Bruce Bratton hosts University Grapevine, linking local and campus issues, every Tuesday 7:30-8:30 p.m. on KZSC 88.1 fm.
|
BULLETIN FOR NISENE MARKS WALKERS. THIS JUST IN
On Jan 23, 2006, at 3:18 PM, Advocates for Nisene Marks wrote: "We have gotten a report that Aptos Creek trail in Nisene Marks State Park has a major slip-out between the trailhead at the bottom of the incline and the switchback area. It is extremely hazardous to attempt to cross. We are sending out this notice because, if you attempt to do the loop from White's Lagoon and Big Slide trail to Aptos Creek trail, you won't discover the impassable section until you've covered most of the distance. The
only way out is to retrace your steps to White's Lagoon - which could add hours to your trip and possibly leave you stuck in the dark. Please let any other park users know about this. We have notified State Parks, but it may take a little while for them to be able to get a sign installed at Whites Lagoon letting people know about the slide.
Chris Foster.....The Advocates for Nisene Marks.
BEATING AROUND THAT BUSH. You can never accuse Molly Ivins of being easy. If you haven't read why she doesn't support Hillary Clinton for anything, click here http://www.alternet.org/story/31109/.
PETE McCLOSKEY TO RUN FOR OFFICE. Eagle eyed Kate Minott, longtime friend of the courageous ex-congressman, sent this announcement. Far and away the best liked Republican to ever hold office in California, McCloskey has much to offer and impossible odds against winning...but he's doing it.
January 21, 2006 latimes.com : California
McCloskey to Take On Pombo.
The ex-congressman and GOP maverick, who is 78, said he is battling for the party's 'soul.'
By Tim Reiterman, Times Staff Writer
SAN FRANCISCO - Former U.S. Rep. Paul "Pete" McCloskey, a maverick Republican who opposed the Vietnam War and helped write the Endangered Species Act, said Friday he will run against Rep. Richard W. Pombo (R-Tracy), a leading critic of how the government has applied environmental protection laws. Nearly a quarter of a century after he last sought public office, the tough-talking, 78-year-old ex-Marine said in a telephone interview that he decided to challenge Pombo in the June 6 GOP primary because of the congressman's efforts to weaken environmental laws and connections to figures in a Washington corruption scandal. "This is no Republican Party I recognize today," McCloskey said. But he was candid about his chances, saying he wouldn't have decided to run if he could have found someone else to take on Pombo.
"I do not have a clue about whether I can win or not," said McCloskey, a lawyer who served eight congressional terms representing the San Francisco Peninsula. "It will take five months out of my life and is a worthy cause. We are going to debate critical issues. You could call this a battle for the soul of the Republican Party." McCloskey, who describes himself as a moderate, is best known for running against Republican President Nixon in 1972 while challenging his Vietnam War policy. He served as Republican co-chairman of the first Earth Day in 1970 and subsequently worked on environmental causes, including whale protection and the private land conservancy movement. "About everything I have been connected with since 1970, this guy would like to roll back," McCloskey said of Pombo.
Pombo, 45, a cattle rancher and six-term lawmaker who heads the House Resources Committee, has been a vociferous critic of many of the nation's environmental laws and regulations. He is a driving force behind a bill to revise the 1973 Endangered Species Act, which critics say would gut protections for plants and animals. The bill, which passed the House, is pending in the Senate. He has also pushed to limit the scope of the National Environmental Policy Act, which environmentalists call the cornerstone of the country's environmental protection. McCloskey, who raises horses, olives and oranges on his retirement ranch in Yolo County, said he has rented a studio apartment in Lodi so he can establish residency in Pombo's district and run against him. He said he is looking for a home to buy there.
The district sprawls across parts of the Bay Area and Central Valley counties of San Joaquin, Contra Costa, Alameda and Santa Clara and includes new bedroom communities and agricultural lands. McCloskey concedes he has a steep learning curve about issues such as development behind aging river levees, which Pombo has worked to fix. He said he knows only about three dozen people in the entire district, and has not raised any money. But McCloskey is undaunted by accusations of "carpet bagging" or of being too old to serve. "When you get to be my age, you can deplore and wring your hands and play golf and lurk around the house," he said. "I thought I ought to get involved."
McCloskey said he was deeply offended by what he called a corrupt Washington culture exemplified by pending criminal charges against former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Texas and the recent guilty pleas of lobbyist Jack Abramoff to federal charges of conspiracy, mail fraud and tax evasion. The Times reported this month that Pombo received $40,000 in political donations from Abramoff, an associate and a Massachusetts Indian tribe represented by Abramoff. The congressman later championed the tribe's efforts to get recognition.
The newspaper has also reported that Pombo and Rep. John T. Doolittle (R-Roseville) joined DeLay in trying to stop a federal banking investigation of Houston businessman Charles Hurwitz in the collapse of a Texas savings and loan. Pombo had said the regulators were strong-arming Hurwitz in seeking $300 million for Hurwitz's part in the savings and loan failure, which cost taxpayers $1.6 billion.
