I awoke tonight after a long nap, and it occurred to me I could be headed for a number of unpleasant surprises. They would be caused by foolish decision-making and ensuing circumstances that I could not foresee. I'm looking at possible threats to my survival. And this is because it wasn't good enough for me, in my way of thinking, to be the same as some others with a psychiatric disability, and accept what is being offered, and simply live poor. 

Unrealistic thinking does not rescue you from anything. If you are a grown man or woman, there are things you have to do and must not do if you want to survive. And if you fail to do them, or if you do something that you must not do, denial, in any form, will not rescue you. Therefore, it is up to you to think in ways that accurately track reality. And for someone who has a psychotic illness, you can't take accurate thinking for granted. 

The system of care in California for mentally ill adults is not designed to help people who are high functioning, but due to low-level psychosis, make foolish life decisions. Although many foolish life decisions can be caused by psychosis, they don't seem to fall into people's perceived category of symptoms of a mental illness--at least, not in most people's thinking. And this includes the thinking of many caregivers. When someone is mentally ill, other people expect more of a display of bizarre or perhaps aggressive behavior, or other behaviors that could not pass for normal. Simply making a foolish decision may not be within the scope of what clinicians look for. 

Yet, neurodivergent conditions, especially psychosis, can devastate judgment. And this can devastate our lives. 

I chose last year to leave my spouse because of numerous problems in the living situation. Now I am suffering for it in terms of a broken heart, and in many other respects. I have somewhat of a writing career, and it has generated a blip on people's radar and on the system that keeps track of taxes. I will need to pay at least some amount of taxes. Or I might get an earned income credit. Regardless, by the end of this year I will be able to call myself a taxpayer. 

Yet this introduces complexities. And I won't go into detail. 

I think it is worth it for many people to do a tax return in modern times. In fact, a letter writer responding to one of my pieces in the Street Spirit Newspaper (not to be confused with Street Sheet) suggested that everyone should do a tax return. And thinking back, the person was correct. Additionally, a tax return could make it harder for the government under the incoming Trump Administration to deport an American citizen, or to at least put us into a deportation camp on the basis that we can't prove that we are from the U.S. This may seem very farfetched, and I certainly hope it is. 

But a tax return won't close the hole in my heart. And I don't know what will. 

The social services system isn't set up to encourage work or to encourage trying to rise up from poverty. It is intended to help people work the system and get all of the free food, low-cost housing, low-cost utilities, and all of the other things given in return for not joining ranks with money earners. 

If we want to rise above poverty and generate income, it is not a comfortable or easy prospect. Work is never going to be easy. This statement would draw strong agreement from almost any wage earner. 

On the other hand, no one can predict the future. If we could predict the future, there would be no point to life. We just need to muddle through the hard times and hope for the best, and that's all we can do. 

---

Jack Bragen lives and writes in Martinez, California.

The recent article in today's New York Times, titled "Cleaning Latrines by Hand: ‘How Could Any Human Do That?’," sheds light on the dire conditions faced by individuals subjected to such dehumanizing tasks. 

It is disheartening to learn that in this day and age, there are still instances where individuals are compelled to clean latrines manually. Such a practice not only violates basic human rights but also goes against the principles of dignity and respect. The article rightly raises the question, "How could any human do that?" and prompts us to reconsider the ethics of such a system. 

It is imperative that we, as a society, reflect upon the conditions that allow such practices to persist. We cannot turn a blind eye to the inherent injustice and degradation associated with manual latrine cleaning. As advocates for human rights and decency, we must rally together to put an end to this archaic system.

Congress has been frantically trying to negotiate a border deal. Without a border deal, Republicans will not approve further Ukraine and Israel funding.  

The Senate may ultimately agree on a border deal. However former president Donald Trump doesn’t want a border deal as it would it would give President Joe Biden a “win” while Trump — the likely Republican nominee— would lose an issue to run on in the presidential race. In other words, Trump would rather have a campaign issue than a border deal. It appears that in order to placate Trump, enough House Republicans may not vote for any border deal. Meanwhile Ukraine fighting for its very survival will be left high and dry. 

Ukraine desperately needs the $61.4 billion for weapons, equipment, support for U.S. troops in Europe and economic support for Ukraine's government.  

It should be noted that on December 9, 2023, the Biden Administration bypassed Congress to approve an emergency weapons sale to Israel of nearly 14,000 rounds of tank ammunition worth more than $106 million. Later, for the second time the Biden administration again bypassed Congress to approve an emergency weapons sale to Israel of $147.5 million sale for equipment, including fuses, charges and primers, that is needed to make the 155 mm shells that Israel has already purchased function. 

"Given the urgency of Israel's defensive needs, the secretary notified Congress that he had exercised his delegated authority to determine an emergency existed necessitating the immediate approval of the transfer," the State Department said. "The United States is committed to the security of Israel, and it is vital to U.S. national interests to ensure Israel is able to defend itself against the threats it faces," it said. 

Why then isn’t the Biden Administration committed to the security of Ukraine necessitating emergency support? It would seem to me that Ukraine’s situation is much more dire than Israel’s. 

Why should Americans care about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine anyway as the war is so far away and is not a threat to our national security or to Western Europe? This view seems strange as the GOP is traditionally a hawkish foreign policy party. In fact, at the beginning of the invasion, a handful of Republicans criticized the Biden White House for not doing more to help Ukraine defend itself. 

