Bruce Bratton hosts University Grapevine, linking local and campus issues, every Thursday 4-5 p.m. on KZSC 88.1 fm.
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY CAPITOLA. This weekend marks the beginning of Capitola's 60th birthday. Sunday January 11th from 1-4 pm at the Capitola Mall to be exact. There's a lot more going on and the Capitola City Museum sent the attached press release so you won't miss anything. It also tells why they used to call it "Scrapitola" and the details on how it got incorporated...and the opposition to that political move, fascinating!!!
Read the press release here! (link expands, click again to collapse).
GHARKY NOT GHARKEY!! Now that Katherine Beiers is back on the City Council maybe we can correct a lingering problem. (from an older BrattonOnline) "Our street signs have it wrong, and Gharky Street will probably go on being spelt wrong forever. Here's a copy of what I wrote a while back in this space." Deep thanks to Katherine Beiers and Stan Stevens for this story and the data to back it up. Just like Joao Rodrigues Cabrilho and London Nelson we have been spelling David Gharky's name wrong. Note all the "Gharkey" street signs over by West Cliff Drive, and Margaret Koch spells it wrong in the index to her Santa Cruz County Parade of the Past book too. David Gharky built the second wharf in Santa Cruz which later became the railroad wharf. When he died he owned a lot of property. He deeded half to his son BUT what is worth noting, he gave 10 acres in the northern part of the city, plus about 50 acres in the southwestern addition, and 7 acres on the bluff adjoining Blackburn Lagoon to "the poor people of Santa Cruz County". His trustees Elihu Anthony (who built the first wharf in Santa Cruz) and G.M. Bockius and some others then spent nearly 20 years in litigation and spent nearly every cent of the estate on legal proceedings and left nothing to anybody. It's interesting to think that Gharky back in the 1890's had such a beneficent attitude toward the poor". Maybe the next time the city gets streets signs made they could spell it GHARKY. You'd care if they got your name wrong, right?
It's Inauguration Season, and a good one it is!
The Obama Inauguration!
This is going to be one helluva party. It's going to make up for two stolen elections, and from what's been published, the attendance will be record setting. I tripped over the Sentinel article that quoted somebody getting "one of 240,000 tickets from Sam Farr's office". I hope they didn't mean that Sam was managing this many tickets to the event!
In any case, for those who are making the trip, have a ball, take pictures. Let's hope the people who did all the work on the Obama campaign land a ticket to the party.
The Official Investiture of Ariadne Symons as Judge of our Superior Court
This was an impressive ceremony, with a SRO audience at the Board of Supervisors meeting room. The Sentinel's reporter also covered it quite nicely. It was quite a display of tradition in the legal community, with more than twelve judges, justices or those who have retired from this lofty office. We enjoyed meeting Ari's family at the reception that followed another SRO event at the Hollins House restaurant. I never got a chance to talk with Ari's father, whom she introduced earlier the Investiture ceremony, a former WWII RAF veteran who wore his ceremonial Scottish kilts for the day.
The swearing in ceremony for 1st District County Supervisor John Leopold
This was a celebration and swearing in of the 1st District's new supervisor, again before standing room only crowd in the Board of Supervisors chambers. John had his choice of who he wanted to swear him in, and chose Judge Symons, who did the honors. There were so many of Santa Cruz County's political movers and shakers in attendance, I didn't get a chance to see them all. But for openers, John Laird, our ex-Assembly member and Fred Keeley, County Treasurer were there. Also three County Supervisors (four counting John), Neal Coonerty, Mark Stone and Tony Campos. Cynthia Mathews from Santa Cruz City Council, Sheriff Steve Robbin, Watsonville Planning Commissioner Daniel Dodge, SEIU represented by Jim Heaney, Fire Chief Bruce Clark, Steve Kennedy, Leopold's newly appointed County Planning Commissioner and half-time staff worker. Supervisor Pirie and former supervisor Beautz may have been there, but I didn't see them. Ellen's staff person Robin Musitelli was there. There were a large number of volunteers from Leopold's campaign in attendance. My guess is there were over 150 people in attendance.
John's acceptance speech was interrupted several times by applause, the first round of applause when he spoke in favor of alternative transportation instead of widening the highway. Also drawing applause was the introduction of his father, and thanking his family for the support over the campaign.
