We're having software problems with our browsers these days, so the next issue will be later than usual. We are planning to shift the issue date from weekly to monthly so articles will be available longer, starting with May 1 if all goes well.
Our commentator on mental health, Jack Bragen, is shifting to a monthly schedule in order to address hia topics in greater depth.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent remarks in Rajasthan, labeling Muslims as "infiltrators" during his electoral campaign, have ignited substantial controversy. These comments were made despite Modi's usual rhetoric, which typically avoids direct mentions of Muslims, indirectly addressing issues related to India's largest minority, which comprises 200 million citizens. His direct speech in Rajasthan marks a notable shift in his usual style, raising concerns about stoking tensions among right-wing elements within his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and potentially inciting violence against Muslims. g The opposition, including Congress party president Mallikarjun Kharge and Asaduddin Owaisi, leader of a Muslim national party, have condemned Modi's statements as hate speech, alleging that it fans communal tensions and distracts from real issues like unemployment and inflation faced by the general populace. g This change in Modi's tone is particularly striking given his portrayal on the international stage. For instance, during visits to the U.S. and at the G20 summit, he emphasized themes of unity and non-discrimination, which contrasts sharply with his domestic election campaign strategies that appear to leverage religious divisions for political gain.
Critics argue that this strategy not only violates India’s electoral rules, which prohibit campaigning on the basis of religion or caste, but also risks serious social repercussions. The BJP’s lack of Muslim candidates and the Election Commission’s inconsistent enforcement of rules further highlight the growing polarization.
These developments call for a careful reflection on the direction of India’s political discourse and the long-term implications of such divisive tactics on national unity and social harmony.
g There They Goes
Some unfortunate soul wound up on the tracks in BART's Embarcadero station on April 11 and the Chronicle's April 15 report left a lot of unexplained questions.
The two BART passengers who jumped in to avoid a catastrophe received full credit (all hail John Hyman and Blake Garrett) but the near-victim remained a total mystery.
The Chron article could not even establish the individual's sex. Instead, there was a confusing stream of gender-affirming pronouns. The at-risk citizen was described as "pacing around the platform… talking to themselves." At one point they "desperately raised their arms." Fortunately, as "the train was about [to] reach the station," John and Blake were able to "pull the person up on their stomach."
Sportcasts, Militarism, and Funny Names
"Bread and circuses." It's an old recipe but it's still in fashion.
I've been frustrated lately when I turn on the televised evening news to absorb the details of some breaking story only to discover the news supplanted by a baseball game or a football match.
There's a lesson here, and it dictates that sports competitions are deemed more important than breaking news. You needn't over-think it to come to the conclusion that favoring conflict over information is the hallmark of a militaristic society and the means by which corporations and federal oversight conspire to make cooperation and compromise appear unattractive.
The essence of the sports universe shares a lot with the tenets of capitalism and the realm of warfare. Physical confrontations. Tests of strength. Blocking anything that stands in your way. Out-running pursuers. Out-gaming the opposition, Gaining more yardage. Reaching a goal.
The message is that life should be a game and a challenge to test your ability to dominate, not commiserate. This combative top-predator worldview is hidden in plain sight. Take the naming of sports clubs. Golden State Warriors. Oakland Raiders. Chicago Bulls. Washington Commanders. Sacramento Kings. Pittsburgh Pirates. Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Houston Rockets. Minnesota Vikings. Minnesota Timberwolves. Atlanta Braves. Kansas City Royals. New York Giants. Tennessee Titans. New York Rangers. New England Patriots.
And then there are the predators: Carolina Panthers. LSU Tigers. Chicago Bears. Atlanta Falcons. Detroit Lions. Philadelphia Eagles. Baltimore Ravens. Cincinnati Bengals. Jacksonville Jaguars. Seattle Seahawks.
