Bruce Bratton hosts University Grapevine, linking local and campus issues, every Tuesday 7:30-8:30 p.m. on KZSC 88.1 fm.
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REDEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE. It wasn't easy entering the 11th annual "Northern California Conference on Redevelopment Abuse" in Oakland's Park Plaza Hotel last Saturday. The reputation and early leaders of this battle against Eminent Domain are at least Republican and further right than that. Three stalwart friends Wolfgang R., Reed S. and Mike J. (last names omitted to protect them from those rampant Republicans). Orange County Supervisor Chris Norby is head of this group and presided all day. Let me surprise you (as we were surprised) by telling you who was there and who supports this anti Redevelopment movement. Former Oakland Mayor Wilson Riles attended all day, Congresswoman Maxine Waters will speak at their April 22 conference in Burbank, gays, women of all ages, environmentalists, anti Wal-Mart people, anti sport stadium folks, and the theme was FIGHT EMINENT DOMAIN ABUSE. The only other Santa Cruzan present that we found (by reading name tags) was Ron Lau, well actually I've known Ron for decades.
The day was filled by speeches from victims of property that was first declared BLIGHTED then seized by Redevelopment Agencies under Eminent Domain. Numerous stories of how property owners are not paid "fair market value" for their property, how small businesses are seized, and destroyed only to build bigger businesses (like The Lau property on Pacific). We heard about how City Councils across the state have no control over Redevelopment Agencies when it comes to sources of funding, or changing the blighted area designation once it's declared. We heard dozens of times about Redevelopment Zones being created only to remove the poor, especially the blacks and completely failing to help them relocate. Business owners reported how much harder it is to move a small business than to move a family. They reported how Redevelopment Agencies claim to create jobs, stimulate economy, and use blighted property for greater public use, but can not prove it has ever worked as promised. We heard about vacant malls that replaced viable small businesses. Daly City Councilwoman Judith Christensen, Democrat, supported by The Sierra Club sat right behind us and reported on how the Anti Redevelopment Abuse movement is bringing liberals and conservatives together and there were cheers and raised fists in the room. Attorney Chris Sutton who has fought Redevelopment Agencies all over the state told of recent polls on Eminent Domain that showed opposition as "being off the charts". It's subsidizing private enterprise, it's taking money away from schools, fire and police protection and we need to do something, especially in Santa Cruz. The best idea so far is to elect new City Council members who see clearly and understand how seriously "blighted and eminent domain" takeovers have been and are being used in our city. Start out by reading up on Redevelopment. I have a dozen websites from the conference, but I haven't checked them out yet. Go to www.redevelopment.com and I'll try to keep up on this.
PEOPLE'S DEMOCRATIC CLUB. County Supervisor Mardi Wormhoudt will be talking about the state of our county at the PDC meeting 7p.m. Thursday Oct.27 at LONDON Nelson Community Center. The PDC has taken stands on the propositions facing us; NO on 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78 then it's YES on 79 and 80 and locally YES on A and B.
COASTWATCHERS. Mark Massara emailed to say they enjoyed Christopher Krohn's report at Bratton Online last week on the Coastal Commission's meeting concerning the Seaside Company's illegal blocking of the public access to the beach, they linked it to their website at www.coastwatcher.com. You need to get on Coastwatcher's email list. They do a great job of keeping tabs on the skullduggery and skulking by greedy developers along our entire coastline.
MONTEREY'S MEASURE W. Margie Kay sends us Monday's Monterey Herald letters to the editor, all about their measure W. Read Bill Monning's letter, read about Felton's water problem... click here
GARY PATTON. Find the latest Land Use Reports here, as always.
MY NEW CAR. I got a car and thank you very much for the suggestions, sightings, ideas, viewings, and many other responses. It's a 1998 Pontiac Grand Am. I paid $1000 under Blue Book, my favorite mechanics at Moulton's Union station in Aptos by the Bleu Spoon tested it, and it passed beautifully. Polly Klaas Foundation is towing my old UC campus cop car away. Thanks to N. Wolfe and S. Zunes who offered to give me their 1983 Saab, and thanks too to Susan Samuels Drake who spotted a white Mercury in Capitola. Tom Conn found the Pontiac for me. Tom is a friend of Dick Bender's and he searches for cars at dealers, auctions, anywhere. Call him at 408 489-2297 tell him your needs, the price you can afford, and he'll shop for you. When he finds what you wanted he gives you the keys, you drive it around, get it tested, no obligation. I recommend him completely. Be sure to clear any car you're thinking of with Carfax.com. Carfax will give you the specific car's complete legal and repair history. The online version of Kelley's Blue Book is the place to start, but do get in touch with Tom Conn.
EL TEATRO CAMPESINO. Jim Bierman was kind enough to send all the details on El Teatro Campesino's 40th Anniversary which is happening this weekend. Going to their theatre in San Juan Bautista is an exciting theatrical and scenic experience. Click here
HOT DAMN STRING BAND. Yes, it is true the Hot Damn String Band will be playing at Bookshop Santa Cruz's Birthday party on Friday November 4. Details to follow. It's also true that the hard copy edition of Bratton Online will soon be for sale at the Bookshop for folks who don't do internet. I'll let you know more about both of those world shaking events, I promise.
NORTH COUNTRY. Charlize Theron is simply too beautiful, yes she is an excellent actor but it is nearly impossible to get past her beauty to hear or believe what's she's relating. This is another Hollywood formula film. You know the story and it is decently told, but wait and rent it. Frances McDormond and Sissy Spacek are ok but Woody Harrelson doesn't seem like an attorney, maybe a hockey player but not an attorney.
