Back in the days before the internet, and I’m talking some 2,700 years ago, poets were the biggest influencers.
And, man, did they have some lasting influence, like this guy Homer whose early works just became a hit movie with all these stars in it.
I wonder if the Greek scribe would appreciate the word influencer. Personally, I hate it. It’s like one of those pretentious phrases that will scar this generation in future histories, like Perrier water in the 1970s or Limp Bizkit and the Kardashians in the 2000s.
I was glad to read in our cover story by the writer DNA that so-called influencer Josh Turek, who has influenced a billion people, hates the word also. DNA calls him a “de-influencer,” which I do like. It shows a guy who isn’t afraid to stand against convention and go his own way—ironically, he’s bringing a lot of people along for the ride.
He’s dabbled in film and comedy, but the most surprising thing is that the form that’s risen to the top of his LinkedIn, as it were, is poetry, which, in this disposable era, says a lot about those who still long for the past and things that will last.
It kind of gives us some hope. The article is a wild read, with poetry, grammar that defies spellcheck and our author DNA, whose day job is as a comedian. Enjoy and look at someone you may not already know.
Napa has its wine fame and according to Richard Stockton’s Altered States column Santa Cruz deserves a place on the Mount Olympus of Weed (see how I worked the Greek theme in there?).
Honestly, I don’t know how people distinguish sativa from indica. I always thought it’s some kind of scam. But Stockton introduces us to Chris Carr who can not only distinguish weed by type, but by the location where it’s grown. And he says we are the state’s finest.
Skeptic that I am, I’ll take his word for it. After all, I lost a big bet to a 10-year-old who claimed water from the sink in the bathroom tasted different from the water from the kitchen and he identified them each in numerous blind taste tests.
I can’t even tell the difference between Two-Buck Chuck and a $100 bottle of premium wine. Chris Carr is paving the way for bud-ees.
Here’s an offer you can’t refuse: Do you dream of getting published? Good Times is looking for more freelance writers. Community members with good ideas for articles, send your resume and ideas to ed****@*****ys.com. Looking forward to hearing from you.
Brad Kava | Editor
PHOTO CONTEST
DIPPING MOON Here’s a shot of the partial eclipse Aug. 27 over the Giant Dipper. Photograph by Jaydn Ewing
GOOD IDEA
Three local airports have been awarded nearly $3.3 million in federal grants to bolster infrastructure.
U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff (both D-Calif.) announced that Hollister Municipal Airport, Watsonville Municipal Airport, and Monterey Regional Airport are among the 51 California airports to receive Federal Airport Improvement Program funding, part of a nearly $109 million investment to modernize infrastructure, improve safety, and strengthen California’s aviation system.
“Investments in our airports are investments in our regional economy,” said Monterey Bay Economic Partnership President & CEO Tahra Goraya. “These new federal grants help our region meet demand for safe, modern, and resilient airport facilities as technology and transportation continue to evolve.”
GOOD WORK
Nearly 40 years after Santa Cruz became the fictional “Santa Carla” in the cult classic The Lost Boys, a new community-led project is celebrating the city’s connection to the film.
The 418 Project, in collaboration with One of Us: A Lost Boys Festival and Return to Santa Carla: The Lost Boys Memory Project, is inviting artists of all experience levels to submit work for a month-long Lost Boys Fan Art Exhibition at Hotel Paradox, October 1–30.
Artists are invited to interpret The Lost Boys, Santa Cruz, the Boardwalk, vampires, outsiders, the 1980s, memory, fandom—or their own vision of Santa Carla. Submissions close September 25. INFO: returntosantacarla.com