Remember, Ukraine shares a border with Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania, all NATO members. If Russia prevails in Ukraine, then it becomes a greater threat to these neighboring NATO countries. If all NATO countries do not continue their support then what’s the purpose of NATO in the first place? If Putin is allowed to invade a sovereign country in violation of international law and threatens its sovereignty, it would signal to others to do the same, which in turn, will affect us. 

The U.S. is part of a global world interdependent economically, socially, and politically. If Putin succeeds in Ukraine, he won’t stop there. He didn’t stop after seizing Crimea in 2014. President Biden has made it clear that helping Ukraine will not include boots on the ground. The U.S., Canada, the EU, Japan, New Zealand, Taiwan, and the UK have already imposed severe hsanctions against Russia and the U.S. has deployed or repositioned U.S. forces to Germany, Poland, Moldova and Romania near those countries’ with borders with Ukraine for defensive purposes only.  

President Biden should be commended for rallying the NATO’s members in support of Ukraine in defense of democracy. Ukraine is fighting for its very survival and to leave them to inevitable defeat would be irresponsible?

Honoring the Ancestors Before Our Ancestors
Phoebe Anne Thomas Sorgen, a California delegate to the Green Party US National Committee, thoughtfully includes a nod to the Bay Area's Indigenous people attached to each piece of email. Based on the City's official code of recognition, Sorgen's version reads:
"The beautiful land I am grateful to inhabit was the territory of xučyun (Huchiun [Hooch-yoon]), ancestral and unceded land of the Chochenyo [Cho-chen-yo]-speaking Ohlone [Oh-low-nee] people, ancestors and descendants of the sovereign Verona Band of Alameda County. This land is of great importance to Ohlone people. We who care may pay a tax-deductible Shuumi Land Tax. 

"I honor the original inhabitants, the documented 5,000-year history of a vibrant community at the West Berkeley Shellmound, the Ohlone people who reside here and beyond, and all ancestors and descendants of slavery and attempted genocide. Colonists’ descendants still benefit from the occupation of stolen lands and other exploitation. The US’s tragic history is heart-breaking and shameful. Rematriation and extensive reparations are long overdue." 

SF Is Homes: Let's Move!
A few days ago, the Chronicle arrived stuffed with something extra—an eight-page "advertising feature" sporting the headline "SF Is Homes" and promising insights to "Luxury Condo Living" that included a "carefree lock-and-go lifestyle at Woodbury Highlands."
Of course, Woodbury's highlands are located in Lafayette, nowhere near Alamo Square or North Beach. Despite the insert's title, only four of the dozen select venues displayed on page 3 were located in SF. Instead, the recommended get-away homesteads were located in Albion, Lake Tahoe, and St. Helena. The rest of the homes were located in Colorado, Nevada, and Utah. The first full-page spread was devoted to a $5.75 million retreat in Kaua'i, Hawaii. 

Even weirder was a full-page devoted to "Six living room décor trends taking off in 2024." The half-dozen home-scaping hints were: "sage green" paint, the boardgame "checkers," "smaller spaces," "mixed styles," "wallpaper everywhere," and "Bugs (yes, insects!)" 

According to a merchandising outlet known as Charish and the website realator.com, "bugs are on the horizon. We're predicting bug décor in a variety of mediums … in traditional wall hangings, tapestries, wallpaper, pillows, and even furniture upholstery." 

Not convinced? Well just wait until you "try the look on your living room wall with a simple black-and-white drawing of a scarab beetle or go with something a little more subtle, such as ladybugs printed on throw pillows or coasters." 

The Creepy Shadow World of Apple's Vision Pro
Mark Zuckerberg's promotion of the Metaverse—his dreamscape of a customer-curated alternative universe of avatars and artificiality—proved to be a massive flop with some critics dissing it as a Meh-tiverse. Apple's alternate universe—optically meshing the actual with the artificial—deserves a similar reception and rejection. 

The Vision Pro headset seems designed to further promote a slow withdrawal from human society by assuring that potential customers are sucked into a world of personal isolation. (For the full impact of this dystopian Andere Welt, watch Apple's video promo—with the reassuring soundtrack turned off.) 

 

Fashion Plates
BUMBY 2
1 BIXBY
BEAR
PLAYUH
XXXR8TD ("X-rated" Arizona plate)
HOPE 437 (Hoping the planet survives until 2037?)
2TH DRD: Tooth Dr. of Dentistry (License frame reads: "Tooth Fairy") 

Bumper Snickers
I Brake for Hallucinations
Sorry for Driving So Close in Front of You
I'm Not Bossy. I Just Have Better Ideas
Honk If You Feel Like Crying Right Now
Warning: I'm Compensating for Something 

The Sandwich Boards in Oakland Are Different
Walking down Oakland's Broadway recently, I passed an eatery that calls itself the home of "The World's Meltiest Burger." A sidewalk sandwich board served to alert passers by to the nearby emporium of eats. That got me looking for other sidewalk sentinels on display. It took less than a block before I realized the signboards for restaurants were outnumbered by signboards that carried a truly Oklandish message. They read: "Curb Thefts. Don't Leave Valuables in Car." 