WHERE THE TRUTH LIES. Kevin Bacon is not close to funny, and he's certainly no Jerry Lewis and Colin Firth is no Dean Martin. Oft lost director Atom Egoyan goofed seriously in trying to make Bacon and Firth into Martin and Lewis for no good reason in this very confusing murder mystery. One half of the audience left trying to figure what the plot was and the other half didn't care...don't go. Not even for all the sex scenes, they're fake too.
FOG. I wanted to try out my new car so I drove to Scott's Valley 6 Cinemas to see The Fog. There is a scene that may remind you of The Flying Dutchman but don't go, and don't rent it either. And the original film by John Carpenter was miserable too.
TWO FOR THE MONEY. Oops, it's gone already and that's ok. You're better off. Even Al Pacino didn't save this sport gambling film. Rene Russo and Matthew McConaughey also work very hard with this hammy no-direction mess. There are however a few minutes where Pacino talks to a Gamblers Anonymous group and says some interesting things about addicts. Watching it at home wouldn't be so bad because you don't usually pay very close attention when you watch at home.
EARL'S WEEKLY FILM. Showing this Wed. 7 p.m. free at Baskin 101 Auditorium is (according to Earl)... "Yangsando (Kim Kiyoung 1955) is based on a folktale/folksong about two young lovers separated by the evil son of a landowner. The film is one of the most subtle and complex uses of traditional Korean music ever accomplished. Kim Kiyoung is among the great directors of the world- his work includes the horror/melodrama masterpieces The Housemaid, Iodo, Carnivore, Killer Butterfly, Woman of Fire, and Fool Hunting. Yangsando is the earliest of his surviving films and demonstrates a tenderness not in evidence in his later works". I think it's pretty stylized and the ending is lost, and it's historic, so go warned.
PETE McCLOSKEY TO RUN AGAIN? Kate Minott forwarded this article from the Contra Costa Times about ex congressman Pete McCloskey considering running again...it's worth reading. It has to do with why good people aren't running for office anymore. A lesson many good people in Santa Cruz should think about in time for the next City Council election. WE NEED GOOD CANDIDATES.
PALINDROMES. Like Sudoku, palindromes are difficult to stop thinking about. As mentioned before palindromes read the same backwards. There are one word surprises like deified, civic, kayak, racecar, sexes, and solos. Two word marvels such as puff up, we few, a Toyota, and no Stetson, then there are the world wonders...a slut nixes sex in Tulsa...do nine men interpret? Nine men, I nod...If I had a hi fi....and two real lulus, Tarzan raised Desi Arnaz' rat...and because I was born near there, Niagara, O roar again. You can blame almost all of those on P. Hostetter. Stop and think about some human being actually coming up with that Tarzan Desi Arnaz rat one, does it make you wonder?, it does me.
SUDOKU. A better Sudoku website than the one I mentioned last week is www.websudoku.com. I still can't do the ones in the Chronicle, I make too many mistakes.
QUOTES. "Know him? I know him so well that I haven't spoken to him for ten years." -Oscar Wilde. "As yet, George Bernard Shaw hasn't become prominent enough to have any enemies; but none of his friends like him." -Oscar Wilde. "He was a great patriot, a humanitarian, a loyal friend-provided of course he really is dead." -Voltaire.
Deep Cover
Bruce critiques films every Friday on KZSC-FM (88.1) on The Bushwhacker Breakfast Club at 8am.
It's free! Click here.
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BOARDWALK ORDERED TO OPEN ILLEGAL GATE, AND MORE! Former Mayor and community activist, and SCRP member Christopher Krohn went to San Diego last week to testify to the Coastal Commission for not allowing the Seaside Company to lock and fence the eastern gate to the Boardwalk. He won his case and the Sentinel reported about 1/10 of Krohn's news. Here's a special complete report that Christopher wrote while in San Diego. It's long but its must reading if you want to understand what is going on between the Seaside Company and the City of Santa Cruz. Chris also warns right us right at the top, "Disclaimer: THIS IS A BIASED REPORT". READ IT HERE
BOARDWALK BUSINESS. Now that the figure of the more than 3 million people go to the boardwalk every year has been made public, we need to re-do our math. You go and figure the amount of city taxes the Boardwalk should pay just for the $10 per car that they've been charging for years. Now check out Susan McCabe, she's the Seaside lobbyist who tried to work the Coastal Commission over in San Diego. Go to her website at http://www.mccabeandcompany.net/pages/10/index.htm She represents almost every developer and movie star who's ever wanted to make big money by developing our California Coastline. Chevron Santa Barbara, Cypress Point Golf Club Pebble Beach, Sea World San Diego, David Geffen, Malibu, Barbra Streisand (of course), Cal Am Water, Monterey. She also has represented The Rand Corporation, Santa Monica, BF Goodrich, Lorillard, Methanex Methanol. Mc Cabe's lobbying is big time and for sure the Seaside Company isn't fooling around. As previously mentioned in this space this City Council is the most wishy-washy, kissy-poo council we've ever had. They'll do anything for an easy buck in the name of social programs; we need to watch them more closely than ever as they continue their dealings with Charlie Canfield, Susan McCabe, Dick Wilson, John Barisone and Ceil Cirillo. Has anybody ever stopped to think how much cleaner, more ethical and especially profitable to the city it would be if we had an OHLONE Indian Casino there instead of the Boardwalk? There are many Ohlone Indians in our area, and the City would make much more money in taxes than Charlie Canfield would ever dream of parting with!! Don't laugh too quickly, think about it.
