A visiting art scholar known as "233" contributed an art installation to People's Park estimated to be worth over $100,000 on September 3rd by gift-wrapping the large backhoe the University of California left in the park when it halted its construction and transforming it into a giant public swingset. The installation includes a plaque and is wrapped in UC school colors.

In the artist's own words, "Saturday, September 3rd, 2022, exactly a month after the terrible events occured at People's Park, the community of People's Park is going to wrap up a special gift back to the UC Berkeley administration. We don't want it! Spaniard artist 233 is leading an art project fruit of collective thought, sharing and work, promoted by People's Park Council and supported by the whole community of People's Park. The idea is to contribute through contemporary art with People's Park's struggle against the powerful unfair capitalist establishment in which every human being coexist."

The public is welcome to attend the artist's on-campus art opening, "Bulldozer Alarm", will be this Thursday, September 8th, 2022, at 4:00 pm at Kroeber Hall. Professor Ramon Blanco-Becerra will be there to introduce the artist, the art, and take questions regarding 233's large installations and vision. Community members expressed a hope that the giant transformation of the backhoe swingset will become a model of People's Park's nonviolent, creative response to UC's destruction of a landmark which, on May 24, 2022, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. -more-

Most mental illnesses are believed to be rooted in how the brain works or doesn't work. For this reason, mental illness could correctly be classified as a medical problem, because the human brain is a bodily organ. Yet, because of our usage of English in the U.S., when most people communicate, mental illness is referred to as a mental problem and not a medical or physical one. It is imprecise but that's how people communicate. And in the future, that may change. -more-

As September begins and the last days of summer slip away, I am wishing I had taken off to some place interesting in August. I took sort of a staycation with good intentions of continuing weekly Diaries, but good intentions slid into combining the last two weeks of August meetings into this one Diary for September 4. -more-

Hellter Swelter

Our public servants in the state and media have been busy preparing the multitudes for a string of triple-digit temperatures but sometimes the advice falls short. A front-page Chronicle article advised: "People should protect themselves from the heat by keeping indoors as much as possible in the morning and afternoon." (Apparently there's no need to worry about dashing about in the mid-day sun.)

The Chron's climate experts also had a number of survival tips to keep cool. One was to visit shopping malls and other large spaces with air-conditioning. Another tip: drive around in a car with the air-conditioning turned on.

These survival tips amount to a stunning example of "causative blindness."

Consider: Rising temperatures are the result of climate change, which is the result of carbon pollution, which is caused (in large measure) by driving around in gas-powered carbon polluters.

Is this how Earth's last surviving humans will meet their end—huddled inside parked cars with the AC turned up high until their gas tanks run dry? -more-

Dear Governor Newsom, Financing your political ambitions by favors to the oil, nuclear, and agribusiness industries is undermining your support among California voters. -more-

Why do we need unions anyway? Because they are essential for America. Unions are the only large-scale movement left in America that serve as a countervailing balance against corporate power, acting in the economic interest of the middle class. Remember corporations did not all of a sudden give workers two days off each week, which we now call weekends, or paid vacations and sick leave, or rights at the workplace, or pensions, or overtime pay. Virtually all the benefits we have at work, whether in the public or private sector, are because unions fought hard and long against big business who did everything they could to prevent giving us these rights. -more-

In Kabul, Afghanistan, young girls are under severe restrictions denied a secondary education and are constantly monitored by heavily armed, ruthless religious police and are harshly punished for the slightest infractions. -more-

Editor's Note: The latest issue of the Pepper Spray Times is now available.

You can view it absolutely free of charge by clicking here . You can print it out to give to your friends.

Grace Underpressure has been producing it for many years now, even before the Berkeley Daily Planet started distributing it, most of the time without being paid, and now we'd like you to show your appreciation by using the button below to send her money.

This is a Very Good Deal. Go for it! -more-

Worth Noting:

Tuesday City Council is officially on recess, but the Agenda Committee meets at 2:30 pm to plan the September 20th Council meeting (the draft agenda follows posts by day of the week). The full council meets at 4:30 pm in closed session. The PAB Director is on the agenda. The Personnel Board meets at 7 pm to consider new classifications and salaries. For ease of review the annual salaries are included in this summary.

Wednesday afternoon the IKE Kiosk location meeting for the Gillman District is at 2 pm. The evening is packed with the Commission on Disability at 6 pm, the Library Trustees at 6:30 pm will consider modifications of policies for the tool lending library, the Homeless Panel of Experts at 7 pm will consider allocation of Measure P monies and the Planning Commission at 7 pm has one agenda item the DEIR for the Housing Element. Catalyst Town Hall session 3 on housing starts at 5 pm.

Thursday morning is a free webinar on Toxics and Reproductive Health at 10 am, the Loan Administration meets at 12 noon, the Fair Campaign Practices and Open Government Commission meets at 6 pm and ZAB meets at 7 pm. The ZAB posting is not “live” which means there are no working links to the projects being reviewed and no zoom link. Check the ZAB website later for updates. The League of women Voters candidate forums begin on Thursday with District 8 at 5 pm and District 1 at 7:30 pm.

Saturday BNC holds the BUSD School Board forum at 10 am.

Sunday, September 11th is the Solano Stroll.



The September 13th regular Council meeting agenda is available for comment with the full list of agenda items and links at the end of this email.



Don’t forget to check for meetings posted on short notice https://berkeleyca.gov/



Tuesday, September 6, 2022 -more-