Archive for June, 2012

More Café Med Tales

Posted in Med Heads & Cafe Culture, Telegraph Avenue, The Berkeley Scene on June 27th, 2012 by admin – Be the first to comment

by Steed Dropout
June 27, 2012

HOW HOME FRIES STIRRED MEDHEAD NATION

Berkeley, CA

Berkeley’s Cafe Mediterraneum Medhead Meddlers Still Care Enough To Meddle in the Med’s future. (And Peter Piper picked a pack of pickled peppers).

We first meddled when our coffee-house friend bought the famous Telegraph Avenue cafe four years ago. Back then, we were concerned over lighting, seating, food, the quality of the coffee, the restroom, and decorum.

Owner Craig Becker, 59, barely tolerated our interference, but let us vote on many aspects of his plans to save the Med. He called us, “the peanut gallery,” with avuncular aplomb.

Becker not only survived his rocky first years he, weathered a frivolous boycott over a spy-cam, loud piano, and alleged second-rate entertainment, which Medheads claimed was voice-overing its free speeches.

Craig Becker, 59, Med owner, before the fries-flap. But what kind of hound - beagle?

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Berkeley’s Top Cop Michael K. Meehan Outpacing ‘Media Curve,’ Reaches Out to Berkeley ‘Daily.’

Posted in The Berkeley Scene on June 20th, 2012 by admin – Be the first to comment

by Steed Dropout
June, 19, 2012

CHOCOLATE WITH THE CHIEF

I arrived early, and began casing the joint, Au Coquelet, a 35-year Berkeley coffee house/restaurant/meetup, steering clear of the fishbowl plate-glass window I envisioned collapsing in a fusillade of hit-men’s bullets.

Au Coquelet derives from Middle English — small cock.

I was awaiting the arrival of Chief Michael K. Meehan and a newly promoted captain, Andy Greenwood, and feeling small. I’m also old.

The chief and his beleaguered-by-the-press captain wanted to get to know me better, the chief said. Was I being investigated, or just being checked out for sanity, or manipulative possibilities, or as we say here in Berkeley just being “played?”

Proudly protecting and serving Berkeley. Chief Michael K. Meehan, upper left, next to first police bike patrol in world – 1912. BPD also first to use lie detectors, first woman officer, and other numerous firsts.

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IT CAN’T HAPPEN HERE [IN BERKELEY] BUT IT JUST DID

Posted in The Berkeley Scene on June 16th, 2012 by admin – Be the first to comment

by Steed Dropout
June, 16, 2012

Berkeley, Ca

All over America, when you lift the lid of your computer for the latest news, over breakfast, you will read that Berkeley is about to renounce it’s civil-liberties roots by banning sitting on public streets, perhaps in November, when the measure goes before Berkeley voters.

San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Santa Monica all have such bans, or worse, and they are all liberal enclaves, like Berkeley — a five-star Hilton to the homeless.

Liberal-progressive councilmen long ago lost their plurality on Berkeley’s City Council, lost it to what some call right-wing reactionaries beholden to economic interests, and wealthy Berkeley property owners. But even as liberal-progressives were defeated, 6-3, in their attempt to rescue Berkeley’s tarnished civil-liberties tradition, they made an Alamo last stand.

The last stand played to their radical constituents, some of whom still believe the revolution is coming — and soon. More than a hundred showed up to ridicule the mayor’s ban on side-walk sitting.

Berkeley mayor. City council chambers' mural depicting Berkeley's progressive past.
Photo by Ted Friedman.

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Street Crackdown Berkeley-Style

Posted in Telegraph Avenue, The Berkeley Scene on June 6th, 2012 by admin – Be the first to comment

by Steed Dropout
June 5, 2012

HAS BERKELEY’S PERMISSIVENESS LAPSED?

Berkeley, ca

Here in the People’s Republic of Berkeley, Berzerkeley, Fuck-you capitol, and world of whacked — nothing runs normally. You can see it in the angry eyes of visiting motorists, who moralize with honking horns as jay-walking Berkeleyans stop them cold in their tire-tracks.

Traversing business-district streets downtown and on Telegraph Avenue compares to going on safari — dodging a mob of monkeys.

If you don’t find mine-field walk ways part of Berkeley’s charm, or are not a slum-tourist, or reporter, you will tell anyone who will listen that you are fed up.

Let sleeping dogs lie. Photo by Ted Friedman.

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Two Wheel Tripping Berkeley–the Great Rides

Posted in The Berkeley Scene on June 2nd, 2012 by admin – Be the first to comment

by Steed Dropout
May 31, 2012

A DAY IN THE SADDLE, SKIRTING SAN FRANCISCO BAY

Off my training, I set off for the Berkeley Marina, overlooking San Francisco Bay and three bridges, including the Golden Gate Bridge — on my 26-28 lb. mixte. I have always considered cycling the marina a poor alternative to cycling Berkeley’s thrill-hills.

But first I looped the new-improved aquatic park, alongside I-80. Now that the park is closed to cars, and spruced up throughout, I wanted to try it for old times sake. I began cycling Berkeley, 1970, in Aquatic, near where I was staying. I then owned a 24 lb Reynold’s 53, Bertin with its pavement damping raked fork.

My mixte has a raked fork. The light-weight aluminum frame really soaks up stutter-bumps. This made the Aquatic park lake loop a breeze, then on to the Marina via a beautiful suspended bridge.

Welcome. You've reached the tip of the Albany Bulb. Multi-media sculpture.
Photo by Ted Friedman.

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