Occupy is about mass organizing to directly address big, structural problems that create intolerable inequities and injustices.

Occupy focuses on a malevolent concentration of political and economic power in a relatively small elite who seem to exercise their power so as to increase those inequities and injustices.

Occupy attempts to organize resistance under a "big tent", improvising and using techniques of Real Democracy. 

An encampment is sometimes a symbolic and practical hub for mass organization. It can help mass organization as for example on November 2, 2011, Oakland CA. 

On the other hand, a camp may be forced by necessity and common decency to spend nearly all or even "more than all" of its energy on the immediate survival and wellness needs of its members. 

When a camp does that -- turns inward that way -- it doesn't have anything left over to work on mass organizing against a defective concentration of power. It's too busy keeping its members alive and mostly civil. It's not really doing the "Occupy thing", at that point. 

A camp that is turned inward, working on the survival of its campers, also tends to punish non-camper supporters. Every gift from a supporter goes towards the immediate survival and wellness needs of the campers and, even more ... if there is anything left over then the number of needy campers is likely to grow. The reward for trying to help solve the problem is a bigger problem. 

So, not only can't an inwardly turned camp directly help the Occupy movement, it also eventually alienates its outside supporters and collapses under the weight of its own unmet needs. 

The tensions arise from that conflict between the inward humanitarian mission of camp and the outward political mission. 

-t 

While citizens of Berkeley are nestled snug in their beds, City Councilmembers are dreaming, not of sugar plums, but of ways to fund the City’s failing infrastructure.

At several recent Council workshops, the demise and needs of our parks, marina, pools, storm drains, sewers and streets were discussed in detail. To date there has been no mention of City buildings (except that Old City Hall is a death trap if there is a significant earthquake, so Council is pondering a new location) – although rebuilding the solid waste transfer station and recycling center was briefly mentioned last spring.

Mid-December should reveal the “total” capital project dollars that are needed for all the necessary improvements but it is looking as though that number is close to $600million. That works out to approximately $5,300 per resident, including students. Couple that with the $253 million debt for employee benefits related liabilities – most owed to CALPERS and you end up with close to $850million in unfunded liabilities, or a whopping $7,500 per resident. And we call it unfunded because, sadly, it is. Unless significant budgetary changes are made, there is no money to fund any of this and Berkeley taxpayers and the City treasury are tapped out. 

So in practicality what does this mean? Capital improvement investment has decreased from 10% of our budget to 4% over the past 20 years while salaries and benefits have increased from 64% of the budget to 80%. Where is the money going to come from to fix the stuff that is broken or, more accurately, what are we going to do without?  

Streets: Our streets are given a rating of 58 in the Metropolitan Transportation Commission report. This places Berkeley in the lowest quartile – out of 98 Bay Area cities, 80 ranked higher. The city is making an effort of prioritizing repairs of the city arterials and their feeders, but it would cost $43million to get all our streets to a rating of 80. Have you driven down the newly repaved four block section of Milvia, by the high school and city hall? What a pleasure! However, if you happen to live and drive through our residential streets, especially the smaller outliers, get accustomed to dodging those potholes or rumbling over the patchwork – if you happen to travel by bike, should you lose your focus, you’re doomed. 

Parks and Waterfront: We love our parks, so much so that in 1986 Measure L was passed which requires that these amenities be funded to maintain their condition and services. Then in 1991, we voted to approve a dedicated park tax but, it did not have an escalator, so the money that it provided is now inadequate. Simply, our parks have been neglected to the point where there are safety issues and some areas may be closed. The $78million of capital required bring them “up to snuff” is due, primarily, to the fact that they have not been maintained and there were pictures provided in the meetings that prove it. Some say it is demolition by neglect. 

Pools: The pool issue has been ongoing for years and it will take $22.5 million to improve and/or rebuild what is currently open for use. Willard Pool was closed and buried in dirt because the city would not spend $78,000 to keep it open for the summer, and many residents considered this in retaliation for the defeat of the pools Bond Measure C. All those kids who relied and looked forward to a long-standing summer tradition are now hosed. Literally. The only water they will get in their neighborhood is that which comes from their own personal garden hose – if they are lucky enough to have one. 

Storm drains aka “Watershed Management”: South Berkeley consistently floods, culverts are collapsing, creeks are overflowing and the city has earmarked only $700,000 during this fiscal year for “emergency repairs”. The Watershed Plan that was put forth in October is one, quite frankly, that most Berkelyans would embrace – it truly reflects Berkeley values. It is based on new scientific methods of capturing and slowly releasing overflow, creating permeable surfaces to capture and slow runoff and goes far to ensure that what Berkeley releases does not end up in the Bay. A good thing! The problem – it will cost $250million to get it done and this will compete with all the other infrastructure needs. 

Berkeley’s Social Safety Net Services. Last, but certainly not least. We are talking about services for seniors, the blind, youth, jobs, employment training, housings, homeless, addiction, and health – services for Berkeleyans who are in need, services that reflect our Berkeley values. From a high of almost $10million three years ago, social service contribution has decreased to approximately $7.5million – a level below 2006. In the current budget cycle, senior services were decreased by 57%, housing development and rehab by 27% and employment training decreased by 21%. 

So what do we do?  

The easiest, but unacceptable, course for Council would be: package the infrastructure needs in a nice box covered with flowery speak, (something like: Do you as Berkeleyans want to save the Bay?) tie it all up with a big bow, stick it on the ballot and hope that it passes. Or if recent tax measure failure in San Francisco is any indication of the mood of the voter – good luck getting any new revenue! 

The hardest but most responsible way, is to look at the underlying reasons for Berkeley’s neglect of its infrastructure and its failure to plan wisely. We need to figure out why and make the necessary changes or, quite soon, all we can expect from our city in services and infrastructure is a lump of coal. And it isn’t because Berkeley’s citizens have misbehaved.

I’m a student at UC Berkeley - and lately, an Occupier. In the last month, I have seen hundreds of people from many different backgrounds sitting down in the public sphere and talking about what they think is going wrong in our country right now. It has been inspiring to see such a diverse group of people coming together hoping to make the world a better place.

I’ve also found myself on the wrong side of police barricades more times than I ever imagined happening. I've seen peaceful protesters in Oakland tear-gassed and shot with 'non-lethal' weapons. I've seen peaceful students on Sproul Plaza beaten viciously. The scenes I have seen – both the good and the bad – are not unique to the bay area, they've been repeated in dozens of other cities across the country. 

Why occupy? 

I have been frequently asked by friends what the Occupy movement is about, or what we want. These questions are not easily answerable and I’m not sure that it is actually possible to answer them. The movement is decentralized - everyone is present for their own reasons. The most universal feeling I have found among Occupiers is a deep-rooted sense that there is something dreadfully wrong in our country today. I share this feeling and I am sure that many of you do too - even those of you who are currently ambivalent about the Occupy movement. 

I do not think that a lack of focus or goals is a major problem for the movement at this point - and I definitely don’t think it’s a valid reason to not support the movement right now. I am always hesitant to just directly quote someone else to explain my own ideas, but I think Robert Reich’s recent speech on Sproul Plaza brought this point home incredibly well - “Every social movement in the last half-century or more, it started with moral outrage…and the actual lessons, the specific demands for specific changes, came later.” 

Occupy is a very very young movement. Occupy Wall Street began less than two months ago. We are gaining astounding momentum. This is the very beginning of something, not the end. A few hundred students were attacked by the UCPD a couple weeks ago - and a week later 10,000 angry people came out. I do not believe that it would be possible for any movement this young with this explosive growth to have an explicit set of goals in the absence of top down direction - and I do not believe that a movement with top down direction is what America needs right now. 

Well, why do you occupy? 

I think that a lot of the issues brought up in the public discussion around Occupy are critically important. Many of them are issues I’ve been concerned with for a long time. That said, even though I’ve been concerned with them for a long time, they’ve never previously motivated me to take to the streets. 

So why am I doing so now? 

On the morning of the 25th, Occupy Oakland’s camp in Frank Ogawa Plaza was violently attacked by a coalition of eighteen law enforcement agencies. Tear gas, batons, and stun grenades were used against nonviolent and nonresistant protesters. 

I read about the morning raid that afternoon, but I had problems believing it. I did not understand how the events as described could have happened in the United states, let alone in the bay area. In retrospect the stories seem entirely believable, but at the time I just could not wrap my head the idea that a peaceful protest in the United States in 2011 could be attacked in such a fashion. I decided that I wanted to go to future events, and began trying to figure out what I should bring to future events to minimize the chance I would experience serious harm (and to increase the chance I could help out other people present.) 

While I was in the process of planning out what I would bring to future events, I began to see news and social media reports that the Oakland Police Department was teargassing protesters again. I also got in touch with a friend who was present who confirmed that tear gas had already been used despite the protest being almost entirely peaceful. Reading about something in the media is very different from having it described to you by someone you know and trust. 

While I was talking with my friend, I began to get angry - almost unbelievably angry, angrier than I had ever been before. I had no idea what I could do or what I should do, but I felt like I absolutely had to do something. I do not mean that I had an abstract desire to do something, I mean that I am literally unsure if I would have been capable of staying home that night. 

I ended up running half the way to Oakland before remembering that the buses would still be going. When I got there it quickly became apparent that the descriptions I had read at home were accurate: a peaceful protest in downtown Oakland had been attacked with gas, flashbangs, and rubber bullets by police officers. The actions of the police that night were unjustifiable by any conceivable standard, and I am still shocked by them. 

My friends and I all came out of that night without experiencing permanent physical harm. This is not true of everyone who was present. This is not true of everyone who was present. Scott Olsen, a former marine, was shot in the head with a tear gas canister from very short range. His skull fractured and he spent weeks in the ICU. He will probably experience significant permanent disability. If I saw Scott Olsen that night I wasn’t aware of it at the time, but I definitely saw some of the other people from the group he was with. One of my most lasting memories of the night was a Navy veteran in uniform standing completely calmly holding a flag just a few feet from the barricades. Although I didn’t see it in person (I was running away) he continued to stand his ground after he was tear gassed - you can see a video of it here:  

A couple weeks later, there was a protest on Sproul Plaza, the historic center of the free speech movement. During the protest, students erected a handful of tents. That night, around 220 police officers in full riot gear showed up to dismantle the miniature tent city, and proceeded to beat with incredible force many students and professors, hospitalizing several people. There was no violence against the police that night, and no illegal action except for the erection of tents. I was present that night, and I will stand with every ounce of integrity and credibility I have and say that there was no hidden off-video justification for the police attacks that day. There is no missing context that will make them intelligible. I saw in person the full context to the attacks, and it makes them more horrifying, not less. (There’s a video of one of the daytime incidents here: 

The police response I have consistently seen to Occupy protests has been one of the most disgusting things I have seen in my life but it has a very comforting flip side: Occupy is growing. In the face of brutal and unjustified violence, more and more people are coming out to support us. For every person sidelined by injury or arrest five step forward. 

