6/8/08

Carol Whitman's Grandson, Bob's too

 

Yesterday, our Donald--the Yost, that is--had breakfast at 900 GRAYSON with his family, his strapping son, gorgeous daughter and their two beautiful children--lucky Alte.

 

 

 

"Green scene a flash in the pan?" asks our Times' Janis Mara.

"Interest in all things green has risen to a red-hot pitch recently with more and more people jumping on the sustainability bandwagon - so much so that now, environmentalist blogs and consumer advocacy groups are wondering if the trend has peaked."

 

 

"Bank of America Is Firm on Countrywide Buyout" reports the New York Times.

In the six months since Bank of America announced its plans to take over Countrywide Financial, many investors have doubted that the $4 billion deal for the hobbled mortgage lender would get done. Bank of
America has been strangely silent about its plans for merging the two operations, with the exception of a cryptic regulatory filing last month warning that investors should not count on it assuming all of
Countrywide's debt.

But in a conference call on Monday with investors, Kenneth D. Lewis, the chief executive of Bank of America, confirmed his commitment to the Countrywide buyout, which is expected to close by the end of
September. When asked about the fact that home prices have plummeted and loan defaults have soared since the deal was announced, Mr. Lewis defended it as 'compelling,' with a 'pretty nice' upside. 'We don't
have our heads in the sand,' he said."

 

 

And, "Russia Takes Critical Tone on Economy" reports the New York TImes.

"In his first major economic speech since becoming president, Dmitri A. Medvedev said Saturday that the world
might be in the throes of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression and that a newly revived Russia could offer solutions to a systemic crisis that has underscored America's shortcomings."

 

"Bay Area cities issue fewer housing permits" writes Carolyn Said of the Chronicle.

"Amid the worst housing downturn since the Depression, fewer units are being built, exacerbating the Bay Area's critical need for places to live, a government group said Thursday."

 

"Campus employees jeer UC Berkeley chancellor.Union members shout demand for 'living wage' at meeting campus meeting" reports Doug Oakley of our Times.

Campus police escorted UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau out of the back of a building Thursday after angry union members took over a meeting, yelling and screaming about living wages."

 

 

 

 

 

 

6/9/08

PBS LEHRER NEWS reported today that OPEC chairman said the current market value of oil is US$70.00, the rest being made up of speculation, geo-political concerns, etc. The reporter characterized these as "fluff."

 

 

"Credit crisis far from over" reports Kevin G. Hall in the Times.

The credit crisis triggered by bad home loans is spreading to other areas, forcing banks to tighten credit and probably extending the credit crisis that's dragging down the economy well into next year, and perhaps beyond.

That means consumers are going to have an increasingly difficult time getting bank loans for car purchases, credit cards, home equity credit lines, student loans and even commercial real estate, experts say.

When financial analyst Meredith Whitney wrote in a report in October that the nation's largest bank, Citigroup, lacked sufficient capital for the risks it had assumed, she was considered a heretic.

However, Whitney was been proved correct: Citigroup pushed out its CEO, sought foreign investors and slashed its dividend. Her comments now carry added weight on Wall Street, and she has a new warning for ordinary Americans: The crisis in credit markets is far from over, and it increasingly will affect consumers.

'In fact, we believe that what lies ahead will be worse than what is behind us,' Whitney and colleagues at Oppenheimer & Co. wrote in a lengthy report last month about threats faced by big national banks, including Bank of America, Wachovia and others." 

 

 

"Oakland PD's Harleys have a new roar" opine Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross in the Chronicle.

"Over in Oakland they like it loud - so loud that all 45 of the Police Department's Harley-Davidson motorcycles have been equipped with shiny new tailpipes, at a cost of $500 apiece, to rev up their roar.

It seems the cops just didn't feel safe on toned-down bikes.

'There's an old motorcycle adage that you are heard before you are seen,' said Deputy Chief Dave Kozicki, explaining the department's decision to toss the bikes' muted factory-issued mufflers in favor of the more high-volume pipes."

 

Berkeley PD's

Harleys

have sounded louder than civilian bikes, to my ear

works for me

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6/10/08

"Berkeley's Juneteenth celebration cancelled after 21 years"reports Kristin Bender of the Tribune.

"After 21 years, Berkeley's Juneteenth celebration - the most established and consistent festival of its kind in the East Bay - has been cancelled by its organizers because they could not meet planning and safety deadlines, city officials said Monday.

The Berkeley Juneteenth Association Inc. sent a letter to the city April 18, saying it had decided to scrap the festival, which generally draws 15,000 to 20,000 people to the Alcatraz/Adeline corridor in south Berkeley on Father's Day.

News of the cancellation did not surface until this week, and there are conflicting stories as to why the festival fell apart"

 

 

"Mexican artists enrich, inspire Bay Area" writes Tyche Hendricks of the Chronicle.

The opening this week of a major San Francisco exhibit of the work of Frida Kahlo is a reminder that Mexican artists
have found a home and inspiration in the Bay Area at least as far back as 1930, when Kahlo and her husband, Diego Rivera, spent a year working here.

At the same time, a crop of young Mexican artists is creating new work in the Bay Area, bringing a fresh lens to issues such as border walls and the fragility of urban landscapes. Many are forging a hybrid identity, moving back and forth between the United States and Mexico, and contributing to the cultures of both places.

 

Mexican artists enrich, inspire Bay Area. "Berkeley artist Ana Labastida talks about her art."

 

 

And Hendricks reports on "S.F.'s visual reminders of Kahlo, Rivera."

"Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera left their mark in the Bay Area in large ways and small, but few San Franciscans know that the well-worn lobby of their own public hospital is home to a pair of paintings by the Mexican artists.

On two San Francisco sojourns, Rivera painted several well-known murals. During a 1930-31 residency, he completed one for the San Francisco Art Institute, another for the San Francisco Stock Exchange (now the City Club of San Francisco) and a third for the Stern family that's housed in a women's dormitory at UC Berkeley. Rivera returned in 1940 and produced an epic mural for the World's Fair on Treasure Island, which eventually wound up at San Francisco City College.

Kahlo accompanied her famous husband on those visits and worked in a quieter way. She was also photographed in the city in 1930, at the age of 24, by Imogen Cunningham. And in 1940, the couple remarried at San Francisco City Hall after a year's divorce."

 

 

"3 top James Beard awards for Bay Area foodies" writes Miriam Morgan, Chronicle Food Editor.

"Bay Area chefs and restaurateurs took home three top prizes in Sunday night's James Beard Foundation Awards in New York, including best chef in the Pacific region. The awards, given annually, are considered the Oscars of the food world.

Craig Stoll, chef and co-owner of Delfina in San Francisco, beat stiff competition that included three other Bay Area chefs and was named the best chef in California and Hawaii, one of 10 such regional awards. Stoll and his wife, Annie, also operate the adjoining Pizzeria Delfina. The award goes to a chef who has been working in that job for at least five years and has set consistent standards of excellence.

Another major prize, the Outstanding Pastry Chef award, went to Elisabeth Prueitt and Chad Robertson, owners of Tartine Bakery in San Francisco, as the best pastry chefs or bakers in America. The award designates a chef or baker who serves as a national standard-bearer of excellence. The couple also own Bar Tartine, a restaurant a few blocks away on Valencia Street. Nicole Plue, pastry chef at Redd in Yountville, was one of the five nominees in the pastry category.