"What a wonderful thing, to be away from Santa Cruz politics and budget problems for a few weeks. And there is another thing that makes it even better---to avoid visiting any Internet Cafe. Whatever evils have occurred in Santa Cruz recently, what crises are upon us, and evils and crises are about all that are newsworthy, I've had no knowledge of. Local problems assume a different and less traumatic perspective. I've also attended not a single political meeting in over two weeks, and what a pleasure that is. Only two days back and the clouds are already thickening.
2009 will witness the new City Council, without Ed Porter and Emily Reilly, and with Don Lane and Katherine Beiers. The City faces very serious budget problems and one fears that, as usual, the cry will be for more and more development. I think we should carefully weigh the benefits of development versus the effect any given development may have on our community. The Council may tend to support projects on the assumption that the City income will be positively affected. Sometimes it is and sometimes not. Requiring an Economic Impact report could be a means of at least making an educated guess about budgetary and other effects of developments. For example, it is generally accepted that new housing costs municipalities more than the projects generate. Do we know, or can we reasonably anticipate, what the net effect on the City's income will flow from the 2120 Delaware project? The two major types of projects that could be of most economic benefit to the City are probably hotels/conference centers and box stores. The former may be reasonably planned and would probably benefit the City in the long run, assuming the economy improves. Nobody except developers want the box stores because they ruin the atmosphere of the City and decimate local businesses.
What we do know is that our problems are not unique and that those problems are largely out of our control. There are means to improve the City's coffers, but most of these are obtainable only at the State or National levels. Taxation of Internet sales, taxation of services, re-allocation of State revenues and modification of income taxes cannot be done on the local level. Taxes as a concept have been demonized quite successfully by the Right Wing for the past decades. Perhaps our attitudes will change; perhaps the Obama Presidency will cause a change of values and perhaps the economy will rapidly improve.
Meanwhile, though, we are continuing to paddle yet further upstream and are increasingly at risk of losing the paddle". (end of Salvo and Searle's jet lag.)
PATTON'S PROGRAM. Gary talks about having faith in working in and on local politics. He relates more info on the Santa Margarita Ranch Development. There's little hope that the State Budget will go anywhere but to car friendly projects. He ends by detailing and resourcing Coastal Zone policies.
EAGAN'S DEEP COVER. Scroll down to see how Tim had to fish for a punch line.
CHRISTINA WATERS WEIGHS IN. This week Christina gives her initial impressions of Oswald's re-opening, as well as her pick of an outstanding new Chardonnay. And more. Of course. That's Christina - all at
http://christinawaters.com
REMEMBER THE ORANGE MAN? Among all the happy celebrants and marchers in that great Do It Yourself Parade was none other than the Orange Man himself!! Remember when this mysterious guy would strut Pacific avenue on Sunday afternoons with an Orange face mask and elegant Orange suit. Well, he must have decided to reveal himself as good old Joe Nehls, who is a devoted father and works in technology services at UCSC. For the first time since I saw him he wore no face covering in the parade....it was good and fun while he lasted.
FOLLOW YOUR HEART ACTION NETWORK. Needs YOU to be a part of a Martin Luther King Day Celebration of Love, Peace, Fun and Laughter. 12-5pm, January 19, 2009, Veterans Hall, Santa Cruz. DJ, music, dance performance, talent show, games, food. You're invited to share your talents at this community gathering – Curtis Reliford says, "Ain't no party like a peace party, ‘cuz a peace party don't stop!"
Contact Curtis Reliford, 831-246-4240 or reliford1987@yahoo.com to participate.
NICK HERBERT REFUSES OBAMA'S APPOINTMENT AS DRUG CZAR. Physicist, author, funny guy, Bertolt Brecht fan Nick Herbert has turned down President- elect Obama's offer to be the Nations Drug CZAR. He says he like the sound of CZAR Nicholas but he's turning it down anyway. Whatever you do check out Nick's website at http://quantumtantra.blogspot.com he does make some sincere recommendations about legalizing marijuana that bear reading. BUT by all means do Not open the link to the Eros Blog on his site. Full of sex photos and links to all kinds of silly things and even a link to Susie Bright's website!!! Susie didn't know Nick Herbert, I asked her.
