No Kings

Laura Andrillon/AFP via Getty Images

We, along with our friend Elizabeth, helped complete the "S" of "YES". We picked that spot because of the ocean views. Obviously, we weren't alone; an estimated 5,500 other friendly people were there, too.

I doubt that it will make much of a so-called real difference - yet - but it was a very fun morning. Highly recommended!

Summer's Officially Over - Time to Vote

 "Crazy" "Weird" "Ridiculous" "Very silly" "Nightmare"

If that's how mainstream media characterizes the recall election, just imagine how us regular voters feel. A big waste of money - approximately 275 million dollars worth - and a silly waste of brain space. 

Nonetheless. if you haven't done so already, sit down for just a short minute or two, fill out the brief ballot, stick it in the envelope, sign the envelope and send it in. All by September 14th. 

And then go out and enjoy our real Bay Area summer of September. 

Great Bees of Fire

Not really. Not of fire. But just busy and helpful to us, so perhaps we should extend a helping hand in return. For example:

The Great Sunflower Project (GSP) is an on-going, citizen-science, hands-on (just how many hyphenated adjectives can I string together?), participatory activity with over 100,000 members that helps scientists better understand bees and other pollinators.

I encourage everyone with any sort of garden to volunteer with the GSP. You can even do it from your home. Right now, the GPS is looking for people to commit to at least 4 data counts during the year - 40 minutes total. And if you live in the Midwest, please start the counting, because info from there is really incomplete. This map tells the story.

I have been participating in the GSP for 10+ years, and back then I would grow sunflowers in the parking strip. Needless to say, the sidewalk in front was pretty entertaining, but more than a little crowded.

So I wised up and planted coreopsis. My coreopsis counts cannot be used as part of the official GSP pollinator surveys, but are useful in helping identify important pollinator plants. And yes, even if they don't officially count, bees and other pollinators absolutely adore the coreopsis.

Perhaps that is the big lesson - just plant some bee friendly flowering plants. The pollinators will love them and you, even if you don't get around to counting.

Cat? What Cat? I Don't See Any Cat...#6

We're hoping to change all that. Because Princess is going uptown (heck, so is Oakland).

It would seem that putting a big, bright collar on your cat - a bibish sort of collar - helps make those nasty feline predators much more visible to birds.

Audubon thinks it may work. A scientific study indicates that it helps. So Princess is about to become the neighborhood test case.

First, I made some break-away collars. Easy to do and the findings are available online for not much money. I made a bunch of collars because they are often lost and I wanted to have a stash on hand.

Of course, the first one went missing in less than a week. Then I tightened the next one up a bit. And gave Princess a stern lecture about keeping track of her toys. That seemed to work because this second collar has hung around for months. Yup, it's probably time to put it in the laundry.

Practicing wearing a collar in bed

The next step involved sewing a bright, colorful collar cover for Princess. The sewing was easy, but dusting off and oiling the machine, not so much. Or maybe it just seemed to take up too much time.  

And then threading the collar through that cover without losing the end other was an even bigger time sink. After that, tracking down the cat and convincing her that she really wanted to wear it, well, you get the picture. There went much of the afternoon.

You should know that Birdsbesafe produces these collar covers already put together and ready to go. So you may want to show some sense and simply buy the bugger for your own precious kitty, rather than following my example. Just an idea.

Yeah well, so far, Princess isn't too excited about this idea of mine, but one has to make sacrifices for fashion. As well as for a few small birdies' lives. I'm hoping that if I keep telling her how gorgeous she looks, she may get over it.

Holiday Shopping Guide

Yup, baby needs a new pair of shoes, but probably isn't going to get one this holiday season. And maybe not even for the next four years. Trouble is that my most favoritist, favoritist tennies are made by New Balance, whose leadership made a strong statement in support of the new president-elect.

Too bad, because these shoes have been happily worn by all human members of this household, carrying us from the hard pavement of Madrid to rocky paths in northern India. Ironically, it's been Chinese consumers, attracted to the "Made in USA" label who have kept open the remaining New England factories producing shoes for New Balance.  I think keeping shoe factories here is great, but there simply has to be a better way.

