Because the editor broke her current glasses, and Kaiser will take a week and a half to replace them, posting of new articles using her older glasses will take longer than usual. I'm sorry--please be patient and keep checking.
In some ways, things feel a little more sane now that the country is not going into default, but the book bans continue as do anti-trans laws, abortion bans, and mass shootings. There are the warnings that global temperature rise will hit 1.5°C at least one year by 2027, the jet stream is loopy, crazy weather is threatening the world food supply and the ocean conveyer has slowed by 30%, according to David Wallace-Wells author of The Uninhabitable Earth.
There is another wake-up call from the scientists that we are in the middle of the 6th mass extinction and the cause is us.
In the book A Wing and A Prayer: The Race to Save Our Vanishing Birds by Anders and Beverly Gyllenhaal, they introduce us to the crisis this way, “Birds are the most visible branch of wildlife found in every corner of the globe and all too easy to take for granted…But a series of advances in the science and technology of bird research leads to a startling discovery. In the past fifty years nearly a third of the population in North America has withered away up against the loss of habitat, shifting climate, and growing hazards of an urban world…” [emphasis added]
Birds are described as “nature’s workhorses, handling such duties as pollination, seed dispersal, fertilization and soil formation.” Hummingbirds, those little birds that in the ordinance criteria require the 2 inch by 2 inch opaque markings on glass, transparent and reflective materials, pollinate more than 8000 plants and flowers.
One would think that a city like Berkeley that likes to think of itself as progressive, with a mayor that is running for State Senate under the banner of “Mayor Jesse Arreguin is one of the Bay Area’s most respected progressive leaders,” would have a planning department falling all over itself to set the standard for the Bay Area and beyond of what a bird safe ordinance should contain, especially when the greater Bay Area already has seven ordinances that are NOT recommended by scientific authorities.
We sent out a call to ask City Council to vote for the draft of a Bird Safe Ordinance which was passed by the Berkeley Planning Commission on March 1, 2023. That is the model Bird Safe Ordinance based on science.
There are three ways to meet the Bird Safe Requirements 1. Choose a tested product from the American Bird Conservancy list, 2. Patterned Glazing Treatment or 3. External Screen, Shutters or Shading.
The ordinance draft which was recommended by the City of Berkeley Planning Department [staff employed by the City of Berkeley] has under C. Bird Safe Requirements: “Any regulated transparent material must meet at least one of the following conditions:”
Alternative 2 on Patterned Glazing Treatment in the staff draft is not what the Planning Commission passed.
Patterned Glazing Treatment as defined in the Bird Safe Ordinance is for products that have not been tested by the American Bird Conservancy. Products can be substituted when they meet very specific conditions. The specific conditions/glazing treatment are defined in the Planning Commission Ordinance and eliminated by the Planning Department’s draft.
This is what was passed by the Planning Commission for 2.
When one buys electric equipment, there are standards that must be met, and that information is provided by the manufacturer. The person selling you the refrigerator, washer, dryer, coffee maker, reads the label, just as you would. The salesperson is not taking equipment apart to test if the electric specifications are actually met.
The Planning Department report, with Jordon Klein’s name on it as Director of Planning and Development, is offering the most absurd objections as reasons to dismantle the Glazing Pattern Treatment specifications as articulated by the Planning Commission.
The Planning Department project planners are not required to be technical experts nor are project planners required to go out and test and verify the glass. The specifications are provided by the manufacturer, so all the planning department staff have to do is read the report.
You can check the diagrams on page 6 and read the full report at https://berkeleyca.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2023-06-06%20Item%2018%20Bird%20Safe%20Building%20Requirements.pdf
This is what the Planning Department substituted on page 6 of the report.
“Patterned Glazing Treatments: As an alternative to selecting a product from ABC’s Glass Collisions Products and Solutions Database, an element or material would comply with the ordinance if it includes patterns that are etched, fritted, stenciled, silkscreened or otherwise permanently incorporated into the transparent material.”
The specific language in the draft ordinance related to this compliance path is from staff’s initial recommendation to the Planning Commission, and differs from the Planning Commission’s recommended language. Project planners are unable to administer requirements for building materials at the technical level of detail included in the Planning Commission—and Golden Gate Audubon—recommendation.
See Attachment 7 containing a redlined version of staff’s initial recommendation, revised with Golden Gate Audubon’s recommendations. The proposed ordinance details how patterns must be spaced on the material and upon which window surface (exterior or interior) a pattern must be located. For example, for a pattern that utilizes dots or other isolated solid shapes, each dot or shape must be at least 0.25 inches in diameter and be no more than 2 feet apart [emphasis added - the recommended condition is 2 inches not 2 feet] in any direction. If the pattern utilizes lines, it must be at least one-eighth of an inch in width and spaced no more than 2 inches apart. Figure 1 illustrates this compliance path.”
The made-up objections to eliminate a, b, c, d, e, f, from 2 are looking very much like a way to create a pathway to slip in substandard materials that are not bird safe, are not bird friendly. This is just like typing in 2 feet instead of 2 inches creating confusion and slippage. As already stated, the specifications are provided by the manufacturer, so all the planning department staff have to do is read the report.
The Bird Safe Ordinance has consumed so much of my time that I have missed more city meetings than I wish.
The State Density Project at 1598 University approved by the Zoning Adjustments Board is being appealed. The date for City Council to hear the appeal in not yet determined.
It is hard to know if City Council will consider any of the objections and suggestions by the neighbors of 1598 University to make it a better project. I am tempted to take out a tape measure to see for myself if the sidewalk is actually as wide the developer declared. I walk to the intersection of California and University all the time to take advantage of the stop and go light to cross University. The sidewalk certainly feels much narrower than 20 feet.
The Public Safety Committee heard the report on the house that was lost in the Berkeley Hills mudslide. I was hoping for a lot more detail, especially about the structure of the house that made it so vulnerable.