GARY PATTON JOINS LOCAL LAW FIRM. I just heard the news today but see that Gary Patton's bio plus photo has already been added to the law firm of Wittwer and Parkin's website. That would be Jonathan Wittwer and Bill Parkin who, along with attorney Jennifer Brager make up what would seem to be an incredibly powerful environmental law firm. Check out their website at www.wittwerparkin.com the next time you care about making sure something is legal. Yes, Gary will be spending more time in Santa Cruz he claims.
FINS COFFEE. The "Fins" in the title of this coffee house refer to the fins on surfboards and also to the fins on vintage cars. It's a clean well-organized place with reasonably priced pastries that is designed to attract folks leaving town who want coffee to go to San Jose with. It's right across the street from Marianne's Ice Cream. I was there for a while last Saturday and in a short time period former County Supervisor Jan Beautz and Erotica Expert and author Susie Bright came in to get coffee's to go. I hasten to add they were not there together. I bring all this up because Fins works hard to present a full calendar of live music. If you go to www.finscoffee.com you'll see what I mean. You'll also see that Gene Fintz Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist and equally important "Golden Voiced Gene" from KZSC's Bushwhackers program will be singing there this Saturday night Jan. 10 from 7:30 to 9:30. He's more or less introducing his new CD," Get a Grip on This". I'm going to bring my trusty washtub bass over there and join Gene on a few tunes Saturday so get there early. You can get his new CD by going to his website www.genefintz.com and clicking on the word "buy." You can also come down to Fins Friday night where he'll have them available.
NIXON/FROST. Catherine O'Kelly asked when Nixon/Frost would open in Santa Cruz because she noticed it's playing everywhere else right now. I asked Jim Schwenterly of The Nick-Del Mar Family and he says that it'll eventually open at the Regal 9 but that the release date keeps getting pushed back by the distributors. That's the problem with living in a small town.
REVOLUTIONARY ROAD. After days of agonizing over my top ten movies of '08 list
I decided that even though I'd be the only critic in the world to put Revolutionary Road as my number one movie of the year I needed to do just that. Lo and behold so did Mick LaSalle of the S.F.Chronicle! Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet rip apart the screen with their marital battle that lasts much longer and goes deeper than even "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolfe". It's a stellar movie, best of last year's crop. It opens this Friday at the Nick (1/9) just go see it.
THE READER. I saw this movie twice in two days. It raised a couple of questions that I thought were important and aren't really answered in the film or even in the book, but it's still my number two film of the year. Ralph Fiennes and Kate Winslet are perfect in this Holocaust related drama. As it should, the movie gives you (or reminds you) of some of the most deep rooted questions of humanity. Absolutely an important part of cinema history.
VALKYRE. This is a Hollywood costume flop about how not to kill Hitler. The acting is alright even by Tom Cruise. It lacks tension and also credibility, the accents are misplaced, and since it's a one trick, one joke story it could have been told much quicker. Wait and rent it.
THE SPIRIT. The Spirit in the early comic strip or comic books/Sunday paper inserts back in the 40's was witty, sharp, very clever, beautifully drawn, inventive, and gave a whole new way of behaving to comic characters. This movie is exactly the opposite. It's boring, dull, pointless, witless, and has Samuel L. Jackson in full Nazi Officer regalia just to get a laugh. Scarlett Johansson plops around in it too for no discernible reason. The movie is desperate, don't go and therefore encourage more films from this group.
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON. Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett probably made a ton of money from this movie. It's not just a digitally fake movie, it's plot is absolutely pointless. The short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald (available for free online) is even worse. The story has the Brad Pitt character being born FULL SIZE at age 70, and that's just for starters. It's called an epic fantasy and is supposed to be about "understanding life backwards", whatever that means. In actuality it's another freak show like Rain Man, Forrest Gump, Hunchback of Notre Dame, but it's nowhere near that good. Save your money.
CHE. This won't open until the end of the month and it's worth waiting for. I'll say more as weeks go by. It's four hours long, directed by Stephen Soderbergh and stars Benicio Del Toro, who also produced it. Del Toro was born in Puerto Rico, by the way. It's exciting, instructional, intelligent, inspirational, and slow in spots. Its two sections are titled "Cuba" and "Bolivia".
