Columns

Breaking News—Literally

Three Peregrine falcon chicks have pecked their way out of their eggshells in a nest high atop UC Berkeley's Campanile tower. Despite the untimely demise of Grinnell, the feathered soulmate of bird-mom Annie, a new brood of peregrines is happily feasting on bits of pigeon brought home by step-dad Alden.

Appropriately, UC announced the news in the form of a Tweet.

You can celebrate "Hatch Day" at this link and take a real-time peep inside the nest, thanks to the 24-7 Falcon Cam located just a click away. 

A New Eatery to Supplant Lalime's  

The building that once housed Lalime's—Haig and Cindy Krikorian's fondly remembered restaurant on Gilman across from the Berkeley Natural Grocery—has been sadly empty since the Krikorians opted to shutter the site in 2020. But there is now a new tenant that plans to open for business in September—an Italian restaurant with an odd name—"Three.OneFour." 

The name for this self-styled "swanky pizza lounge" is only odd until you decode the hidden meaning. Math nerds will catch the code easily enough: the clue for the new eatery's name comes from the fact that specializes in serving pizza pi. 

Nope, that's not a typo. That's a reference to "pi"—the magical numerical number that unspools when you divide the circumference of a circle by its radius. The resulting number—3.14159….—is unique because it generates an endless stream of digits. Pi is the only member of the Greek alphabet that has its own day on the Roman calendar: March 14 (3/14 or 3.14). 

The new restaurant's name reminded me of the days when I was a numbers nerd at James Monroe Junior High in Southern California. Those were the days before computers when humans had to perform our calculations on a device called a "slide-rule." Our math club had a secret chant that incorporated pi. It went:
"Secant, tangent, cosine, sign.
Three point one four one five nine
Constant, quotient, ratio
Slipstick, sliderule, Go, Monroe!" 

Christians Against Satellites 

I'm going to make a wild guess that the organization calling itself Christians Against Satellites is satirical. CAS's online profile claims that they are devoted to exposing the "negative impact of artificial satellites and space debris orbiting the Earth." Those impacts include: "interference with out ability to effectively communicate with God. Prayers often collide with satellites and are deflected or destroyed upon impact." (So much for the alleged "power of prayer.") "Satan uses satellites to intercept and alter prayers before they reach God, resulting in disastrous consequences." (Doesn't God have spyware protection?) "Satellites block God's ability to watch us." (Relax. God has all-powerful omniscience. I'm more concerned with satellites watching us.) "Satellites interfere with the flight paths of angels." (Especially if they come to Earth in the form of doves.) "Continued proliferation of satellites causes navigational issues for Jesus and further delays his return to Earth." (To say nothing about how orbiting weather and military surveillance satellites might gum up The Rapture.) 

Musk Muzzles Public Citizen on Twitter  

In last week's column, it was Elon Musk vs. Robert Reich. This week it's Musk vs. Robert Weissman. Weissman's kvetch? "Elon Musk has blocked Public Citizen on Twitter. That means we can’t see — or directly reply to — what the world’s richest person is doing on a communications platform he likes so much he’s paying $44 billion to take it over." Weissman pointed out that only two days previously, Musk had stated: “I hope that even my worst critics remain on Twitter, because that is what free speech means.”  

So why did Public Citizen get blocked, Weissman askes? "Were we not critical enough, Elon?" 

Weissman concluded his critique by noting: "whatever anyone might think of Musk—(1) he’s a once-in-a-generation innovator who selflessly wants to use his brains and wealth for the betterment of humankind OR (2) he’s an egotistical gazillionaire who wants to take over the world like some James Bond villain—this isn’t about his personality. It’s about plutocracy."  

Musk Out-Snarked on Twitter 

On April 29, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez @ AOC tweeted the following lament:
• Tired of having to collectively stress about what explosion of hate crimes is happening bc some billionaire with an ego problem unilaterally controls a massive communication platform and skews it because Tucker Carlson or Peter Thiel took him to dinner and made him feel special 

This prompted a snarky response from Twitter's new Head Twit, Elon Musk, who thumb-typed:
• Stop hitting on me, I’m really shy 

Which prompted AOC to seal the deal with the following response:
• I was talking about Zuckerberg but ok. 