WEEKLY ATTRACTIONS. Thank you even more for your appreciation in our running Gary Patton's weekly KUSP Reports and Tim Eagan's political cartoons. It is indeed a pleasure to play host to such fine talents. Check out Tim Eagan here, and Gary Patton here.
PALINDROMES; AHA, WOW, and DON'T NOD. Thank you all for the great contributions, and we'll get to them ASAP. Joe Levine sent in "Able was I ere I saw Elba", supposedly said by Napoleon after his release from the island of Elba. "Yosemite nine times? Oy!" and Yreka Bakery (They used to have a slogan that they were just as good forward as backward or some such)", from Assemblyman John Laird. Debbie Bulger weighs in with what Adam said when he met Eve: "Madam, I'm Adam". Paul Hostetter sent in about 175 palindromes. I'll save 'em and share some slowly such as "Oh no! Don Ho!" and "No, son! Onanism's a gross orgasm sin -- a no-no, son". Paul also asks, "Do geese see God?".
WATER, WATER PROBLEMS EVERYWHERE AND NOT A DROP... Kate Minott sends in this article that provides much needed background on what's happening to water problems all around the US. Read it here.
GOOD NIGHT and GOOD LUCK. This Edward R. Murrow vs. Senator Joe McCarthy tribute should be required viewing for anyone wondering what's happened to our major news sources in the USA over the last 55 years. George Clooney, David Strathairn, and everyone involved with this film should be given special awards not just by Hollywood but by the media associations. See this film, then try to watch read or listen to what they call news coverage on TV the newspapers, or NPR. Then guess why this distortion has been allowed to happen. An absolutely excellent and important film.
DOMINO. Keira Knightly plays Laurence Harvey's real life daughter and we do get to see Delroy Lindo again, who needs some great parts soon. But this film is a mess of tricky techniques, nonsense editing, and special effects that go nowhere. All style and no substance is the kicker here.
ELIZABETHTOWN. There are some really fine moments in this boy meets girl film. Some near Mamet dialogue, then it goes back to stupid. Kirsten Dunst and Orlando Bloom are the leads and they do good acting jobs but the script and direction aren't worth experiencing.
IN HER SHOES. Watching Shirley MacLaine and Cameron Diaz act is a rare treat. They both do a creditable job in this film. Toni Colette is always good, so that's no surprise, and this film is a lot better than you think it is. Definitely rent it when it comes out.
MIRROR MASK. It's rare that I doze off during a film. You know how you just sort of lose track of the plot when you're bored, you open your eyes and note that the plot hasn't moved since you last woke up? Then drop off again? Well I slept so soundly during Mirror Mask that an onscreen explosion woke and startled me so completely I couldn't even remember where I was. Unless you can't get to sleep any other way, don't try to stay awake by seeing Mirror Mask.
SANTA CRUZ GUERILLA DRIVE IN MAKES BBC NEWS! Rico Thunder's cinema gift to the Santa Cruz community got a mention in an international report on the growth, yes, growth of drive-in's around the world check it out. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4332896.stm check out all the details on our Guerilla Drive-in at http://www.guerilladrivein.org. They'll be showing Dawn of The Dead Oct. 28, and closing the season with City of God on November 11.
PATHER PANCHALI AT UCSC. Indian film star Sharmila Tagore and Dr. Partha Mitter will be discussing film maker Satyajit Ray ("wry") before a special screening of a newly restored print of Ray's classic film Pather Panchali. It'll be this Sunday Oct.23 at 4p.m. at UCSC's Music Recital Hall. Its free and open to the public. If you haven't ever seen Satyajit Ray's films this is his best, and the one to start with.
EARL JACKSON'S UCSC FREE WED. FILM. I asked Earl for a sentence or two about this week's free films Wednesday night at 7 in UCSC's Baskin Auditorium 101. Being Earl, he sent... "Read or Die Episode 1 (Masanari Koji 2001). This is the first of three 30 minute episodes of the OVA [Original Video Animation]. There is also a 26-episode tv series which ultimately reveals secrets within the OVA series embedded so deeply within the stories logic that there is no indication that there are secrets left to uncover The OVA deals with a secret agency arm of the British Library that protects the world from book-related crimes. It features the librarian Yomiko Readman, also known as The Paper. She battles a troupe of famous people resurrected through their DNA who are out to steal her copy of Undying Love. The intrinsic interest of the OVA is heightened in its poignancy to watch it in the US where reading has become a rapidly dying habit.
Movie #2. The Mysterious Object at Noon (Apichatpong Weerasethakul) Apichatpong took his camera crew to various regions in Thailand where he recruits locals to improvise an ongoing saga about a crippled boy and his mysterious tutor. The impulse is inspired by the classical surrealist narrative game, Exquisite Corpse, but this version allows the lives, rhythms, passions, and poetry of the Thai participants to weave other layers and levels in the tapestry of the film. Beautiful and moving on levels like 3-D Chess.
BAY LINKS. Jan Mitchell waxes acerbic on Monterey bay growth from the October issue of the Aromas Tri County News here. Margie Kay tells us what the Monterey Herald said about big money being spent on public water issue in Monterey County. Read that, then note again the piece above about Susan McCabe representing the Cal Am interests.
