If “reality” television’s Nielsen stranglehold has taught us one thing — just one, now — it’s that Americans love to see people make asses of themselves. Compare Jersey Shore‘s ratings to something more wholesome and traditional, say, oh I dunno, any MLB game this year. Not even close. Questionable behavior might as well replace baseball […]
Arts
Posted inArts + Scene
Face the Reggae
Dear, new HSU students, If the ever-present ganja, dreadlocks and Bob Marley imagery around Arcata hasn’t already clued you in, we’ll help you out. Prepare yourself for what’s likely to be the reggae-est year of your life. Welcome to Humboldt: If only peripherally, you listen to reggae now. That can be a good thing. So, […]
Posted inArts + Scene
September Humboldt Happenings
BAT N’ ROUGE – Baseball has been played professionally under modern rules in the United States since the founding of the New York Knickerbockers back in 1845. Since then, infinite boring strikes have been called, countless ho-hum home runs have been batted in. Yawn. But those interested in seeing a revolution in the way the […]
Posted inArts + Scene
Logged On
Now you youngsters won’t remember this, but right here in Humboldt County people used to to do this weird thing called “logging.” Say it with me now: law-ging. If you need help remembering that, keep in mind that it rhymes with blogging. You’ll be fine. Why did people — they were called lumberjacks, like the […]
Posted inArts + Scene
Get Educated, Voters! Drink Beer!
Somehow the Academy Awards have escaped my anti-awards show, “art-is-subjective-and-can’t-therefore-be-competitive” curmudgeonity. Why? I don’t know, I guess it seems more probable that Academy voters might have seen all of the films nominated, as opposed to what-do-I-check Grammy voters — I refuse to believe everyone is taking their choice for the un-aired “Best Polka Album” Grammy […]
Posted inArts + Scene
Dog Day by the Bay
Yes, Eureka is going to the dogs, at least on Sunday. And for a good cause. The 16th annual Woofstock helps support the Sequoia Humane Society, a no-kill shelter saving lost and abandoned critters and promoting spay/neuter programs so we don’t have so many lost and abandoned critters. As you might guess from the “woof” […]
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Happy, Fun, Upbeat Aliens!
Last year we reported on an extraterrestrial infestation in the small Southeast Humboldt town of Bridgeville — a yearly phenomenon, we would later discover. At the time, the prospect of aliens in our midst — and the fact that their ranks had grown audacious enough to schedule an annual UFO-themed event known as Bridgefest — […]
Posted inArts + Scene
Winning
It’s that winning time of year again. August, when the Humboldt County Fair brings the usual county fair goodness to the Ferndale Fairgrounds for 11 days. You’ll find the usual carnie games, Ferris wheel, cotton candy, corndogs and other meats on sticks, along with 4-H kids in white outfits with green hats and scarves and […]
Posted inArts + Scene
A Fine and Fancy Ramble
I forget who it was, but someone told me it’s all happening at the zoo. He wasn’t too clear on what all “all” was, but it sounded cool. And since my knee-jerk reaction is to accept what I’m told, I do believe it. Right! Now I remember where I heard it! It was that adorably […]
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For the Earth Goddess
This weekend marks the first ever Gaia Festival at Black Oak Ranch, a music and sustainable-living fair drawing performers and attendees from all over the world. The Hog Farm commune organizers describe it numerically: “five stages, four directions, three days, too much fun, one love.” The Hog Farmers trace the history back to “24 years […]
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Pay Attention to Rio Dell Now
Even Humboldt’s smaller communities come together once a year to celebrate togetherness. Loleta has its history-celebrating Swauger Station Days, Blue Lake its Annie and Mary Day and the theater-rich Mad River Festival, and Bridgeville its annual sale to a random eccentric millionaire. Good times, for sure. But this week, it’s Rio Dell’s turn. For ’tis […]
Posted inArts + Scene
August Humboldt Happenings
HOPS IN HUMBOLDT Okay, so maybe the whole weed tourism scheme didn’t pan out for Humboldt. What else we got? How ’bout beer? With five five established local beer makers keeping locals hopped up, Humboldt boasts a pretty impressive per capita brewery count. Need more proof? Well then make sure to check out Hops in […]