I read the lengthy New York Times piece “A Tale of Paradise, Parking Lots and My Mother’s Berkeley Backyard" by Daniel Duane. What always grabs my attention as I follow all the project reviews and approvals by the Design Review Committee (DRC) and Zoning Adjustment Board (ZAB), is that Berkeley with only about 10.5 square miles is bounded on the west by water and liquefaction and on the east by the earthquake fault line, high fire hazard zones 2 & 3 and hillside slide areas. There are lots of places density should not be added and that puts pressure on the flats.
The high-rises going up in the downtown add needs for services and infrastructure. They also consume far more energy to operate than low and mid-rise buildings. Eight stories is where structural requirements intensify, which is why on the tour, the preferred height was to stop at eight stories.
The other thing that has been grabbing my attention lately is that the State Density Projects are being financed by national and international investor entities. The interest is in maximizing profit with a focus on student housing. The projects for the most part are multiple bedroom units with tiny shared space for cooking and sitting or studios. The units in these mixed-use buildings for the most part are not suitable for families and in some cases are not suitable for students either.
The project at 2712 Telegraph with bedrooms in three and four bedroom units with no windows was given an unfavorable recommendation by the DRC.
I am wondering if the public will ever see the results of the external investigation that is supposed to be completed in July now that Jennifer Louis is comfortably in her seat as Chief of Police. I subscribed to the Los Angeles Times on one of those subscription specials just to gain access to the article behind the paywall (requires a subscription) on Louis. The writers of the 207 letters supporting Louis, likely never read Noah Goldberg’s article on Berkeley police misconduct, with Chief Greenwood’s determination of a suspension as appropriate punishment and City Manager Williams-Ridley’s hand in reversing then-Chief Greenwood’s suspension of Louisl and removing the reprimand from the file. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-12-28/berkeley-top-cop-faced-internal-accusations-of-misconduct-as-she-rose-through-ranks
The Waterfront Specific Plan is coming before City Council on July 25. The Planning Commission will receive a report and give direction to staff this coming week on June 7 and the Parks, Recreation and Waterfront will be sending a separate recommendation from the Commission after their meeting on June 21.
We’re between holidays for Memorial Day and the Fourth of July, so expect a flurry of meetings and actions before the Berkeley City Council goes on summer recess in July, with a lot more to report in the next Activist’s Diaries as we head into summer.
Enjoy the "Super Bloom"—It Could Be the Last
The media has been celebrating a "super bloom" of poppies that has cloaked California's slopes and valleys in mile-long robes of orange blossoms. But it's not just poppies that are popping. The overabundance of rain (after a half-decade of crushing drought) has nourished an explosive "super boom" of boughs and blossoms in the state's forests and woodlands. At the same time, all over the city and well into the hills, neighborhood bushes and trees are bursting with foliage—leaves, flowers, and fruit are bigger and more plentiful.
But it won't last.
Statewide drought is certain to return. It is the "New Abnormal." When this year's vegetation feels the heat of a planet that recently passed the critical tipping-point temp of 1.5 degrees Celsius, the abundance of greenery will begin to bake and brown, forming a feedstock for wildfires. And when the next cycle of drought returns, the firestorms will only rage hotter and higher.
So let's enjoy the sights of this what-may-be-a-special year. Photograph the foliage. Run barefoot through the ankle-high grass. Plant vegetable gardens. Take a good look, because this may be the last season that flaunts the supercharged beauty of Mother Nature at her best. This could be a fitting time to recall a haunting dirge that was written long before humanity woke up to the calamity of climate change:
Let there be no crying at the dying of the light
For the sun's most beautiful, in the hour it sets.
Barbara Lee Pursues the Call for a Department of Peace
Our esteemed local Congresswoman (and hopeful Senatorial candidate) Barbara Lee has introduced a resolution to create a cabinet-level Department of Peacebuilding. Former Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) was the first to introduce a "Department of Peace" resolution back in 2001. Kucinich's proposal gave rise to a popular bumper sticker that read: "If We Had a Department of Peace Maybe We Wouldn't Need a Department of Homeland Security."
Kucinich went on to introduce the bill in each consecutive session of Congress until he left office in 2012.
Rep. Lee stepped in to promote the bill and has called for its adoption in every successive session of Congress. The Department of Peacebuilding proposal currently has 32 sponsors and the California Democratic Party has endorsed it. The more voters know about the bill, the greater its chances of gaining traction.
In the meantime, Reps. Lee and Mark Pocan (Co-Chairs of the Defense Spending Reduction Caucus) have introduced the People Over Pentagon Act to "cut the Pentagon's bloated defense budget by $100 billion" and redeploy the funds to help improve healthcare, education, and infrastructure for millions of Americans.
Fashion Plates
The latest selection of personalized license plates spotted around town:
BMW: 9ERRZZ (Niners, as in 49ers?)
Mazda: RGAMFN (Ragamuffin)
Honda: KNG JAS (King James)
Toyota: SOLAREV (Solar Electric Vehicle or Solar Revolution)
Honda: RATBABY
Ford: CHAMUCA (The Latin America version of a samosa)
BMW: TKY JACK (Tacky Jack? Thanky Jack?)
Ford: FIATSLG (Let there be slugs? As in the University of Santa Barbara's mascot Banana Slugs?)
An Oddity: A BMW with a Tesla logo engraved on its rear bumper.
Bumper Snickers
Honk! If You Have a Whole Lotta Hate in Yr' Heart!
Text on a license plate frame: "Silly Boys! Mustangs Are For Girls!"
All on a single vehicle:
Destroy What Bores You on Sight
Guns Don't Kill People: Blood Loss and Organ Damage Do
Guns Don't Kill People: It's Impossible to be Killed by a Gun: We're All Invincible to Bullets, and It's a Miracle
Queers Bash Back: Anti-Racist Action
Death Is Coming. Eat Trash. Be Free. (Text on photo of a mob of raccoons)
United States Unicorn Hunting Permit 20242015
Political Pitches: The Good and the Bad
A lot of campaign fund-raising letters have been clogging mailboxes in recent weeks. On one recent day there were two solicitations that stood out—for opposite reasons.