Shannon Coulter of #GrabYourWallet has made shopping your opinions easier this season. Don't like Trump? Then don't shop at these places which work with the Trumps or carry Trump products. This convenient spreadsheet has all the information, including alternative Trump-free retailers. (And if you just can't wean yourself off fill-in-the-blank, at least email them with your concerns, mkay?)

Vote First

Then Relax!

(Or at least try not to chew your knuckles quite so hard.)

She's Everywhere: Ranger Betty Reid Soskin

Ranger Betty Soskin

And I highly recommend that you go to see her and hear her story. It's easy, fun, local, inspiring and just a wee bit educational, without any of the "Oh-but-I-hate-social-studies" pain. For a brief preview, click here.

Where: Visitor Educational Center, Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front Park in Richmond, CA.

When: Most Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.  Check here for exact times and directions.

Why: Because she's 95 already, and good things don't last forever.

And as long as you are there, you may walk or bike along the waterfront, examine the exhibits at the Visitor Center, or even discuss what you just learned over snacks at either Assemble or Bubbaloo Cafe . Heck, you can even do all those things.

Oh, Go Ahead and Vote

Photo Courtesy of Sari Kulberg

As seen on the walkway on my block. Question is: which less-than-responsible person is still not cleaning up after his/her pet? And, if I may comment, we all know that poop is a natural function. May we say the same about Mr. Trump?

This does remind me of a series of incidents in Germany in 2005 or so, where little flags were left behind in the left behinds of the local pet population. Each flag sported the image of George W. Bush. Apparently, there were thousands of them. Local police were baffled; I was shocked that all those reputedly neat and tidy Germans failed to perform their civic duty and clean up after their pets.

So if you live in California, remember your civic duty and go vote on June 7th. Actually, you don't even have to go - request a vote-by-mail ballot online by May 31st, and you can vote at home in your jammies.

Discover & Go Wins Again

It was a dark and stormy night. Actually, it was a sullen and overcast day, so to inject a little cheer, we went to the Academy of Sciences. And because we planned ahead (by one day only), we went for free. There we were graced with the company of two young friends - Aly and Avery - who also got in for free. Thank you Discover & Go - Oakland.

We sweated through the rain forest, lurked in the aquarium (I had never seen the boa constrictor before and have no plans to see this or any other one again), caught the tail end of the penguin feeding, and then moved on to the planetarium for the show, Habitat Earth (don't bother, it was kinda slow and preachy).

Great entertainment for a gray day.

A Holiday Shopping Idea

Yup, just one. "Cause these days, I pretty much only remember one thing at a time. Really, it's one thing, period, and forget the "at a time" part. So what was I going to tell you, anyway?

Lava-lava Painter

One of my most favorite places to "shop" is the Kiva website. Kiva is a micro-lending program which connects people with money (you and me) to entrepreneurs from around the globe who need a little support to move ahead. Yes, sometimes the words "poverty" and "empowerment" are thrown around, but really, it's all about shopping.

Here's how it works: you commit to a minimum loan of $25 (remember, it is a loan, not a donation. So unless disaster strikes, it is your money and you can get it back once the loan has been repaid. Or if you are giving this as a gift, the happy recipient can get it back.)

Next you go scroll through all of the proposals from interesting people in far-away places and consider which one(s) you plan to support. Shall I invest in a lava-lava (think "sarong") painter in Samoa who needs new brushes and paints? A rice farmer in the Philippines who requires additional organic fertilizer? Or what about that knitter in Bolivia who needs extra materials to make ponchos?

Poncho Maker

As I mentioned, once the loan is paid back, you may pull out your cash. Better still is to go back to Kiva for another fun shopping experience. We started with Kiva in 2007 with a $100 commitment. Since then, we have participated in 45 loans for a total amount of $1,150 lent out. We've never lost a dime on a bad loan (yeah, I know, there's still time) and only one was slow in repaying.

So you guessed it, I went with the poncho maker. Partly because the loan term was shorter (shorter term = help someone else with a loan more quickly). Also because anyone who washes sand to earn extra cash probably has the gumption to make her business a success. And really, who could resist that hat...

