Berkeley Reporter

by Steed Dropout
May 16, 2016

Mario Savio, a founder of Free Speech Movement, back at Sproul; his spirit trickle’s down to a new generation of Berkeley protesters. Photo by Ted Friedman.

YAKETY-YAK, WE TALK BACK

We’re sick of all your flak.
Push us, we push back
Yakety yak we talk back

While Berkeley’s hotel industry-sponsored visitor’s bureau touts: “come for the culture, stay for the food,” it might more realistically suggest, ‘come for the food, stay for the demo!’

Or, ‘Come for the political action, and bite it.’
Continue reading “Berkeley’s Protest Lifestyle” »

by Steed Dropout
Dec. 15, 2014

OCCUPY CAL REVIVES TO JOIN NATIONAL PROTESTS

Day 7, Cal Berkeley Black students--historic march through the affluent Elmwood District. Photo by Ted Friedman.

One week of protests do not a movement make. Unless this week’s protests have DNA from the long-running occupy movement of 2012–which first roused long-silent Cal Berkeley students to renewed activism.

This reporter has logged at least 30 miles walking with protestors as a photo-journalist.
Continue reading “FIRST LOOK AT TACTICS IN BERKELEY’S FUCK THE SYSTEM PROTESTS” »

by Steed Dropout
Apr. 3, 2014

Berkeley, Ca

MICAH M. WHITE AND ME–A ROMANCE

On assignment for the Berkeley Daily Planet, two years ago, I missed Micah M. White, the co-founder of the international Occupy movement, as he tried to lead Berkeley’s Occupy franchise on its inaugural Berkeley take-over.

White happened to be living in Berkeley with his Phd wife who had an appointment In U.C. Berkeley’s Rhetoric Department. I didn’t pick up his trail until a few nights later when I tried to photograph his wife, and later, Micah.

My editor wanted me to interview White, when we learned that a founder of the international Occupy movement moved among us. Online White now refers to himself as a “boutique activist,” conducting workshops on protesting.

I tried to get his wife’s permission to photograph her, saying our readers would be interested; White’s wife said she couldn’t understand that.

I said, “you’re a rhetorician, you should [understand].” She seemed worked up over this and appealed to her husband to deal with me, which he did forthwith.You can say what you like about White–social media activist–but you can’t fault his chivalry.

Micah M. White, center in white shirt, a founder of Occupy Wall Street movement, and a new Berkeley resident. Photo by Ted Friedman.

Continue reading “What You Miss Makes You Stronger” »

by Steed Dropout
Mar. 17, 2013

FUCK THE POLICE MARCH, PART ONE

The last Berkeley Fuck the Police march I covered (marched in) for the Berkeley Daily Planet was last year, Feb. 18th. Nothing happened on the march but a Berkeley man was murdered at his home in an exclusive Berkeley hills mansion.

He was killed before fuck the police marchers entered Berkeley from downtown Oakland. Remember this as you read on.

City of Berkeley Police, who diverted an officer — who might have prevented the murder — later said, they were “monitoring occupy.” I was there. The police made one lame show of force near midnight. They cruised by in command cars and gave the marchers the stink eye. That’s it.

Feb. 18 last year. Occupy Oakland arrives in Berkeley at 7:20 to join Occupy Berkeley. Photo by Ted Friedman.

Continue reading “Murdered Berkeley Man, Peter M. Cukor, Didn’t Have to Die” »

by Steed Dropout
February 21, 2012

BERKELEY REPORTER: THE VOICE OF CHURNALISM

Let’s say that Manhattan is the Big Apple, and Berkeley just a bite.

And let’s further say that the New York Times speaks for New York, while we, here at Berkeley Reporter, and at the Berkeley Daily Planet speak for Berkeley.

This is as close as BR will ever get to the Times, where they still manage to do journalism, while we are busy practicing churnalism, or as the co-founder of the international Occupy movement has characterized us — “crap.”

If you think the news you read is manufactured (Chomsky), or even invented (Mencken), you’ve found a home at BR. We admit it.

Churning a story defined: it’s when you contribute to a story you are covering in a way that alters the story. The motive: to inflate the story. Bigger stories read better than honestly paltry tales.