The first was a note from the campaign of Congressman Adam Schiff. The note was penned by the Senate-Seat-Seeker's 20-year-old daughter. The outside of the envelope featured an invitation to "Meet my dad, Adam Schiff" and the enclosed note was addressed to "Dear Nice Campaign Supporter." The note read, in part:
"I've looked up to my dad my whole life…. And while you might think of him as Congressman, Representative, or just Adam—to me, he's dad. And I'm his daughter, Lexi! His smartest, funniest, most fashionable and only daughter."
Lexi's message ended with the PS: "Thanks for hearing me out. I know you don't usually get letters like this, but my dad's campaign team said I could write hat I wanted…. Thank you again for your help!"
The second solicitation came from Adam Frisch, a democrat candidate hoping to unseat Colorado Congresswoman Lauren Boebert. The outside of the envelope was plastered with a downer statement: "I lost to Lauren Boebert by just 545 votes."
Having established himself as a loser, the lead sentence in Frisch's letter was an insult: "Lauren Boebert is an anti-American show pony." Frisch proceeded to describe his MAGA-target as "the ringleader of the anger-tainment circus in Washington… the only one of the crazies in Congress who can be defeated."
Frisch scored points by reminding readers that Boebert is an "election denier [who] encouraged the attack on the Capitol" while he is a small businessman and a city council member who campaigned for affordable housing and childcare for working families.
The good news: Frisch and Boebert are virtually tied and, as MSNBC noted in the 2020 election: "Frisch is over-performing the Biden numbers substantially across the district."
Dying for a Dying Empire
A Memorial Day news story praised the Pentagon for managing to return the bodies of US soldiers (aka "heroes") who died in far-off wars and whose remains are only now being repatriated for burial in US cemeteries. The news item cited the case of a young solldier who died on the battlefield at the age of 18 and whose remains were not returned to the US for burial until this Memorial Day—73 years after his death.
Lest there be any doubt that the US is a global empire—one that has fought scores of wars in every hemisphere and operates more than 800 US bases in foreign countries—the report ended with the stark notification that, in the run-up to this latest Memorial Day, the Pentagon had succeeded in reclaiming the remains of America's uniformed dead "from 45 nations." A somber reminder that American soldiers are routinely being turned into targets to project and protect Washington's imperial hegemony—from Afghanistan to Zambia.
AI Is Just the Beginning of "AIEEEE!"
There's been a lot of fraught talk lately of the threat posed by the creation of Artificial Intelligence. AI's ability to complete homework and compose news stories has now been extended to the creation of deepfake photos and bogus videos featuring face-swapping and voice-matching that can make it possible for anyone's reputation to be manipulated and scorched.
Can you imagine a video with Pope Francis in drag, dancing the Macarena. You won't have to: AI can do it for you.
The mounting concerns over AI reminded me of a presentation I made in New York's Cooper Union on March 20, 2015 at a two-day conference hosted by International Forum on Globalization. My topic was "Robots, Nature and the Singularity."
I recently came across a video of the presentation on YouTube and am reposting it here. (Note: This is actual footage; no AI involved.)
Mister Twitter Plugs Plan to Microchip Our Brains
AI technologies have stirred up concerns at many levels so the AI Lobby hopes to continue the techno-quest by massaging the media messaging. One example is the introduction of the term "plagarism software"—which certainly sounds less foreboding than "artificial intelligence."
Speaking of foreboding, Elon Musk has just won approval to experiment with placing microchips in human brains. Musk has previously warned that AI advances have "the potential of civilization destruction” but now Musk is promoting AI as a medical godsend. Musk argues that chipping away at the human brain could "make it possible for the blind to see."
Also possible: This technology might eventually permit the implanting of brain chips that could control WHAT a person thinks he/she sees—in essence, users could inhabit an internalized Virtual Reality world without the bother of slapping on a VR headset
Biden's Re-election Strategy: Ban Other Candidates
When it comes to holding popular elections, Change.org is emphatic: "Debates Equal Democracy."
As of June 5, 2023, we had three officially declared Democratic candidates for the 2024 Presidential race: Marianne D. Williamson, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and Joseph R. Biden (along with Dr. Cornel West, who recently announced a White House run on behalf of the Peoples' Party).
Unfortunately, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) has refused to hold open debates and insists on a "Biden Only" primary that muzzles the voices of progressive democratic candidates—a decision Change.org calls "blatantly un-democratic."
The DNC's move to preempt open debates in favor of pledging "full and complete support" for a Biden-Harris second term—and manipulating the primary schedule to favor Biden's chances in states where he might perform better—has been called "decidedly un-American and the antithesis of fair or democratic."
Raising the cry "We are not a monarchy: We not an oligarchy!" Change.org has started a petition drive to insist on an open primary with competing candidates engaging in serious and wide-ranging public debates. Click here to call on the DNC to hold an honest and open debate.
I CAN Hosts a Party and YOU CAN Join It!
California I CAN is hosting its 4th Annual California Native Ways Festival—a free community event featuring California Indian Arts & Culture. It all happens on Saturday, June 10, from 10:30 AM - 5:00 PM at Ohlone Park (east of the North Berkeley BART station, between Grant and Mc Gee Streets).
Festivities kick off with an official welcome by local Ohlone representatives followed by six hours of "cultural demonstrations with artisan vendors." At 2:00 there will be a "Special Panel Presentation on the History, Beauty, and Significance of Restoring California Indian Traditional Place Names" lead by resident cultural advisor and Northern Sierra Mewuk basket-weaver, Jennifer Bates. Festivities will celebrate 14 native California culture bearers who will be demonstrating traditional arts and crafts while more than a dozen artisan-vendors will display their own unique creations.