Sources:
Kiva.org

For a fun read about a Kiva lender:
The International Bank of Bob

Photos: Screenshot from Kiva website (bad, bad girl - didn't get around to asking permission, yet)

Peace Lantern Ceremony

It was a lovely gathering last Saturday at Aquatic Park. All the expected "Berkeley types" were there, as well as everyone else you could imagine, human or otherwise. The music was perfect, even if the weather wasn't, and everyone did an excellent job of sharing the crayons.

The lanterns were all hand decorated by the people who came. Then they were gathered up and readied for launching.

Which proved to be a little harder than I would have guessed. The wind was not our friend that evening. But the organizers had it all under control -  adept helpers were ready to ensure that the lanterns made it safely into the water.

A few of the lanterns didn't mind going in alone, or only with a buddy or two. 

And most all made it to the other side. 

In Japan, lighted lanterns are part of the Buddhist Obon festival which traditionally takes place in August (July in eastern Japan, but that is a long story). The Obon festival honors the souls of one's ancestors who come and stay for three days. On the final day of the festival, paper lanterns are floated on waterways to help guide the spirits back to the world of the dead. 

Since the world's first atomic bombings in Japan in 1945, this Buddhist custom has gathered additional meaning. This was the thirteenth Peace Lantern Ceremony in Berkeley. I hope to attend again next year.

And the Race is On

Even though they are not on the ballot this time (yes, don't forget to vote on June 3rd. It's silly, I know, but it's just whatchagottado.), the candidates for Oakland mayor are very busy. Not surprisingly (as "from the Land of Dah"), all of the candidates have three main, the-same priorities:

• Security, and we're not talking blankets and bedtime stories.
• Education, so why then do we have a separate school district with its own board?
• Jobs, jobs and jobs. Especially, high tech, high paying, low impact and green, all-at-the-same-time jobs. 

And what about that nasty budget stuff? Right...

Since each one's message and campaign literature all look, smell and sound the same, how do you know how to vote in November? Recently the candidates have been coming door-to-door: Jean Quan, Joe Tuman and Brian Parker have all shown up. For us, this approach just adds to the recycling pile and makes Princess the cat race for the back door. Otherwise, it's not that useful.

(As an aside, I think Jean Quan graduated with honors from the Look 'Em in the Eye and Shake that Hand Very, Very, Very Firmly Academy because she just mashed my hand. And I can say that the mangling started even before I said that I probably wouldn't be voting for her... )

But the house party we attended last week (not a fundraiser, only a forum) featuring Libby Schaaf was very informative. Yes, I knew the name, but since nothing else distinguished her from the other ones running, so what? Well, the what is that this format provided the time and space to ask questions and have them answered more fully. I mean, there was even talk about potholes and no one was joking. Yup, potholes, not potshots. (Thank you llana & Sam and Leslie & Gary.)

So I plan to go to these neighborhood house parties, attend those Meet the Candidates events and ask, listen and ask and listen some more. You might also want to try this strategy: trust me, it beats the heck out of getting your hand crushed.

Bottom Rot

2012 San Marzanos.  No Bottom Rot That Year.

Technically, it's not called bottom rot but "blossom end rot (BER)," but we sometimes are a bit more blunt - crude, even - around here.

But so what is it, anyway? A disorder of tomatoes and peppers, featuring lesions at the blossom end (dah!) of the fruit which all too often expand, turn funky and black, and ruin the fruit for eating. Ick. Sometimes you can salvage part of the tomato, but usually it's only use is for target practice in the green bin. Sadly, it seems to occur most frequently on paste-type tomatoes, such as our family favorite, San Marzano.

What to do? Well, BER is generally associated with a calcium deficiency in the plant and/or soil. And lots of expert-type people have all sorts of remedies. I also have one:

Save your empty egg shells, allow them to dry out for a few days, or weeks even, it doesn't seem to matter. Then crunch them up into little pieces* and mix a small amount of these crushed shells in the dirt at the bottom of the planting holes for your tomatoes.

If you do a web check, you will discover that many people have proposed this same idea, but they will also instruct you do crazy things like store the eggshells on top of the refrigerator (do they have a magic refrigerator? Mine only seems to collects dust). Or grind them up in the blender (just what you want… more dishes to wash).

