequent
organ recitals, this will likely all be new. I promise it is fabulous
on the harpsichord! Those pieces requiring pedals took some, but
not much rewriting, and I made sure to keep the Cantus Firmus
(chorale melody) intact. I think you will like the results.
The concerts are Saturday
November 10th at 10:30 AM, and Sunday November 11th, at 3:00 PM
at my house in Berkeley. Please
RSVP, as space is limited. $10.00 suggested donation.
PROGRAM
Preludium pro Organo
Pleno
Fuga a 5 (St. Anne)
Kyrie, Gott Vater
in Ewigkeit (Cantus Firmus in Soprano)
Kyrie, Gott Heiliger Geist
Duetto IV
Allein Gott in
der sei Ehr (CF in Alto)
Fuga super Jesus Christus unser Heiland a 4
Duetto II
Vater unser im
Himmelreich
Kyrie Gott heiliger Geist a 5 (CF in Basso)
Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam (CF in pedal)
Intermisison
Duetto III
Dies sind die heilgen zehen Geboth (CF in canon)
Fugetta super Dies sind die heiligen zehen Geboth
Kyrie Gott Vater
in Ewigkeit
Duetto I
Fugetta super Wir glauben all an einen Gott
Vater unser im Himelreich (CF in canon)
Janine's
Bach Goldberg Variations recording is available through Magnatune.
École
Bilingue and Potter Creek's own Libby Bundsen emails about her
music
Hi Ron,
Just to let
you know, we have three new songs on the Foggy Gulch MySpace
page!
The Foggy
Gulch Band is delighted to announce the availability of three
new songs in the Foggy Gulch...
I'll Fly
Away, the 1929 Albert Brumley classic, sung by the Foggy
Gulch Chorus of Jenny, Evan, and Libby.
It Rains
Everywhere I Go, a song so pretty it can't possibly be that
sad, can it?! Lead vocal by Libby.
Wayside/Back
In Time, an a cappella version of the Gillean Welch tune
by Jenny.
Libby
And a mid-West
reader emails a link to more music with, Del
McCoury Band Performs in Studio 4A.
Pete Hurney
phoned to tell me about the KALX Pledge Week--now through Sunday
from 6:00 AM to Midnight at 90.7. It's their Forty-Fifth Anniversary.
Listen and pledge OR call (510) 642-5259 and pledge. You get tee-shirts
and stuff OR a 45 RPM record.
Martin picked
up his-now-his 1962 Jawa 250 motorcycle from me this morning--it
has only 700 original miles. And Merryll's crew helped load it
into Martin's Volvo 18-wheeler. Out here on a run to Modesto,
he's taking it back to add to his collection in Chicago.
John and
Suzanne just returned from almost three weeks touring Spain and
Germany. Their vacation began with John presenting a paper on
an antique Spanish harpsichord in Garrucha,
Andalusia.
CEID Director,
Jill Ellis emails
A CEID employee
[college graduate from Mills College] is seeking a house-share
or room-to-rent.
If you can
help, email
Jill
11/4/07
Swerve
has also
had its concrete pour
as Acme Bread
was framed
Bayer has
had another larger crew policing their 8th and Dwight parking
facility.
And the French
School's plants have been groomed and weeded.
11/5/07
Want to see
lots of different folks playing Pete's ukes? Check out Geralyn's
Hot
Pohaku Nights.
Halloween
Night, a vandal pitched a rock thru the window of Little Bill's
motor-home. It was parked on Grayson and he was in it. Biker,
Little Bill's about 6'8".
I'm told
that also on Grayson west of 7th, a Mercedes sedan with it motor
idling was driven off Professional Tree Care's lot. It was later
found wrecked.
11/5/07
"Professor fights for free love in classes:
Faculty member at UCLA argues that rules against faculty-student
romance violate freedom" writes Larry Gordon in our Times.
"Device created for 'red wine headache'" reports the AP's Marcus
Wohlsen.
"The
effects are all too familiar: a fancy dinner, some fine wine and
then, a few hours later, a racing heart and a pounding headache.
But a device developed by University of California, Berkeley,
researchers could help avoid the dreaded 'red wine headache.'
Chemists
working with NASA-funded technology designed to find life on Mars
have created a device they say can easily detect chemicals that
many scientists believe can turn wine and other beloved indulgences
into ingredients for agony."
"Professor, 81, proves brain stays young:
Anatomy instructor says diet, exercise, newness, challenge and
TLC is her formula for stronger life" writes the Times' Dave
Newhouse. "Marian Diamond changed science. She discovered
in the mid-1960s that while the body ages, the brain doesn't have
to grow old."
"New Center for Islamic Studies aims to
build understanding:Institute to be a resource for Bay Area Muslims"
reports the Times' Rebecca Rosen Lum.