McCloskey's last ran for office in 1982 when he was defeated by Pete Wilson for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination. No matter what issues McCloskey raises for his political rebirth, he has virtually no chance of succeeding in such a conservative district, said Republican political consultant Ray McNally.
"I think there is a greater chance that the sun will stand still in the sky," he said. "Very few voters will know who he is, and when they find out, they will disagree with what he stands for. "McCloskey said he would formally announce his candidacy Monday at a Lodi restaurant. Copyright 2006 Los Angeles Times.
McCloskey has many friends here in Santa Cruz County...and at times like these, friends count.
MEET KRXA'S PETER B. COLLINS. More than a buzz has been going around about the new progressive radio station KRXA AM, that's AM 540 on the dial. Peter will be at the monthly meeting of The People's Democratic Club of Santa Cruz County this Thursday night (26th) in LONDON Nelson Community Center. Peter hosts his daily program live (we can call in) from 3-6pm. He's also a program manager at KRXA. Talk about needing friends...a progressive radio station in today's political climate really, really needs friends. Meet Peter and hear what he and the station are up to. I'll save you a seat.
RITTENHOUSE RUMORS. As one famous quote has it, "I hate repeating rumors, but what else can you do with them?". So, is it true that the extension of time that Louis Rittenhouse has to come up with a plan and backers to develop his property at Church and Pacific is almost over? Our recent City Councils have bent over forwards to give Louis everything he asked for on that prime property. Now let's see what the current group will come up with. In spite of everything I still think that some of the plans that were presented that showed how a mix of small retail businesses and even a restaurant would succeed beautifully where the empty lot has stood since 1989, AND the plans included a plaza! Look how often the sidewalk space in front of O'Neill's is used, and how friendly everybody is when they're watching a performance...why not a real plaza? At Pacific and Church?
MORE ON NEW YEAR'S EVE. After printing Santa Cruz police officer Lt. Rudy Escalante's positive take on how peaceful New Year's Eve was in downtown Santa Cruz, police officer Colleen McMahon also called me to say more about how New Years went. She said the police, "were prepared for anything to happen but there were less than most New Year's Eve arrests". She added that there was "a nice mix of people" and that most people came down just for the Town Clock celebration, enjoyed the fireworks and the dj, and left right afterwards. She estimated that there were around 4 or 5,000 attendees as compared to last year's 8 or 9,000. She concluded by saying it was "not a bad night".
LAST WEEK'S DISCO PHOTO. Now we can say with absolute authority where last week's historic photo, that showed the Disco Store, was taken. As Assemblyman John Laird said, it was where Nob Hill Grocery is now in Capitola. Also Dixie Rutherford who said it was on Bay Street, Lee Quarnstrom said it now contains the County Board Of Education Offices, Phil Reader relates that The Disco store had a restaurant right in the middle of it and Jim Ellmore said the same thing. Many, many thanks for all the replies. Too many times no one responds because you figure everybody else will, that's only rarely true. Besides that, it's nice just to hear from you, thanks again.
SHAKESPEARE SANTA CRUZ NEWS. Secret inside sources say the plays this year will be King Lear, As You Like It and Pygmalion. This will be their third King Lear, if I remember correctly. You don't suppose that they'll cut Lear's family down to just one daughter, to make it more easily understandable? Remember what they did to Hamlet? But hopefully it'll be a resounding season. Budget cutbacks are causing UC to look at any/all programs like these. But UC wouldn't do that to this community would they?
WORD FOR WORD PERFORMING ARTS COMPANY. Even with an entirely new cast Word For Word presented Amy Tan's "Immortal Heart" last week and once again, left the audience simply stunned at this new style of theatre. Acting and reciting every word from a short story as they do creates a depth of involvement I've never experienced from a play. It's nearly impossible to explain just how it works, you have to be there. Go to their website www.wordforword.zspace.org see where they're playing next and make up some excuse to go see them, you won't forget them.
TRI COUNTY NEWS. Jan Mitchell says a lot in the latest issue of Tri County News. Click here to read her "The Pulse of the Community".
GARY PATTON'S KUSP REPORTS. If you miss hearing Gary's land use reports on KUSP you can read them here every week. Gary talks about developers taking over City Councils, referendums, an environmental job opening!!!...and the predictable dangers of the Pajaro River.
BLEAK HOUSE. Go immediately to KQED TV's website and check out when they're replaying Charles Dickens Bleak House. It's new and not the Diana Rigg version from 1986. It's in six installments and the first part last Sunday night (22nd) was a great example of how good television can be.
LOOKING FOR COMEDY IN THE MUSLIM WORLD. I'm an Albert Brooks fan and this film is another of his tragicomedies. Don't expect to laugh too much but do expect to catch his brilliant digs and slings against the White House, racial prejudice, and anything else that's holy. Go see it.
