LOVELY SANTA CRUZ, February 11, 1961. This is the corner of Dakota and Soquel Streets where The Hindquarter is located now. It was known as John's Hof Brau back then. That's Wilson Brother's real estate VW van, and there isn't another store even Radio Shack nearby. photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection, click for bigger version. Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com

WHOLEY F.(as in Whole Foods) VS. LOCAL MARKETS ONE MORE TIME.  I'd forgotten that Whole Foods tried to open here twice before and was successfully stopped. They wanted to open a store where Staple's is over on 17^th. Then Whole Foods tried to open where West Marine is located, next to Staple's. Each time they were stopped because of neighbor's concerns over traffic problems. Last week many folks were kind enough to point out that the Sentinel's price comparison chart showing items priced at various area markets was seriously skewed, either by intent, because The Sentinel is getting desperate for advertising bucks and sees Whole Foods as a big source of those ad bucks OR just incompetence. I've been informed that Staff of Life has no $6 jar of jam as an example. And that to choose those particular items may just have made it a fixed chart. As a point I learned that Staff Of Life has a staff of about 90 employees, which is much larger than I thought. Folks need to remember that in these tough times, the profits from businesses with headquarters outside the county go out of our county, and we need every nickel to keep our city and county budgets as healthy as possible!!

RAINBOW'S EMAIL. Read here to see what Rainbow says about Whole Foods humble beginnings. Rainbow asks why not rant and rail against Safeway...answer?? because they are already here and we don't have the need for any more like them. BrattonNote...I imagine Exxon, Borders, Coca Cola, and even Chiquita Banana also had humble beginnings...so??? On the other hand Rainbow likes my movie reviews!!

GLUTEN MAXIMUS EMAIL. Karl Fieberling emails to tell us," Being seriously allergic to wheat, soy and other foods, Whole Foods Market is the only place I can buy certain basic foods. Therefore, I drive to Los Gatos or Monterey every 2 weeks to stock up. If I could buy those foods at the New Leaf or Staff of Life or any other place in Santa Cruz, I would. For me it is not a choice, it is a medical requirement. Eating the wrong foods has landed me in the hospital emergency room. I'm not the only one; there are others who buy from at Whole Foods because there is simply no other choice for us in Santa Cruz County. I ask you, would you like to drive to Los Gatos or Monterey to buy food for me every 2 weeks for the rest of my life? Thanks,-Karl Fieberling. BrattonNote...Fieberling, as they say, this is not about you; it's about the more important health of the entire community.

LAST WEEK'S JAMES DEAN PHOTO. Paul Elerick emails in to say,
"The guy on the right of the hot rod picture sure looks like Brad MacDonald". Brad was a key mover and shaker in Capitola politics and real estate or is that redundant?  (Scroll downward past Eagan's political strip to see last week's Del Mar Theatre photo).

ALTERNET STORY ON POT. I happened on a story on Alternet.org that says we have spent over $20 billion dollars enforcing criminal marijuana laws. 16.5 million people have been arrested, and in 1972 a national study was released saying we should change and relax all laws on marijuana. Read about it here, http://www.alternet.org/rights/49597 then figure what we can possibly do about it.

EMAIL EAVES DROP. Part 1. Here's an WORMHOUDT SKATEPARK email letter from Scott Graham, " After it became clear that City was not going to be able to build a skate park next to the sewage treatment plant , Blair Stewart (Stewart the Mailman) and I rode around town on our bikes looking for a good location, we decided that the Mike Fox Park was the best site, as it was only used a lot during any of the Grand Slam tennis matches, We approached Mike Rotkin with this idea and were shot down, because he felt  Mike Fox's relatives would not go along. After that Stewart talked to the director of Parks and Rec., and was given much the same sort of reasoning why it would not work, so he went to the High School's alumni association, and got the names and addresses of Mike Fox's closest relatives. He wrote to them, and they wrote back saying that they didn't think Mike would mind what was there as long as it was being used. Stewart then took these letters to the Parks Dept. They confirmed the letters were for real and started the planning process to build a Skate Park there. Personally I would have liked to have seen the roller hockey court moved to the pocket park on the other side of the Broadway / Laurel Bridge, making the skate park that much bigger, but what we have now is great. As for a name for the skate park, I think most skaters would opt for calling it "The Billy Strubing Skate Park" because I thought the county had already named the Skate Park in Felton after Ken Wormhoudt". Scott Graham. BrattonNote...Scott, that's a nope, a skatepark in Ben Lomond is already named after Billy Strubing who died in a car crash, and none named after any Wormhoudt.

EMAIL EAVES DROP. Part 2. John Tuck a Canadian emailed this example of his native countries wit. "Tim Eagan is well known as a lib/com/gay/bed wetting liberal/symp in santa cruz and environs [big deal,i cant spell--so sue me!]. BrattonNote ...after Wayne Newton, Tuck is Canada's funniest comic. The first funny part of this email is that Tuck and Eagan have been friends for 30 + years, and still are, so this is a Canadian type joke. The deeper and hidden Canadian humor is that "environs" is spelled correctly, and you couldn't sue him anyway, or I'd guess it's something like that.

EMAIL EAVES DROP. Part 3. Barbara Tyger emails to tell us,"Netflix does list Berlin Alexanderplatz but with "future availability unknown".  In a book by actor Farley Granger (star of "Strangers on a Train") called "Include me Out" on page 14 he mentions his family had a beach house in the little beach town of Capitola near San Jose and that his family lost all in 29 crash.  On page 113 he mentions having an affair with Ava Gardner during her Sinatra marriage and taking her on drives up the coast, stopping at Capitola.   However, he says he met her with Howard which would make the period earlier. BrattonNote...I assume that "Howard" refers to Howard Hughes who chased after Ava after she divorced Mickey Rooney, and who wouldn't?

EMAIL EAVES DROP. Part 4. Amongst other brilliant thoughts Judi Grunstra emailed to ask, "Have any creative ideas for a new use of the Sentinel building if they move to smaller quarters? How about having the library move into the Sentinel building (I assume there's more square footage than the present Central Library).  Then level the present library and - hey - how about a plaza there?  Just idle thoughts....Judi G.

SANTA CRUZ CHAMBER ORCHESTRA'S EXCELLENT EVENING. Music director and conductor Maya Barsacq created an evening of beautiful music in the Santa Cruz Chamber Orchestra's performance of Henry Purcell's baroque opera's "Dido and Aeneas" last Saturday night at The Pacific Cultural Center. The lead voices in the opera, the chorus, and especially the orchestra worked together beautifully. Drawing almost equally from San Jose and local talent, The Santa Cruz Chamber Orchestra made this tricky opera into an unexpected night of excitement. Watch for SCCO's May 26^th concert of Contemporary Latin American Classical Music. Go to their website at www.scmusic.org

THE LAST MIMZY. Mostly created as a children's film it has a great first 25 minutes but it goes into too much Tibet, Zen, and the "struggle for humanity not- to-end" stuff. That's all combined with huge amounts of Homeland Security, terrorists, and confusing dead- end plot lines to cancel out any redeeming value of this tripe.

