High Marks for Soquel Vineyards

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High Marks for Soquel Vineyards

The Bargetto twins, Peter and Paul, invited me and my husband for lunch on one of the days they were bottling. Bottling is exhausting, so they were all glad to sit down with us and take a break.
The Bargettos, along with their partner Jon Morgan—who was scurrying around that day doing a multitude of jobs—are the main team behind the wonderful wines produced at Soquel Vineyards. As Peter poured some of his 2014 Partners’ Reserve Nelson Vineyard Chardonnay to have with our lunch, it struck me what top-notch wines are coming out of Soquel Vineyards—and what a ton of work it is to run a winery.
But it can pay off hugely, as is the case with this superior Chardonnay ($28). It got a 91-point rating from the July issue of Wine Enthusiast, and a double gold from the 2016 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.
“This steep mountain wine dances across the palate with apple and pear,” say the proprietors, “and follows with layers of sweet French oak. Lemongrass flows from the bouquet—classic!” they add. It’s well worth a trip to Soquel Vineyards to try this Chardonnay and all the other wines they make. They have a welcoming tasting room and a beautiful patio where you can sit and linger.
Soquel Vineyards, 8063 Glen Haven Road, Soquel, 462-9045. soquelvineyards.com. Open for tasting Saturday and Sunday.

La Vie’s Flu Fighter Wellness Shot

I recently had a terrible bout of flu, which totally flattened me. While still feeling miserable, I happened to be at the Walnut Creek farmers market and came across our local La Vie products. One of them was a small bottle with “Flu Fighter” on the label ($3), so I gave it a whirl and downed it. Fresh ginger juice, oregano oil, fresh lemon juice and cayenne—all organic—zapped through me and I experienced a little surge of energy. While not a cure for flu (I actually ended up with antibiotics), the “Flu Fighter” certainly helped, and it tastes great.
For locations of La Vie wellness products, visit drinklavie.com.

Artists Protest Limits on Pacific Avenue

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Artists Protest Limits on Pacific Avenue

Standing beside a folding A-frame plastered with experimental art pieces and protest signs on Pacific Avenue, artists Alex Skelton and Joff Jones have spent endless hours downtown suggesting passersby stop to check out their art or maybe even make a donation that will help them afford to stay in Santa Cruz. Their trippy psychedelic art features subjects ranging from the pastoral to pop culture—nature, a shipwreck, even the cartoon character Waldo.
But in the last year, they say they’ve had no choice but to shift focus, and their creative sides have taken a back seat to their activism. Skelton and Jones have been arrested three times since July of 2015, each time for refusing to sign a citation issued to them for distributing artwork outside of an exempt zone on Pacific Avenue.
There is no need, they argue, for the 27 blue-marked zones that dictate where artists can and can’t set up—since, they say, it is their “constitutional right” to display their artwork in a public space. “Restrictions are meant to keep people safe. There are already laws in place to deal with obnoxious people disturbing the peace and aggressive panhandlers,” says Skelton, beside a picture of a person with a television for a head.
But that isn’t how the First Amendment works, according to City Attorney Tony Condotti. He defends the city’s policy, saying Skelton’s rights are not being violated, because it’s within the city’s right to place restrictions on the time, place and manner in which these First Amendment activities take place.
“There are numerous places available for people to engage in freedom of expression,” says Condotti. “It only regulates the locations that they set up, so that they don’t obstruct the sidewalks and clutter up the streets.”
Outside experts, too, seem to agree that there’s nothing unconstitutional about what the city’s doing, as long as it provides enough space for artists and activists. “Sidewalks and streets are public forums for speech. But cities may have time, place, and manner restrictions that serve an important government interest and leave open adequate alternative places for communication,” UC Irvine Dean of Law Erwin Chemerinsky tells GT, adding that he doesn’t know the specifics of the city’s setup. “Generally this would be allowed so long as there are adequate places available for the street performers.”
The exempt zones are a fairly new concept on Pacific Avenue. They first hit the street in December 2014, in the wake of a controversy over beloved accordionist Frank “The Great Morgani” Lima, who temporarily retired from playing the mall after being threatened with a $300 ticket. A total of 63 color-coded spots were marked along Pacific—yellow for performing, red for vending, and blue for either. This spring, the Santa Cruz City Council voted unanimously to ban commercial vending entirely, and there are now 30 blue boxes for performing and selling original artwork.
Because Skelton and Jones are artists, they won’t be affected by the commercial vending ban—or at least they wouldn’t be if they wanted to sell their paintings in the designated spots, something they refuse to do.
They were first arrested on Aug. 20, 2015, after refusing to sign a citation for not being in an exempt zone, instead promising to appear in court.
“My mom told me don’t sign anything unless you know what it means,” Skelton says. The Santa Cruz Police Department took them into custody, booking them into jail as per police protocol.
Skelton and Jones have mastered the skill of garnering attention for their cause—dressing up as Founding Fathers after their first arrest, and as television reporters at another protest. During their third arrest on May 1, a friend videotaped when 11 officers showed up, and the video now has more than 32,000 views on Facebook. In the two months since, they’ve continued to set up outside of exempt spaces, and haven’t had any interaction with law enforcement, aside from “casual waves” from cops, they say.
Assistant city manager Scott Collins says the exempt spaces are meant to establish a balance between freedom of expression and commercial and pedestrian activity. He says they were originally established because of complaints from people saying they “didn’t feel comfortable walking on the sidewalks,” since they were cluttered with people panhandling and fighting over popular locations.
“It’s not like we’re seeking to turn into Los Gatos, where there is no freedom-of-expression activity. A lot of people like coming here for these activities and performers,” says Collins.
Skelton, who’s 34, has traveled to dozens of cities, ranging from Seattle to Berkeley, to sell his art—or, as he says, “share my personal ideas with people through art.” He says he’s never had a police officer threaten to cite him outside of Santa Cruz.
It may actually be a misconception, though, that the City of Santa Cruz is somehow more restrictive than other places. In Seattle and Berkeley, for example—both considered liberal, artsy communities—it is illegal to distribute artwork, or engage in any other vending, in a public space without a permit. Applicants are screened first, and then awarded a permit. In Santa Cruz, there is more flexibility; all one has to do is situate themselves within an exempt zone, within a one-hour time limit.
Collins says says the time limit for each zone provides everyone who wants to display their art or perform a level playing field, and that people can’t stake claims to “hot spots.”
Skelton argues the time limit is “ridiculous and unnecessarily restrictive,” but concedes in his five-and-a-half years setting up on Pacific Avenue, he’s only ever been asked to give up his space once, and he found another one down the block.
Condotti says that Jones and Skelton persistently trying to get arrested creates a drain on city resources. And, in a way, the activists agree.  
“They [the police department] don’t seem to enjoy using their time this way. It’s a waste of their time and resources,” says Skelton. “We’re just showing people pictures and talking to them, and the city’s making that a crime.”

