Berkeley Reporter

by Steed Dropout
Sept. 26, 2015

OR HOW I LEARNED TO STOP HATING BAD WRITING AND LOVE UNNECESSARY WORDS

“Black darkness, burning fire, and malignant cancer.” Perhaps you can spot the unnecessary words. String enough of these redundancies together and, brother, you’ve got a bloated sentence.

Here at Reporter, we live by the sword, whacking unnecessary words, like a Hemingway.

It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t lean–a trend in fiction and prose since Hemingway. There’s even software to turn your prose into Hemingway’s.

I had an editor once who asked me to write features like Hemingway, then this editor began adding words to my copy (awkwardly), ruining my rhythm and rime.

I made a supreme sacrifice. I quit.
Continue reading “Pleonasm Spasm” »

by Steed Dropout
Sept. 20, 2015

WILL IT BELONG TO THE AGES?

Photo by Ted Friedman.

Although up for sale, Berkeley’s oldest espresso squeeze is not going quietly into Hamlet’s speculative sleep of death.

The Caffe Mediterranean may prolong its swan song as it drifts between to what it might have been and what it has become—a cheap eats and last stand conversation center.
Continue reading “Last Chance Berkeley Cafe” »

by Steed Dropout
Sept. 14, 2015

Another Berkeley South Side Tale: Berkeley Reporter Sits In Line Outside Hip Telegraph Shoe Gallery To See What It’s Like To Vie For A Rare BBall Shoe, As Light And White As A Slipper

Thursday Shoe Mgr. insisted the tent come down. Photo by Ted Friedman.

As many as three times the crowd for last year’s Air Jordon release, took to the street for three days on Telegraph last week.
Continue reading “First Person: Inside 3 Day Encampment on Telegraph” »

by Steed Dropout
Sept. 8, 2015

FLAG THIS!

Photo by Ted Friedman.

When protesters march from Telegraph in Oakland to Telegraph/Bancroft, the entrance to Cal Berkeley, you never see a pro-government protest, although some protesters like to wear the flag.

Showing the flag (or, waving the flag) is defined online as:

“If someone flies the flag, they represent or support their country. (‘Wave the flag’ and ‘show the flag’ are alternative forms of this idiom”).
Continue reading “Flag Chic, Berkeley’s Telegraph Ave.” »

BERKELEY SOUTH SIDE TALES

by Steed Dropout
Sept. 1, 2015

THE LITTLE FAIR THAT COULD

Photo by Ted Friedman.

Sundays on Telegraph is a struggle in progress.

Past fairs have started small in first weekends, but morphed into major events. Not so this
year.

Facing a funding failure this year, fair planners adopted a coping strategy. As one planner told me, “we just want to show our brand this year.”
Continue reading “BERKELEY SOUTH SIDE TALES: THE LITTLE FAIR THAT COULD” »