THE HILLS HAVE EYES II. There is absolutely no reason to see this film except...there is one brief scene (three seconds...no more) where one of the monsters who live under the hills and are full of pus and drool a lot, is knocked to the ground. Now beyond the pus and drool, these monsters are so evil they never vote, never show up for vigils, they don't eat vegetables, one even has a picture of Lynn Robinson up in his tunnel, and another looks like Gary Busey!! So anyway while this monster is flat on his back, a good man- soldier is bashing his head in with a rock, and the good woman- soldier who had been kissed, mauled and probably raped by the monster with a 10 inch tongue takes a sledgehammer and with a quick ground level camera close-up smashes the monster right smack in the crotch!! It still hurts to think about and it'll probably get a special effects award but still...don't see this movie whatever you do.

SHOOTER. Imagine an evil and getting old Danny Glover who works for some secret Bush- type agency. Then you have to watch Marc Wahlberg struggle through this mostly chase- type film as a marksman who was hoodwinked. Stupid film makes no sense, only fair car crashes, lots of killing, and George W. probably loves it.

THE HOST. Constant readers probably know that I consider South Korean film makers among the very best in the world. They are creative, gutsy, and get support from their country. The Host is a monster movie unlike any you've seen before. Maybe a little bit of Creature From The Black Lagoon..., and Godzilla, but it breaks so many chemically-created monster stereotypes it's in a class of it's own. You see the monster about 20 minutes into the film and all the way through, and there are laughs, and fears, good fun too Go see it.

UNIVERSITY ATTRACTIONS. Don't ever underestimate the number of cultural attractions that UCSC offers to our community. Here are a few for April just as they were received...

TUESDAY APRIL 3. Opera: Young Caesar. Celebrate Lou Harrison's 90th Birthday and join conductor Nicole Paiement and the Ensemble Parallèle for the world premiere of Harrison's final version of his opera Young Caesar ­ a lavish trans-ethnic work exploring the love affair between Julius Caesar and Nicomedes, King of Bithynea. Inspired by Chinese opera, Harrison created a new operatic style where East meets West. Young Caesar grapples with many contemporary issues that were at the heart of Harrison's exploration – the Pacific Rim and its exotic colors, new theater, and homosexuality. 8 p.m. Preconcert talk by Leta Miller at 7:15 p.m. Music Center Recital Hall.  $28 general, $20 seniors, $12 students. (831) 459-2159. Presented by the UCSC Music Department in collaboration with Ensemble Parallèle.

SATURDAY, APRIL 7 Opera Arias: "Contemporary Arias Gala Vocal Concert." A gala concert of contemporary arias featuring soprano Sheri Greenawald, mezzo-soprano Wendy Hillhouse, tenor Joseph Meyers, and Adler Fellow Eugene Brancoveanu as baritone. Pianist Keisuke Nakagoshi will accompany the singers in an evening of music by Stravinsky, Bolcom, Susa, Menotti, Weill, Dresher, Conte, Harrison, Adams, and UCSC composer David Evan Jones. 7:30 p.m. Music Center Recital Hall. Adults $14, seniors $12, students $8. (831) 459-2159.

MONDAY, APRIL 9.Emeriti Lecture: Bruce Rosenblum, professor emeritus of physics, will speak about: "The Quantum Enigma: Has Physics Encountered Consciousness?" Quantum mechanics is the most battle-tested theory in all of science. One third of our modern economy depends on products designed with quantum mechanics. Cosmological theories such as string theory or that of the Big Bang all start with quantum mechanics. Since its inception eight decades ago, quantum mechanics has mysteriously involved observer-created reality. Describing the archetypal quantum demonstration, Rosenblum will display the boundary where physics encounters the conscious observer. 7:30 p.m. Media Theater. Free. (831) 459-5003. Sponsored by the Chancellor's Office.

FRIDAY APRIL 13. Concert: "Northern Worlds: Swedish Folk and Baroque." Heavenly music based in the rural Swedish traditions, featuring members of the renowned Vasen ensemble, including Olov Johansson, the foremost artist of the Swedish keyed fiddle, and artists from Lux Musica. The distinctive sound ranges from folk to Baroque, with a contemporary flavor. 7:30 p.m. Music Center Recital Hall.  $25 general, $16 seniors, $16 students, $2 UCSC students (with ID) and K-12 students. (831) 459-2159. Sponsored by the Music Department, Santa Cruz Baroque Festival.

THURSDAY APRIL 19. Concert: "Music of Harry Partch." John Schneider leads the ensemble PARTCH in a program featuring the music and novel musical instruments of maverick American composer Harry Partch. 7:30 p.m. Music Center Recital Hall. $12 general, $10 seniors, $8 students. (831) 459-2159. Sponsored by the Music Department.

SATURDAY APRIL 21 Concert: Indian Classical Music with guest artists Uday Bhawalkar, vocal dhrupad, and Manik Munde, pakhawaj. 7:30 p.m. Music Center Hall. $10 general, $8 seniors, $6 students. (831) 459-2159. Sponsored by the UCSC Music Department.

CABRILLO FESTIVAL OF CONTEMPORARY MUSIC. Late breaking news... Maestra Marin Alsop just added two new pieces to this year's performances as of last Thursday, March 22. We'll know what the entire program is on April 16^th when the Fest makes its' official announcement. The Festival itself runs from July 30 through August 12. Single tickets go on sale June 15. This is the Festival's 45^th anniversary. Composers John Corrigliano, Jay Kernis, Mark O'Conner, Michael Daugherty, Kevin Puts and more will all be here along with sopranos Susan Narucki and Amy Burton.  In the meantime AnnieGlass is having a special Cabrillo Festival benefit at their store at 110 Cooper street on March 31 from 10 am -5 pm. Annie Morhauser is introducing two new glass patterns and will donate 10% of those sales that day to the Festival. Annie has been a long time supporter of the Festival.

DINNER FOR UNSUNG HEROES. Celebrate five Unsung Heroes from Santa Cruz County and help purchase a bus that will challenge the blockade of Cuba with the Pastors for Peace this summer. Oscar Rios, Colleen Crosby, Takashi Yogi, Ramiro Medrano, and Bill Burtch have all worked quietly and without fanfare with people of Latin America in their struggles to attain economic, political and social equality. Honor these generous friends who have been chosen by Barrios Unidos, Three Americas, Cuba Study Group and Watsonville Brown Berets. Sam Farr will be the featured speaker discussing U.S. policy and the emerging left in Latin America. Enjoy a South American dinner by Joe Schultz and music by versatile and eclectic guitarist Bill Walker. A very special feature will be a Chilean ballad by classic Spanish vocalist Lorraine Sandoval. Tickets are $20 to $30 donation. For information: 465 8272. It all happens 6 pm Saturday April 14 at the First Congregational Church, 900 High Street Santa Cruz. Enjoy a mojito or wine at a no-host bar. Win a great raffle or silent auction prize. Fundraiser sponsored by Santa Cruz Cuba Caravans, Three Americas, Live Oak Grange and KUSP. The Heroes Dinner is endorsed by People's Democratic Club, Democratic Women's Club, Santa Cruz WILPF and the United Nations Association.