However, when you move from the main-line national leagues to regional competitions, the combative stance gives way to a more humanistic, humorous and down-home brand of signage. Take the memberships constituting baseball's Pacific Coast League, which include: Albuquerque Isotopes. Las Vegas Aviators. Sugar Land Space Cowboys. Sacramento River Cats. Salt Lake Bees.
And the Eastern League: Portland Sea Dogs. Akron Rubber Ducks. Richmond Flying Squirrels. New Hampshire Fisher Cats. Hartford Yard Goats. Binghamton Rumble Ponies.
Fashion Plates
Personalized license plates spotted around town.
CO81FO
DANNY E
1 JAZZ 1
FILMYYES
DRYEYES
BRK A BUY
BLKNITE (Black Night)
LIVRKID (Liver Kid)
JUCY RT (Juicy Rat?)
8TUD269 (Etude to 69?)
FOS BEAU (Freedom Of Speech. Beautiful)
Bumper Snickers
Don't Follow Me. I'm Lost
I Stop for Critters
Don't Believe Everything You Think
Keep Honking. I'm Listening to Jazz
A Ponzi Scheme, but with Weapons
A few days ago, I emailed the following note to Joe Biden: "Sending more weapons to Ukraine will only prolong human suffering and expand genocide.
Sending US weapons & arms funding to Israel is a violation of US law and international treaties."
According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, since February 2022, the US has shipped a total of $174 billion to Ukraine. As I type this, the US Senate is debating sending another $15 billion to Israel and a tidy $8 billion to Taiwan. That's money that could have been spent housing the homeless, feeding the hungry, rebuilding the thousands of homes destroyed by tornados, hurricanes, and wildfires.
As Prof. Steven Starr points out another problem: the US Treasury is bankrupt and faces "a national debt of $34 trillion that is increasing by $1 trillion every 100 days (note that all the money given to Ukraine had to be borrowed)."
There's a name for trying to get rich by using borrowed money: It's called a Ponzi Scheme." In the US, the main beneficiaries of these "pay-to-slay" fiscal hand-outs are the powerful corporations that profit from supplying the MIC's costly and deadly weapony.
It's time to call this weapons-for-wealth scam what it is: a "WeaPonzi" scheme.
The Billionaires' Club
Public Citizen recently published some pulse-stopping facts about America's super-rich. Including:
• There are approximately 806 billionaires in the US—about 1 billionaire for every 417,265 non-billionaires.
• The average US billionaire's net worth now tops $7 billion.
• The combined wealth of these billionaires exceeds $5,800,000,000,000.00—that's 5.8 trillion dollars.
• According to Americans for Tax Fairness, the wealthiest Americans have seen their fortunes double since the end of 2017.
• America’s 806 billionaires possess $2.1 trillion more than the entire bottom half of the population.
A major cause of this inequality is a lobbyist-infected, special-interest tax system that gifts the very rich with numerous avenues to avoid paying taxes.
Now for some good news: The Ultra Millionaire Tax Act of 2024—a bill now before Congress—would impose a modest tax on anyone with a net worth exceeding $50 million.
The UMTA's sponsors include Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders and Representatives Pramila Jayapal, Brendan Boyle, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez—and you, if you wish to click on the following.
Tell Congress:
The American people need you to fight back against worsening economic inequality. It is past time to make the richest of the rich pay their fair share. Pass the Ultra Millionaire Tax Act of 2024without delay. Click to add your name now.
Closing on a High Note
Screen-skipping through the Online World I happened to discover a young, multi-talented Polish gent who has mastered two diverse and seemingly contrary talents.
Jakub Jozef Orlinski is both a spellbinding countertenor and a fast-footed, floor-flipping break-dancer. Having conquered the world of coloratura arias, Orlinski has also synced in with break-dancing's best top-and-down stunts, from windmills to freezes to powermoves.
Here's a link to a brief video of Orlinski crooning onstage at the National Radio Symphony Orchestra Hall and caroming across a dance-hall floor executing knee-drops, hook-sweeps, spin-drops and propeller kicks. And here's a video of Jakub sharing both of his sterling talents onstage at the same time two months ago at the Royal Opera of Versailles.
