I appreciate J Hansen bringing forward Kamala Harris’s California history as a prosecutor. If we’re going to make someone president it behooves us to unwrap the offering before a nation state life-changing choicepoint.
Problematic “powers that be” arise in every generation and, in Frank Herbert’s words, “power corrupts the corruptible.”
Kamala Harris’s track record as California Attorney General / prosecutor makes her downright scary as potential Commander in Chief. Convicting people to long prison sentences when there is strong evidence asserting their innocence should be bone-chilling to anyone.
As Madhava Setty, MD, said last week: “I wrote about Kamala Harris’s record as the CA Attorney General to remind never-Trumpers that their preferred Veep has a record of withholding of exculpatory evidence (emphasis mine) and evidence tampering to obtain wrongful convictions which she used to embellish her bonafides as the state’s top prosecutor.”
Corrina McFarlane
ONLINE COMMENTS
RE: Pedro the Lion
This is a wonderfully written piece. It’s refreshing in this new AI era.
Jess | GOODTIMES.SC
Now this is some top notch writing. I’m off to listen to the album, I think I’ll enjoy it more after reading this!
Haely | GOODTIMES.SC
I really enjoyed the article–maybe more than the music….will try to attend!
Janet Perry | GOODTIMES.SC
Re: Surf’s Still Up: How the Beach Boys Drew Us to California
I live in the South Bay and am a Beach Boys fan. I often listen to their Lost Concert on Youtube. This was such an enjoyable read. And very informative.
Emerly Gueron | GOODTIMES.SC
This is a great article, and I am honored to have been able to share my “Beach Boy” memories. Let me add one thing: what attracted Mike Love and I to Transcendental Meditation practice is that it is very similar to the effect of Surfing, that the BB’s expressed in their music—the experience of the deepest nature of one’s own inner Consciousness during TM is holistically relaxing and rejuvenating, and it spontaneously removes the stress of material concerns. It is spiritual, and so is surfing, and that is why surfers are so nature-oriented.
For someone who knows nothing about Seattle sludgy doom metal band Year of the Cobra except for their recordings, it’s easy—and understandable—to assume they are a full quartet. Their songs are built with different tones, heavy riffs, solid rhythms and haunting melodies to create music that creeps into space and fills the silence.
However, when it comes to YOTC–who play a very special matinee show at Moe’s Alley on Aug. 11–it’s important to remember the old saying about what it means to assume.
Not only is Year of the Cobra not a quartet, they aren’t even a power trio. Incredibly, their dynamic sound is created only using drums by Johanes “Jon” Barrysmith and a bass guitar and vocals by Amy Tung Barrysmith.
The couple married in 2010 and formed the band five years later. However, they never thought Year of the Cobra would be only them.
“We moved to Seattle and didn’t know anybody so we started jamming together,” Amy remembers.
“We had every intention of adding a guitar player. But after playing together and writing songs, the challenge of creating a full sound with only two people was really fun so we decided to go with that.”
Metalheads everywhere are thankful, too, because while Year of the Cobra is assuredly doom metal, they bring in elements of sludge and psychedelic stoner metal as well. It culminates in a refreshing sound with Amy’s empyrean vocals soaring over the heavy riffs. Somehow, someway, they create a full, rich, layered sound that rivals some groups with twice the members.
“It was all very organic,” Barrysmith says of the band. “There was no intention of it turning into a touring thing.”
Which is ironic because the duo has become known not only for their sound but also their constant touring. No strangers to Santa Cruz, YOTC has a history of playing here, performing at the Catalyst last year almost to the date of their upcoming Moe’s Alley appearance.
Despite being a Seattle band, Year of the Cobra’s roots are deeply planted in Surf City.
“I grew up in Santa Cruz,” Jon says. “So when we first started it was easy to book there. I love coming back home.”
Santa Cruzans might remember Jon from his former punk band, Lonely Kings. This Sunday’s show also features local post-punk rockers Hot Lung, who shared the bill with YOTC at the Catalyst last year.
“I’ve known [Hot Lung guitarist] Joe [Clements] since I was 15,” Jon says. “I played in punk rock bands from high school through my late 20s. There’s a natural progression for older hardcore and punk rock dudes to listen to harder music, play slower, and here we are.”
Shortly after they formed in 2015, Year of the Cobra released their debut EP, The Black Sun, with their debut full-length, …In the Shadows Below, arriving the following year. Three years later—in 2019—they released their follow-up album, Ash and Dust.
While their debut is an introduction to their sound, tinkering with the configuration of songs to cover the high and low ends, the sophomore album found the band coming into their own.