My last Planet piece covered, the popular performance artist, Billy Palen, and his alter-ego, Reverend Billy, who was here from the Big Apple for a conference at the university. He’s so big he stayed at the Faculty Club.

Famous Cafe Mediterraneum, home to many demos. Photo by Ted Friedman.

Continue reading “Churning a Story, While Reporting the Little Apple” »

by Steed Dropout
Dec. 20, 2011

Who am I now?

A formerly homeless reporter in Berkeley, Ca, or a “self-important” nobody with problems?

Dr. Tim, a friend of ten years has ended our friendship, saying I’m self-important. He called to ask if I’d read some lit book. I replied with, a world-weary rasp, “I’m too busy to read.” I was writing my latest yarn.

“That’s because you’re too self-important.” He always screams into the phone, because a stroke 15 years ago left him severely disabled. After flaming me, he hung up.

I could here discourse on the importance of self importance, but anyone could make the case. In short, self-importance is a relationship with someone you love. Do you want friends with low self-importance?

Ford Mustang flips near Telegraph Avenue. Photo by Ted Friedman.

Continue reading “Blog Fog: Lost In a Blog” »

by Steed Dropout
Dec. 16, 2011

Wednesday I attended the meeting I expected to be kicked out of. Instead of being kicked out, I was allowed to attend, to contribute, but not to write a word about what I had seen or heard. A reporter’s nightmare, but you do fill out your stories with the forbidden fruit as background and depth.

Sometimes you just have to suck it up. I have several stories I am sworn not to tell. Why is that? It’s because the sources you gain outweigh the sources you would lose, and all just for for one story.

Now “off-the-record,” on the other hand, is just bullshit. I had one source, so jittery, he threw in “off-the-record” after every utterance. You can be sure he wants to get his point across in print.

Still I was frustrated, and I vowed to write about the meeting in this log. But what if someone, a wrong someone, actually reads my fucking blog. Can I say that on my fucking blog? So let’s just let the whole meeting cool off, until I feel it’s safe to write about it. Okay?
Continue reading “Off the Record, and Other Games Sources Play” »

by Steed Dropout
Dec. 15, 2011

I wondered around downtown feeling sorry for myself and wondering if my low mood would improve in time for me to get kicked out of the meeting, as I expected. The meeting, the Beer Committee, a seat-of-the-pants sub-committee of Occupy Berkeley, was billed as “closed” to the public. Reporters are the public.

A mild anxiety attack ensued when I realized I might have the time, place, or date wrong. Good thing I worked that out, because I was not carrying my anxiety med (Lorazapam). I missed two key meetings recently. I checked with the Jupiter’s manager, where I got some background on Jupiter’s wild popularity.

There seemed no good place to meet at Jupiter, but then I discovered, the super-pub had expanded in the rear for additional outdoor seating. I took some pics, and left to snoop around the neighborhood some more.

Bank of America Plaza, where Occupy Berkeley was born in early October, was freeze-dried empty. The twenty seat semi-circle next to a bus stop, was no longer filled with the likable homeless people, who had co-operated with OB. Even Sister Adriska, chained to her spot, had been frozen out. I hope she she found shelter.

Occupy Berkeley tent tramp. Photo by Ted Friedman.

Continue reading “Downtown, Down-Beat Reporter Hits Bottom” »

by Steed Dropout
Dec. 13, 2011

I was recently overwhelmed by my ever-growing list of upcoming stories — all self assigned, and wanted to drink myself into oblivion or resign. On my plate was a closing of a neighborhood supermarket, built in ’59, and a South side landmark, an editor-requested piece on Micah M. White, a Berkeleyan for a year, who ignited the international occupy movement.

To that list add a crime piece on stalking.

True to form, I just wanted to drop out. But the stories are just too good.

Why does the man seated near the card table matter? He's Micah M. White, co-founder of the international Occupy movement. He later denounced my writings at the general assembly. Weeks later I came back with 'Of Mice and Men, Micah and Me,' which dominates one of my logs from a sinking ship. Photo by Ted Friedman.

Continue reading “Of Mice and Men – Micah M. White and Me” »