UNDERWATER EVOLUTION. Kate Beckinsale can do some wrong, like starring in this really awful series. It's not only poor CGI effects, but the plot is undecipherable. It has to do with the Lycans versus the vampires... as if we care!!! We can only guess why Derek Jacobi, and Bill Nighy are also in it. It wasn't previewed for any film critics anywhere, if that helps convince you.
THE REAL DIRT ON FARMER JOHN. Yes, a documentary but a big deal award winning documentary. If you've ever cared about wholesome food, real framing and love to see people who make a difference and are different themselves, this is your film.
EARL JACKSON'S TUESDAY FREE FILM. Next Tuesday 1/31 at 7pm in Thimann 1 (not 3) Eric Khoo's 1996 film Mee Pok Man. Earl says don't read about this film, too many spoilers, just go.
EARL JACKSON'S WEDNESDAY FREE FILM. Once Upon A time In China will be shown at 7pm in Merrill Academic 102 Wed. Jan 25 on the UCSC Campus. Its part of a six film series, all free and open to the public that addresses race, nation and sexuality. As usual, there's a discussion afterwards that'll cover lots of territory.
QUOTES. "Being published by the Oxford University Press is rather like being married to a duchess; the honor is greater than the pleasure." -G.M. Young. "Having the critics praise you is like having the hangman say you have a pretty neck." -Eli Wallach. "Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some hire public relations officers." -Daniel Boorstin. "We're overpaying him but he's worth it." -Samuel Goldwyn.
Deep Cover
Bruce critiques films every Friday on KZSC-FM (88.1) on The Bushwhacker Breakfast Club at 8am.
It's free! Click here.
|
MORE ABOUT NEW YEARS EVE. Along with the righteous, and justified, anger over the Santa Cruz Police "spying" on the planning sessions for our New Year's Eve activities we lost track, and never saw reports, about the actual results of the Last Night's planning. How calm and peaceful was our Downtown on Last Night/First Night/New Years Eve? The Sentinel didn't print any results that I could see. So I called the police department about this and five days later Lt. Rudy Escalante called me back. Escalante said," It was peaceful, no worse than any other year", "just about like a standard, typical Saturday night", "not as bad as Halloween", "there was a crowd of about 5000 that gathered and left quickly around the Town Clock at midnight" ..."it was fine, without any problems". After years (1975- 78) of asking for police help in staging and emceeing New Year's eve celebrations at the Town Clock and being denied permits each year and doing them anyway with growing success, I can tell you working with the police isn't easy. It isn't any easier when our city councils all give in to any demands, attitudes, or activities of the police and let them have their way. As part of the very first five years of First Night again, I worked with the police, helped program and emceed the Town Clock midnight celebrations. Trust me, our Police Department attitude on New Year's Eve celebrations starts at paranoia, and gets worse. It's too detailed for this space to tell all their fears and instructions about riot control but to hear how they would march in phalanx formation, starting with platoons from behind the Post Office, sweeping down Water Street, and down North Pacific with shields and batons was terrifying. They never had to do that, and they still don't. Now with First Night as a planning group gone and hopefully Last Night will continue on we need some more control over the police not the people, on New Year's Eve. Those police spies are just an uncovered example of that police paranoia.
VAMOS A VENEZUELA. Quite a bunch of locals are taking off Wednesday for Venezuela to attend the "Social Forum Of The Americas" in Caracas. Representatives from Chile, Bolivia, Cuba, Mexico and other Latin, Central American and Caribbean countries will attend, and maybe Canada. The purpose is to get grass roots movements together and exchange stories, experiences, talents, facilities and inspire each other to work on the mutual politics we all share. These locals include Ruth Hunter, Peggy Sullivan, Nancy Abbey, Jean Merrigan, Jane Doyle, Valerie Lasciak, Reed Searle, Alan Fisher, Emily Maloney, Maureen and Mike Smith, Yolanda Provoste-Fuentes, Rose Cohen and Dawn Gable. The group represents several Santa Cruz organizations - WILPF, Truth Out, Three Americas, and Cuba Study Group. The Three Americas organization is sending 150 copies of their new video Silent Forest: the Growing Threat of Genetically Engineered Trees. Assuming they can stay away from the guarapita and enjoy the perros calientes, arepas and churrascos in moderation, we can assume they'll learn a lot that maybe we can benefit from here at home.
HIGHWAY 101 REVISITED. Many more travelers weigh in on the best route from Santa Cruz to highway 101 to Los Angeles. Ren Curry adds, "On the 1 to 101 stuff, we have been traveling to Los Olivos where my grandson is in boarding school. It is near pea-soup Buellton and the Hitching Post restaurant from "Sideways". We used to go through Salinas but got lost every time, both coming and going. One day I was determined to get the directions right, so I did a Rand McNally driving directions on the web. When I asked for the minimum distance trip, it went through Salinas, giving very explicit instructions. (It was also very literal and stupid because it took you off the freeway through Paso Robles and other towns to save distance.) When I asked for the minimum time route, it chose the 156 from Castroville over to route 101. We have used the 1--> 156 --> 101 ever since. It is simple and fast".