Something is rotten in the state of Denmark. You and I both know this. You and I have both known this for a long time. Occupy is the first populist movement fighting against these problems in many, many decades. I honestly believe that the current movement is the best chance we have had to create meaningful change in at least forty years. We have the support of the people and we’re growing, even in the face of outrageous violence. The time to strike is now. 

I hate to draw on the emotion captured by previous movements, but Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young summed up well why I go to Occupy events: 

What if you knew her 

And found her dead on the ground 

How can you run when you know? 

I don’t know how to run anymore. 

Please, stand with me. 

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is published by the American Psychiatric Association. The DSM provides a common language and standard criteria for the classification of mental disorders, which is used in the United States and to some extent internationally, by clinicians, researchers, psychiatric drug regulation agencies, health insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, and policy makers. The DSM is produced by a panel of psychiatrists, many of whom have financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry. It is considered the "bible" of American psychiatry. The latest edition— DSM-IV— was published in 1994. 

In 1952, the DSM was a small, spiral-bound handbook (DSM-I), but the latest edition (DSM-IV), is a 943-page magnum opus. Over time, psychiatric diagnoses have increased in the American population and in turn, drugs that affect mental states are then used to treat them. The theory that psychiatric conditions are caused by a biochemical imbalance is often used as a justification for their widespread use, even though the theory in unproven. Since there are no objective tests for mental illness and what is normal and abnormal is often unclear, psychiatry is a particularly fertile field for creating new diagnoses or broadening old ones. 

Medications are widely used to treat the symptoms of mental disorders such as schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, and attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder. Sometimes medications are used with other treatments such as psychotherapy. 

While I am sure research in mental disorders account for some of this increase, I cannot help but believe that there is a certain amount of disease-peddling going on. That is, instead of promoting drugs to treat diseases, diseases are promoted to fit the drugs. For example, shyness as a psychiatric illness made its debut as "social phobia" in DSM-III in 1980, but was said to be rare. By 1994, when DSM-IV was published, it had become "social anxiety disorder," now said to be extremely common, thus, boosting sales of antidepressants. Now, social anxiety disorder is "a severe medical condition." In 1999, the FDA approved a drug for social anxiety disorder. After a successful marketing campaign, the sales of Paxil soared 

Presently, a revised version of the DSM is set for publication in 2013. The proposed revision has proven quite controversial. A group of psychologists with the Society for Humanistic Psychology, for example, has filed a petition objecting to many of the revisions, arguing that they broaden the definition of mental health disorders, which, in turn, could lead to over treatment with drugs. Some but not all, of the objections of tthe Society — along with the British Psychological Society and the American Counseling Association — to the proposed DSM-V include:  

* The proposed DSM "fails to explicitly state that deviant behavior and primary conflicts between the individual and society are not mental disorders." "Given lack of consensus as to the “primary” causes of mental distress, this proposed change may result in the labeling of sociopolitical deviance as mental disorder." 

* "Several new proposals with little empirical basis also warrant hesitation: For example, “Apathy Syndrome,” “Internet Addiction Disorder,” and “Parental Alienation Syndrome” have virtually no basis in the empirical literature." 

* “…clients and the general public are negatively affected by the continued and continuous medicalization of their natural and normal responses to their experiences; responses which undoubtedly have distressing consequences which demand helping responses, but which do not reflect illnesses so much as normal individual variation.” 

Do we really need more mental disorder diagnoses creating the need for more drugs in a society that some would say is already over-medicated? Let's look at some statistics. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) the percentage of Americans who took at least one prescription drug in the past month increased from 44 percent to 48 percent over the past ten years. The use of two or more drugs increased from 25 percent to 31 percent. The use of five or more drugs increased from 6 percent to 11 percent. And in 2007-2008, 1 out of every 5 children and 9 out of 10 older Americans reported using at least one prescription drug in the past month. 

And Americans are spending more on drugs. According to the CDC, spending for prescription drugs in the U.S. was $234.1 billion in 2008, which was more than double what was spent in 1999. 

And the pharmaceutical industry is profiting. According to Fortune 500 (May 3, 2010 issue date), the profits for the twelve largest pharmaceutical companies was almost $64 billion in 2010. Clearly, Pharma has a financial interest in a DSM with more mental disorders because it will mean a demand for more drugs to treat them. 

The critics — and the public too — have a stake in the proposed DSM-V. More mental disorders may mean just more drugs in our over-medicated society. 

Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes once quipped, "If all the drugs were thrown in the ocean, everyone would be better-off . . . except for the fish." While this is a an overstatement, it does contain a grain of truth.

In the aftermath of the Nov. 26 NATO attack on two border posts that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers, the question being asked is whether the assault was a “fog of war” incident or a calculated hit aimed at torpedoing peace talks in Afghanistan? Given that the incident has plunged relations between Washington and Islamabad to a new low at a critical juncture in the 10-year war, the answer is vitally important 

According to NATO, U.S. and Afghan troops came under fire from the Pakistani side of the border and retaliated in self-defense. American officials have suggested that the Taliban engineered the incident in order to poison U.S.-Pakistani relations. But there are some facts suggesting that the encounter may have been more than a “friendly fire” encounter brought on by a clever foe, an ill-defined border, and the normal chaos of the battlefield. 

Afghan Taliban commander Mullah Samiullah Rahmani denies they were even in the area—and the insurgent group is never shy about taking credit for military engagements (of course, if deception was involved that is what the Taliban would say). However, this particular region is one that the Pakistani army has occupied for several years and is considered fairly “cleansed” of insurgents. 

The incident was not the case of a drone attack or bombing gone awry, a common enough event. For all the talk of “precision weapons” and “surgical strikes,” drones have inflicted hundreds of civilian deaths and 500 lb bombs have very little in common with operating rooms. Instead, the NATO instruments were Apache attack helicopters and, according to Associated Press, an A-130 gunship. In short, the assault was led by live pilots presumingly indentifying targets to their superiors. 

Those targets were two border forts, architecture that has never been associated with the Taliban. It is true the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan is porous and not always clearly defined, but the Afghan insurgents don’t build concrete posts. A “fort” is duck soup for a drone or a fighter-bomber, which is why the Taliban favor caves and hidden bunkers. 

Naturally enough, both sides disagree on what happened. The Americans say they took fire from the Pakistani border, engaged in a three-hour running fight, and called in the choppers at the end of the battle. 

But, according to the Pakistanis, there was no fire from their side of the border, and helicopters started the battle, which went on for a little less than two hours. Pakistan also says there were two Apache attacks. The first struck outpost Volcano, and when the fort’s nearby companion, outpost Boulder, fired on the helicopters, it also came under assault. Pakistan claims that its military contacted NATO to warn them they were attacking Pakistani troops, but the firing continued. The helicopters finally withdrew, only to reappear and renew the attack when the Pakistanis tried to reinforce the besieged forts. 

Might it have been a matter of bad intelligence? 

According to the Pakistanis, Islamabad has been careful to identify its posts to NATO in order to avoid incidents exactly like this. Pakistan Gen. Ashfaq Nadeem said, “it is not possible” that the “NATO forces did not know of the location of the Pakistani posts.” Pakistan Gen. Ashram Nader called the attack a “deliberate act of aggression.” 

Could it have been “deliberate”? Mistakes happen in war, but the timing of this engagement is deeply suspicious. 

It comes at a delicate moment, when some 50 countries were preparing to gather in Bonn, Germany for talks aimed at a settling the Afghan War. Central to that meeting is Pakistan, the only country in the region with extensive contacts among the various insurgent groups. If the U.S. plans to really withdraw troops by 2014, it will need close cooperation with Pakistan. 

“This could be a watershed in Pakistan’s relations with the U.S.,” Islamabad’s high commissioner to Britain, Wajid Shamsul Hasan, told the Guardian (UK). “It could wreck the time table for the American troop withdrawal.” 

Pakistan has now withdrawn from the Bonn talks, and relations between Washington and Islamabad are as bad as they have ever been. The Pakistanis have shut down two major land routes into Afghanistan, routes over which some 50 percent of supplies for the war move. Islamabad has also demanded that the CIA close down its drone base at Shamsi in Pakistan’s Balochistan Province. 

Who would benefit from all this fallout? 

It is no secret that many in the U.S. military are unhappy about the prospect of negotiations with the Taliban, in particular the organization’s most lethal ally, the Haqqani Group. There is an unspoken but generally acknowledged split between the Defense Department and the State Department, with the former wanting to pound the insurgents before sitting down to talk, while the latter is not sure that tactic will work. Could someone on the uniformed side of the division have decided to derail, or at least damage, the Bonn meeting? 

It is also no secret that not everyone in Afghanistan wants peace, particularly if it involves a settlement with the Taliban. The Northern Alliance, made up of mostly Tajiks and Uzbeks, want nothing to do with the Pashtun-based Taliban that is mainly grouped in the south and east, and in the tribal regions of Pakistan. The Afghan Army is mostly Tajik, who not only make up the bulk of the soldiers, but 70 percent of the command staff. President Hamid Karzi is a Pashtun, but he is largely window dressing in the Northern Alliance-dominated Kabul government. 

There are broader regional issues at stake as well. 

It was no surprise that China immediately came to Pakistan’s defense, with Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechu expressing “deep shock and strong concern” over the incident. China is not happy about the NATO deployment in Afghanistan and less so about the possibility of permanent U.S. bases in that country. At a Nov. 2 meeting in Istanbul, China, along with Pakistan, Iran and Russia, opposed a long-term American deployment in the area. 

Iran is worried about the threat of U.S. military power on its border, Islamabad is concerned that prolonging the war will further destabilize Pakistan, and Beijing and Moscow are suspicious that the Americans have their sights set on Central Asia gas and oil resources. Both Russia and China rely on Central Asia hydrocarbons, the former for export to Europe, and the latter to run its burgeoning industries. 

China is also anxious about the Obama administration’s recent strategic shift toward Asia. The U.S. has openly intervened in disputes between China and its Southeast Asian neighbors in the South China Sea, and recently signed an agreement to deploy 2,500 Marines in Australia. Washington has also tightened its ties with Indonesia and warmed up to Myanmar. To China, all this looks like a campaign to surround Beijing with U.S. allies and to keep its finger on the Chinese energy jugular vein. Some 80 percent of China’s oil moves through the Indian Ocean and South China Sea. 

A key ingredient in any formula to offset Beijing’s growing power and influence in Asia is the role of India. New Delhi has traditionally been neutral in foreign policy, but, starting with the Bush administration, it has grown increasingly close to Washington. China and India have a prickly relationship dating back to the 1962 border war between the two countries and China’s support for India’s traditional enemy, Pakistan. China claims on part of India’s border area have not improved matters. 

India would also like a Taliban-free government in Kabul, and anything that discomforts Islamabad is just fine with New Delhi. There are elements in the American military and diplomatic community that would like to see Washington dump its alliance with Pakistan and pull India into a closer relationship. A fair number of Indians feel the same way. 

So far, the White House has refused to apologize, instead leaking a story that showing any softness vis-à-vis Pakistan during an election year is impossible. 

In the end, the border fight may turn out to be an accident, although we are unlikely to know that for certain. Military investigations are not known for accuracy, and much of what happened will remain classified. 

