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Just a video of the mural, but it says a lot about what the artist thinks of Oakland. Take a look:

Bloggers like Refin and Nancy Friedman have openly pointed to Oakland's chronic lack of retail venues during the holidays. Friedman writes... It's prime shopping season, and my fair city is in a world of hurt. The weekend before last I attended a town meeting convened by my city councilwoman at which a consultant delivered the depressing news that Oakland is losing $1 billion a year in potential retail sales to neighboring cities. (In the trade, that's known as "leakage.") Once upon a time, downtown Oakland was home to four major department stores, a big furniture store, and several swanky boutiques. The tide began turning in the 1980s, thanks to lackluster leadership, rising crime, and general cluelessness. The Loma Prieta earthquake, in 1989, delivered the coup de grâce. Some downtown structures were never repaired and remain vacant. Today Oakland, a city of about 400,000, has only one department store: Sears. To shop at Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, Home D

I just returned from a brief trip to Easy Bar on Lakeshore Avenue. I don't frequent the establishment, but time-removed from the opening-day episode where it seemed that the White male bartender employees were being way too macho with their patrons of color, including yours truly, I gradually went back to the place. Easy's got a nice decor and I have personally felt that it's good to support Oakland business, rather than jaunt over to San Francisco. Plus, I had a programming assignment, finished it early, went shopping late, and figured, what the heck, I'll give Easy a try and go home and get some sleep. Well, I walked in sat down, and waited. And then I waited. And then I elected to give a glance and one of the two White make bartenders finally came over and took my order and made the cocktail. Fine. After about 10 minutes of looking at a high movie screen, I had an idea for a political fundraiser that I could do there. So, even though I know the owner's on

This is a music video shot impromptu at a place called The Stork Club on 2330 Telegraph Ave. I just happened to have my camera and they were cool with it. Here's the result!

This Yahoo! Message Board post really bothered me: Around 4pm today there was a young African-American (teenager 15-18yo) on a bike wearing a black jacket and black knit cap. I watched him ride his bike up and down Vernon a few times checking out cars and apartments. I called the OPD non-emergency number just in case for peace of mind. It seemed like he was checking out the neighborhood. Just thought I would give everyone a heads up. That caused me to answer back with a plea for all to first, ask questions. That teenager could very well be someone who lives in the neighborhood who's just riding close to home. I talk to people; so should you. If you're reading this and have some weird racial boundary issues, do us all a favor and get rid of them. Please. Thanks!

Amanda Stokes, a 33-year-old blonde white female at 5 foot 4 inches is missing and has been since Sunday, November 25th. According to a flyer that's posted at Oakland's Cafe De Bartolo on Grand Avenue, her car was found at 5000 Park Blvd -- a Black 2001 Honda Accord -- across from the Lutheran Church. If you recognize the photo and live in the Adams Point / China Hill area, it's because she worked at Cafe De Bartolo. If you have any information, please call 404-931-7044. Here are other photos of Amanda with friends.

And so ends an era of politics, fear, violence, and murder. Black Muslim Bakery in Oakland officially sold By Josh Richman, STAFF WRITER - OAKLAND TRIBUNE Article Last Updated: 11/30/2007 08:46:41 AM PST OAKLAND - A - U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge has approved the sale of the defunct Your Black Muslim Bakery's North Oakland headquarters for use as a nonprofit center serving people with AIDS and other critical illnesses. In a hearing Thursday afternoon, Judge Edward Jellen authorized court-appointed trustee Tevis Thompson to sell the property at 5832 San Pablo Ave. for $1,052,000 cash to NCK LLC, a partnership buying the property for Vital Life Services. The money will go toward satisfying the bankrupt bakery's creditors, including an investment fund holding the mortgage on the building, the Internal Revenue Service, and the state Franchise Tax Board, among others. Jellen also approved a back-up offer of $1,051,000 tendered by Paulette Arbuckle, a North Oakland woman whose real

Looking for Uptown, Cafe VanKleef, Air Lounge, Luka's and other Oakland nightspots and eateries? You can find them all here! Now, Oakland Focus has a new widget on the right where you can see the location of restaurants and nightspots in downtown Oakland and around Lake Merritt. Give it a spin and tell your friends! And stay tuned for more Oakland-specific tools here!