In addition, Fritz Maytag of Anchor Brewing Co. and Anchor Distilling Co., both in San Francisco, a pioneer in the American micro-brew and artisan spirits industries, received a Lifetime Achievement Award. Maytag also produces high-quality blue cheese at his family's Maytag Dairy Farms in Iowa, and is a leader in the resurgent American artisan cheese industry."

 

In 1983 Fritz Maytag, also a motorcycle/car guy, held a "Concours d'Elegance of Rare and Unusual Motorcycles" at his Anchor Steam Brewery in San Francisco. I was invited to show at this invitation-only event. I brought three bikes and my 1969 Royal Enfield "Interceptor" was one of them. Deliciously catered, and with motorcycles placed in among the copper-vats, it was memorable. Ed and Merryll Saylan came as my guests.

 

I also brought my all-black 1946 Sunbeam of which Maytag said "This is my favorite. It's even better than the Vincents." I bet he says that to all the girls.

Maytag was also a classical music fan and loves Bach. We talked a while about Bach's "Suites for Unaccompanied Cello."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6/12/08

B-Ball at Ben's Birthday Bash

more Birthday Bash here

 

"Marijuana Hotbed Retreats on Medicinal Use" reports Jim Wilson in the New York Times.

"There is probably no marijuana-friendlier place in the country than here in Mendocino County, where plants can grow more than 15 feet high, medical marijuana clubs adopt stretches of highway, and the sticky, sweet aroma of cannabis fills this city's streets during the autumn harvest.

Lately, however, residents of Mendocino County, like those in other parts of California, are wondering if the state's embrace of marijuana for medicinal purposes has gone too far.

Medical marijuana was legalized under state law by California voters in 1996, and since then 11 other states have followed, even though federal law still bans the sale of any marijuana. But some frustrated residents and law enforcement officials say the California law has increasingly and unintentionally provided legal cover for large-scale marijuana growers - and the problems such big-money operations can attract.

'It's a clear shield for commercial operations,' said Mike Sweeney, 60, a supporter of both medical marijuana and a local ballot measure on June 3 that called for new limits on the drug in Mendocino. 'And we don't want those here.'"

 

 

 

Last week, our John Phillips recommended the Striggo Mass as a performance to-be-heard at our Early Music Festival.

Josh Kosman reviews one of its performances in the Chronicle with,

"Striggio's Mass thrills in Berkeley.

Musical fashions may wax and wane, but showmanship never goes out of style. The urge to thrill and impress observers was as strong in the 16th century as it is today, as evidenced by Alessandro Striggio's enormous "Missa sopra Ecco sì beato giorno."

Striggio's setting of the Latin Mass, which had its American premiere over the weekend as the final offering of Cal Performances' Berkeley Festival & Exhibition, aims to dazzle, and even now - centuries after its composition in the 1560s - it still packs a punch.

Scored for 40 voices, it's one of the most elaborate choral works of its time. And in the final Agnus Dei, Striggio turns the knob to 11 by adding another 20 singers to produce the only known stretch of 60-voice polyphony.

Sunday's performance in Berkeley's First Congregational Church conjured up the work's sense of spectacle, as well as giving a good sense of its musical substance.

Davitt Moroney, the Berkeley musicologist and harpsichordist who discovered the piece in the French national archive, presided over a consortium of singers from five local choral groups: Magnificat, the Philharmonia Chorale, the American Bach Soloists, Schola Cantorum San Francisco and Perfect Fifth. With the help of several keyboard players and the period-instrument brass ensemble His Majestys Sagbutts and Cornetts, the performers gave a stirring account of this audacious score."

 

"Box of plenty: design for Berkeley art museum" is a preview by John King in the Chronicle.

"He doesn't have the name recognition of a Frank Gehry or a Daniel Libeskind, but Toyo Ito is one of Japan's most acclaimed and adventurous architects. Looking at the design for a downtown Berkeley museum that would be his first building in the United States, it's easy to see why.

The white steel walls part and fold like ribbons or drapes. Inside, spaces flow one into the next: a gallery here, a screening room there, a terrace scooped into the facade. It's a refined honeycomb, enlarged to human scale."

 

 

 

Our Ryan Lau emails

West Campus/Old Berkeley Adult School
Some of you may have attended the West Campus meeting on May 29th.  The community made it clear that there were quite a few concerns about BUSD's proposed project.  The District has heard those concerns and they are currently working on an alternative proposal that should be unveiled at their next meeting at 7PM on Monday, June 16th at the Boy's Gym at the West Campus site.  Please attend and review the new proposals and provide the District feedback.
 
 
 Summer Programs 2008
I have attached some announcements from the Parks and Recreation Department about some of the summer programming that they are providing.  Also, remember that we have a list of summer programming that we are aware of for this summer that will be updated regularly throughout the summer.  If you are aware of a summer program that you would like to publicize, please let us know. 
 
 
 
School District Announcements 
BHS Athletic Fundraising Scams Reported in Oakland and Kensington
We have received a call from a resident in the Glenview neighborhood in
Oakland.  A young man going door to door said he was raising money for the BHS baseball team to go to Maui.  In exchange for $100-$500 one would receive some books on literacy.
 
Another caller reported a young man selling magazine subscriptions in
Kensington, to help pay for the BHS swim team's trip to Hawaii. The young man said that he was the son of a neighbor down the street, whom he named. Later she remembered that that neighbor did not have a son this age, and called the BHS Athletic Director.
 
The magazine subscription company he said he represented is QSI, or
Quality Services Inc. This is probably a real subscription company as he was taking checks, but the trip to Hawaii and any connection to Berkeley High School is not true, and there is no reason to believe that these youths are actually BHS students.
 
In the event that one of Berkeley High's 50 plus athletic teams, dozens of clubs or any of the small schools did come to your door collecting money, they would only ask for checks (not cash) written to the Berkeley Athletic Fund, the Berkeley High School Development Group or the Berkeley Public Education Foundation, designating the recipient group in the memo.
Tip:
Any time a fundraiser encourages you to give cash instead of checks because, "cash is easier for non-profits to process", should raise a red flag. In fact, the opposite is true; for both security and record keeping, non- profits prefer checks for donations.
 
In the event that you have any questions about any school fundraising effort, please call the Berkeley High Athletic Department: 644-8723 or the Public Information Office: 644-6320, and we will be happy to verify it for you. We appreciate the generosity of this community in supporting our students' teams and clubs, and we want to make it safe and easy for you.
 
 
FAQ's: State Budget- May Revise
Why California State PTA continues to say: Flunk the Budget.
Based on the severe cuts that continue to be proposed by the Governor,
California State PTA is opposed to the May revision of the state budget.
 
To assist our members in communicating our concerns we've prepared the following set of questions and answers.
 
Q: I've heard that the revised budget recently proposed by Governor
Schwarzenegger restores the funding to schools and means education programs won't be cut. Is this accurate?
A: No. The Governor's first budget released in January proposed the most severe cuts to schools in our state's history. Parents, teachers and other education advocates across California have been vehemently protesting these cuts. Unfortunately, the Governor's most recent budget proposal ("the May Revise" released on May 15) ­ while restoring some of the funding into the education budget ­ would still significantly under-fund our schools and force more than $4 billion in cuts to education programs. That's why the PTA opposes this most recent budget. It still flunks the basic test of good government: It hurts our kids.
 