Randy Rainbow Showers DeSantis with a Rowdy Song Beam
In 1988 and 89, I made a meagre living working for a pizza shop. After my first month, the owner confronted me that I appeared "on drugs", and his manner was harsh and accusatory. At that point I had to "come out" and explain that I am schizophrenic and must take psych meds. If I remember right, he may have demanded a doctor's note to prove this. He did not believe a mentally ill person was a bad person, but he felt strongly about not employing someone addicted to street drugs.
There are some similarities between both conditions, which I intend to discuss in this piece. A big difference: taking drugs to get high involves taking a physical action, while psychosis in the case of mental illness is something your brain does to you whether you like it or not.
But I can't "judge" someone unless I've walked a mile in their shoes, and I don't believe people should be so quick to condemn. Drug addiction could happen to someone just because they've made the mistake of trying something the first time. When someone is addicted to something, the addiction becomes a beast that has a life of its own, and willpower and/or self-control are rarely enough.
"Dual Diagnosis" refers to a person with a psychiatric problem compounded by addiction to a substance. This is not uncommon. I am not dual diagnosis, even though I have smoked pot. When I was fourteen and fifteen, I smoked pot a few times, but by the fourth time of smoking pot, it stopped having appeal for me, and I had no desire for it. By eighteen, which was the time I became mentally ill, I hadn't had an illicit substance in years. My psychiatric problem wasn't produced by a substance.
When I was in my twenties, a few years after I first became ill, and while I was medicated, I tried pot again and it made my symptoms of psychosis much worse for several days, until the effects wore off. My outpatient psychiatrist had advised against pot; I've stayed away from it for more than 30 years, and I don't miss it. In my twenties I also tried alcohol. Beer not only made me sick; it made me depressed and mentally shut down. I was so sick from it and the headaches were so bad I gave that up as well. I have no quarrel with the "Just say no," espoused by Nancy Reagan of the 1980's.
However, there seem to be some characteristics of a substance abuse problem that are parallel to traits of a psychiatric problem. When people get psychotic, often we have an emotional zing from the delusions. The reward mechanisms in the human brain are apparently triggered by psychotic thoughts; and I can see this because I'm able to witness this within my own internal processes. And in recent years, what I've described is one of the directions that many brain researchers have gone.
Psychosis is very insidious, and it manipulates the pain and pleasure mechanisms in the brain to reinforce symptoms. This makes psychotic processes resemble a drug.
Alcohol and a number of other substances affect different people in different ways. But clearly, a number of substances do not mix with psychiatric medication. Usually, the warning labeling on medication packaging will give you the applicable advice you need. If in doubt, read the labeling.
I've seen examples of a great many people meeting their death through mixing prescription drugs with alcohol. And even prescription drugs by themselves, in excessive dosages or in a bad combination, can kill.
A friend-of-a-friend met his death by accidental overdose. The problem of potential overdosing is compounded when a drug is sold under more than one name. For example, Zyban is the same substances as Wellbutrin. They're both "Bupropion." The drug is the same with either label, but the name "Zyban" is applied when it is used to help quit smoking, while the name, "Wellbutrin" is applied when the substance used for antidepressant purposes. If dealing with more than one doctor, there could be a slipup in which the same substance is prescribed by two or more doctors. Sometimes it is the pharmacist who will catch this error, but that may be one of the last lines of defense.
Prescription drugs can often be addictive and subject to the same problems as street drugs. Doctors need to watch out for this, and often they do. Doctors can get in trouble just as the rest of us do and can be sued and/or prosecuted when they practice badly enough and when this results in death.
But when we take street drugs or addictive prescription drugs, or alcohol or tobacco, the problem is fully in our laps. After all, it is our bodies and our lives that can potentially be ruined. Therefore, we need to watch out for ourselves, and we must be informed.
Sometimes a doctor will discontinue giving us a prescription drug after it is found to be deadly or after it is found to be excessively addictive. We don't fully know how people respond to a number of drugs until the public has been exposed to them for about ten years--and that's only my opinion. But insofar as what substances I'm willing to take, I'm picky. And I can be that way and get away with it because of my track record.
If you question the wisdom of your doctor in prescribing something, get a second or even a third opinion.
ADDENDUM: PSYCHOSIS IN EARLY STAGES CAN BE ADDICTIVE
I've found myself clinging to a delusional thought because it appeals to me. It might offer a false explanation for something perplexing. It might offer a system of denial so that my mind doesn't have to face a difficult reality. Delusions manage to trigger the pleasure mechanisms in the brain. That's how it seems to me, at least. And, again, that's where a lot of research is headed. It may take effort to halt a delusion or a set of delusions. It can be unhappy in the short term to have to face a hard reality that was masked by a delusional thought.
But when the brain wanders too far away from reality, things get worse. We no longer have the pleasurable escapism; we have everything becoming topsy-turvy and we find ourselves to be in something resembling an internally generated war zone. This is because we've followed the delusions too far, and they became assumptions that have led the entire system to go haywire. At that point, we will probably need external help. And we may still resist it because we may still not want to face a false belief being false.
We may not be able to get out of a delusional "system" without external intervention. We may not be able to "come back" without being hospitalized.
But coming back home to the truth can be a hugely comforting thing, a relief, and a reset--a good reset. Once we are getting well once again, it is time to consider taking steps to ensure this doesn't keep happening.
Former British Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn, Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg and famed linguist and dissident Noam Chomsky joined others earlier this year calling on President Biden to drop charges against Julian Assange. The WikiLeaks founder has been languishing for over four years in the harsh Belmarsh prison in London while appealing extradition to the United States.
If he is extradited, tried and convicted, Assange faces up to 175 years in jail for violating the U.S. Espionage Act for publishing documents that exposed U.S. war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Belmarsh Tribunal at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., in January was organized by the Progressive International and the Wau Holland Foundation. The conditions under which Assange is being held in Belmarsh prison are deeply troubling. Reports of his deteriorating health and the denial of proper medical treatment raise serious concerns about his well-being and the overall fairness of his detention.