From the opening track, “Battle of White Mountain”—about the real-life battle of the same name that on Nov. 8, 1620, turned the tides in the Thirty Years War, solidifying Habsburg reign of Bohemia (modern-day Czech Republic) for another 300 years—the album flows organically. The third and title track delivers a punk rock mentality, faster than the others on the album with a chorus chanted rather than sung, harking back to Amy and Jon’s separate hardcore beginnings.
That said, one of the things that makes YOTC so striking is Amy’s singing. With so many modern metal acts using guttural, death growls (which originated with death metal, hence the name) that many non-metalheads find confusing or disagreeable, Tung keeps the tones clean. She utilizes the gamut of her abilities, sometimes singing so softly it barely creeps above a whisper, as on tracks like “Demons,” “Dark Swan” and “In Despair.”
“The singing took a little while because I never really sang before this band,” she admits. “So it took a minute to figure out because Jon didn’t want to sing.”
Johanes laughs.
“The way I play drums it’s like running a half marathon, so I’m trying to catch my breath and not whack the microphone,” he says. “But speaking of Amy’s singing, our new record isn’t out yet but I’m very proud of Amy for how far and confident she’s become fronting this band.”
While there’s no release date for the new album–aptly self-titled as YOTC–the duo says it has been finished for months. Fans can expect a series of singles to be released before the final product drops–which will most likely be sometime at the beginning of next year.
“I write about things that I personally find interesting,” Tung says. “I love stories, I love history, I love Greek mythology, and you can hear that in a lot of the songs. I think they are things people can truly relate to deeply in their soul.”
Some of the most interesting things come from the unlikeliest places. While Santa Cruz’s Broadway Playhouse isn’t where you might ordinarily think to go for your slice of summer horror, this August the Midsummer Ensemble—a local independent theater company—is closing its summer season with Trap, an immersive one-act play by Stephen Gregg.
Produced by Molly Meyers and Isaac Ludington and directed by a dynamic duo of creatives—Lu Ludington and Yarrow Sifry—Trap is an unnerving and interactive horror play that follows a mysterious event where everybody except one audience member falls unconscious during a theater production.
“We wanted to show that theater can be just as scary if not more scary than the movies,” Yarrow says.
The ensemble came into being in 2022, when two recent high school graduates—Isaac Ludington and Molly Meyers—decided that they wanted to get their friends together to start performing again outside of school.
“My friend Molly was like, ‘Hey, I miss doing theater, would you like to put together a show with me?’ We’d done theater stuff in the past so the idea of collaborating again was fun. That summer we threw together a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream that we performed at UCSC, and it was a BLAST, pure serendipity,” Isaac says.
It wasn’t until their second season in the summer of 2023—in a production of Macbeth with a queer twist—that they felt they’d really come into their own as an ensemble.
“The next year, Lu and Yarrow wanted to do a lesbian Macbeth, so we were like, ‘Okay, great—let’s do it.’ So by year two it was really like, ‘Great, we’re an ensemble now, and this is our group, and no matter what gonna keep making stuff together.’” Isaac says.
Independent theater isn’t without its challenges, and the Midsummer Ensemble is no stranger to the greatest menace faced by any organization: the need for funding.
“Our biggest challenge is definitely funding. How do we put together plays at a professional level? With this rag-tag group of weird young people? So we got a lot of help from Terri Steinmann. West Performing Arts has a grant for youth theater which helps us access the Broadway playhouse and covers some of the production costs. There have been challenges, but as a whole it’s been a lot easier than we originally expected,” Yarrow says.
Some of the most gratifying parts of producing independent live theater for this “ragtag group of weird young people” have been the self-discovery it prompted for them, and the power they’ve learned they can tap into as creators.
“Especially with Macbeth, that is one of the most gratifying projects I’ve ever worked on. Everyone poured their heart and soul into it and it showed. It’s so cool to get together with your friends and make something that”s just so cool,” Lu says.
“One important thing to note, especially about being independent, has been that we have control over our creative vision as a group, and that has really helped us come together as an ensemble,” Yarrow says.
While they currently only perform in the summer, their future vision is a hopeful one and the creative team has its eyes on the sky.
“We are kind of working toward figuring out how to establish ourselves as a business or nonprofit to make us legit, and here to stay. Hopefully we can build it out so we have a full season where we’re doing a show in the summer but we’re also performing in the fall and spring,” Lu says. “We wanna find ways to be doing more shows.”
To the Midsummer Ensemble, Trap is not only an enormous opportunity to terrify the audience but also an opportunity for people from throughout the community to share a love for the arts in an inviting and fun space full of passionate individuals.