This is from Wiretap Blog Save The Bubble The idea is pretty straight forward: An 8-foot bubble of private space should be required around anyone entering a reproductive health facility, including those that provide abortion care. Seems simple enough, right? Too bad nothing involving the word "abortion" is ever that simple. In fact, at a recent City Council meeting in Oakland, CA where this notion was proposed as an ordinance, the pro-life/anti-choice community showed up en mass to articulate why they were adamantly opposed to the city adopting this law. It went like this, people in favor of the "bubble ordinance" took turns at the podium recounting instances when demonstrators had pushed and assaulted clinic staff, blocked entrances to facilities, prohibited cars from entering clinic parking lots, and even videotaped and photographed patients as they entered clinic property. They turned the spotlight off of the abortion issue and onto public safety, explaining

Click To Play This interview was conducted in 2003, just as the effort to restore the Oakland Fox Theater had embarked anew. Here, Phil talks about the importance of the involvement of minority contractors in the restoration of the Fox Theater. He also talks about how he and others have worked to draw more retail, and how now-former Mayor Jerry Brown helped in drawing institutional dollars to Oakand. Chauncey Bailey was murdered earlier this year.

This article below is from KNTV San Francisco -- somehow the Oakland Tribune missed this. But at any rate, I wonder if the residents would feel that way if they had to pay for it? I think the survey may have been rigged to get a positive outcome. 64% Back A's Fremont Ballpark Proposal Researchers: Fremont 'Strongly Supports' A's Ballpark Village POSTED: 2:12 pm PST November 14, 2007 UPDATED: 3:53 pm PST November 14, 2007 FREMONT, Calif. -- Residents of Fremont strongly back a proposal for a new Oakland A's "ballpark village" project, according to results released by a research firm hired by the team. A's organization officials said they hired EMC Research to determine the public's reaction to the plan, released the results Wednesday. According to the telephone survey of Fremont residents, a strong majority supports a new ballbark village complex in the city. Sixty-two percent said they supported the project. Thirty-two percent said they were opp

Cathedral near Lake Merritt could stimulate urban uplift By Rebecca Rosen Lum, Staff Writer - OAKLAND TRIBUNE OAKLAND - Light is the pivotal feature of the 110-foot high Cathedral of Christ the Light sanctuary. As the lakefront cathedral complex has taken shape, it has also generated plenty of heat. The cathedral itself has been compared to a nuclear reactor, a basket wrapped in glass, an architectural symphony and, in the words of Bishop Allen Vigneron, "A great soaring vault." Architectural merits aside, Oakland's business community says it is also helping to generate something the district needs: economic development. "I think it's an absolutely phenomenal project," said Joe Haraburda, director of the Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce. "It will become another landmark that people will visit and (will help them) come to appreciate Oakland for the diverse place it is. It will stimulate more interest in Oakland — yes, in development, too." W

I was driving past this gas station in suburban Oakland, CA -- Emeryviile, CA - when I saw a gas price menu that just made me cringe. It had a highest price of $3.82. That's almost $4 per gallon. So I turned around and turned into the station to make this video for the CNN YouTube debates. Gotta see this menu!

This is great advice and direction if you wish to serve on Boards and Commissions in Oakland. (Scroll down for the list.) The City of Oakland has over forty Boards and Commissions on which more than four hundred citizens serve as members. The system of boards and commissions provides an opportunity for residents who have special experience, expertise, and interests to participate in the City's decision-making processes by advising the City Council on numerous issues. These groups provide a forum for greater community participation and input into local government to facilitate quality decisions. Although each City Board or Commission has a different purpose and function, all serve in an advisory capacity to the City Council by addressing community needs. Board members and commissioners perform an invaluable service in assisting the Council to fulfill its obligations to the citizens of Oakland. If you wish to serve on a Board or Commission, read more and download an application a

Some who are against the Oak to Ninth project will claim this as a victory, but that's wrong. This doens't throw out the Oakland City Council's approval of the project, as reported elsewhere. Judge tosses Oak-to-Ninth impact report New development project write-up in works taking into account court's concerns By Kelly Rayburn, STAFF WRITER - OAKLAND TRIBUNE Article Last Updated: 11/21/2007 02:42:49 AM PST OAKLAND — Two sides are claiming victory this week after a Superior Court judge issued a ruling on two lawsuits that challenged Oakland's massive Oak-to-Ninth development project. The legal battle pitted the city and project developer Oakland Harbor Partners against the Coalition of Advocates for Lake Merritt and the Oakland Heritage Alliance over questions of whether the city adequately considered the impact the project will have on the surrounding environment. The two groups filed separate lawsuits. Judge Jo-Lynne Q. Lee ruled on them simultaneously Friday. I