Why mention this now? Because March is the time to start thinking about sowing your tomato seeds for this year's bountiful harvest (all fingers crossed). And adding a smidgen of those crushed eggshells to the potting mix certainly can't hurt.

OK, OK, so why grow tomatoes from seed? Because you need one more project to worry about.

No, really because it's the only way that I know which pretty much guarantees that the variety of tomato I want to grow will be available. Most nurseries only stock a few types, which may or may not be suited to your garden and/or your taste buds. Also, you are less likely to import diseases, such as late blight which decimated the tomato crops in 2009 and 2012.

*I first start with my fingers (easy to wash) and simply pinch and crush the shells. To reduce them further, stick them in a plastic bag, loosely tie or knot the bag shut and run your rolling pin over it a few times. Nothing to clean up. Does not collect dust.

DON'T Miss the Zorn Show(s)!

If you haven't yet made it out to the Legion of Honor for the Anders Zorn show, you'd better get a move on. The show closes on Sunday, Feb. 2nd, and of course it is much better than any old silly Superbowl game could ever be.  So rearrange your weekend and make that journey way, way out to the nether lands of San Francisco.

You will be impressed. Especially with his watercolors (heck, I didn't even know he did watercolors. I thought he mostly did society portraits like John Singer Sargent).

Elsa Gonzalez Zorn

There is another Zorn worth knowing about, who also is a marvelous painter in both watercolor and oils. She is Elsa Gonzalez Zorn, not Swedish, but Spanish with a German mother. We met at my best guy's painting workshop in Italy this past fall. She was a star.

In Elsa's family, there is a clear understanding that it is a very good possibility that Anders Zorn is part of their tribe. In her own words:

Anders Zorn's father was Johann Leonhard Zorn, German Beer businessman, and, as you know, he never had the chance to meet him. Apparently, this affected him all his life, as we can read in his autobiographical notes. Anders' mother was a worker in the beer company and she became a single mother, so she had to work hard while raising the child.

As Anders was born in 1860, his father would be related to my mom's great-grandfather Zorn. That part of my family came from the very East of Germany, the Prussian part, which nowadays would be Poland. I have asked my mom many times about the origins of this name, since it is not a very common name, not even in Germany. She says that there is no information at all, because everything was destroyed during Germany's sad history before and during WWII.

I have been asked so may times if I am related to him, mainly at the Art Students league in NY, and I always said no. Now I see there is no way to know, so I think I will leave a door open to the possibility, as my mom says, it could be and no one can prove the opposite. :)  And I prefer that version, too.

To view Elsa's paintings, visit Siempre nos quedara (We will always be here)
And to see her films, visit ACIB: Elsa Gonzalez Zorn

Bees, Bees, Bees, Please

Everyone has heard about the hard time bees are having these days, what with the high rents and slow job growth…  hmmm, that's not what I meant to say.

Actually, I bet they're not too concerned about rents and they already work for free. So we just have to stop killing them all off. Yes you, though perhaps not intentionally. In truth, probably quite unwittingly.

Fact is, a recent study has determined that the pesticides (neonicitinoids, or "neonics" for short) involved in honeybee colony collapse disorder have been found in plants sold at local nurseries, especially those big boxy plant sellers.

Wanna know more? This article in Oakland Local does a terrific job of explaining the issues, as well as gives some good advice about how to avoid poisoning your favorite friends in the yellow-and-black jackets.

Honey from "our" Bees

Wanna do more? MoveOn has a petition which asks Lowes and the Home Depot to stop selling neonics. And Friends of the Earth is also sponsoring a petition calling on Washington to restrict neonics.

Wanna really do something? Check to make sure that you are not using neonics in your garden regime. Buy your plants from retailers that do not sell plants which have been subjected to neonics.

For example,  Berkeley Hort, is looking into what pesticides its suppliers are using. The nice people there plan to continue the investigation and work to ensure that their plants are not toxic to bees. And I called up Annie's Annuals: the answer there was, "We have our own hive here, and would never do anything to harms the bees."

Finally, if you are really brave, you can grow many plants from seeds. It's not hard (ahem, I'll tell you my experiences with tuberous begonias another day) but it does take a bit of time.

