Why is there something rather than nothing? That question — pioneering psychologist William James dubbed it “the darkest in all philosophy” — feels to me a bit like “what’s north of the North Pole?” It’s a trick question because of its insinuation that an explanation is called for because “nothing” is normal and “something” demands […]
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Posted inArts + Scene
Creepy Characters and Clowns
This coming weekend, May 16-18, graduating Master of Fine Arts students at Dell’Arte International School present the culmination of their thesis projects: the second and final weekend of three plays which they devised and perform. It’s the end of a process that involved weekly presentations to their academic advisers, writing a statement of purpose and […]
Posted inArt Walks + Festivals
McKinleyville Arts Night
McKinleyville Arts Night is presented on the third Friday of the month by members of the McKinleyville business community and is open for all McKinleyville businesses to display the work of local artists. Receptions for artists, exhibits and/or performances are from 6-8 p.m. on the third Friday of each month. Call (707) 834-6460 or visit […]
Posted inArts + Scene
DVDs to Discover or Revisit
With the 2013 summer blockbuster season about to ramp up, you may be looking for a way to escape the Fast & Furious (Star) Trek into Iron Man Darkness Part III. Fortunately there are DVDs, popcorn and couches at home. For something completely different, you may even want to venture back into the less predictable, […]
Posted inArts + Scene
Gatsby on Blast
Reviews THE GREAT GATSBY. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Gatsby is a near-perfect novel, one of the indispensable works of 20th century American art. This movie from Baz Luhrmann (Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge), on the other hand, seems like it was adapted from a ninth-grader’s term paper on the book. Fitzgerald captured a distinct place in […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
Five Things To Know Before You Name Your Child or Dog
1. Porch test: Make a list of potential pup names. Open your front door. Step outside. Holler out the first one on the list. Holler it again. How’s that feel? Do it one more time. If you find yourself cringing that you just shouted “Mr. Scritchie!” at the neighborhood multiple times, cross it off the […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
The Clam Whisperer
On a recent late April morning, in the hazy half light of dawn, I found myself wearing rubber boots, burdened by several layers of clothing and a shovel, and marching awkwardly through soft sand of the fore dunes to the ocean. There were hundreds of us, bulky and burdened, in a surreal trudge toward the […]
Posted inNews
The Disappearing Railroad Blues
Getting trains into Humboldt County has never been easy. The common shorthand for our region’s isolation is “behind the redwood curtain,” but those fuzzy-barked spires were never a barrier for rails. In fact, the lucrative lumber from logged old growths is what attracted railroad companies here in the first place. No, it’s the ground beneath […]
Posted inMusic
How Many Degrees?
You’ve probably heard of the six degrees of separation friend-of-a-friend theory (and the six degrees of Kevin Bacon game). Essentially it says that we’re all a few steps away from direct social connection. I’d say the digital/social networking era is shrinking that number in many ways, but that’s a discussion for another day. In Humboldt’s […]
Posted inArts + Scene
Imaginary Realms
The house is still at just after 5 o’clock in the morning. A single light illuminates the studio, streaming out the large windows and casting a soft glow on a koi pond whose inhabitants are sleepily tucked under rocks and moss. Soft pinks and warm oranges of dawn are just peeking around the edges of […]