As we observe ongoing critiques of Iran, it is imperative to recall the pivotal events of 1953, which substantially reshaped Iranian society and its trajectory. The United States, in coordination with British interests, orchestrated the coup that overthrew Iran's democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh. This intervention was primarily motivated by control over Iran's oil reserves, previously nationalized by Mossadegh's government to the dismay of Western oil interests.
The installation of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran, marked a significant turn towards autocracy supported by the West. His reign was characterized by the establishment of the SAVAK, a secret police force notorious for its brutal methods, which suppressed political dissent and curtailed the freedoms of the Iranian people. This era of repression sowed the seeds of discontent among Iranians, culminating in the 1979 Islamic Revolution led by Ayatollah Khomeini.
The revolution not only dismantled the monarchy but also established a theocratic regime that has since governed Iran. Acknowledging these historical events is crucial. They illustrate how external interventions can have long-lasting and profound effects on a nation's political and social fabric. As we engage in discussions about Iran today, understanding this context is essential for a balanced and informed discourse. It is not merely a question of past policy errors, but a continuing narrative that affects how we interact and perceive Iran in the present day.
Donald Trump has recently been seen hawking a line of $99 "Never Surrender" gold-trimmed sneakers and announcing a politicized $59.99 "God Bless the USA" edition of the Bible containing copies of the US Constitution and the Pledge of Allegiance. And now, Trump's brand is starting to appear on US dollars. The two-dollar bill, actually. (Historical background: The $2 bill was retired in 1966 but staged a comeback in 1976 as a Federal Reserve Note.)
There is good reason to associate this little green bill with the Ochre Ogre. As Wikipedia notes: trying to make a purchase with one of these bills "sometimes made problems … when [citizens] encounter merchants who question the bills' validity." Meanwhile, "significant numbers of the notes are removed from circulation and collected by people who believe them to be … more valuable than they are.")
I don't know how I got of the mailing list but an unexpected announcement just arrived in my PO box—an envelope from the Bradford Exchange Mint displaying the Presidential seal and the words "TRUMP 2024 Exclusive." Inside was an invitation to purchase an "Exclusive Salute to President Trump on a Legal Tender $2 Bill" issued to coincide Trump's re-election bid and "his commitment to nationalist ideals."
The commemorative Trump bill is a real $2 bill that has been "privately enhanced with vividly colored montage imagery and gleaming golden enhancements"—or, as some may see it, tacky full-color stickers heat-pressed on top of an actual two-dollar bill,
The new politicized bill features not one but two full-color photos of Trump campaigning on either side of Thomas Jefferson's portrait. (Jefferson looks a bit wary as Trump looms on either side while a central banner above Jefferson's portrait reads: "Donald Trump 2024.")
The sales pitch repeatedly ties the release of this "privately enhanced currency" to Trump's presidential campaign and salutes his "ardent fan base following his every order" as he promises to "reshape the country along Christian nationalist lines."
And what's the fee for acquiring one of these "once-in-a-lifetime commemoratives… sealed within a crystal-clear holder for enduring, heirloom protection"? The going price (mentioned only once at the very end of a two-page solicitation) is a mere $39.99 plus $6.99 for "shipping and service."
"Supplies are very limited," writes Bradford's Chief Numismatist, Walter J. Kole, but don't worry because there are "additional issues to come in The Donald J. Trump 2024 $2 Bill Collection."
How much of each $46.98 purchase might wind up in Trump's campaign wallet is unknown. There is a closing line at the bottom of the two-page solicitation letter that declares (in small, barely legible type): "The presentation of this collectible for sale does not indicate an endorsement of any political candidate or opinion by The Bradford Exchange or its officials." Note: This disclaimer follows a cover letter that cites Trump's name 18 times.