Q:  But, doesn't the May Revise fully fund Proposition 98 ­ the state's minimum guarantee for education funding levels?
A:  The May Revise would meet the minimum legal funding level for schools, but it still proposes far less than the minimum amount needed by schools to pay for the increased costs just to keep programs at their current levels.  The May Revise would eliminate annual cost of living adjustments to schools, despite the steadily increasing operating costs for local districts. Once again, schools and students are being asked to do more with less.  In addition, this budget proposal would make across-the-board cuts to many vital programs that contribute to student achievement and engagement, such as class size reduction, arts and music, instructional materials, and career technical education programs. While the May Revise proposes to partially restore some cuts from the January budget proposal, it still cuts billions of dollars from public education.  All cuts hurt students and California's schools are already woefully under-funded.
 
Q: How would it impact children's healthcare?
A: If the May Revise is implemented, it would impose new, draconian policies in the Medi-Cal and Healthy Families programs that would result in more than 500,000 California children losing their health coverage over the next two years - increasing the number of uninsured children in California by 70%.
 
Q: What about programs for foster children and working families struggling to make ends meet?
A: The proposed budget would eliminate financial assistance for 200,000 children whose parents are in the CalWORKs program ­ often single others working their way out of poverty. It would also cut $84 million from the child welfare services budget, limiting counties' ability to ensure the safety and well-being of the more than 70,000 California children in foster care.
It would reduce state funding for child care and development programs in 2008-09. This budget would also make across-the-board reductions for a number of programs that assist children and families, including the Child Welfare Services Program, the Foster Care Program, the Adoption Assistance Program, and the California Food Assistance Program.
 
Q: Does this budget proposal include any new proposed revenues or does it rely fully on cuts to balance the budget?
A: A few fee increases are proposed, such as a state park admission fee increase of $1, and student fee increases to the UC and CSU systems and a $6 - $12 annual surcharge on homeowners' insurance to fund emergency response services. The Governor has also proposed a plan to borrow money from future State Lottery revenues to help balance the budget. This proposal would need to be placed on the ballot as a measure to be approved by California voters in November. In the event the voters reject the Lottery ballot measure, the Governor is asking the Legislature to support a 1% increase in the state's sales tax rate. By and large, the May Revise continues to rely mostly on a "cuts-only" approach to closing the budget deficit gap.
 
Q: What's PTA's solution to address the budget deficit and provide necessary funding for schools and other children's services?
A: PTA continues to advocate for a balanced approach ­ one that generates enough revenues to prevent cuts to education and children's services and recognizes the need to invest in our children's futures.
 
Q: So, what's PTA's message moving forward?
A: Our message has and will remain the same since January:  No cuts that harm children or California's future.  We must continue to "flunk the budget" because it contains severe cuts to education and children's services. We believe legislators and the Governor must develop a balanced solution that allows us to invest in our children's future and the future of the state. And we must raise our voices throughout this spring and summer on behalf of California's children, they did not create this financial crisis, and their future should not be undermined because of it.
 
Q: What can PTA members do to help protect school funding and children's services?
A: Help us ensure children have a voice in this debate, now through the end of summer. Please call your local state assembly and senate representatives.
Let them know you do not want to see cuts to children's services, and that you expect them to find a balanced approach that invests in our children's future and the future of our state. You can find their names and contact information on-line at http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html

Just enter your zip code, and your elected officials' contact information will appear. They are YOUR representatives in Sacramento ­ are they representing your interests?
 
"Since January, parents and community members throughout the state have raised their voices in overwhelming opposition to the damaging cuts to education and children's services proposed in the state budget. The May Revise appears to reflect some of those concerns by not suspending the minimum education funding guarantee. However, there is still much work to be done by the Legislature and Governor to ultimately ensure a balanced budget solution that does not jeopardize the health, safety and education of our children and our future workforce. Many essential programs and services are still extremely vulnerable. California State PTA will continue to carry the message that shortchanging education funding and services to children is the most expensive mistake California can make.
"The dialogue at the Capitol needs to continue moving towards how much we should invest in our children and California's future, not how much can we afford to cut. California has been operating for too long with a broken, outdated budget process. By adequately investing today, we can ensure that California has a viable economy in the future.~ "Now is the time to invest in our children and in the future of California."
Pam Brady, California State PTA President
 
 
 June 17th ­ City Council Hot Topics

Direction on Possible Ballot Measures for the November 4, 2008 General
      Municipal Election

FY 2009 Biennial Budget Update - Council Recommendations
 
To see the full agenda or examine the full items, go to www.cityofberkeley.info/ContentDisplay.aspx?id=9868.  The City Council packet will be published on Thursday, June 12th.
Sincerely,
Ryan Lau, aid to our Councilman Darryll Moore

 

 

"Gas price 'bubble' could burst" writes our Times' Janis Mara.

"As gas prices smash record after record, California now has the highest costs in the nation, but relief could be in sight by the end of the summer, experts said.

At $4.45, gas is selling at 43 cents more a gallon than it did last month in the Bay Area. Nationally, gas jumped 31 cents, to $4.04, AAA of Northern California said Tuesday.

Traditionally, gas reaches its highest prices in the summer, when demand soars as motorists take to the roads for vacation. In addition, crude oil, the primary ingredient of gas, has seen unprecedented price jumps, which many blame on speculation by traders investing in oil futures.

The rule of thumb is that every $10-a-barrel increase in the price of crude oil translates to a 25-cent-a-gallon increase. Light sweet crude oil dropped $3.04 to settle at $131.31 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange on Tuesday.

Some experts - and some motorists - opined that the unprecedented price jumps are a bubble, similar to the one seen in the housing market, that will peak and then burst in coming months just as the housing bubble did. If that should happen, gas prices would almost certainly dip, especially as the summer draws to an end and demand falls."

 

"Oil price rise stays relentless" reports John Wilen in our Times.

"Oil prices regained their stunning upward momentum Wednesday, rising as crude's biggest drivers - a weak dollar and supply concerns - brought buyers back in force. At the pump, gas prices rose to a new record over $4.05 a gallon.

Oil futures that were falling a week ago on concerns about declining gasoline consumption have dramatically reversed course and appear poised to set new records above $140 a barrel. While the market remains concerned about the effect of high prices on demand, several weeks of falling oil inventories and the dollar's inability to make headway against the euro have combined to turn market sentiment decidedly bullish.

That's bad news for consumers, already struggling with rising prices for food and consumer goods. Analysts say gas prices could rise to a national average of $4.25 a gallon by the Fourth of July, and are unlikely to fall as long as oil prices keep surging." 

 

 

"Bank Sees Profits Soar" reports Russia's St Petersburg Times.

"Bank St. Petersburg, the biggest private lender in northwestern Russia, said first-quarter profit more than doubled as it expanded its retail-banking network.

Net income rose to 639.6 million rubles ($27 million) from 235.3 million rubles a year earlier, the bank said in an e-mailed statement Tuesday. Its assets almost doubled to 138.5 billion rubles.\

'In spite of the unstable market environment the bank is performing strongly,' Chairman Alexander Savelyev said in the statement. 'Customer accounts remain the principal source of funding.'"

 

And, here's a guide to cafes in St Petersburg from their Times.