“What we’d like the community to take away from Trap is less about the show itself and more about theater and sharing our passion for theater. Trap is an experience, and we’re excited for the community to experience that experience,” Yarrow says.
“I hope that they all scream—loudly. With terror,” Isaac says.
Trap opens Aug. 9 and runs weekends through Aug. 18 at the Broadway Playhouse, 526 Broadway, Santa Cruz. Tickets: $15. midsummerensemble.com
While the hardcore punk counter-culture movement has been around for decades with bands like Black Flag and Suicidal Tendencies leading the scene in California, the genre has taken on a new swagger.
Whether it is for the trend or real passion, the rapid growth of hardcore bands like Sunami, Drain and Scowl—which have their roots in San Jose and Santa Cruz—is undeniable.
ANGEL, a “straight-edge” hardcore band, born out of Westside Santa Cruz by 19-year-old Marco Chavez, is proof of that. Chavez and bandmates Mateo Garcia (21), Joaquin Cruz (20) and Justin Vela (17) are some of the local hardcore scene’s most active members.
The band has played shows at the Catalyst, the Vets Hall and Subrosa, as well as in the Bay Area. They also regularly practice in Santa Cruz at the Santa Cruz Rehearsal Studio, thanks to Paul Gallacher.
Virtually a year after releasing their first EP, “Savior,” the band is set to record and then release their second EP, “Time to Expire,” with Marc Estabillo on Aug. 11. The EP focuses on themes of self-reflection, self-criticism and helplessness.
After opening for Crime in Stereo last week at the Santa Cruz Vets Hall, the musicians plans to go on their first mini tour, starting in Berkeley and heading down to San Diego.
Chavez, who sings and writes songs, says there are many misconceptions about the hardcore scene and the people in it.
“Hardcore in general is not about hating on everybody and beating everybody up. It’s about caring for one another. … It’s all just a way of expressing yourself in another form,” he explained, “Dancing is self-expression. The music is self-expression. It’s all just about getting your emotions out and being there for each other and having a good time.”
He understands how it can seem gnarly to many folks but though “it looks scary on the outside,” he says, “everybody is really nice.”
ANGEL considers themselves to be a “straight edge” band, part of a subculture that promotes abstinence from all drugs and substances.
Being straight-edge is “about trying to live a positive life and feeling everything, meaning not having a clouded mind in any way, shape or form so that you are fully present throughout your life, even when times are hard,” Chavez said, “Whether it be drinking, smoking, taking pills … [the message] is that you don’t need these things in your life to be happy.”
Chavez went on to explain how comradery plays a big role in the scene, “When somebody gets hit and falls down, they get picked up.” The same principles apply within straight-edge culture, “If somebody is using, you know that you are sober and able to help them if something goes wrong.”
Being an authentic part of the community is important to keep it alive. “Hardcore and punk in general aren’t about being cooler, better than everybody; it’s about showing up and showing out for your scene, showing out for the people there, and in total, being a real person, not trying to be a someone just to get somewhere.”
The authenticity that is valued in the hardcore scene becomes prevalent when musicians in bands that have “made it big” still show up to local shows and are an active part of keeping the scene going.
One of Chavez’s biggest supporters is the lead vocalist of Drain, Sammy Ciaramitaro, who regularly attends local shows. Another one of Chavez’s mentors, Condition One vocalist Danny Coggins, is a member of Crossthread, a San Jose collective that hopes to obtain an all-ages venue for art and music.
Chavez explains why all-ages music should be promoted: “It supports the idea that you don’t have to go to a bar or somewhere where people are getting drunk and sloppy to enjoy music. For a while, that’s where a lot of shows were happening; you couldn’t go to a show without being exposed to that.”
Along with that, all-ages music helps build community and ultimately keeps the scene going. “When more kids come out and start bands, then younger kids come out and want to start bands … It’s a beautiful cycle of everyone building each other up,” Chavez says.
Angel’s new EP, “Time to Expire,” will be out Aug. 11. Find them on Bandcamp.
Legend tells us that the first person to drink tea was Chinese Emperor Shennong in 2737 BCE. As he lounged outdoors, tree leaves fell into his cup of water and accidentally created an infusion. Good for him that he was willing to sample that accidental offering. It took many centuries, but eventually tea drinking spread throughout the world. And yet the first tea bag, an icon of convenience, didn’t become available until 1904. I don’t expect you will have to wait anywhere near that long to move from your promising new discoveries to the highly practical use of those discoveries. In fact, it could happen quickly. The coming weeks will be a favorable time to ripen your novel ideas, stellar insights and breakthrough innovations.