Jean Brocklebank adds more than two cents and says, "We always get to and from 101 via Moss Landing to Castroville to Salinas. It may seem like a longer route but it is not. One can comfortably travel 55 mph virtually the whole way (except through the 5 blocks of Castroville and a very short distance through Salinas) which also provides a smooth flow to the 101 on ramp. Better gas mileage too. The nicest thing about it is that one's sanity is preserved...less stop, start, turn here, turn there, no Hwy 17 madness...as well as the esthetics (bird life into Moss Landing, seeing that old still-standing snag in the expansive agricultural landscape just before Salinas, the rare times we get caught at one signal in Salinas and get to see original architecture of the city). All in all, the "time" it takes is like the difference between Hwy 1 to San Francisco instead of 17-280 madness. Maybe 5 minutes more? It's like a history lesson each time, too. Try it; you'll like it!"
Scott MacClelland weighs in with, "One route to 101 is, as you say, through Las Lomas and San Miguel Canyon. However, that may not be the quickest, depending on traffic, especially that horrific congestion that often piles up between the Red Barn and Salinas. In going to Southern Calif. we have often used River Road from just west of the Salinas River all the way down to just north of King City. It's not as fast as 101 (you get slightly bogged down near the Soledad Mission and wending through the west side of Greenfield) but it is much more scenic and unpatrolled. In days past, when we wanted to get to LA as fast as possible, we'd take 198 from San Lucas to Coalinga, then 33 to ten miles south of 46, and cut over to 5 through Buttonwillow. 33 is only two lanes, but it's straight as a line and unpatrolled; 60 miles of flying low. One of my favorite back roads, especially returning from our daughter's place in Ventura, was 33 through Ojai, over those mountains, then north through the Carrizo Plain. That's a beautiful if leisurely drive, of course, but it also gets you a James Dean burger, if you want, on 46. And, if you sit tight on the Carrizo plain long enough, ole San Andreas will sooner or later rock your world".
True that is a lot of words about a route that doesn't interest you, but everybody else cares a lot. Maybe we can print up a map for all caring contributors so we can all try the various and numerous "best routes".
BULGER ON SAFEWAY. I asked Debbie Bulger if the new Safeway on Mission Street would have a coffee bar/vendor inside the new 63,000 square place? She emailed to say, "Yes the new Safeway will have a coffee bar. As of today, the coffee bar inside the Safeway will be a Starbucks. That is the current partner, but always subject to change. Also, Safeway has filed a variance with the City (and paid variance fees of $1365!) to save the large group of London plane trees lining Mission Street. They intend to plant additional London Plane trees to the west of the Mission Street driveway every 30 feet in an effort to provide a continuous, interlocking canopy. The new store will employ 50 more people than the existing store. The new store will have expanded produce, an expanded pharmacy, a cafe, and the coffee bar. The new mechanical systems will greatly reduce the current energy consumption." So readers, we can see that Safeway is going to be just a wonderful bigger neighbor on our Westside. Then you add those 6000 students and whatdya got???? Well, Safeway says we'll just have 51 new car trips down Miramar Street for starters and of course the new stoplight at Mission and Miramar.
TRISTAN UND ISOLDE, the movie. Richard Wagner's hobby was mucking up famous legends and if you've ever seen or heard Wagner's "T & I" the opera, forget it, this film plot barely comes close to his version of those early (600 AD) lovers. The film isn't the worst costume epic you'll ever see, in fact the acting and photography are pretty good. But wait and rent it. The music is by Ann Dudley whoever she is, and in case you care.
HOSTEL. Once I realized that movies weren't real, I've enjoyed them much more. Knowing we aren't really in outer space or really shooting Indians, or that ghosts and T. Rex's are just pretend, movies changed for me. The same goes for violence and that's why Quentin Tarantino's presentation of director Eli Roth's Hostel was, like "Texas Chainsaw Massacre", a completely absorbing film to watch. Torture, gore, slicings, snips, stabs, it's all in Hostel. No big deal morals, messages, just an action adventure film con mucho sangre. Don't go if you don't appreciate this sort of thing.
SAN FRANCISCO OPERA NEWS. The biggest news for Northern California opera fans is the annual press conference announcement of which operas will be performed in the next season. I go every year and if you haven't seen the list yet here it is, in chronological order. Starting September 8th is Verdi's Masked Ball, Strauss's Die Fledermaus, Verdi's Rigoletto, Wagner's Tristan und Isolde, Rossini's Barber of Seville, Puccini's Manon Lescaut, and Bizet's Carmen. In June and July of '07 it'll be Mozart's Don Giovanni, Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier and Gluck's Iphigenie en Tauride. Not many new productions in this list but I promise you that if you've ever wanted to go to the opera this is the best season I've ever seen for first timers. Remember too that The San Francisco Opera is second only to the Metropolitan Opera in the USA. So think about that, and plan on trying an opera this year. Email if you'd like suggestions, or email the opera if you'd like programs www.sfopera.com .
