Columns

Now in the Works: Berkeley's Biggest, Block-long Mural

A majestic new mural is being created in West Berkeley on the north wall of the Community Energy Services Corp—near the intersection of Carleton and Ninth. The block-long expanse provides the backdrop for a huge parking lot built to serve Kaiser Permanente's new Berkeley facility, which is set to open in May.

Since the mural is near my West Berkeley office, I've watched it slowly evolve from a vast, black-and-white sketch into a blossoming montage of spray-painted images depicting messages of health and healing. Although I drive by the project every morning and evening, I never spotted the crew of painters responsible for the work.

On Wednesday, I got lucky. I met the entire crew. His art-world name is Desi Mundo.

Mundo explained that he's been working on the wall—all alone and without assistants—for several months and hopes to be finished sometime in May.

The project is being sponsored by KP and the message behind the art is appropriately "Thrive-worthy." As Mundo explained, the images depict the world's fundamental healing sources—sunshine, clean air, clear water, trees, food, music, dance, companionship, natural medicine, traditional healers, and modern doctors.

Mundo was relaxed and affable, referring to detailed illustrations on an electronic tablet before reaching for various cans of spray paint and adding six-inch-long updates to the 30-foot-tall canvas. He revealed that he is a teacher at the Oakland Unity Middle School and is Artist-in-Residence at Freemont High. Mundo kindly agreed to be photographed—but only while wearing his protective breathing apparatus.

While Michelangelo had assistants who helped paint the Sistine Chapel, Mundo is going it alone. But he has one advantage Michelangelo lacked—his own mechanized cherry-picker crane to lift him into position to paint the upper reaches of his monumental mural. 

How to Tell When a Tragedy Becomes a Media Event 

For months, America has been convulsed over the repulsive video of a police officer pinning a fellow citizen to the ground until he stops breathing. 

Finally, the wheels of justice have driven the tragic incident before a judge's bench in a court of law. And, like the OJ Simpson Trial, the tragedy of George Floyd's death has become a national media event, with glaring, day-to-day coverage. 

So how do we know that the court case is now a certified Media Event? On April 2, the Associated Press reported the trial had entered "day four." But the AP dispatch capitalized the phrase as "Day Four." Stay tuned for the next gripping episode in America's latest "celebritization" of inhumanity. 

When Slavery Was Simply a Vocation 

The discovery of some Arabia coins in the soil of a Rhode Island orchard has lead to the revelation that a notorious British pirate and his crew once sought shelter on what would become known as the United States. 

According to the Associated Press, sometime around 1695, Captain Henry Every and the good ship Fancy, dropped anchor off the East Coast to enjoy some down time in a safe hideaway. 

The AP story described Capt. Every as "the world's most wanted criminal" and mentioned that he once "eluded capture by posing as a slave trader." 

"You say you're a slave trader? Our apologies, captain. We mistook you for a brigand. Please go about your business." 

Opps, They've Done It Again: PG&E Botches Another Powerpole Repair 

In June 2020, I warned the California Public Utilities Commission that three wooden utility poles in my North Berkeley neighborhood were tilting and appeared to pose an imminent hazard. The CPUC agreed that two of the poles needed to be repaired or replaced and that PG&E would do the job in December 2020. The first pole (at the corner of Ada and Miramonte) didn't receive attention until March 2 and—as a previous column reported—the old pole was cut into several portions but, instead of attaching the old wiring to the new pole, the workcrew simply took the old section—with wiring attached—and bolted it to the side of the new pole. The grotesque cut-and-paste "repair" resulted in an unsightly half-assembled (you can shorten that to read "half-assed") spectacle that resembled a crucifixion. 

Last week, PG&E's contractors returned to tackle the second pole—a transformer-topped tower on California Street that was tilting to the south, five degrees off vertical. An adjacent pole (leaning about five degrees to the east) was also targeted for replacement. 

PG&E workforce (from Alvah Contractors) descended on the neighborhood like an Asphalt Armada, deploying more than 20 vans and hulking trucks, many sprouting cherry pickers designed to lift pole-workers up off the pavement and high overhead where there were wires to detach and reassemble. 

One of the helmeted engineers informed me through his facemask that several teams—including more than 40 workers—would be replacing 6-7 poles over several blocks on California and Rose streets. 