MOVIE CRITICS LISTS. This Saturday January 10 will be our fifth year of listing and discussing which movies we saw in 2008 we considered the best. These movies have little or nothing to do with the Academy Awards. That's for another Saturday when we try to predict which Academy nominated films will win Oscars. These are our personal favorites from both the big screen and what 2008 films became available in 2008.
We'll be at the Nickelodeon at 11 am. Join Lisa Jensen (Good Times), Wallace Baine (Santa Cruz Sentinel) and Morton Marcus (Cinema Seen) and me, and tell us your favorite films. It's free. Here's ours (subject to changes as we view last minute releases)
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Lisa Jensen
1. The Fall 2. Slumdog Millionaire 3. Man on Wire 4. Young @ Heart 5. In Bruges 6. Milk 7. Happy-Go-Lucky 8. The Band's Visit 9. Fugitive Pieces 10. I've Loved You So Long. |
Wallace Baine 1. Wall-E 2. Milk 3. Man on Wire 4. Slumdog Millionaire 5. Happy Go Lucky 6. Doubt 7. The Visitor 8. Dark Knight 9. Trouble the Water 10. A Christmas Tale |
Morton Marcus 1. The Fall 2. Wall-E 3. Frozen River 4. Tuya's Wedding 5. I've Loved you So Long 6. Happy Go Lucky 7. Milk 8. The Dark Knight 9. Trouble The Water (documentary) 10. Up The Yangtze (documentary) 11. Vicki Cristina Barcelona 12. Son of Rambow 13. A Man Named Pearl (documentary) |
Bruce Bratton 1. Revolutionary Road 2. The Reader 3. Happy Go Lucky 4. My Winnipeg 5. Rachel Getting Married 6. Man on Wire 7. I've Loved You So Long 8. Trouble The Water 9. Doubt 10.Che |
2008 Movies to Rent. Most of these played in Santa Cruz, are more popular-family type and not so far out as my other more cinema-bum lists. I liked all these films, they are in no order just not quite top ten stuff.
Milk, 4 Months 3 Weeks and 2 days, Tell No One, Vicky Christina Barcelona, Iron Man, Cloverfield, The Other Boleyn Girl, Chop Shop, Slumdog Millionaire, Persepolis, Chicago 10, Bank Job, The Band's Visit, Paranoid Park, Wall-E, Stop Loss (Doc), Snow Angels, Married Life, Priceless, Roman De Gare, Young @ Heart, Four Minutes, Standard Operating Procedure, Blueberry Nights, The Visitor, Mongol, The Dark Knight, Tell No One (Kristin Scott Thomas), Encounters at the End of The World, Brick Lane, Savage Grace, Mirrors, American Teen, Elegy, Mister Foe, Reprise, In Bruges, A Girl Cut In Two, Appaloosa, The Duchess, A Christmas Tale.
SPAM NAMES. Just as I was about to give up on these stupid fake spam names because I wasn't getting any anymore Dale Matlock founder and formerly of The Print Gallery sent these in. Dale hangs out a lot on Molokai now but what he does there now that the lepers are gone remains a mystery. Dale's list...snide vitiation, eddy summerlike, iorgos octavius, grace kenga, odapiro isidixadeleq, latoyia shawnta, ubypy usegapasu, nendin rebin. Thanks Dale. I really should add my own gems that came in during the holidays...Schwerd Dardenne, Lourdes Starnes, Agosto Boone, Amoolya Hegde, and the ever popular Faty Wedrago.
UNIVERSITY GRAPEVINE. Every Thursday from 4-5 pm I host University Grapevine on KZSC 88.1 fm. This Thursday I'll be taking with Michael Slezak, ND. He's a naturopathic doctor and we'll talk about naturopathic medicine, and what it is and why we're hearing more about it lately. In the second half hour newly re-elected Santa Cruz City Councilperson Tony Madrigal will talk about what's new (and old) about the City Council and his plans.
QUOTES." Patriotism is as fierce as fever, pitiless as the grave, blind as a stone and irrational as a headless hen", Ambrose Bierce. "Middle-class order is only disorder. Disorder to the point of paroxysm, deprived of all contact with the world of necessity", Rene Magritte. "If we make peaceful revolution impossible, we make violent revolution inevitable", John F. Kennedy.
Deep Cover
Bruce critiques films every Friday on KZSC-FM (88.1) on The Bushwhacker Breakfast Club at 8am.