GARY PATTON'S PROGRAM. Gary talks about neighborhood compatibility and its importance and how the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors meets on Tuesday to look for guidelines for new homes. He suggests we let the Board know what we think on this because it's about the General Plan...and he warns that developers can and are constantly changing the Plan to fit their greed. Patton tells about The Transportation Agency for Monterey County and that approved development plans already are allowing for an increase of an additional 190,000 people to move in. Gary also emphasizes the importance of making up our minds on developing or maintaining our agricultural lands...and you can sing along to his lyrics from The Lovin' Spoonful!! Click here XxxX0o0

PAUL ELERICK'S INPUT. Paul says a lot about the "Great War" as we called it, or maybe we called it "The Last War". Paul talks of the comparison between then and now and the times and tempers. Click here

SAUL LANDAU'S PROGRES. Read the latest issue of Progreso Weekly here. It tells about HR 757 and eliminating the restrictions on Cuban Family travel. Then read Saul Landau's second part of his visit to Damascus and the calming influence he found in the city itself.

TIM EAGAN'S EFFULGENCE. Scroll downwardly to the end of this column to see the way Tim sees the best possible Republican candidates in 2008.

CHRISTINA WATERS WEIGH-INS. Christina raves about "The Host," reveals a new Westside hotspot, reminds us about upcoming wine and roses, and declines to review a recent tea room experience. All at http://christinawaters.com.

UNIVERSITY GRAPEVINE. My first guest will be Rebecca Cowan. She will discuss The report on Rape and Sexual Assault in April 2006 as created by the Commission for Prevention of Violence Against Women. Rebecca claims the results of the report were ignored by the council and by the police. In the second half hour Vice Mayor, Assembly candidate, and Bookshop Santa Cruz store owner Ryan Coonerty talks about his new book, "Etched In Stone" Enduring Words from our Nation's Monuments". No it doesn't include the Tom Scribner Statue. University Grapevine is on 4-5 pm. every Thursday at KZSC 88.1 fm and I host the program.

QUOTES, all of these are from Ed Abbey, author of The Monkey Wrench Gang and Desert Solitaire.

On Industry:" In the Soviet Union, government controls industry. In the United States, industry controls government. That is the principal structural difference between the two great oligarchies of our time.

On Anarchism: "Anarchism is not a romantic fable but the hardheaded realization, based on five thousand years of experience, that we cannot entrust the management of our lives to kings, priests, politicians, generals, and county commissioners. "

On terrorism: "The most common form of terrorism in the U.S.A. is that carried on by bulldozers and chain saws."

On off-road vehicles: "The fat pink slobs who go roaring over the landscape in these over-sized over-priced over-advertised mechanical mastodons are people too lazy to walk, too ignorant to saddle a horse, too cheap and clumsy to paddle a canoe. Like cattle or sheep, they travel in herds, scared to death of going anywhere alone, and they leave their sign and spoor all over the back country: Coors beer cans, Styrofoam cups, plastic spoons, balls of Kleenex, wads of toilet paper, spent cartridge shells, crushed gopher snakes, smashed sagebrush, broken trees, dead chipmunks, wounded deer, eroded trails, bullet-riddled petroglyphs, spray-painted signatures, vandalized Indian ruins, fouled-up waterholes, polluted springs and smoldering campfires piled with incombustible tinfoil, filter tips, broken bottles. Etc.

On sport hunting: "Whenever I see a photograph of some sportsman grinning over his kill, I am always impressed by the striking moral and aesthetic superiority of the dead animal to the live one."

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Bruce critiques films every Friday on KZSC-FM (88.1) on The Bushwhacker Breakfast Club at 8am.

JAMES DEAN WAX FIGURE AND THE DEL MAR THEATRE, FEBRUARY 25, 1957. James Dean died September 30, 1955. He was nominated twice for Best Actor Oscars posthumously. 1955 for Giant and 1956 for East Of Eden. I have no idea who the three people with the dummy are, but the woman's face looks familiar... do you know who they are? I can't quite make out the admission prices on the Del Mar sign either. photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection, click for bigger version. Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com

ONE OF THOSE SANTA CRUZ DAYS. Last Saturday was one of those perfect Downtown Santa Cruz Days. Our Cherry Trees were in big full bloom, the changing talent at O'Neill's Corner drew enormous and admiring crowds. First I watched Kuzanga, the seven marimba playing group performing Zimbabwe music (www.kuzanga.com) then there was an Aztec dancer complete with conch player, drummer and feathers, long after that were the spinners, the guys who twirl and spin balancing on their heads or hands, the crowds went wild. You know what? Our enlightened city (called "weird" by some) should pay performers of this quality. No huge sums, but they do make our Downtown what it is and we owe them too. I ran into Katherine Beiers, Michael Sammit, and Kurt Havemann, all of us agreed it was a special day for sure but more than that, it is a special place.

WHOLE FOODS VS. SMALL BUSINESS. I'm attaching some emails I received about Whole Foods moving onto Soquel over by Rite Aid where Albertson's used to be. Here's what Scott Roseman owner of New Leaf Markets replied re last week's column... "Read your column last week in which you mentioned the Whole Foods entry into the market. Appreciate your support for local business. We live here, work here, spend our money here, give over 10% of our profits to the community, and support our employees. (I'll get into detail on that below.) Yes, everyone should have a choice of where to shop, but if people continue to migrate towards the Borders, the Starbucks, the Safeway's, and the Costco's, just to save a buck, soon everywhere will just look alike, entrepreneurship and innovation will die, and those choices will be limited to just the same all same all.

I wanted to provide you with some info about New Leaf Community Markets and our employee compensation. Scott continues...

"First, since the day I opened my business over 21 years ago, at that time with about 13 employees, full-time employees have been provided with health insurance, a good package that includes access to alternative health providers. We also offer dental and vision. Within the first year of operating, we developed a profit-sharing plan, at that time quite a rarity (1986), and have since developed it to where about 50% of our profits are shared with our employees. We offer PTO, and we don't distinguish between sick days, wellness day, or vacation, thus all time earned is paid out. Employees with more than 5 full years of service get 4 weeks of PTO a year. We offer our employees one (part-timers) or two (full-timers) paid Community Service Days a year to work for a non-profit of their choosing. We have a 401K retirement plan, and New Leaf matches a portion of the employee's contributions. Employees receive discounts on products purchased at New Leaf, and the percentage off grows as the employee's tenure grows. New Leaf will pay all or part of an employee's tuition to attend classes related to their job. The average pay for employees at New Leaf is over $12/hour.

Everyone's favorite employee benefit is what happens when they hit 10 years of service, which many do. They receive a one-month paid sabbatical, and we encourage them to use that month to travel by providing them with a $5000 travel allowance.

