East Bay Express

Slap Hitter: They Might be Warriors

editor@eastbayexpress.com (Kibby Kleiman) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 19:00:35 -0800

For sure, you can't write anything about the Golden State Warriors without using the words dysfunctional, wretched or cursed. And yet, the perpetually downtrodden hoopsters have been, of late, displaying a whole lot of heart and some adequate basketball too.

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Your Daily Lick: Dave Smallen

editor@eastbayexpress.com (Nate Seltenrich) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:50:42 -0800

Everything Changes and Nothing Changes (self-released)

If the name Dave Smallen doesn’t ring a bell, try Street to Nowhere. That’s the talented young East Bay singer-songwriter’s former band, signed to Capitol Records in 2006 and later disbanded. His solo debut is more mature and subdued than STN’s wild-eyed pop-punk, comparing favorably to the likes of Bright Eyes and the Counting Crows.

At Bottom of the Hill (1233 17th St., San Francisco) on November 27. 9:30 p.m., $12

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Oak Knoll to be Cleaned Up, Finally

editor@eastbayexpress.com (Robert Gammon) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:11:00 -0800

The former Oak Knoll Naval Hospital in the Oakland hills, which has been strewn with overgrown weeds and hollowed-out buildings for more than a year, is finally going to get cleaned up. According to the Chron and the Trib, Lehman Brothers, the bankrupt co-owner of the property with developer SunCal, has agreed to pay $3.7 million to clean-up the property.

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Judge Sends BART Cop Murder Trial to Downtown LA

editor@eastbayexpress.com (Robert Gammon) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:56:00 -0800

In a victory for prosecutors and the family of Oscar Grant, a judge has sent the murder trial of ex-BART cop Johannes Mehserle to downtown Los Angeles, according to the Trib and the Chron. Mehserle�s defense team had wanted the case moved to conservative San Diego County, where the jury pool likely would have been more sympathetic to police officers.

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Gluten-Free Oakland Bakery Expands

editor@eastbayexpress.com (Anneli Rufus) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:40:25 -0800

The East Bay's only dedicated gluten-free artisan bakery, Mariposa Baking Company, is expanding. Today is opening day at its new kiosk in the Ferry Building Marketplace. The San Francisco location's offerings will include fresh gluten-free breads, bagels, muffins, and cookies, as well as frozen pizzas, ravioli, and more. Special items for Thanksgiving include gluten-free cornbread, bread cubes for stuffing, rosemary rolls, and — by special order — pies.

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Blog Problems

editor@eastbayexpress.com (Robert Gammon) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:13:18 -0800

We're experiencing some difficulties with our new website in that some older blogs are being displayed as "new," particularly when you click on the "Blogs" button from our home page. We're working to fix the problem. Thanks for your patience.

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Poll: Meg Whitman Now Tied with Jerry Brown

editor@eastbayexpress.com (Robert Gammon) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:35:00 -0800

Republican candidate Meg Whitman has moved into a tie with state Attorney General Jerry Brown, according to a new Rasmussen poll. Whitman and Brown are deadlocked at 41 percent, although the poll shows Brown leading the other GOP hopefuls, Tom Campbell and Steve Poizner by at least nine percentage points. While Rasmussen polls tend to lean Republican, the new results can't be good for the former Oakland mayor.

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State Deficit Jumps to $21 Billion

editor@eastbayexpress.com (Robert Gammon) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:32:38 -0800

California is facing a new financial crisis, as the projected budget deficit for next year has now ballooned to $20.7 billion, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office. The news comes just four months after the governor and legislative leaders slashed $24 billion from this year's budget. And according to the Chron, Governor Schwarzenegger is against raising tax increases to help solve the new crisis, which is being caused primarily by declining revenues because of the recession.

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California Forces Flat Panel TVs to Go Green

editor@eastbayexpress.com (Robert Gammon) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:30:39 -0800

The California Energy Commission has ordered the television industry to drastically reduce the amount of electricity that new TVs consume, the Chron reports. The new rules require that flat-panel TVs, which suck up huge amounts of electricity, become one-third more energy efficient by 2011, and 50 percent more efficient by 2013. Television manufacturers claim the new rules could result in higher TV prices and job losses.

