Habit is the basic substrate of our lives, so basic that its influence is easy to ignore. The Power of Habit tries to peek behind the curtain and reveal the mechanisms of habit — so that readers can grab the levers for themselves and take control. The book begins with a story of someone who […]
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Posted inArts + Scene
Hot Cops
THE HEAT. I’m sorry I doubted you, Paul Feig. During every preview for The Heat, the Bridesmaids director’s sophomore feature, I moaned and groaned, complaining about Sandra Bullock playing yet another character who balances her femininity with her professionalism, as she’s done in nearly every movie since Miss Congeniality. “It could be OK; it is […]
Posted inNews
They Do!
When Jean Morgan, who goes by Morgan, came back into her bedroom after a morning cup of coffee last week, her partner of 10 years, Tina, was crying. Tina had been up all night awaiting the Supreme Court’s decisions on the Defense of Marriage Act and California’s Proposition 8, and Morgan thought the court must […]
Posted inNews
Marimba!
When Nancy Zeltsman meets someone, on an airplane, for example, and says that she’s a marimba player, “the next question is always, ‘What’s that?’” She usually answers that it’s like a giant bass xylophone, since everyone is at least familiar with the toy version, even if the reference only calls to mind “the music behind […]
Posted inArts + Scene
Double Trouble
If you go to the brisk, high-spirited, physically witty and generally funny Dell’Arte production of Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors and you aren’t familiar with the play, here’s the premise you need to know: An old man shows up in the marketplace of Ephesus, which is remarkably like the Arcata Plaza. Because he is from […]
Posted inMusic
Celebrating Summer
The first few days of summer have brought weather both glorious and wet, a super-moon preening huge and orange above the hills, a slew of solstice celebrations and an ever-increasing roster of music shows for your consideration. It’s a wonderful time to leave the house. So much more than ‘quirky folk’ On Thursday night at […]
Posted inArts + Scene
Monsters and Monster Disappointments
Reviews WORLD WAR Z. When Max Brooks’ novel World War Z came out in 2006, the avalanche of zombie-related entertainment was just beginning to gain momentum. Shaun of the Dead had just obtained cult status, Zombieland wasn’t even a twinkle in Woody Harrelson’s eye and The Walking Dead had yet to be adapted for television. […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Psych Bible, Part 2
As I wrote last week, a book with the innocent-sounding title “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,” published by the American Psychiatric Association, affects many — perhaps most — lives in America. Fourteen years in the making, the latest revision (DSM-5) received broadside after broadside even before publication last month. Allen Frances, the psychiatrist […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Bikes and Booze
There is a fine art to wine and food pairing — the notes and tones of the right wine will bring out the flavors of a dish, and the balance of sensations in a dish will affect the taste of the wine. There is a similar art to pairing the right outdoor activity with the […]
Posted inArt Walks + Festivals
Third Friday McKinleyville Arts Night
Join us for our community’s celebration of local art and artists for music, food and fun. You can find more information about the artists and venues and see additional images online at www.mckinleyvilleartsnight.com.”East-West No. 2,” from Lien Truong’s “Chronicles of a Protagonist” series, is on display at the California Redwood Coast – Humboldt County Airport. […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
The Bible of Psychiatry
The bombshell came a few weeks before the recent publication of DSM-5, the fifth version of the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Thomas Insel, director of the National Institutes of Mental Health (the world’s largest psychiatric research organization) wrote that the symptom-based DSM suffers from “a lack of validity” and […]