A common question asked of scientists is how the oil spill will affect life in the Gulf.
My sense is that it will effect directly or indirectly, severely or slightly every single form of life in the Gulf, for many years to come.  The air, the water, the sand, the mud, the microbes, the plankton, the marshgrass, the mangroves, the jellyfish, the oysters, the shrimp, the shorebirds, the turtles, the sharks, the redfish, the children, the fishermen, the chefs, the taxi drivers, the artists, the oil industry workers, the politicians. Every single bit and blob of life will be impacted.  Save a few oil-eating microbes, no life will change for the better.

Or at least here are the top five things that I read about since I wasn’t actually there:

5. Dexter: Season 5 Trailer – (Heads up, do NOT click on that link until you’ve seen the unbelievable finale to season 4 from last year) Michael C. Hall has already earned his status as one of the finest actors of this generation for his performance as David Fisher on HBO’s masterful series Six Feet Under – but man, if he isn’t close to outdoing himself on Dexter: Showtime’s profoundly addictive series about a serial killer with a moral code who only pursues those who deserve to be murdered (aka other killers).The new season kicks off this September and the trailer unveiled offers a glimpse at yet another year full of the kind of high caliber storytelling the show’s become known for.

Films This Week
Check out the movies playing around town.
With reviews and trailers.

Words of wisdom and tales of the trade from the guys who keep  the Bars in Santa Cruz safe
Wherever there’s a crowd of people drinking, there’s bound to be a jackass or two. Much as we might wish we could just hit the “Eject” button and send the rabble-rousers flying, it takes a living, breathing human to get rid of that unwanted guest who’s had one too many. Which, of course, is where bouncers come in. The doorman is a figure who appears throughout history and throughout nature: The Old Testament makes mention of “gatekeepers” whose duty was to keep things copasetic at the Levitical Temple, and even certain species of ants have their own peacekeepers whose duty is to chuck out unwelcome parties. Clearly, this is an essential service, but few people have the stones for it, let alone the physical power.

One of the most popular wines round these parts is Storrs Chardonnay. It’s probably one of the most-requested wines at any given restaurant. And the reason is simple – it’s an excellent wine. It turns out that many judges at this year’s California State Fair think so, too. They named the Storrs 2008 Santa Cruz Mountains Chardonnay as the Best Wine of the Region. As the top wine of the greater Bay Area, this wine also garnered a Best Chardonnay of Region distinction, and a gold medal. When you think of all the wines submitted in this competition, this is truly an impressive achievement.

A City of Watsonville resident who was discovered to be keeping numerous miniature poodles in unsanitary and negligent conditions in 2009 was recently sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to do 100 hours of volunteer service hours. According to a July 28 Santa Cruz County Animal Services Authority press release, the offender, 42-year-old Mary Frances Laney, was additionally “ordered not to possess, acquire, and/or care for any additional dogs and she’s subject to search and seizure by law enforcement for indicia of dog ownership. She was also ordered to pay $6,467.18 in restitution to the Animal Services Authority.” The best news? All of the rescued poodles have since been adopted into new, loving homes.

In bands and on ballots, Kinky Friedman makes his mark
Author, musician, sometime-politician and all-around American raconteur, Kinky Friedman doesn’t mince words when it comes to pontificating on just about any subject near and dear to his heart. His takes on life are often delivered in a humorous, satirical manner, but the 65-year-old tackles a lot of serious issues and themes, much like the manner in which Mark Twain presented his opinions and views to readers. Still, Friedman is clearly on a level all his own today.

“Man is wolf to man.” Not only is this a quote from the Roman playwright Plautus, one of the earliest known Latin authors, but it is also the title of the earliest known demo recording from local metal slayers Nordic Forge. “[The title track] is a song Jimi wrote almost all at once,” explains the vocalist, Rueben. “Then, I wrote the lyrics after listening to the hymn ‘O Rubor Sanguinis’ by Saint Hildegard Von Bingen.” Determined not to be just another scrawled name in the metal world, the guys in Nordic Forge draw their creativity from classics such as Shakespeare (“Throne of Blood”) and saintly hymns, to an array of bands from the early days of thrash metal and the extremes in Scandinavia. Mario, the act’s guitarist, cites atmospheric and melodic groups like Dissection, At the Gates, and Darkthrone as influences. “Always Darkthrone,” he emphasizes. Only known by their first names, the band of intellectual malcontents consists of Reuben on flesh-curling vocals, brothers Mario and Jimi decimating the guitar scales, Ben on thunderous bass, and Andrew manning the rapid-firing drums.

Plus Letters to Good Times
Middle-East Meltdown?
Talk More
The District’s Disconnect
Club much? Sometimes, it’s a good thing, and if you’ve moseyed to any of the local nightclubs in Santa Cruz County over the years, you more than likely have been greeted by a powerful presence—a bouncer. This week, writer J.D. Ramey takes readers behind the scenes and uncovers, well, let’s say the more embraceable side of some of our area’s favorite greeters and, at times, protectors. These guys are an enigmatic bunch.