TAURUS April 20-May 20
I hope that in the coming months, Taurus, you will be refining your skills with joy and vigor. I hope you will devote yourself to becoming even more masterful at activities you already do well. I hope you will attend lovingly to details and regard discipline as a high art—as if doing so is the most important gift you can give to life. To inspire you in these noble quests, I offer you a quote by stage magician Harry Blackstone Jr.: “Practice until it becomes boring, then practice until it becomes beautiful.”
GEMINI May 21-June 20
Wohlweh is a German word that means “good pain” or “pleasurable pain.” It might refer to the feeling you have while scratching a mosquito bite or rubbing your eyes when they’re itchy from allergies. But my favorite use of the word occurs when describing a deep-tissue massage that may be a bit harrowing even as it soothes you and provides healing. That’s a great metaphor for the kind of wohlweh I expect for you in the coming days. Here’s a tip: The less you resist the strenuous “therapy,” the better you will feel.
CANCER June 21-July 22
I earn my living as a writer now, but for many years I had to work at odd jobs to keep from starving. One of the most challenging was tapping the sap of Vermont maple trees during the frigid weather of February. Few trees produce more than three gallons of sap per day, and it takes 40 to 50 gallons to create a single gallon of maple syrup. It was hard work that required a great deal of patience. According to my analysis, you Cancerians are in a metaphorically comparable situation these days. To get the good results you want, you may have to generate a lot of raw material—and that could take a while. Still, I believe that in the end, you will think the strenuous effort has been well worth it.
LEO July 23-Aug. 22
I love the fact that Antarctica doesn’t belong to anyone. Thirty nations have research stations there, but none of them control what happens. Antarctica has no government! It has a few laws that almost everyone obeys, like a ban on the introduction of non-indigenous plants and animals. But mostly, it’s untouched and untamed. Much of its geology is uncharted. Inspired by this singular land, I’d love for you to enjoy a phase of wild sovereignty and autonomy in the coming weeks. What can you do to express yourself with maximum freedom, answering primarily to the sacred laws of your own ardent nature?
VIRGO Aug. 23-Sept. 22
Babylonia was an ancient empire located in what’s now Syria, Iraq and Iran. Among its citizens, there was a common belief that insomnia was the result of intrusive visitations by ancestral spirits. Their urge to communicate made it hard for their descendants to sleep. One supposed cure was to take dead relatives’ skulls into bed, lick them and hold them close. I don’t recommend this practice to you, Virgo. But I do advise you to consult with the spirits of deceased family members in the coming weeks. I suspect they have a lot to tell you. At the very least, I hope you will explore how you might benefit from studying and pondering your ancestors’ lives.
LIBRA Sept. 23-Oct. 22
Libran tennis player Naomi Osaka is one of the highest-paid women athletes ever. She is also a staunch political activist. That blend of qualities is uncommon. Why do I bring this to your attention? Because now is an excellent time to synergize your pragmatic devotion to financial success with idealistic work on behalf of noble causes. Doing both of these activities with extra intensity will place you in alignment with cosmic rhythms—even more so if you can manage to coordinate them.
SCORPIO Oct. 23-Nov. 21
Scorpio actor Sally Field told a story about an agent who worked for her early in her career. In those formative years, all her roles were on TV. But she aspired to expand her repertoire. “You aren’t good enough for movies,” the agent told her. She fired him, and soon she was starring in films. Let’s make this a teaching story for you, Scorpio. In the coming months, you will be wise to surround yourself with influences that support and encourage you. If anyone persistently underestimates you, they should not play a prominent role in your life’s beautiful drama.
SAGITTARIUS Nov. 22-Dec. 21
One Sagittarius I know is building a giant sculpture of a humpback whale. Another Sagittarius is adding a woodshop studio onto her house so she can fulfill her dream of crafting and selling fine furniture. Of my other Sagittarius acquaintances, one is writing an epic narrative poem in Greek, another is hiking the Pacific Crest Trail from Northern California to the Columbia River in northern Oregon, and another has embarked on a long-postponed pilgrimage to Nigeria, the place of her ancestors’ origin. Yes, many Sagittarians I know are thinking expansively, daring spicy challenges and attempting fun feats. Are you contemplating comparable adventures? Now is an excellent time for them.