In this, her third stint as Guest Conductor at San Francisco Symphony, Karina Canellakis clearly affirmed her mastery of the symphonic music of Richard Strauss, whose tone poems Don Juan and Tod und Verklärung (Death and Transfiguration) are featured in a three-day appearance that opened at Davies Hall on Thursday, April 18 at a 2:00 PM matinee, which I attended. Canellakis, an American conductor born in New York of Greek and Russian parents, had previously shown her affinity for Strauss’s orchestral works in an inspiring performance in May 2022 of Don Quixote, with Alise Weilierstein on cello.
Canellakis manages to bring out all of Richard Strauss’s remarkable orchestral colors in these tone poems. Her conducting style is very physical. She throws her whole body into transmitting to the orchestra all the nuances she seeks to feature. Using a baton, she thrusts it forward in a pointedly dramatic gesture when she wants the orchestra to play fortissimo. But in more lyrical passages she uses her left arm to suggest the sweeping quality she wants the orchestra to convey. Occasionally, in the loudest and most dramatic passages, Canellakis nearly goes airborne, almost leaping off her feet to inspire the orchestra to express itself in ultra dramatic fashion. Yet she demonstrates a fine appreciation of alternatiing dynamics. For example, after a loud crash in the orchestra represents a sword thrust that kills Don Juan, Canellakis deftly allows the orchestra to suggest the slow dying away of Don Juan, whose final moments are represented in a discordant and forlorn trumpet note and two pizzicato notes played pianissimo by the first violin. Likewise, in Strauss’s Death and Transfiguration, Canellakis allows this tone poem to open slowly in the violas and low strings, accompanied by two harps. Then a loud timpani note dramatically alters the dynamics, and there ensue alternating passages of loud and soft orchestral music right to the very end.
Even in her 2019 debut at San Francisco Symphony, Karina Cenellakis demonstrated a penchant for big orchestral works such as Dmitri Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 7,”Leningrad,” and Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with Alexamder Gavrylyuk as soloist. That Canellakis was able to make the sprawling Shostakovich 7th somewhat inspiring was quite an achievement, though her conducting of the Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 1 was somewhat sabotaged by the meandering piano soloist. Nonetheless, I believe Canellakis has more than demonstrated her ability to conduct thrilling performances of big orchestral works. Now I’d like to hear her conduct a symphony or two by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, or Brahms, or a work by Lalo or Saint Saëns.
Speaking of repertory choices, before the Thursday matinee performance began, various members of the Symphony Orchestra were in the lobby handing out statements expressing their dismay over the Symphony’s Board of Governors decision to allow Music Director Essa-Pekka Salonen to end his contract here at the end of the 2024-25 season. Salonen’s decision, and that of the Board, seems to hinge on financial issues, and at least some of the Symphony’s musicians want to encourage audiences to protest the Board of Governors budgetary restraints that effectively resulted in Essa-Pekka Salonen’s departure. The fact that Salonen assumed the reins here in 2020 just as the Covid pandemic hit caused live concerts to temporarily halt. Then, when they resumed, audiences were slow and irregular in returning to Davies Hall. So the money lost when live performances were halted continued to be lost, though in lesser degree, when audiences returned to Davies Hall for standard repertory but were reluctant to do so for Salonen’s innovative programming of new and/or relatively unusual works.
My own take on this issue is that while I greatly admire Salonen as a conductor, I’m not nearly so supportive of his programming choices. Nor do I support his enthusiasm for adding visuals to classical music. There is a hit or miss quality about his innovative programming that can be disconcerting or downright disappointing. So I for one do not decry the fact that Salonen and the Board of Governors will part ways at the end of the 2024-25 season. I welcome the opportunity to infuse new, younger blood as our future Music Director here, and I support women conductors Susanna Malkki and Karina Canellakis as my preferences. Yet when some disgruntled Symphony musicians are actively campaigning to get audiences to petition the Board of Governors to reverse their decision, restore the budget cuts, and retain Essa-Pekka Salonen, it is questionable how willing the recalcitrant musicians may or may not be to help guest conductors put their best foot forward in appearances the Board of Governors may treat as auditions to succeed Salonen. This is not an auspicious situation for the San Francisco Symphony.
