As she comes to Santa Cruz to speak at this week’s Anthropocene Conference, science fiction legend Ursula K. Le Guin tells GT how her life and work have been affected by Taoism and anarchism.
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Pushing the Limits
Does Santa Cruz need campaign finance reform?
Every competitor knows the importance of setting clear rules before the start of a game, tournament or season—whether it’s a pick-up game in the park or the NBA. Should an election be any different? Of course not.
Richard Alfaro’s Exotic Expansion
How white wines are getting him through a mid-life crisis
Driving with Richard Alfaro through his extensive vineyards in full spring green, I get a quick snapshot of what his ever-expanding winery is up to.
Back Track
Haunted ex-POW confronts past in ‘Railway Man’
Is revenge really sweet? Even when one has been horribly wronged—in a wartime setting, for instance—is an eye-for-an-eye style of vengeance ever really justified? Indeed, can any amount of revenge ever compensate for the original injury? These are issues grappled with in The Railway Man, a handsome and quietly moving drama adapted from the bestselling 1995 nonfiction memoir by Eric Lomax, who, as a young British army officer, survived brutal conditions in a Japanese POW camp during World War II.
Film, Times & Events: Week of April 24
Films This Week
Check out the movies playing around town.
With: Reviews,
Movie Times click here.
Santa Cruz area movie theaters >
Best of Santa Cruz County 2014
The 2014 Santa Cruz County Readers’ Poll
Come on in, and have a look around. There’s a lot to see—hundreds of winners selected by thousands of GT readers across Santa Cruz County. So if some of this looks familiar, it’s probably because you helped make it happen. But there are always new things to discover, too—you could go to a different winner or runner-up every day in the Food and Drink category alone, and you’d be booked just about until next year’s Best of Santa Cruz County issue comes out.
Martin Ranch Winery
Sauvignon Blanc 2011
One of my favorite wines is Sauvignon Blanc, and this one made by Martin Ranch is particularly lovely. Bright, crisp and refreshing, it’s perfect to pair with fish and shellfish—and good for picnics as it has an easy screw-cap bottle. There’s nothing worse than setting down your blanket, pulling out your sandwiches—and then realizing you don’t have a corkscrew.
Palate-Stretching 101
A wine education with Soif’s experts
As a veteran of many weekend wine “seminars” at Soif, I have to confess that I’ve never known less (going in) and learned more (coming out) than I did last week at the Spanish Wine Tasting with ace rep Brian Greenwood. These are classy, casual events and it’s hard to imagine having this much flavor fun anywhere for $20.
Alex Raymond Band
People spend their whole lives perfecting their jazz chops. But for Santa Cruz pianist Alex Raymond, who fell in love with the genre only a year and a half ago, it’s been an accelerated process. Nowadays, he plays out with his trio, the Alex Raymond Band, five times a week at the Red Room (Wednesdays), the Blue Lagoon (Thursdays), Lulu Carpenter’s (Saturdays), the Tannery Arts Bar and Café (Sunday mornings), and Louie’s Cajun Kitchen (Sunday afternoons). The gigs started about the same time as his love affair for jazz began.
Why So Serious?
The Good Luck Thrift Store Outfit makes the leap from party band to dedicated musicians
Chris Doud had no interest in starting a band when the group now known as the Good Luck Thrift Store Outfit got together for their first show.
Control Issues
As she comes to Santa Cruz to speak at this week’s Anthropocene Conference, science fiction legend Ursula K. Le Guin tells GT how her life and work have been affected by Taoism and anarchism. To learn which questions are unanswerable, and not to answer them: this skill is most needful in times of stress and darkness...
Pushing the Limits
Does Santa Cruz need campaign finance reform? Every competitor knows the importance of setting clear rules before the start of a game, tournament or season—whether it’s a pick-up game in the park or the NBA. Should an election be any different? Of course not. That helps explain why the next few weeks are important for Santa...
Richard Alfaro’s Exotic Expansion
How white wines are getting him through a mid-life crisis Driving with Richard Alfaro through his extensive vineyards in full spring green, I get a quick snapshot of what his ever-expanding winery is up to. I’m following up on the visit I made to the site five years ago when he first planted Grüner Veltliner vines...
Back Track
Haunted ex-POW confronts past in ‘Railway Man’ Is revenge really sweet? Even when one has been horribly wronged—in a wartime setting, for instance—is an eye-for-an-eye style of vengeance ever really justified? Indeed, can any amount of revenge ever compensate for the original injury? These are issues grappled with in The Railway Man, a handsome and quietly moving drama...
Film, Times & Events: Week of April 24
Films This WeekCheck out the movies playing around town.With: Reviews, Movie Times click here.Santa Cruz area movie theaters > ....... New This Week BRICK MANSIONS The late Paul Walker stars in this action/crime drama as a Detroit cop who teams up with an ex-con in a notorious neighborhood to stop a crime lord from taking over...
Best of Santa Cruz County 2014
The 2014 Santa Cruz County Readers' Poll Come on in, and have a look around. There’s a lot to see—hundreds of winners selected by thousands of GT readers across Santa Cruz County. So if some of this looks familiar, it’s probably because you helped make it happen. But there are always new things to discover, too—you could go to...
Martin Ranch Winery
Sauvignon Blanc 2011 One of my favorite wines is Sauvignon Blanc, and this one made by Martin Ranch is particularly lovely. Bright, crisp and refreshing, it’s perfect to pair with fish and shellfish—and good for picnics as it has an easy screw-cap bottle. There’s nothing worse than setting down your blanket, pulling out your sandwiches—and then realizing you don’t...
Palate-Stretching 101
A wine education with Soif’s experts As a veteran of many weekend wine “seminars” at Soif, I have to confess that I’ve never known less (going in) and learned more (coming out) than I did last week at the Spanish Wine Tasting with ace rep Brian Greenwood. These are classy, casual events and it’s hard to imagine having...
Alex Raymond Band
People spend their whole lives perfecting their jazz chops. But for Santa Cruz pianist Alex Raymond, who fell in love with the genre only a year and a half ago, it’s been an accelerated process. Nowadays, he plays out with his trio, the Alex Raymond Band, five times a week at the Red Room (Wednesdays), the Blue Lagoon (Thursdays),...
Why So Serious?
The Good Luck Thrift Store Outfit makes the leap from party band to dedicated musicians Chris Doud had no interest in starting a band when the group now known as the Good Luck Thrift Store Outfit got together for their first show. “When we first started, it was almost a joke,” Doud admits. “Before we...