On their second full-length CD, Babyshambles have tightened up considerably in comparison to 2005’s Down in Albion. This may partially be due to new guitarist Mick Whitnall, whose style seems to mesh well with longtime band members in exploring and renewing the energy of past Brit-rock acts like The Who, The Small Faces, and The Stone Roses. Pete Doherty-though still solipsistic and troubled-also seems to have made progress with his lyrics and singing.
Larry Adams, remembered by many UCSB students of the 1960s as an inspiring professor of political science, died September 7 at age 71 at the Sarah House hospice. As testament to his enduring impact as a teacher, among the many who visited him in his last weeks were former students, despite the fact that nearly four decades have elapsed since he taught at UCSB.
They may sound like opposites, but they are the only two words Jim Laponis could think of to describe his feelings about stepping down after 32 years of working for the County of Santa Barbara. His last day as county deputy CEO-a position he’s held for 21 of those 32 years-was Friday, October 5. Having worked at the county for the last three decades, Laponis said it will be difficult for him to just step away. “I rely on it as part of my life,” he said about being a part of county government.
The Indy‘s own Beth Taylor-Schott is launching a series of weekly poetry classes starting this Wednesday, October 17. Formally titled Poetry Out Loud: Becoming Intimate with Poems through Memorization and Recitation, the series will focus on the interpretation, recitation, and oral history of poetry.
Word to the wise: If you want to catch up with your friend for three hours, don’t do it mid-concert at the Bowl. Don’t get me wrong; I think hanging out with friends and drinking a beer at a show is great fun, especially if everyone is enjoying the music and atmosphere. Just don’t do it in my ear for the entire performance; you’re not that interesting, and your stories aren’t that compelling
WHERE THE BUFFALO ROAM: Whether named for the 2,000-year-old Lakota legend or the 1977 movie with Charles Bronson, songwriter Jake Smith has long been traversing the nation as The White Buffalo. And there’s plenty of underground buzz about Smith to warrant the mythical name. He appears to travel in true troubadour fashion: one man with a couple of guitars, drinking hard and singing harder.
I’m one of the lucky ones. My daily commute includes a sunny, sub-mile-long stroll through an exceptionally picturesque parcel of downtown Santa Barbara. And, no matter how annoying the circumstances of my morning, when I pass the courthouse, I always smile-more than a little bit smugly-to myself: lucky, lucky girl.
In 1999, Elizabeth was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including best actress for Cate Blanchett as the queen. The film depicted the early years of Queen Elizabeth I and her ascendancy to the throne of England. Almost a decade later, its director Shekhar Kapur has assembled most of his original collaborators and continues the story of the Virgin Queen and her battles both personal and against the Kingdom of Spain in Elizabeth: The Golden Years. I recently met with the director to discuss the film.
ON THE COVER: When it comes to addressing global health issues, Direct Relief International is at the forefront of the movement. For the past seven years, the Santa Barbara-based nonprofit has been led by Thomas Tighe, who previously served as chief operating officer for the Peace Corps. Under Tighe’s direction, Direct Relief has provided nearly $800 million in medical aid worldwide. We thought Tighe’s expertise in running a humanitarian healthcare organization made him the perfect candidate to talk with Paul Farmer, the award-winning medical anthropologist and physician who will appear in town on October 22 to discuss his international charity, Partners in Health.
On 10/3, the U.S. Forest Service reopened roughly 333,000 acres of the Los Padres National Forest that surrounded the Zaca Fire burn area.