"Cafe Idiot - Great Russian and vegetarian food served all day. Jazz, cappuccino, fresh juice, specialty teas. Happy hour from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Weekend brunch. Used English-language books and magazines, plus an art gallery. Open daily, 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. 82 Nab. Moiki. Tel.: 315-1675

Cafe Jam - Probably the cosiest place in town! Dear guests, We would like to welcome you to Cafe Jam where we serve Scandinavian, European and some Russian dishes. We are both from Denmark, so while Berit is prepa-ring the food, Alexander is doing his best to take care of the guests. Friday jazz duet, Saturday pianist. Best regards Berit and Alexander Open daily noon to 11 pm. 12 RyleevaUl., 7 1-2 min. from Chernyshevskaya. Reservations: 719 69 33.

Face Cafe - Cafe Face - the new face of oriental cuisine. A reasonably priced cafe in the very center of the city opposite the bridge with its griffins. Original interior design with Eastern Asian Elements. The cuisine is a unique blend of Eastern Asian, classical European and beloved Russian traditions. Constantly updated specialties from chef-cook. Cosy and friendly atmosphere, light and easy music, professional waiters, fast and high quality service. You are welcome! On weekdays -breakfasts from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., new lunch menu from 12 p.m. to 17 p.m. 29 Nab. Kanala Griboedova; Tel: 571 96 95

Fasol' - "Fasol'" is a fashionable and democratic cafe, located in the centre of the city. The cafe is famous even in Europe. Among the regulars of "Fasol'" are Djs of THE May Day festival. Visitors can enjoy the original interior, quick and good-quality service, they can also follow football matches on a huge LCD screen, plus there is a vast space suitable for any special big events. "Fasol'" is a fashionable combination of European, Asian and Italian cuisine. On week days from 12:00 till 17:00 home made lunches are available. As a special summer offer one can get Mojito and light alcoholic cocktails, made on the base of gin, tequila or champagne. The summer should be spent with taste! See you there! Ul.Gorokhovaya 17, tel.:571 09 07

Imbir - Imbir Cafe is located in the center of the city close to Pyat Uglov - "Five Corners." The cafe, which recently celebrated its fifth anniversary, is one of the most popular in the city, with guests appreciating its fashionable, cozy interior, its varied menu (Russian, European, Japanese and Italian cuisines) and very reasonable prices. That's why people just keep on coming back. Recommended dishes include the Imbir salad with prawns and chicken, beef steak with mange-tout, smoked mushrooms and cherry tomatoes and homemade curd fritters with smetana. For the entire summer the cafe is offering cold borshcht. Special offers for those that missed lunch - LATE SUMMER LUNCHES AT IMBIR: from 4.30 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. on weekdays there's a 10 percent discount on all prices on the menu. 15 Zagorodny Prospekt. Tel: 713 3215"

Well, Ok then.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6/15/08

"Statue for Che's '80th birthday'" reports Daniel Schweimler of BBC NEWS.

"Thousands of people have witnessed the unveiling of a statue of Ernesto 'Che' Guevara in his Argentine birthplace on what would have been his 80th birthday.

Events to mark the life and legacy of the man most simply know as El Che were held around the city of Rosario.

While Guevara was Argentine, born and bred, he had more followers and was better known around the world than in his home country.

He flourished in Cuba, fought in Africa and died in Bolivia.

At home, military governments and Cold War politics helped suppress his ideas and image.

But now the man known simply in Argentina as El Che is home." 

 

"Top Lehman executives step down" reports BBC NEWS.

"Two of the most senior executives at Lehman Brothers are to step down just days after the US investment bank announced a huge quarterly loss.

Chief financial officer Erin Callan and chief operating officer Joseph Gregory are to leave their posts.

The firm has been reeling from the financial impact of the US mortgage slump and the global credit crunch.

Lehman made a $2.8bn (£1.4bn) quarterly loss and has outlined plans to raise $6bn in additional capital." 

 

 

"Stunning Frida Kahlo exhibit at SFMOMA reveals only fragments of the mysterious, iconic artist" writes Robert Taylor of our Times.

" 'Artist. Icon. Revolutionary,' reads the promotional card for'San Francisco Museum of Modern Art's new Frida Kahlo show. Then, in Spanish, 'Artista. Icono. Revolucionaria." That 'revolutionary' label may have been attached more often to her husband Diego Rivera, but clearly the Mexican painter has been embraced since her death 54 years ago as much more than an artist.

The exhibit, which runs through Sept. 28, brings together more than 40 of her paintings, both familiar and obscure, along with a collection of photos taken throughout her life, plus clusters of personal snapshots.

In addition, the museum has added two galleries to the touring exhibit - which originated at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis - to recount Kahlo's visits to San Francisco in the 1930s and '40s and the city's later role in creating her legend.

Among the fascinating, prescient discoveries is a clipping from the San Francisco News on Jan. 23, 1931, headlined 'Mrs. Diego Rivera Revealed as Portrait Artist in Own Right.' "

 

Our Angela emails 
Hello Ron,
 A shout out for a joint Oakland/Berkeley neighborhood watch meeting coming up soon. Please feel free to forward/post on Scrambled Eggs.  . . .  This joint meeting comes out of efforts to improve border communication between city systems and residents.  Thanks in advance for sharing this information.
There is a joint Oakland/Berkeley Neighborhood Watch Meeting at St Columa, 6401 San Pablo Ave,  Monday, June 23 at 7 p.m. Agenda to follow, but feel free to send any agenda items you would like considered.   WE (Berkeley Neighborhood Services & BPD) are working in coordination with Paul Brekkemeisner from Oakland's Neighborhood Services Unit.  Please let your neighbors know of this meeting.
thanks so much and hope everyone is well,
Angela

 

 

"Berkeley conference revives dying languages" writes Patricia Yollin of the Chronicle.

"Jacob Gutierrez is 59, but it was only four years ago that he encountered Tongva, the native tongue of his ancestors.

'The first time that you hear your indigenous language, you swell up and feel like crying,' he said. 'It's in your DNA. It's vital for your traditions and culture.'

He was among 65 participants at UC Berkeley's seven-day 'Breath of Life' conference, a biennial event that ended Saturday. They represented about two dozen of the state's 80 to 100 'sleeping' or endangered California Indian languages, which they are struggling to revitalize."

 

 

"Journalists in the East Bay and San Mateo County have voted to be represented by a local newspaper union, the National Labor Relations Board announced Friday night" reports our Times.

"The vote was 104 to 92 in favor of the union, the NLRB said. The vote marked the latest development in a union-led drive to organize journalists employed by papers in the region, including those employed by this paper.

The workers are employed by Bay Area News Group-East Bay, which operates a chain of newspapers, including this newspaper, as well as targeted publications and Web sites in the area."
 

 

 

 

"Berkeley Firefighters Defeat Two Blazes, Tackle a Third" writes Richard Brenneman of our Planet.

"Berkeley firefighters found themselves fighting flames on two fronts Thursday, one at the site of the disastrous 1991 hills fire, the other in West Berkeley."
 
 

 

 

"Berkeley Planning Search for New City Attorney" reports the Planet's Judith Scherr.

"City Manager Phil Kamlarz has told a number of councilmembers, including Mayor Tom Bates and Councilmember Dona Spring, that he is planning a nationwide search for a permanent replacement for former City Attorney Manuela Albuquerque after the budget has been put to rest."

