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Heather Gold's "I Look like An Egg, but I Identify as a Cookie" interactive baking comedy comes to the East Bay (free tix!)

Cory Doctorow — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 16:47:58 +0000

Years and years ago, I saw Heather Gold's innovative, interactive baking comedy "I Look like An Egg, but I Identify As A Cookie" in San Francisco. It was fabulous. Now it's about to have its debut in the East Bay:

While baking chocolate chip cookies with the audience and special guests (Bakesale Betty), Gold combines heterosexuality (DRY), lesbianism (WET), and the Left (MIX). "Cookie" is a story of first kisses, rugby drama, Mrs C's secret honeycake recipe and slow dancing to Air Supply. Gold transforms the coming out story, making mincemeat of the identities that keep us from our whole selves and each other. "Cookie" is a show of sweet and simple truths.

Heather's making two pairs of tickets available, all you need to do is tweet you favorite secret ingredient with #eggcookie and she'll get in touch. Oh, and here's a great post Heather made explaining why she uses CC licenses in her performances.

I LOOK LIKE AN EGG, BUT I IDENTIFY AS A COOKIE

Oakland's chief of police blackholed all emails mentioning "Occupy," trashed official condemnations and sanctions unread

Cory Doctorow — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 11:12:35 +0000

Oakland police chief told a court that he never saw emails from city officials and a federal court monitor who emailed him about police brutality and other illegal actions by his force in its response to Occupy Oakland. That's because, he says, he used a spam-filter to automatically spam-filter all messages containing phrases like "occupy," "police brutality," "press pass," and "excessive force." More from SFGate's Matthai Kuruvila.

The city investigation found that Jordan had city staff put in the filters on Oct. 27, 2011 - two days after a violent clash between police and protesters that made international news. He had been inundated with anonymous messages, he said in a declaration to the court.
But he forgot the e-mail filter was still in effect.
At least until Henderson gave his order and the city investigated. All messages to Jordan with the once-banned phrases now go to his inbox, as of Oct. 19. In addition, Jordan now has a special folder for messages from the court monitor, Warshaw.
"It was never my intention to ignore the monitor," Jordan said in his declaration.

Oakland chief filtered out Occupy e-mail (via JWZ)

(Image: Occupy Oakland October 11, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from quinn's photostream)

May Day protests: gas, brutality, and baseless arrest

Cory Doctorow — Wed, 02 May 2012 23:49:09 +0000

Mike from Mother Jones sends us a link to the magazine's coverage of yesterday's May Day protests: "Mother Jones reporter was close at hand, and got disturbing photos and video of Oakland Police officers tackling a girl on a bike who didn't seem to be doing anything provocative. He then got a nice taste of OPD attitude: 'Fuck, I just got teargassed,' he tweeted. The video clips are about halfway down, but lots of good photos and bicoastal coverage, too."

"#$#! I Just Got Tear Gassed!" and Other MoJo Tales From Occupy May Day

Oakland cops complicit in covering name-badges at Occupy protests disciplined

Cory Doctorow — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 17:00:52 +0000

Remember this video, in which protesters ask an Oakland PD officer why he illegally covered his name-badge, then, when he won't answer, ask a supervisor why this was so? Well, both the cop and his supervisor have been disciplined for their roles in the incident (the cop for covering his badge, the supervisor for failing to report the illegal conduct). The supervisor, formerly a lieutenant, has been busted down to sergeant, and the officer has been suspended for a month (no word on whether he will be paid during the suspension, which he is appealing).

After an internal investigation, Hargraves was ordered suspended for 30 days, and Wong was demoted to sergeant for failing to report the incident to internal affairs, said the sources, speaking on condition of anonymity because the department considers the case a confidential personnel matter...
"[An video the officer had seen on the net involving another officer] called for violence against the officer, including burning down his home," Hargraves wrote. "This caused me great concern for the safety of my family."
But civil rights attorney Jim Chanin said Wednesday, "That's like saying that you can steal from a store because you're poor. If you take that to its logical conclusion, every police officer every day faces possible exposure and danger because their names are on their badges."
Chanin added, "Officer Hargraves could have asked to get an undercover assignment. He could have asked to be taken off duty that day. Instead, he decided to go and get his pay and violate the law. There's no excuse for that."

Oakland cops disciplined for name-covering episode (via JWZ)

Eviction notices served on Occupy Oakland campers, who then destroy every last one of them

Xeni Jardin — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 05:29:38 +0000

"Every last one of the 200 eviction notices handed out earlier" were destroyed by angry Occupy Oakland protesters, according to Inside Bay Area. But don't worry, you can read the full text here.

Occupier/Army Ranger in ICU: Oakland PD "jumped me"

Cory Doctorow — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 10:59:26 +0000

Kayvan Sabeghi, a veteran of the US Army Rangers, is in the ICU at Oakland's Highland General Hospital after a clash with Oakland PD during the Occupy Oakland protests. Sabeghi claims he was "jumped" by OPD officers who severely beat him and subsequently denied him medical treatment.