Cutting Back on Crumbs

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Cutting Back on Crumbs

A few morsels of food left behind in the woods can spark unintended consequences that ripple through the food chain, and kids at a forest school in Little Basin are learning all about it this summer. Ravens and jays are attracted to food waste left over from visitors, and the city-slickin’ birds threaten the marbled murrelet—a species of seabird that nests in the forests—by feeding on the single egg it lays each season.
With the small endangered seabird in mind, the Web of Life Field (WOLF) School has implemented a program to reduce the human food entering the food chain. WOLF School has brought the California State Parks “Crumb Clean” initiative to the 534-acre Little Basin campgrounds—just in time for both the summer camping rush and the Murrelets nesting season.
“It allows us to bring kids to a public land, and in return take care of it,” says Heather Butler, WOLF School director.
WOLF School naturalists are promoting proper garbage disposal and airtight container storage for food, and discouraging wild animal feeding.
Before setting up camp, visitors will be required to sign a Crumb Clean Commitment. Educational talks and campfires will also be available to visitors to learn more about the importance of the murrelet to the redwood ecosystem. 

Farm Bureau Director on How to Buy Direct

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Farm Bureau Director on How to Buy Direct

Did you know there are more than 50 farms in the area that you can buy directly from?
Sure, farmers markets are cool, but so is driving up to a farm and buying your produce a few feet from where it was grown. The Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau has been maintaining a map for residents of where they can find these farms. It’s been updated every year for the past 41 years, and focuses primarily on Santa Cruz and Santa Clara counties, with a few farms in Monterey and San Benito counties. Just a few years ago, they even developed an interactive mobile app version. We spoke with Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau Executive Director Jess Brown about this cool local farm guide.
What inspired this map?
JESS BROWN: What has really changed over the past 41 years is the strong interest in the public in dealing directly with the growers. People want to know exactly where their food comes from. Forty-one years ago the farmers market hadn’t really started. This was at the forefront of this public interaction directly with the farmer. Slowly farmers markets started sprouting up. It was a slow process. Now we have several farmers markets within the map.
What kinds of foods are available to get fresh off the farm?
It depends on the season. In the spring there’s this big surge for berries because people know that those are being picked fresh, and some of the places have “U-Pick” operations where you can go out and actually pick yourself. Of course when you get to the fall, people want to go where the pumpkins are. You move into Christmas and there’s Christmas trees. Apples are a big deal here. Row crops, meaning vegetables, are a big deal. We have egg farms. You could create a menu—breakfast, lunch and dinner—from those farms. Probably the one thing that we don’t have a lot of is livestock.
Why have farms always thrived here?
Agriculture has always been a leading industry in this area because the cool coastal climate makes it conducive to grow a lot of the crops, like Brussels sprouts, artichokes, cauliflower, apples. You don’t find a lot of the stone fruits like peaches—you might find those in Santa Clara. So there’s a wide variety on the map.
724-1356, sccfb.com.