 

"Violent Crime Skyrockets on UC Berkeley Campus" also reports Brenneman.

"UC Berkeley became a much more dangerous place last year, according to crime figures released by campus police."

 

"Missing Houston man's car found in Berkeley" writes Ellen Lee of the Chronicle.

"Police in Houston and Berkeley have teamed up in an effort to solve the disappearance of a Texas college student missing since December, officers said Saturday.

Matthew Wilson, a 21-year-old Rice University junior majoring in computer science, vanished around the time of his final exams on Dec. 14. He was last seen by his roommate in their off-campus apartment in Houston.

The Berkeley police became involved this week after they found Wilson's car. A west Berkeley resident had reported an abandoned, but legally parked car on Allston Way. On Tuesday, police towed Wilson's vehicle, which was identified as a 2004 silver Dodge Neon. No obvious signs of foul play were found inside the car, and some of Wilson's belongings were inside, the police said.

'There is nothing that leads us to believe that a crime had been committed,' said Andrew Frankel, a spokesman for the Berkeley Police Department, but he added that the mystery of the abandoned car, and how it got there, was enough to warrant investigation."

 

 

 

 

 

 

6/16/08

who

dis?

 

 

Old friend Nick Despotopoulos emails

As some of you already know David and I along with the team working
with us at Groovy Collectibles LLC officially signed on with Jim
Marshall several weeks ago to produce, relaunch his website and
operate the website business, moving forward.

See the temp pages we put up here :

http://www.marshallphoto.com/

(if you reload the home page we are rotating 5 of Jim's iconic images)

Please help us spread the word

You and your list should sign up on the mailing list to receive the
Launch announcement

We are aiming for mid September 2008

Thanks in advance for your help and support!

Cheers,

Nick Despotopoulos & David L'Heureux
Groovy Collectibles LLC
San Jose, CA and Portland, OR

ps our own website for groovycollectibles.com will be up shortly

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6/18/08

6/17/08--2:47 PM-- irritant in front room, leave. 8:21 PM--SERIOUS
irritant in front room, leave
6/18/08--7:28 AM--VERY SERIOUS irritant in front room, headache,
light head, nausea, leave.

 

Berkeley PD Crime Alert

Andrew Frankel
Public Information
Officer (PIO)
(510) 981-5881

Chief of Police
Douglas N.
Hambleton

City of Berkeley
Main Line
(510) 981-CITY

Berkeley, CA. (June 18, 2008) ­ City of Berkeley Police Department
(BPD) Sex Crimes
Detectives are requesting the community's help in solving a recent
sexual assault.
Detectives are sharing the details of this crime to keep the public
informed and to better
protect themselves.

On June 15, 2008, at about 7:20 PM, a woman was assaulted in the area
of Dwight Way
and College Ave.

The suspect is described as:
Hispanic Male, 20s, medium complexion,
6-0 tall, medium to muscular build,
long, dark, wavy hair greased back in a ponytail,
"glazed green eyes," Mustache and goatee and
was last seen wearing a gray t-shirt with a colored
emblem.

 

 

Community members are reminded to employ crime prevention measures
whenever
possible. By taking a few precautions, you reduce your risk as well
as discourage those
who commit crimes.

Be alert to your surroundings and people around you
Whenever feasible, walk, job or travel with a friend
Walk confidently and at a steady pace
Don't talk on cell phones or listen to I Pods when alone, as they
limit awareness
Be aware of locations and situations, which make you more vulnerable
to crime
such as alleys, doorways, parking lots and stairwells
Stay in well-lighted areas as much as possible
Become familiar with your neighbors
Call BPD to report suspicious persons or activity

If you have any information regarding these assaults, please call the
BPD Sex Crimes
Detail at (510) 981-5735. For crimes in progress, call 911 or (510)
981-5911 from your
cell phone. To report suspicious persons or activity, call the BPD
non-emergency line at
(510) 981-5900.

 

 

 

 

 

Around 9:00 AM Tuesday 6/17, Kimar emailed and I posted

The police, with a cherry-picker appear to be removing the Oak Grove tree-sitters. "This time, I think they're going to get them out" she writes.

 

by Tuesday mid-day, SF Gate posts

"UC cutting tree-sitters' lines in grove outside Memorial Stadium" reports Demian Bulwa.

"UC Berkeley began removing tree-sitters' gear and slicing ropes from a grove outside Memorial Stadium today, as an 18-month-long protest aimed at preventing the university from cutting down much of the grove neared a possible climax.

About 40 officers have cordoned off the sidewalk on Piedmont Avenue just west of the stadium as arborists try to remove the infrastructure that has supported the tree-sitters since they first climbed into the branches Dec. 1, 2006, to protest UC's plans to clear about two-thirds of the grove for an athletic training center.

Dan Mogulof, a spokesman for the university, said, 'We are removing gear and removing lines. We are not removing people.' "

Later SF Gate posts a slightly different

"UC removes tree-sitters' gear before ruling" report Demian Bulwa and Charles Burress.

One of the activists who have perched in a grove outside UC Berkeley's Memorial Stadium for the past year and a half was hauled out of her tree Tuesday, as the university began removing tree-sitters' gear in advance of a judge's ruling that could lead to a climax in the long-running protest.

The tree-sitter was taken down by two arborists who were part of a crew hired by the university to remove wooden platforms, pulley systems and other infrastructure that the protesters have built high above the ground as part of their effort to keep the university from cutting down trees to make way for an athletic tra'ning center.

Other protesters said they knew the woman taken out of a tree at 4:30 p.m. only as 'Millipede." Doug Buckwald, director of a group called Save the Oaks, said she was an experienced tree-sitter but did not know how long she had been in the branches.

The two arborists were in a cherry-picker that banged into the trunk of the tree where the woman was perched, Buckwald said. 'She screamed, and they grabbed her,' he said.

As many as a dozen tree-sitters were still in the branches, 12 hours after the crew of arborists guarded by about 40 UC police officers showed up to start removing the activists' gear.

University spokesman Dan Mogulof said one of the arborists had been trying to wrap duct tape around a rope when the tree-sitter bit him on the arm. The other arborist wrestled her into the cherry picker and took her to the ground, where she was arrested, he said.

The woman had dumped a bucket of urine on two arborists earlier in the day, Mogulof said. UC police did not identify her.

The arborists and workers hired by the university dodged human waste and other debris throughout the day as they cut ropes that ran from one tree to another and removed supplies that protesters had stored in the branches."

 

Today, Wednesday 6/18, SF Gate posted

"As court ruling looms, UC dismantles more of tree-top encampment" reports Charles Burress.

"Amid screams, the buzz of a news helicopter and the rattle of barricades by angry people in the street, UC Berkeley today dismantled more of the tree-top encampment of protesters in a grove of trees next to Memorial Stadium.

A crew of arborists and workers hired by the campus engaged in their second day of cutting ropes, removing supplies and tearing out improvised structures as tree-sitter sympathizers yelled at the workers from Piedmont Avenue and at stern-faced UC police who ringed the site.

By early afternoon, most of the protesters' ropes were gone."