EARTH FIRST! BETTER THAN EVER. Either you know about Earth First!, or you don't. Trying to describe the accomplishments of this nearly ancient non-organization is almost impossible. In view of the recent Timber Harvest Plans going on around the county, Earth First! is announcing a get together Monday, October 24 at 7 pm at the Sacred Grove 924 Soquel Avenue. Bring your friends. Call 427-2626 for information.
BEWARE OF SUDOKU!! Stacey Vreeken tried to explain this simple game that has become a disease to me at the Cabrillo Music Festival, luckily I didn't see how easy or infectious it was then. Last weekend Joyce Crain demonstrated it to me on www.sudoku.com. If you have avoidance issues with crossword puzzles, Tetris, solitaire, then stay the hell away from Sudoku. The Chronicle runs one daily. Avoid it at all cost...except that it's free. They even have children's versions. Great fun though, and Crain says it's improved her mental capacity!!
QUOTES. Scott MacClelland sent all of these music quotes. "It is sobering to think that when Mozart was my age he had been dead a year." -Tom Lehrer (an old quote) "The English may not like music, but they absolutely love the noise it makes." -Sir Thomas Beecham. "Clarinet, n. An instrument of torture operated by a person with cotton in his ears. There are two instruments worse than a clarinet - two clarinets." -Ambrose Bierce. "Music is your own experience, your thoughts, your wisdom. If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn." -Charlie Parker. "Only sick music makes money today." -Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche. "I would rather play "Chiquita Banana" and have my swimming pool than play Bach and starve." -Xavier Cugat. "Flint must be an extremely wealthy town. I see that each of you bought two or three seats." -Victor Borge, playing to a half-filled house in Flint, Michigan
Deep Cover
Bruce critiques films every Friday on KZSC-FM (88.1) on The Bushwhacker Breakfast Club at 8am.
It's free! Click here.
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WATSONVILLE IS BURNING. It's burning from the fires of developer's greed. Is there going to be a development of 2250 homes? Will developers succeed in their underhanded paying of their own EIR? Just how much farmland will the Watsonville City Council trade off in their opposition to what Ellen Pirie and Mardi Wormhoudt of our County Board of Supervisors are trying to warn them of? There are important meetings to attend, Saturday, October 15 and the Public Hearing on Tuesday Oct. 18. The best thing right now is to connect with Friends of Buena Vista - go to www.friendsofbuenavista.com AND read for yourselves how easily it was for the developers to sneak this plan through. Think too of the added traffic, the amount of water, and how much the loss of agricultural farmland will cost us and future generations.
LA BAHIA PROJECT. The Barry Swenson Developer team invited the community to see their "new" presentation of what they want to build after they tear down the old La Bahia Motel on Beach Street. It was almost exactly the same building as they presented before. Instead of seven stories above ground they have it now as five above ground and two stories below. Although the aesthetics of the city of Santa Barbara are discussed often and are much desired, only rarely is it pointed out that Santa Barbara has a two story height limit, not five. Many La Bahia questioners (not opponents) worry about the ripple effect of allowing one developer 5 stories and the turning of our beach front into a FLORIDA-WAIKIKI nightmare. Swenson had a student intern make a scale model of the proposed La Bahia which was a positive factor in seeing how it would look next to the Casablanca complex. The La Bahia will be maintained by some unknown management group and will be a hotel condo. Rooms/suites will be sold and the owners can't stay more than 2 weeks per year without a tax loss. It'll have 120 rooms with 172 parking spaces and a meeting space of 5000 square feet.(that's only about 70' x 70'). They're promising a beach downtown shuttle and it'll have 3 penthouses on each of the two towers. La Bahia will employ 125 during the summer and 85 from September through May. Swenson promises to re-locate or duplicate the plaster tower from the old La Bahia. There's a long way to go on this project, but by letting the community in on the developing stages Swenson has avoided many mistakes that Ceil Cirillo's Redevelopment Agency has yet to learn.
PETER BECKMANN HAS LEFT THE AREA. I'm very late in announcing this, but in case you hadn't noticed Peter Beckmann of Beckmann's Old World Bakery has moved to New York City. Peter's doing graduate studies in Economics at New School University. Peter's the type of guy, like LONDON Nelson, who believes in doing good things for the community he lives in. I don't know when Peter's coming back, and I'm sorry I missed his big party in August before he left, but he is already missed.
USED CAR FOR SALE? I'm serious and almost desperate about needing a car. Some low mileage, non Volvo vehicle around $3000 or a little more. Email immediately, please?
COMIC NEWS GOES INTERNET. Thom Zajac created Santa Cruz Comic News many years ago. It was and is still copied by at least 30 other weekly editorial cartoon newspapers all over the world. Now Thom and ally John Govsky, digital media instructor and palindromist at Cabrilho College are almost ready to launch their online version of Comic News. It's a natural and I'll include a link here someplace, soon as I get one.
WALLACE & GROMIT; CURSE OF THE WERE-RABBIT. Well, grandson Leonardo, now celebrating his first birthday, could only take about half of this new and nearly brilliant film. About a month more and he would have walked out but dad carried him out instead. Grandson George sat transfixed through the whole thing plus a very unfunny Madagascar Penguin cartoon short that preceded it. George never mentioned Wallace & Gromit after we left the theatre. Daughter Jennifer liked it better than I did. I think we've either seen too much of a good thing or I'd been expecting as many new and clever things from W&G as we've enjoyed in their earlier incarnations. It was about as near-great as the first Toy Story or Shrek. In the big screen viewing you get to see the creator's finger prints in the clay figures and that's amazing. As critics are saying Gromits limitless-expressionist face should rank up there with Chaplin's and Keaton's and Gromit has no mouth!! Do see it, many laughs guaranteed.