Film Review: ‘The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble

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Film Review: ‘The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble

Some people talk about building a wall. (OK, one fool in particular.) The perfect antidote to that mentality is The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble. This beguiling and bittersweet documentary chronicles the efforts of the renowned cellist to found a performing group of international musicians from Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, whose entire existence is dedicated to both cultural diversity and common humanity.
Filmmaker Morgan Neville won an Oscar for the fabulous 20 Feet From Stardom, giving back-up singers—the unsung heroines of rock ’n’ roll—their well-deserved moment in the spotlight. He knows a great music doc needs to feature not only wonderful music, but also dynamic personalities to perform it, and The Music of Strangers is incredibly rich in both.
In 2000, Yo-Yo Ma got the idea to search the world for masters of traditional instruments for a workshop and performance he wanted to stage at the prestigious Tanglewood Music Festival in Massachusetts. Born in Paris to Chinese parents and raised in the U.S., Ma embodies the spirit of internationalism. His idea was to follow the ancient “Silk Road” trade route, from Venice to China, scouring the world for master musicians.
And what an ensemble he came up with, fascinating in the ways their various instruments, and their playing, as well as their diverse personalities, mesh. Music is the defining element in all their lives, and none has been unscathed by political upheavals.
Kinan Azmeh, a clarinetist from Damascus, brings dozens of wooden flutes to children in Syrian refugee camps. Wu Man survived Mao’s Cultural Revolution in China by her skill on a lute-shaped string instrument called the pipa.
Iranian Kayhan Kalhor is master of another traditional stringed instrument, the kamancheh. When “the revolution” (he says, derisively) hit Iran, he had to leave the country, on foot, with only a backpack and his kamancheh. A rootless loner for years, making his living from an instrument no one outside of Iran had ever heard of, he was able to go home in 2009, where he unexpectedly fell in love and married. But, unable to stomach the government’s repressive policies, he left again. Now he and his wife carry on their ardent relationship via Skype.
Then, there’s earthy and raucous Spaniard Cristina Pato, who plays—bagpipes. If, like me, you thought that instrument was exclusive to Scotland, think again. “If you are from Galicia,” she laughs, “you have the choice to either play soccer, or play the bagpipes!” And she plays them like no one else—swaying her hips, stamping her feet, half-singing around the mouthpiece, coaxing out exotic, hypnotic melodies. Fun flashback footage shows her as a young woman with green hair playing the pipes in a rock combo.
After Tanglewood, the players were looking for an excuse to keep up the ensemble, beyond the fact that it was just so much fun playing together. One year later, 9/11 happened. In a world turned instantly xenophobic, Yo-Yo decided it was more important than ever to maintain and promote the cooperative spirit of the ensemble. “My father doesn’t think of himself as a cellist,” says his son, Nicholas. “He wants to change the world; he just happens to have a cello in his hand.” Six albums and several globe-trotting performances later, the Silk Road Ensemble continues.
Insightful commentary is provided by the musicians themselves, other musical observers, and various composers who have written for the ensemble. “We don’t all necessarily speak perfect English,” says Chinese composer Tan Dun. “But we all speak perfect music.” And the musical performances are mostly thrilling, whether on a concert stage, or in an open courtyard in Venice, or around a dinner table, where the musicians start exuberantly chiming their wine glasses.
These folks understand that music can’t “stop a bullet,” or “feed the starving.” And some critics complain they are “diluting” cultural music traditions by blending them in the ensemble. But the film demonstrates how the ensemble helps its members keep their individual musical identities alive, while challenging the fear of the “other” so prevalent in today’s world.

THE MUSIC OF STRANGERS: YO-YO MA AND THE SILK ROAD ENSEMBLE
(***1/2) out of four
With Yo-Yo Ma. Directed by Morgan Neville. An Orchard release. Rated PG-13. 96 minutes.

Crab, Scarab, Tortoise, Cherubim

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Crab, Scarab, Tortoise, Cherubim

We are in the month and sign of Cancer. Looking around our world, we might see images that pertain to Cancer; crab, scarab, tortoise, gates, waters, mother with child, angels (the Cherubim who protect mothers and children). There are always three levels to everything in our world: personality, Soul and Spirit.
On the personality-building level, Cancer is about mother, birth, family, nurturing and nourishment of all life. On the Soul level, Cancer is about developing the mind (lower and higher) and intelligently working in harmony and Right Relations with all Earth’s kingdoms (mineral, plant, animal, human). These are the foundations upon which the new culture and civilization, the Aquarian new world, is created.
Because Cancer is the sign of humanity (the masses, ruled by the moon) and the sign where Spirit (new ideas) enters matter (the “gate in”), during the month of Cancer we ponder upon world events as they affect the people of the Earth. We also prepare for the coming seasons, autumn and winter.
With Sun, Moon Mercury and Venus in Cancer, we find we are imitating the crab. We’re in and out of water.  We retreat into the salty brine, but cannot survive there. We’re deeply sensitive, feeling intensely the world’s psychic currents. Unconsciously, we seek our mother’s womb (collective waters of life). Yet greater is the urge to cultivate our personal, individual self. We hear ourselves saying repeatedly, “I want, I need,” feeling hunger on many levels. We swim, glide and dance, part of the Family of Man (Sanskrit for the “thinking ones”). The moon rules us (at first). Then Neptune, with his trident.