At the Thursday, April 18 matinee, Karina Canellakis also conducted two works by Maurice Ravel, his Piano Concerto in D Major for the Left Hand,, featuring Cédric Tiberghien as piano soloist, and La Valse. Ravel composedthis piano concerto for Paul Wittgenstein (older brother to Ludwig Wittgenstein the philosopher), a concert pianist who had lost his right hand in World War I. This work is assuredly a virtuoso showcase for a pianist willing to take it on, and Cédric Tiberghien brought it off splendidly with help from conductor Karina Canellakis and the orchestra. It opens with low woodwinds and low strings, then a section for the tutti before the piano is heard, breaking in with a long solo. Later there is a lengthy stride section that suggests someone walking with regular rhythm heard in the strings,
As for La Valse, this work was composed by Ravel in1919-20 and marks a change from the composer’s earlier impressionism to the expressionist modernism of the Second Viennese School.
Indeed, there are echoes of Arnold Schoenberg throughout Ravel’s La Valse, including considerable use of the diabolical tritone, which here suggests that the familiar waltz is oddly out of focus. Ravel wrote that he intended this piece to be the ”apotheosis of the Viennese waltz.” Indeed, the closing moments of Ravel’s La Valse are, in his words, “a fantastiic, fatal whirling.”
Conductor Karina Canellakis brought out the many facets of this 13-minute piece, from the opening low rumble and the waltz with strings and two harps, to a fine passage for two clarinets over strings, and to a lovely waltz melody heard in the strings. Then, late in this work, all hell breaks loose and La Valse is brought to a violent conclusion, splendidly conducted by Karina Canellakis.
Worth Noting:
The Agenda Committee meets at the unusual day, Thursday, April 25 and the unusual time of 12 pm to review and finalize the agenda which currently lists 60 agenda items for the first City Council meeting on May 7 after the lengthy spring recess.
Check the City website for late announcements and meetings posted on short notice at: https://berkeleyca.gov/
It is spring. Before you go out and make all kinds of gardening mistakes watch the online Bringing Back the Native Garden Tour https://www.youtube.com/c/BringingBacktheNativesGardenTour and follow-up with the in person Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour.
Save May 4 and May 5 for in person (free) native garden tours. Sign up for in-person native garden tours at https://www.bringingbackthenatives.net/view-gardens
On the May 4 garden tour at Keith Johnson and Erin Diehm’s house are the displays of how to make your windows bird safe with DIY acopian blinds and different examples of window film.
Sunday, April 21, 2024 – no city meetings or events found
Monday, April 22, 2024 - EARTH DAY - PASSOVER begins
Tuesday, April 23, 2024
FREE YOGA CLASSES (CoB + Niroga Institute) from 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm
In-Person: at 1900 Sixth,
Use link to register:
https://berkeleyca.gov/community-recreation/events/free-yoga-classes-15
Wednesday, April 24, 2024
ENVIRONMENT and CLIMATE COMMISSION at 6 pm
In-Person: at 1901 Hearst, North Berkeley Senior Center
AGENDA: 7. Presentation & Discussion Proposed mid-cycle code amendments to Berkeley Green Code
https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/boards-commissions/environment-and-climate-commission
HUMAN WELFARE and COMMUNITY ACTION COMMISSION (HWCAC) at 6:30 pm
In-Person: at 2180 Milvia, Cypress Room (commissioners meet in the hybrid format, however, the public can only attend in person in a room that is fully equipped for hybrid meetings)
AGENDA: 2. Election of Low-Income Commissioners, 3. Discussion of possible shift in position on tri-partite board for 3 existing commissioners, 4. HWCAC reform and merger, 5. Discussion of FY 2025-FY 2028 Community Request for RFP, 6. HWCAC Strategic Plan Update, 7. Discussion of response to 45-day notice of anticipated high-risk designation, 8. Review of CoB funded agency Multicultural Institute program and financial reports, 9. City ADA violations, 10. Fire Marshall’s Report, 11. San Pablo Ave plan and Ohlone bike path & community risk assessment, 12. Reverse mortgage, 13. Hybrid commissions.