"When
students - Muslim, Christian or Jewish - come to his classes on
Islam, professor Munir Jiwa expects tough questions."
"Economy remains solid: Employers add twice
as many jobs in October as economists expected; unemployment rate
unchanged at 4.7 percent" writes the AP's Jeannine Aversa.
A housing
collapse and a mortgage meltdown haven't stopped the nation's
job machine from chugging ahead."
"Bank of the West sidesteps
housing meltdown, posts gains: Profit is up because firm avoided
subprime loans, spokeswoman says" reports George Avalos in our Times.
"Histories of Berkeley homes tucked safely
away"
writes the Times' Nilda Rego.
I could scarcely
believe my eyes. In my hands I held a photo of the house that
I grew up in Berkeley."
"A grisly victory Bears needed: Defense
steps up, shuts down Cougars" writes Jonathan Okanes of the Times.
Cal entered
Saturday's game against Washington State witha three-game losing
streak, so the Bears decided to do something different.
They won
with defense."
East Bay
Nursery has it Holiday lights up.
Canned Food
has Danish Choice Raspberry Preserve on sale. Made from a Old
World recipe, it's more subtle than most New World efforts. Quite
delicious.
11/6/07
"Local man carves way into the air" writes Kristofer Noceda of
the Oakland Tribune.
A yellow
model airplane sits atop Larry and Sophie Himenes' residence on
Via San Ardo [in San Leandro]. The wooden carving is one of four
model planes that greet guests upon entering the home. But the
yellow craft, a C-47 transport, holds special meaning for both
Larry and Sophie. It commemorates the couple's 50th wedding anniversary."
Matier
& Ross report
"Feds go after wildly successful medical pot sellers 'They're
just a couple of nice kids from Berkeley who wound up being the
victims of their own success' [said their attorney]."
"Community to team up on graffiti problem:City
looks for faster response, tougher penalties in a
program modeled after San Jose venture" reports Katherine Tam of the
Times.
Like a persistent
pest, graffiti has found its way onto nearly every surface in
Richmond. It's been sprayed on walls, splashed on fences, etched
on glass and scratched onto utility boxes. Some report finding
it on trees.
But a team
of city officials and residents thinks it has a solution.
A committee
charged with improving the city's aesthetics is proposing to hire
consultants who helped eradicate 99 percent of San Jose's graffiti
by corralling 3,000 volunteers, removing markings within 48 hours
and toughening the law so the punishment fits the crime."
The Wall
Street Journal reports "Bayer will pull anti-bleeding
drug Trasylol from the U.S. amid evidence of a higher risk of
death than rival drugs."
The Journal
also reports "Citigroup . . .is set to disclose that it will
increase by $8 billion or more the write-downs it has taken in
recent weeks" from losses in mortgage related securities."
Citicorps CEO, Charles Prince resigned as a result (cause?).
"Bank worries haunt global markets" reports BBC News.
"Credit concerns are sweeping Asia as well as the US and
Europe Stock markets have fallen across Asia and Europe as confidence
in the US banking sector was dented further by the resignation
of Citigroup's boss."
PBS Lehrer
News speculates
that the next CEO to go will be Bear Stearns, James Cayne.
"Housing crisis hits credit union: Delinquent
mortgages cause Cal State 9 to be placed in
conservatorship; institution says insured funds are secure" reports the Times' George
Avalos.
The financial
failure of Cal State 9 credit union stunned some members Monday
and left others surprised the company had become the latest firm
to be engulfed by the widening mortgage morass."
11/6/07-cont
Yesterday
morning a cement truck clipped a parked SUV while turning the
corner of 7th and Grayson.
The "siding"
is up on Ruth and Marvin's building.
Yesterday,
among the lunch guests at 900 where Merryll and grandchildren,
our Director of Economic Planning and some French School staff.
This morning found our Director of Public Works having breakfast
there with a friend--also there today for breakfast were Bob and
David.
900 was tagged this morning--twice
along the building-west-side.
It's hard
to find someone to work on an old vehicle--and even harder to
find someone reliable and honest. Gerard took his 1966 Chevy pickup
to our Laurie Bright for a brake job. But it needed more than
new brake-shoes. All four drums were replaced along with brake-shoes.
"Like new!" reports Gerard. Laurie's shop is at 2626
San Pablo and his phone is (510)-843-5797
"Agency wants to put out wood fires: Bay
Area air quality district proposes rule to ban indoor burning
on 'Spare the Air' nights" reports the Times' Denis Cuff.
"Igniting
a public health war on smoke, the Bay Area's air pollution agency
proposed Monday to ban wood fires on bad-air nights and to bar
new installations of open hearth fireplaces in homes and buildings."
"Turning cows to currents: Biogas created
from manure in state can generate electricity for
thousands of homes" writes Janis Mara of our Times.