It's free! Click here.
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ATTENTION HIGHWAY 101 DRIVERS. I always use 101 to get anywhere south of Aromas in California. It is with extreme regret that I warn you that all the California Highway "Official Safety Roadside Rest Areas" rest stops are not only closed but the Camp Roberts stops are being demolished, and I assume will be rebuilt. Check out all the data here. Camp Roberts stops won't open again until 2010, Gaviota stops are closed for the winter season, so plan accordingly.
POLITICAL HISTORY REVISED. Historian Stan Stevens tells us that he and wife Carli just had dinner with Phil Baldwin. Phil as you old timers may remember, was once the young County Supervisor from the Live Oak district. What happened to Phil was that he got impeached as Supervisor. He was elected and replaced Dan Forbus noted washing machine repairman and 100% conservative. Phil was trying to organize trailer parks which was way too liberal for that district. This was back in 1978. Dan Forbus then replaced Phil. And that's just part of the Live Oak District's never dull history. Well the news is that Phil Baldwin is now the mayor of Ukiah!!! Stan says that Phil's winning liberal ways have completely won over the conservatives up there and that Phil's doing a great job. John Leopold has his work cut out for him, and bueno suerte!!
WALNUT & PACIFIC. Regarding last week's Christmas shopper historical photo Kevin Gotti said it in no uncertain terms, Kevin Newhouse pointed out that even the street sign shown in the photo over the cop's right shoulder plainly says Walnut Street MK Saint stated that "Walnut is Walnut" so I went and called it Lincoln Street. There was too much excitement about going to Victorville and Mar Vista, and thanks. That was a stupid mistake and I appreciate your attention, more than that I appreciate it when you correct my not so stupid mistakes, so write on!!! Anytime. And on the other hand we do need to change the way we spell Gharky street. It isn't Gharkey, the street signs are wrong, and with Katherine Beiers now in office, we can be sure that will get taken care of.
HALF DOLLARS. Last week I asked the puzzling but non essential question what's happened to our half dollar coins. It was quite cool that Marty Lane took the time to express his idea of the 50 cent piece. He said, "We may have better things to think about , but I like to give myself a little hiatus from reality during the week between Christmas and New Years - So, I must respond to your 'what ever happened to half dollars' question in this weeks column. I don't know the actual answer to the, but once a year for work, I find myself in the 7th circle of hell, otherwise known as Las Vegas. On the 'when in Rome' philosophy I will play some $5 a hand blackjack; When you draw 'blackjack' for the 1 1/2 times pay out, they give you a $5 chip, 2 x $1 chips, and the aforementioned half dollar. So, to make a short story long, I think that the majority of them are either in Nevada or the change jar of the budget travelers to the silver state. -Marty". Sounds like part of the answer.
WIKIPEDIA APPEAL. Wikipedia is the greatest tool on the internet. They are asking for help because they do not accept advertising.
Jimmy Wales Wikipedia spokesperson is NOT a schnorrer.
Harvey Milk Movie Not intending to tread on the movie reviews that appear in Bratton Online, the latest blockbuster, "Milk", brought back memories of the '70's in Santa Cruz. Sharon and I were invited to a Democratic Party event (1977?) at the "old" Holiday Inn, and we both had a chance to meet and greet San Francisco Mayor George Moscone after he addressed the faithful at a fundraiser for Leon Panetta. He must have been effective because Leon was elected and served for 16 years as our Congressman. I'll never forget Moscone's handshake and look-you-in the-eye demeanor. He certainly had "it", as far as getting people to listen to him and to support his causes. The actor who played Moscone in the move "Milk" was about as close to what George Moscone looked like in the 1970's as Hollywood could come up with. It's hard not to forget those years, with the Jonestown massacre taking place just a few days after Moscone and Milk were killed in San Francisco.
The movie "Milk", the story about San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk's life, is a sure bet for multiple Academy Awards. About the only problem I had with the movie was its scheduled release, after the November 4th election. Anybody want to bet that Californians would still have voted for Prop 8 if the movie "Milk" would have been released a month earlier than the election? How could this have been allowed to happen? Go and see this movie!