FUTURE OPERAS. Even more exciting for the jaded opera enthusiasts was the new director David Gockley's list of operas to be performed in future years. I haven't seen these details listed anywhere on the web or in the papers. La Giaconda, Ernani, Manon, Werther, La Fille du Regiment, Nixon in China, Carlisle Floyd's American opera Susannah, Peter Grimes, and I missed hearing it, but www.SFCV.org critic Janos Gereben caught Korngold's Die Tote Stadt. Now ese will be something to see and remember.
WORD FOR WORD. I'm repeating last week's notice because it's important that you see this company. You have to experience the Word for Word Performing Arts Company to hear and see how beautifully their unique performances are. This season they take a short story like Amy Tan's "Immortal Heart" and act out every word on stage. That includes the "he looked at her and said" or "walking away from front door" sentences. It is completely a combining of heater and literature that is engrossing and unforgettable. They'll be here Friday, January 20 and Saturday 21 at 8 p.m. in UCSC's Mainstage Theatre. Call that 459-2159 UC box office number for tickets. Word for Word is one of our areas rare opportunities to see exciting theatre, don't miss them.
PETER BECKMAN ON THE MOVE. Peter Beckman has moved to Washington D.C. Click here and see his next to latest photos and get his address if you want it. Seeing his photos reminds me what a great bakery he runs.
PATTON. Gary Patton discusses the UCSC pay raises and the Regents' president's new power to hand out pay raises!! He also writes about a new golf course in Monterey County that's really a subterfuge for a development scheme. He then talks about our "rail corridor" and a future County wide conference on Economic Prosperity.
EAGAN. The estimable but earnest Tim Eagan alights on Alito and burdens Biden all in one strip...scroll down.
MEA CULPA TIME. Tom Noddy sent a terse and pointed response on Jan. 5 to my running a Bill Moyer piece here. I forgot to run it last week. Tom has a lot to say about Moyers point of view, click here and read it...it'll make you think about Moyers.
QUOTES. "He taught me housekeeping; when I divorce I keep the house." -Zsa-Zsa Gabor. "Don't forget Mother's Day. Or as they call it in Beverly Hills, Dad's Third Wife Day." -Jay Leno. "I always wanted to be somebody, but now I realize I should have been more specific." -Lily Tomlin.
Deep Cover
Bruce critiques films every Friday on KZSC-FM (88.1) on The Bushwhacker Breakfast Club at 8am.
It's free! Click here.
|
ABOUT NEW YEAR'S EVE. Maybe I missed it, but I didn't see any real coverage of what happened in Downtown Santa Cruz on New Year's Eve. I was there and loved the parade. The great and friendly feeling of Santa Cruz Community has never been better displayed. But what happened to the Sentinel coverage? Does that mean there weren't enough arrests? Were there even fewer problems than there were with First Night? Was it so horrible that nobody wants to talk about it? I'm calling the Police Department right now, and I'll let you know what I hear from them.
GETTING TO 101. Thank you for all the responses to the question of getting to Highway 101 from Santa Cruz. Unfortunately so many of you responded in person and I couldn't remember them all and didn't keep track. One possible road to happiness (LA) was the idea of going through Castroville. On first glance, that does seem better than my way of using San Miguel Canyon Road. Yana Jacobs says she uses G12, but isn't that San Miguel Cyn Rd? Let's keep at this until we come up with an answer to which route is fastest, and easiest to get from S.Cruz to Highway 101. And isn't going through Salinas far and away the slowest route?
BOARDWALK TAXES REDUCED? Didn't we just read in The Sentinel an article titled "Amusement park attendance up an average 4.2 percent"??? And is it true that our very own Seaside Company's Boardwalk is asking for yet another reduction in their tax assessment? They've been given enormous tax breaks over the years, more than any other business, and why? Fear of their attorneys? Fear of Charlie Canfield trying to keep a straight face while he threatens to pull the Boardwalk out of Santa Cruz one more time? We need a grand jury study and report on just what the Boardwalk does pay in taxes. Try asking your friendly City Councilperson about Boardwalk finances, see just how uninformed and afraid they are to even discuss the matter...a shame, especially in these troubled times.
IMPORTANT MAN, IMPORTANT EVENT. Reverend Lucius Walker jr. will be in Santa Cruz this Thursday. That's significant because Walker has won the Gandhi Peace Award, The Pastor of Peace Award, The Thomas Merton Award, the Aachen Peace Prize and many more internationally recognized honors. He's organized actions against apartheid in South Africa, worked on humanitarian causes for Chiapas, Puerto Rico, Central America and has led many Friendshipment caravans to Cuba. Walker is the founder and president of Pastors for Peace. He will be talking about the United States continuing war on Cuba at 7 p.m. this Thursday (12th) at the First Congregational Church, 900 High Street in Santa Cruz. There will also be a special screening of Bloqueo, a film that highlights the cruelty and absurdity of the USA's blockade against Cuba. Call 465 8272 for information.