 

Today at 6:00 PM SF Gate posts

"Protesters arrested at Cal stadium grove as crowd awaits court ruling" Charles Burress,Demian Bulwa, Chronicle Staff Writers

"About 200 people rallied on the ground below a tree-top encampment of protesters in a grove of trees next to
Memorial Stadium this afternoon in the hours before a judge was expected to rule on the fate of an athletic training center planned for the site.

Two of the protesters were arrested, while workers hired by UC Berkeley dismantled more of the tree-sitters' roost, cutting ropes, removing supplies and tearing out improvised structures.

By early afternoon, most of the protesters' ropes were gone, and one of two large platforms high in the trees toppled to the ground.

The year-and-a-half-old tree protest is being staged to stop UC's plan to cut 44 trees to make way for an athletic training center expected to cost at least $125 million. A judge is to rule today on three lawsuits seeking to halt the project.

Stephen Fiorenza, 23, was arrested this afternoon for vandalism after officials said he cut a plastic tie linking barricades separating police from protesters at the grove. The move allowed another man to
slip past the barricade, climb a utility pole and slide along a rope to a tree - to the cheers of supporters below.

Shortly after that, protester Matthew Gillam-Lewis, 22, was arrested after he tried to grab a cutting tool from the hands of an arborist on the other side of a barricade. Other protesters charged officers making the arrest.

UC police, meanwhile, released the name of one protester who was arrested Tuesday after being plucked by two of the workers from a rope in the grove. Marisa Schneidman, 19, was arrested at 4:24 p.m. for investigation of assault, battery, resisting arrest, providing false information, trespassing and refusing to leave, police said."

 

Remember, on this site, this story about our-town is read by people in over sixty-countries around the world. Beyond rude behavior is our, "The arborists and workers hired by the university dodged human waste and other debris throughout the day as they cut ropes that ran from one tree to another and removed supplies that protesters had stored in the branches."

 

 

Our Ryan Lau emails

Community Picnic ­ Hampton Legacy Apartments
I'm sorry I was not able to get the word out sooner, but tomorrow,
Thursday, June 19th from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm, the Hampton Legacy
Apartments design team will be unveiling their project at a community
picnic in order to elicit community feedback. Please come to grab a
bite to eat and to provide input into the design. It will be held at
the Hampton Legacy site at 3231 Sacramento St. (at Harmon).

 

 

The Berkeley Police Department Needs Your Help
Help Apprehend Sexual Assault Suspect
The Berkeley Police Department is asking for the community's help in
apprehending the suspect in a recent sexual assault on Dwight Way and
College Ave on the evening of June 15th. Anyone with information on
these cases is encouraged to call the Sex Crimes detail at (510)
981-5735. For more details, please see the attached Community Crime
Alert.

Missing Rice University Student's Car Found in West Berkeley
The car of missing Rice University student, Matthew Wilson , was
found in the 1200 block of Allston Way. Wilson has been missing
since December 15th and is described as a 20-year-old white male
adult who weighs about 135 pounds and has green eyes and red hair and
was last seen with a full beard. Anyone with information about
Wilson's case can call the Rice University Police Department at
(713) 348-6000, Houston Crime Stoppers (713) 222-TIPS or the Berkeley
Police Department at 981-5900 or 981-5741.

 

Mandatory Water Rationing
Two dry winters have resulted in the biggest water supply threat in
nearly 20 years. To safeguard its shrinking supply, EBMUD has
declared a sever water shortage emergency. Mandatory water rationing
is now in effect.
EBMUD is seeking a 15 percent overall reduction in water use, with
specific goals for different types of customers.
Customer Group & Water Use Reduction Goals
Single Family Residential ­ 19%
Multi-family Residential ­ 11%
Irrigation ­ 30%
Commercial ­ 12%
Institutional ­ 9%
Industrial ­ 5%

Water Use Restrictions
The drought program approved by EBMUD's Board of Directors prohibits
the following:
Using water for decorative ponds, lakes and fountains except those
that recycle the water
Washing vehicles with hoses that do not contain shutoff nozzles
Washing sidewalks, patios and similar hard surfaces
Irrigating outdoors on consecutive days or more than three days a week
Lawn or garden watering that results in excessive runoff
Sewer and hydrant flushing and washing streets with potable
(drinking) water supplied by EBMUD except for essential purposes
The use of potable water for construction, soil compaction and dust
control when another source is available

Customers who violate these rules may be subject to fines, water flow
restrictions, or loss of water service. Information on proposed
drought rates will be mailed to bill payers in the coming weeks.

EBMUD appreciates your everyday efforts to save water and your extra
efforts to protect the water supply during the drought.

 

 

Job Opportunities with PG&E
Pacific Gas & Electric Co. has launched a new workforce development
program, PowerPathway, to train workers for PG&E jobs the company
described as "high-paying," with most course tuition free for the
participants. The training will take place at local community
colleges including Laney College and College of San Mateo, with
assistance from Job Corps and local governments.

PG&E will hire graduates of the program as utility workers and
apprentice electrical technicians, instrument technicians and
welders, as well as equipment/field mechanics, over the next three
years, the company said. The company, which employs close to 20,000
people, already has 400 apprentice linemen in its existing apprentice
lineman program.
For more information, visit
http://www.pge.com/careers/powerpathway/

Sincerely,

Ryan Lau, aide to our Counciman, Darryl Moore.

 

 

 

"Police raids net suspected Acorn gang leaders" reports Christopher Heredia of the Chronicle.

"Oakland police arrested on Tuesday the alleged leader of a violent West Oakland gang and more than 30 of his accomplices who authorities linked to several homicides and a series of restaurant takeover robberies as well as carjackings, drug and weapons trafficking."
 

 

"A cratchy recording of Baa Baa Black Sheep and a truncated version of In the Mood are thought to be the oldest known recordings of computer generated music" reports BBC NEWS.

"The songs were captured by the BBC in the Autumn of 1951 during a visit to the University of Manchester.

The recording has been unveiled as part of the 60th Anniversary of 'Baby', the forerunner of all modern computers.

The tunes were played on a Ferranti Mark 1 computer, a commercial version of the Baby Machine.

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'I think it's historically significant,' Paul Doornbusch, a computer music composer and historian at the New Zealand School of Music, told BBC News.

'As far as I know it's the earliest recording of a computer playing music in the world, probably by quite a wide margin.'

The previous oldest known recordings were made on an IBM mainframe computer at Bell Labs in the US in 1957, he said."

 

 

 

 

 

6/19//08

Pete Hurney's KALX Ukelele Midnight Express is on tonite at midnight. 

 

 

Carolyn Jones of the Chronicle reports

"UC Berkeley's plan to build a state-of-the-art athletic training center next to Memorial Stadium is on hold until the university can prove that the project would not violate state earthquake-safety laws, a judge ruled Wednesday.
In a 129-page ruling, Alameda County Superior Court Judge Barbara Miller said UC's proposal, the subject of a trial last year, raises safety questions although the project is mostly in compliance with state law.
'This in no way affects our ability to build the center,' said UC spokesman Dan Mogulof. 'This is a great ruling for us.'
Meanwhile, a lawyer for tree-sitting activists who have been perched in a grove of trees outside the stadium for the past 18 months, said the ruling was favorable to his clients."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6/20/08

"Hercules will celebrate Filipino culture with weekend festivities" reports Chris Treadway of our Times.

"The history and culture of the Philippines will be celebrated Saturday in Hercules with music, dance, educational exhibits and a commemoration of the nation's fight for freedom from 19th century colonial rule.