How War Destroyed Gaza’s Homes

Satellite imagery and open-source evidence combine to provide a shocking overview of the destruction wrought on civilian infrastructure by Israel's war on Hamas. 

A Guardian investigation of buildings and land in three Gaza neighborhoods documented damage to "more than 250 residential buildings, 17 schools and universities, 16 mosques, three hospitals, three cemeteries and 150 agricultural greenhouses. Entire buildings have been leveled, fields flattened and places of worship wiped off the map in the course of Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. 

The horrific scale of the devastation can be seen in this link. 

Biden's Big Lie
The Pentagon has admitted that it lacks any evidence of Iran's connection to the attack on a US base on the Jordan-Syria border that killed three soldiers. As political commentator Caitlin Johnstone has observed: "The one and only reason the US government and its stenographers in the western press mentioned the word “Iran” a zillion times after that attack was to administer propaganda to manufacture public hostility toward a government long targeted for regime change by the US empire." 

Joe Biden's disproportionate response—85 military strikes across Iraq and Syria (with more attacks promised in the future)—echoes Benjamin Netanyahu's excessive response to the Hamas October 7 assault attempts to equate "self-defense" with "genocide." 

Pelosi's Big Slander
Nancy Pelosi seems to have gone full-Trump of late, accusing opponents of Israel's unrelenting bombardment of Gaza of being a suspect minority of "ceasefire people" are doing "Putin's work." Pelosi has also suggested that the FBI investigate Code Pink for its alleged connections with China. 

On January 30, Francisco Javier Herrera noted: 

"Pelosi got the wrong 'P person" given that Pope Francis has openly called for a cease-fire. "The fact that she is opposing a cease-fire … tells us [Pelosi] is due for a retirement party … it's as if she's taking sides with the infantry [which] 120 years ago, were hell-bent on exterminating First Nations from this, our Turtle Island." 

It is clear from his comportment that the Mayor has lost his ethical way. He pockets his rules, yet doesn’t see that he leaves himself with nothing. He doesn’t know how to escape this; he feels those binds, those hoods that others put over him, but without knowing that they are playing him. He can’t see them betting against him while telling him they are on his side. 

But what are they betting on? Is it just that he is running for state Senate? He now owes so many for their endorsements that he won’t have enough apologies. Look at him up there on the dias; he thinks he knows what he is doing. 

It is possible that he wanted to set up his town (as he left) to have boodles in waiting that he could finesse once he gets to never-never-land (Sacramento). Those who advance his campaign will simply wait to see if their own luck is holding. Well, you gamble, you lose. But he won’t know until it is too late. He probably thinks they are all in the pot with him. 

Having lost your moral compass, you have lost more than you think. 

########### 

The interruptions of City Council meetings have been unending, ever since November. They represent a sector of the population that wants representation. They want it bad. In a small town like this one, you don’t have party wars. If you get elected, you must represent. The Mayor refuses. And he thinks that is his road to chiefdom? 

All the interruptions have had two sides. There were those pro-Palestinians, many of whom had lost family members in Gaza. And there were those who were willing to support the federal government line about what Israel was doing. We can live with that division even if the Mayor can’t. But we have to understand why he can’t. 

He has been told, often enough, what he needs to do -- by those who support what Israel is doing, yet. They have said, in public comment, “Call a damn hearing already so we can have this out in public.” The Mayor refuses. 

At first, the Mayor couldn’t figure out how to deal with the strong pro-Palestinian faction. So he closed down City Council (in violation of the Brown Act); he failed that test. He couldn’t move toward a real meeting of minds in forum. So he failed that second test as well. If he could have envisioned it, it would have been an active meeting. There could be yelling across the room, and discussions between people who disagree. That’s what had been happening anyway between those who showed up. Hundreds of people have descended on the City Council. Most call for a "ceasefire now!" Others support Israel’s "defensiveness." 

The effect? His council is falling apart. Two councilmembers have resigned. One more and not even this Mayor could get a quorum. All he can do is call for special elections. 

############  

What he refuses to do is look at what is happening in Gaza itself. 

There are mass murders committed by Israel. We have to notice them because Gaza has become a prison camp for Palestinians. Yet the Jews of the world are divided. The crowd that blocked the ship carrying armaments out of Oakland to Israel last November represented many Jewish organizations. Israel has killed over 30,000 people, half of them children. After injuring another 60,000, Israel has cut off water, gas, electricity, food, and all personal necessities. The Palestinians have nothing else to do but die. 

But even Joe Biden is stuck; he doesn’t know what to do beyond past policies. Some president. Israel would have used up its arms by now if the US wasn’t continually sending them more. Is this a religious involvement in politics? After all, most of the world’s Zionists are Christians, wishing to guard Jerusalem for Christ’s return and their own rapture. 

Which crisis can we identify here? Is it that faced by Palestinians now suffering their long and painful death? Is it that of Berkeley (California?) who find themselves unrepresented by their local government? Is it those who parade in the street chanting “Ceasefire Now” as the only non-partisan demand – the one in which all would survive. Or is it this crisis facing the Mayor in the tumult of those insisting on attention? 

Who can tell? He keeps a stone poker-face, without raising his voice to call down the unruly who are demanding representation. He gets special modifications to ordinances to threaten those assembled in his "audience. Are his ethics tied up with technology. He turned off the mikes to quiet those in the council room. Another violation of the Brown Act. 