SEPARATE LIES. Emily Watson, Tom Wilkinson and Rupert Everett make this film a masterpiece of ethics, morals, and the meaning of love in London's upper class. The story is well told, it's intelligent, and it'll have you asking yourself all sorts of "what would I do if that happened to me" type questions. Don't miss it, especially if you haven't seen an intelligent film in a long time.
ADDED CONFERENCE CENTER NOTE. Jeff Major, one of Swenson's presentation team, mentioned at last week's La Bahia presentation re occupancy of area hotels that, "The Coast Hotel has a problem with repeat business", which comes as little surprise to any local. This comes from an industry insider, and is just more proof that any city investment in that ugly "Dream Inn" would have been a disaster. No wonder the corporate owners were so eager to get financial help in making it over.
CUBAN FILM. Don't just rent any old Cuban film at your local video store and expect to see something great, I've seen some really bad Cuban films that way, that's circa 1995-2002. Advance word at IMDB.com and local sources tell me that Hacerse El Sueco or "Playing Swede" is a fine light comedy from director Daniel Diaz Torres. The Cuba Study Group will be showing it Thursday, October 20 at 7 p.m. at the Live Oak Grange 1900 17th Avenue between Capitola Road and Highway 1. Call. 465-8272
MORE ABOUT LONDON NELSON. I'll never give up trying to convince Santa Cruz do-gooders like Franklin Marshall to right the wrong done to LONDON Nelson, and correct all the misspellings of Nelson's name. Here's an email from Peter Willis:
"Bruce (if I may), I've read your opinion about the mistaken spelling of the name of the community center with some actual disdain, since I felt it was a waste of time. But recently I talked at length with a man who had the last name London who strangely enough pronounced it Louden. Could this disagreement be a oral versus written history disagreement? Might those who named the community center heard the pronunciation and just assumed the spelling instead of actually researching it, this certainly would not be the first time for such an accident. Why not make this suggestion? ". Peter Willis
Born and Bred Santa Cruzan (50+ years), I replied to Peter that it isn't my opinion, the spelling of LONDON Nelson is a fact, proven in many legal documents during and after Nelson's lifetime. I also told Peter that it was due to a misreading of somebody's handwriting that made somebody spell his name wrong. From all accounts LONDON Nelson was a fine guy who wanted to do something for his community. Here's what historian and researcher Phil Reader replied to last week's column:
"Uncle Bruce!
Keep those flags flying high for LONDON Nelson. It is my fondest hope some day we will give this humble man his real birth name back, after all his identity has been stolen from his family three times. Once by the slavers who kidnapped his ancestor from Africa, again by Nelson the "master", who named him against his mother's will and finally by the people of Santa Cruz who, to this very day, deny him his individuality". Phil Reader.
Phil and I have met with Franklin Marshall who even tries to make money from Nelson's memory by doing presentations and writing a baloney book about LONDON Nelson. Reader showed Marshall documents, legal papers, and newspaper clippings all spelling it LONDON Nelson. Still, Finklin goes with the flow in spite of the proof. We are calling him Finklin Mushall from now on. Like Phil says, we continue to deny London his individuality and it isn't like Santa Cruzans are ever going to name anything else after an African American so we should correct that indecent slap in the face immediately.
SPEAKING OF SPELLING. Ron Sandidge emailed in to add his two cents about how names should be spelled. In this case it's Viggo Mortensen. I had the "Viggo" right last week; it was "Mortensen" I messed up on. Click here for a lot about good old Viggo.
LATEST GARY PATTON REPORTS. Click here to read what Gary Patton has said, and will say on KUSP FM weekly. Read here why farmers in Greenfield want to sell 4000 acres of their very rich land. Read about Monterey Counties General Plan update. Gary works hard to unite us Monterey Bayarenians around our many common causes, stay informed because we're getting plenty of new neighbors around here, like it or not.
WHO PAYS FOR MONTEREY WATER? MARGIE KAY sends this Monterey Herald article on Cal Am's passing on their water costs to guess who? Click here.
TIM EAGAN WRITHES AGAIN. Judging by the many responses, Eagan's colorful cartoons are as popular now as ever. Scroll down after you finish the Quotes and get his take on Bush's friend Harriet Miers or is Eagan trying to tell us something about Hume Cronyn?
PALINDROMES. As mentioned I ran into John Govsky last week. He's responsible for getting me so interested in palindromes. There are celebrity palindromes such as "No, Mel Gibson is a casino's big lemon" (read 'em backwards). Short ones like, "I prefer pi", How about, "Ah, Satan sees Natasha" referring to Ms. Kinski I guess. "Party booby trap", "Bald elf fled lab", "Now evil, I've won" and a fine closer..."Borrow or rob?" Got some favorites?
QUOTES. "I had a large gay following, but I ducked into an alleyway and lost him." -Emo Phillips. "I do not believe in using women in combat, because women are too fierce." -Margaret Mead. "If you are married, it takes just one to make a quarrel." -Ogden Nash. "The difference between divorce and legal separation is that a legal separation gives a husband time to hide his money." -Johnny Carson.
Deep Cover
Bruce critiques films every Friday on KZSC-FM (88.1) on The Bushwhacker Breakfast Club at 8am.