When I showed him a photo of the Dangling Dingaling that workers left behind on Ada Street, he explained why they didn't take the time to reconnect the dozens of old wires to the new pole. "PG&E only repairs the electric power cables at the top of the poles," he said. "Those lower wires belong to AT&T and Comcast so we don't touch them." 

Interesting situation. Sounds something like renting out part of your house, losing it in a wildfire, and rebuilding the house minus the rented room and expecting the renter to tackle the rest of the renovation. 

So how did Alvah do on the California pole? Not so hot. 

They left the major portion of the old, tilting pole in the ground and simply moved the heavy transformer to the top of the new pole planted alongside. The truncated older pole still carries the weight of scores of wires—but these are "legacy" AT&T and Comcast cables, so they remain securely attached to the adjacent, old, tilting, weathered pole. 

Publishers Clearing House Redux 

The folks at PCH are relentless. Last week, another paunchy pouch of promotions landed with a thump in my mail box. 

In order to maintain the attention of over-taxed recipients who may be tiring of all the invites to buy kitschy kitchen-mitts, salty snacks, tableware, and second-tier magazines, the latest PCH bundle bore an outer announcement that the promised prize of $7,000-a-week-for-life had been doubled to $14,000-weekly-bucks-forever—aka the "Double Upgraded Superprize." 

PCH added to the pressure by warning that it was time for a "Final Decision," warning recipients that it was time to "Claim or Forfeit" any chance of winning. The mailer actually included a removable sticker designed to be placed on a serious-looking document that formally announced one's decision to "forfeit" a chance to increase one's taxable income by $728,000. 

The mailer also raised the ante by continuing to pit neighbor against neighbor. "Act Fast!" the envelope warned: "Someone in your area is hoping you don't respond!" The previous dispatch actually listed the full names of five "Berkeley residents" who were also vying for "my" claim to the coveting "Superprize." The latest mailing included a document titled "Ownership Report" that narrowed my list of competitors down to a single Berkeley resident identified as CXXXXXXXX WXXXXXXXXX. (Curse you, Christian Wellington!) 

Now here's the odd thing: While I am identified as the Primary Owner of the Special Number and "Christian" is the designated Alternate Owner, the accompanying "participation report" notes that I only became a "Friend of PCH" in July 2020 and had mailed in six responses. Christian, on the other hand, was identified as having been a PCH Friend since February 2014 and has sent in 43 responses over the past eight years. 

(C'mon, PCH, that's no way to reward a loyal friend like Chris!) 

PCH also seems to be a bit off it's game when it comes to personalized shopping. One of the scores of their mass-mailed mini-leaflets is topped with the statement: "We know what you like and want, Gar Smith." Sorry, PCH, but I really have no interest in a plastic see-through Battery Organizer that can hold—and test—"up to 180 batteries." Nor do I covet your "10-inch Blue Non-stick Fry Pan," your Aluminum Ruler With Handle, nor the American Flag Folding Knife With Fire Starter & Carabiner. 

The April 30 Prize Day looms ever closer. How many more PCH "please-purchase!" pitches will I have to endure? 

The Ongoing 5G Debate 

A March 26 press release from Americans for Responsible Technology (ART) reports that the New York state legislature has introduced a bill to require an independent investigation into possible health risks from exposure to 5G wireless radiation. In 2020, New Hampshire released a related commission report that contained 15 recommendations designed to monitor levels of wireless radiation and reduce public exposure. The last paragraph of the ART press release contained a zinger:
"To date, no studies have confirmed claims by the telecom industry that exposure to wireless radiation emitted by 5G wireless devices, as well as earlier generations of wireless technologies, is safe. As a result, Lloyd's of London, and other leading insurance companies, have declined to insure the telecoms against personal injury claims and class-action lawsuits related to exposure to electromagnetic fields, including wireless radiation." 

Act Now and THRIVE to Survive 

Zack Gerdes, a campaign organizer for the Sierra Club's Living Economy project, writes:
Congress goes on their Spring Recess—from March 31- April 11—and we have our first big chance to push for the bold, transformative recovery plan that we need: the THRIVE Act—a visionary plan to create 15 million good jobs to address unemployment; invest in Black, Brown and Indigenous communities to address racial injustice; and address the climate crisis by cutting pollution. Now is the time to show our movement's support for an ambitious and justice-oriented recovery plan and to help drive momentum so we can pass it later this year. 