It is as if he adopts that old hegemonic paranoia which can complain: “they are attacking me, without provocation.” But there is a half century of provocation, a half century of dispossession. A half a century of "apartheid" against Palestinians. 

And there is plenty of hostility in the streets. It shows up in demonstrations against the police cordoning off People’s Park. It shows up as racism against Jews. It shows up as self-silencing, not wanting to say anything about Gaza in a social situation, so as not to create violence. 

But most of all, he sends himself a letter (to Berkeleyside) criticizing those who stop him from running the city his way. 

“Hey Mayor, you think you can criticize the people? It is the people who have the right to criticize you.” He doesn’t see that when ethics takes a backseat to personal political hunger. One creates an infinite amount of animosity. 

########## 

Israel’s problem is what to do with the Palestinians. Zionism had led in taking their land, their livelihood, their culture, their freedom, their political being. Its answer? The “Final Solution.” It involves pushing the Palestinians south into the Egyptian Sinai desert where they will all starve to death. Perhaps the Zionists think all those bodies decaying will make the desert flourish. 

Not all Jews supported the founding of a Zionist Israel. Many saw it as an imperialist strategy, a tactic to detour Arab nationalism into anti-Israeli campaigns, leaving their mideast oil for sale to the west. But that created a huge refugee problem. And it involved itself in the destruction of a culture. Israel created the Gaza culture in order to make it as easy as possible for themselves. Having erased the Palestinian claim to land, they put them in Gaza as an easily guarded area. To Palestinian resistance, Israel could respond with great fascist force. This is what Israel has been doing since early November. 

########## 

What we have to realize is the extent to which the Mayor extends himself to an audience he doesn’t even know. And he doesn’t know that he cannot trust it. He must fear those who are higher in the bureaucracy than him. They are a presence who can muster all that he desires from them, as long as he doesn’t fail his tests. He must trust them to see his actions as if they were their own. He thinks that they think like he does, so that when he agrees with them, they must of necessity be agreeing with him. What autocracy!! 

His second thought about his shadow bosses is that he realizes he cannot trust them. They belong to the Democratic Party, and suggest to him what he has to do to run for Senate. He thinks all he has to do is clear the media skies over Gaza. Which, for him, means that Israeli bombing of Gaza is “just desserts.” Clearly, his constituents don’t count. He must be anti-Palestinian in order to be a patriotic American. 

Neither thought has any reality in this world. All he has to do is re-write what the Israelis say about what they are doing. And then, make it seem as if the Jews of his town are saying it. That means making the Palestinians the aggressors. Can prisoners aggress against their guards? Or do we have to call it "rebellion?" 

If that means what he thinks it means, then his bureaucratic presence is lost. It implies that this society’s media, which has taken over his thinking, has become too corrupt to be seen as a source of information. 

 

Oddly enough, he thinks he can violate the Brown Act all he wants. The Brown Act sets state standards for public meetings in California. It would override any of the Mayor’s shenanigans in running his council meetings. For instance, it calls for the use of technology whenever possible so that those who participate in the meeting can hear each other, and be heard. To shut off the mikes to a meeting makes the meeting out of range for a lot of people. To arbitrarily shut off the mikes in order to force people’s obedience is to put him in violation of the Act. 

Somehow, the Mayor has been able to stretch the power of the Act against people calling for a resolution to a political problem. It is a problem involving the US government. Yet the Mayor has been able to make his own refusal of a “resolution” primary. Does he think his narcissism will conquer the real outright power of the main imperialist country? 

At last week’s meeting, the Mayor made a decision with respect to the people. He would enable them to read into the record the names and ages of a number of Palestinian people killed by Israel – some even infants. But he turned off the mikes. The Mayor played with his toys, and the people spread around the data that Israel had provided by killing the people they memorialized. Thus, the Mayor lost his 4 month stand-off. The people had written their own resolution on Gaza. They called it a "people’s resolution," meaning they did it themselves without him. He missed its inner democratic meaning. All he accomplished was laying the basis for division among the people of the town, which was precisely what he intended not to do. 

######### 

Those who support what Israel is doing in Gaza have to accept the Mayor’s duality. They have to accept Israel’s "fascism," its reading from the Nazi book about how to deal with an unwanted "minority." Those who belong to a radical Jewish group, on the other hand, know that Israel has violated the fundamental principle of Judaism, namely the sacredness of human life. All human life. That is what Zionism has forgotten. It is what “Ceasefire Now” attempts to remind us 

The Mayor, however, only thinks of himself. He rules in opposition to state law, and probably figures that, if taken to court, his higher-up friends will support him. But then, he has to have them lined up on his secret side, ready to put in a word. Poor soul; he will owe them for that for the rest of his life.

Happy New Year! Today I have three mystery/thriller novels for your consideration.

(A) First Lie Wins -- Ashley Elston (five stars)

A superb con-artist thriller set, primarily, in Louisiana.

“Evie Porter” is a successful con-artist with two problems. First, she’s fallen in love with her mark, Ryan Sumner. Second, her very evil boss, Mr. Smith, doesn’t trust her anymore and has destroyed her actual identity. Will “Evie” escape from Smith? 