In light of this grave injustice, I call on the immediate release of Julian Assange.
On May 23, 2023, the Illinois Attorney General issued a report that 1,997 children in Illinois were sexually abused by 451 Catholic priests as well as religious brothers, a pattern of the church failing to support survivors, ignoring or covering up reports of abuse and the church revictimizing survivors who came forward. This troubling report follows similar reports of sexual abuse by clergy of the Archdiocese of Baltimore; and a grand jury report of child sexual abuse and church coverup in six of the eight parishes in Pennsylvania.
Regrettably, not enough is said about the victims of these pedophile priests who acted criminally by taking advantage of the intimate trust of their youngest and most vulnerable parishioners. But it is also apparent that the Roman Catholic Church itself, rather than acting decisively to end the victimizations and facilitate prosecutions, had engaged in a systematic effort to shield predator priests dating back several decades. Childhood abuse can lead to depression, learned helplessness, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and spiritual damage.
Unfortunately, there is a statute of limitations on bringing a lawsuit for clergy sexual abuse in most states. Some states, however, have revised these laws to allow victims of child sexual abuse to bring civil claims years after the fact. For example, California has a "lookback window” (Sexual Abuse and Cover-Up Accountability Act) allowing people to sue no matter how long ago the alleged abuse took place. They can file civil suits against their alleged abusers such as priests and the church or other institutions where they worked. A survivors must the lawsuit by December 31, 2026.
While compensation to victims of child sexual abuse is helpful, but as Romeo Vitelli Ph.D. concluded in his article in Psychology Today, “[I]t's clear that much more needs to be done for the victims of this kind of abuse, both in terms of providing them with support as they open up about what has been done to them as well as treatment to help them move on with their lives afterward."
In a December 28, 2016, letter to bishops, Pope Francis exhorted them “to adhere to “zero tolerance” so that “these atrocities [sexual abuse of children by priests] will no longer take place in our midst.” However, since his appointment as Pope in 2013, the reports of child sexual abuse clearly indicates that Pope Francis has much work to do to make “zero tolerance” a reality.
Under the reign of Matthew Shilvock as General Director of San Francisco Opera, our local company has shown a disturbing tendency to present off-putting, highly meddlesome productions of opera’s classic repertory. A notable case in point was SF Opera’s multi-year project of mounting all three Mozart and Da Ponte operas in new, woefully misbegotten stagings by Canadian director Michael Cavanaugh. Setting these three great operas in a single American house over a period ranging from just after the American Revolution for his 2019 Le Nozze di Figaro, then setting in the 1930s his 2021 Così fan tutte, and setting In a vague future of American decline and decay his 2022 Don Giovanni, Michael Cavanaugh displayed many misguided, indeed, woefully wrong-headed measures in staging these Mozart and Da Ponte classics. Now San Francisco Opera presents a drastically meddlesome staging by Amon Miyamoto of Giacomo Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, the opening night performance of which I attended on Saturday, June 3.
During the overture to Madama Butterfly, stage director Miyamoto subjects us to a dumbshow of an elderly man in a hospital bed, attended by a doctor and nurse, and accompanied by what seems to be his American wife and his adult son. Program notes tell us this is supposed to be an ageing, seriously ill B.F. Pinkerton, his American wife Kate, and his now adult son, named Trouble, by his Japanese wife, Cio-Cio-San, commonly called Butterfly. Then, to carry through this directorial conceit, Miyamoto has actor John Charles Quimpol as the adult Trouble run around the stage silently witnessing every scene in this opera. From his seemingly anguished comportment, this adult Trouble lives up to his name in spades. He seems troubled indeed! Generally, this silent witness is ignored by all the other cast members, although occasionally Miyamoto even has the adult Trouble interact physically with his 3 year-old self as a child, played by Viva Young Maguire. For the audience, this directorial conceit is simply annoying, often very much annoying!
Look. I readily acknowledge that Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, which the composer based on the play by David Belasco, raises the question of the fate of a bi-racial child, born of a Japanese 15 year-old child-bride and an American sailor, a lieutenant in the American Navy, stationed in Nagasaki. When Lt. Pinkerton marries Butterfly, he does so in callously opportunistic fashion, boasting of having “ a girl in every port,” and looking forward to the day in his future when he’ll marry “a true American wife.” Pinkerton is, indeed, the classic “Ugly American.” We do, in fact, have many such “Ugly Americans.” I recently read in the Lonely Planet Guide to Vietnam of the plight of bi-racial children born to Vietnamese women and American soldiers who abandoned their wives and/or mistresses when the American military pulled out of Vietnam, leaving behind the Vietnamese women and their bi-racial children. Often, the fate of these children was to be abandoned not only by their fathers but also by their mothers, who could not cope with being single-mothers raising a bi-racial child in a country that frowns on such mixed-race children, who often ended up living on the streets and reduced to begging for food.
To the credit of Puccini and his librettists Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa, Pinkerton is shown to be somewhat remorseful of his abandonment of Butterfly after 3 years of marriage in Nagasaki; and when he learns of the existence of his young son, born after his departure, he makes plans to bring the child to America to be lovingly raised by his American wife. This, of course, leads to the ultimate sacrifice of her child by Butterfly and her subsequent ritual suicide, as the opera ends with Pinkerton’s harrowing cries of “Butterfly, Butterfly, Butterfly.” But Amon Miyamoto’s staging of Madama Butterfly doesn’t end there. Instead, he subjects us to yet a final dumbshow with the bedridden elderly Pinkerton tormentedly embracing his now adult bi-racial son. Is this supposed to be “a happy ending”? In any case, it neither works nor sits well with me.