"On
a Petaluma dairy farm underneath a dark gray tarpaulin, cow manure
is producing one of California's newest sources of renewable energy
-- biogas."
Daily newspapers post drop in circulation over
6 months: Major players report average decrease in readers of
2.6 percent"
reports our Times' Barbara E. Hernandez.
"Circulation
fell 2.6 percent at major U.S. daily newspapers in the six months
ended in September, according to figures released Monday, the
latest decline as readers continue to migrate to the Internet
for news, information and entertainment."
11/7/07
"Organic food is healthier" reports the Guardian's
Ian Sample.
"Some organic foods, including fruit, vegetables and milk,
may be more nutritious than non-organic produce, according to
an investigation by British scientists.
Early results
from a Pound 12m study showed that organic fruit and vegetables
contained up to 40% more antioxidants than non-organic varieties,
according to Professor Carlo Leifert at Newcastle University,
who leads the EU-funded Quality Low Input Food project.
Larger differences
were found in milk, with organic varieties containing more than
60% more antioxidants and healthy fatty acids, he said.
Antioxidant-rich
food is often promoted as healthier because in lab tests the compounds
neutralise free radicals that are thought to contribute to ageing."
11/8/07
Kimar emails
I had a GREAT
lunch Tuesday at 900
Grayson--duck breast,
perfectly cooked, fanned out on a bed of babygreens with fingerling
potatoes cooked in the duck grease with a perfect crispness. With
this came mini-veggies, a few carrots and a few white beets, beautifully
arranged. Over the duck was a light unthickened pomegranate pan-sauce
and a light sprinkling of pomegranate seeds. The presentation
was beautiful and the dish perfectly executed.
Our Doug
Herst is on the Seacology Board of Directors.
Seacology "is the world's premier nonprofit, nongovernmental
organization with the sole and unique purpose of preserving the
environments and cultures of islands throughout the globe."
Doug recently
returned from a trip to Indonesia. Here are some excerpts from
their Newsletter about the trip.
"A Seacology
expedition recently returned from visiting several project sites
in Indonesia. The first stop was Pangalingan Village, on Manado
Tua island. Here Seacology funded the construction of a new primary
school in exchange for the protection of 118 acres of pristine
rainforest and 160 acres of coral reef fringing the island.
The next
stop was Waifoi Village in the breathtakingly beautiful Mayalibit
Bay on Waigeo Island. Seacology approached all nine villages along
this 123,000-acre bay and asked them what they would like in exchange
for banning commercial fishing in the bay. Each village asked
for s'mething different ranging from paved walking paths to toilets
to solar powered radios. Chief Silas Louw stated that "The
government has provided us many things but seldom what we ask
for. We are so pleased that Seacology provided us exactly what
we want and need and that you tied it into conservation of our
bay which is critical to our future.'
Seacology
also worked with three villages on Kofiau Island. We provided
medical equipment and school supplies in exchange for a commitment
to protect 41,360 acres of marine area."
Board member
Doug Herst spoke . . . to thank the villagers for their commitment
to protect their seas.
City Planning
Department has a website update. Check it out here.
"Most opt not to pay for digital Radiohead
album: Radiohead lets fans decide how much to shell out; 62% paid
nothing" writes
the AP's Alex Veiga
"Radiohead
let its fans decide how much to pay for a digital copy of the
band's latest release, "In Rainbows," and more than
half of those who downloaded the album chose to pay nothing, according
to a study by a consumer research firm.
About 62
percent of the people who downloaded 'In Rainbows' in a four-week
period last month opted not to pay the British alt-rockers a cent.
But the remaining 38 percent voluntarily paid an average of $6,
according to the study by comScore Inc.
Radiohead
broke with its past practice of releasing its music in CD format
and through a major record label when it released its seventh
studio album online itself. The biggest wrinkle was the band's
decision to let fans pay as much or as little as they wanted to
download a copy."
11/9/07
Merryll's
house and
workshop are being extensively redone
Marvin just
returned from Chicago and he met Denny Abrahams on the flight
there. Denny was going to Chicago for the SOFA Art Fair--so was
Marvin.
And last
night at a party, Marvin met my old college friend, Phil Makanna.
Haven't seen Phil in decades--now he's a well-known aviation photograper.
Check his work out here.
Autoweek
reviews the 2007 Tokyo Auto Show with "Japanese blend eco-friendly and fun."
11/12/07
Our Annie
K emails
My story
Googling Her Birth Parents
in the Nov. 11 Chronicle Magazine is now online!
Enjoy!
Annie
Also check out Annie's Websitehere.
"Theater aims to inspire youths" writes Doug Oakley in our Times.
"Hoping
to draw at least a few kids away from television, the Internet
and video games, a Berkeley woman has started a new theater company
aimed at children and families.