CAPRICORN Dec. 22-Jan. 19
When I opened my fortune cookie, I found a message that read, “If you would just shut up, you could hear God’s voice.” In response, I laughed, then got very quiet. I ruminated on how, yes, I express myself a lot. I’m constantly and enthusiastically riffing on ideas that are exciting to me. So I took the fortune cookie oracle to heart. I stopped talking and writing for two days. I retreated into a quiescent stillness and listened to other humans, animals and the natural world. Forty-five hours into the experiment, I did indeed hear God’s voice. She said, “Thanks for making space to hear me. I love you and want you to thrive.” She expounded further, providing me with three interesting clues that have proved to be helpful in practical ways. In accordance with your astrological omens, Capricorn, I invite you to do what I did.
AQUARIUS Jan. 20-Feb. 18
Scientists at the University of California devised a cheap and fast method for unboiling an egg. Their effort wasn’t frivolous. They were working with principles that could be valuable in treating certain cancers. Now I’m inviting you to experiment with metaphorical equivalents of unboiling eggs, Aquarius. You are in a phase when you will have extra power to undo results you’re bored with or unsatisfied with. Your key words of power will be reversal, unfastening, unlocking and disentangling.
PISCES Feb. 19-March 20
Every week, I imbibe all the honey from an eight-ounce jar, mostly in my cups of hot tea. To create that treat for me, bees made a million visits to flowers, collecting nectar. I am very grateful. The work that I do has similarities to what the bees do. I’m constantly gathering oracular ideas, meditating on the astrological signs and contemplating what inspirational messages my readers need to hear. This horoscope may not be the result of a million thoughts, but the number is large. What’s the equivalent in your life, Pisces? What creative gathering and processing do you do? Now is a good time to revise, refine and deepen your relationship with it. Homework: Can you boost your willpower just by deciding you want to? Try it. Newsletter.FreeWillAstrology.com
The courtroom was packed as Santa Cruz County Superior Court Judge Denine Guy read her ruling concerning convicted murder Adrian Gonzalez. Silence filled the air as she declared the prosecution—Santa Cruz County Chief Deputy District Attorney Tara George—had proved reasonable doubt that Gonzalez should be released from custody on his 25th birthday in October.
She went on to say there was “probable cause to warrant a trial” within the next 30 days, leaving Gonzalez’s fate in the hands of 12 jurors. The jury process begins Aug. 14.
In 2021 Gonzalez was convicted of the 2015 kidnapping, rape and murder of his 8-year-old neighbor, Madyson “Maddy” Middleton, in a case that rocked the county. Gonzalez—who was 15 at the time—was a babysitter to Middleton and her friends where they lived at the Tannery Arts Center. He lured Middleton into his home with the promise of ice cream and disposed of the body in a nearby trash can. He later joined the search for the child until being arrested for the crime.
At the time of his conviction, prosecutors wanted to try Gonzalez as an adult. However, Senate Bill 1391—passed in 2019—made 16 the minimum age for someone to be tried as an adult in California. Since 2021 Gonzalez has been incarcerated in the juvenile detention system, most recently to the Sonoma County Juvenile Hall.
According to state law, the juvenile system only keeps individuals until they are 25 years old. After that it is up to the courts to decide if they should be released or not, which was the reason for Gonzalez’s latest hearing.
The hearing lasted four days over three weeks, during which time witnesses who have worked with Gonzalez in the penitentiary system gave testimony on his mental health, treatment and current rehabilitation process.
As Judge Guy made her ruling, Gonzalez—who appeared via Zoom from Sonoma—seemed calm and attentive. Guy declined to expound on her reasoning for the ruling, saying she wanted to give future jurors an “independent decision-making process.”
Middleton’s mother, Laura Jordan, as well as her grandmother, Judy Middleton, were also in attendance via Zoom. Gonzalez’s mother attended the ruling in person but declined to speak with reporters after.
Outside the courtroom four teenagers sat on the steps with homemade cardboard signs with slogans “Justice For Maddy!” and “Madyson Middleton Never Forget”.
One teen, who declined to give her name but said Middleton was “my best friend” and still lives at the Tannery. She said she believed the court made the correct decision in not allowing Gonzalez immediate freedom.
“He can do whatever he wants as long as he stays in prison. If he wants to get a communications degree he can do it behind bars,” she said. “But it’s a threat to everyone if he’s released.”
However, she also admitted she was frustrated with the process saying it was “exhausting” for everyone, including Laura Jordan, who she still keeps contact with.
“I’m unhappy with this law,” she said, speaking of SB 1391. “I think people didn’t realize what it really meant when they passed it.”
She went on to say she thinks the judicial system is “too black and white but this is not a black and white issue.”
She told reporters Gonzalez also used to watch her as a child and nobody at the time, neither the children he supervised nor their parents, ever suspected he was capable of something like this. She said he was “always very nice” and “all the kids loved him.”