This overriding imposition of a directorial conceit, as annoying as it is, cannot squelch the brilliant music that Puccini wrote for Madama Butterfly. Moreover, this opening night cast was excellent, with beautifully focused singing by soprano Karah Son in her company debut as Butterfly, stalwart tenor Michael Fabiano as Pinkerton, sonorous baritone Lucas Meachem as Consul Sharpless, and vibrant mezzo-soprano Hyona Kim as Suzuki. In small roles, tenor Julius Ahn was a fine Goro, the greedy matchmaker; bass-baritone Jongwon Han was a dramatically disruptive bonze; baritone Kidon Choi was effective as Butterfly’s disappointed suitor, Prince Yamadori; and soprano Mikayla Sager was effective as Pinkerton’s American wife, Kate. San Francisco Opera’s Music Director Eun Sun Kim led the orchestra in an inspired interpretation of Puccini’s magical score.
By the way, it is interesting to note that when Puccini attended David Belasco’s play in London, the composer rushed backstage in tears after the performance and begged Belasco to allow him to set his play as an opera, so emotionally moved was Puccini by this drama. To our good fortune, Belasco, who later questioned rhetorically what could he do when entreated by a Puccini in tears, so he graciously gave Puccini permission to write an opera based on his play. Puccini’s emotional involvement in this story shines forth in his wonderful music, that not even a woefully misguided production such as this one by Amon Miyamoto can ever spoil.
Worth Noting:
The vote by City Council on the Bird Safe Ordinance is Tuesday, June 6 at the 6 pm regular City Council meeting. Register your opinion in Berkeley Considers and send an email by Monday. The Toolkit by Erin Diehm contains information and links.
For more information. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZkY-L8ugJoy-sU3WfkPnlh2Mx8UcE6MIM7VRDYlY2nA/edit?usp=sharing
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WENDESDAY
THURSDAY
SATURDAY morning at 10am the Berkeley Neighborhoods Council meets online via Zoom.
The June 13 City Council Regular Meeting Agenda is available for comment, see agenda at the bottom of this calendar or go to https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/city-council/city-council-agendas/city-council-2023-06-13
Check the City website for late announcements and meetings posted on short notice at: https://berkeleyca.gov/
Directions with links to Zoom Support for activating Closed Captioning and Save Transcript are at the bottom of this calendar.
* * * * *
BERKELEY PUBLIC MEETINGS AND CIVIC EVENTS
Sunday, June 04, 2023 – No public meetings listed.
Monday, June 05, 2023
CITY COUNCIL Closed Session Meeting at 3 pm
Hybrid Meeting
In-Person: at 2180 Milvia, 6th Floor, Redwood Room
Videoconference: https://cityofberkeley-info.zoomgov.com/j/1605794532
Teleconference: 1-669-254-5252 or 1-833-568-8864 (Toll Free)
Meeting ID: 160 579 4532
AGENDA:--Public Comments will be heard before the closed session begins.
1. Conference with legal counsel on pending litigation pursuant to Gov.'t Code Sections 54956.9(a) and 54956.9(d)(1) -- a. Dresslar v. City of Berkeley, Alameda County Superior Court Case No. RG21094748, and --b. Service Employees International Union Local 1021 v. City of Berkeley
2. California Public Employment Relations Board, Unfair Practice Charge No. SF-CE-1965-M
At the end of the meeting Open Session 3. Public Reports of actions taken pursuant to Government Code section 54957.1.
https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/city-council/city-council-agendas/city-council-2023-06-05
CIVIC ARTS COMMISSION Grants Subcommittee at 1pm
Videoconference: https://cityofberkeley-info.zoomgov.com/j/1619977869
Teleconference: 1-669-254-5252
Meeting ID: 161 997869
AGENDA: 4. Chair's Report; 5. Discussion Items with possible action:
a) Funding scenarios for FY24 Individual Artist Projects grants (Attachment 1)
b) Funding scenarios for FY24 Community Festivals grants (Attachment 2)
c) Funding scenarios for FY24/25 General Operating Support grants (Attachment 3)
d) Schedule future meeting for work plan discussion.
https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/boards-commissions/civic-arts-commission
SUGAR-SWEETENED BEVERAGE PRODUCT Panel of Experts Commission, at 4:30 pm
In-Person Only: at West Berkeley Family Wellness Center 1900 Sixth St.
AGENDA: 1. Subcommittee Reports: 2. Action 1: Approve SSBBPPE Commission Recommendations for Funding, FY 24 and FY 25; 3. Action 2: Add/Remove Subcommittees/ Members (Commissioner Hecht); 4. Action 3: For the good of the order (Commissioner Hecht)
https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/boards-commissions/sugar-sweetened-beverage-product-panel-experts
PEACE and JUSTICE COMMISSION Meeting, at 7pm
In-Person Only: at South Berkeley Senior Center, 2939 Ellis St.
AGENDA: 7. Secretary’s Report (on status of passed items in previous meetings)
8. Discussion on proposed Surveillance Policy (a public camera system)
9. Discussion on Full Funding for the African American Holistic Resource Center
10. Discussion on Opposing Tokyo Electric Power Company and the Government of Japan’s
Planned Discharge of Wastewater from Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the
Pacific Ocean.
https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/boards-commissions/peace-and-justice-commission
PERSONNEL BOARD, at 7 pm
In-Person Only: at 1301 Shattuck Avenue Live Oak Community Center, Fireside Room
AGENDA: Recommendations: V. to Amend Assistant to the City Attorney Job Class Specification;
VI. to Amend Junior Public Works Engineer and Assistant Public Works
Engineer Job Class Specifications; VII.-to Amend Drafting Technician and Senior Drafting Technician Job Class Specifications; VIII.-to Amend Solid Waste Worker Job Class Specification; IX.-to Amend Public Safety Dispatcher I and Public Safety Dispatcher II Job
Class Specifications
X. to Establish Deputy Police Chief Job Class Specification and Salary Range.
https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/boards-commissions/personnel-board
Tuesday, June 06, 2023
CITY COUNCIL Regular Meeting at 6 pm
Hybrid Meeting
In-Person: at 1231 Addison St., School District Board Room
Videoconference: https://cityofberkeley-info.zoomgov.com/j/1605182859
Teleconference: 1-669-254-5252 or 1-833-568-8864 (Toll Free)
Meeting ID: 1605182859
AGENDA: Use City weblink below (then choose Html at the City website) or go to agenda at end of this calendar.
https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/city-council/city-council-agendas/city-council-2023-06-06
City Council will vote on the Bird Safe Ordinance (item #18) and your public comments are important on this environmental issue. Use the toolkit for more information and to make comments.
