Holiday Gift Guide 2008
Plus Campus in Crisis: Dysfunction and budget cuts bring HSU to the brink of disaster
Cover Story
Campus In Crisis
Humboldt State University is in trouble — serious trouble, though you wouldn’t know it to walk around the campus. Students still happily yak on cell phones in the quad, hike up and down the Founders Hall stairs and file into the environmentally cutting-edge new Behavioral and Social Sciences building. No, the trouble lies deeper than…
Thanks
courtesy of Chas Horn or maybe this is more your style
Mike T for Interior?
Holy moly… NorCal lawmaker pushed for Interior job By ERICA WERNER Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON-A Northern California congressman who hunts, fishes and grows wine grapes is being promoted for Interior secretary by two prominent fellow lawmakers. California Democratic Reps. George Miller and Anna Eshoo sent a letter to the incoming administration in the past week…
Being James Bond
Previews Opening Friday, Nov. 21, is Twilight, based on the popular young adult vampire novel by Stephenie Meyer. Directed by Catherine Hardwicke (Thirteen; Lords of Dogtown), the film features Kristen Stewart as a teen who falls for a gorgeous guy (Robert Pattinson, Cedric in the last two Potter films), who seems to have extraordinary powers.…
Sons of Harry Smith
It was way back in 1952 when mystic artist, experimental filmmaker, ethnomusicologist and record collector Harry Smith assembled The Anthology of American Folk Music, an annotated box set with selections from his vast collection of 78s in the blues, country, old timey and gospel vein. Smith’s masterwork influenced musicians from Bob Dylan to the Grateful…
Urgent Care
It came in as an anonymous tip: Nurses, a whole mess of ’em, were said to be leaving Mad River Community Hospital’s operating room en masse for the sanctified halls of Eureka’s St. Joseph Hospital. The departures, we were told, may well force a shutdown of the OR at Mad River, Arcata’s beleaguered private hospital…
New Wave
As visions of cruise ships bearing moneybags tourists danced through people’s heads at last Friday’s harbor commission meeting — delighting a few, perhaps, but apparently provoking headaches in most — one young man sat quietly in the back row of the audience with a different vision occupying his brain. The Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and…
Busting the Dams
The United States of America is a nation perpetually at war with itself, barely ever able to reach anything like a consensus opinion on anything at all. One possible exception: outgoing Vice President Dick Cheney. In June, the national Harris Poll had his popularity ratings at a grim 18 percent — as close to a…
Positive Thinking
Editor: I commend the Journal for its coverage of Umpqua Bank’s CEO Ray Davis’ recent state of the economy talk (“Short Stories,” Nov. 13). You were the only member of the local media to do so. You did the greater public a service by letting them know of a different voice. Instead of reading yet…
En Garde!
Editor: Mr. Sims argues that even though Measure T has been clearly ruled as unconstitutional, and denies a minority of residents their rights to liberty and participation in the electoral process, it should be vehemently defended, as it is the “will of the people” (“Town Dandy,” Nov. 13). I will be interested to see if…
Fingers Crossed
Editor: I want to thank Heidi Walters for her fine article “Without the Mill” (Nov. 6), about workers from Evergreen Pulp Mill. It was nice that she focused on how this shut-down has changed employee’s lives and left them stressed about their future. Let us hope that all from the mill return to the workforce…
The Dark Side
Jane Mayer has produced a terrible, wretched testament of United States policies on torture during the last seven years in her new book, The Dark Side. The text exposes for public reckoning the directives and specific cruelties exacted in the name of national security. It is a strangely dispassionate read given the subject. At moments…
Wolf Totem
Wolf Totem, winner of the first annual Man Asia Literary Prize (inaugurated last year as an Eastern version of Britain’s Man Booker), may be the most internationally recognized Chinese novel since Gao Xindan won the 2000 Nobel Prize in literature. As many Chinese will quickly point out, however, a Chinese has never won a Nobel.…
Words for Thought
Have you ever wondered about the origin of Italian food words that have gained common currency in this country? Even if your answer is no, you may find the following linguistic morsels appetizing. carpaccio I love Venice, I love everything about Venice and being in Venice in any season. And I like the painter Vittore…
Third Friday McKinleyville Arts Night
Presented by members of the McKinleyville business community. Receptions for artists, exhibits and/or performances are from 6-8 p.m. on the third Friday of each month. Phone 268-1800 for more information. 1. NorCal Tattoo 1179 Central Ave. Edson Gutierrez, acrylic and paint pen on canvas. 2. The Front Gallery and Gifts 1181 Central Ave.…
Microcastle
Listening to the Atlanta-based band Deerhunter, you wouldn’t immediately suspect that the band has endured a great deal of drama. Yet it has. In 2004, prior to the recording of their first full-length album, Deerhunter (subtitled "Turn It Up Faggot"), the band’s original bassist, Justin Bosworth, died due to head injuries suffered from a skateboarding…
Little Shop of Ardors
She Loves Me at the North Coast Repertory Theatre is a delight not because the show features classic songs, or because the story has major surprises. It’s because NCRT, which usually does these nostalgic musicals well, has put together a polished production with an accomplished ensemble cast to express the show’s musical and character charms.…
Eureka, Archimedes and the Golden Crown
Have you ever wondered why the name of our county seat appears right there on the state seal? (In fact, it’s the state motto.) And speaking of Eureka, what’s that about Archimedes running naked around the streets of Syracuse yelling the name of Humboldt’s largest city? Archimedes was the greatest mathematician of the ancient world.…
Warning Signs
Some exotics, such as Hawaii’s caution against falling…