FREE YOGA CLASSES (CoB + Niroga Institute) from 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm
In-Person: at 1900 Sixth,
Use link to register:
https://berkeleyca.gov/community-recreation/events/free-yoga-classes-15
Thursday, April 25, 2024
AGENDA AND RULES COMMITTEE Meeting at 12 pm
Hybrid Meeting
In-Person: at 2180 Milvia, 6th Floor – Redwood Room
Videoconference: https://cityofberkeley-info.zoomgov.com/j/1600959436
Teleconference: 1-669-254-5252 or 1-833-568-8864 (Toll Free)
Meeting ID: 160 095 9436
AGENDA: Public Comment on non-agenda and items 1 – 7. 1. Minutes, 2. Review and Approve 5/7/2024 -- draft agenda – use link or read full draft agenda below at the end of the list of city meetings, 3. Berkeley Considers, 4. Adjournment in Memory, 5. Council Workssessions, 6. Referrals for scheduling, 7. Land Use Calendar, REFERRED ITEMS for REVIEW: 8. Discussion and Possible action on City Council Rules of Decorum, Procedural Rules, and Remote Public Comments 9. City Council Legislative Systems Redesign, UNSCHEDULED ITEMS: 10. Amend BMC Chapter 3.78 to Expand Eligibility Requirements for Representatives of The Poor to Serve on The Human Welfare and Community Action Commission, 11. Modifications or Improvements to City Council Meeting Procedures, 12. Strengthening and Supporting City Commission: Guidance on Development of Legislative Proposals, 13. Discussion and Recommendations on the Continued Use of Berkeley Considers. (packet 776 pages)
https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/city-council/council-committees/policy-committee-agenda-rules
COMMUNITY HEALTH COMMISSION at 6:30 pm
In-Person: at 2939 Ellis, South Berkeley Senior Center
AGENDA: 2. Public Health Officer’s Report, 5. Work Plan revision
https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/boards-commissions/community-health-commission
MENTAL HEALTH COMMISSION at 7 pm
In-Person: at 1901 Hearst, North Berkeley Senior Center
AGENDA: 3. SCU Update, 4. Establishing a process for evaluating complaints by the public and create a subcommittee to work with Bonita House and make recommendations to the mayor regarding changes that need to be made in police policy to make the SCU successful, 5. Mental Health Commission role with respect to SCU, 6. Vote for May’s MHC SCU panel, 7. Mental Health Manager’s Report and Caseload Statistics, 8. Request Audit of Mental Health Department.
https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/boards-commissions/mental-health-commission
ZONING ADJUSTMENT BOARD at 7 pm
A Hybrid Meeting
In-Person: at 1231 Addison St. in the School District Board Room
Videoconference: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83673449984
Teleconference: 1-669-444-9171
Meeting ID: 836 7344 9984
AGENDA: 1788 Fourth Street – on consent – Use Permit #ZP2023-0159 to modify #05-10000094
Add distilled spirits
2600 Tenth Street – on action - appeal of Zoning Officer’s Approval of Administrative Use Permit ZP#2023-0031 to change the use of 3 tenant spaces (9750 sq ft) from Media Production to a Research and Development use, and create up to 9 tenant spaces within a 7-story building on a 114,998 sq ft lot – staff recommend dismiss
1817-B Carleton – on action – Variance #ZP2023-0168 – to construct a 494 sq ft third-story addition over 28 feet in average height (32 feet) that will exceed the allowable lot coverage by approximately 5%, encroach into the third-story setback, reduce building separation, and adding an 11th and 12th bedroom to the lot – staff recommend DENY.
