A Little Peace and Sunshine

Everyone seems to be enjoying the sunny weather lately. I ran across this recent post with some gorgeous shots of Joaquin Miller Park in Oakland:

California dreamin' on such a winter's day

On a drearier note, I saw this Neil Young quote yesterday on Rolling Stone:

"I think that the time when music could change the world is past," he said. "I think it would be very naive to think that in this day and age."

This from Neil Young, the man responsible for Rockin' In The Free World?! Young mentions the age of innovation and the need to look for answers in science, physics and spirituality, not just song. Personally, I worry that this cultural shift may have something to do with the fragmentation of communities throughout the nation (something this blog endeavors to address locally.) It may be hard for much of the country to imagine a local community rallying around the profound words of poetic war songs. But I have hope for the East Bay. We are unique. Sit-ins are not only still a possibility, but an ongoing reality. In Berkeley, for example, a community of activists has been tirelessly (over a year now) dedicated to the protection of old grove of live oak trees. Strong community is not just a way to strengthen existing ties and embrace the status quo. Strong community can also inspire revolution.

Tonight there is a protest over a Marine Corps recruiting station downtown.

The Berkeley City Council meets at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Maudelle Shirek City Hall, 2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Berkeley. An overflow crowd is expected for discussion of the Marines recruiting center, which is expected to begin about 9 p.m. For those who don't get inside, the city will broadcast audio from the meeting from loudspeakers outside City Hall. See the agenda at links.sfgate.com/ZCJX.