Now wanna know a secret? We had a beehive this year. It came with its own beekeeper. And the pint of honey we received was the best. Sadly, the queen swarmed and now the box is empty, but we're looking forward to a new bee family moving in next spring. The rent? Really, really cheap.

People's Revolutionary Dept. of Public Works

Last December - that's 2011, mind you - I contacted Oakland's Dept. of Public Works to let them know that there was a vacant house on the block and that the disabled parking zone in front of it was no longer necessary. And hadn't been necessary for over six months. And maybe they could do something about it.

I waited for a response and within a coupla months, got a phone call: someone would be sent out soon.

Cool, but just how long is soon?

Well, not soon enough for some community-minded and relatively handy locals. One night last summer, some busy busybodies - closet radical renegades, no doubt - relocated the metal sign (I'm sure it got recycled) and repainted the blue curb to gray. The blue still showed through - I wouldn't hire them to work on my house - but it seemed to do the job. Suddenly, there was one more parking space available on the block.

So why should one more parking space matter, anyway?

Because my neighborhood, like most urban neighborhoods, is awash in cars. MTC, our regional transportation agency concluded that, way back when (1930 to be precise, when my house had already been around for nineteen years), there were about 29 vehicles per 100 residents in the Bay Area. These days, that number is estimated to be around 75 vehicles. Nationwide, the average is closer to 81 cars per 100 residents. Now dat's a lotta cars.

What has also changed is where those cars are stashed: it used to happen in garages. But now most garages are stuffed full of stuff, leaving many cars to live on the street. Some aren't even allowed in the driveway. Which suggests that maybe the problem is not parking exactly, but cars. Or could it be we car owners?

The final chapter? On December 11, 2012, a city truck showed up on the street. The very nice, and slightly bewildered, man from Public Works came with sign-removing tools, a paint sprayer and some paint, and instructions to remove a disabled parking zone...

Lily Lust

The lilies were absolutely spectacular this summer.  

For a glorious show next summer, plant your bulbs now.

Free(!) Rain Barrels in Oakland

Yup.  No cost.  Except somehow there's sales tax... ask Governor Jerry.  I'm sure he'll give you an explanation.

In the meanwhile, and just in time for the rainy season (keep your fingers crossed), the Oakland Dept. of Public Works has free rain barrels for your home. The program lasts through December, 2012.

A while ago, they were "low-cost", but not low enough to grab my attention. Now, we have one here (the top one) and our neighbor has one too (the bottom one). Ours, at 60 gallons, is one of the smaller ones. It cost around $6.

Tricks to the program? Well obviously, you have to pay the tax and be an Oakland resident.  Then you either have to pay for delivery or go pick up the barrel(s) at the The Urban Farm Store in Richmond. You also are responsible for the installation.  Not hard - a few tools and bits of hardware - and instructions are included. Just remember to strap that puppy in - water is heavy and big earthquakes make big messes.

Don't live in Oakland? Silly you. But all is not lost. Now many municipalities throughout the country have low-cost rain barrel programs, so check locally and see what is available in your area. You also may want to start practicing those rain dance moves. 

Your Civic Duties

Yeah, yeah, they say it's your civic duty to vote, and they're right.  Donating blood (and I don't mean playing rugby) is also your civic duty, but lots of people don't do that either.

Personally, I think that donating blood is more fun than voting, even with that big ol' needle:  first, all you have to do is show up and they are soooo very grateful (kinda like your parents at dinnertime.  Although it's always good to wash your hands);  second, they serve cookies and juice;  third, you really feel that you are truly helping out.

But you still gotta vote. Even without the cookies and juice.  And this year, in case you weren't paying attention, you have one big-ass election to work with. On November 6th, to be precise.  So if you're not registered to vote (or can't remember, or just moved, or whatever), start here.

Even if you will be away from home in November, you may still vote, only you have to do it by mail (yup, you'll also need one of those things called "stamps"). But first you have to be registered.

Then you can request an absentee ballot. For an absentee ballot, click here and let them lead you through the process. It's really easy, but do it soon. Because in many states, even by early October, it may just be too late.

As for donating blood?  Keep in mind that you can do that pretty much any time of the year. And rugby - who knows exactly when that season is?