A unique Bookshop event poses tough questions regarding the inexorable inevitability of death
Something about the uncertainty of what happens after death leaves people shaking in their boots. Is there an afterlife? Do we simply cease to exist? Mankind has been asking these questions for centuries, yet the mystery still remains.
However, the way in which people respond to death varies drastically by culture. Renowned dancer, teacher, choreographer and director Tandy Beal, along with her husband, composer Jon Scoville, became interested in the topic of the afterlife and decided that it should be discussed openly instead of people cowering away from the subject and keeping it under wraps.

Good Bottle of Riesling
Six of us went camping in Big Basin State Park recently. It’s a short drive from Santa Cruz – and there’s nothing like a good dose of fresh air to boost the appetite. And sitting round a campfire under majestic redwoods is simple pleasure at its best. We all gathered on Friday evening and pooled our food and drink for that night’s dinner. I had taken a bottle of Otter Cove Riesling 2007, Santa Lucia Highlands – a nice light wine to go with a late afternoon meal under the redwoods.

Malone’s in Scotts Valley offers gargantuan burgers and outlandishly fresh salads
In 1980 Scotts Valley had fewer than 7,000 residents, and small planes still landed on the runways of its airport. During that year three decades ago, Malone’s Grande Grille first opened its doors, serving the biggest burgers you’d ever laid eyes on.

It seems that there is a national day set aside to celebrate every food on the planet. But why are strawberry ice cream and apricot awareness days in January, and why is there a dog biscuit appreciation day at all? August’s list makes more sense. It’s National Peach month. Boxes at local farmers markets are brimming with these fuzzy fruits, just-picked and juicy.

Actors’ Theatre faces financial troubles
The recession has lambasted everything from mom-and-pop businesses to large corporations, but perhaps the most battered and bruised entity is the arts. We all remember the financial debacle that nearly canceled Shakespeare Santa Cruz’s 2009 summer season, but now the tides have turned on one of Downtown Santa Cruz’s own.

Tucked into the back corner of an unassuming Center Street building, sits Actors’ Theatre, an 88-seat black box where locals have come to see classical, contemporary and new plays, as well as improv, for the last 25 years.

Monterey plunges into hosting the BLUE Ocean Film Festival
Some things just click. Artichokes and butter, Highway 1 and convertibles, back porches and banjos—they go together so naturally it’s as if they were made for one another. Destined for inclusion in the list of great matches is a new pair: Monterey and the BLUE Ocean Film Festival (BOFF). This summer, from Aug. 24 to 29, BOFF will be held for the first time in Monterey with the Monterey Bay Aquarium (MBA) as their presenting sponsor, promising a marriage of resources, passions, and goals.

How can something so intelligent cause such uproar?
California is tangled up in a controversy involving Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E)’s latest energy-monitoring gadget, the SmartMeter.
The SmartMeter is PG&E’s way of “connecting the energy business with the 21st century” by using wireless technology to read electric and gas usage. The SmartMeter is able to report usage data to PG&E every hour, eliminating the need for meter readers and enhancing their ability to access updated account information.

What are your thoughts on Proposition 21, which would assist in funding state parks if passed in the November General Election?

Proposition 21, the November 2, 2010 ballot measure, will establish a guaranteed funding source for the operation, maintenance, and capital improvements of the 278 state parks. This measure has my full support and I encourage everyone to support its passage. The proposition will give California vehicles free admission to any state park in exchange for an $18 vehicle license fee and is essential to preserving and protecting our park system.

Bloodshed, betrayal, and redemption are recurring themes in the band’s songs
here was bloodshed in the streets. Charlemagne’s in sweatpants, looking over his shoulder; skinny, scared and off his game. Holly is as beautiful as ever, but now she’s crying hysterically in the corner because we can’t get as high as we got that first night. Meanwhile, Gideon and the shadow men with the same tattoos are partying in Ybor City, Fla., of course, with a pipe made from a Pringles can.

No rights for single fathers. My experience is that the women get the full choices without the father being able to speak their pieces. I think it’s a one way street when it comes to that. That’s my experience.

Mitchel Herrera
Santa Cruz | Disabled