But with all these crosscurrents coming together in the night skies over Pakistan, maybe somebody saw an opportunity and took it. In a sense, it is irrelevant whether the attack was deliberate or dumb: the consequences are going to be with us for a long time, and the ripples are likely to spread from a rocky hillside in Pakistan to the far edges of the Indian Ocean and beyond. 

Conn Hallinan can be read at dispatchesfromtheedgeblog.wordpress.com and middleempireseries.wordpress.com 

---30---

My curiosity was piqued by people and media references to “TCM.” Aha. Traditional Chinese Medicine. 

I ran it by a Chinese friend, discovered that she too has a conventional, primary care M.D. physician. She says she is part of the system now. 

I ran it by an M.D., who suggested trying Osher Center for Integrative Medicine. “We don’t have geriatrics here,” they respond, although they “accept Medicare for psychiatrics” and something else.  

I ran it by a retired R.N. neighbor, who urged “try acupuncture!!” 

Time to dig deeper. This may be on the final. I discover myriad overlapping, possibly-related terms! 

xxxx 

Alternative medicine refers to treatments used in place of conventional medicine. Complementary medicine involves alternative practices used together with conventional medicine.  

Alternative therapies include acupuncture, massage, meditation, herbs and nutrition. 

Holistic medicine, the art and science that addresses the whole person, body, mind and spirit, is regulated by the American Board of Holistic Medicine, incorporated in 1996. It evaluates the candidacy of applicants desiring certification as specialists in Holistic Medicine and has available a roster of Board certified diplomats. 

The theory and practice of acupuncture is based on Asian medicine (also known as traditional Chinese or Oriental medicine), a comprehensive natural health care system that has been used in Asian countries for thousands of years to preserve health and diagnose, treat, and prevent illness. Acupuncture treats health conditions by stimulating “acu-points” found at specific locations on the surface of the body. Acupuncturists stimulate the acu-points by inserting very thin needles through the skin to produce physiological effects. Other methods, such as heat or finger pressure, are also used to stimulate acu-points.  

The general theory of acupuncture is that proper physiological function and health depend on the circulation of nutrients, substances, and energy called Qi (pronounced “chee”) through a network of channels or meridians. This network connects every organ and part of the body, providing balance, regulation, and coordination of physiological processes. Pain and ill health result when the flow of Qi through the body is disrupted or blocked. This can be caused by many things, including disease, pathogens, trauma/ injuries, and medication side effects, as well as such lifestyle factors as overwork, poor diet, emotions, lack of rest, and stress. 

Acupuncture is considered a major alternative therapy. In 1975, Miriam Lee (1926–2009), one of the pioneering acupuncturists in the United States, was tried in a California court for practicing medicine without a license. Her patients filled the courtrooms to testify on her behalf. The following year, Governor Jerry Brown signed legislation legalizing acupuncture in California. 

In the 1970s and early 1980s, Lee was the acupuncture teacher of many practitioners working in Northern California. She popularized a 10-point protocol in her book, Insights of a Senior Acupuncturist: One Combination of Points Can Treat Many Diseases as well as Master Tung Ching Chang's Magic Points, a nontraditional point system. 

The Acupuncture Association of America was founded in 1980 and run by Lee until 1998, when she retired. Its purpose is promotion of public acupuncture education, provision of continuing education for licensed practitioners, legislative advocacy, and acupuncture research. Her students who are teaching classes today include Esther Su (San Jose), Susan Johnson (Soquel), and Frank He (Sunnyvale). 

Chinese Americans’ double identity affords them alternative perspectives on health issues that might not be mainstream. Tom Su, 45, a student of Chinese medicine at Alhambra Medical University, is quoted by journalist Mei Zhou, “From what I observe, unlike the Americans, the average Chinese would not readily go see a doctor when they are sick. They will either purchase packaged Chinese herbs or simply ask their families to send pills from China or Taiwan.” ["Elders Seek Chinese Healers Despite U.S. Malpractice Threat." (New America Media, Oct. 31, 2011)] 

A Consumer’s Guide to Acupuncture and Asian Medicine is available from the California Acupuncture Board, part of the Department of Consumer Affairs, at www.acupuncture.ca.gov. The Board’s mission includes protection of the public through regulation of licensure; development of education standards; provision of consumer information; and enforcement of the Acupuncture Licensure Act.  

Self-help has been a deep-seated tradition in Chinese culture. Because Chinese herbs are available over the counter, many Chinese immigrants to the United States prefer them to pharmaceutical drugs. Chinese seniors may be wary of Western medicine because drugs sold here may include toxic components, e.g. acetaminophen, which, although safe and effective when taken in approved doses, can cause liver damage, according to Shanghai-born physician Dennis Lee, in an article for WebMD’s MedicineNet.com. Dietary supplements and herbs typically labeled as “food” to avoid U.S. requirements that drugs go through extensive clinical tests, fuel an alternative health market rooted in oriental philosophy, oriental medicinal theory and practice, and self-cultivation regimens. There is a close connection between traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Chinese philosophy, yin/yang theory in particular.  

I’ll conclude this column with an anecdote that meets both definitions [1. A short account of an interesting or humorous incident. 2. Secret or hitherto undivulged particulars of history or biography]: 

Following major surgery, I was dispatched by ambulance from the nursing-rehabilitation center, with no “support system” in place, i.e. no arrangements for a temporary in-home caregiver. The social worker provided an IHSS [in-home supportive services] application form and a brochure advertising an alerting device-- the kind advertised by “I fell down and can’t get up.” I tried phoning the Visiting Nurse Association, etc. etc. Then I chanced upon a reference to the Asian Network. They didn’t ask whether I was Asian (no) with an HMO (no). Instead, they sent an R.N. to evaluate the situation and a physical therapist, each for several visits over the next two weeks. 

xxxx 

NEWS 

New York City senior centers’ participants have sent a message to New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo – Don’t cut Title XX funding, protect our senior centers. For the past two years, first under Governor Paterson and then during Governor Cuomo’s first term, a threatened cut of about $25 million would have closed 105 New York City senior centers, depriving upwards of 10,000 older New Yorkers of their local senior center. The 15,000 letters – in English, Spanish and Chinese - ask Governor Cuomo not to propose the cut again as he prepares his FY2013 budget.  

A bill to establish universal healthcare through publicly financed administration was authored by former California Senator Sheila Kuehl as Senate Bill (SB) 840. This was the first single payer bill that a state legislature ever sent to a governor in our nation's history. In fact, SB 840 was passed by the California Senate and Assembly twice, in 2006 and in 2008. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed the bill both times. Senator Kuehl was termed out in 2008. In 2009, Senator Mark Leno introduced the same bill, re-numbered and recently reintroduced as SB 810. January 2012 is a crucial month for the bill because it needs to pass the Assembly and the Senate by January 31 or it will be dead for the year. Watch California Alliance for Retired Americans (CARA) and the Older Women’s League (OWL) website www.californiaalliance.org for further information. 

On Nov 30, 2011 the Census Bureau released data that show there are more age 65+ people than ever before in the United States. According to the 2010 numbers, there are 40.3 million people age 65+, an increase of over 5 million since the 2000 Census. The older population grew at a faster rate than the population as a whole. Males show more rapid growth in the older population than females over the decade, while females continue to outnumber males in the older ages. 

The nation’s largest for-profit nursing homes deliver significantly lower quality of care because they typically have fewer staff nurses than non-profit and government-owned nursing homes. This is the finding of a new UCSF-led analysis of quality of care at nursing homes around the country. It is the first-ever study focusing solely on staffing and quality at the 10 largest for-profit chains. The 10 largest for-profit chains operate about 2,000 nursing homes in the United States, controlling approximately 13 percent of the country’s nursing home beds. “Poor quality of care is endemic in many nursing homes, but we found that the most serious problems occur in the largest for-profit chains,” reported first author Charlene Harrington, RN, PhD, professor emeritus of sociology and nursing at the UCSF School of Nursing.  

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MARK YOUR CALENDAR: Be sure to confirm. Share by email news of future events that may interest boomers, elders and seniors. Daytime, free or senior-discounted, and Bay Area events preferred. pen136@dslextreme.com.  

Saturday, December 3, 12-1 P.M. UC, B Hertz Concert Hall, free admission. UNIVERSITY CHAMBER ORCHESTRA. Mozart "Overture to Don Giovanni" - Miriam Anderson, conductor. Stravinsky "Pulcinella Suite" - Garrett Wellenstein, conductor. Schubert Symphony No. 5 - Melissa Panlasigui, conductor. 510-642-4864.  

Monday, Dec. 5. 6 P.M. Evening Computer class. Central Berkeley Library, 2090 Kittredge. 981-6100. Also Dec. 12 and 19. 

Monday, Dec. 5. 6:30 P.M. "Castoffs" Knitting Group. Kensington Library, 

61 Arlington Ave. Free. 510-524-3043. An evening of knitting, show and tell and yarn exchange. All levels welcome. Some help will be provided.  

Tuesday, Dec. 6. 10 -11:30 A.M. Health & Happiness Workshop Join Helen Calhoun, M.Ed., Certified Acupressurist. Learn techniques and practices that actually work to promote better fitness for body, mind and spirit. Participants will engage in Tai Chi, Qi Gong, Self-Acupressure, and Chakra healing exercise. $10 per person fee. Mastick Senior Center, 1155 Santa Clara Avenue, Alameda. 510-747-7510 

Tuesday, Dec. 6. 1 P.M. Holiday Concert. The Oakland Community Orchestra will perform traditional Jewish and Christmas holiday songs in the Mastick Senior Center, 1155 Santa Clara Ave., Alameda. Free. 510-747-7510. 

Tuesday, Dec. 6. 1 P.M. Jean Johnson-Fields will provide an overview of the Program for All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) offered by the Center for Elders’ Independence. This health plan for seniors age 55+ makes it possible to stay at home with the help of caregivers. Mastick Senior Center, 1155 Santa Clara Ave., Alameda Social Hall. Free. 510-747-7510. 

Tuesday, Dec. 6. 6 – 8 P.M. Sign-up for lottery at 5:45 P.M. Lawyers in the library. Oakland Public Library Temescal Branch, 5205 Telegraph Av. Free legal information and referral presented with the Alameda County Bar Association. Call in advance to confirm on the day of the program. 510-597-5049. 

Wednesday, Dec. 7. 12 Noon. Playreaders at Central Berkeley Library, 2090 Kittredge. 510-981-6100. Also Dec. 14. 

Wednesday, Dec. 7. 12:15-1 P.M. Holiday Choral Music. UC, B Music Department Noon concert. Hertz Concert Hall. University Chorus and Chamber Chorus
Matthew Oltman, guest director. Hugo Distler: Variations on "Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming" from Die. Weihnachtsgeschichte, Op. 10. Francis Poulenc: Quatre motets pour le temps de Noel. Michael Praetorious: Variations on Martin Luther's Vom Himmel Hoch. Free. 510-642-4864.  

