Perhaps you have been wondering why the planet’s not publishing this week? The short answer is that I broke my ankle in three places and have been in bed ever since it was operated on at Kaiser. I can’t stand on it for 3 to 6 weeks.and it’s too hard to type from bed. Our faithful correspondents have been submitting as usual but I haven’t been able to post their work. Watch this space for updates. -more-

I was walking by the the Frances Albrier Community Center the other day (actually twice) and I was remarking on the very cool forms and architectural heritage that building has. That type of building is clearly a hat tip to a famous architect and designer named Edward Larrabee Barnes who was an AIA gold medalist. The strict geometric forms are from the early 60's, and these buildings were a big departure from (ironically) traditional modern architecture of the time. "The" design most famous is the Haystack School of Arts. You will recognize the roof-line as similar to the Community Center though Barnes preferred 45 degree angles in his works.

Clearly, after years of good use, the structures need a good renovation. I "think" updating these buildings is relatively easy and it's already a sturdy work.

The design has good flow, rigid forms and language and has a pleasant courtyard and shade space. It's also modest, as opposed to much of the newer buildings being created in the City. Those buildings are messy, have no distinct style except for the hodge-podge of cheap materials slapped on the exteriors to add some visual distraction from their simple box forms. The Community Center was efficiently designed but manages to not be monolithic as it is broken into smaller masses, halls and courtyards. -more-

Regular readers may note that the dateline on this issue is on a Tuesday instead of the normal Sunday. Posting here is pretty much a one-person operation (Becky) with an occasional assist for graphics (Mike), and last weekend we were in Santa Cruz visiting family and absorbing culture. We can report that the Santa Cruz Festival of new music is phenomenal, as it has been for about forty years, and Santa Cruz Shakespeare is delightful, as it has been for many years, especially since it moved off of the UC Santa Cruz campus to a lovely site in Delaveaga Park. There are still a few performances left. Tickets here. -more-

The first week of August was a perfect kind of week. The Berkeley City Council was on summer recess and so were most of the boards and commissions. Trump was finally indicted for his attempted coup culminating on January 6 and I managed to fit in Oppenheimer, Barbie and finish Thomas E. Ricks’ Churchill and Orwell.

As you might expect, I’ve read both of Jack Smith’s indictments of Trump and suggest you read them too. I doubt that the MAGA crowd/MAGA cult who according to polls believe that “these are just made up charges” and “Trump won the 2020 election” would change their minds, but it would be a good idea for them too. Nonetheless, there is a reason Trump is sweating, but remember he is a media master. -more-

Let's abandon our parks. It won't take much.

Parks nationwide are one of the most bipartisan, easily supported ideas on earth. But Berkeley has found a way to divide people over their existence, their purpose, and reduce parks to their potential commercial worth, with little opposition from current leadership.

People's Park is victimized by the University of California's greed, neglect, and disinformation such that even the Sierra Club failed, despite UC's alternative sites, to take a stand against its possible conversion to housing. Cesar Chavez Park is at risk of being converted to a ferry-ride parking lot with absurd, unnecessary concessions. Civic Center Park, despite its historic origins and connections to world famous architects, runs the risk of being destroyed by civic leadership with no understanding of its historic foundations, and Willard Park, despite community opposition, is at risk by a plan for a large, rentable building in its center opposed by neighbors.

The loss of habitat, open space, natural landscapes has powerful public health implications. Our town's plans used to champion these needs, but have been altered by successive assaults by the same developers who pooh-pooh the elemental California Environmental Quality Review requirements as excessive and burdensome. -more-

I am profoundly concerned regarding the recent deployment of U.S. Marines to guard commercial ships in the Persian Gulf, as reported in the article titled "Is Biden Risking War with Iran as U.S. Deploys Marines to Guard Commercial Ships in the Persian Gulf?" published on August 8, 2023, by Democracy Now!

This development has raised alarm bells regarding the potential escalation of tensions between the United States and Iran. By positioning Marines to protect commercial vessels, the Biden administration seems to be taking a proactive stance in ensuring safe maritime trade routes. However, this move carries the risk of unintentionally provoking Iran and heightening an already fragile geopolitical situation in the region. -more-

My cellphone recently issued a familiar audible scold: "Your call cannot be completed as dialed. Please hang up and dial again." Wait a minute!

"Hang up"? "Dial"? Those instructions are leftovers from the by-gone days of large desktop rotary phones. I'm up for a verbal reboot but what's the best re-write for using a modern fits-in-your-pocket smartphone? "Please log-off and try again?" "Please poke to close and re-tap the keypad"?

The Right to Spear Arms?

Earlier this week, three conservative judges at the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Second Amendment's "right to bear arms" doesn't just apply to guns—it also grants citizens the "right" to carry knives, including "butterfly knives" and switchblades longer than two inches. The advocates at Knife Rights are cheering this cutting-edge decision. The judges admitted that knives are "sometimes" used by criminals but claimed that these potentially deadly weapons are "commonly owned for lawful purposes." An 11-judge panel could reject this ruling but the case would then rest with the Supreme Court.

Somehow I fail to recall any images that depict our Founding Fathers or members of the Minutemen indulging in "open carry" of switchblades. -more-

For decades, long before I was able to get material published, I had a constant activity of writing notes to myself on paper tablets. I would gain a better mood and therapeutic benefit through this activity. It was a way of checking in with myself, "grounding" myself, and learning more about the internal workings of my consciousness. This doesn't fix everything, but it can bring better feelings.

Just asking myself, "How are you doing?" can bring some level of relief, especially when the answer I write down is, "I feel like crap." Additionally, writing down thoughts can be a tool for the mind--if you want to focus on one or more ideas.

In writing notes to myself, I am in good company, since Albert Einstein was known for jotting down a lot of notes, including letters to family, if I understand correctly.

By notating steps in a meditation exercise, I could keep track of step-by-step methods I had invented, for purposes of changing and bettering how my mind would work. Sometimes it was a diary and sometimes it was self-satisfaction. But doing journaling for so many years probably made a huge difference for me. Journaling in the way I approached it allowed me to become a better person. -more-

Worth Noting:

Very light week. City Council is on summer recess through September 11, 2023 and most boards and commissions do not meet in August.

• Monday: From 6 – 7 pm online Speaking Up for Point Molate on species that live in eelgrass
• Thursday: At 7 pm in person DRC meets on 600 Addison, 1652 University and 2538 Durant
• Saturday: From 9 – 11 am is shoreline cleanup

The Rent Board meeting for August 17 is cancelled. The Fair Campaign Practices/Open Government Commissions and the Transportation Commission usually meet the 3rd Thursday. There are no meeting announcements. There are no posts that these meetings are cancelled nor is there any notice that they do not meet in August. Check later in the week at https://berkeleyca.gov/

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BERKELEY PUBLIC MEETINGS AND CIVIC EVENTS -more-