Botanic Garden Variety
Barney walks the walk in the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, admiring the California poppies that have just bloomed (pictured), the old dam, and the towering redwoods on a recent, unseasonably gorgeous “spring” day.
Year: 2007
Pay to Play the Dating Game
When I signed my friend Dana and me up for a Ventura speed-dating event, I really didn’t have any grand expectations, except for maybe getting a few drinks and a cheap laugh. The drinks theory held up as we were set to meet at a cozy downtown wine bar, but to my surprise the majority of the people were friendly, not half-bad looking, and didn’t seem at all desperate.
Tyrone Wells’s Hold On
Tyrone Wells started out playing weekly gigs at coffee shops in Fullerton, CA where he went to school. He’s put out three albums independently, and is now on tour with a fourth, studio produced album titled Hold On.
News-Press Lawyer Doubts Indy Integrity
Last week, the News-Press‘ attorney Barry Cappello (pictured) sent a letter to Barney Brantingham, the daily newspaper’s longtime columnist who began writing for The Independent last summer after he quit his job in the first wave of resignations. 
Last week, the News-Press‘ attorney Barry Cappello (pictured) sent a letter to Barney Brantingham, the daily newspaper’s longtime columnist who began writing for The Independent last summer after he quit his job in the first wave of resignations. Cappello asked for a correction and then called into question the integrity of The Indy‘s coverage of the matter, specifically the allegedly hypocritical stance of senior editor Matt Kettmann. Kettmann responded with a long letter, and that’s what we’ve posted for your reading pleasure here. Cappello is yet to res In that letter, Cappello asked Brantingham to correct an online posting that’s headline suggested Cappello was being sued. (We changed that headline accordingly.)
AMGEN Wraps Up, Leipheimer Holds On
After 650 miles in the sadle, California native Levi Leiphimer was crowned champion of the 2007 AMGEN Tour of California this Sunday in Long Beach.
Crimes and Verdicts in Isla Vista
While Isla Vista tongues wag about the recent arrest of UCSB soccer star Eric Frimpong, Mollie Vandor points out that most of the people doing the talking don’t have enough facts to make an absolute statement regarding guilt or innocence. According to Mollie, the public’s opinion doesn’t matter – and it might be worth a moment to remember that.
Teasing: A Real Problem and Solutions
Dr. Collie Conoley discusses teasing, which some studies show may be a more important part of children’s formative years than some adults realize. However, with the right tools, even the most easily teased youngster can turn teasing into a productive experience.
The Lines of a Teenage Hand
Independent.com‘s resident palm-reading expert, Batya Weinbaum, examines a teenaged girl’s hand and explains how the the lines there can differ from those on the hand of an older person.
Jeff Cohen and Scott Ritter Speak at Victoria Hall
The former Marines intelligence commissioner and a security consultant for Fox News and the media critic convened in Santa Barbara for a speech on the danger of the allegedly impending U.S. invasion of Iraq and the failings of corporate media, respectively.
Bike Racing, Solvang Style
Shortly after 11 a.m. this morning, legs pounding furiously in the brisk winter air, American rider Antonio Cruz came flying down Mission Drive in Solvang, his lycra-clad body silhouetted against a snow-capped horizon. Cowbells ringing and boom bats banging, he leans hard to his left, the wind whooshing loudly against his back tire. And that’s just the start of this update to the Tour of California, which races through Santa Barbara County this weekend.