It's free! Click here.
The Webmistress
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FRY'S ELECTRONICS IN SANTA CRUZ. Mr. ? Warren, formerly of Ray Tek, and a hired consultant by the City, said in his report to the city council about how to develop Santa Cruz business-wise happened to mention Fry's Electronics by name, as a possibility of businesses that would or could open a business here. The open arms welcoming of especially Fry's and any size store they wanted, in any location, well almost any location, would forever eliminate the ANTI-BUSINESS label that Mr. ? Warren and others have so unfairly used as a mantra over the last years. Big Box stores, huge multinational franchises and especially businesses that have tried to sneak in through the urging of our Redevelopment agency, with no public input, aren't welcome here. They are not welcome in a growing number of communities across the country either.
RUBBER STAMPING JOHN BARISONE. Late breaking reports say that instead of an annual review of John Barisone's work and performance as the Santa Cruz City Attorney, which happened every September, his pay, which is about $1.5 million, has now been made a line item as part of the City Budget. No more performance evaluations, just a rubber stamping. Sources say that our city could get the same amount of work done by an in-house staff and it would cost less than one half million. If you're still talking to anyone on the City Council see what they think. NO, make that ask them what they'd be willing to stand up for. We need those extra dollars Barisone is charging us.
LONDON, NOT LOUDEN NELSON. For more years than you can imagine I've tried to convince this community that the former slave who died May 17, 1860 and left his property to the schoolchildren of Santa Cruz was named London Nelson and not Louden. Historian/researcher Phil Reader has provided me with copies of London's will, his probate, his property deed and all early newspaper articles that list his name as London Nelson. He was born in Carolina, moved with his master to Tennessee and then to California where he was freed. His master named his other slaves after England cities Marlborough and Cambridge which should give you a clue right there. Joan Gilbert Martin was doing some research recently and emailed us to say....
"I know you champion the correct use of London Nelson's name and I just came across it used correctly by Leon Rowland in one of his research cards at UCSC's Special Collections. As he died in 1952, it seems it was common knowledge at that time that the name was London".
Here is the transcript of Card #1006 in Box A3:
HILLMAN, Samuel R. Dropped dead on steps of Unity church on afternoon of July 4, 1884, after parading with Patriotic Order of Sons of America; aged 71; native of Delaware. (Sentinel obit said Philadelphia). Came to Santa Cruz in 1853. Bachelor. Had furniture and cabinet shop and cottage on upper corner of old Mission Hill school grounds, in 1860. When London Nelson's estate settled in 1875 Hillman's cottage was bought and moved, trees cut and lot added to school grounds. At the time of death lived alone in a cottage on Locust Street "on the hill" Played in first band. Close friend of John B. Perry. Designed Congregational church of 1858.
HELP! My old cop car is in the final stages of losing its transmission. I'm looking for something around $3000. Maybe a mid size, low mileage vehicle?? Let me know if you know of anything. I've tried Craigslist, the Sentinel's New Today listings, and lots of places but maybe you know of someone who has a gem that needs loving care? Get in touch asap, please.
BOATERS VENT ANGER WITH COAST GUARD. Scott MacClelland sent this clipping from the Monterey Peninsula Herald. It was written by Andre Briscoe, Herald staff writer. We have a lot of boat people in Santa Cruz, and these dark ghosts of the Bush Administration seem to be getting closer every hour. Read the whole piece.
They condemn surprise late-night search. More than 40 people packed a small meeting room in Moss Landing on Wednesday to vent their anger to a Coast Guard lieutenant who ordered a random, late-night search of boats just before the start of the Labor Day weekend. "You really freaked out a lot of people here," said one woman, who did not give her name. "People were threatened by your men if they even opened their mouths. I heard that there were people who were boarded because they opened their mouths (to protest the search)."
Around 10:30 p.m. Sept. 2, a team of Coast Guard officers on a boating safety operation boarded at least eight boats moored at Moss Landing Harbor; many of the residents said more than eight vessels were boarded. Some residents were awakened and ordered by the Coast Guard to allow them in, many in the audience said. Lt. Todd Warren, who ordered the search, told the audience that the boarding was part of a five-day exercise. The Coast Guard also boarded fishing and recreational vessels in Monterey Bay and boats in Monterey and Santa Cruz harbors. One by one, the on-boarders -- people who live on boats docked at the harbor -- stood up to express the anger they felt when heavily armed guards boarded their boats. Nearly a month after the searches, the anger hasn't subsided.
"There's no question that everybody here would agree that you went about this the wrong way," said Tim Hess, who has lived at the Moss Landing dock for eight years. "You had a choice of a dozen ways to go about this, and you picked the absolutely worst way to show how you're here to protect us." Warren said during the meeting, organized by the Coast Guard, that the operation was the Coast Guard's attempt to deter criminal activity in Monterey Bay, to ensure that boaters are safe and to enforce laws.
"I knew coming here that you were upset, but I want you to know that I want to work with the community," said Warren. "You have shown that you're taking on that responsibility and I want to show that I'm here to help." When asked if the Coast Guard would conduct surprise searches of docked boats in the future, Warren said no, citing the public response to the Labor Day searches. Most who spoke said they admired the Coast Guard and appreciated the job it does, but they questioned whether its duties include searching boats tied at docks.
"I was in the Special Forces myself, but we never rousted people out of their homes for no good reason," said David Wiseman, a 30-year resident of Moss Landing who has lived in a boat on the dock for the past nine months. "It was a violation of my constitutional rights. If you had been going after someone with probable cause, you would have had our full support." Some who attended said that some Coast Guard personnel cited their authority under the Patriot Act for the searches without a warrant.