Wednesday, Dec. 7. 6-8 P.M. Lawyer in the Library. Albany Library, 1247 Marin Av. Free. 510-526-3720.  

Thursday, Dec. 8. 10 A.M.-12 noon. Literacy Reading Club. Albany Library. 1247 Marin Av. Practice English conversation. Meet other adults, build confidence in your speaking and discuss a good book. Free. 510-526-3720. Also Dec. 15. 

Thursday, Dec. 8. 10 A.M. Computers for Beginners, Central Berkeley Library, 2090 Kittredge. 510-981-6100. Also Dec. 15, 22 and 29. 

Thursday, Dec. 8. 10:30 A.M. Mastick Senior Center, 1155 Santa Clara Ave., Alameda. Free. The New Member Orientation is a must if you are new to Alameda, recently retired, or expecting your parents for an extended visit! This Orientation offers a guided-tour to introduce you to the Center, an information packet outlining the various activities, programs and services, and a coupon to enjoy a complimentary lunch provided by Bay Area Community Services (BACS). Make a reservation by visiting the Mastick Office or calling 510-747-7506.  

Thursday, Dec. 8. 6 P.M. Lawyers in the Library. Berkeley Public Library South branch, 1901 Russell. 510-981-6100. 

Saturday, Dec. 10. 2-5 PM. PEN Oakland 21^st Annual Literary Awards. The ceremony will be followed by a reception and book signings. Free. Rockridge Library, 5366 College Ave., Oakland. 510-597-5017 

Monday, Dec. 12. 12 Noon. Senior Center Lecture - J-Sei Center Center - 1710 Carleton Street, Berkeley "Fall Prevention" Speaker: Andrew Teran - Bay Area Vital Link. To place a reservation for the lecture and/or lunch at 11:30 A.M., call 510-883-1106. 

Monday, Dec. 12. 7:00 P.M. Swedish Folk Music with Mark and Jennie Walstrom. Their instruments include the Swedish Säckpipa (bagpipe) and Nyckelharpa (key fiddle). Tonight’s music will center on the Swedish winter holidays. Kensington Library, 61Arlington Avenue Free. 510-524-3043. 

Tuesday, Dec. 13. 1 P.M. Mastick Book Club members will share a book of their choice. Mastick Senior Center, 1155 Santa Clara Ave., Alameda. Free. 510-747-7510. See also January 3.  

Wednesday, Dec. 14 6:30-8 P.M. Drop-In Poetry Writing Workshop. Albany Library 1247 Marin Av. Free. 510-526-3720.  

Wednesday, Dec. 14. 6:30 P.M. Berkeley Commission on Disability. Meets at North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst Avenue. Check the City online community calendar to verify or call the Center, 510-981-5190. 

Thursday, Dec. 15. 10 A.M. Mastick Senior Center’s Annual Holiday Sing-Along. 

Join Jim Franz and Friends for the Annual Holiday Sing-Along. Enjoy a visit from Santa, refreshments, and the spirit of the season! 1155 Santa Clara Ave., Alameda. Free. 510-747-7506.  

Thursday, Dec. 15. AARP members invite you to join them for their Annual Holiday Luncheon after the Annual Holiday Sing-Along. Mastick Senior Center, 1155 Santa Clara Ave., Alameda. Enjoy a catered lunch including turkey and all the trimmings. Per person cost is $15. Reservations are required and can be made by contacting Corky Hastings at 510-653-7678 or Marge Ryan at 523-4148. Consider bringing a small wrapped gift and participate in the gift exchange.  

Thursday, Dec. 15. 6-8 P.M. Lawyers in the Library. Berkeley Public Library West Branch, 1125 University. 510-981-6270. Also Dec. 22. 

Saturday, Dec. 17. 11 A.M. Landlord/Tenant Counseling. Central Berkeley Library, 2090 Kittredge. 510-981-6100. 

Saturday, Dec. 17. 12:30 P.M. San Francisco Gray Panthers Holiday Party. 1182 Market, Room 203. 415-552-8800. 

Saturday, Dec. 17. 3:30 P.M. The Knitting Hour. Berkeley Public Library West Branch, 1125 University. 510-981-6270. 

Monday, Dec. 19. 12:30 – 1:30 P.M. Albany YMCA/Albany Library brown Bag Lunch Speaker’s Forum: Matt Johanson discusses Yosemite Epics: Tales of Adventure from America’s Greatest Playground. At the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Av. Free. 510-526-3720. 

Monday, Dec. 19. 7 P.M. Book Club. Josephine Tey’s Daughter of Time. Tey is known as the mystery writer for those who don’t like mysteries! Kensington Library, 61 Arlington Ave. Free event. 510-524-3043. Each meeting starts with a poem selected and read by a member with a brief discussion following the reading. New members are always welcome. 

Wednesday, Dec. 21. 1:30 P.M. Berkeley Commission on Aging. Meets at South Berkeley Senior Center, 2939 Ellis Street. Check the City online community calendar to verify or call the Center, 510-981-5170. 

Wednesday, Dec. 21. 7 – 8 P.M. The Adult Evening Book Group will read Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. Facilitated discussion. Come to one meeting, or all meetings. Albany branch of the Alameda County library, 1247 Marin Av. Books are available at the Library. 510-526-3720 x 16. 

Thursday, Dec. 22. 12:30 P.M. Mastick Senior Center. Birthday Party Celebration All members celebrating a birthday in December are invited to join us in Dining Room 2 for cake, music, balloons, and good cheer. Mastick Senior Center, 1155 Santa Clara Ave., Alameda. 510-747-7510. 

Tuesday, Dec. 22. 3 P.M. Tea and Cookies. Central Berkeley Public Library. 2090 Kittredge. 510-981-6100.  

Wednesday, Dec. 28. 1:30 P.M. East Bay Gray Panthers. 510-548-9696. Meets at North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst.  

Wednesday, Dec. 28. 1:30 – 2:30 P.M. Great Books Discussion Group. Albany Library, 1247 Marin Av. Holiday lunch and selection discussion. 510-526-3720 x 16. 

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Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2012. Book Club members will read French Lessons by Ellen Sussman. Mastick Senior Center, 1155 Santa Clara Ave., Alameda. Free. 510-747-7510. 

Wednesday, Jan. 4. 9 A.M. – 1:30 P.M. AARP Driver Safety Refresher Course specifically designed for motorists age 50+. Taught in one-day. To qualify, you must have taken the standard course within the last 4 years. Preregistration is a must. There is a $12 per person fee for AARP members (AARP membership number required) and $14 per person fee for non-AARP members. Registration is payable by check ONLY made payable to AARP. Mastick Senior Center, 1155 Santa Clara Ave., Alameda. 510-747-7510. 

Tuesday, Jan. 10. 1 P.M. Sugar Blues or What? Come be inspired, find ways to beat cravings, find specific tools to make healthier choices with Neta O’Leary Sundberg, Certified Health coach-Yoga teacher. Mastick Senior Center, 1155 Santa Clara Ave., Alameda. 510-747-7510. 

Friday, Jan. 13. 9:30 – 11:30 A.M. Creating Your Personal Learning Network. Learn to use the Internet and tools like Twitter and YouTube Mastick Senior Center, 1155 Santa Clara Ave., Alameda. 510-747-7510. Also Feb. 17. 

Monday, Jan. 23. 10:30 – 11:30 A.M. Learn to Create a YouTube Video Jeff Cambra, Alameda Currents producer, will share the basics of shooting a good video and how to get it uploaded to YouTube. No equipment or experience needed. Mastick Senior Center, 1155 Santa Clara Ave., Alameda. 510-747-7510. 

Tueday, Jan. 24. 1 P.M. Doggie Communication 101. Does your dog pull you down the street? Not get enough exercise because you have mobility challenges? Growl or snap? Bark too much? Other annoying or worrisome behaviors? Bring your questions and join dog trainer Ruth Smiler. Mastick Senior Center, 1155 Santa Clara Ave., Alameda. 510-747-7510. 

Thursday, Jan. 25. 1:30 P.M. Music Appreciation Class. Join William Sturm, Volunteer Instructor. Piano recital and discussion about “The Classical Romantic: Johannes Brahms.” Mastick Senior Center, 1155 Santa Clara Ave., Alameda. 510-747-7510. 

The latest polls indicate that roughly 75 percent of Americans agree with the goals of Occupy Wall Street. Nonetheless, only 29 percent consider themselves supporters of OWS. What accounts for this enthusiasm gap? 

The October Time magazine poll asked respondents if they agreed with the positions advocated by Occupy Wall Street and there was extraordinary concurrence. 86 percent agreed that, "Wall Street and its lobbyists have too much influence in Washington." 79 percent agreed that, "The gap between rich and poor in the United States has grown too large." 71 percent agreed with “"Executives of financial institutions responsible for the financial meltdown in 2008 should be prosecuted.” And 68 percent agreed that, “The rich should pay more taxes.” 

Yet there is a 45-50 percent enthusiasm gap, because the same voters who express these strong sentiments say they don’t support OWS. Why? 

Perhaps these voters don’t know enough about OWS. A recent USA Today/Gallup poll found that 59 percent of respondents felt they didn’t know enough to approve or disapprove of the movement’s goals. 

Nonetheless, the current enthusiasm gap isn’t a singular occurrence. If we look back over the past decade we can find many examples where average Americans should have been shocked into action but weren’t. In 2000, there was a controversial election, where George W. Bush stole the presidency; many voters were outraged but few of them took to the streets in protest. On September 11, 2001, the US was attacked by terrorists; there were legitimate concerns that the Bush Administration had been asleep at the wheel yet once again Americans were passive observers. The terrorists were traced to Afghanistan and the US launched an attack; in December of 2001 most of the terrorists escaped from Afghanistan into Pakistan – it was a glaring example of White House ineptitude but most citizens were quiet. Faced with failure in Afghanistan, the Bush Administration turned its attention to Iraq and, on March 20, 2003, launched an invasion; this time there were more protestors but the bulk of Americans stayed at home. Over the next several years there were glaring example of Presidential incompetence – for example, the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina – but for the most part voters were quiet. Then the housing bubble burst and, in late September 2008, came close to melting down; Americans were stunned and depressed, but few took to the streets. Since the turn of the century, American voters, the 99 percent, have had a lot to be angry about, but been passive. 

Historians contrast this last lost decade with World War II era America when average citizens, the 99 percent rose up, built the weapons, and fought the fights that defeated the Axis powers. What’s happened to us? 

Perhaps American workers don’t have the time. It’s a tough economy and many work two jobs. For the 99 percent it’s a grueling daily chore making ends meet, if they do. Perhaps they don’t have the energy to get involved with OWS. 

Perhaps they don’t get it. Many pundits believe we no longer invest in our children and, as a result, many have poor schools, teachers, and study habits. We’ve raised several generations of “non intellectuals.” The average American spends 2.7 hours per day watching TV and only a few minutes reading. Perhaps they don’t understand what all the fuss is about. 