GARY PATTON'S WEEKLY REPORT. Again, don't miss G. Patton's views and news from Sacramento. Read here about his take on land use bills and the need for reform. Read about global warming. Gary also explains Sen. Peralta's bill on General Obligation Bonds. The dangers of increasing the state debt. Do we want to improve our streets and highways, only to encourage more traffic?
CONTAINER BOXES ARE REAL ART. SNEAK PREVIEW. On my last LA trip I glimpsed the newly installed Nomadic Museum for about three seconds as I drove past the Santa Monica Pier instants before heading East to Centinela on the 10. The Nomadic Museum is built from stacking steel cargo containers stacked 34 feet high and covering 56,000 square feet inside. When the Museum opens January 14 through May 14 you'll be able to see 100 huge photos by Gregory Colbert of rare and exotic animals interacting with people. The container museum was designed by Shigeru Ban, who has also created shelters for disaster victims around the world. This will take you to an explanation of the exhibit http://www.ashesandsnow.org/exhibition.
My daughter Jennifer Ansel Boulanger took some photos last weekend so you BrattonOnline readers can have a special preview of what the installation will look like. The Nomadic Museum as we'll see it, opened in New York, then here in Santa Monica, then to South America, Asia, and Europe. It has no home base and will be on world tour "forever". The activity that you see on the beach in the photo at Santa Monica beach are folks putting up 2000+ crosses to honor our American soldiers who died in Iraq. There's a sign on the beach that says that if they put up enough crosses to honor the Iraqi dead, the beach would be completely covered. Like you, I'm not sure either why they chose crosses, probably a Santa Monica thing. But they meant well.
EARL JACKSON'S FREE FILMS. (Part 1). Every Tuesday night now through March 14 at 7pm in Thimann Lecture Hall Room 1 up at UCSC, Earl Jackson jr. presents a free showing of a carefully hand picked film from his Asian film collection, centering on National Insecurities. After the screenings everyone is invited to take part in open discussions that have taught me more about how to watch a film than any other class, book, or lecture I've ever attended. Next Tuesday (17th) we'll watch The Wild, Wild Rose (1960) directed by Wang Tian-lin. Remember, they're free and it's highly unlikely you'll see these films anywhere else, ever.
EARL JACKSON'S MORE FREE FILMS. (Part 2). On Wednesday nights also at UCSC, beginning Jan. 25, the very same Earl Jackson Jr. will be screening a series of films from east and Southeast Asia dealing with race, class, nation and sexuality. There will also be a free flowing discussion after each film. Wednesdays at 7 p.m. in Merrill Academic 102 the first film will be Tsui Hark's (1991) Once Upon a Time In China. Farewell China will follow on February 1st. Screenings are free, non students welcome, see one, see them all, no problem.
CRITIC'S TOP TEN. At least 135 folks attended the third annual film critics free for all at the Nickelodeon last Saturday. It turns out that only Good Night and Good Luck plus Brokeback Mountain were on Lisa Jensen's, Wallace Baine's, Morton Marcus's and my list of top ten favorite films. We didn't emphasize enough on Saturday that our choices had nothing to do with the Oscar predicting. The lists varied from King Kong and Cinderella Man to Korean films such as 2046 and Old Boy. As I say every year, this is your best chance to compare your local film critics top ten with your own choices and go accordingly. See a whole bunch of critic's lists at http://www.criticstop10.net/2005/
AMERICANA. The Santa Cruz Chamber Players will be playing music by Edward Mac Dowell, Samuel Barber, William Schuman, and Randall Thompson this Saturday the 14th at 8 p.m. and Sunday the 15th at 3 p.m. in the Christ Lutheran Church, 10707 Soquel Drive in Aptos. (Take the Freedom Road turnoff from hwy 1 over the freeway and take a right at the first stop onto Soquel, you can't miss the Church...look for the sign).
PAUL HOSTETTERS PICKS OF PICKERS. Paul's list of hot events is mostly down home and out of town music this month, but check it out so you won't miss what's important. http://www.lutherie.net/live.music.html
DVD'S HD OR BLU RAY? Remember the manufacturer's battle between making VHS or Betamax the way to go with video tapes? Remember too how we heard that Betamax was really better but we were all sold on VHS anyways? Same thing's happening with DVD's!!! Now that we all have our DVD players and are still baffled by how to program them, the industry has announced new types of DVDs that are far superior. Superior in the amount of content they can hold and superior in sharper viewing. But you guessed it... there's either DVD HD or BLU RAY systems and of course they aren't compatible, we have to choose. So if you're about to invest in some super DVD player do a bunch of research and try to guess which system will win, it seems that the DVD industry can't decide so they'll fight it out for our loyalty and big bucks.