The group Iraq Veterans Against the War said Sabeghi was detained during disturbances that erupted late on Wednesday in downtown Oakland and was charged with resisting arrest and remaining present at the place of a riot...
"He told me he was in the hospital with a lacerated spleen and that the cops had jumped him," Kelly said. "They put him in jail, and he told them he was injured, and they denied him medical treatment for about 18 hours..."
The veterans group said in a statement that police struck Sabeghi with nightsticks on his hands, shoulders, ribs and back, and that in addition to a lacerated spleen he suffered from internal bleeding.

Army veteran injured in Oakland clashes with police (via Reddit)

Oakland PD to mayor: are we 99% or not?

Cory Doctorow — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 14:04:42 +0000

The Oakland PD union is confused by Mayor Jean Quan's approach to the protests -- they say that after they were ordered to clear the Occupy camp (a mission that led to bloody conflict in the streets), the mayor allowed the protest camp to be re-established in a larger, better organized form. Meanwhile city employees have been given permission to participate in today's Oakland General Strike -- but not the Oakland PD. "There is no clear mission here. The mayor is painting this picture that we're the bad guy. We're just doing our jobs, carrying out her orders, and we need some big leadership now." (Thanks, Al!)

Oakland General Strike posters

Cory Doctorow — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 10:49:05 +0000

The Occupy Oakland folks have been publishing designs for today's general strike, including this jaunty little number from R Black. Lots more to choose from, too, including the venerable IWW black cat, back from retirement and looking as spry as a kitten.

Awesome Posters for Nov 2 General Strike!

Oakland PD told a judge it wouldn't use projectile weapons any more

Cory Doctorow — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 17:07:40 +0000

The Oakland PD's use of projectile weapons such as flashbang grenades used in the assault (possibly by non-OPD officers) on the Occupy Oakland camp seems to violate the 2004 court settlement it agreed to in a class-action settlement with Iraq war demonstrators who were assaulted by police: "You would think that after signing an agreement and paying out taxpayer money to 'compensate' for abusive police practices, the Oakland Police Department would learn how to behave in a civilized fashion when dealing with people exercising their First Amendment rights." (Thanks, Cowicide!)

Police raid on Occupy Oakland: the morning after

Xeni Jardin — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 16:24:13 +0000

Photo: Oakland North. Navy veteran Joshua Sheperd holding Veterans for Peace flag, Occupy Oakland, Tue. night.

Last night, hundreds of police in riot gear from divisions throughout Northern California descended on the Occupy Oakland encampment, armed with tear gas, an LRAD sonic weapon (the "sound cannon"), and various projectiles -- by some sources, rubber bullets and bean bags.

According to various reports, more than a hundred arrests were made. Two police officers were injured, and an untold number of protesters.

My post from last night is here, with links to video.

And as I noted last night, President Obama's recent remarks on a series of demonstrations elsewhere may prove instructive.

Oakland North was one of a number of small, independent publications on the scene last night live-tweeting photos and a blow-by-blow of the crackdown. One of their photos is above.

One YouTube video is here, capturing the moment when the police launched the first round of multiple rounds of tear-gas "bombs." From photos tweeted last night, and this Reuters photo from last night (by photographer Stephen Lam), this appears to be one of the brands of CS gas used on the protesters.

Photo: Reuters.

Our own Dean Putney took the train over from San Francisco a little later on in the wee hours. He has posted photos here, mostly after things had quieted down somewhat. One of those is below.

Photo: Dean Putney.

This video shows "Veterans for Peace member Scott Olsen wounded by a less-lethal round fired by either San Francisco Sheriffs deputies or Palo Alto Police on October 25, 2011 at 14th Street and Broadway in Downtown Oakland." He appears to have been shot in the face.

Here is another video showing police using what are identified as "flash-bang rounds" on protesters. And here is another.

The Oakland Police Department claim they responded in force because protesters threw M-80 explosives at police officers. People I'm following who were there at the time of the first police strike say this was not the case. On CNN as I type, protester Rachel Jackson of Oscar Grant Committee Against Police Brutality and State Repression claims that the police reports are out of order, and that the order to disperse was not issued in the manner reported. There were lone crackpots here and there throughout the night tossing a single bottle or rock, she and other eyewitnesses have said, but they were outnumbered by those committed to peaceful civil disobedience. "We want an end to martial law in Oakland," says Ms. Jackson.

Bob Mackey and the New York Times Lede blog team have an extensive post here.

And Quinn Norton is traveling from Occupy to Occupy, reporting here at the Wired News liveblog.

Here's another good recap, this from the Oakland Tribune.

Oakland-based photographer Jean-Philippe Dobrin has been down at the protest, and has an extensive photo set here.

Democracy Now is, as one might expect, covering this heavily. Their report of last night's raid in Oakland is here.