ARIES: The sign Cancer focuses Aries on home and family—past, present and future. You are to build a lighted house wherever you live. A spiritually oriented house filled with light and love, creating a new environment. Assume kitchen duties, nurturing others through food. Aries works fast in the kitchen or interest and energy are lost. Don’t give up. Make contact with family far away. Build, tend to or fix a gate.
TAURUS: You have family memories, especially of mother. Memories help us better understand and appreciate our origins. Although still influenced by childhood patterns (we all are), a new sense of self-liberation is also occurring. You may find yourself in a car driving somewhere far away, seeking a new natural and balanced way of life. Keep driving.
GEMINI: Are you pondering upon finances? New ideas appear on how to use resources wisely and for a future goal. Create an imagination journal. Write down that each day you receive $1,000. That’s $31,000 per month. Each day you must spend $500. What would you spend it on? It’s always good, with money, to tithe first. With so much suffering in the world today, where would you tithe?
CANCER: Cancer always seeks to expand self-identity. What would expand your self-awareness, self-identity and self-esteem? Do you need new clothes, shoes, a new style? Does daily life need plans reorganized, initiating a new phase of life? When environments are ordered a new fertile field appears, and Spirit enters matter more easily. During this month a gate opens. Plant happy flowers. Happy Birthday.
LEO: You may have been in a sort of solitude. Gradually you realize your need for closer contacts, communication and love in your life. A seed is being planted concerning goodwill toward others, something that’s in your heart but not always in your actions. Sometimes you’re shy. Allow yourself a little phase of moodiness and non-discipline. Then be willing to activate love/wisdom.
VIRGO: Have new ideas been impressing your mind with new possibilities? Remember to balance your mind’s activity with physical activity. After daily walks looking at gardens, consider a change of appearance—clothes, hair, shoes. Inner and outer apparel. Find the finest, best-made and most comfortable. This is a part of your new, well-dressed creative self.
LIBRA: There’s so much to do behind the scenes. Each day, accomplish one task at a time. Eventually everything will be completed, and you will feel the pride of accomplishment. You’re so busy that travel may be an unavailable luxury. However, should you take to the road, share information—take photos, write about what you see, experience, discover, like, don’t like. Include parks, people, architecture and foods you eat. Everyone’s interested. You’re interesting.
SCORPIO: Deep within, where no one really sees or understands, you have a perennial question. You wonder where and what your purpose and place are. As you observe others, they seem to know something you don’t (not true). Is there someone in your life who listens deeply? Now is the time to speak with them. It’s a good time to take short trips, absorbing new ideas, towns, people and cities. Instead of you finding the answer, what you are seeking finds you.
SAGITTARIUS: Careful with spending, as you could assume a large debt or overspend very easily. On the other hand, you may finally begin to be more practical concerning how to use money and resources. When you do so, a lifetime-after-lifetime lesson will have been learned. Know at first we stumble and simply overdo things. Then we finally learn how to balance and harmonize all that we have. You’re in between.
CAPRICORN: Do you feel a desire to travel, to expand, to study and learn new things? Your life’s focus is on those close to you. They are your responsibility. And Capricorns are the zodiac’s responsible ones. It’s most important now to offer greater nurturance, kindness and care through practical discipline. Discipline can be given calmly, words spoken over and over. Discipline nurtures. Sometimes others don’t know how to nurture. Well, then, you’re to teach them. One more task toward freedom.
AQUARIUS: Your life is most likely very unusual, with a unique sort of reality and different ways of doing things. You’ve taken the road less traveled, which is courageous to some, but for you, your only choice. While freedom is your priority, friendships offer significant meaning to your life. They’re your resource, and when giving to them, you’re nurtured. It’s good to know and recognize this. Goodness sheds your Aquarian values all over everyone.
PISCES: Ask yourself what plans make the most sense concerning your future care and safety. You will experience new revelations concerning your self -identity and as new needs arise, new realizations concerning how you live will become relevant. In the meantime, you need a daily environment that includes balance and beauty. Create a home journal, and place in it photos of all that you love. Include a garden surrounding a warm natural pool. Surround all your hopes, wishes and dreams with Goodwill.