Perhaps they’ve checked out. The Pew Survey of Religious Affiliation found that 26.3 percent of respondents were evangelical Protestants; this does not include Black and Catholic evangelicals and many observers believe the true number is closer to 40 percent. A recent Pew Research Poll found that 41 percent of respondents believe that Jesus Christ will return to earth by 2050 – when the rapture will occur. Perhaps they’re not involved because they are preparing to shuffle off this mortal coil. 

Perhaps they’re severely damaged. The official US rate for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is 7.8 percent – with a higher incidence among veterans. However this discounts violence against women and children. The American Psychological Association reports, “Nearly one in every three adult women experiences at least one physical assault by a partner during adulthood” – four million US women are assaulted each year. Approximately one third of US children under 18 experience abuse during their childhood – in 2009 6 million children were reported as abused. And then there are the adults that have been economically abused – laid off because their job was moved overseas or fired and rehired as a temp with no benefits. It’s reasonable to assume that a majority of Americans – a huge segment of the 99 percent – suffer from PTSD; they are depressed, hopeless, and numb. Perhaps these American agree with OWS but can’t get it together to participate. 

The enthusiasm gap is a result of a combination of these circumstances. The challenge for Occupy Wall Street is to engage the members of the 99 percent who agree with OWS objectives, but are too tired or numb to participate. 

Back to the odd assortment of animal species in which some males gain a reproductive advantage from their resemblance, temporary or permanent, to the females of their species. Giant cuttlefish alter their color patterns and shapes to mimic females; red-sided garden snakes do it with pheromones. In a number of fish, including our own plainfin midshipman, smaller males exploit their deceptive appearance to gain acesss to spawning sites guarded by larger territorial males. (Some commentators on this phenomenon have evoked the movie Some Like it Hot. Bear in mind, however, that Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon were on the run from the mob when they joined the all-girl orchestra. Proximity to Marilyn Monroe was an unexpected benefit. Call it an exaptation.) 

As if two male morphs weren’t enough, a handful of creatures have evolved a three-morph system. About the last place you would expect to find a complex polymorphism would be among the isopods, mostly small marine crustaceans. Meet Paracerceis sculpta, an inhabitant of the intertidal zone from Southern California to Mexico. (At this point, visualize David Attenborough turning over a rock in a tide pool.) As described in 1987 by Stephen Schuster, then at UC Berkeley and now at Northern Arizona University, P. sculpta has alpha, beta, and gamma males. Alphas guard harems of females in the cavities of sponges, where they lay their eggs. Betas are the size and shape of females; like Type II midshipman fish, they sneak past the alphas and mate with his females. Gammas, which mimic juvenile isopods, also follow a sneaker strategy. It’s interesting that gammas invest the most energy in sperm production, followed by betas then alphas. (The testes of Type II midshipmen are much larger in proportion than those of the territorial Type I. This seems to be a pattern among polymorphic males.) 

Bony fish, which appear to have tried everything at least once during their evolutionary history, have also developed three-morph variations. Bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus), native to the eastern North America, have been stocked in California lakes and reservoirs as sport fish. I remember them fondly, dredged in cornmeal and deep fried, with a side of hushpuppies and maybe some coleslaw. Anyway, parental bluegills, like Type I midshipmen, hold territories where females lay eggs. Satellite males mimic females in size, color, and behavior, swimming under the parental’s radar. There is also a smaller sneaker morph, analogous to salmon jacks. Satellites and sneakers spawn at younger ages than parentals, but don’t live as long. 

Then we have the side-blotched lizard (Uta stansburiana), common in western scrublands. UC Santa Cruz biologist Barry Sinervo has studied this species since 1989. Male lizards, he reports, are color-coded, with either orange, blue, or yellow throats, and each color morph has a different reproductive strategy. Orange-throats defend large territories which are home to several females and are prone to usurp the territories of other males. Blue-throats have smaller territories and are often mongamous. They team up with fellow blue-throats against the more aggressive orange-throats. Sinervo calls them “the sensitive male lizards of the new millennium.” Yellow-throats, which resemble (some) females, are sneakers. 

Depending on the circumstances, each type can outcompete one of the others, in a kind of rock-scissors-paper game, and the numbers of each cycle over time. (I note that someone has elaborated the game into rock-scissors-paper-Spock-lizard, for which I can think of no analogues in the natural world.) Orange-throats dominate blue-throats, blue-throats deter yellow-throats, yellow-throats cuckold orange-throats. The frequency of each morph in a local population cycles from year to year, depending on the success of each of the three strategies. 

Female side-blotched lizards, it turns out, are playing a game of their own. Orange-throated females are more aggressive and lay large clutches of small eggs. Yellow-throated females produce smaller clutches of larger eggs. In the language of population biology, orange-throats are “r strategists,” as are codfish, spiders, and lemmings; yellow-throats are “K strategists,” like condors, elephants, and humans. Blue-throats are apparently rare among females, and orange-throats and yellow-throats exhibit a two-year cycle. 

I’ll save another well-known case of alternative male reproductive strategies, the bizarre shorebird called the ruff, for next week. Before that, though, a response to a reader’s comment that male polymorphism might be a relatively recent artifact of environmental pollutants. All the varieties of sneaker males among fish, reptiles, and birds appear to be anatomically normal and fully functional males. Typically fish exposed to hormone mimics show intersex traits, with both male and female reproductive organs. It seems clear that polymorphisms in the isopods, salmon, sunfish, lizards, harriers, and ruffs represent genetically-determined evolutionarily stable strategies, not aberrant responses to exotic chemicals.

People with mental illnesses are often very brave and courageous people because we have to be. We are up against the “package deal” of mental illness which includes a number of elements that are altogether frightening. And to face these elements requires fortitude. 

It takes a courageous person to deal with the mere fact of mental illness and to not be in denial about it, or about its repercussions. 

People with mental illness may have to face a lifetime of being medicated; this fact by itself is daunting—additionally there are the side effects of medications. It would be nice to look forward to a day when I don’t have to deal with the physical side effects of medications, which can be very uncomfortable, but that day may never come. We must look forward to an old age in which the medication may no longer work to keep us functioning, in which some of the long-term side effects of medication have happened to us, and an old age in which we may have to live in an institution. 

It takes courage to try medications that haven’t been tested enough and that have awful side effects and in the process of this to become a human guinea pig. Clozaril is a favorite of many psychiatrists when other medications don’t work well enough. It has a one percent rate of causing agranulocytosis, which is a depletion of the white blood cells. Biweekly blood tests are required because of this potentially fatal side effect. Another medication can cause an extremely severe rash which causes the skin to come off, also potentially fatal. 

Many of us must face life without having the insulation of a good income. We may be up against some harsh facts of life when older, one of them being not having enough money to live independently. Not being able to afford good medical care is another daunting reality that must be faced. 

The fear of relapsing and going back into the hospital is for real and must be faced. To wake up in a psychiatric ward and realize that you’re back at square one, and must recover all over again from a psychotic episode, is a hard fact. To be subject to the supervision of treatment professionals in the mental health system, some of whom are flunkies, can be upsetting. 

Being forced through lack of income to live in a bad neighborhood can demand bravery on a long term basis. However, it can take courage to move out of a bad neighborhood, because it could be more comfortable to do nothing about one’s plight. In the same vein, it can take courage to invite successes into one’s life after past failures. 

I’ve been laughed at many times in my life. Yet, that doesn’t stop me from continuing to try. People judge others based on assumptions without bothering to gather facts. It hurts to be the butt of people’s jokes; I endure that without being discouraged, and without lashing out. Some of the time, this ridicule is merely imagined, but some of the time very real. 

It takes courage to acknowledge inconvenient or unflattering truths. The alternative is to have realities that aren’t dealt with and to suffer consequences. I once knew a woman who believed that the best way to deter an intruder was by having an open door. Men in her apartment complex just walked in to her apartment at will. I believe she was afraid to displease people by locking them out. 

If someone has a mental illness, they are up against some difficult realities. Dealing with these realities and possibly surmounting them as problems requires a brave person and it requires effort. The alternative is to live in denial of these realities, and in the process allow the whims of others and the randomness of unconscious fate to control one’s destiny.

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Just to let you know, a year’s worth of these columns in the form of an e-book is available to those with a Kindle device and to those who have downloaded free software that allows reading Kindle format items on your PC. The title of the e-book is “Jack Bragen’s Essays on Mental Illness,” and I have provided below a link to the purchase page. It costs 7.50 and it is about36,000 words long.

Here’s the link to the book:

He was one of those idealists who, struck by some compelling idea, immediately become entirely obsessed by it forever. They are quite incapable of mastering it, but believe in it passionately, and so their whole life passes afterwards, as it were, in the last agonies under the weight of a heavy stone which has fallen upon them and half-crushed them —from “The Devils”, by Fyodor Dostoevsky 

I actually read “The Devils” first around 1970, when it seemed as though the nation had tipped, and characters from Dostoevsky were sliding, by the thousands, to the Bay Area, mostly into Berkeley. At political meetings, anti-war meetings, bookstore readings (remember when there seemed to be one every night in our one of our then-many bookstores?) the speaker would be interrupted by some young or not so young, passionate, sincere, only slightly-scruffy idealist, demanding or offering “real” answers to—something. Occasionally, at talks by very well known writers or politicians, a passionate questioner who became a long-winded orator had to be escorted out. I grew to dread the question period whenever I did a reading. Spotting one of those all too familiar faces, I learned to be blind to their wagging hands, call on someone with a less urgent expression, then quickly “run out of time” for questions. 

By the early 1980s these conspicuous “idealists” were gradually disappearing, giving up on Berkeley as the answer to their questions. Maybe like Dostoevsky characters, they passed rest of their lives “in the last agonies under the weight of a heavy stone” of the ideas that had possessed them. But not all of them. One of them, I remember, came back to claim some property he’d left in the south Berkeley house next door to ours, where he’d rented a room from the previous owner. We didn’t recognize him, with his double-breasted suit, clean-shaven rosy cheeks, and short hair. “What are you doing now?” we asked. He shrugged. “I’ve taken over my father’s bank.” 

(Send the Berkeley Daily Planet a page from your own Commonplace Book)

Hot news from Europe: in a population of western marsh harriers (Circus aeruginosus) in France, 40 percent of the males are crossdressers . Typical males of this hawk species, a close relative of our northern harrier, have overall streaky-brown plumage. Females have whitish heads and shoulders, and so do female-mimicking males. Typical males don’t seem to recognize the mimics as rivals. Audrey Sternalski, Francois Mougeot, and Vincent Bretagnolle report in Biology Letters that typical males attack decoys with their own kind of plumage at a higher rate than those with female-mimic plumage. What the mimics get out of it is access to the mates—up to three, depending on available resources—of territory-holding typical males. 

Welcome to the club, Circus aeruginosus. There’s a lot of this kind of thing going on. In animals as disparate as cuttlefish, toadfish, lizards, and sandpipers, some males use their resemblance to females to outcompete other males for mating opportunities. With some, the deception is opportunistic and temporary; for others, a lifelong commitment. They’ve been variously called jacks, she-males, sneakers, streakers, scroungers, satellite males, cuckolders, parasitic spawners, and machos furtivos. 