By the means of clever flashbacks, Ashley Elston tells us how “Evie,” real name Lucca Marino, got into this pickle. Living in smalltown North Carolina, Lucca started stealing to deal with her ailing mother’s medical bills. Lucca came to the attention of Mr. Smith and was given the choice of working for him or going to jail. Under a series of assumed names, Lucca worked her way up in Mr. Smith’s criminal syndicate. Then she was given a vital assignment: find out what information the mark, Amy Holder, had on mob bigwig Victor Connolly. Lucca doesn’t deliver the goods, so Mr. Smith gives her what might be her final job: using the identity, “Evie Porter,” she must con Ryan Sumner or else. Two problems: First, Lucca falls for Ryan. Second, she discovers that Mr. Smith has sent a sinister woman to monitor her, a new “Lucca Marino,” who is her doppelganger. 

What works: Lucca/Evie is a compelling character. She’s shady but has a moral compass that Ashley Elston skillfully reveals. The author makes us feel Lucca/Evie’s dilemma; she wants to quit working for Mr. Smith but can’t do that until she knows his identity. We’re rooting for her to succeed. The plot moves well. 

What doesn’t work: Ryan Sumner isn’t a fully developed character. He’s a (slightly tarnished) Ken. 

A fun page-turner. One of the best thrillers of 2024. Read it. 

(B) The Golden Gate -- Amy Chua (five stars) 

A historical mystery set in 1944 Berkeley. One of 2023’s best debuts. 

This multi-layered mystery features Berkeley Detective Al Sullivan struggling to determine who murdered a presidential candidate, Walter Wilkinson, at Berkeley’s famous Claremont hotel. The novel features wonderful period detail. And Amy Chua, who grew up in Berkeley, is not afraid to talk about the rampant racism of the period – for example, Al Sullivan was born Alejo Gutierrez but took his mother’s surname because it was impossible to get a decent job as a Hispanic. 

What’s good: The period detail. The intriguing plot: the death of Wilkinson seems connected to the mysterious death of a young girl a decade prior. 

What’s not so good: Without giving away the plot, the murder investigation is too complicated. There’s an unnecessary ancillary murder. And there’s too much discussion about the racism of the period: we get it; rich white guys acted badly. 

An auspicious debut mystery that’s too ambitious. 

(C) Holmes, Marple & Poe -- James Patterson & Brian Sitts (Three stars) 

The latest thriller from the James Patterson best-seller assembly line features New York uber-detectives Brendan Holmes, Margaret Marple, and August Poe. 

The fast-paced narrative jumps from character to character and case to case. By the time we’ve finished the 345 pages the intrepid trio has solved 8 cases: 

· Sloane Stone disappearance 

· Huntley Baine theft 

· Eton and Zozie kidnapping 

· Lucy Ferry disappearance 

· “Skeletons in Subway” murders 

· Felix Rollins corruption 

· Luka Franke malfeasance 

· Mary McShane murder 

Whew! Thank goodness Holmes, Marple and Poe have superpowers. 

Comic-book detectives auditioning for a TV series. 

Summary: If you want to read my book reviews, check out my FACEBOOK page: https://www.facebook.com/KateSwift.mysteries/ 

https://bobburnett.net 

https://www.facebook.com/KateSwift.mysteries 

On February 1-3, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra celebrated the rise of coffee house concerts in Europe, most notably in Leipzig, where Zimmerman’s cafe on Catherinenstrasse would host concerts led by composers Georg Telemann and, later, Johann Sebastian Bach. (As we know, Bach was so taken by the popularity of coffee that he wrote his famous Coffee Cantata in praise of this caffeinated drink.) On Saturday, February 2, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra gave two concerts, an afternoon one at 2:30, which I attended, and an evening one at 7:30, both at Berkeley’s First Congregational Church. Given that most of the music performed involved two harpsichords, these concerts were billed as Double Espresso. 

Philharmonia Baroque’s Music Director Richard Egarr and his wife, Alexandra Nepomnyashchaya,were the harpsichordists. Together with a small group of chamber musicians, they performed works by Telemann and Bach, including Bach’s three Concertos for Two harpsichords, BMV 1060,1061, and 1062. Opening the program, however, were two works by Telemann, his Concerto in F Major for 2 Recorders, 2 Oboes, 2 Violins, and Basso Continuo, TWV 44:41, and his similarly scored Concerto in A Minor, TWV 44:42. In these charming works by Telemann, there is lively interplay between the recorders and oboes, which, along with the violins, are all given equal billing. 

Next on the program were the first two of Bach’s three Concertos for Two Harpsichords, the C Minor, BMV 1060, and the C Major, BMV 1061. Both works are in three movements, with a slow Adagio as the middle movement. The Adagios are tender duets for the two harpsichordists, though in these performances the harpsichords failed to project as much as I would have liked. The third and final movement of the C Major Concerto is a remarkable fugue marked Vivace. 

After intermission, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra returned to perform the last of Bach’s three Concertos for Two Harpsichords, his C Minor BMV 1062. This work opens with an Allegro, then offers a dreamy slow movement based on the sultry Italian dance movement called Siciliano.The third and final movement is a particular favorite of mine, because it is probably the very first pice of classical music I ever heard when it was featured in a Tom and Jerry cartoon. I have always vividly recalled the way this cat and mouse chase scene was fitted to Bach’s music, with its sudden accelerations as the chase became faster and more dramatic. 