For more info on the THRIVE (Transform, Heal, and Renew by Investing in a Vibrant Economy) Act, you can click here. 

Jolly Moments of Internet Misfires 

Accidents happen, so web-servers need to be ready with quick responses. A few days ago, I attempted to link to a petition on The Action Network and the connection failed. Instead, I found myself looking at a page with a huge bold-faced message that read: "Don't Panic." 

"It looks like you've stumbled onto an error on our site," the alert continued. "Our team has been notified and will look into it." 

To make amends, the page offered an apology that read: "We're so sorry! How about we show you two of our cats?" And, sure enough: photos of cats. 

The Superrich Belong to the United Estates of America 

Senator Bernie Sanders and Congressman Jimmy Gomez are introducing the 99.5 Percent Act, which would redirect hundreds of billions from the superrich that to address critical social and environmental emergencies. If you would prefer more populism and less plutocracy, here's a petition Bernie and Jimmy would like you to sign:
As your constituent, I urge you to cosponsor and support and promote the 99.5 Percent Act. The richest 1 percent of people in the United States own nearly 32 percent of the nation’s wealth, while the bottom 50 percent (half the country!) own just 2 percent of the wealth, according to the Federal Reserve. The 99.5 Percent Act would tax only a fraction of the wealthiest 1 percent, and only after they were dead, only at a very reasonable rate, and taxing wealth that had mostly never been taxed as income. We do not need royal dynastic power. We do need funding for human and environmental emergencies. 

Black Rep. Shackled for Seeking Open Government Now Faces Five-Year Sentence 

This is worse than Jim Crow. With more than 300 voter-suppression bills proposed in GOP-dominated states, the Republican Party has started attacking democracy with the intensity of Jim Vulture! 

As Robert Weissman, President of Public Citizen reports: "This is happening in America right now:
A representative in the state legislature—a Black woman named Park Cannon—was arrested in the Georgia Capitol last week and has been charged with two felonies. She is facing up to five years in prison. Her supposed “crime”? Knocking on a door in the Georgia Capitol.
Why did knocking on a door get this Black woman manhandled, shackled, and dragged into the street by white state troopers, then charged with multiple felonies that could land her in prison for years? Because behind that door, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp was signing into law a flagrantly anti-democratic and racist voter suppression bill that was rammed through the state legislature by flailing Republicans who have given up on trying to win elections on the merits of any actual policy positions and have instead chosen to cling to power by opposing the very concept of democracy itself.
Rep. Cannon was calmly knocking on the door Kemp was hiding behind so she could—as an elected representative of the people of Georgia—at least witness his disgraceful signing of the bill. Ridiculously, the white trooper who arrested Rep. Cannon says he was worried about a January 6-type riot."
Public Citizen has posted a petition addressed to "law enforcement and prosecutors in Georgia":
Drop all charges against State Rep. Park Cannon. Arresting her in the first place, much less prosecuting her, for knocking on a door in the Capitol—where she is an elected representative—so she could witness Governor Brian Kemp’s signing of Georgia’s new anti-democratic, racist voter suppression laws is a disgrace. 

When Earth Day Is Not Enough 

A timely dispatch from the Sierra Club declares all of April to be "Earth Month." Noting that "2020 was the end of the hottest decade on record, according to the UN," the Club observes: "We’re in a climate crisis. We must keep global temperature increases (from pre-industrial levels) under 1.5 degrees Celsius in order to prevent the worst impacts, from extreme weather to food scarcity and beyond. So, on April 1, we’re kicking off Earth Month! Earth Day (4/22) is the largest civic event with over 1 billion people participating worldwide." So how does humanity plan to spend what may be our final days on Earth? Team Sierra will be celebrating Earth Month with a number of "virtual activities" including the following: 

APRIL 1: Fermentation 101: From Cabbage to Sauerkraut with Anne-Marie Bonneau  

APRIL 6: Drawing Class with MasPaz  

APRIL 8: Learn About Monarch Butterflies with Jen and Milo the Toller 

When Mattt Gaetz Is Standing There 

A Beatles Parody by Founders Sing