Here is the Bird Safe tool kit by Erin Diehm, at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZkY-L8ugJoy-sU3WfkPnlh2Mx8UcE6MIM7VRDYlY2nA/edit?usp=sharing
MENTAL HEATLTH SECURITY ACT- Community Input Meeting, at 6 pm
In-Person Only: at 1901 Hearst St., North Berkeley Senior Center, Aspen Room.
First of two community meetings on information and for input on the proposed MHSA FY23/24-25/26 Three Year Plan, and new ideas and strategies to address public mental health needs. (A Zoom meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, June7.)
Wednesday, June 07, 2023
FACILITIES, INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORTATION, ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE (FITES) Special Meeting, at 2 pm
Hybrid Meeting
In-Person: at 2180 Milvia, 6th Floor, Redwood Room
Videoconference: https://cityofberkeley-info.zoomgov.com/j/1615164582
Teleconference: 1-669-254-5252 or 1-833-568-8864 (Toll Free)
Meeting ID: 1615164582
AGENDA: 2. Discussion/Action on new proposed regular meeting time: first and third
Wednesday of the month, at 2 pm. 3. Report: Underfunded Mandate: Resources, Strategic Plan, and Communication Needed to Continue Progress towards the Year 2020 Zero Waste Goal, 4.Report: Unified Vision of Zero Waste Activities to Align Service Levels with Billing and Ensure Customer Equity Action: 5. Adopt an Ordinance Adding a New Chapter 12.01 to the Berkeley Municipal
Code Establishing Emergency Greenhouse Gas Limits, Process for Updated Climate Action
Plan, Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting and Regional Collaboration, Unscheduled: 6. #51 Bus Transit - on proposal for dedicated lanes & more public changes on University Ave.
MENTAL HEATLTH SECURITY ACT- Community Input (Zoom) Meeting, at 3 pm
Videoconference:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/8446733966?pwd=OGp3Tm5LQTc5TGdhb2tYWllKcDVhdz09 Teleconference: 1 (669) 900-6833
Meeting ID: 844-673-3966 Password: 081337
A second community meeting (via Zoom) on information and for input on the proposed MHSA FY23/24-25/26 Three Year Plan, and new ideas and strategies to address public mental health needs.
PLANNING COMMISSION at 5:30 pm
In-Person Only: at 1901 Hearst St., North Berkeley Senior Center
AGENDA: 6. Chairperson's Report, 10. Work Plan for 2023-24; 11. State Law Edits- to review revised/proposed zoning amendments on special housing, child care, and parking.
https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/boards-commissions/planning-commission
COMMISSION on DISABILITY at 6 pm
In-Person Only: at 1326 Allston Way, the Corporation Yard, Willow Room, Bldg. A
AGENDA: 7-b. About chat function when Commissioners meet via Zoom.
Discussion/Action: 2. Voting on Chair & Vice Chair; 3.Work Plan (see packet); 4.Complying with ADA and Brown Acts; 5.Briefing & overview of the design concept for Civic Center Park, the Veterans Memorial Building, and the Maudelle Shirek (old City Hall) Building (see packet).
https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/boards-commissions/commission-disability
POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY BOARD at 6:30 pm
In-Person Only: at 1901 Hearst St., North Berkeley Senior Center.
AGENDA: 5. Office of the Director of Police Accountability (ODPA) Staff Reports on CACOLE 2023 Conference; on NACOLE Code of Ethics; on ODPA Budget Requests, and on PAB Resolution; 8. SubCommittee Reports on Body Cameras Policy, & on Conflict of Interest subcommittee.
https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/boards-commissions/police-accountability-board
HOMELESS SERVICE PANEL of EXPERTS at 7 pm
In-Person Only: at 1901 Hearst St., North Berkeley Senior Center, Juniper Room
AGENDA: 11. Discussion of possibly discontinuing or limiting land acknowledgment.
13. HSPE’s expectations of staff role in commission funding recommendations, and in distributing information to commissioners on the full funding network of Berkeley homeless services and housing programs related to homelessness under all streams of funding.
https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/boards-commissions/homeless-services-panel-experts
Thursday, June 08, 2023
BUDGET & FINANCE COMMITTEE at 10 am
A Hybrid Meeting
In-Person: at 2180 Milvia, 6th Floor, Redwood Room
Videoconference: https://cityofberkeley-info.zoomgov.com/j/1616990302
Teleconference: 1-669-254-5252 or 1-833-568-8864 (Toll Free)
Meeting ID: 1616990302
AGENDA: 2. For additional allocation of Measure P Funding ($114,660/yr for 10yrs) to Homless “Step Up Housing” Project; 3. Presentation on Proposed FY-2024 Budget from City Auditor, City Attorney, & Police Accountability Board;
ZONING ADJUSTMENT BOARD (ZAB) at 7 pm
Hybrid Meeting
In-Person: at 1231 Addison St., School District Board Room
Videoconference: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82808734231
Teleconference: 1-669-900-6833 or 1-669-444-9171 (US)
Meeting ID: 828 08734231
AGENDA: 2. - 2147 San Pablo Ave - #Z P2022-0113 – continue to August 10, 2023
3. 2610 Russell St - #Z P2022-0183 – on consent – construct a 113 sq ft addition to 2-story single-family dwelling over 14 ft in average height (22 ft) on a lot that exceed the lot coverage limit
4. 1608 Beverly Place - #Z P2022-0167 – on consent - construct 2-story, 291 sq ft residential addition to a single family dwelling on a lot that is over lot coverage
5. 947 Euclid Ave - #Z P2022-0134 – staff recommend dismiss appeal and approve – construct 420 sq ft 2-car garage (enclosed accessory structure), approximately 17 ft in ave ht, with a car lift within the front half of lot.