Paul Blue, one courageous and very nice guy
We look forward to our daily walks at Seacliff Beach State Park, one reason being we can almost count on friend and fellow progressive Paul Blue being there. The nicest caregiver one could ever hope for accompanies Paul, now in a wheelchair. We remember Paul and his wife Harriet Blue walking together there before she passed away over a year ago. We enjoy our regular meetings and discussions of how nice it will be to see George Bush out of office and Barack Obama in after January 20th. For those who can make it and the weather permits, I'd highly recommend a walk at Seacliff State Beach. You meet the nicest people there!
Come One Come All! John Leopold will be sworn in as 1st District Supervisor on Monday, January 5th at 11:30 AM, at the Board Of Supervisors Chambers, 5th Floor of the County Building, 701 Ocean Street in Santa Cruz. John will take the oath of office, introducing a new era of leadership in Santa Cruz County! Congratulations to you, John!
Budget problems continue to plague just about every public body. The Santa Cruz crisis is bad and will be worse, or so City Manager Dick Wilson says;. The Council recently had an open session where more than 200 residents attempted to persuade the Council not to make cuts to their favorite social group or cause. All these people must have known that the Council would listen attentively, and then vote for the cuts. As outgoing Councilmember Ed Porter said, this vote was 5-2 coming in and it's going to be a 5-2 vote going out. We all know that the services provided by the Surfing Museum, Beach Flats Community center and the other targets of the proposed cuts are valuable for the City. The Councilmembers all know that too. The alternative is trying to raise more money. Indeed the Council acted quite reasonably in setting up a forum to allow citizen suggestions about how to raise money. What and how many additional involuntary contributions, also called taxes, are citizens willing to provide? Voluntary contributions certainly may help, but these will be targeted for the benefit of the services the donors favor. Perhaps that's good, but I have a question about its fairness---perhaps the most valuable services are the least popular with the donor class.
If the budget must be cut, the Councilmembers have only the choice of what to cut. One aspect of all this that only been hinted at is that budget cutting somehow seems to inordinately affect the less affluent groups---perhaps because they (we) use more public services. Whether maintaining the teen center as valuable as retaining a police officer is a reasonable question. Is reducing the protection now provided to the homes and safety of residents more important than giving Beach Flats kids a better head start? I'm not sure the answers are obvious".
PATTON'S PROGRAM. Gary, a long time veteran of Santa Cruz County land use battles tells of the post mortem on The Santa Margarita Ranch Development in San Luis Obispo County. He ruminates on the topic of Land Use Reform and how democracy works. He tells of the "Seven Elements" of the local General Plan and the "Invisible Hand" and "The Tragedy Of The Commons"....and still more on how we should all get involved and care about how development happens...especially in Santa Cruz, if you catch my drift.
EAGANS DEEP COVER. Scroll down to see how Tim views the invasion. What invasion?? Check it out.
LANDAU'S PROGRES. Saul Landau has summed up in this week's Progreso article all that's damnable about US coverage of Cuban affairs. He takes on NYTimes reporter and "schnorrer" Roger Cohen and how the Times and U.S press distorts what's going on in Cuba. Don't NOT read this..
"Schnorrer" look it up on Wikipedia, it's an absolutely great word. As a perfect example, Scott Kennedy is a schnorrer.
LANDAU AND CUBA EVENTS IN BERKELEY. The press release reads, "Celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution on January 3rd and 4th at La Peña Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley. 7:30pm Saturday Jan 3 will feature Saul Landau summarizing 50 years of revolution, highlighted by his film clips of Fidel and Cuba from the 1960s to the present. Mayors of local sister cities will give messages of greetings and local Cuba activists will have tables with Cuban literature, art and crafts and will take part in a Q&A panel. The evening will end with Cuban music and dancing, featuring DJ Emiliano Echeverria.
At 7:00pm Sunday Jan 4 the Taiko drums and a Shisa lion will entertain. The Bay Area Japanese-American cultural group Tsukimi Kai regularly challenges the blockade of Cuba. Program begins with clips from their film "Under the Same Moon" chronicling their cultural exchanges with the Japanese Cuban community on the island. The evening will also FEATURE the award-winning film, "Man of Two Havanas". Vivien Lesnik Weisman set out to do a film about her father, Max Lesnik, a historic figure in Cuba and Miami, and how his love-hate relationship with the Revolution stole him from her. But the film ends up teaching us a lot about Cuba, Miami and US Cuban policy as Vivien gets reluctantly drawn into her father's world.