A Call for Abortion Recollections 

Sharing a timely email from Berkeley activist Karen Weinstein: 

"In the late 1960's I had an illegal abortion in which I was blindfolded and put in a locked room. I survived, but many of our sisters did not, particularly low income and women of color. 

So of course, I am saddened and outraged that after all these years, when so many fought for safe and legal abortions, we are here again. 

"Over 50 years ago, I and three other feminist activists made a 27-minute film, "Abortion and Human Rights: 1970," as part of an organizing tool to legalize abortion. Our website (https://www.abortionandwomensrights1970.com/) includes current resources and some pretty amazing sources and citations about the history of abortion and other women's health issues. The last part of the film puts abortion into the larger context of women's health and women's rights. 

"I am reaching out today because I would love to know any info about the pro-choice movement in Berkeley during the 60's. Is there an article I should read or person I should talk to who would be open for a quick talk. 

"Next week, a few of us will be interviewed by Feisty News, which is a women's news show. Will keep you posted." 

Karen Weinstein can be reached at womensrights1970@gmail.com 

Good News from the Sierra Club 

The Sierra Club's Spring Impact Report got the season off on a good foot, noting the following string of successes:
• As part of our goal to protect 30 percent of US lands and water, we helped protect Minnesota's Boundary Waters,
• We stopped oil and gas drilling in Chaco Canyon National Historic Park in New Mexico,
• We re-listed Gray Wolves as endangered species in 44 states,
• We reached another milestone in our efforts to transform our energy system when [our] Beyond Coal Campaign secured the retirement of the 350th coal plant in Rockport, Indiana. Check out this short video on repowering Indiana.  

Critical Labor Theory: May the Fourth Be With You 

"The Wobblies," a documentary from 1979 that charts the history of the International Workers of the World (IWW), has just been restored for inclusion in the National Film Registry. The doc was screened free, online and nationwide, in honor of May Day. 

The life of skilled laborers was tough in the early days of industrial America — with seven-day-weeks, 12-hour workdays, and no breaks for food or rest. Until the formation of the IWW, there were no unions representing unskilled workers. 

While "The Wobblies" is no longer available for online streaming, here's a related documentary, "The History of Labor Unions," that is just as powerful and more comprehensive. 

The Day After—After 40 Years 

With the "Biden vs. Putin" Ukrainian escalations increasing by the day — and raising the risks of a world-ending nuclear war — it might be time to consider the rebroadcasting ABC's 1983 dystopian classic, The Day After (now approaching its 40th anniversary next November). More than 100 million people tuned in to watch the original broadcast but — despite its long recognition as "the highest-rated television film in history" —The Day After has never been rebroadcast. 

There was a major struggle to get this film on-air in the first place. In exchange for airing the film, ABC followed the broadcast by airing an unscripted, simulated "war game" including Carl Sagan and Eli Wiesel squaring off in a live debte against the likes of Henry Kissinger, Robert McNamara, and Gen. Brent Scowcroft. 

The high-profile war game was intended to reassure viewers not to worry about nuclear war because, in the real world, "cooler heads would prevail." 

Unfortunately, the government's war-game exercise eventually went off-the-rails and veered towards escalation. The simulation has also not been seen for nearly 40 years. It would be instructive to watch it unfold once again—coupled with a rebroadcast of The Day After. The impact could be either galvanizing or demoralizing. 

The entire two-hour-long film is available for viewing online. Here's the trailer for the film: 

Today's Teens Are Making Dark Art of the Apocalypse 

A reader recently shared a link to "Hypersonic Missiles," a video posted by a young songwriter named Sam Fender. This anthem to annihilation features chilling images of thermonuclear missiles arcing through the sky and eventually falling back to earth—above the video's closing words: "The End." 

It is profoundly sad—and disturbing—to discover that today's youth are writing songs about nuclear war putting an end to human civilization. 

No to NATO: In Three Songs 

When the Cold War ended and the Warsaw Pact was dissolved, the neo-imperialists in Washington refused to disband NATO. They needed to explain why the existence of the Pentagon was no longer sufficient to preserve "world peace." In order to promote the idea that the US also needed a "military union of nations," the Deep State sought opportunities to drum up support for NATO including this bit of lyrical propaganda enlisting the talents of none other than Bing Crosby: 

Over recent years, NATO has revealed itself to be an agent of aggression, staging regime-toppling attacks on Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria. This bloody legacy prompted Ben Grosscup to write the following musical jerimiad to NATO. 