The final work on this program was Telemann’s Overture Suite in F Major, TMV 55:Fii, titled Alster. 

The river Alster is a tributary of Hamburg’s main Elbe River, and the Alster had been dammed in the 13th century to provide two lakes to adorn city parks. These lakes and their parks were beloved by Hamburg’s citizens who gathered there for recreation. Telemann ingeniously renders the sights and sounds of these sites, with instrumentation featuring four posthorns, Churchbells are here heard in the cello, accompanied by the horns. Throughout many of this work’s nine episodes there is lively music for the cello, expressively performed here by PBO’s William Skeen. 

The posthorns render the drunken antics of shepherds whose actions spill over into the oboes. And there is a hilarious cacaphony of frogs and crows rendered in the posthorns and violins. The suite ends with the hurried departure of nymphs and shepherds who presumably rush off for romantic assignatios. 

It was a thoroughly delightful concert of music, which, with the exception of Telemann’s Overture Suite in F Major, was originally performed by Leipzig’s Collegium Musicum at Zimmermann’s Cafe.

Worth Noting:

The February 13 City Council 4 pm special meeting on the Ashby BART Transit Oriented Development is not posted yet. The February 13 Council 6 pm agenda is posted and available for comment with the merger of the Peace and Justice Commission and the Human Welfare and Community Action Commission merger as item 16 under action. Both the Peace and Justice Commission and the Human Welfare and Community Action Commissions meet this coming week.

• Monday:
  • At 3 pm the Council meets in closed session in the hybrid format.
  • At 7 pm the Personnel Board meets in person.
  • At 7 pm the Peace and Justice Commission meets in person.
• Wednesday:
  • At 3 pm the HAC CDBG subcommittee meets online.
  • At 6 pm the Planning Commission meets in person with a hearing on “Middle” Housing.
  • At 6:30 pm the Board of Library Trustees meets in person.
  • At 6:30 pm the Human Welfare and Community Action Commission meets in person.
  • At 6:30 pm the PAB meets in the hybrid format.
  • From 12 – 3 pm appointments are offered to assist with the completion of Displacement Certificate Applications.
• Thursday: At 7 pm the ZAB meets in the hybrid format.
• Friday: At 9 am the Elmwood BID meets in person.
• Saturday: At 10 am the Berkeley Neighborhoods Council (BNC) meets online. On January 13 Berkeleyans for Better Planning presented their ballot initiative for fixing city streets and sidewalks. The alternate ballot initiative presentation on city streets is scheduled for February 10.

Check the City website for late announcements and meetings posted on short notice at: https://berkeleyca.gov/

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

BERKELEY PUBLIC MEETINGS AND CIVIC EVENTS 

Sunday, February 4, 2024 – No city meetings or events found 

Monday, February 5, 2024 

CITY COUNCIL Closed Session at 3 pm 

A Hybrid Meeting 

In-Person: at 2180 Milvia, 6th Floor Redwood Room 

Videoconference: https://cityofberkeley-info.zoomgov.com/j/1616189638 

Teleconference: 1-669-254-5252 or 1-833-568-8864 (toll free)  

Meeting ID: 161 618 9638 

AGENDA: 1. Conference with Labor Negotiators employee organizations Berkeley Fire fighters Association Local 1227 I.A.F.F. , Fire Chief Association 1227 I.A.F.F., Berkeley Police Association, Sieu 1021 Community Services and Part-time Recreation Activity Leaders , SEIU 1021 Maintenance and Clerical Public Employee Union Local 1, Unrepresented Employees, 2. Conference with Legal Counsel – Pending Litigation a. Reugg & Ellsworth V. CoB Alameda Co Superior Court RG18930003, b. CA Restaurant Association v. CoB, 3. Conference with Real Property Negotiators 1512 University. 

https://berkeleyca.gov/city-council-closed-meeting-eagenda-february-5-2024 

PERSONNEL BOARD at 7 pm 

In-Person: at 1301 Shattuck, Live Oak Park 

AGENDA: V. Election, VI. Revise Job Class Specification – Forestry Climber, VII. Revise Job Class – Playground Leader Trainer, Camp Staff Member, Camp Staff Leader, Camp Staff Supervisor, VIII. Revise Salary Ranges – Electrical Supervisor and Communications Supervisor. 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/boards-commissions/personnel-board 

PEACE and JUSTICE COMMISSION at 7 pm 

In-Person: at 2939 Ellis 

AGENDA: 6. Commission Updates, 7. Secretary’s Report, 8. Discussion and Update on the Peace and Justice Merger,9. Election, 10. Update the Gaza Peace Roundtable Subgroup, 11. Update November Roundtable regarding Fukushima Waste Water. 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/boards-commissions/peace-and-justice-commission 

Tuesday, February 6, 2024 – No city meetings or events found 

Wednesday, February 7, 2024 

HOUSING ADVISORY COMMISSION CDBG Subcommittee at 3 pm 

Videoconference: https://cityofberkeley-info.zoomgov.com/j/1603825206?pwd=eTZ1cFVBUXVsdUNTWnRRQTJHQUJUZz09 

