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Mountain lion shot in Berkeley, tragedy of time and place

design@aumcomputers.net · September 24, 2010 ·

street memorial to lion — People mourn death of lion in North Berkeley

Mountain Lions in Berkeley? Mike Davis once wrote a book called Ecology of Fear where he took on the bad rap mountain lions have gotten. Through no fault of their own, they must struggle to survive as humans invade their habitat. He described the voracious and amoebic development of Los Angeles with its negative unintended consequences as it sprawled over the former wild and wetlands, wiping out predators and spreading disease.

It was horrifying enough to read about this happening in LA — but — is the same thing occurring in Berkeley of all places? [Read more…]

The contemporary collective memory problem: what happens when heritage tourism sites change the “story” of history?

· September 23, 2010 ·

The Center for Race and Gender Studies at UC Berkeley is holding a talk today from 4-5:30 that addresses this very question, featuring Professor and Director of The Rotary International Center for Studies in Peace and Conflict Resolution, Scott Small. [Read more…] about The contemporary collective memory problem: what happens when heritage tourism sites change the “story” of history?

One City, One Book, one hell of a good idea

· September 22, 2010 ·

“Zeitoun is a more powerful indictment of America’s dystopia in the Bush era than any number of well-written polemics,” wrote Timothy Egan of the New York Times, referring to the book by Dave Eggers chosen as this year’s reading for the 6^th annual One City, One Book event. [Read more…] about One City, One Book, one hell of a good idea

Is Jane Austin your Homegirl?

design@aumcomputers.net · September 18, 2010 ·

We came across this reading challenge on The Book Buff in honor of Jane Austin.

Have you read Jane Austen’s books a million times? They are amazing, but do you crave more? This is the perfect challenge for you, this challenge is to read as many Austen inspired and Austen spin off books as you can before the challenge ends at the end of July, 2011. I am a huge lover of giving out free books, so participating in this challenge gives you a chance to win books!

So, rather than agreeing to marry someone you do not love, or going to dull parties filled with dull party-goers concerned with only seeing and being seen and then marrying dully but well, perhaps you could spend some time with a good book or twenty (there is a list).

“Many native American cultures have unraveled in the presence of the lethal cocktail of Christianity and capitalism.”

design@aumcomputers.net · September 18, 2010 ·

What is a matrilineal way of life? What does it mean to be a matrilineal people? Destiny Kinal, author of a new historical fiction novel about the men and women who strove to preserve matrilineality titled Burning Silk, recently gave a talk in Pennsylvania which noted that history shows, “Many native American cultures have unraveled in the presence of the lethal cocktail of Christianity and capitalism.” She asks the question, “how would we unravel our European histories of conquest, first by Romans then by Christians, to return to a sense of what our own clans might have been like, to puzzle out what it might have been like to be a matrilineal people. And why would we undertake that exercise? Is it too late for that kind of speculation?” [Read more…] about “Many native American cultures have unraveled in the presence of the lethal cocktail of Christianity and capitalism.”