“He [seemed] super trustworthy,” she recalls. “My mom would see him around us and think it was so nice of him to be looking out for us and making sure nothing happened. But in reality he was figuring out what he was going to do and who he was going to do it to.”
The now 17 year old and her friends also called for more community involvement and pointed to an online petition against Gonzalez’s release that individuals can sign.
One woman, Kim Salisbury, a retired Santa Cruz County employee said she has followed the case closely. She told reporters she only knew the Middleton family “in passing,” and once met Gonzalez and his mother at a trash clean up around the San Lorenzo Levee.
“The mom made all this food, which I thought was very sweet,” Salisbury said. “He was stand-offish but that’s not unusual for 15 year olds so there were no red flags.”
Salisbury said she is hopeful once prospective jurors hear the specifics of the case and Gonzalez’s crime, they will decide he should remain incarcerated.
“Other states with similar cases and don’t have the rules we have [in California], have tried them as adults and kept them in custody. Some even get a life sentence. That’s my hope.”
If a jury decides against Gonzalez’s release he will be held in prison for another two years. After that the District Attorney can petition to block his release again.
Neuroscience research shows that humans are wired to connect.
Even introverts. Even antisocials. Even the Reddit user “misanthropy,” who admits in a post, “I crave social interaction but I also hate people.”
There’s this idea that a basic need for connection is rooted in our brains and bodies. And one of every two American adults are deficient. In May 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General issued a report citing that half of us are lonely. Some call it an epidemic, and a greater detriment to our health than smoking, obesity and high blood pressure.
The disconnect is ironic, in a world where we’ve never been more connected.
Single for a bit over a year after a monogamous 20-year relationship and curious about the local dating scene, I did some searching online.
“Redwineandcoastlines,” a 30-something-year-old woman in Santa Cruz, shared her sentiment in a Reddit thread titled “Dating in this town.” She writes, “I’m 31 and have officially sworn off dating apps! They do not feel natural, have never been successful for me, and force me to be on my phone much more than I’d like to be. I feel most, if not all of them, have created what we know as the toxic dating landscape.”
Her perspective is supported by the documentary Swiped: Hooking Up in the Digital Age, which followed Santa Cruzans Vin, Claudia, Cam, Skylar and a handful of unnamed others using apps to meet up and hook up. The credits rolled, and I stared at the screen. There had to be a way to meet a group of singles in the flesh. 3D. Real life.
My search eventually unearthed Tantra Speed Date—Santa Cruz, promising an evening of “connections through fun, chemistry-building games” like “engaging dialogue, light partner yoga, movement, dance, heartwarming eye-gazing, and even some gentle hand-holding. A delightful mix beyond the mundane ‘what’s your job’ chatter.”
There was an open invitation to participate in the activities we wanted to, and pass on the ones we didn’t. Ladies would initiate connections and gentlemen had the choice to pursue, following the experience.
I decided to accept.
No Screens to Hide Behind
“Wait. Is this sexual? I’m so confused.”
This was my sister’s text, verbatim, when I initially told her what I signed up for.
“One of the biggest myths or misconceptions about tantra, especially here in the West, is that it’s all about sex,” says certified tantra educator Deborah Kat, who facilitates the events in Santa Cruz and around the Bay Area.
“It’s unfortunately a very narrow view of what’s possible in tantra,” she explains. “For me, tantra is spiritual, where we’re living from a place of being deeply connected to ourselves, to spirit, to the earth. Tantra is a personal practice before it’s ever a practice with others.”
I’m sitting across from Kat at a coffee shop, weeks after my Tantra Speed Date session, which ultimately led to a drink with a guy, dinner with a gal, and a realization that I’m not relationship ready. I’m just getting to know myself.
Deborah Kat, the woman behind Tantra Speed Dating.
Having practiced tantra for 20 years, been with her partner for 24 years, and helped thousands find more pleasure in sex and relationships, Kat seemed to understand why I felt blocked.
“We’re not talking about easy stuff when it comes to connecting with others, and this is where personal practice comes into play, to work through disappointment, heart opening, reflecting,” she says. “It all starts in connecting with ourselves.”
And that’s exactly where we began the speed date, with Kat guiding us to arrive, ground into our bodies, and set intentions before making the rounds to connect one-on-one.
Though the event largely attracts heterosexual folks, Kat stresses that all gender identities and sexual orientations are welcome. Speed daters are split so that people attracted to women, females, or femininity make up an outer circle while those attracted to men, males, or masculinity form an inner circle.