Teleconference: 1-669-254-5252 or 1-833-435-1820 (toll free)  

Meeting ID: 160 382 5206 Passcode: 881149 

AGENDA: 4. RFP 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/boards-commissions/housing-advisory-commission 

BOARD of LIBRARY TRUSTEES at 6:30 pm 

In-Person: at 1170 The Alameda, North Branch Library 

AGENDA: I.D. Comments from Library Unions, II.B. Revised 2024 Library Holiday and early closing schedule, C. Contract $110,000 with CivicMakers, D. Contract $88,020 with Communico, LLC for the Communico Digital Publishing Platform, III.A. Budget Priorities for FY 2025 & FY 2026. 

https://www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org/about/board-library-trustees 

HUMAN WELFARE and COMMUNITY ACTION COMMISSION (HWCAC) at 6:30 pm 

In-Person: at 2180 Milvia 

AGENDA: 1. Election, 4. FY 2025 – 2028 RFP, 5. Election of Low-Income Representatives, 6. Review Program and Financial Reports J-Sei, 7. Rights and Responsibilities HWCAC, 8. Merger HWCAC and the Peace and Justice Commissions, 9. Fire Marshal’s Report and implications, 10. Reverse mortgage, 11. Hybrid meetings, 12. Difficulties accessing approved Medical and Medicare benefits from approved providers. 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/boards-commissions/human-welfare-and-community-action-commission 

PLANNING COMMISSION at 6 pm 

In-Person: at 1901 Hearst, North Berkeley Senior Center 

AGENDA: 6. Chair report, 7. Committee reports, 10. Election, 11. Public Hearing Middle Housing. 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/boards-commissions/planning-commission 

POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY BOARD (rescheduled) at 6:30 pm 

A Hybrid Meeting 

In-Person: at 1901 Hearst, North Berkeley Senior Center 

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82653396072 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-6833 

Meeting ID: 826 5339 6072 

AGENDA: 3. Public Comment on agenda and non-agenda items, 5. ODPA Staff Report, 6. Chair and Board Members’ Reports, 7. Chief’s Report, Legislative and Policy Updates, 10. Presentation new ODPA Policy Complaint No. 2024-PR-0001, 11. a. Presentation of new ODPA Policy Complaint No. 2024-PR-0002, b. Discussion/action regarding directive to City Manager to engage with the PAB on additional security cameras, c. Review and Approval of BPD Officer Commendations, d. Early Intervention System Policy of BPD, 13. Closed Session. 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/boards-commissions/police-accountability-board 

DISPLACEMENT CERTIFICATE APPLICATION ASSISTANCE APPOINTMENTS from 12 – 3 pm 

Book and Appointment for In Person Application Assistance: https://calendly.com/housingpreferences/30min?month=2024-01 

In-Person: at 2180 Milvia, City Hall 

AGENDA: Application support in applying for a Berkeley BART Construction Displacement Certificate or Foreclosure Displacement Certificate. 

https://berkeleyca.gov/community-recreation/events/displacement-certificate-application-assistance-appointments 

Thursday, February 8, 2024 

ZONING ADJUSTMENT BOARD at 7 pm 

Hybrid Meeting 

In-Person: at 1231 Addison St. in the School District Board Room 

Videoconference: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86123370419 

Teleconference: 1-669-444-9171 or 1-669-900-6833  

Meeting ID: 861 2337 0419 

AGENDA: 2. 1101 Euclid – on consent – Use Permit #ZP2023-0135 – construct a 60 sq ft addition to rear unit 

3. 1841 Solano – on consent – Use Permit #ZP2023-0151 – add sales of beer and wine at specialty food store 

4. 2309 Parker – on consent – Use Permit #ZP2023-0141 – construct a 45 sq ft 1-story residential addition with a roof balcony at the rear duplex, above 14 ft in average height 

5. 1730 Oregon – on action – Variance #ZP2023-0018 – exceed lot coverage by 1.7% for a total of 60.5% by constructing two additions for a total of 895 sq ft in new gross floor area and 80 sq ft porch to an existing 10,655 sq ft community center building within the front and rear setback. 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/boards-commissions/zoning-adjustments-board 

Friday, February 9, 2024 

ELMWOOD BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT ADVISORY BOARD at 9 am 

In-Person: 2947 College, Rear Parking Lot 

AGENDA: IV. Election 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/boards-commissions/elmwood-business-improvement-district-advisory-board 

Saturday, February 10, 2024 

BERKELEY NEIGHBORHOODS COUNCIL at 10 am 

Videoconference:  

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/4223188307?pwd=dFlNMVlVZ2d6b0FnSHh3ZlFwV2NMdz09 

Teleconference: 1-669-444-9171 Meeting ID: 422 318 8307 Passcode: 521161 

AGENDA: bond measure on street repairs 

https://berkeleyneighborhoodscouncil.com/ 

Sunday, February 11, 2024 – No city meetings or events found 

+++++++++++++++++++ 

 

CITY COUNCIL AGENDA for Regular 6 pm Meeting on February 13, 2024 

Hybrid Meeting 

In-Person: at 1231 Addison St. in the School District Board Room 

Videoconference: https://cityofberkeley-info.zoomgov.com/j/1617862221 

Teleconference: 1-669-254-5252 or 1-833-568-8864 (toll free)  