As it seems, more and more, cities and counties and states must take care of their roads, freeways, and right-of-ways, else they could be massively sued. City of Berkeley Responsible For Hole In Fence That Man Passed Through, Leading To His Death - Daily Californian After a man was killed by a train while trying to take a shortcut across the tracks Thursday, railroad investigators say the city of Berkeley was responsible for fixing a hole in the fence he intended to pass through. While walking and talking on his cell phone, Berkeley resident Scott Slaughter, 31, was fatally struck at 8:15 a.m. by a Chicago-bound Amtrak train just east of the Berkeley station under the University Avenue overpass. Instead of walking farther to a pedestrian crossing at Hearst Avenue, Slaughter attempted to cross two sets of tracks to pass through a hole cut in the fence on the other side, said officials at the Alameda County Coroner’s Office. “He was on his way to Truitt & White lumberyard, where

Flawed Oak To Ninth Referendum Killed By City Attorney, But Lawsuit Challenge To Action Dropped In October of 2006, and pointing to a major flaw in a referendum to delay the controversial Oak to Ninth Development Project, Oakland City Attorney John Russo killed the petition drive. The reasons he gave at the time were: Here are the facts: • The City of Oakland is required, upon request, to provide a date-stamped, certified, hard-copy of any ordinance; • The Referendum Committee finally requested a certified, hard-copy of the ordinance on September 8 th –several weeks AFTER the signatures had been turned in; • The Referendum Committee claims they were told by the City Clerk’s office they could download the ordinance from the website, but cannot tell us who specifically gave them this direction; • The copy of the ordinance that the Referendum Committee used read “NOT ACCURATE –TO BE UPDATED” on the Table of Contents; • Even though one of the primary concerns for the Committee was a pote

Well, I've not checked it out, yet, but OaklandGoods has . I'm writing about the report that the new Franklin Square Wine Bar's open for business. It was started by the founders of Luka's next door -- well accross the street (Broadway) -- and from what my friends tell me, it's quite nice. Franklin Square Wine Bar, 2212 broadway, 510.251.0100

Although it's one year -- actually less than that -- away, the website for the Fox Theater is now live and operational. It's an informative publication at http://www.oaklandfox.com and shows how the "Fox Theater Restoration Project", under the direction of California Commercial Group and Phil Tagami, is coming along toward its October 2008 completion. Visit the site, and donate to the construction effort . When you do, this is what you get... $250 Friend of the Oakland Fox: 2 Grand Opening Gala Tickets $500 First Nighter: 4 Grand Opening Gala Tickets $1,000 Key Grip: 8 Grand Opening Gala Tickets, Lobby Recognition Plaque and more! $2,500 Best Boy: 8 Grand Opening Gala Tickets, Tile on the Fox Walkway of Stars and more! $5,000 Stage Manager: Reserved Table at Opening Night Gala, VIP Access for 4 guests and more! $10,000 Promoter: Your Name or Logo on the Promoter Banner, 2 Tickets to exclusive Green Room Reception and more! $25,000 Headliner: Your

While this Oakland Tribune report explains how the East Bay -- which includes Oakland -- has a declining hate crimes rate, this article in the San Francisco Examiner points to a finding that San Francisco, while seeing a declining rate as well, as a statistic higher than that for any city in California. Drop in East Bay hate crimes defies trend By Matthias Gafni, STAFF WRITER - OAKLAND TRIBUNE Article Last Updated: 11/20/2007 08:26:24 AM PST Despite a jump of nearly 8 percent in hate crime incidents nationwide last year, the East Bay continued to see a downward trend, according to the FBI's hate crime report released Monday. Contra Costa and Alameda counties have seen their combined hate crime numbers drop 36 percent since 2002, according to the statistics. Hate crimes have dropped each of those years, with a five-year low of 53 last year. The release of the 2006 hate crime statistics comes as two East Contra Costa agencies continue to investigate two high-profile alleged hate