Rob Brezsny’s Astrology July 6—12

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Rob Brezsny’s Astrology July 6—12

 
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Events in the coming week may trick your mind and tweak your heart. They might mess with your messiah complex and wreak havoc on your habits. But I bet they will also energize your muses and add melodic magic to your mysteries. They will slow you down in such a way as to speed up your evolution, and spin you in circles with such lyrical grace that you may become delightfully clear-headed. Will you howl and moan? Probably, but more likely out of poignant joy, not from angst and anguish. Might you be knocked off course? Perhaps, but by a good influence, not a bad one.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): In the book A Survival Guide to the Stress of Organizational Change, the authors tell you how to raise your stress levels. Assume that others are responsible for lowering your stress levels, they say. Resolve not to change anything about yourself. Hold on to everything in your life that’s expendable. Fear the future. Get embroiled in trivial battles. Try to win new games as you play by old rules. Luckily, the authors also offer suggestions on how to reduce your stress. Get good sleep, they advise. Exercise regularly. Don’t drink too much caffeine. Feel lots of gratitude. Clearly define a few strong personal goals, and let go of lesser wishes. Practice forgiveness and optimism. Talk to yourself with kindness. Got all that, Taurus? It’s an excellent place to start as you formulate your strategy for the second half of 2016.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Normally I’m skeptical about miraculous elixirs and sudden cures and stupendous breakthroughs. I avoid fantasizing about a “silver bullet” that can simply and rapidly repair an entrenched problem. But I’m setting aside my caution as I evaluate your prospects for the coming months. While I don’t believe that a sweeping transformation is guaranteed, I suspect it’s far more likely than usual. I suggest you open your mind to it.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): As I gaze into my crystal ball and invoke a vision of your near future, I find you communing with elemental energies that are almost beyond your power to control. But I’m not worried, because I also see that the spirit of fun is keeping you safe and protected. Your playful strength is fully unfurled, ensuring that love always trumps chaos. This is a dream come true: You have a joyous confidence as you explore and experiment with the Great Unknown, trusting in your fluidic intuition to guide you.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): “You can only go halfway into the darkest forest,” says a Chinese proverb. “Then you are coming out the other side.” You will soon reach that midpoint, Leo. You may not recognize how far you have already come, so it’s a good thing I’m here to give you a heads-up. Keep the faith! Now here’s another clue: As you have wandered through the dark forest, you’ve been learning practical lessons that will come in handy during the phase of your journey that will begin after your birthday.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): My devoted contingent of private detectives, intelligence agents, and psychic sleuths is constantly wandering the globe gathering data for me to use in creating your horoscopes. In recent days, they have reported that many of you Virgos are seeking expansive visions and mulling long-term decisions. Your tribe seems unusually relaxed about the future, and is eager to be emancipated from shrunken possibilities. Crucial in this wonderful development has been an inclination to stop obsessing on small details and avoid being distracted by transitory concerns. Hallelujah! Keep up the good work. Think big! Bigger! Biggest!
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): After years of painstaking research, the psychic surgeons at the Beauty and Truth Lab have finally perfected the art and science of Zodiac Makeovers. Using a patented technique known as Mythic Gene Engineering, they are able to transplant the planets of your horoscope into different signs and astrological houses from the ones you were born with. Let’s say your natal Jupiter suffers from an uncongenial aspect with your Moon. The psychic surgeons cut and splice according to your specifications, enabling you to be recoded with the destiny you desire. Unfortunately, the cost of this pioneering technology is still prohibitive for most people. But here’s the good news, Libra: In the coming months, you will have an unprecedented power to reconfigure your life’s path using other, less expensive, purely natural means.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In high school I was a good athlete with a promising future as a baseball player. But my aspirations were aborted in sophomore year when the coach banished me from the team. My haircut and wardrobe were too weird, he said. I may have been a skillful shortstop, but my edgy politics made him nervous and mad. At the time I was devastated by his expulsion. Playing baseball was my passion. But in retrospect I was grateful. The coach effectively ended my career as a jock, steering me toward my true callings: poetry and music and astrology. I invite you to identify a comparable twist in your own destiny, Scorpio. What unexpected blessings came your way through a seeming adversary? The time is ripe to lift those blessings to the next level.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Do you remember that turning point when you came to a fork in the road of your destiny at a moment when your personal power wasn’t strong? And do you recall how you couldn’t muster the potency to make the most courageous choice, but instead headed in the direction that seemed easier? Well, here’s some intriguing news: Your journey has delivered you, via a convoluted route, to a place not too far from that original fork in the road. It’s possible you could return there and revisit the options—which are now more mature and meaningful—with greater authority. Trust your exuberance.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): I love writing horoscopes for you. Your interest in my insights spurs my creativity and makes me smarter. As I search for the inspiration you need next, I have to continually reinvent my approach to finding the truth. The theories I had about your destiny last month may not be applicable this month. My devotion to following your ever-shifting story keeps me enjoyably off-balance, propelling me free of habit and predictability. I’m grateful for your influence on me! Now I suggest that you compose a few thank-you notes similar to the one I’ve written here. Address them to the people in your life who move you and feed you and transform you the best.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): After an Illinois man’s wife whacked him in the neck with a hatchet, he didn’t hold a grudge. Just the opposite. Speaking from a hospital room while recovering from his life-threatening wound, Thomas Deas testified that he still loved his attacker, and hoped they could reconcile. Is this admirable or pathetic? I’ll go with pathetic. Forgiving one’s allies and loved ones for their mistakes is wise, but allowing and enabling their maliciousness and abuse should be taboo. Keep that standard in mind during the coming weeks, Aquarius. People close to you may engage in behavior that lacks full integrity. Be compassionate but tough-minded in your response.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Can water run uphill? Not usually. But there’s an eccentric magic circulating in your vicinity, and it could generate phenomena that are comparable to water running uphill. I wouldn’t be surprised, either, to see the equivalent of stars coming out in the daytime. Or a mountain moving out of your way. Or the trees whispering an oracle exactly when you need it. Be alert for anomalous blessings, Pisces. They may be so different from what you think is possible that they could be hard to recognize.

