Cover Story
El Niño is Here
In case you haven’t heard, it’s an El Niño year. And, according to climate scientists, it’s likely to be a strong-to-very strong one, or — as it has already colloquially been dubbed — a “Super El Niño.” “Chances remain high for a historic event that would exceed the strength of previous El Niño events dating…
Election 2026
With the dust still settling on an historic and stunning national election that saw an all-encompassing blue wave sweep across the country, several local races are still too close to call. As of Nov. 6, according to a release from the Humboldt County Elections Office, about half of the known ballots cast — 24,463 as…
Shhh/Peaceful
There are a lot of good things happening this week, with just a little downtime, which is rather impressive for this time of year. There are some truly fantastic shows on tap, particularly in the first section of the Setlist, so I won’t waste your time with an overlong introduction. Go out and have fun;…
‘All That Glitters’ is Gold
I have a special affinity for the art of burlesque. The Swarovski crystal-bedazzled spectacle of empowerment that reclaims the stolen energy that solidifies shame and metamorphosizes toxic sexualization has always been inspiring to me. It marries drag, theater, circus, dance, art and performance with a simple dictate of leaving the stage with fewer clothes than you…
‘Rhinoceros’ Charges into Absurdity
This month, Cal Poly Humboldt brings us Rhinoceros by Eugène Ionesco, one of the plays that launched the Theater of the Absurd movement from the 1950s, which remains culturally germane in any era and locale. It starts in an anonymous village in France, where our protagonist Bérenger (Joe Carter) meets his good friend Jean (Hudson…
The Oldest Photograph
Two hundred years on, I wonder what Nicéphore Niépce would make of our worldwide love of photography today, with some 60,000 photos taken every second. Niépce is credited with taking the world’s oldest surviving photograph in 1826 (or 1827, historians disagree) from his brother’s upstairs bedroom window in Le Gras, the family estate in eastern…
‘Godzilla Minus Zero’ Comes Back Home
GODZILLA MINUS ZERO. If you haven’t seen director Takashi Yamazaki’s Godzilla Minus 1 (2023), which he wrote with Ishiro Honda and Takeo Murata, by all means do so before heading out for its sequel. (It’s streaming on a couple platforms now.) Not only are there plot lines, character arcs and themes to follow, but to…
Better Election Funding
Editor: The 2026 midterm elections cost nearly $12 billion, a record. The Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision enabled this. That decision allowed the formation of political action committees (PACs) that can accept large political donations for distribution to favored candidates regardless of the $3,500 individual donation limit. It allows the wealthy greater political influence. The…
‘Can You Tone It Down A Little?’
In his NCJ Setlist column (“Into the Void”) on Nov. 5, Collin Yeo writes “it’s hard to imagine much stopping the machinations of the buffoons and assholes in the Planning Department in their gross effort to ignore the public will.” I’ve never worked for the Planning Department and I don’t know anyone who works there…
Trans Bodies Are Beautiful
Thank you for bringing attention to the healthcare crisis transgender youth are facing locally in your Nov. 5 article, “Caring For Trans Youth.” To be turned away from necessary care just for being young and transgender is despicable. As a whole community, we need to draw the line to protect children from this kind of…
Kelvin
In last night’s dream,our front lawn was floodedfrom the driveway to the fence,the steps to the street. A solid expanse of cold, dark watercovered every square inch of lawn.Luckily the yard sloped away from the stepson which we now stood baffled and stressed. Yesterday’s forecast had mentioned a waveunlike any we’ve ever known.They say once…