For more information about the program, contact Paul Chin pchin@lapena.org at La Peña Cultural Center or Karen Wald at kwald@california.com.
SECRET CEREMONY. This is a sincere best wishes to Christa Martin of Good Times who will be taking part in what I deduce is a secret ceremony this Saturday January 3rd. Everything is apparently off the record so if you run into her just give an all knowing wink as if you know what she's up to.
INAUGURATION DAY, SANTA CRUZ. This should be the celebration of the year, note...An Inauguration Day Celebration, Tuesday January 20th from 2:30-5:30PM in downtown Santa Cruz. The Santa Cruz Branch of the Women's International League for Peace & Freedom (WILPF) invites you, your friends, family, and co-workers, to a celebration of hope and commitment. What do you most hope for in the next four years? What are you willing to work for? President-elect Obama has emphasized again and again the importance of the Citizens staying involved if we truly want the changes we seek, so let's show him we care. Join us as we:
1) Gather at the County Courthouse, 701 Ocean St., for music and ceremony,
2:30-3:15PM
2) Parade from there through downtown Santa Cruz, 3:15-4PM
3) Re-circle at the top of Pacific Avenue, by the Post Office and the Town Clock, for more music, celebration, and a street party,
4-5:30PM (or as late as it goes!)
This is a participatory event!!!
We will all have the opportunity to be sworn in as Citizens in Chief for the next four years, to join in song, to promenade, and to recommit to the timeless values and standards we all share when we rekindle the torches of our 20 foot tall Statue of Liberty!!!!
Bring your *HOMEMADE signs of your greatest hopes and commitments!
Bring banners and flags!
Bring drums, bells, and gongs!
Be creative! Be outrageous!! Be thankful!!!
Breathe a sigh of relief that the last eight years are coming to an end and take a deep breath of hope for the years ahead!!
*there will be a sign making party at the Veterans Hall, next to the Main Post Office in Santa Cruz, on Saturday, January 10th, from 11AM-3PM . Some materials WILL be provided, or bring your own!!
"We have it in our power to begin the world over again." Thomas Paine
This event is happily cosponsored by (a growing list): Art & Revolution SC, CODEPINK SC, Palestinian Israeli Action Committee, People United for Peace, Resource Center for Nonviolence, .......contact WILPF (chair@wilpf.got.net)
NAKED BIKE RIDE!!! Say it isn't so...but Pat Matecjek sent this notice... "In cities around the world, people ride bikes in various states of undress to celebrate cycling and the human body. The ride demonstrates the vulnerability of cyclists on the road and is a protest against car culture". If we act now we can stop this from happening here or at least make a list of people we don't want to see participating
I'VE LOVED YOU SO LONG. Kristin Scott Thomas has never been better and along with her Golden Globe Nomination for Best Actress and Best Foreign Film well you simply need to see this masterpiece. It makes Doubt (Meryl Streep & Philip Seymour Hoffman) look very Hollywood in comparison. Don't read any part of the plot like David Denby's in the New Yorker he gives away too much and the surprises and mystery are important. One of my top ten this year, for sure.
VALKYRIE. Tom Cruise, Kenneth Branagh and Eddie Izzard and Adolf Hitler and it's still a confusing, almost entirely dull movie. It's only a re-make of every bank heist movie you've seen since about forever. I never did figure why Cruise kept popping his glass eye in and out but it provided some excitement. Rent it but don't spend all that money seeing it on the big screen.
THE SPIRIT. Back in the 40's the Spirit comic character was clever, wildly satirical, a bit nutty, and had an African American kid named Ebony White if you can believe that as a sidekick and personal cab driver. This movie has Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, and Eva Mendes and it's a waste of your time to even think about seeing it. It has none of the style or class of Sin City or any of Tarantino's film efforts. It might actually be better watching it at home.