Elizabeth
McKoy, who is financing the startup of the Berkeley Playhouse,
will use aspiring child actors and adult professionals in about
three performances a year.
The first
show, 'Seussical the Musical,' opened Thursday at the Ashby Stage
and runs through Dec. 2. The show draws from different Dr. Seuss
stories and carries a message about the power of independent thinking,
self-confidence and respect for the environment."
"Solar installation plan gets official
go-ahead: Council approves program to help property owners install
energy
systems, allowing repayment over 20 years" reports Kristin Benderpn the
Times.
"Getting
energy-saving solar panels on your house or business without going
broke is set to get a lot easier in Berkeley.
The City
Council unanimously approved a first-of-its kind program Tuesday
night to help property owners install solar energy systems by
tacking the cost on to their property tax bills over a 20-year
period."
Bob sent
an email to members of the Design Review Commission about the
proposed Pardee and San Pablo Ave project
My wife and
I object to its design for several reasons
1. density
- 10 units is too much for this very narrow lot,
2. height
- it will tower over its neighbors,
3. congestion
- Pardee is a very narrow street, the transmission shop across
from this proposed development regularly has cars delivered to
it by tow trucks and flatbeds which would block access to the
development's garage.
4. It is
a 10 unit condo that pretends to have a "live/work"
unit in the back - far away from the street. . . . The intent
of the Mixed/Use bonus was to provide ground floor commercial
uses along San Pablo Avenue. This . . . "live/work"
unit doesn't meet that intent nor is it consistent with the purposes
of the district.
UC Berkeley
prepares to remove tree-sitting protesters near stadium writes
the Chroncile's Carolyn Jones,
"Two
fences. A court order. More than 200 citations. Rain. Cold. Heckling
from football fans. Excruciating boredom. And still, almost a
year after they clambered up the oaks and redwoods next to Memorial
Stadium, the Berkeley tree-sitters remain undaunted in their perches."
"USC run game too much for Cal" writes Jonathan Okanes in the
Times.
"Cal's
improved defense did almost everything it could to help the Bears
make up for a disappointing season. But there was just one person
they couldn't stop -- Chauncey Washington."
"Tuskegee Airmen, once disgraced, now embraced" reports the Tribune's
Dave Newhouse.
Once segregated,
now celebrated, the Tuskegee Airmen are striving to understand
this sudden altering of perspective and the unexpected outpouring
of affection that has them somewhat mystified, yet gratified.
'We're probably
the hottest group in the country,' said Woodie Spears of Hayward,
his voice a mixture of excitement and bewilderment."
"Cal State 9 hit skids in past 3 months:
Institution posted $9.1 million in losses the first six months
of
2007; in 9 months, losses were $45.9 million" reports the Times',
George Avalos.
The red ink
that has drenched the balance sheet at Cal State 9 credit union,
which was taken over by state regulators last week, increased
fivefold in the past three months, a fresh indicator of the financial
problems that have hobbled the housing market.
During the
first nine months of 2007, Cal State 9 lost $45.9 million. That
was far more than the $9.1 million in losses for the East Bay
credit union during the first six months of this year, according
to a new report on file with the National Credit Union Administration.
State regulators
forced Cal State 9 into conservatorship and turned over operational
control of the company to the National Credit Union Administration
on Nov. 2. Regulators and credit union officials have been working
to ease the fears of Cal State 9 members and to seek a potential
buyer or other financial partner for the fallen company.
11/14/07
Pete's Potter Creek rain
gauge showed .9 inch from Saturday afternoon through Sunday.
"Children's center will look east" writes our Times" Hilary Costa.
"A group seeking to
build a children's museum and family resource center in Brentwood
will hold an open meeting Thursday night to try to gauge community
interest in the project.
Gina Moreland, founder and
executive director of Berkeley's Habitot Children's Museum, and
Steffany Lohn, founder of Find a Way Foundation of Brentwood,
are seeking community input on their plan to build a 10,000- to
20,000-square-foot Habitot location in downtown Brentwood."
"Tree sitter injured in 30-foot fall: Man
using a suspended rope to reach the ground breaks
arm, leg" reports
Kristin Bender of the Times.
"A tree sitter who was
using a suspended rope to leave the oak grove near Memorial Stadium
on Sunday night fell at least 30 feet to the ground, breaking
an arm and a leg, a tree-sit supporter said Monday."
11/15/07 and following
are here
Berkeley
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:
Officer Andrew
Frankel, Berkeley PD - 981-5774 AFrankel@ci.berkeley.ca.us
Angela Gallegos-Castillo,
City Mgr Off - 981-2491 agallegos-castillo@ci.berkeley.ca.us
Ryan Lau,
aid to Darrell Moore - 981-7120 rlau@ci.berkeley.ca.us
Darrell Moore,
City Councilman dmoore@ci.berkeley.ca.us
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