Homework: Imagine that thanks to scientific breakthroughs and good luck, you’re alive in 2096. What’s your life like? freewillastrology.com.
 

State Passes New Gun Bills, Feds Don’t

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State Passes New Gun Bills, Feds Don’t

“You see a lot of the same ideas introduced in Sacramento and Washington,” says Rep. Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael), speaking on parallel gun-control efforts ongoing in California and Congress—efforts that are in the spotlight following the Orlando mass-shooting on June 12.
The big difference? In California, the state legislature actually passes a pretty regular raft of gun-control bills that have teeth to them, and Gov. Jerry Brown even signs some of them, as he did on July 1. The state has some of the toughest gun laws in the country and has enacted limits on, for example, the magazine capacities of assault-style weapons that include the AR-15, a version of which was used in the Orlando massacre.
California has extensive background-check procedures, while Congress won’t move to close a loophole in gun shows that undermines the background check.
Congressional Democrats took to the floor last week, conducting a sit-in protest of legislative inaction on gun control, led by Georgia Congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis. Rep. Sam Farr (D-Carmel) took part in the protest along with more than 150 other House Democrats, plus a few colleagues from the Senate, who even brought their comrades some “munchies” to snack on, Farr tells GT. Farr, who represents Santa Cruz, says he was at the 25-hour protest until about 4 a.m. before deciding he should try to get some sleep.
While on the floor, Farr spoke proudly about California’s laws banning the sale of assault weapons and limiting the number of ammunition rounds in a magazine—and called on other states to do the same. Shortly after, Gov. Brown signed new gun bills, further restricting magazine rounds and requiring background checks to buy ammunition statewide.
California may have tough gun laws, but its border with other states is even more porous than its border with Mexico, which makes it difficult to cut off the flow of illegal weapons. “In Sacramento, they can actually move forward on these bills,” says Huffman, “but the problem is they don’t have much effect if there’s no federal law.”
And where Congress has notoriously refused to fund a study on the negative health impacts of gun violence on society (the Center for Disease Control hasn’t done a comprehensive study in two decades), California has drafted a state bill that would do just that.
“We’re working from the same playbook,” says Huffman of gun-control efforts in California and Congress. “We’d like to see certain military-style assault weapons banned, high-capacity ammunition systems banned. We’d like to see far better safeguards and background checks. We’d like to see safety systems, locking systems, biometrics—that’s why you see similar ideas being introduced in the two bodies. The difference is, in one place they go there to die.”
After a heartrending filibuster led by Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Connecticut, designed to push Senate Republicans to a vote on gun control, Huffman last week co-signed a bill that aims to patch a hole in the nation’s effort to protect itself from attacks committed under the flag of terror, if not ISIS itself.
Under the bill, no one on a terrorist-watch list will be able to buy a gun without the FBI getting a notification. The Senate shot down a similar bill, along with three others, and refused to vote on the House version—part of what prompted the sit-in, which was broadcast on Facebook and Periscope.
Huffman defends the bill, often called “No Fly, No Buy” as being limited, and necessary. “We’re only talking about a notification process,” he says, “and I don’t think that’s a huge intrusion into due process or privacy. I don’t have a problem [with notification] for someone who is investigated for terrorist ties if they go out and buy an AR-15.”
Of course, perfectly innocent people have, at times, ended up on those lists when their only transgression is having the same name as a bad guy. And although Huffman concedes it’s often easier to get on a list than to get off one, there is an appeal process.
It seems that every time there’s a mass shooting, the battle over gun control takes a predictable arc that sees the issue become bogged down in semantic details, like proper ways to describe the weapon. Even as a gun owner who supports the Second Amendment, Huffman says he has “fallen into that trap” and been attacked by gundamentalists for skewing the difference, for example, between a clip and a magazine.
Northern California gun owner Keith Rhinehart says he knows how, in the aftermath of mass-casualty shootings, the fixation with nomenclature tends to obscure realities. “Most NRA members, like myself, are pretty sane, normal people who don’t believe you should be able to go to a gun show, buy a gun and walk out,” says Rhinehart, who finished third in the District 1 Sonoma County Supervisor race.
Rhinehart supports closing the gun-show loophole and in “cooling off” periods for someone who wants to buy a weapon. “I honestly can’t figure out why they are so militant about no restrictions on firearms, or on waiting lists, or on people who are on the terror lists,” he says. “Most of the NRA members, like myself, do believe that these restrictions should be in place. The image problem of the NRA has more to do with the leadership than the membership.”
Robert Edmonds is a Sonoma County gun owner and an anarchist—a philosophy that is, for him, creative, community-based and noncoercive.
Edmonds owns several guns and was raised in a house where his father once threw away a toy revolver because he pointed it at someone. “That was imprinted in me,” says Edmonds. “You never point a gun at anyone, even a toy gun.”
Edmonds says he hasn’t fired any of his weapons in over a year and a half, and that was just plinking at pie tins. He has also given some thought to the obsession over proper nomenclature.
“If you have a steadfast position, you develop your body of research and wind up with ultra-refined arguments that support your case,” he says. “That becomes a justification to throw out all reasonable arguments if someone is inaccurate.”
Huffman and Farr both stress that no one in Congress wants to discuss taking draconian steps, like repealing the Second Amendment.
“We’re willing to go down with this ship,” Farr says. “But in our case, we feel like we’re going to launch this ship into a better place with reasonable gun legislation. And all we’re doing is setting limits. We’re not taking people’s guns away. We’re not wiping out. We’re not repealing. We have a lot of gun owners who are tweeting us who support us.”