Note that full time is defined as working an average of 30 hours a week in a pay period, so that is what is required to receive full time benefits. Many (most?) companies require a person to work 40 hours a week to receive benefits. Thanks, Scott Roseman"

KEN WORMHOUDT SKATEPARK. I walked all over the new Ken Wormhoudt Skatepark last week. An amazing place to visit and just watch and see for yourself what goes on. Watch the very serious fun the skateboarders are having, talk with them; experience the politeness, the enormous amount of effort, dedication and pure exercise. And contrary to rumor, hear the devoted silence of the skaters. They could use some better spectator views like seats. We need to name the skatepark after Ken Wormhoudt who did so much for Santa Cruz and skateboarders around the country. But we need to realize what a treasure we have in Zach Wormhoudt the chief designer of the park and what he was able to create for our youth. Speaking of which whatever happened to naming something after Lou Harrison, the late and great composer. He made his home here, gave so much to our community and still we've named nothing after him. No statues, no highways...we owe him something too.

REDTREE'S WESTSIDE PLANS. Craig French of Redtree Properties and architect Mark Primack came to last week's Santa Cruzans For Responsible Planning (SCRP) to talk about their proposed development of the Delaware and Swift Street property. Don't forget folks that this will be the absolutely largest development in the Santa Cruz City Limits ever in history. What's odd is that no one from the Swift Street Neighbors attended. Very few questions were asked; no one said anything about the enormous amount of new traffic this will cause on Mission Street. It's difficult to learn anything about this project because French keeps saying we have nothing set in concrete, no names yet, we don't know what's or who's going to want to build develop or live there. I should have asked Mark Primack if there's going to be a lot of his corrugated iron used as visible building facing on the industrial part of the development. Aside from looking cheap Frank Gehry' s been using it back in the 70's. Look at The Museum of Art & History or at Gordon Pusser's Live Work spaces on Swift Street. Imagine that all over a 20 acre project...terrible. French says some winemaker, Digital Media and 30 interested parties have expressed interest but no signatures yet. He said they are in the middle of their EIR right now and it'll go to the planning commission in the fall. We need to watch this one real close. The City Council and Ceil's Agency will bend over forwards to give French anything he wants...the real question is what does the community want? Or better yet what does the community need in the way of sustainable economy that will work in that huge space? What can and will we live with?

A VERY REASONABLE MAN. I would guess that before seeing the documentary "An Unreasonable Man" about Ralph Nader and on the same day by accident I caught Nader doing a one hour interview on Tim Russert' s show on CNBC about Nader's new book, "Seventeen Traditions". Nader's been many places talking about his new book. Go here to read what he says to Amy Goodman about his running in 2008, read what he says about the film. Anyway I went into that film not even wanting to see it. I was against Nader for all the reasons I'd heard, seen and read in the media including online material. I came out of the Nickelodeon completely supporting Ralph Nader. Watching him with Russert that night made it even stronger, I'm supporting Ralph Nader and hope he runs in 2008. By the way, Nader says to Amy Goodman re Hillary Clinton "She is a big business example of cash register campaigning". Read what he says about Obama. See the film before reacting too quickly; then send emails, it's an amazingly well done documentary. Just learn his side about giving Bush the presidency, about why many Nader's raiders left him, hear his views on Iraq, on Democracy, on the state of the world.

BERLIN ALEXANDERPLATZ PLEA REPEATED. I asked in this space if anyone knew of a tape or DVD of Berlin Alexanderplatz the Fassbinder film from a few decades ago. No response, it's a magnificent film. Costs too much to buy, how about UCSC film department? Anyone know about that source??

A SONG ABOUT OAKLAND. I am very proud to tell you that back about 40 years ago two friends and I wrote a song about Oakland. We had a trio called The Goodtime Washboard 3 and performed professionally all around the SF Bay Area for many years. We made records, did big time TV and made a great hobby out of showbiz. The Oakland Magazine just did a story about our Oakland Song, you can read and hear it here. What the story didn't mention is that on the other side of the Oakland song we recorded another original song titled, "Don't Blame PG and E Pal" It was a protest against PG &E's proposed nuclear Power Plant in Bodega Bay...we won that one too. Go here to read and hear all about it www.oaklandmagazine.com/media/Oakland-Magazine/March-2007/Being-There

PRIDE. See the previews (trailers) at the Regal 9 and go see it at The Nickelodeon someday soon. It's another in the "gee coach! we'll go out there and win the game no matter what anybody says" type film. It's pretty good never the less. It's about swimming, what's next? We've had chess, spelling, all the major sports, I got it...a Santa Cruz natural a Frisbee (flying disc) tournament. This time a blind team from New Orleans faces the ultra rich team from Malibu and the finals are at De LaVeaga Park.

PREMONITION. Sandra Bullock tackles this flop of a film. It's really about memory, time travel, premonitions, and like every one of the dozens of films on that weird topic it doesn't work and you'll keep thinking about it for days. You'll ask gee, how come if he is alive and she does this then how come he never etc etc. Forget it. It is a scriptwriters nightmare.

THE NAMESAKE. This is a wonderful, sensitive, respectful film about East Indian culture facing western culture. Bengalis from Calcutta name their son Gogol (from The Overcoat fame) and he moves to New York City. None of that silly degrading nutso "Fat Wedding" type humor. Go see it.

I THINK I'M IN LOVE WITH MY WIFE. Fans who expect to see a funny Chris Rock movie will be disappointed. It's a serious film with some funny one liners by Chris Rock. It's got an absolutely unfitting ending, that they probably swiped from some cutting room floor but it does make a statement about today's meaning of love, loyalty, honesty, integrity and little items like that.

DEAD SILENCE. I'm probably the only critic in the business who liked this film. It's true to the horror film classic rules and kept the young and younger audience completely silent at the Regal 9 last Saturday. No heckling, no dumb laughs just silence and that was evidence that it worked. It's another ventriloquist and dummy trip. See it if you like scary horror films.

SNAKES ON A PLANE. Last Friday on KZSC's Bushwhackers radio show John Sandidge and I spoke with David Ellis an old friend of John's AND the director of Snakes On A Plane. David revealed that he wanted to make the sequel at the same time but the money people said no. There are no plans for Snakes 2. David just finished Asylum a horror film about a girl's dorm being located where an insane asylum used to be. How did he become the director of such a film as Snakes we asked? He says because the first director had problems and Ellis needed the money. The money people also demanded an R rated film so they went back and added all the R stuff later. After all the internet hype it didn't do as well in the theatres as they hoped especially compared to 300 which was an online hit long before it opened on big screens. Ahhh Hollywood.

SAUL LANDAU'S PROGRES. Read the week's Progreso Weekly. Saul Landau is in Damascus and he gives us first hand reports on CNN, Syrian local's opinions of the USA, and Bush.

DAVID MC REYNOLDS LATEST. David McReynolds writes about the "surge we need" and the ongoing tragedy of our war. David McReynolds was a long time staff member at War Resisters League, and past Chair of the War Resisters International. He was the Socialist Party candidate for President in 1980 and 2000. And he was the first openly gay presidential candidate. Read his occasional column here

PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC CLUB. These local Democrats meet monthly and are meeting this Thursday March 22 at 7p.m. at LONDON Nelson Center. Natasha Minsker of the Northern California ACLU will be talking about challenging the death penalty and the changing public opinions on that more than thorny issue.