In his groundbreaking Descent of Man, Charles Darwin identified two evolutionary paths for male reproductive success. One involves size, brute force, and/or weaponry: males that can physically dominate or damage rivals mate with more females and bequeath more of their genes to future generations. That’s the trajectory leading to the bull elephant seal and the silverback gorilla. The other path invokes female preference for good-looking males, selecting for brilliant plumage or elaborate courtship displays as signals of robust health. 

The evolution and persistence of female-mimicking males and other sneaker variations suggests a third way for sexual selection: alternative reproductive strategies that coexist with male reliance on brawn or beauty. To paraphrase Ecclesiastes, the battle is not always to the strong, but the race is sometimes to the swift (and sneaky). 

One creature is able to switch its resemblance to the opposite sex on and off. Giant cuttlefish (Sepia apama), relatives of the octopus and squid, gather in breeding swarms off the coast of South Australia, where large males attempt to monopolize the attentions of females. All cuttlefish can vary their appearance by expanding and contracting specialized skin cells called photophores. According to Mark D. Norman, Julian Finn, and Tom Tregenza, small males assuming typical female patterns and body shapes shadowed mating pairs. If the mate-guarding male was distracted, the interloper resumed a male-distinctive pattern and attempted to mate with the female, often successfully. The authors speculate that this kind of “dynamic sexual mimicry” may have driven the cephalopods’ remarkable ability to change their shapes and colors. 

Red-sided garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis) may be a borderline case. These snakes spend the winter in mass hibernacula in Manitoba. When they emerge in the spring, males seek out females, recognizing them by their pheromones. Up to a hundred males may surround a single female in a “mating ball.” Back in the 1980s, Robert T. Mason and David Crews of the University of Texas discovered that some of the males were producing female-like pheromones. These she-males, as the authors dubbed them, had higher testosterone levels than other males but were not otherwise physically distinctive. Mason and Crews speculated that the female mimics were able to work their way into a better position in the mating ball by confusing other males. Later research suggests that pheromonal mimicry in the garter snake, like the deceptive visual patterns of the cuttlefish, may be a transitory phase rather than a lifelong trait. 

More than any other group of animals, the bony fish have gone in for alternative reproductive strategies in a big way. Parasitic spawning has been documented in 13 fish families. It’s most common among salmonids (salmon and trout), wrasses (tropical reef fish), and cichlids (freshwater fish of African and South American lakes and rivers), but also occurs in blennies, bluegill sunfish, and desert pupfish. 

One of our local piscine celebrities, the plainfin midshipman (Porichthys notatus), perhaps better known as the humming toadfish of Sausalito, has two types of males. Type I males defend territories, vocalize to attract females, fertilize their eggs and defend the clutch until hatching. Type IIs are smaller and non-territorial; their only vocalization is a grunt similar to the female’s. A Type II male hangs around the nest of a Type I until a female enters, then either sneaks in for a quick fertilization or broadcasts his sperm from the nest entrance. Any eggs the Type II manages to fertilize are cared for by the Type I as if they were his own progeny, which makes the Type II a cuckoo-like reproductive parasite. Type II’s invest more than Type I’s in sperm production: a Type II’s testes make up 8.3 percent of its body weight, as opposed to 1.2 percent in Type I’s. 

In coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), parasitic-spawning males are called jacks. They’re smaller than typical males and spend less time in the ocean before returning to their natal streams. Unlike Type I midshipmen, typical (“hooknose”) male coho will attack these small competitors. At Lagunitas Creek in Marin County, UC Davis fish biologist Peter Moyle watched as a hooknose male “grabbed a jack between its jaws and lifted it out of the water with a shaking motion.” But enough jacks fertilize enough eggs to perpetuate the phenotype. 

Complicated enough for you? A few creatures—crustaceans, fish, reptiles, birds—feature three types of male, each with its own reproductive strategy. More on that next week. 

Disability, impairment, handicap. They’re different. While old age is not a disability, the weakening of the body’s resources exacerbates the impact of debilitating trauma or chronic disease that is likely to accompany old age. 

One third of disabled Americans are age 65 or older. The most common definition of disability is the inability to participate in socially expected activities. Disability among older people is measured by the ability for self-care. It represents any restriction on performance of or lack of ability (resulting from an impairment) to perform an activity in the manner or within the range considered normal for a person of the same age, culture, and education. Older people with disabilities also include those who acquired an impairment at birth, in childhood, or in middle age. 

Impairment is any loss or abnormality of anatomic structure of physiological function at the organ level. When the degree of functional limitation is sufficient, the difficulty or inability to perform daily living activities leads to disability. 

Handicap occurs at the societal level when conditions are imposed upon the person through disadvantageous social norms and policy that limit the individual’s fulfillment of expected social tasks.  

National surveys report varying numbers of people with disabilities because the surveys have measured disability differently. Laws differ on whether a disability should be defined in terms of an impairment, limitation, or handicap. They reflect the objectives of the program rather than any general or coherent concept of disability. Among people age 64+, disability is often measured by limitations in such activities of daily living as eating, dressing, going outdoors, or shopping. For people of “working age” (18-64), disability is measured by the ability to work for pay and or keep house.  

Legislation may provide opportunities for people with disabilities, e.g. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which requires access and freedom from discrimination. 

Others compensate for the inability of people with disabilities to compete with able-bodied people in the market place by providing alternative financial support, e.g. the Social Security Act. Another group provides care for those unable to care for themselves, e.g. Developmental Disabilities Assistance and the Older Americans Act (OAA). Two laws compensate for injuries, regardless of the abilities of individuals to work for pay or to care for themselves, e.g. workers’ compensation and veterans’ service-related pensions. 

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From middle age onwards, women are more likely than men in the same age group to experience disabilities, a particular concern for women because, as they grow older, they are more likely to have a disability and less likely to have family resources to help them cope. But why, then, do women have higher rates of morbidity and disability but lower mortality than men? Those higher morbidity rates reflect not only physical differences between men and women but also social and psychological factors. 

Women are more susceptible to chronic debilitating diseases than are men but are protected from acute lethal diseases by hormonal differences. It also appears that women are more likely to admit disability and to allow their behavior to be affected by health problems. The leading causes of disability among middle-aged and older women are arthritis, osteoporosis, and hypertension. Senility and vision and hearing impairments are also major causes of disability among older women.  

The U.S. Census Bureau collects data for the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). Estimates of the prevalence of disability among older people range from 1.3 million to 2.2 million. (NHIS) data indicate that twenty million Americans have an impairment that limits their activities. 56% are women. 15% of women over age 84 experience two or more limitations of daily activity.  

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Assumptions abound. The older the person with a disability is, the lower the service provider’s expectations for adaptation, decision-making, learning, rehabilitation, or an improved quality of life. Rehabilitation services for older persons are limited. Few mental health practitioners serve older people. “Care planners,” case managers and social workers may assume dependency on the part of their clients and that “family members” are somewhere in the picture.  

Housing, transportation and personal care services are major issues for disabled persons. Paratransit is much more important to them than accessible public transportation. The assurance that they can remain in their homes, despite their disabilities or with increasing disabilities, removes many of the uncertainties of old age. Integration of services and housing can provide this assurance. Senior citizen housing complexes provide a ready market for efficient delivery of such services as in-home aides, physical therapy, congregate meals, case management, counseling, and transportation. Railings on both sides of every floor in senior housing, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, etc. are essential elements that may be ignored by planners. 

Housing managers and social service providers should work together. As needs change, the level of service provided through the residence should change so that people do not have to change their residence to receive care.  

As the number of older people increases, the need for in-home aides/care-givers will also increase. Steps should be taken (1) to upgrade this occupation (it is not a profession) and (2) to assure respect for clients’ rights. Training, job security and adequate pay are needed for the aides; client empowerment is needed by the service recipients. The disability rights movement has pioneered models for recipient control over the personal care provided by aides.  

Until lately, the mostly-women who are expected to provide care have been uncertified and unorganized. A national movement is growing with the purpose of developing standards of care. Professional organizations are forming throughout the country to lobby on behalf of personal care providers, e.g. the Direct Care Alliance. A current and significant issue with which they are concerned is the need to maintain and improve Social Security for workers.  

The disability rights movement and the aging network should recognize their common interests in behalf of people with disabilities. Mutual goals include consumer empowerment, an end to ageism, accessible services and housing, respect for the individuality and independence of people with disabilities. As the population of people with disabilities ages, even greater convergence is needed.  

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“Local Groups Serving People with Disabilities” is the title of a free handout available from the Berkeley Public Library. The two-page annotated list consists of information derived from the Library’s BIN. (Berkeley Information Network.) If you rely on the branch van for your library needs, request the persons staffing the van to bring you a copy next visit.  

The responsibilities of the City of Berkeley's Disability Compliance Program are to oversee the City’s efforts to comply with all applicable federal, state and local laws and to ensure that people with disabilities have access to City programs and services. It is based in the Department of Public Works. Berkeley’s Disability Compliance Program and the Commission on Disability (COD) can be reached at: TEL: 510-981-6342; TTY: 981-6345; FAX: 981-6340. Email: pchurch@ci.berkeley.ca.us 

There is some mutuality in the concerns and memberships of the COD and the Commission on Aging (COA). Berkeley’s nine-member COD is “Charged with actively promoting the total integration and participation of persons with disabilities into all areas of economic, political, and community life. Membership shall be made up primarily of persons who have disabilities.” At present, there are two COD vacancies, appointments of Councilmembers Capitelli (District 5) and Wozniak (District 8). The COD meets on the second Wednesday at 6:30 P.M. at the North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst Avenue. It is, however, essential that one check the City online community calendar to verify. 

Occasionally one hears or sees an inadvertent reference to the disabled commission or to the aging commission, e.g. a Planet article titled “Appointee removed from disabled commission.” (Karen Craig, a disabled senior citizen-member of the Berkeley Commission on Disability, who had served as chair, vice chair, and outreach subcommittee chair, had been removed from the Commission by District 1 Councilmember Maio, who had appointed her to it!)  

The COA is charged with identifying the needs of the aging, creating awareness of these needs, and encouraging improved standards of services to the aging. Council shall appoint one of its members as liaison; I was unable to learn her/his name. At present, there is one COA vacancy, appointment of District 2 Councilmember Moore. The COA meets on the third Wednesday at 1:30 P.M. at the South Berkeley Senior Center, 2939 Ellis Street. It is, however, essential that one check the City online community calendar to verify. 

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NEWS 

On November 22, 2011 the Justice Department announced an agreement with Upshur County, Texas to improve access to all aspects of civic life for people with disabilities. The agreement was reached under Project Civic Access (PCA), the Department’s initiative to ensure that cities, towns and counties throughout the country comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). 

Older people who go to an emergency room in pain are less likely to get medication for it than younger people with similar levels of distress, a new analysis has found. A seven-year, nationwide study that included data on more than 88,000 emergency room found that 49 percent of patients age 75+ were given pain medication, compared with slightly more than 65 percent of those under age 75. Elderly people who were cognitively impaired or otherwise unable to report pain were not included in the analysis, so that does not explain the finding. [Annals of Emergency Medicine, Oct. 2011.] 