6. 3030 Telegraph Ave - #Z P2022-0170 – staff recommend approve – demolish 1-story medical office building and 2 duplexes containing 4 units (2334-2336 Webster) and construct a 5-story (63 ft) mixed use building with 144 units including 7 very low income units and 1 low income unit, utilizing a State Density Bonus.
https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/boards-commissions/zoning-adjustments-board
Friday, June 09, 2023 - A Reduced City Services Day
No public city meetings listed.
Saturday, June 10, 2023
BERKELEY NEIGHBORHOODS COUNCIL, at 10 am
Videoconference at:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/4223188307?pwd=dFlNMVlVZ2d6b0FnSHh3ZlFwV2NMdz09
Teleconference: 1-669-444-9171
Meeting ID: 422 318 8307
Passcode: 521161
AGENDA: check later in the week
https://berkeleyneighborhoodscouncil.com/
.
* * * * * *
June 6, 2023 Agenda for CITY COUNCIL Meeting at 6 pm
A Hybrid Meeting
In-Person: at 1231 Addison St. in the School District Board Room
Videoconference: https://cityofberkeley-info.zoomgov.com/j/1605182859
Teleconference: 1-669-254-5252 or 1-833-568-8864 (toll free)
Meeting ID: 160 518 2859
https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/city-council/city-council-agendas
AGENDA on CONSENT:
* * *
JUNE-13, 2023, CITY COUNCIL Regular Meeting - at 6 pm
Hybrid Meeting
In-Person at 1231 Addison St. in the School District Board Room, or
Videoconference at: https://cityofberkeley-info.zoomgov.com/j/1613410530
Teleconference: 1-669-254-5252 or 1-833-568-8864 (toll free)
Meeting ID: 161 341 0530
https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/city-council/city-council-agendas
AGENDA on CONSENT:
* * *
LAND USE CALENDAR:
Public Hearings
Notice of Decision and Date Appeal Period Ends
none.
WORK SESSIONS & SPECIAL MEETINGS:
May 16 - Fire Facilities Study Report, Wildfire Prevention Plan
(If you missed the Fire Facilities Presentation this is worth watching) https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/city-council/city-council-agendas
June 13 - Fire Department Standards of Coverage & Community Risk Assessment (at 4 pm)
June 20 (WS) - Climate Action Plan & Resilience Update,
Berkeley Economic Dashboards Update,
July 11- Dispatch Needs Assessment Presentation (at 4 pm)
July 18 (WS) - Ashby BART Transit Oriented Development (TOD), and City Policies for Managing Parking Around BART Stations
July 25 - Draft Waterfront Specific Plan (at 4 pm)
Unscheduled Presentations – Workshops and Special Meetings: - None
* * * * *
Kelly Hammargren’s summary on what happened the preceding week can be found in the Berkeley
Daily Planet under Activist’s Diary at: www.berkeleydailyplanet.com
.
This meeting list is also posted at: https://www.sustainableberkeleycoalition.com/whats-ahead.html
If you would like to receive the Activist’s Calendar as soon as it is completed send an email to
kellyhammargren@gmail.com
.
If you wish to stop receiving the weekly calendar of city meetings please forward the email you received to- kellyhammargren@gmail.com -with the request to be removed from the email list.
______________
For Online Public Meetings
CLOSED CAPTIONING, SAVE TRANSCRIPT OVERVIEW, DIRECTIONS and ZOOM SUPPORT LINKS:
.
ZOOM has as part of the program -(for no extra cost)- Closed Captioning (CC). It turns computer voice recognition into a text transcript. Accuracy of the Closed Captioning is affected by background noise and other factors, The CC transcript will not be perfect, but most of the time reading through it the few odd words, can be deciphered--for example "Shattuck" was transcribed as Shadow in one recent transcript.
For the us, the online attendee, the full transcript is only available from the time the attendee activates Closed Captioning. But if Closed Captioning is activated and you sit through a meeting and then remember 10 minutes before it is over to click on CC then go to the arrow/carrot next to CC for the menu and click on Show Full Transcript you will only get the last 10 minutes, not the full transcript – So click often on both Save Transcript and on Save to Folder during the meeting for best results.
When you click on Show Full Transcript it will allow you to scroll up and down, so if want to go back and see what was said earlier you can do that during the meeting while the transcript is running.
At the bottom of the transcript when we as attendees are allowed to save there will be a button for, "Save Transcript," you can click on the button repeatedly throughout the meeting and it will just overwrite and update the full transcript. Clicking on the Save Transcript repeatedly as the meeting is coming to an end is important because once the host ends the meeting, the transcript is gone if you didn't save it.
Near the end of the meeting, after you click on "Save Transcript," click on "Save to Folder." The meeting transcript will show up (as a download to your desktop) in a separate box as a text file. (These text files are not large.) After you have done your last Save Transcript and Save to Folder (after the meeting is over) you can rename the new transcript folder on your computer, and save it (re-read or send or share it).
Remember, allowing us attendees to save the meeting transcript does not require the public meeting host to save the transcript (for public record.)
Here is the link to ZOOM Support for how to set up Closed Captioning for a meeting or webinar:
https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/8158738379917#h_01GHWATNVPW5FR304S2SVGXN2X
Here is the link to ZOOM Support for attendees in how to save Closed Captions:
