The Advocate

Untitled (1968) by Rothko If I were If I were a month, I'd be mid-July when seawater meets a desert wind If I were a day of the week, I'd be Thursdays If I were a time of day, I'd be the dead-man's hour between two and four AM If I were a planet, I'd be Pluto If I were an animal, I'd be a chinchilla If I were a direction, I'd be left as all hell If I were a piece of furniture, I'd be an old leather reading chair If I were a liquid, I'd be Mexican Coke If I were a gemstone, I'd be a blood-red ruby If I were a tree, I'd be the tallest sequoia along the coastal mountain-range If I were a tool, I'd be duct-tape If I were a flower, I'd be the Bakawali flower that only blooms once in a year If I were a kind of weather, I'd be a sunny-day with white clouds like pillows If I were a musical instrument, I'd be a rust-stained saxophone If I were a color, I'd be darkest blue If I were an emotion, I'd be melancholic If I were a fru...

( By Owen Gent) I'm a Jew who believes in the right of Jews to self-determination in our ancestral homeland . I'm also a Jew who believes in the right of Palestinians to self-determination in their ancestral homeland . I don't see either of these two stances as contradictory but rather mutually affirming.  I reject bigoted and extremist definitions of the labels, and increasingly the various movements, surrounding this conflict. I've struggled (from my relatively privileged place in the diaspora) to support peaceful, mutual coexistence, when so many on all sides are deeply invested in a status quo they paradoxically admit is unjust and untenable. I've also struggled to connect with more people who have a shared reality of the conflict and shared values around ending it. But even after a lifetime surviving virulent antisemitism while the world burns, I have hope. A hopeless hope against hope because the only alternative would be to lay down and die. Well, fuck that....

( Photo credit here  by artist Lia Tin) As American fascism continues its steady stride across the world , I'm back again with your regular roundup of warnings and strategies. This is especially important as the Trump regime has explicitly said it will attempt to interfere with and, if possible, even cancel midterm elections in America . So, what is San Leandro doing? Well, the City Council is still fighting amongst themselves, even as they face a deadline to fill an the seat vacated by former District 2 Councilman Bryan Azevedo. The usual suspects  from among our bottom barrel roster of local leaders are out campaigning  for the chance  –  but not from the voters. No, they'll need the vote of the very City Council currently flailing in dysfunction .  That leaves it to the people, per usual, to step up to protect our democracy. So let's talk about how you can get involved right now to build a better San Leandro. Because no one else is going to do it and t...