1118| Nov 18

Finding Love in Electoral Politics

The Democratic Party lost the election last week by failing to stand for something—again.

We have to face facts: We got our clocks cleaned up and down the ballot...If, as the DLC has long argued, the test for Democrats is to convince voters that they will defend their country, ...

<b>Feast:</b> The Pepper Picker Upper

Cheese mixed with blindingly spicy peppers make for good food fun.

My friend Tshewang is from Bhutan. The people of his tiny Buddhist nation in the Himalayas are generally low key, polite and soft-spoken; they enjoy praying for universal harmony and the happiness of all beings. ...

Blues Warriors

California’s finest compete in the annual Battle of the Blues Bands.

California’s incredible diversity includes both the lush, green woodlands of the Northern California coast and the arid wasteland of Death Valley. In addition, the Golden State is home to a wide-ranging variety of folks—from the ...

West End Theatrics

Being Julia’s leading lady controls the stage—and life—from all sides.

There are so few really great film roles written for middle-aged women that when one comes along and it’s delivered in such spectacular fashion by the near-perfect Annette Bening, it’s disappointing to have to note ...

Street-Wizened Vision

The young painter Mike “Dabo” Lopez finds inspiration in graffiti and life.

It is impossible to simply saunter past a work by local artist Mike “Dabo” Lopez. Take his painting “Happy Hour.” The frame is made of a series of metal squares that almost look like they ...

Squidfry

SCARY MOVIE…Do tumbleweeds form along the coast, in the Salinas Valley maybe? Squid’s doing research for a horror flick Squid’s penning. The working title’s catchy: Goblins and Ghost Towns: The Emaciation of Salinas. But can ...

Art Listings

| art openings | events | Alvarado Gallery ImageMakers: A Celebration of Western Life and Cowboy Culture. Reception: 11/19, 5:30-7pm. Monterey Conference Center, 1 Portola Plaza, Monterey. 646-3949. Christopher Bell Gallery New ownership. Reception: 11/19, ...

HomePage

Sweet Revival in PG

Damon, Kirsten and Aubriana Musha live in a house transformed, a home with a past and present of storybook extremes. For years a solitary gentleman owned the home, allowing grasses to overtake the yard, and ...

Force of Nature

Peter Hiers brings steel to life.

Peter Hiers likes to talk about sculpture in abstract terms. He talks about things like “theology of form.” But he is careful to make a distinction between the tangible pieces of steel and wood he ...

Soul Food

‘Tis the season of social and spiritual nourishment.

BE KIND TO EACH OTHER… Hello everyone. Hope life is going well and getting weller for all of you, or in the vernacular of the current social climate, y’all. I’m glad I was fortunate to ...

The Neocon Coup

Team Bush prepares to get meaner for a second term by getting rid of dissenters.

The bloodletting has begun. I’m not referring to the latest attempt to reconquer Iraq, but rather the wholesale political revenge campaign being waged by the hard-liners in the Bush administration against anybody and everybody inside ...

The Pepper Picker Upper

Cheese mixed with blindingly spicy peppers make for good food fun.

My friend Tshewang is from Bhutan. The people of his tiny Buddhist nation in the Himalayas are generally low key, polite and soft-spoken; they enjoy praying for universal harmony and the happiness of all beings. ...

Sex and the County

Heavy Lifting: Planning Commission slated to consider three BIG proposals.

This week, county officials scheduled back-to-back hearings on three major development proposals. On Monday and Tuesday, Nov. 15 and 16, Planning Commissioners considered the huge Rancho San Juan proposal, for the mini-city planned to be ...

Newsbriefs

Shooting Case Set for Trial A Carmel Valley attempted murder case has been set for trial on Feb. 7 in Salinas by Superior Court Judge Lydia Villarreal. The District Attorney’s Office has charged Ilona Leidig ...

Water Colors

The Monterey Bay Aquarium shows us the ocean through the eyes of young Latino painters.

For visitors wandering through the main floor of the Monterey Bay Aquarium, the warm green glow of the kelp forest tank is calling out like a giant anglerfish bulb. Upon approach, it appears a splotch ...

DiscSpace

MAROONSAmbush EP | Quannum Projects Possibly the most talented all-star hip-hop team you’ve never heard of—the Maroons—consists of Lateef (the Truthspeaker)—arguably the best rapper of the Quannum Crew—and the Chief (DJ Chief Xcel) of Blackalicious. ...