The Philippine Independence Day celebration offers an opportunity for the general public to learn about the nation's history and heroes, but it also is important as a way for the Filipino community to connect or reconnect with its roots, organizers say."

 

 

"Cal prevails in sports training center battle; arborists remove another tree-sitter" reports Kristin Bender of the Tribune.

A day after UC Berkeley claimed victory in its battle to build a sports training facility, the university changed its stance on removing tree sitters and will bring down those who don't put up a fight, a campus spokesman said late Thursday.

About 5:15 p.m. Thursday an arborist in a cherry picker removed a man in his 20s who came out of the tree "very quietly," said university spokesman Dan Mogulof. The man was arrested for trespassing and could face other charges as well, Mogulof said.

The man, whose name was not released, was the second tree sitter to be removed this week. Marisa Schneidman, a 19-year-old nonstudent, was arrested on suspicion of various illegal actions, including allegedly biting an arborist trying to remove her this week.

Prior to the decision late Thursday, the university was removing only tree sitters' wooden platforms, tarps, traverse lines and food.

But campus officials assured they wouldn't put anyone at risk in the extraction effort. 'If people are going to put up a fight, we are going to let them stay. If it looks like we can't (remove them) safely, we're going to stay way,' Mogulof said." 

So when our Kimar broke the story Tuesday morning, she was right in writing

"The police, with a cherry-picker appear to be removing the Oak Grove tree-sitters. 'This time, I think they're going to get them out.'"

 

"Judge goes out on a limb and sort of rules on Cal dispute" cracks the Chronicle's Ray Ratto.

"Wednesday's ruling by Alameda County Superior Court Judge Barbara Miller that Cal's long-delayed athletic training center is sort of legal and sort of not largely advances the legal notion that there really is something called 'semi-pregnant.' "

 

Sources close to the arborists say the men working on the CAL job believe the sitters aren't so much students as "professional demonstrators."

 

 

 

Our Police Department's news release of Thursday

Berkeley Police Department 
2100 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Berkeley, CA 94704 
(510) 981-5900, TDD: (510) 981-5799, police@ci.berkeley.ca.us 
 
 Emerson St. Victim  
Marks City's 8th Homicide 
 
 Berkeley, California (Thursday, June 19, 2008) ­ At 12:18 PM on June 19, 2008, the 
City of Berkeley Fire Department responded to a call of an unresponsive adult male from 
inside a residence on the 2000 block of Emerson St. in South Berkeley.  Upon their arrival 
they determined that the victim a black, male, adult had died as a result of his injuries. 
 
Detectives are currently investigating all possibilities with regard to this case but are 
asking for the community's help with this investigation.   
 
Anyone who may have any information regarding this crime is urged to call the BPD 
Homicide Detail at (510) 981-5741 (office) or (510) 981-5900 (non-emergency dispatch 
line).

 

 

A Steven Harmon of the Times report on "Hancock-Chan race in top 10 for attracting independent expenditures.

Independent expenditures for the state's 9th Senate District primary between Assemblywoman Loni Hancock and ex-Assemblywoman Wilma Chan cracked the top 10 in dollars spent among this year's state primary races, the Fair Political Practices Commission reported Thursday.

Overall, outside groups participating in June 3 races spent $11.8 million - more than three-fourths of which went to the top 10 races. The total for all outside spending has reached $99.9 million since Proposition 34, the ballot measure that imposed limits on campaign contributions, was approved in 2000.

Such spending, however, defeated the purpose of the legislation, the commission's chairman said.
'Since independent expenditure committees can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money,' Ross Johnson said, 'this trend thwarts the will of the voters who imposed contribution limits on candidates.'

'The real losers in this explosive growth of independent expenditures are the voters of California,' Johnson said, 'because independent expenditure committees are getting better at masking the true source of their contributions.'

In the Hancock-Chan race, outside groups spent a combined $638,578 - with by far the most being spent on behalf of Chan, the former Oakland lawmaker who lost to Hancock 56.7 percent to 43.3 percent. Expenditures on Chan's behalf totaled $504,838, compared with $133,740 for Hancock."

 

 

Michael and Steven Goldin of Potter Creek's new, state-of-the-art manufacturer, Swerveco just returned from the NEOCON trade-show in Chicago. Jazzed by their reception Steven said of the show "We were pleased to see so many people we respect."

For just what Swerveco does check out http://www.swerveco.com/

Some of their clients are, hold your breath, Abrams/Millikan; Ask Jeeves, Inc.; Barteluce Architects & Associates; Berkeley Assemblywoman Dion Aroner; Berkeley Mills; Burberry Limited, USA; Coma Music; Concept Office; Design Within Reach (Swerve in the DWR catalog); Domus Development; Eat Work Development; Electronic Arts; Evolve Software (project information); FACS; Greenberg Qualitative Research; Internet Archive; Lynx Enterprise; MAK Center for the Arts; Vienna, Austria; Marimekko; Nightfire Software; Northpoint; RISD : Rhode Island School of Design; The Roda Group; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; Stephen Wirtz Gallery; SunPower Corp.; Swinerton & Walberg; Thinklikeanexpert; University of California, Berkeley (project information); Washington Mutual; Wave Research; Zellerbach Hall.

The Goldins' use Siemens' software, Check it out here.

 

 

Harvey, ole Potter Creek mailman emails

Ron,

An institution is closing--the cloth diaper business is no longer profitable. ABC Diapers, 1800 2nd street, told me that it will close for good. 
(ABC Diapers owners have the distinction of assisting the many mothers and fathers who used a competitor's service, when that company abruptly closed. The ABC Diapers owners announced that those who would like them to come by and pick up the solid diapers and begin a service to give them a call.)  
A family business, gone to the high energy prices, gas prices and the disposable diapers.  Progess, I guess if they trap the methane gas at the dumps and use it for fuel.

Harvey

 

 

"Kellogg shrinking cereal boxes" reports the AP's James Prichard.

"It's a little less cereal for the same amount of money.

Kellogg Co. is using smaller packaging while charging the same prices for five of its cereals sold in the United States, effectively raising their prices for the second time this year.

The company started shipping the new boxes to stores in early June.
Boxes were reduced by an average of 2.4 ounces for 14 items sold under the Apple Jacks, Cocoa Krispies, Corn Pops, Froot Loops and Honey Smacks brands, said Kellogg spokeswoman Susanne Norwitz."

In the '40s, after The War, Aunt Hattie raised hell when the soap companies did the same--first time I was aware of protest-by-letter-writing.

 

 

Bayer is converting a lot of space in the building on the north-west corner of 8th and Parker to office use.

 

"Homebuyers look closer to work" reports Adrian Sainz of the AP.

"In his hunt for a new home, Demetrius Stroud crunched the numbers to find out that, with gas prices climbing, moving near an Amtrak station is the best thing for his wallet.

Stroud was looking in Elk Grove - about 85 miles away from his job in the San Francisco Bay Area - because homes there are more affordable. But with gas at 4.50 and a car that gets about 22 miles per gallon, Stroud would be pumping 560 a month into his tank."

 

And the Times' Barbara E. Hernandez reports "Home sales down but foreclosures still hot.

Home sales fell to a 20-year low in the Bay Area, but sales were hot for the foreclosure-ravaged East Bay, DataQuick Information Systems Inc. reported Wednesday."