The minute-long stations could be grouped into two categories: conversational and energetic. While some had us speaking our desires out loud or voicing positive affirmations for the person across from us, others had us engaging through breathwork sitting back-to-back or mirroring the moves of our partner face-to-face.
I asked what her favorite station was.
“It’s funny the first thing that popped into my head, which surprises me, is the vulnerability station,” she answers.
One of the last, this is where in back-and-forth fashion, each finishes the sentence, “If you knew me, you’d know that…” until time is up and you have a deeper awareness of the person in front of you.
“I truly believe that the things we hide are the things that hold our freedom,” Kat says. “I’ve found that when we reveal them, they hold less power over us.”
Practice and Possibilities
“The dating apps are terrible,” Kat lets out before a very quick follow-up. “I mean, I’d like them to be better. I’d like them to be a conversation opener.”
But in her experience with clients she coaches, Kat surmises that app users often log on to shop and swipe around, without much effort, energy or enthusiasm. And this leaves a lot of room for superficial chats that never lead to meeting in person. It’s so easy to just disappear.
She validates that it’s tempting to be dismissive of the apps, which in turn leads us to be dismissive of people on them. What happens next is a frustration-filled, blanket assumption that there aren’t any good single people out there.
When there are. And Kat sees them at these events.
“Tantra speed daters are already showing up intentionally,” Kat says. “They’re actually going somewhere to meet equally intentioned people, which increases the odds of having some sort of post-event experience. I know what’s possible in connection, in relationship, and I want more people to have that.”
“Tantra Speed Date helps to open up what’s possible,” Kat confirms. “And hopefully you’re learning some relationship skills along the way. Every station can offer a lesson or an awareness or a practice that can be applied to our daily lives.”
I asked Kat if she could wave a tantra wand and make dating in Santa Cruz more magical, what would that look like?
“Oh, the ‘poof’ would be more structured, in-person events for singles, where we get together and, you know, see what’s possible.”
Kat will host one more Tantra Speed Date session on Aug. 3 at Green Magic Yoga before summer ends and the local speed dates pause until December. To reserve a spot, visit tantrany.com/speed-dating/santa-cruz. And to learn more about working with Kat, visit deborahkat.com.
The number of people experiencing homelessness across Santa Cruz County increased 2.6% in 2023 to 1,850.
Paired with inconsistent state funding and the spiraling cost of housing, this trend poses a threat to progress in managing homelessness locally.
That’s according to the Point In Time report released July 19.
“This data demonstrates the effectiveness of local investments and strategies, including the Housing for a Healthy Santa Cruz County framework, in contributing to sustainable reductions in homelessness,” Santa Cruz County Housing for Health Director Robert Ratner said. “While the overall numbers remain essentially unchanged, the full report demonstrates that our community still has challenges ahead of us in addressing this issue.”
The top causes of homelessness were job loss at 36% and eviction at 29%. Additionally, 26% of the homeless population are employed, and 45% of the population believe that employment assistance is the most effective way to prevent housing loss.
But even if the people who are homeless have jobs, they still face the challenge of paying rent. According to a recent study, Santa Cruz County has one of the least affordable rental markets in the nation, with housing costs being 20% higher compared to San Jose and San Francisco. This lack of affordable and available housing makes it extremely difficult for everyone to find safe homes, which is impacting a wide range of people within the county.
According to the PIT, between 2023 and 2024, the percentage of Latinos experiencing homelessness increased to 29%, while homelessness among seniors grew by 7%. Homelessness also affects those with physical and mental challenges: 55% of them report a disability and 46% report they suffer from a substance use disorder.
While Santa Cruz County’s numbers have increased, there has been a 36% decrease in homelessness within the city of Santa Cruz, which could be a result of investments and a pro-housing approach to addressing the affordable housing issue.
In collaboration with the county and other community partner agencies, the city of Santa Cruz has implemented various strategies to address the issue by focusing on long-term solutions that focus on the root cause of the problem.
In the past two years, 165 new shelter beds have been added and there are plans to develop 1,100 permanent affordable housing units. In addition, 45 RV-safe parking spots have been created to provide a safe place for RVs to park with on-site hygiene services.
The City of Santa Cruz recently received a $4 million grant from the State of California’s Encampment Resolution Fund that will provide 20 housing units on the Housing Matters campus, with outreach, service coordination, housing navigation, and help those living in encampments move to stable housing.
“The success of these initiatives reflects a coordinated and comprehensive approach to addressing homelessness in the City of Santa Cruz,” said Mayor Fred Keeley.
