Daily Archives: May 18, 2011
The Berkeley Wire: 05.18.11
Harry Reid moves for UC Berkeley’s Goodwin Liu confirmation vote [Politico]
Civic Center art show takes over all five floors [City of Berkeley]
Berkeley benefactor Barclay Simpson honored [SF Chronicle]
Another view on guns at Berkeley High [SF Chronicle]
Cal meets Brigham Young in fight for national rugby title [Deseret News]
Acheson Commons housing project comes under scrutiny [Daily Planet]
Pastrami sandwiches discussed at Thursday’s Jewish Deli summit [Tribune]
Berkeley scientist uncovers carcinogens in baby products [UCB News]
Photo: Five days left, by TheRealMichaelMoore/Berkeleyside Flickr pool.
Man wielding machete arrested after 3-hour standoff
After a three and half hour standoff, Berkeley police arrested a 65-year old man on Wednesday who had barricaded himself in a house on Parker Street armed with a machete and saw.
Kamal Abdul Khalid was taken into custody about 10:20 am after giving himself up to police. He was taken to a hospital for a mental health examination and was later booked for burglary, according to Sgt. Mary Kusmiss of the Berkeley Police Department.
The incident started … Continue reading »
Citizen reporter Carole Leita sent in this snap of a poster on the corner of Shattuck and Henry. Do any readers have a clue what it means?
Is the web skewing our world view? An author says yes
Eli Pariser calls himself an “online organizer and disorganizer,” and, as the former executive director of Berkeley’s MoveOn.org and founder of Avaaz.org, he’s had plenty of chances to use the web to encourage social change.
All that experience reaching out through the Internet led Pariser to start scrutinizing how we get our information.
He didn’t like what he saw.
As websites like Google and Facebook glean our personal likes and dislikes by analyzing our click-throughs, they have started to individualize search results according to our interests. That “filter bubble,” according to Pariser, means we are all getting a biased view of the world. Our attitudes are being reinforced by this “unique personalization.” … Continue reading »
According to local media reports, a man barricaded himself in a home on Parker and Acton around 7:00am this morning with a machete and knife. A 15-strong Berkeley police SWAT team used battering rams to enter the house and remove the man at around 10:20am.
Police shut down parts of the neighborhood and a day care across the street from the house closed down for the day, according to the reports.
Sunrise Bookshop may have reached its final chapter
By Niclas Ericsson
Sunrise Bookshop, a spiritual institution of sorts, is closing a chapter — and it may be the final one. For 37 years, owner Richard Cook has been selling books specializing in religion, the occult and Eastern and Western spiritual traditions at his store at 3054 Telegraph Avenue. But when his current lease runs out in June, he will not renew it.
“It’s not unlike the death of a close family member,” said Cook. “There is sadness, but also a great deal of relief.”
At first glance, business seems to be going fine with three customers in the store when Berkeleyside visited last week — all of them making purchases – and a number of inquiries are being handled over the phone. But, in reality, the downturn in the economy has done what years of fighting against the competition from the Internet could not, and given sales a final blow. … Continue reading »
Where in Berkeley?
Know where this is? Take a guess and let us know in the Comments.
Update, 08.54: It didn’t take long for reader Larry Kudsk to guess that this is Berkeley Minicar at 2498 San Pablo Avenue. Congratulations, Larry, on being this week’s winner.
Photo: Tracey Taylor.