"We have missions we have to accomplish and things we have to take care. What I wanted to get out of tonight's meeting, I think happened," Warren said. "They vented their frustrations and that's something I needed to hear and be a part of. Now hopefully we can move on and work together."
To give comments or feedback to the 11th District Coast Guard, go to http://www.uscg.mil/D11/
Go to: montereyherald.com to comment, ask questions or give feedback to the 11th District Coast Guard. Andre Briscoe can be reached at 646-4436. Thanks to Scott for sending this. I never heard of any Coast Guard boarding Santa Cruz vessels in our yacht harbor around Labor Day, did you?
A.C.T.'S THE OVERCOAT. I'll never again have the chance to say just Google Gogol but if you do Google Nikolai Gogol and read this magnificent Russian classic writer's short story The Overcoat, you'll love it. I went to see San Francisco A.C.T's much hyped and sold out production with the same name in its closing weekend, last Saturday and it was terrible. Ads and reviews used names like Chaplin, Beckett, Fritz Lang, and Buster Keaton in selling this Canadian touring company take off on Gogol. They made it into more of a Chicago movie type musical or an MGM Gene Kelly show biz extravaganza than anything you'd expect from Gogol's story. 22 dancers trying to add meaning to recorded Shostakovich waltzes, ballets, and jazz suites only succeeded in removing any possible humanity and profundity from Gogol's masterpiece.
NOODLE NOTE. If you do go to any A.C.T. play this year at the Geary Theatre, and they have some good ones like King Lear with James Cameron and August Wilson's Gem of the Ocean in February 2006 coming up, try the King of Thai Noodle shop right across the street at 420 Geary. Quick service, affordable prices and iced Thai coffee. They're open Sun-Thurs 11am-1:30am, Fri-Sat 11am-2:30am.
ANOTHER SAN FRANCISCO TIP. I've subscribed to The Chronicle for years, hoping to keep up on the performing arts and stuff in the city. The Chron or the S.F. Weekly or The Bay Guardian don't come even close to containing the listings for the Arts and Cultural events in San Francisco. Go to www.sfArts.org and check it out. It's better to grab a printed copy when you're up there, but for instance there's the Turk Murphy musical salute Oct 16, in case you missed last year's sold out Lu Watters tribute. The California Chinese Orchestra, Left Coast Chamber Ensemble playing Adams, and Copland, then there's An Afternoon with Joseph Cornell, The Symphony Parnassus playing Beethoven and Mozart with David Abel, soloist. I'm not sure about mentioning the "Tyra Kzya ...All Female Ensemble of Tuvan Throat Singers", they'll be at the Asian Art Museum Thurs. Oct 20. Female Tuvan Throat Singers would be a big hit in Santa Cruz, but they're probably not playing here. But do check out San Francisco Arts Monthly, a classy 20 page tabloid size glossy monthly publication.
WHAT'S IN A WORD? I'd actually forgotten about palindromes until a friend said he missed seeing them in the column. Palindromes, in case you'd forgotten, are words like kayak, civic, and noon that read the same backwards. Of course folks started putting them together and came up with phrases, and entire sentences that read backwards such as A Toyota, No Stetson, Gnu Dung and Evil Olive. It gets more complex like, "Dammit, I'm mad", "A nut for a jar of tuna", "A Daffodil slid off Ada", and then there are deep meaning ones such as "A dog! A panic in a pagoda", "And E.T. saw waste DNA", or two favorites for the week, "A slut nixes sex in Tulsa" and one for Dan Coyro... "Cigar? Toss it in a can, it is so tragic". There must be zillion more or as Bush would say, a brazilian more out there, have any favorites? Send them in, and we'll share.
THUMBSUCKER. If you can imagine Keanu Reeves as a dentist, you'll love this little, funny picture. It's about a kid who sucks his thumb... obviously. Vince Vaughn, and Tilda Swinton play nice parts and you'll laugh through out the entire film.
MACHUCA. Aside from leaving out any/all mentions of the covert USA/CIA involvement in overthrowing Allende in Chile in the 70's, this is an engrossing film. It's about two 11 year old boys who come from families belonging to the warring Nationalist and Socialist factions. It shows, maybe too two-dimensionally, how civil wars affect the citizens (Collateral Damage). The plot could have been (and has been) set in any country at any point in history, the omission of the USA involvement is another story and another movie, as long as the audiences realize that this film is supposed to be fiction, it's worth seeing.
PROOF. Friends who saw the play said they couldn't get the point, and after seeing Gwyneth Paltrow and Anthony Hopkins rip and tear their way through this film I don't know what the point of the film is either. Paltrow tries to play "geeky" and "disturbed" but reaches only "flakey" and "hammy". Wait and rent it during the holidays, but not when your parents are with you.
A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE. It's a shame it's so rare that you can identify the director of a film by just watching it. Most films are so stylized, commercialized and homogenized, and produced by boards of directors that a director's style and unique contributions are lost. That's not the case with David Cronenberg's A History of Violence. This film is about violence and families...anyone can learn from its gritty message, that is if you like well made films that have something to say. William Hurt has about 5 minutes on screen and is magnificent, so is Ed Harris, so is the star Viggo Mortenson, and his screen wife Maria Bello are all perfect for their roles. Only Heidi Hayes as the dutiful but strange child is not very good and I hope she never makes another film. Remember it's got violence aplenty.