Additional reporting contributed by Jacob Pierce.

Preview: Folk Family Revival to Play Don Quixote

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Preview: Folk Family Revival to Play Don Quixote

There’s a country and Americana music scene in Texas that’s big enough to keep artists touring year-round without ever leaving the state. Folk Family Revival grew out of this rich musical environment, and its members embrace the Texas sound wholeheartedly. But they also add a heaping dose of rock ’n’ roll—which has the country music purists somewhat skeptical.
“Every festival you go to that’s not in Austin has these same Texas country names,” says frontman Mason Lankford. “If you don’t sound like that, people say, ‘Oh, these guys are different. They sound like something you’d hear in California.’ Then you go to California and people say, ‘Oh, that’s got a Texas flavor to it.’”
The members of Folk Family Revival—Mason, his brothers Barrett and Lincoln, and their family friend Caleb Pace—aren’t too concerned with what people call their country/roots/psychedelic/folk/rock music. They tour the West Coast regularly and understand that they aren’t an easy fit for the Texas country scene. One listen to the band, however, and you can hear the rough-around-the-edges perspective that makes the Texas sound a favorite of roots fans.
The latest Folk Family Revival album, Water Walker, showcases its different dimensions. It kicks off with “If It Don’t Kill You,” a rocking tune about surviving love, which is followed by “Sunshine,” a sweet song full of vulnerability and self-reflection. Then comes “I Drew a Line,” which circles back to outlaw-style country and has the memorable line, “My mama used to tell me, ‘Don’t do drugs unless you do ’em with your friends.’”
Growing up, the Lankford brothers picked up music early. Their dad played bass and always had a few instruments lying around. By the time Mason was 12, he was in his first group and performing in local coffee shops. The music the brothers played in their younger years was “More what people wanted to hear than what [we] wanted to play,” says Lankford, but the experience served as a foundation to grow from.
“It wasn’t really what we enjoyed, but it was what we did for where we were at the time,” says Lankford. “Now, we’ve got a record collection that fills up a room pretty good. It’s full of the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, the Doors, the Band. That’s what we shape our sound like. We use a lot of vintage gear and old techniques.”
At the heart of Folk Family Revival is family—and the definition goes beyond blood relations for these guys. The band is rooted in a growing community of people that includes other musicians, fans, artists, and friends. Mom and pop Lankford’s house is a bustling place where people come to play music, sleep on the couch, hang out with new and old friends, eat, and connect. The house is homebase for the ever-expanding family.
“Sometimes people come up and say, ‘I was going through a hard time and you really helped me with that song,’” says Lankford. “We’ll say, ‘Hey, you need to give me your number and come to the house. You’re one of the dudes that we want to hang out with.” He adds, “We bring in people that strengthen the family.”
This spirit of openness and collaboration extends to the music, as well. The members make a point of trying new ideas and changing songs up to keep things fresh. It’s an improvisational approach that doesn’t always work out, but they don’t dwell on that.
“There are plenty of messups,” says Lankford, “But you just laugh it off and find a way to play with the crowd. There’s no point in getting hung up on it, you just make sure the next song goes off without a hitch.”
In the end, the organic approach to making music aligns nicely with with the band’s approach to friendship, life and family.
“We’ve learned a lot about love and acceptance and those kind of things,” says Lankford. “In life, hopefully everybody’s searching for some kind of betterment and trying to make themselves a better person. The family has helped so much with that.”