The 12 members of the Congressional "supercommittee" could not find common ground to reduce the federal deficit. This means that $1.2 trillion in automatic cuts over 9 years will begin in 2013. Medicare cuts are included, but are limited to 2% reductions in the rate of increase in provider payment rates. Social Security and Medicaid are not affected. Cuts in such discretionary programs as the Older Americans Act, Senior Corps, Section 202 housing, and energy assistance could have a major impact on seniors in need. 

Sixty-five year old Donald Berwick, M.D., Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the first Medicare chief eligible to be enrolled in the program, has resigned effective December second. A pediatrician before becoming a Harvard professor, Berwick will be replaced by his principal deputy, sixty-year old Marilyn Tavenner, formerly Virginia’s top health care official, a nurse by training who has been at Medicare since early 2010. Forty-two GOP senators asked President Obama to withdraw his nomination of Berwick, whose three-part aim for the health care system includes providing a better overall experience for individual patients, improving the health of such population groups as seniors and African-Americans, and lowering costs through efficiency.  

In a June 2011 Bellevue, Washington religious summit about end-of-life choice, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops gathered to affirm its uncompromising opposition to aid in dying for the terminally ill. Their five-page document, To Live Each Day with Dignity, was a statement on physician-assisted suicide. Compassion & Choices released a statement, Dogma vs. Dignity; An Open Letter to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, to the media. 

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MARK YOUR CALENDAR: Be sure to confirm. Readers are welcome to share by email news of future events that may interest boomers, elders and seniors (define these any way you like!) Daytime, free, and Bay Area events preferred. pen136@dslextreme.com.  

Monday, Nov. 28, 2011. 2 – 3:30 P.M. “Vigee-LeBrun: Woman Artist in an Age of Revolution” presentation by Brigit Urmson. Mastick Senior Center, 1155 Santa Clara Av., Alameda. 510-747-7506. 

Monday, Nov. 28. 7 P.M. Book Club. Silas Marner by George Eliot. Kensington Library, 61 Arlington Ave. Free event. 510-524-3043. Each meeting starts with a poem selected and read by a member with a brief discussion following the reading. New members are always welcome. 

Wednesday, Nov. 30. 12:15-1 P.M. Gamelan Music of Java and Bali. Performed by classes directed by Midiyanto and I Dewa Putu Berata, with Ben Brinner and Lisa Gold. UC,B Hertz Concert Hall. Free. 510-642-4864. 

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Friday, Dec. 2. 4:30 P.M. UCB COLLOQUIA IN THE MUSICOLOGIES. Morrison Hall. Holley Replogle-Wong (UC Berkeley) "Tempering the Singing Diva: Hollywood Film Sopranos and the 'Middlebrow Voice'". Free 

Saturday, Dec. 3. Noon-1 P.M. UC,B University Chamber Orchestra. Hertz Concert Hall. Mozart "Overture to Don Giovanni" - Miriam Anderson, conductor. Stravinsky "Pulcinella Suite" - Garrett Wellenstein, conductor. Schubert "Symphony No. 5" - Melissa Panlasigui, conductor. Free. Event email contact: m.panlasigui@gmail.com 

Monday, Dec. 5. 6:30 P.M. "Castoffs" Knitting Group. Kensington Library, 

61 Arlington Ave. Free. 510-524-3043. An evening of knitting, show and tell and yarn exchange. All levels welcome. Some help will be provided.  

Wednesday, Dec. 7. 12:15-1 P.M. Music for the holiday season. UC,B Music Department Noon concert. Hertz Concert Hall. University Chorus and Chamber Chorus
Matthew Oltman, guest director. Free. 510-642-4864.  

Wednesday, Dec. 7. 6-8 P.M. Lawyer in the Library. Albany Library, 1247 Marin Av. Free. 510-526-3720.  

Monday, Dec. 12. 12 Noon. Senior Center Lecture - J-Sei Center Center - 1710 Carleton Street, Berkeley "Fall Prevention" Speaker: Andrew Teran - Bay Area Vital Link. To place a reservation for the lecture and/or lunch at 11:30 A.M., call 510-883-1106. 

Monday, Dec. 12. 7:00 P.M. Swedish Folk Music with Mark and Jennie Walstrom. Their instruments include the Swedish Säckpipa (bagpipe) and Nyckelharpa (key fiddle). Tonight’s music will center on the Swedish winter holidays. Kensington Library, 61Arlington Avenue Free. 510-524-3043. 

Wednesday, Dec. 14 6:30-8 P.M. Drop-In Poetry Writing Workshop. Albany Library 1247 Marin Av. Free. 510-526-3720.  

Wednesday, Dec. 14. 6:30 P.M. Berkeley Commission on Disability. Meets at North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst Avenue. Check the City online community calendar to verify or call the Center, 510-981-5190. 

Monday, Dec. 19. 7 P.M. Book Club. Josephine Tey’s Daughter of Time. Tey is known as the mystery writer for those who don’t like mysteries! Kensington Library, 61 Arlington Ave. Free event. 510-524-3043. Each meeting starts with a poem selected and read by a member with a brief discussion following the reading. New members are always welcome. 

Wednesday, Dec. 21. 1:30 P.M. Berkeley Commission on Aging. Meets at South Berkeley Senior Center, 2939 Ellis Street. Check the City online community calendar to verify or call the Center, 510-981-5170. 

Wednesday, Dec. 21. 7 – 8 P.M. The Adult Evening Book Group will read Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. In his old age, Jacob Janowski reflects on the tragedy that forced him from his projected life as a veterinarian and his subsequent adventures with a circus traveling through Depression-era America. Rosalie Gonzales facilitates the discussion. Come to one meeting, or all meetings. Albany branch of the Alameda County library, 1247 Marin Av. Books are available at the Library. 510-526-3720 x 16. 

Wednesday, Dec. 28. Great Books Discussion Group. Albany Library, 1247 Marin Av. Holiday lunch and selection discussion. 510-526-3720 x 16. 

With Thanksgiving and Black Friday fading into oblivion— the Lord be praised — life may now return to normal so that we can give full attention to the many seasonal events lined up for our holiday pleasure: 

What better way than to celebrate our very own Frederica von Stade, Alameda's beloved opera star, who will be honored at a special performance at Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness St., S.F. this Sat., Dec. 3rd at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $50 - $100, but well worth such a happy occasion.

"The Great Charles Dicken's Christmas Fair" with playhouses and winding lanes of Victorian London — through Dec. 18. Cow Palace Exhibition Hall. (800) 510-1558.

Berkeley Artisans Holiday Open Studios (more than 100 artists and galleries will be open to the public through Dec. 18). berkeleyartisans.com for information.

"The Christmas Ballet" This Smuin Ballet Extravaganza draws from holiday traditions around the world. Through Dec. 24. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Center Drive, Walnut Creek. (925) 943-7469.

"The Soldier's Tale," based on Igor Stravinsky's 1918 musical. Through Dec. 18. Aurora Theatre, Berkeley. (510) 843-4822.

"A Christmas Carol", by Charles Dickens (the best Christmas Carol Ever). A.C.T., S. F., (415) 749-2228.

"On the Air" (broadcasting from Pier 29), starring Geoff Hoyle and Duffy Bishop. Teatro Zinzanni. (415 ) 438-2668.

"Dazzling Holiday Lights", Free events, near Peet's Coffee, Fourth Street. Through Dec. 18, 12 - 4 p.m. Live music.

Handel's Messiah, Philharmonic Baroque Orchestra, Sat. 10, 7 p.m. Zellerbach Hall (510) 642-9988.

"Let Us Break Bread Together", Oakland Symphony, Michael Morgan, Director and guest appearance by Joan Baez. Sun. Dec. 11, 4 p.m. Paramount Theatre.
(800) 745-3000,

Pacific BoyChoirs, "Annual Harmonies of the Season", featuring Benjamin Britten's glorious ceremony of choirs. Sat. Dec. 10. First Congregational Church in Berkeley.
www. pacificboy.org.

America's Children's Holiday Parade, Sat. Dec. 3., 2 p.m. Downtown Oakland. www.kblx.com.

"Jack London Square Lights Up for the Holidays." Dec. 2nd, 5 - 7 p.m.

"The Wild Bride", presented by Kneehigh Theatre, Berkeley Rep. (510) 647-2949.

"Holiday Jazz & Wine Stroll," Dec. 9, 5 - 9 p.m. rockridgedistrict.com.

Eduardo Fernandez, guitar. Sat. Dec. 10th, 8 p.m; Marine's Memorial Theatre, S.F., (415) 392-2545.

"The Glass Menagerie", Tennessee William's Centennial Year. Marin Theatre Company, Mill Valley. Through Dec. 18. (415) 388-5208.

Christian Zacharias, piano. Friday, Dec. 9, 8 p.m. Herbst Theatre, S.F. (415) 392-2545.

Temescal Holiday Labyrinth, Telegraph Avenue at 49th St., Dec. 4, noon to 9 p.m Rain date Dec. 18th.

"Kwanzaa," Oakland City Center, Dec. 14, Noon - 1 p.m.

O.k., friends — surely you'll find one or two of the above events a good way to start off the holidays!

A prominent feature of the art of the past century has been the juxtaposition of unlike objects, radically different motifs, stylistic elements, materials ... Dada and Russian Formalism (with its "Defamiliarization") brought this to the fore; Surrealism canonized it. 

An artist's studio in Uptown Oakland, opening as a gallery this Friday, will be showing works that display this kind of juxtaposition, not so much a relic of the old avant-garde as with an intensely personal feeling and meaning. 

Farnaz Shadravan, who has exhibited around the Bay Area and in Tehran, where she grew up, will be displaying her unusual pieces in different media, work that subjects banal, everyday objects to intensive workmanship in order to release a profound spiritual element, in the most personal sense—"spiritual" not being a codeword or substitute for religious feeling, so much as a reaction to its loss, and to the fate of human beings, sometimes their fate in mass, that such profound sentiment once bore witness to in the greatest works of art. 

There're four bathtubs, "almost for self-baptism! but I'm going to run it dry this time ..."—each engraved with one of the four Angels of the Apocalypse from Albrecht Durer's great woodcut. "I make some works low, so people can kneel to see them. I've put cushion before my light boxes." The light boxes illuminate photographs; in the case of one, x-ray film showing a human bone and a row of bullets facing it. 

The theme of prayer or meditation runs throughout ... There are bones intricately carved with prayers. "When Iraq invaded Iran, I had a dream—and when I woke up knew I had to carve prayers in human bone. I started looking for bones, found them—and carved them." 

The prayers are both Islamic and Christian—the Lord's Prayer and Psalm 23. 

Shadravan talks about a struggle over losing her faith: "I used to pray three times a day. Somehow, I lost that practice." The American custom of putting things to remember on refrigerator doors with magnets was strange to her. "I put magnets with prayers onto my own refrigerator door. Then one day I found a [detached] refrigerator door and drilled a prayer on it" She has a series of nine of these doors, some of which will be on display. 

