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. -more-
Our commentator on mental health, Jack Bragen, is shifting to a monthly schedule in order to address hia topics in greater depth. -more-
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. -more-
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.
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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. -more-
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,
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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. -more-
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.