https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/boards-commissions/zoning-adjustments-board
Friday, April 26, 2024 - no city meetings or events found
Saturday, April 27, 2024
BERKELEY BAY FESTIVAL from 11 am – 4 pm
Location: at 160 University, Shorebird Park
Use Link to Register:
EVENT: Free family focused event with entertainment and food vendors
https://berkeleyca.gov/community-recreation/events/berkeley-bay-festival
AQUA ZUMBA PARTY from 12:30 - 2 pm
Location: at 1700 Hopkins, King Pool
Use Link to Register: Cost $20 per person
EVENT: Low-impact high-energy 90-minute aquatic exercise
https://berkeleyca.gov/community-recreation/events/aqua-zumba-party-0
BERKELEY READY DISASTER MENTAL HEALTH from 1 pm – 4 pm
In-Person: at 1125 University, West Berkeley Branch Library Community Room
Use Link to Register:
AGENDA: This class is part of CERT, but open to the public and free. Session focuses on mental health preparedness and strategies to manage difficult mental health situations that can occur in disasters.
https://berkeleyca.gov/community-recreation/events/berkeley-ready-disaster-mental-health
Sunday, April 28, 2024 - no city meetings or events found
+++++++++++++++++++
AGENDA AND RULES COMMITTEE Meeting at 12 pm on Thursday, April 25, 2024
DRAFT AGENDA for May 5/7/2024 City Council Meeting
Hybrid Meeting
In-Person: at 2180 Milvia, 6th Floor – Redwood Room
Videoconference: https://cityofberkeley-info.zoomgov.com/j/1600959436
Teleconference: 1-669-254-5252 or 1-833-568-8864 (Toll Free)
Meeting ID: 160 095 9436
https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/city-council/council-committees/policy-committee-agenda-rules
RECESS ITEMS:
LAND USE CALENDAR
2113-2115 Kittredge (California Theater) 6/4/2024
3000 Shattuck (construct 10-story mixed-use building) TBD
WORK SESSIONS & SPECIAL MEETINGS:
++++ How to get on or off the Activist’s Calendar and Activist’s Diary email list ++++++++
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.
+++++++++ HINTS for MANAGING CLOSED CAPTIONING and TRANSCRIPTS ++++++++
For ZOOM Meetings
CLOSED CAPTIONING, SAVE TRANSCRIPT OVERVIEW, CHAT, DIRECTIONS and ZOOM SUPPORT LINKS:
GENERAL
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 transcript.
ATTENDEES
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. If you lose connection during a zoom meeting your transcript will be from when you started it to the last time you clicked on save 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.)
Saving CHAT: There are three dots at the bottom of the CHAT. If you click on these you should get a menu to save the CHAT.
How to FLOAT / DETACH the CHAT or TRANSCRIPT from the ZOOM SCREEN so you can see one or both
At the upper corner of the transcript and the chat there is a tiny box with an arrow. If you click on this the transcript and chat will pop out of being connected to the zoom screen. You can then move these on your screen for easier continuous viewing.
If you activated the CHAT or the TRANSCRIPT and it has disappeared look for the header at the top of the zoom screen that says “exit full screen”. Click on that and you should see the CHAT or TRANSCRIPT again.
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
FOR THE HOST Creating / Scheduling a ZOOM Meeting
HOW TO SET UP TRANSCRIPTS, CLOSED CAPTIONING
When scheduling a meeting go to “Settings” scroll down to “Automated Captions” and allow captions, then allow “Full Transcript” and “Save Captions”. Once you change these settings, they will stay as part of your profile.
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
+++++++ HOW TO CONVERT a YOUTUBE VIDEO INTO a TRANSCRIPT ++++++++
Open the website https://youtubetranscript.com/
Copy the YouTube url into the box with “enter a youtube url” and click on go
The transcript (not perfect, but very close) will appear instantaneously