EARL JACKSON'S FILM. This Wednesday at 7 p.m. in UCSC's nearly-lovely new Baskin auditorium 101, Earl's showing the 1931 silent classic by Ozu Yasujiro, Dragnet Girl. Earl will act as interpreter and the public is invited, and it's free.
GUERILLA DRIVE IN FILM. On Friday October 14 you can watch Rubin and Ed starring Crispin Glover, so you know what that means. It's free; on Fair Avenue near the railroad tracks, bring folding chairs, blankets and whatever you need to stay warm.
MYSTERY SPOT SPOILED? NOT!!! This "news" item just came in on Monday Oct. 3 at 12:19 pm. It explains in scientific terms just how the Mystery Spot fools our senses and we knew that all along right?? It's exactly what The Sentinel will cover with an in depth article as soon as they can. But for those non-Sentinel readers, this is a lot of fun. UCSC Psychology Professor Bruce Bridgeman has written a paper for the current issue of Psychonomic Bulletin you can read it at http://www.psychonomic.org/pbr/contents.htm... Nope, I just tried and you can't read it, not free anyway, you have to join the Society. Here's the complete article:
October 3, 2005
Mystery Spot demonstrates power of perception, UC Santa Cruz psychologist explains.
Popular Santa Cruz tourist attraction isn't so mysterious, after all
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SANTA CRUZ, CA--For years, UC Santa Cruz psychology professor Bruce Bridgeman has taken college students to the Mystery Spot, a popular local tourist attraction, to demonstrate how the human brain works.
Tourists flock to the Mystery Spot to enjoy the "puzzling variations in gravity, perspective, height and more," leaving baffled and perplexed by the apparent exceptions to the laws of physics and gravity.
But for Bridgeman, the site is a powerful--and entertaining--way to demonstrate the influence of the visual context on perception. "It shows that you can teach serious science in unexpected places," said Bridgeman, who has published a scholarly article that explains the perceptual effects at work at the Mystery Spot. His article, "Influence of Visually Induced Expectation on Perceived Motor Effort: A Visual-Proprioceptive Interaction at the Santa Cruz Mystery Spot," appears in the current issue of Psychonomic Bulletin and Review http://www.psychonomic.org/PBR/contents.htm
Mystery Spot visitors will recognize the scene of Bridgeman's research: In a cabin on a steep hillside, an 8 kg. weight hangs on a chain from the ceiling. Although the weight hangs vertically, the tilt of the cabin makes the weight appear to be suspended at an angle. Visitors find that pushing the weight one way is perceived as much more difficult than pushing it the other way. Rather than a magical defiance of gravity, the explanation lies in the "mismatch" between expectations and the actual weight: Expectations based on visual information override the proprioceptive experience of moving the weight. (Often referred to as the sixth sense, proprioception is an unconscious aspect of the sensory system that provides information essential to movement.)
Far from spoiling the fun, Bridgeman said understanding the phenomenon adds to the enjoyment of a visit to the Mystery Spot. "To me, it's much more fun to have something that's real than not," said Bridgeman. "The real fun is that you can learn about how your mind works in an interesting setting." Mystery Spot managers welcomed the experiment, he added.
In the study, seven subjects pushed the pendulum away from vertical in both directions and were asked to judge the required effort on a 1 - 10 scale, with 1 described as "effortless" and 10 "immovable." All participants experienced the "effort illusion": perceived effort in pushing toward visual vertical was significantly greater than perceived effort in pushing away from visual vertical.
"The tilt of the cabin makes it appear that the pendulum is suspended in an impossible position," said Bridgeman. "It is as though some additional force holds the weight in this unstable position. That's why the visual illusion is so compelling, and why the expected force applied is so dramatically different from the actual force needed to move the weight." Pushing the weight toward what appears to be vertical will always require more force than expected, and pushing it away will always require less.
"The visual context strongly influences what you perceive, and you can't escape it, even if you know better," said Bridgeman. "Expectations and assumptions are as important to perceived weight as the actual effort required to move objects."
And what does the professor hope students take away from their visit to the Mystery Spot? "We think of our perceptions as being pretty much accurate, but they seldom are," said Bridgeman, noting that people are notoriously inaccurate when they attempt to estimate things like distance and the slope of a hill, too. "The philosophy of the brain is not to be totally accurate but to reduce the chance of error. Perception in the service of action is error reduction."
In other words, he said, "We're wrong, but we're right enough to get us there."####
This exact same release is available on the web at: http://press.ucsc.edu. But if you really want to know the secrets of the Mystery Spot ask Morton Marcus, he had an almost out of body experience at Mystery Spot.
ABOUT ULCERS. Did you read where those Australians won the Nobel prize for discovering that ulcers are not caused by stress, spicy foods, or acids or physiological illnesses but by bacteria...an infection? Ulcers can be treated and cured with antiobiotics and bismuth compounds. They're also working on the very real possibility that Rheumatoid arthritis, artherosclerosis, Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis are also caused by infectious bacteria.
QUOTES. "Jack Warner has oilcloth pockets so he can steal soup." -Wilson Mizner. "For three days after death, hair and fingernails continue to grow but phone calls taper off." -Johnny Carson. "Clark Gable-if you said "Clark, how are you?" he was stuck for an answer. -Ava Gardner. "My doctor gave me six months to live, but when I couldn't pay the bill he gave me six months more." -Walter Matthau.
Deep Cover
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