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Brace Yourself: It's Top Ten Time

editor@eastbayexpress.com (Nate Seltenrich) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:30:31 -0800

In honor of our upcoming Holiday Guide on November 25, which features top-ten album reviews by a number of EBX staffers and contributors, here are a few lists already released by other outlets. Consider them top-ten snacks before your top-ten meal next week.

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Berkeley NIMBYs Complain, Again

editor@eastbayexpress.com (Robert Gammon) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:26:35 -0800

Despite loud complaints from residents of the bucolic Berkeley hills, the city council unanimously agreed to relax noise limits for downtown nightclubs, the Chron reports. The council is determined to help the city's burgeoning downtown scene come to life, especially with the planned opening of a major new venue at the old UC Theatre. The council also thankfully ignored the many complaints by the Panoramic Hills Association, who claimed that all the noise from the downtown clubs would interfere with their sleep.

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Raiders to Extend Lease Until 2013

editor@eastbayexpress.com (Robert Gammon) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:19:43 -0800

The Oakland Raiders have agreed to remain at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum through the 2013 season, according to the Bay Area News Group. The team's lease had been set to expire at the end of next season. Under the extension, the Raiders would pay Oakland and Alameda County $5 million, along with their annual $525,000 rent. The extension also includes an opt-out clause that would allow the team to leave Alameda County before 2013 - as long it pays the $5 million.

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Dellums Fails to Report Gift Travel

editor@eastbayexpress.com — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:46:00 -0800

Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums admitted last night that he failed to report a trip to South Africa as a gift on his statement of economic interests, even though it was paid for by the South African government. The mayor told the Trib that when he originally filled out his disclosure forms, he mistakenly thought he didn't have to report the travel as a gift because it was paid by another government.

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Perata's Tobacco Tax Will Harm Kids' Programs

editor@eastbayexpress.com — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:08:06 -0800

Early childhood education advocates are gearing up to oppose ex-state Senator Don Perata's $1 tobacco tax because it would siphon much-needed funds from kids' programs, the Trib reports. A previous statewide tax initiative sponsored by Hollywood director Rob Reiner had earmarked funds for the kids' programs, but Perata's new hefty tax will likely depress cigarette sales, thereby resulting in less tax revenue for early childhood education.

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Coliseum Board Joins Soccer World Cup Campaign

editor@eastbayexpress.com — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:13:08 -0800

The Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum board has joined the City of Oakland's effort to bring World Cup soccer to the East Bay, the Trib reports. The city wants to host soccer matches at the Coliseum if the United States should host the wildly popular worldwide tournament in 2018 or 20022. Oakland is one of 27 cities under consideration by the USA soccer committee, which is expected to narrow the list to eighteen cities by year's end. The international soccer federation will select the host nations for both 2018 and 2022 in December 2010. — Robert Gammon

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Up to 1,000 Oakland Truckers Will Be Out of Work

editor@eastbayexpress.com — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:39:56 -0800

Up to 1,000 independent truckers at the Port of Oakland will be out of work by January 1 because of the port's new ban on older, dirty diesel trucks. The truckers had hoped to receive public funding to buy new trucks or retrofit their existing ones, but the Bay Area Air Quality Management District ran out of money, the Trib reports.

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Dead Baby Found in Berkeley's Aquatic Park

editor@eastbayexpress.com — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:19:32 -0800

Curtis Martin III, a convicted child killer who is being held on suspicion of murdering a West Oakland woman at Berkeley's Aquatic Park, may also have killed the woman's young son. A child found dead, floating in the water at Aquatic Park yesterday, is believed to be the 17-month-old son of Zoelina Williams, who was found murdered at the park on Friday, the Chron reports.

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Prosecutors: Child-Killer Murdered Mother and Son

editor@eastbayexpress.com — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:13:20 -0800

County prosecutors have charged child-killer Curtis Martin III with murdering a 17-month-old boy and then his mother to keep her quiet. According to the Chron and the Trib, Martin was arraigned on multiple murder charges with special circumstances yesterday that could result in the death penalty.