MATCH POINT. Woody Allen has made a career of having hang-ups and deep seated problems. One of his problems is that Ingmar Bergman is his favorite director. Once again Woody tries to copy him in Match Point, his newest film that stars Scarlett Johansson. Johansson is Allen's newest blonde point of focus, and the film is very good but not up to Allen's Crimes and Misdemeanors. Be sure to see it and enjoy the old 78's of Enrico Caruso singing opera all through the film.
RUMOR HAS IT. I almost went to see Grandma's Boy until I read many reviews calling it the worst film of 2006, and that's a huge statement when you stop and think about it. Rumor Has It features Jennifer Aniston (I like her acting more each time I see her), Shirley MacLaine and a much improved Kevin Costner. This "sequel" to "The Graduate" is good fun, highlights Pasadena, and go see it if you like laughing.
QUOTES. "Millions long for immortality who don't know what to do with themselves on a rainy Sunday afternoon." -Susan Ertz. (This one is deep) "They sicken of the calm, who knew the storm." -Dorothy Parker. "Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn." -John Muir (who else?).
Deep Cover
Bruce critiques films every Friday on KZSC-FM (88.1) on The Bushwhacker Breakfast Club at 8am.
It's free! Click here.
|
GETTING TO HIGHWAY 101. It never dawned on me just how many Santa Cruzans drive back and forth to LA until I started getting all the responses on Oxnard and using Las Posas road in Camarillo to cross from highway 101 to Highway 1 while going to and fro. Now let's get down to the big crunch...assuming you too can't stand driving Freeway Five and like the scenery, wineries, ocean views and the Gaviota rest stop, how do YOU get from Santa Cruz to highway 1? For years I've been driving south on 1 past Watsonville, taking Salinas Road east through lovely Royal Oaks past the golf course to Werner Road right on Werner for only 1 block, then right again on Elkhorn Road. Go a mile or two, then right again on San Miguel Canyon Road through downtown Prunedale and plunk...there you are on Highway 101. Any better ideas, any shorter, faster ideas? Ever try this route before??
RE: HISTORIC PHOTOS. Len Klempnauer of Capitola caught me unawares about my historic photo promise, he emailed to say, "Last week, when you ran a picture of Newberry's, you promised us a picture of Woolworth's this week. I was looking forward to it. What happened? I did all my Christmas shopping in 1946 at the two downtown five-and-dimes. I was 10. Must have spent a whole dollar. Maybe two. Regarding an earlier photo you published of the boat concession on the San Lorenzo River near the Boardwalk, I think the operator of the paddle boats in the late 1940s to late 1950s may have been a Mr. Gatlin, whose son, Ken Gatlin, was a classmate of mine in the Santa Cruz High Class of 1954. I'm assuming they had the same surname". Thanks Len, see above photo. Anyone have any photos of that paddle boat/ fishing concession on the mighty San Lorenzo River?
MIKE CONNOR TO REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY. Mike Connor, former staff writer at Metro Santa Cruz, leaves that job this week to start his new career working at the Santa Cruz Redevelopment Agency!!! Such a shift has never happened in the history of western civilization, and all bets are on, and all good wishes are being sent.
THE TWO WORLDS OF GARY PATTON. Read about Lompico and their San Lorenzo River water problems, then read about Pajaro Valley's water problems. See how and why The Sierra Club intervened in a lawsuit with the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District. Then read Gary's two world hypothesis or why we should get involved with our local politics. Go here!
NEW MUSIC WORKS. It's no joke when Santa Cruz's New Music Works presents their annual Night of the Living Composers. This year we will hear compositions by Charles Boone, John Joyner, Paul Nauert, Bernard Rands, George Crumb and the estimable Phil Collins himself. David Tannenbaum will play guitar, soprano Colleen Donovan will sing Rands' Ballad 2 and a good time will be had by all. Our New Music Works deserve special medals for all the new music they bring to our community. This much anticipated evening happens Friday, January 13 at 8 p.m. followed by a CD release party at UCSC's Music Center Recital Hall. Call the UCSC box office at 459-2159 for tickets
WORD FOR WORD. You have to experience the Word for Word Performing Arts Company to hear and see how beautifully their unique performances are. This season they take a short story like Amy Tan's "Immortal Heart" and act out every word on stage. That includes the "he looked at her and said" or "walking away from front door" sentences. It is completely a combining of heater and literature that is engrossing and unforgettable. They'll be here Friday, January 20 and Saturday 21 at 8 p.m. in UCSC's Mainstage Theatre. Call that 459-2159 UC box office number for tickets. Word for Word is one of our areas rare opportunities to see exciting theatre, don't miss them.
BILL MOYERS TAKE ON THE FUTURE. Chris Boland sent this moral and ethical update from Bill Moyers on where we are headed as a nation. It's not pretty and definitely not for Bush type Christians to read. Moyers titled it "There is no tomorrow".
