Can Revival 1010 bring old fashioned praise to the streets of Santa Cruz?
For many people, certain images and connotations may spring to mind upon hearing the words “tent revival.” Maybe a scene from an older time, in a backwoods—distinctly Southern—locale, an evangelical priest gripping the forehead of a newly converted boy as he twists in the throws of glossolalia … Well, it turns out that’s not all that accurate.

Tent revivals have been around since the turn of the 19th century (and did actually begin in the South, at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, though the official site and state are points of contention) as a way to gather Christians for church rallies, healing ceremonies, and to attempt to enlighten those who were, as of yet, untouched by God. But as entertaining as an archaic, cartoonish vision of a tent revival may be, an upcoming Santa Cruz event wants to prove that it’s downright wrong. On Oct. 8, 9 and 10, Downtown Santa Cruz will host Revival 1010, its first Old Fashioned Tent Revival.

Green Ways to Schools gets kids to rethink transportation
In today’s auto-centric world, it is easy to forget that mobility does not have to be synonymous with automobiles. The efforts of one local organization hope to curb this dependency on cars for Santa Cruz youth.

The program is called Green Ways to School, and aims to transform the way young Santa Cruzans perceive transportation. The two organizations that sponsor Green Ways to School, People Power and the Santa Cruz Hub for Sustainable Transportation, are both committed to promoting alternative and eco-friendly modes of transportation. Green Ways to School differs from the missions of its parent organizations because it hones in on educating middle and high school-aged students about these alternatives. In addition to bicycling, Green Ways also promotes carpooling—the focus of Rideshare Week, which celebrates its 27th anniversary this week.

Are you endorsing candidates and measures in the November election?  If so, which ones?

On the Nov. 2 ballot I am urging everyone to vote yes on Proposition 21, the state parks initiative that would establish an $18 annual vehicle license surcharge to fund state parks and wildlife programs, and to vote yes on Proposition 25, the initiative to change the legislative vote requirement to pass a budget from two-thirds to a simple majority.

I am urging everyone to vote no on Proposition 23, the initiative to suspend the implementation of air pollution standards established in Assembly Bill 32 that requires major producers of air pollutants to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020, and to vote no on Proposition 26, the initiative requiring certain state and local fees to be approved by a two-thirds vote.  

I stood in line to vote behind a 30-ish couple who appeared to be on a first date, judging by the small talk: “I’m more of a dog person.” “Middle children, yeah! High five!” “I’ve never seen a baby pelican either! Weird!”

I didn’t want to eavesdrop, but she had a tag sticking up from the back of her shirt and I’ve always found that to be really distracting. When is it OK to tell a stranger her tag’s up? To me it’s like a little flag that says, “Help! I have trouble with details!” Can’t I just reach out and …

“So how do you pick your peeps?” she asked. A cagey way to get some insight into his politics, I thought.

“Throw the bums out. Fresh start.”

This just In: Zack Snyder to Direct a Superman Reboot from a story by Christopher Nolan. In local news, Good Times comic book blogger passes out from excitement. Oh yeah, this is the big one. Now I love Superman. He’s easily my favorite comic book character of all time which means I will be the first to admit that Bryan Singer’s 2006 take on the iconic Kryptonian left much to be desired (despite the fact that Brandon Routh was outstanding in the lead role). So the news that the writing team behind “Batman Begins” and “The Dark Knight” is teaming up with the director of “300” and “Watchmen” to truly bring Kal-El into the 21st century has me chomping at the bit.

So exactly how did all of this come about?

A team of astronomers discovers a distant planet with conditions that may be “just right” for life
A team of astronomers based at UC Santa Cruz and the Carnegie Institution of Washington has announced the discovery of a planet in another solar system that has some of the Goldilocks conditions for sustaining life.

The team, led by Steven Vogt, professor of astronomy and astrophysics at UCSC, and Paul Butler from the Carnegie Institution, announced its findings on Sept. 29 of an Earth-sized planet located squarely within its host star’s “habitable stone.”

Don’t you just love when you are walking down Pacific Avenue and see
some smartly dressed person, who just “works” their amazing outfit? Okay, so this may not always be a daily occurrence in Santa Cruz, but
it can be! How, you ask? Well, let me tell you about the amazing blogs
you can visit for your endless inspiration and viewing pleasure of people
rockin’ their look on the street. They may not resemble folks on our particular streets, as
these are images culled from fashionable trendsetters worldwide.

Futuristic ‘Never Let Me Go’ is a haunting, exquisite mortality play

There are no owls or talking paintings at Hailsham, a coed boarding school deep in the English countryside, but the eager, fresh-faced children in their neat school uniforms, chanting their morning greeting to the headmistress, are as happy in their idyllic setting as any Hogwarts student. But the children of Hailsham exist in an altered reality as strange as the Harry Potter universe, and the rendering of their world and their destiny is a matter of exquisite craftsmanship in Never Let Me Go, a soulful, deeply moving, utterly pitch-perfect romantic drama from director Mark Romanek.

It can be noodles of fun, but this Coen reboot doesn’t always stay at a boil

One thing A Woman, A Gun and A Noodle Shop has going for it is that it comes from Zhang Yimou. He’s the spirited director who gave the world House of Flying Daggers and was also the lead director for the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. That’s the good news for this clever remake of the Coen Brothers’ noir hit Blood Simple, which came out in 1984 and put the filmmaking siblings on the map. The bad news—if you can call it that—is that audiences may walk away from Yimou’s picture disheartened when they really shouldn’t be. Chances are, they’ll compare the two films—too much.

This week in Obsessive Beauty’s Win It and Wear It contest, we’re giving away an adorable black wallet with an owl printed on it, from Wallflower Boutique, Santa Cruz’s newest boutique at the south end of Pacific Avenue, next door to Idle Hands. Wallflower offers clothing and accessories in a hippie chic style. This mini wallet is made from recycled leather and measures three-inches by four-inches. It was hand-printed by Shara Porter (sharaporter.com). For more information about Wallflower, visit shopthewallflower.com, or stop by the store at 803 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz, 426-3526.

To win this wallet, simply leave a comment here at this blog. The contest ends on Tuesday, Oct. 5, and the winner will be announced on Wednesday, Oct. 6. Thanks for reading.