GARY PATTON'S PROGRAM. Read where Gary's telling us that East Cliff Drive's problems do not belong to the City of Santa Cruz. Gary relates that The Monterey County Supervisors are still opposing their voters. He rhapsodizes about how land use issues in Santa Cruz are so carefully scrutinized and fought over. Then he tells about how developers are fighting the Frederick Street Park supporters over enlarging the park space. There's an eminent domain vs. property rights meeting happening in Monterey if you're interested in that sort of thing.

PAUL ELERICK'S INPUT. Paul tells about the votes and meetings of the Transportation Funding Task Force. Then he tells about Jan Beautz, Jim Conklin of the Santa Cruz Business Council, and Ellen Pirie and their roles on "The Force". Read his closing statement...or actually his question to us all.

TIM EAGAN'S EFFULGENCE. Tim charges ahead telling us the real truth about Bush and our attorney general. Scroll downwards to the end o' the column.

CHRISTINA WATERS WEIGHS IN. Christina returns from San Diego with a few tips, and reveals a few choice items from Gabriella and Avanti restaurants on her web channel, http://christinawaters.com

DIDO AND AENEAS. Dido and Aeneas by Henry Purcell is England's oldest opera. It's rarely performed, so don't miss it. The newly forming Santa Cruz Chamber Orchestra led by Maya Barsacq is performing it twice this weekend at the Pacific Cultural Center, 1307 Seabright corner of Broadway in Santa Cruz. That's 8 p.m. Saturday, March 24 and 3 p.m. Sunday the 25^th. Tickets at Streetlight Records or go to www.scmusic.org

YOUNG CAESAR. There'll only be one performance of Lou Harrison's opera Young Caesar in Santa Cruz. You will, in all likelihood, never again have an opportunity to see and hear it. Nicole Paiement is conducting, Brian Steubenfiel directs it and it had an excellent reception at its' two performances in February in San Francisco. For tickets call 459-2159 or go to www.events.ucsc.edu/tickets

NEW MUSIC'S WESTERN THANG. Late breaking news has it that if you dress in full cowboy (or cowgirl I assume) attire and attend this concert you get in for half price!! This is the annual Night of The Living Composers and will feature musics by Allen Strange, Robert Strich, Charles Ives, Josh Friedman and others. There'll be a special tribute to Johnny Cash, Bob Wills, Black Bart and Charlie Rutlage. It happens this Friday, March 23, 2007, 8pm; Kuumbwa Jazz Center, Santa Cruz. TICKETS: Streetlight Records (831/421-9200) Santa Cruz Civic Box Office (831/420-5260)

DEAFINITIONS.  Simon Kelly of the Old San Jose Road Kelly's sent these in just this week. They are winners from the The Washington Post's Style Invitational, which asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting or changing one letter, and supply a new definition.

Esplanade (v.), to attempt an explanation while drunk. Willy-nilly (adj.), impotent. Bozone (n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future. Foreploy (v): Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of getting laid. Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period. Giraffiti (n): Vandalism spray-painted very, very high. Sarchasm (n): The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it. Inoculatte (v): To take coffee intravenously when you are running late. Hipatitis (n): Terminal coolness. Osteopornosis (n): A degenerate disease. Decafalon (n.): The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you. Glibido (v): All talk and no action.

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Bruce critiques films every Friday on KZSC-FM (88.1) on The Bushwhacker Breakfast Club at 8am.

The Venetian Water Carnival 1895. Held on the San Lorenzo River near the tidelands almost annually from 1895 through the 1920's, this stellar event usually lasted about five days. It has been said that Ambrose Bierce wrote about the Festival. They dammed the river down by what was then called Opera Island and put up bleachers and had a great time. That was before environmental concerns were created. A bunch of us tried to stage a Water Carnival in the San Lorenzo sometime in the early 70's and were shut down fast. photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection, click for bigger version. Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com

ARANA GULCH UPDATE. Jean Brocklebank emailed the following... "The hearing for the lawsuit against the City of Santa Cruz by the California Native Plants Society and Friends of Arana Gulch has been postponed until May 10 at 8:30 am (Superior Court), due to extra time granted to the City to prepare their Administrative record. Our lawyer has submitted a "Petitioner's Opening Brief" to the court for the hearing. A copy is available (a 1.5 MB .pdf file download) on the Friends of Arana Gulch web site at members.cruzio.com/~arana/curr_status.html

I asked her for an update on the above email... she replied: "The basis of our lawsuit against to City is to require them to obey the law, specifically the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), although the California Coastal Act and the Endangered Species Act are also important considerations.

The brief (pdf file) is 33 pages long but makes very interesting reading to understand the complicated yet simple arguments against the City when it stubbornly pushed the Broadway-Brommer Bike Route project into the Master Plan of Arana Gulch EIR without following CEQA requirements for EIRs.

Basically, the City's project objectives were so narrowly defined that only its chosen project could meet them and the other alternatives could not talk about setting up alternatives for failure!  Bad City, the courts do not like this kind of behavior.

For over 10 years the City has done just about everything wrong with its single-minded rush to push the Broadway-Brommer Bike Route project through. It was even called to task by CalTrans on another bad EIR in the 90s!!.  It never did re-do that one.  Another faulty EIR was certified but never implemented.

Interestingly, just before the Council voted to certify the latest EIR (last July 11th) and proceed with their bike route project, Friends of Arana Gulch met with Emily Reilly and Ryan Coonerty to offer a "Blueprint for the Resolution to the Controversy..."  We asked them not to certify a faulty EIR, to see how the (now-completed) Soquel Avenue Bike Lane project would help east-west bicyclists and then, if yet another east-west route was desired, to look at real alternatives in a proper & legal EIR to a new paved route through the greenbelt.  We stated that our blueprint would allow the City Council a way to move forward without risking a legal challenge to the FEIR. We said "our goal is to move forward, yet move forward conservatively to protect the City as well as Arana's Open Space."  We pleaded with those City Council members to step back and look carefully at the legal reasons for not rushing headlong into a lawsuit.  We stated flatly that we sure didn't want to have to sue the City. Go to Friends of Arana Gulch website and read the opening statements, and the petitioners opening brief. It's at http://members.cruzio.com/~arana

TOM BIHN REPORTS ON WESTERN SERVICE WORKERS ASSOCIATION. Former Santa Cruzan Tom Bihn who had the back pack store on Locust Street moved to Port Angeles, Washington. I hadn't heard from him for years...here's his email from last week,

"I have a real fun story about the California Homemaker's Association (later known as the Western Service Workers Association) from back in about 1980.Nancy Norris and I (Ken Norris', from UCSC, daughter) volunteered for them. Anyway, it's too late tonight but I'll write it down for you soon. Fun to read your site - good to know that "extra Santa Cruz non est vita" still. Best Regards, Tom Bihn (in Port Angeles and Seattle). I agree that wasn't a very newsworthy item, but it was good to hear from him. Check out his website and you can trust Tom...his bags are legendary and his store is missed. Besides that nobody would possibly remember the labels he put in his backpacks and what they said about George Bush? www.tombihn.com/page/001/CTGY/_WHERE

WHOLE FOODS, MORE ABOUT. Lincoln Taiz emails another opinion on Whole Foods moving into Santa Cruz..." There's another dimension to the debate over the impact of chains like Whole Foods on the local economy and culture: worker salaries and benefits. From the point of view of the local owners, who are mostly quite affluent, competition is a bad thing. But from the point of view of the local workers, who are typically not making a living wage, chains sometimes do better than the local folks. Before you come out too strongly against Whole Foods, please compare the salaries and benefits of their workers to those of the local markets, and report back to us. If Whole Foods gives a better deal to their workers than the local markets do, then I think we should welcome them with flowers. Shouldn't progressives put workers before owners? Sincerely, Linc Taiz. Comments are welcome, and thanks Linc.