INFO: 7:30 p.m., Monday, July 11. Don Quixote’s, 6275 Hwy. 9, Felton. 335-2800. $10.

Local Burning Man Artist Pays Homage to Cadillac Ranch

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Local Burning Man Artist Pays Homage to Cadillac Ranch

Burning Man was made for Keith Muscutt, so perfectly in synch are the missions of the annual desert potlatch and the arts-and-tech conceptualist.
Growing up with one foot in academia and the other on the Gonzo trail, Muscutt is arguably a latter-day Indiana Jones. For the past two decades he has led expeditions into the Andes, exploring and discovering lost pre-Columbian ruins, he pioneered pop-up performance events in the ’70s, and for the past nine years has been an active participant in Burning Man installations.
For the 2016 installment of Burning Man, Muscutt and his 2-Lanterns Camp collaborators have come up with something both environmentally and artistically provocative. Riffing on Ant Farm’s celebrated Cadillac Ranch installation of 10 gorgeous gas-guzzlers half-buried on Route 66 (Ant Farm founder Chip Lord was a colleague of Muscutt’s at UCSC), Muscutt has planned nothing less than an homage involving virtual electric cars rising up out of the searing desert floor.
“I’ve always had this idea kicking around,” admits the tanned, silver-haired conceptual artist, “of the globe with a car inserted on one side and exiting on the other.”

“We were sitting around talking and I mentioned this whimsical idea of mine. They loved car culture, and had been involved in automotive design.” — Keith Muscutt

That idée fixe led to the current project, a whimsical response to Cadillac Ranch. “People have done various riffs on that installation, and I thought, ‘well, this is the place to do it,’” says Muscutt. Given that the idea of finding 10 Cadillacs of that vintage was “a bit of a stretch,” he grins, “we had to come up with something else.”
Electric Renaissance is the name of the project, which when launched will not only form a visual homage to the iconic automotive burial, but will also allow Burning Man participants to sit inside fabricated Tesla-inspired electric vehicles, offering interactivity as well as a witty echo of the now-historic automotive installation.
A U.K. native, Muscutt came to Santa Cruz after his Master of Fine Arts work in dramatic arts at UC Davis. When his exchange-program visa ran out, he traveled in Latin America, worked in England and Canada, and came out to UCSC to help set up their fledgling film and electronic music facilities in the late ’70s. He also managed to concoct proto-hippie art happenings and inflatables, complete with sound and light show design, in his psychedelically saturated spare time. Between electronic art design and archaeological treks, Muscutt held down a day job as UCSC Assistant Dean of the Arts until his retirement in 2007. That year marked his first journey to Burning Man.
Two years ago Muscutt’s Burning Man team, largely tech directors from UCSC, met up with a group of architects and engineers from Aachen, Germany. “They knew all about Chip and Cadillac Ranch,” Muscutt says of his new German colleagues. “We were sitting around talking and I mentioned this whimsical idea of mine. They loved car culture, and had been involved in automotive design.” His eyes light up. “At first they suggested burying 10 Priuses.” Then it just morphed into using the Tesla trope.
Admitting that “it doesn’t make sense to do a half-million-dollar project for just one week,” Muscutt and Co. are planning a long term version of the Electric Renaissance as a permanent installation. “The time to do it is 2024, the 50th anniversary of Cadillac Ranch. Imagine 10 virtual Teslas on I-80, the route from Silicon Valley to New York.”
And in the “be careful what you wish for” category, last October Muscutt submitted a letter of intent to the Burning Man Arts group, which promotes, funds and manages art projects at the celebrated desert gathering.
“We got a grant from them in February—Burning Man Arts has been fabulous,” he contends. “It’s the most artist-friendly group I’ve ever seen.” But now the rest of the funds have to be raised—for materials, to fabricate, transport, and site-install the homage to Cadillac Ranch. “Come hell or high water we’re going to make it happen.”
The actual fabrication will take place in the Santa Cruz Makerspace in the old Wrigley building. Idea Fab Labs, part of the maker movement, will be fabricating the assembled prototypes—all cut by computer. “And then we’ll burn it!” he adds, with relish.
This year marks Muscutt’s ninth year of participation in Burning Man, which he describes as “the best of the Summer of Love, all over again—with intellectual integrity.”  
Once this project is completed, Muscutt’s lifelong restlessness will doubtless re-emerge.
“Whatever happens, next summer I will for sure be back in Peru,” he says with the serious playfulness that seems to inflect every project he touches. “I’ve always said I wanted to do everything—once.”
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Find Electric Renaissance on Facebook, and their crowd-funding campaign on indiegogo.com.

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