 

"FBI holds 406 for mortgage fraud" reports BBC NEWS.

"The US Justice Department said the frauds had cost victims $1bn

The FBI says it has arrested 406 property market players as part of its crackdown on mortgage fraud.

The arrests include estate agents and loan originators, who help homebuyers to take out loans.

Reported mortgage fraud has soared in the past year, with the most common type being mis-statement of assets.

Earlier in the day, two former Bear Stearns managers in New York were arrested following the collapse of a fund linked to sub-prime mortgages.

They are the first executives facing criminal charges following the crisis." 

 

"Bonfire Madigan Shive takes 'wild, wild ride'" writes Aidin Vaziri in a Chronicle pop music review.

"Composer, cellist and vocalist Bonfire Madigan Shive provides the exhilarating live one-woman score for the American Conservatory Theater's new production of John Ford's 17th century tragedy ' 'Tis
Pity She's a Whore.'

A cult indie-rock star, Shive spends the show in an industrial-baroque organ loft that hovers above the action."

 

"Putting a different spin on the record business" reports Norman Lebrech.

"America's best-selling classical CD of 2008 is a curiously old-fashioned pairing of violin concertos. It brings together the popular masterpiece by Jean Sibelius, a proven crowd-puller, with the atonal logarithms of Arnold Schoenberg - a work which, after five hearings, leaves you with no tunes to sing in the shower and a somewhat grim outlook on the future of the human race."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6/21/08

"Cody's Books Closes After 42 Years in Berkeley" reports Michael Howerton in our Planet.

"Cody's Books, founded on Telegraph Avenue in 1956, expanded to Fourth Street in 1998 and San Francisco in 2005, closed on Telegraph in 2006, closed in San Francisco the following year, moved to Shattuck
Avenue in March, and then, yesterday, on June 19, 2008, went out of business."

Go figure, Border's opened a brand-new store in Alameda, May 30th. It's at 2245 South Shore Center, 510-522-6442.

AND, Moe's is still open and goin' great guns!

 

But, "Down Home to Leave Fourth Street" reports Judith Scherr.

After only 11 months in Berkeley, Down Home Music is moving out of its Fourth Street store.The move is not reflective of the economic health on Fourth Street, where a second Crate and Barrel store is about to set up shop. It has more to do with the business of selling new CDs in a brick and mortar location rather than downloading them or buying them on the Internet, according to Dave Fogarty, economic development manager with the city
of Berkeley's

YET, there's still our The GrooveYard

 

 

ALSO, I do miss our Daily Planet's two-street-editions per week. Often as not, now, the one print-edition is just a summary, sometimes with week's old material, of the website. And, what's with dating-changing weeks-old stories on the website? Even given a current-edition-date, they're still old.

And "Nothing's older than yesterday's news(paper)."

 

 

"Former Cuban President Fidel Castro has lashed out at the EU's decision to lift sanctions against his country, calling it 'an enormous hypocrisy' " reports BBC NEWS.

"He said the move was 'disparaging' because it was conditioned on human rights progress in Cuba.

The ailing 81-year-old said the measure came just days after the EU passed a 'brutal' law that could jail illegal immigrants up to 18 months.

The EU lifted the sanctions against Cuba in principle on Thursday.

The decision is expected to come into formal effect on Monday. The EU said its move was aimed at encouraging change in Cuba, following Fidel Castro's replacement by his brother Raul in February.

The decades-old US trade embargo against Cuba remains in place."

 

 

"State records biggest jump in unemployment in May" writes Sam Zuckerman of the Chronicle.

"California's unemployment rate rocketed up 0.6 percentage point in May - the largest one-month increase since the state began keeping records in 1976 - as the fallout from high energy prices and the depressed housing market rippled through the state's economy."

 

 

"State calls off sprayings for moth" writes Chris Metinko in our Times.

"State officials have called off the much-maligned aerial sprayings in populated areas they had planned to restart this summer to combat the invasion of the light brown apple moth.

California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary A.G. Kawamura and U.S. Department of Agriculture official Cindy Smith announced the decision at a news conference Thursday.They said instead of the aerial spraying of synthetic pheromone - which had caused public concern - to fight the moth, their agencies would rely on ground methods to battle the insect, including releasing sterile moths to throw off the insect's reproduction cycle. "

 

 

Last week 900 GRAYSON served a cold-melon-soup of organic yellow honey-dew melon with a touch of Cajun pepper and lavender-honey yogurt garnished with fresh mint.

NECTAR!

 

6:25 AM--SERIOUS irritant in front room, lights flicker.

 

 

 

 

 

 

6/22/08

Yesterday late afternoon there was a garden wedding in Potter Creek. Hosted by our Bice family, it took place in their lovely compound.

 

 

"Everything seemingly is spinning out of control" opine Alan Fram and Eileen Putnam of the AP.

A matrix shift of some magnitude, we'll soon come to fully-understand and accept it. Though we may not like it.

 

 

Want to feel good?

Check out Mal Sharpe's "Big Money in Jazz" band CD. Recorded at a live concert for Louis Armstrong's birthday, this Dixieland band's music is full of love. From the raspy cornet to the whiskey throated singer, these folks love what they're doing. I've heard more professional groups but none who put more fun in their music. Buy a copy!

And Mal's classic Coyle and Sharpe routines are getting air-time on KALX.

Yout leaders at 60. Go figure!

 

"Violin virtuoso, Leonidas Kavakos performs at the Mariinsky Concert Hall . . ." writes Galina Stolyarova in the St Petersburg Times.

"The Greek violinist Leonidas Kavakos brings his 1692 Stradivarius to the city this weekend to perform Henri Dutilleux's 1985 violin concerto L'Arbre des Songes at the Mariinsky Concert Hall.

His first violin may have been nothing more than a token Christmas gift from his father but today Greece's Leonidas Kavakos is one of the world's most distinguished and versatile virtuoso violinists with a packed concert diary."

 

 

 

"Four Charged in Killing Of Anna Politkovskaya" reports the St Petersburg Times.

"Formal charges were filed Wednesday against four men accused in connection with the 2006 killing of journalist Anna Politkovskaya, the Investigative Committee said.

Three men were charged with involvement in Politkovskaya's murder, while an officer from the Federal Security Service faces charges of extortion and abuse of office, the committee said in a statement. The
four have been held since their arrests last August."

 

Good news travels fast and so does bad . . . . I broke this story Thursday afternoon.

"Berkeley murder victim identified" reports Paul Thissen of our Times.

Berkeley Police have identified the victim of a Thursday homicide as 39-year-old Charles Faison.

Faison, a south Berkeley resident, was found with a gunshot wound just after noon Thursday in a house in the 2000 block of Emerson Street after a 911 caller requested an ambulance for an unresponsive
man, according to police. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police have interviewed Faison's family and neighbors but are not releasing any more details.

There have been eight killings in Berkeley this year, including three in May alone."

 

 

 

"Losses signal possible employment recession; financial services, construction among hardest hit" writes our Times' George Avalos

"The East Bay has lost nearly 12,000 jobs so far in 2008 - including thousands more last month - in an ominous indication that an employment recession has descended on the region's struggling economy."

some motorcycle as art photos sooner-than-later

 

 

 

Eternally useful links

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.

 

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 scanned material retains copyright. The material is used only to illustrate