SEVEN POUNDS. I said last week that the much-hyped Will Smith movie Seven Pounds was junk food in an Organic wrapper. (I didn't say that but I should have), it was manipulative and phoney. BOnline reader Anthony Walton agrees, and then some. He says, "That movie is pathetic. It does a real disservice to the medical profession. It perpetuates the ideas that blood type has something to do with rejection of transplants. Blood type only matters in the case of rh (fetus) rejection and has nothing to do with organ transplant. The rejection comes from the histocompatability proteins that mark a given cell as self or not-self. The trick is to get the transplanted tissue to be close enough in histocompatability match, the immune system only requires minimal suppression. I have a degree in biochemistry so I like to think I know what I'm talking about. Also there is no known way to kill a person by touch - none. If the poison is not introduced via a bite or puncture it is unable to do anything other then make the victim extremely uncomfortable. So the CGI jelly fish suicide is something only in the movies. I thought the movie was stupid. Anthony". Obviously he's right, because we agree.
MOVIE CRITICS, 5. (repeat item)This will be the fifth year that Morton Marcus, Wallace Baine, Lisa Jensen and I have assembled our TOP TEN films of the year and faced the movie going public with them. It's happening Saturday January 10 at 11am at the Nickelodeon Theatre. It's free and you'll have plenty of chances to tell us your opinions too. There is absolutely no reason to think that Morton Marcus and I will agree on any movie, those are mere rumors.
"FILM" INSTRUCTOR/DIRECTOR EARL JACKSON. Earl Jackson was one of few "film" instructors I've had that actually changed and opened my view of "film" (now called movies since they don't use film anymore) Earl taught some amazing classes at UCSC in spite of the way UCSC hassled and treated him. He's gone onto far better things then UCSC as he says in his Christmas email... "Happy holidays. I'm in Kuala Lumpur interviewing Malaysian digital filmmakers – I've met James Lee, Amir Muhammed, and Tan Chui Mui so far. Tomorrow I go to Sarawak, in Malaysian Borneo - (birthplace of Tsai Ming Liang) will return to Seoul on Jan 3. Kim Soyoung and I have completed shooting on our first feature length fiction film, entitled "Viewfinder" - what an extraordinary experience. We have a rough cut that's still far too long - we hope to have a finished version ready by end of march -mid April and I will shop it to film festivals
would love to have a screening in Santa Cruz. Life is so hectic but very rewarding. I will do three different workshops in India in January - one at Jadavpur University in Kolkata, one in Omsmania University and one at the University of Hyderabad. I'll check in again soon. Hope you are all well, warmly Earl J."
BrattonNote...Kim Soyoung is a very influential South Korean woman film maker who has fought fiercely for women's rights in the film business. She is a Professor of Cinema Studies at the Korean University of the Arts in Seoul.
HOSTETTERS HOT STUFF. As per usual Paul Hostetter and I can't quite get our online schedules in sync so some of the events he reports and touts here are over and gone. On the other hand he regales us with some events and concerts that take us way into the '09 category. He says," This very odd year comes to a lovely close with two concerts, tonight and tomorrow, in Santa Cruz and Berkeley respectively, of the estimable mandolin duo of Mike Marshall and Caterina Lichtenberg. ( more from her later) A couple of other new things have been added as well for the first quarter of 2009, please check this link:
http://www.lutherie.net/live.music.html and have a good look. Best wishes for a safe and efficient conclusion to 2008, and for a profoundly better 2009. We deserve it!"
UNIVERSITY GRAPEVINE. Continuing on with the best of University Grapevine radio interview programs which I host every Thursday 4-5 on KZSC 88.1 fm. This week we repeat the January 11, 2007 broadcast of columnist and advisor Offra Gerstein talking about Santa Cruz relationships and normal people too. In the second half Gary Griggs tells about living on the Pacific Coast, the joys, fears, stupidity and brilliance of doing same.
QUOTES.
"Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man," Benjamin Franklin. "Time has no divisions to mark its passage, there is never a thunder-storm or blare of trumpets to announce the beginning of a new month or year. Even when a new century begins it is only we mortals who ring bells and fire off pistols," Thomas Mann." I made no resolutions for the New Year. The habit of making plans, of criticizing, sanctioning and molding my life, is too much of a daily event for me, Anaïs Nin. "New Year's Day: Now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual,"- Mark Twain. "New Year's is a harmless annual institution, of no particular use to anybody save as a scapegoat for promiscuous drunks, and friendly calls and humbug resolutions," Mark Twain.
Deep Cover
Bruce critiques films every Friday on KZSC-FM (88.1) on The Bushwhacker Breakfast Club at 8am.
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