Older and Happier
Some people fear gravity as they get older, others the loss of sexual power, some even fear granny diapers. Me? I fear becoming a cranky old man.
Month: August 2007
Slow, Flat Food
“We must allow enough time to enjoy our food; we should share the act of eating with others; we ought to think of where the food came from and how it ended up on our plate,” Gabriella Pignatelli, writer of the hour-long documentary Slow Food Revolution, has said. “In this way we may all be part of the food revolution: maintaining biodiversity, producing nutritious food, eliminating poverty, protecting the environment, preserving traditions, and pampering our taste buds.”
This Week in History
August 30, 1983
Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Guion S. Bluford becomes the first African American in space on the Challenger’s third mission.
Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals
Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals’ Lifeline: Recorded in a Paris studio over a mere seven days without the help of Pro Tools or any digital mumbo jumbo, this latest album from the Claremont groovester is raw, untreated, and vintage Harper. Using sound checks during their recent European tour as time for pre-album practicing, Harper and band show that they’re at their very best when simply making the neo-blues rock they’ve become world famous for.
Do This: Labor Day
Guaranteeing the working man (and woman) a much-needed three-day weekend, Labor Day provides the ideal opportunity to head to the beach, kick back a beer, and soak up the last few sunny rays of summer. And, if you’re looking to add some music, eats, or outdoor activities to your day of rest, check out the Labor Day celebrations taking place all weekend long.
The Archer Files Features the City’s Favorite Detective
When it comes to the settings of classic detective stories, Santa Barbara doesn’t instantly spring to mind as offering a suitable web of intrigue. Yet for Ross Macdonald, the goings on in this seaside city provided the inspiration for what would become one of America’s celebrated series of detective novels. Macdonald-actually a pseudonym employed by longtime Santa Barbara resident Kenneth Millar-lived here with his wife, writer Margaret Millar, between 1946 and 1983.
Solar Artist Brian Chandler
Forartist Brian Chandler, what began as a 10-year-old’s interest in fire has become his life’s work. Now a professional solar carving artist, Chandler-known around town as Solar B-initially drew inspiration from the character Piggy using the lenses of his glasses to start a fire in William Golding’s Lord of the Flies.
‘Tis the Season for Elderberry Shrubs
They are easy to miss for most of the year, but right now these native shrubs are laden with a bounty of purple fruits. Western elderberry (Sambucus mexicana) bushes grow in almost any situation. They naturally occur along creeks and at the edges of hard chaparral in the foothills. They are also very adaptable to garden situations from full sun to partial shade.
Man Auction Peeps
Here’s a little multiple-choice scenario: You’re a smart, successful, sexy woman with more than a little bit of cash to burn (oh, would that it were true). Do you {a} snap up that delicious pair of Jimmy Choos you’ve been drooling over; {b} invest the dough in your 401(k), the stock market, or some other fiscally responsible repository of which your accountant would wholeheartedly approve; or {c} purchase for yourself a man?
NancyBell Coe Leads the Music Academy of the West
As NancyBell Coe sits in her spacious office at Miraflores, the shockingly lovely 10-acre garden estate that is home to the Music Academy of the West, I notice that the third-year president of the academy is gently bouncing on a large, black, rubber ball that doubles as a desk chair. It was a particularly good day for her; 140 of the most talented young musicians in the world were about to show up and become her houseguests.