Watsonville city officials on July 22 began clearing a sprawling unsanctioned homeless encampment along the Pajaro River that runs from Sakata Lane to Loughead Avenue.
The work, which includes mowing tall grasses and removing some trees, is expected to last through Aug. 2, Watsonville City spokeswoman Michelle Pulido said.
Clearing the camp is in advance of the upcoming $599 million Pajaro River Flood Risk Management Project, which will give 100-year flood protection to the riverside communities of Watsonville and Pajaro.
The work is slated to begin in August along Corralitos and Salsipuedes creeks.
While no major work is planned along the Pajaro River this year, officials still need to make numerous repairs in preparation of the project.
Pulido said that many of the residents dug out sleeping places, compromising the integrity of the levee.
She estimates that roughly 100 people lived there.
“We know that from the start of the year that the homeless encampment has more than quadrupled in size, and there’s some serious concerns, not only about the environmental aspects but also public safety,” she said. “We have real concerns over the levee and its integrity and our ability to protect our residents from potential flood risks.”
Mark Strudley, who heads up Pajaro River Flood Management Agency—the lead agency overseeing the levee rebuild—says the relocation is an essential part of keeping the community safe from flooding.
Many of the people living there, he says, carve out large portions of soil to create living spaces. This weakens the levee by shortening the distance water needs to seep before it creates floods.
Additionally, the soil that makes up a levee must be repeatedly compacted by workers based on engineers’ specifications. So fixing the dug-out portions can be complex and costly, Strudley said.
“Come wintertime, it’s a really big issue for the safety of the community,” he said. “In some ways it’s impossible to make those repairs without doing a cleanup like they’re doing.”
The clearance comes in the wake of a June 28 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court—City of Grants Pass v. Johnson—which gives jurisdictions the discretion to clear homeless encampments that are deemed unsafe.
Gov. Gavin Newsom on July 25 issued an executive order ordering agencies and governments to address the camps in their jurisdictions, while at the same time helping the residents.
Residents along the levee earlier this week found notices posted giving them 72 hours to vacate.
Manuel Mendoza, 60, says he has been living in the area for about a year, and has been moving from parking lots to shelters to unsanctioned encampments as authorities shuffled him along.
On July 24, he was loading a bike trailer with his possessions in preparation for his next move.
He says he and his fellow residents will now move to the other side of the Pajaro River in Monterey County or into the City of Watsonville, where they will sleep in the doorways of businesses.
But he says he has nowhere to go, and authorities have fallen short in finding alternative shelter.
“We’re not cattle,” he says. “Nowadays, even cattle deserve a corral.”
Worse, he says rent is far beyond residents’ financial means, and affordable places to live are scarce.
The solution, he says, is simple: shift funding for non-essential expenses such as park renovations to homeless services.
A self-described outdoorsman, he says that he didn’t like the rigid structure of indoor shelters, such as the recently closed 24-bed Salvation Army shelter.
“I’d rather be outdoors than indoors,” he said. “There’s too much issues.”
Has the change of Democratic candidate changed your view of the 2024 election?
JESSICA
Partially yes, it’s caused me to put in more research about the new candidate, and what it means for the country. I’m more inclined to vote because she has different perspectives as a woman of color. I think that will change how she views the current situations. I’m very excited to vote for a woman. Very.
Jessica Shupe, 19, UCSC Student
CJ
I feel the same about which side I’m voting for. If anything, I feel more confident about Harris because she’s closer to our age group, and she can relate to the generation growing up. I want to see a debate. Because Harris was a prosecutor and Trump has felony charges against him, it will be very interesting.
CJ Kapetan, 23, Job-seeking Videographer / Film Maker
JEANNE
There is a little of the Kingmaker thing, good for party cohesion, but not exactly like people had a choice. My fear had been an infighting disaster. I wouldn’t say that Harris being a woman makes me personally more excited, but there’s something to say about not having two 80-year-olds running against each other.
Jeanne Wang, 33, Software Engineer
ART
I think it’s good that Kamala Harris is young. But because she’s a woman of color, I’m nervous because of how America is. People may not vote for a woman of color. But I’m voting for her no matter what.
Art Simmons, 28, Jack-of-All-Trades
RYAN
I’m lot more confident and I was not hopeful before. It’s a realistic option that our first woman president will be a woman of color, and I think a lot more good will come. I don’t think Harris is the most progressive candidate, but it’s a step forward.
Ryan Sousa, 21, UCSC Student
MICHAEL
It isn’t changing my view, because I’m more focused on what laws are happening in the state. The things that affect us happen with the local stuff. If you stay focused on the politics of your state, it should be all fine and dandy.