LYNN ROBINSON DOES NOT LOOK LIKE ANN COULTER. And for that matter the people who support Lynn Robinson mostly don't think like Ann Coulter either. That's just a terrible, terrible coincidence and stop spreading those rumors.

WILD HOGS. With near mega stars such as Tim Allen, John Travolta, William Macy and Martin Lawrence you'd think they could have made a very funny film together. They've all made some fine films funny and dramatic but this film is an insult to anyone who has ever appreciated their talents. The many faux gay jokes wear thin, the old men in leathers jokes weren't funny to begin with and what's worst of all the timing and pacing is missing completely...don't even rent it.

ASTRONAUT FARMER. Billy Bob Thornton plays sort of a Jimmy Stewart aw shucks backwoods guy who was once an astronaut washout. He somehow has all the know how to build every part of a complex rocket and also has a never-divulged source of money to fund the building of it. Virginia Madsen is of course the glamorous understanding, suffering wife who mostly puts up with his looneyness. There's no real reason to see this film...maybe rent it if you have a lot of family staying with you and you want to watch something that won't cause family arguments.

300. See this film just for the art work and the cinema technology, it's amazing. Like Sin City it's more art and impressions than it is plot, story, acting. More like a comic book or graphic novel than anything real. It's a visual spectacle, and even boring at times. If you are looking for historical details in a black and white film about Leonidas and the Spartans versus Xerxes and the Persians, don't go. Just go for the excitement, the art and brilliant new cinema techniques.

STARTER FOR 10. The only intended mystery about this film is the meaning of the title. You only catch it about 3/4 of the way through the film; it's "Here's the starter question for 10 points". The film is about brainy college teams in England competing on TV in the 1980's. The Last King of Scotland's James McAvoy and everybody else in the cast is great in this low key but excellent feel good pleasant film.

MANNY SANTANA ART SHOW. Once, every great while Manny Santana has an art show. He's one of a few artists who live in the area and whose works are known world wide. His acrylic paintings don't fit into the Chicano art description but relate more to the German Expressionist school such as Beckmann or Picasso and for sure Goya. His art show opened March 2^nd and only lasts until April 1. It's at the Galeria Tonantzin Center for Art and Humanities in San Juan Bautista at 115 3^rd Street. That's the adobe in front of Santana's Jardines De San Juan restaurant. Visit and eat at Jardines, it's all Manuel's artistic creation too.  Call 831 623 ARTE for gallery hours such as Friday through Sundays 12-5p.m., Second Saturdays of each month to 7 p.m. It's best to go to www.galeriatonantzin.com  and see if they've updated details.

PAUL ELERICK'S INPUT. Paul almost blew a fuse at Circuit City for their miserable customer handling. He waxes over his brand new email filter. He brings us up to date on the Transportation Funding Task Force and tells us about the big drop in Task Force membership. It's all right here.

SAUL LANDAU'S PROGRES. You can and should read Bill Press's piece about why Al Gore shouldn't run. You can read Sgt. Carlos Lazo writing on the US policy on Cuba. Saul Landau writes about Lt. Watada's actions and what he has accomplished. It's all at http://www.progresoweekly.com.

GARY PATTON'S PROGRAM. Gary says we should all call everybody we know who live in Monterey County and alert them to all the land use stuff happening there this week. The California Coastal Commission meets there this week, and Patton describes that organization. He talks about the proposed development on 627 and 629 Seabright Avenue. He ends the week by describing the Big Sur Land Trust's getting 160 acres of land around Tassajara. Somewhere this week he reveals the Blue Circle group who'll be meeting in Soquel (Blue Circle??) He also adds that The San Jose Business Journal will be meeting in Monterey...that seems odd, too. Check it all out here, as usual.

TIM EAGAN'S EPIPHANY. Tired of questioning the concept of Support our Troops?...Eagan comes up with one more interpretation. Scroll down as usual; it's at the bottom of every BrattonOnline.

CHRISTINA WATERS WEIGHS IN. Christina has discovered a terrific little $10 bottle of Syrah, reveals some news about favorite restaurant revivals and insists, once again, on reviewing - yes! - 300. I'll bet she marks it down to 2.98!! http://www.christinawaters.com

NEW MUSIC CONCERT FRIDAY MARCH 23. It's the new music works annual Night of The Living Composers. More than that it's titled Live from Boot Hill.  There'll be tributes to Johnny Cash, Black Bart and Charlie Rutlage. Adam Meza will be the guest baritone. It's at 8 p.m. Tickets at Streetlight records and at the Santa Cruz Civic Box Office call 425-3526 for info. Go to www.newmusicworks.org for more news and data.

SANTA CRUZ CHAMBER ORCHESTRA OPERA MARCH 24 & 25.

I doubt if Henry Purcell's opera Dido and Aeneas has been performed many times in Santa Cruz. Maybe back when we had an opera house near where the Goodwill Store is now? The new Santa Cruz Chamber Orchestra will perform a concert version of Dido on Saturday March 24 at 8p.m. and a Sunday matinee at 3 p.m. at the Pacific Cultural Center 1307 Seabright Avenue. Singing lead roles will be Amanda Mendon as Dido, Jason Detwiler as Aeneas, Kathleen Nitz Kasdorf as Belinda and Mary Elizabeth Enmann singing the Sorceress. Dido & Aeneas is England's oldest opera (1689) and it's about Aeneas loving Dido but he has to go and create Rome, which, as we know, wasn't created in one day. Tickets at Streetlight Records and go to www.scmusic.org to get more details. And listen to University Grapevine this Thursday, we'll be talking all about it.

FRANCOIS POULENC CELEBRATION.  Sunday April 1^st is a busy day and eve. Tracye Lea Lawson is presenting a special Poulenc concert. It's at 4p.m. Sunday April 1^st at Holy Cross Church call (415) 861-3680 for information. Better yet, go to http://www.creativevoices.org/concerts.html

CONNECT WITH A HUMAN. I'd heard of this list but didn't know where to find it. Check it out it has every tricky way to avoid recorded messages and talk with real people in any category you can think of...insurance, travel, the internet, US Govt, pharmacies, US products, etc. http://www.gethuman.com/us

UNIVERSITY GRAPEVINE. Maya Barsacq music director and conductor, will be talking about Dido and Aeneas and the upcoming performances by the Santa Cruz Chamber Orchestra. After that David Sweet from UCSC will talk about Immigration policies and problems and about some actions we can take to improve conditions.

That's 4:05 p.m. Thursdays KZSC 88.1 FM

QUOTES.  I swiped this first quote from Tom Bihn's website" Whenever people say we mustn't be sentimental, you can take it they are about to do something cruel. And, if they add, we must be realistic, they mean they are going to make money out of it." -Brigid Brophy. "The softer the currency in a foreign country, the harder the toilet paper." -John Fountain.

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Bruce critiques films every Friday on KZSC-FM (88.1) on The Bushwhacker Breakfast Club at 8am.

THE DREADED GIRL SCOUT COOKIE MONGERS 1954. Taken April 9, 1954 someplace in Santa Cruz this proves the evil practice of child-labor-junk-food-based capitalism had already created deep roots here. We can be sure none of these dupes pictured ever amounted to anything, having this cookie type background....but I've always wondered who these two young (now in their 60's)  are. Anyone know? photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection, click for bigger version. Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com

GIRL JUNK FOOD SCOUT COOKIES. I started writing and fighting Girl Scout Cookies back in 1976 in Good Times. Every year I'd point out that selling junk food door to door or in mean spirited competition against their best friends were not the best lessons to teach young girls. This year's big news is that the commercial bakers who bake the cookies managed to get the trans fat content below the legal limit they have to print on the boxes. It's embarrassing that Girl Scouts have to resort to this just to sell junk food. I now have at least an inch thick file on: den mothers arrested across the US for stealing cookie money, data on what's been found in the cookies over the years, nutritionist's statements as to the unhealthy contents. Remember, this is nothing against the Girl Scouts my sister was one, I was a Boy Scout (just a Tenderfoot). But seriously go to the Girl Scouts website, read all the warnings about don't go into homes, stay on the porch, bring a friend when going door to door...why expose kids to this stuff? Each local gets to keep a very small percentage of the cookie sales maybe 45 cents to $1. The Boston Globe stated that probably 200 million boxes sold this year will result in $700 million in sales, that's no small trefoils!! A better idea, even though Maggie Ivy objected to it back in 2001 is to have the Scouts sell good stuff like locally grown or locally produced products like soap, bio degradable goods, flower seeds, how to books, first aid kits, something to help the environment instead of junk food. The best idea yet is to tell the Scouts to keep their cookies and hand them a dollar instead they'd make more that way. STOP THOSE COOKIES!!!

KAZU AND KUSP MORPHING OR MERGING? Times are getting tough and paying the very expensive tab for broadcasting NPR programs is even tougher. The late Peter Troxell of KUSP tried to merge KUSP and KAZU, because it seemed then like a good idea...it still is. We don't need duplication of anything especially NPR in the Monterey Bay Area. (Full disclosure..I was a board member on KAZU for a few years). KAZU never had the vim and vigor and direction that KUSP once had. So to have KAZU do all the NPR junk and rake in the money and share it with KUSP who hopefully will create bay area news reporting would be the best of all worlds. Doesn't NPR remind you of Whole Foods in a way? Same audience, marketing, image, etc.

DAVID GHARKY'S LAST WISHES. Deep thanks to Katherine Beiers and Stan Stevens for this story and the data to back it up. Just like Joao Rodrigues Cabrilho and London Nelson we have been spelling David Gharky's name wrong. Note all the "Gharkey" street signs over by West Cliff Drive, and Margaret Koch spells it wrong in the index to her Santa Cruz County Parade of the Past book too. David built the second wharf in Santa Cruz which later became the railroad wharf. When he died he owned a lot of property.  He deeded half to his son BUT what is worth noting he gave 10 acres in the northern part of the city, plus about 50 acres in the southwestern addition, and 7 acres on the bluff adjoining Blackburn Lagoon  to "the poor people of Santa Cruz County". His trustees Elihu Anthony (who built the first wharf in Santa Cruz) and G.M. Bockius and some others then spent nearly 20 years in litigation and spent nearly every cent of the estate on legal proceedings and left nothing to anybody. It's interesting to think that Gharky back in the 1890's had such a beneficent attitude toward the poor. I wonder how much Louis Rittenhouse will leave?

THE SENTINELS COVERAGE OF GHARKY'S PASSING.
Santa Cruz Sentinel  1877 Sep 25
A PIONEER GONE
In the rush of matter last week it was an impossibility to give an extended notice of David Gharky, who had so quietly passed over the river of death.  Mr. Gharky came to Santa Cruz during the Winter of 1852-3, on the brig Virginia, she, and eight other vessels going ashore in the Bay of Monterey in one night, and the eagle that surrounds the Eagle tables on Front Street was taken from her hull, and her cabin is in the rear of the residence of J. D.Chace.  He purchasing property on the beach at the potrero, a large portion of which he owned at the time of his demise.  He was continuously engaged in farming, and for a number of years was owner of the Powder Mill Wharf, a property he constructed about the year 1860.  The property of the deceased amounts to about $25,000.  In his will he provides that his son David shall receive a monthly allowance of $20 during his lifetime, that one-half of his property shall go to the two children of his son David, and that his Trustees, E. Anthony, H. P. Rice, Z. W. Morgan, R. C. Kirby and G. M. Bockius, shall purchase a tract of land near Santa Cruz and erect thereon suitable buildings, stock and supply said land with necessary agricultural implements, the same to be a home for the poor of Santa Cruz so far as the income of said property will maintain.  His wife died in 1867.  J.[ohn]Werner was appointed administrator in 1869.  "Uncle David," as he was familiarly called, was celebrated for his kindness of heart during his lifetime, and long after the grass has grown green above his grave will his generous acts speak in living words.

WHOLE FOODS JUST BEGINNING. Ever vigilant  Jean Brocklebank emails to proclaim loudly, "Time for a new bumper sticker:  Friends don't let friends shop at Whole Foods. Then, in small print:  "Whole Foods: Destroying community one store at a time". Yes, Whole Foods is an enemy of local businesses.  However, it is the "we" of the community who are ultimately responsible for the demise of our local businesses. Can't we just say no? Speaking for myself, I shall not step foot in Whole Foods. Ever. Just like I have never set foot in Borders. I'll go one step further.  I shall be willing to picket in front of Whole Foods (on the public sidewalk, of course) with pro-Shoppers Corner, Staff of Life and New Leaf signs and directions. Wanna join me?"

EASTSIDE STARBUCKS. Now here's a Santa Cruz problem. How can you possibly fight it when Starbucks announces they are moving in to where Wienerschnitzel used to be on Soquel? Damn, Whole Foods across the street, Rite Aid, Comcast, what a neighborhood!! Anybody heard anything from the once active Eastside Neighbors? Actually, Wienerschnitzel started hot dogs 45 years ago, and they've been on Soquel Ave. so long it would qualify as a historic building...don't even go there. That leaves 1 in Milpitas, 2 in Santa Clara, 2 in Campbell, and 1 in Reno if you start needing a Wienerschnitzel. Franchises are available.

BLACK SNAKE MOAN. Samuel L. Jackson and Christina Ricci have made these roles in this bizarre film significant acting presentations. Like Hustle and Flow the directors other film, Moan becomes a film you won't forget. It has images and scenes that should become part of Psych 1A text books. Shocking, sexual, racial, salacious, and yet completely made from clichés. I'm not sure yet if I liked it, I'm still stunned by the guts, gall and determination it took the director to make this film. Justin Timberlake is in it too but it doesn't matter much. Craig Brewer is the director of Hustle and Flow and Black Snake and he used to be with San Francisco's A.C.T.

ZODIAC. Be warned, the film is two hours and 40 minutes long and unless you were in San Francisco during the late 60's you might not stay interested all the way through. I was not only working at KGO radio in S.F. during that time I was also producing attorney Melvin Belli's first (and last) attempts at being a radio personality. I also spent numerous martini lunches with KGO personality Jim Dunbar, both these guys are portrayed in the film because they received phone calls from Zodiac. Chronicle and Examiner reporters, KCBS people (my previous job) and KGO people all drank at the same bars you see in the film. Zodiac was a heavy topic back then. There isn't a flaw in the film acting. Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, and especially Robert Downey Jr. are perfect in their parts. Go see it and prepare for the fact that they never caught the killer. Then too remember that this was just around the time that Santa Cruz had its own murder binge. 

BREAKING AND ENTERING. Jude Law is a nice London architect, Robin Penn is his nice wife and Juliette Binoche is not so nice but wants to be mother- raising- a building- hopping- son who steals. It all works out and ethics and morals are pushed to the limits and there's lots of London's Kings Cross scenery in it. It's a purely for- escape film, it won't bother you more than 1 or 2 minutes after you leave the theatre. Maybe not that long.

THE ITALIAN. We local critics agreed that this is a miserable title for a film made in Russia, about today's Russia. Numerous critics have used "Dickensian" to describe this story about a 6 year-old orphan escaping the orphanage and trying to find his mother. It's an excellent film and all the better on the big screen. The film is sad, Russia as a country seems in sad shape too. Go see this film, it's a tearjerker like Oliver, and many other near masterpieces, but you won't forget it.

BERLIN ALEXANDERPLATZ ANYONE? Does anyone around here know anyone who has a copy of Fassbinder's Berlin Alexanderplatz? Netflix doesn't have it, nothing on eBay and I don't want to buy it, just watch it. When sold it costs @ $100. It's 16 hours long, made in 1983, shown here once at the good old Sashmill. I know it's on videotape and I've heard that it's now on 7 dvd's but one version has no English subtitles...can anyone help?

THE LITTLE BUS THAT COULD. Question:  Who's Afraid of a Little Yellow School Bus? Answer:   The U.S. Government! Rev. Lucius Walker, Jr, the founder of Pastors for Peace and leader of more than 40 caravans to Latin America, will be in Watsonville and we can all learn why the U.S. Government is afraid of a little yellow school bus. Since 1988, when Rev. Walker was wounded in Nicaragua by Contra forces attacking a passenger ferry boat, Pastors for Peace has worked to counter policies of our government that have supported brutal and repressive governments in Latin America. More than 50 Pastors for Peace caravans have traveled to Mexico, Central America and Cuba - delivering life-giving aid abroad while organizing at home for a more just policy toward our neighbors in this hemisphere.

There'll be a reception where you can meet and talk with Rev. Walker before seeing the evening's film about the confrontation with U.S. Immigration on the second caravan to challenge the blockade of Cuba. The Little Yellow School Bus is a sometimes funny, always inspiring account of U.S. Immigration's seizure of a small, much-traveled, school bus destined for donation to Cuba.

Reverend Walker will also speak after the film and there'll be a Q&A. For more information:  465 8272. It all takes place at 7:00 pm, Thursday, March 22 at the
United Presbyterian Church, 112 East Beach, Watsonville.

EAGAN'S ANGST. Tim asks and answers the big question "After Iran...who's next?" As usual, scroll down.

SAULS PROGRESS. Read Saul Landau's take on monkeys and politics. See what he says about Deborah Burger of the California Nurses Association. He gives Yahoo news a stab for its headlines... it's all at http://www.progresoweekly.com

PATTON'S PROGRAM. Gary continues covering the mess that the Monterey County Supervisors have caused in dealing with their General Plan. He tackles the Santa Cruz County sham of mobilehome park "conversions" as a way to raise rents. The Chinatown area of Salinas which is one of the most "blighted" in the city (does "blighted" sound familiar?) and is scheduled for development!! Patton defines "sprawl" in San Benito County and talks about the real costs of urban expansion as foisted by developers anxious to make millions...at our expense. He closes with the problem of the development projects at Fort Ord not being willing to pay prevailing wages to construction workers as promised.

ELERICK'S INPUT. As one could predict Paul talks about widening Highway One and what if we did vote against it, wouldn't they build it anyway? He also tells about the importance of Task Force members attending the next meeting. Read too his link to the membership roster of the Task Force...whew!!!

HOSTETTER'S HOT SHEET. Paul Hostetter has another bunch of great events and performances coming up check them out asap at http://www.lutherie.net/live.music.html

CHRISTINA'S WEEKLY. There's no way to stop Christina from reviewing "Zodiac", and she has made some kind of new pizza discovery...if that's not enough, she has a sensational sauvignon blanc. It's all at www.christinawaters.com

UNIVERSITY GRAPEVINE. Every Thursday 4-5 pm. on station KZSC 88.1 fm I host Grapevine. Miriam Ellis academic diva will be my first guest. We'll talk about UCSC's Festival of International Music and Dance that happens March 13 at 8:15 and it's free! After that Brian Staufenbiel the director of Lou Harrison's opera Young Caesar will talk about the opera and the performance that happens at UCSC on Tuesday April 3^rd.

SPECIAL CLOSING. Scott MacClelland obviously believes that we are doomed to repeat history. In that vein he sent the following facts. It's probably best if we memorize all of them.

1700 - The expression "putting on the dog" derived from the fact that in the 18th century, the finest dancing shoes were made of dog skin, which could be worn out in one night of vigorous footwork.

1704 - In England Daniel Defoe (1660-1731) began publishing "The Review." Defoe in this year also authored "The Storm" in which he organized the winds into categories of scale.

1707 - Jonathan Swift, novelist, said: "Laws are like cobwebs, which may catch small flies, but let wasps and hornets break through."

1707 - Handel composed his first opera, "Almira." He went to Rome and was nicknamed Il Sassone, the Saxon. Legend has it that he had a harpsichord and organ duel with Domenico Scarlatti at the house of Cardinal Ottoboni. They tied on the harpsichord but Handel won easily on the organ. Handel also composed "Dixit Dominus" in this year.

1712 - In Mexico Maria de Ortiz Espejo was convicted by the Inquisition of telling women that hummingbirds and earthquakes could help them get pregnant. She got off with a warning.

1712 - England taxed soap with the declaration that it was a frivolous luxury of the aristocracy.

1714 - In France Dom Perignon invented champagne

1717 - The 1st New Orleans levee, 3 feet tall, was built on the Mississippi River

1733 - Feb 27, Johann Adam Birkenstock, composer and sandal designer, dies

1736 - Samuel Baldwin of Hampshire, England, had his body cast into the ocean. He requested this so that his wife could not carry out her threat to dance on his grave.

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Bruce critiques films every Friday on KZSC-FM (88.1) on The Bushwhacker Breakfast Club at 8am.