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Your Daily Lick: Make Me

editor@eastbayexpress.com — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:13:14 -0800

The Oakland quartet - two girls, two guys - has come into its own on this sophomore record, a slightly schizophrenic mix-up of sweet pop and raucous rock tempered with new wave and noise. Following along this exploratory path is the listener's primary pleasure, as the band's direct delivery makes every moment of discovery feel firsthand.

At Retox Lounge (628 20th St., San Francisco) on November 13. 8 p.m., $5

— Nate Seltenrich

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You Don't Know Jack

editor@eastbayexpress.com (Robert Gammon) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 04:00:00 -0800

There's strong evidence that Marcel Diallo Jack, the self-styled "mayor of West Oakland," perpetrated a racist Internet fraud on a local activist. by Robert Gammon Oakland activist and political blogger Max Allstadt was the victim of a vicious Internet fraud that could have happened to anyone. A scam artist set up a fake e-mail account, disguised as Allstadt, and then sent out an ugly e-mail full of racist and homophobic invective. Allstadt was stunned, but decided to fight back, and through a series of court-ordered subpoenas, he uncovered strong evidence that the person behind the fraudulent e-mail was Marcel Diallo, a well-known black-empowerment activist and…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Shifting Attitudes and Frequencies

editor@eastbayexpress.com (Ralfee Finn) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 04:00:00 -0800

For the week of November 18-24, 2009. by Ralfee Finn Saturn/Pluto Square, Part Two: The Wheel of Life continues to move in a new direction this week, and as it alters the course of collective destiny, the smaller wheels of individual fate also have opportunities to adjust personal destinies. Don't be fooled by appearances: even if surface concerns remain the same – money, work, health, love – attitudes about those issues are shifting. We are in a potent transition, packed with creative power that can be put to good use…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

PG&E Wants More Fossil Fuel

editor@eastbayexpress.com (Robert Gammon) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 04:00:00 -0800

The utility that touts itself as being green-friendly is quietly proposing two new large natural-gas-fired power plants in the East Bay. by Robert Gammon Pacific Gas and Electric Company has attempted to recast itself in recent years as a green-friendly utility. It has backed climate change legislation and has run extensive marketing campaigns, highlighting its investments in renewable energy. Two months ago, the utility made headlines when it publicly withdrew from the US Chamber of Commerce over the chamber's backward views on global warming. But PG&E's attempt to build two new fossil-fuel-powered plants in the East Bay that critics say are unnecessary is raising…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

The Fall of Pirate Cat Radio

editor@eastbayexpress.com (David Downs) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 04:00:00 -0800

Local activists join the national fight for vibrant, local radio. by David Downs The Bay Area's biggest pirate radio station is off the air, fined $10,000 for illegal broadcast, and its owner threatened with arrest if he returns. But Pirate Cat Radio isn't going quietly into the night. Not only is the thirteen-year-old San Francisco station still quasi-legally streaming to half a million listeners online per month, but the 1,200-watt station formerly broadcasting at 87.9 FM is fighting the Federal Communications Commission in federal court. While the station is raising funds to pay…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Performance

editor@eastbayexpress.com (DeWitt Cheng) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 04:00:00 -0800

Christina Koci Hernandez explores identity and spectacle. by DeWitt Cheng The Roman poet Lucretius, explaining the imagination, declared, "There are a great many flimsy films from the surface of objects flying about ... in all directions. When these encounter one another in the air, they easily amalgamate ... [and] penetrate through the chinks of the body and set in motion the delicate substance of the mind within." Balzac had a similar intuition which caused him to fear being photographed, conceiving of human bodies as "a series of ghostly images superimposed…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Hometown Hitter

editor@eastbayexpress.com (Rachel Swan) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 04:00:00 -0800

Oakland boxing champ Andre Ward returns to the Oracle this Saturday. by Rachel Swan The tension was thick on May 16, when Oakland boxer Andre Ward stepped into the ring at Oracle Arena. His eyes were trained on 28-year-old Edison Miranda, a mean-mugging Colombian fighter who gazed back with equal venom. By all accounts, it looked like a fair match. Ward stood one inch taller at six-foot-one, with a tight, chiseled face and arms smothered in tattoos. By that point he'd won eighteen fights in his professional career, along with a gold medal from…]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]