And hard-rocker Mistahi Corkill recently shared the following musical anti-war-shout-out along with this message: "This song goes out to all peace-loving people who are taking a courageous stand against US empire building and expansion of the aggressive, warmongering military alliance, NATO." 

Ending the Ukraine Conflict: A Report and a Video 

Over the course of March and April, Just World Educational (JWE) hosted a series of eight online conversations with 17 leading activists and scholars about the growing trauma in Ukraine. The highlights of these discussions now have been turned into a 32-page report that includes a set of eight Recommendations for resolving the expanding crisis. The report, in turn, gave rise to a 66-minute video co-hosted by JWE's Executive Director Helena Cobban and former UN Special Rapporteur Richard Falk. The video features eight speakers, including CODEPINK's Medea Benjamin, The Nation's Katrina vanden Heuval, and former intelligence specialist Ray McGovern—with a cameo by yours truly. 

(Viewer discretion: If Helena looks a bit like an eye-patched pirate, it's the result of recent cataract surgery.) 

You can find more information on the Ukraine report at (bit.ly/Ukr-report-info) and records of JWE's #UkraineCrisis conversation series at bit.ly/JWE-UkraineCrisis. You also can click here to download a PDF of the Report or you can order a pre-printed copy from Amazon for $5 here. 

The Report contains eight Policy Recommendations that JWE felt grew out of those conversations. The basic message was: "Negotiation, Yes. Incineration, No." 

The World Is Hurtling towards Self-Annihilation 

Noam Chomsky's Speech to the 2022 World Social Forum, recorded by the Campaign for Peace, Disarmament & Common Security on April 29, 2022 

Our Mis-Leaders Are Hell-bent on WWIII 

A related email message from FBI whistleblower Coleen Rowley: 

Our current reality is so hard to acknowledge but we are (unfortunately and literally) hell-bent. Ironically, the foolish hubris of our stupid chicken-hawk Mis-Leaders (who believe themselves superior, above all law and thus evading the Vietnam Draft and other military service that makes cannon fodder of commoners) think they can safely conduct mass murder as "moves on a chessboard," by repeatedly inciting wars of aggression and violent coups around the world and by making the costs of war invisible to the American public. So they now make not only Ukraine and greater Europe but the entire planet their pawn. A hot World War III going nuclear is now on the horizon, which means the entire world is hell-bent.  

Rich People on a Dead Planet 

After a Zoom meeting with a bunch of peace activists trotting out ideas for Peace-in-Ukraine actions on May 7, I suggested that maybe the anti-war community needed was its own radical, pro-peace, "heavy-mental" band — the "Radioactive Flaming Skunks. War Sucks: Raise a Stink!" 

To my surprise, minutes after the meeting ended, I got an email from a songwriter named Vicki Elson, complete with lyrics for an anti-war anthem called "Rich People on a Dead Planet." 

"I'm in," Vicki wrote. "Here's my song." 

Rich People on a Dead Planet
I miss my beach house – the tide got higher
I miss my country house – it burned in a fire
I miss my yacht -- since a hurricane sunk her
I miss my mansion – now I live in this bunker 

CHORUS:
Rich people on a dead planet
What were we thinking
God dammit
I’m this bunker and the TV is on
We’re watching nature shows cause nature is gone
I miss the elephants, I miss the moose
I miss my private chef, I miss my masseuse 

CHORUS
Got lots of money – but I don’t need it
My food is toxic – so I don’t eat it
Got lots of money, but I can’t spend it
Life really sucks since civilization ended 

CHORUS
We built a gate to keep poor people away
‘Cept for the help, who just came in for the day
We built a wall to keep the poor people down
And now I miss them cause there’s no one around 

CHORUS
We were so powerful back in the day
We told the politicians what they could and could not say
We paid off the leaders at the top of our nation
They kept buying bombs from us, and easing regulations 

CHORUS
A little carbon, some radiation
A little warfare and some deforestation
Ten thousand scientists said, stop that you villain
Ten million dollars to another politician 

CHORUS
The TV’s broken, now we’re watching the wall
We got no pot, we got no more alcohol
I’m in this bunker with my spouse and my mother
Our kids are stuck here – have to breed with each other 

Then Again, Only Love Matters 

And, on a brighter note, let's end with Vicki's video of her cheery ditty: "Only Love Matters."