Meeting ID: 161 786 2221 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/city-council/city-council-agendas 

AGENDA on CONSENT: 

1. Kouyoumdjian, HR – 2nd reading amending CalPERS Contract
2. Kouyoumdjian, HR – 2nd reading at Will Designations: Employee Relations Manager and Assistant to City Attorney
3. Murry, Public Works – 2nd reading lease agreement with We Wield The Hammer at 2440 Durant in Telegraph-Channing Mall and Garage
4. Friedrichsen, Budget Manager – 2024 State and federal Legislative Platform
5. Numainville, City Clerk – Amendments to Alternative Commissioner Regulations
6. Numainville, City Clerk – Reschedule April 16 regular council meeting to April 2
7. Hollander, Economic Development (OED) – Grant Application for $150,000 to the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)
8. Hollander, OED – Contract $69,000 with Masako Miki Public Art Commission for Aquatic Park ceramic tile mural for Park Pathway Wall
9. Oyekanmi, Finance – Formal Bid Solicitations and RFP - $90,000, printing and mail services
10. Warhuss, HHCS – Contract $1,379,400 with Traditions Behavioral Health for psychiatry services through 6/30/2027
11. Fong, IT - $300,000 with Compu Systems for Professional Services through 12/31/2024
12. Commission on the Status of Women – Recommendation on Public Safety/Crime Prevention for Women especially older vulnerable women (references recent muggings on BART pathways) suggestions 1 – Ashby/North Berkeley BART escorts, 2. Explore DBA & Telegraph BID Ambassadors as escorts, 3. Explore expanding Go-Go Grandparent, 4. Develop Community-wide forum on safety and crime prevention, 5. Consult with BPD on identifying locations and times of highest safety risk

Council Consent Items: 

13. Arreguin – RFP for Development of West Berkeley Service Center
14. Bartlett, co-sponsors Taplin, Hahn – Designate the Adeline Corridor as the Black Arts and Culture District

AGENDA on ACTION: 

15. Klein, Planning – Appeal 1960 San Antonio/645 Arlington Ave – Spring Estate Structural Alteration Permit #LMSAP22022-005
16. Warhuus, HHCS – Dissolution of the Human Welfare and Community Action Commission and the Peace and Justice Commission and establishment of the Berkeley Community Action Commission

INFORMATION REPORTS: 

17. Small Sites Program Update
18. Bay Area Housing Finance Authority and 2024 Regional Affordable Housing Bond

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LAND USE CALENDAR PUBLIC HEARINGS: 

• 2924 Russell 2/27/2024
• 1960 San Antonio 645 Arlington Avenue 2/13/2024
• 3000 Shattuck Avenue (Construct 10-story mixed-use building) – TBD

WORK SESSIONS & SPECIAL MEETINGS: 

• January 30 at 3 pm – Ashby BART TOD (Tentative), Berkeley – El Cerrito Corridor Access Plan Presentation (tentative) (removed)
• Cancelled to be rescheduled to be included in regular meeting February 27 or March 12 February 6, 2024 – Office of Economic Development (OED) Dashboards Presentation
• February 13 (4 pm) – Ashby BART Transit Oriented Development
• Berkeley-El Cerrito Corridor Access Plan Presentation (tentative)

UNSCHEDULED WORK SESSIONS & SPECIAL MEETINGS 

• Fire Department Standards of Coverage & Community Risk Assessment - (removed)
• BPD Annual Report (March 12 at 4 pm tentative)
• Dispatch Needs Assessment Presentation
• Presentation on Homelessness/Re-Housing/Thousand-Person Plan (TBD regular agenda)
• Draft Waterfront Specific Plan– rescheduled from November 2, 2023 and February 6, 2024 to December 2024

PAST MEETINGS with reports worth reading: 

• May 16 - Fire Facilities Study Report, Wildfire Prevention Plan https://berkeleyca.gov/city-council-special-meeting-eagenda-may-16-2023-6-pm
• June 20 (WS) - Climate Action Plan & Resilience Update, Berkeley Economic Dashboards Update reports available https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/city-council/city-council-agendas/city-council-2023-06-20

. 

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Kelly Hammargren’s summary on what happened the preceding week is posted on the What Happened page at: https://www.sustainableberkeleycoalition.com/what-happened.html and in the Berkeley Daily Planet https://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/ 

 

The Activist’s Calendar of meetings is posted on the What’s Ahead page 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 want to receive the Activist’s Diary 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. Closed Captioning and show full transcript and the save option are only available when the person setting up the ZOOM meeting has activated these options. If you don’t see CC ask for it. If it can’t be activated for the current meeting ask for it for future meetings. 

The accuracy of the Closed Captioning is affected by background noise and other factors, The CC and 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 online attendee, the full transcript is only available from the time the attendee activates Show Full Transcript. But if you sit through a meeting and then remember 10 minutes before it is over to 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: 

https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/360060958752-Using-save-captions#h_01F5XW3BGWJAKJFWCHPPZGBD70 

How to convert a YouTube video into a transcript 

Copy the YouTube url into the box with “enter a youtube url” and click on go https://youtubetranscript.com/ 

The transcript (not perfect, but very close) will appear instantaneously 

 

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