THEY'RE DOING IT IN PORTLAND. Judi Grunstra found an inspirational website that details how Portland, Oregon is taking matters seriously and is turning part of their city around. Judi goes one step further and asks why can't Santa Cruz do the same thing? Read it carefully, look around the website, file it under favorites, and think about it. http://www.cityrepair.org/about.html
DAMNED MEDIA FOR 2005. Ron Sandidge sends in this column from Geov Parrish of the Seattle Weekly. Geov tells us about such over reported stories as Terry Schiavo, Michael Jackson, Howard Dean and the myths about Iraq. Geov then goes on to write about the seriously underreported stories of the year. Read it here.
MOVIE CRITICS MEET ON SATURDAY. Wallace Baines had his top ten films for 2005 in The Sentinel last week, Lisa Jensen's 10 appeared in Good Times last week too. This Saturday at Noon Morton Marcus and I will announce our top ten and we'll see what happens. Come to the Nickelodeon for this exercise in tag team wrestling, it's free. More importantly bring your favorite top ten (or top 2) and let us know where we went wrong. It's good fun.
A CINEMA EVENT. We watch TV for hours on end and when it rains some good people even watch it nearly all day. But when you mention that there is a new film out that transcends all films ever made and that its six hours long (shown in two parts) they groan. Liz Taylor's Cleopatra (4 hours and 3 minutes) is generally regarded as the longest film made, as a film. Fassbinder's Berlin Alexanderplatz was an amazing 15 1/2 hours (it was originally made for TV, as was Shoah at 9 1/2 hours). The new lengthy masterpiece is the Italian film with English subtitles "Best Of Youth" directed by Marco Giordana playing now at San Francisco's Balboa Theatre. It's the story of two brothers growing up over a time span of 37 years and how they grow apart and how Italy changes during that time. Reviewers like Roger Ebert, The New Yorker, LA Times and Mick LaSalle of the SF Chronicle all say things like "Best Of Youth is more than a film, it's a privilege to watch, it's a complete novel". I'll tell you, no one stirred for those six hours at the Balboa and I'd have watched another six hours easily. Go to www.balboamovies.com and check out the screening times. Plenty of good restaurants near the theatre too. Better yet, call the Balboa at 415-221-8184.
MUNICH. Steven Spielberg must have felt a deep need to make this film. The point being that political violence is futile and will probably never end. It's a depressing film, and it's supposed to be. It's also exciting, tense, frustrating, and excellently acted. The important concept to realize is that along with Syriana, Good Night and Good Luck, and some others, films are being made on topics that need addressing in these times. More than that, audiences are going to these movies. See Munich.
WOLF CREEK. A better film than Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and in the same category or genre as Morton Marcus would probably say. These are not your Freddy Kruger slasher/Hollywood/exploit/scare jobs, these films go much deeper than that. Wolf Creek is an Australian film and it's a big hit there. Amazing editing and photography, and bloody, savage, senseless violence, and more than that, the teen aged audience in Watsonville's Green Valley 8 Cinemas where I saw it, stopped their giggling, noisy babbling, and using cell phones then sat very quietly, and even applauded at the end. So it must be good.
THE PRODUCERS. If you loved Mel Brooks 1968 original film with Zero Mostel, Gene Wilder and Dick Shawn, don't bother seeing this new ultra hammy tourist version with second rate copies Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane. Uma Thurman is almost worth the price of admission, but the same jokes that worked and surprised us 37 years ago are boring now. Springtime for Hitler should have been redone as Birthdays for the Bushes for starters.
FUN WITH DICK AND JANE. The same review goes for this film too. Jim Carrey and Tia Leoni can't hold candles to Jane Fonda and George Segal's original version. Besides that getting laid off and looking for work isn't very funny nowadays. Don't go.
MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA. Friends who read the book told me it seemed unauthentic and over worked, and I certainly thought this film was the same. Nothing about the film seemed genuine. The American accents, the sets, none of it worked. It would be worth renting later. Some critic mentioned that the closest thing America ever had in the past to compare with Geishas were airline stewardesses
CASANOVA. Heath Ledger should stick to mumbling like he did in Brokeback Mountain. Playing Casanova with the script they gave him is just about embarrassing. It's fun to watch Venice, the costumes, and Jeremy Irons, plus Oliver Platt and Lena Olin but like all the other Casanova film attempts, this one also fails to portray Casanova as the author, writer, musician, politician, spy and even secretary to the cardinal that he was. Rent this one too.
QUOTES. "You'd be so lean, that blast of January would blow you through and through. Now, my fair'st friend, I would I had some flowers o' the spring that might become your time of day." -William Shakespeare, The Winter's Tale. "Never put off until tomorrow what can be put off until the day after tomorrow just as well." -Mark Twain. "I am thirty years old, but I read at the thirty four year old level." -Dana Carvey.
Deep Cover
Bruce critiques films every Friday on KZSC-FM (88.1) on The Bushwhacker Breakfast Club at 8am.
It's free! Click here.
 |
© 2003-2010 Bruce Bratton • info@brattononline.com • HOME |  |