"It all became something religious; I wanted to remember religion. My work became my prayer, making these these doors almost like meditation to a Gregorian chant." 

Another unusual, common element, something unique to her art-making: the carving and engraving comes from her profession. Shadravan uses dental drills to work bone like scrimshaw, cut shapes and words into refrigerator doors. "I majored in art, minored in chemistry, then went to dental school ... I keep going back and forth between two different worlds. I do a lot of root canals, and do my best so people won't feel anything. Then I do my art so people feel something!" 

The beginnings of her artwork go back to early school memories. "When I was about 10, the principal of my school called me to her office and asked if she could buy something I made. I gave it to her. That went on at art school, with the teachers approaching me, too, including the San Francisco Art Institute. After a year there, an instructor came to me and said, 'We have nothing here left to teach you; you know what you're doing.' " 

Her father's street light factory was an inspiration, too. "After school—elementary school—I'd get picked up and taken to my father's factory. I was bored in school but came alive when I went there. It was my heaven! Everything was done there, the casting ... I had a dream of having a place like the factory, to make things ... " 

(About 30 years ago, her father left his factory, also to become a visual artist.) 

Shadravan sold her house, at one point, so she could work just one day a week as a dentist during the 18 months she carved the "Durer-Shadravan tubs." She also previously opened a gallery, in the Mission District in San Francisco. "For the same length of time, a year and a half; maybe that's my tolerance level." 

Her earliest works on display will be oil paintings dating from 1999, one with her grandmother's marriage contract. 

Shadravan's next project will be dedicated to the ancient Iranian city of Isfahan—and to Walt Whitman. 

—'Shoot O'Malley Twice' (Virago Theatre Company) Since this review is running in the Planet, a note of disclosure—and reassurance—is in order at the start. The title of Jon Brooks' (who has written for the Mime Troupe) amusing play, about betting on "shooting fingers" while the Giants and Dodgers are betraying New York and Brooklyn by moving to the West Coast, refers to Walter O'Malley, owner of the Dodgers, object of such distain by the Brooklyn Faithful that—the saying goes—if you had Hitler, Stalin and Walter O'Malley together in a room and your gun had only two bullets, what would you do? "Shoot O'Malley Twice!" 

That exposition finished, it's a pleasure to state further that Virago, based in Alameda, has done their usual, thorough job of mounting this premiere of an engaging evocation of late 50s NYC, where Billy Future awaits his challengers in "shooting fingers," the slightly mysterious Association overseeing that the contestants follow the rules of the old children's game—no staring, squinting, just flash the fingers, scored odd or even ... Issues of Second Sight, psychic vision and Predestination are tossed around a lot—even some of the too-common vague speculation on Relativity, Quantum and String Theories, as well as a few anachronistic "predictions," mercifully brief here. What's good is the set-up, the crew and their tart talk, the offbeat comedy of their seriousness at betting and adjudicating such a street corner kids' sport ... 

It gets more interesting and even more cockeyed when the out-of-town wonder, The Savannah Kid, comes to challenge Billy, a rather different figure than expected, overwrought with confidence over a strange sense of mission. Clever use of very simple, well-crafted lighting and sound effects—and a burlesque/stage magic gimmick—add a great deal to the slightly outre'—slightly goofy—atmosphere. Angela Dant has directed her cast of nine very well, with particularly good performances from Christy Crowley and Dorian Lockett. 

Last performances this Friday and Saturday at 8, StageWerx 446, 446 Valencia Street (the former location of Intersection For the Arts), San Francisco. Wine and cheese reception after Saturday's closing show. $15-$25. (510) 865-6237; viragotheatre.org 

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—"I think I'm going to like it here!" An orphan girl, taken up by a billionaire for a two-week stay at his mansion, and the search for herlong-errant parents ... Pure nostalgia from the comics of one Depression for the audiences today, watching Occupy encampments busted up. 

'Annie,' the musical, has seldom been done so well as Berkeley Playhouse manages onstage at their Julia Morgan Center home. Everyone in the cast of 30 or so performs well—and that includes the choruses, both youth and adult, as the girls in the orphans' home, servants at Daddy Warbucks' estate, passersby on the streets of Midtown or down-and-outers at a riverside Hooverville ... All are liable to burst into song, step out in dance, flip with acrobatics. 

The ensemble is the driving force of the show's tempo and tone; the featured players stand out against this moving backdrop. Nandi Drayton (in alternation with Samantha Anne Martin) as Annie is a shrewd little optimist, who knows how to say things and get them done; Joe Kady eschews Daddy Warbucks' usual skinhead look, presenting him as a gruff businessman with a heart of precious metal; Melinda Meeng plays Daddy's secretary Grace Farrell with the same charisma she's displayed in 'Once On This Island' for the Playhouse and as the Tooth Fairy in Shotgun's 'God's Ear.' Rana Weber cuts a slatternly swath as Miss Hannigan of the Girls Home. Reggie D. White as Rooster sings and dances up as storm, as does Sophia Rose Morris as the Star-To-Be. Paul Loper and Pauli N. Amornkul are two more—among others—adding tone to foreground and back in this sparkling cast. 

The designers—Martin Flynn (scenic), Wes Crain (costumes), Molly-Stewart-Cohen (lights), Brendan Aanes (sound) and Megan Lush (props) deserve credit, too, for this family pleaser—some gags eliciting laughter from the kids, a few references catching the adults attention, much else appealing to both. Director Mina Morita has put it all together with music director Jonathan Fadner and Dane Paul Andres' exceptional choreography. 

Weekends (including matinees) through December 4 at Julia Morgan Center, 2640 College Avenue. $17-$35. 845-8542; berkeleyplayhouse.org 

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—On my desk is a print of Jean Cocteau's color drawing of the opening scene of Stravinsky and Ramuz's 'The Soldier's Tale,' showing the strange lepidopterist with his net, talking the soldier out of his fiddle. 

The Aurora's unusual production of this stage piece from 1918—which was intended from the start "to be read, played and danced"—plays the Russian folk parable out as a fairytale ... A fairytale starring a puppet, manipulated by a dancer, who performs the part of the sick princess cured by the soldier-puppet, wordlessly, by dancing. 

Peter Callendar narrates the Tale excellently, speaking dialogue for the soldier, while Joan Mankin—first seen at the back of the stage off to the side of the violinist and clarinetist, with a horned goat mask turned around on her head like a backwards baseball cap—essays the part of the Devil—and all the roles the Devil plays, starting with the lepidopterist conning the soldier, returning home on leave, out of his fiddle, in exchange for a book that foretells the stock market ... and "with two weeks' pay ... Somehow or other, lost the way." 

Muriel Maffre, former principal with the San Francisco Ballet—who pitched the staging idea to Aurora artistic director Tom Ross (the two co-directed)—both handily manipulates the four foot tall soldier puppet as his (almost) constant companion, and beautifully dances the role of the princess. 

Also collaborating are Mary Chun of Earplay as pianist and music director, percussionist Kevin Neuhoff (principal timpanist with Berkeley Symphony), alternating violinists Terrie Baune and Gloria Justin, and alternating clarinetists Jeff Anderle (of Redshift and the Paul Dresher Ensemble) and Peter Josheff (also of the Dresher Ensemble and an Earplay original). Jonathan Khuner of Berkeley Opera arranged the score, using concert suite material Stravinsky scored for a chamber quartet (down from a septet), and Donald pippin of Pocket Opera supplied the translation, which has Pippin's signature wit and anachronistic flourishes all over it. 

Benjamin Pierce's set design, using a translucent curtain with outlines of buildings, a village in the distance, lit by Jim Cave's light design, Fumiko Bielefeldt's costumes and props by Mia Baxter and Seren Helday all add immensely to the atmospherics of this at times feather-light creation ... 

Perhaps it's a bit too light, missing something that would ground it a little more, what with a puppet at the center and a tale for a narrative, in a theater where the audience is used to seeing—theater. 'The Soldier's Tale' is highly enjoyable, though in this form a bit too indirect, which slows the dynamics—both musical and storytelling—down. Maybe there's not quite enough contrast between the different elements of the production. 

The cast and the musicians perform well; high points are the dancing—both Maffre's loose-limbed movements as the princess and a very different, grotesquely funny capering by Mankin when the fiddler does to the Devil what many new and amateur violinists do to their unwitting listeners when they practice. The dancing also brings out the multi-disciplinary contrasts of the piece, like in an opera or a masque. 

It's a departure for the Aurora—and one that's a perfect alternative to the usual—no need naming names!—holiday shows reworked every year by so many companies. 

Wednesdays through Sundays at different times; 2081 Addison (near Shattuck); $10-$55. 843-4822; auroratheatre.org 

* * * * * 

—There's the fortune cookie Rumi, the New Age version of "Confucius Say," spouting vague cliches that could be from anywhere, anytime—and then there's the great Persian lyric poet—and the Rumi of the tales in The Masnavi, "the Quran in Persian" (as poet Jami called it), his magnum opus, a kind of verse epic in all moods of the diversity, inner and outer, of medieval Islam. 

Hafiz Karmali, who staged the medieval parable 'Island of Animals' for Golden Thread and the Afghan Coalition a few years back, put on his adaptation of seven stories from The Masnavi last weekend as 'Rumi x 7,' theater-in-the-round, a one-ring circus of delights, at the Islamic Cultural Center of Northern California in downtown Oakland, inaugurating Golden Thread's project, Islam 101, performances over the next three years at different locations to educate about and explore the legacy of Islam as a worldwide cultural and spiritual movement, "as an Abrahamic religion, the third dimension ... in what's been heretofore called the Judeo-Christian tradition." 

His ensemble included practitioners of the circus arts, musicians, dancers—often all three in one performer—pitching their wares from Rumi in a variety of styles, from slapstick (and just plain shtick) to a little Commedia Del'Arte, silent movie comedy to whirling dervish dance (the observance Rumi introduced to his Sufi order), acrobatics to—the stunner—a New Orleans funeral march to celebrate Rumi's wake, which the poet declared in advance to be a joyous occasion. 

The exuberant cast included Jamie Coventry, Aylin Guvenc, Rachel L. Jacobs, Mahsa Matin, Aliah Najmabadi, Maruf Noyoft and Wiley Naman Strasser. The production team was Jim Cave, Taylor Gonzalez, Jamayla Kiswani, Wan-Yin Tang, Junelle-Johannah Taguas, Ninva Warda and Daniel Yelen. 

(In fact, Golden Thread hopes to reprise 'Rumi x 7' on and/or around December 17—the anniversary of the poet's death in Anatolia, 1273, the day he's traditionally celebrated, in San Francisco. Check goldenthread.org for updates on showtimes and location.) 

Ralph Waldo Emerson adapted from a German translation the opening of The Masnavi, "The Song of the Reed" (performed in 'Rumi x 7'), which he called "The Flute" (and mistakenly attributed to a later Persian poet, Hilali): 

"Hark what, now loud, now low, the pining flute complains,/Without tongue, yellow-cheeked, full of winds that wail and sigh;/Saying, Sweetheart! the old mystery remains,—/If I am I; thou, thou; or thou art I?"