The first time Dennis Ellsworth gave blood, he really just wanted to have a good time. It was back in the 1970s, when he was in the Navy, and he and some fellow sailors had the bright idea that they’d get drunk faster if they donated first. It may have worked, since he can’t recall […]
Section Feature
Posted inLetters + Opinion
Sadie’s Bad Trip
At 3:43 a.m. on a Sunday I am sitting on the sofa in the dark, flanked hip-to-hip by Sadie and Stella, our two Labradors, who joined me when the monkeys woke me up, as they do most nights. The monkeys are an image from a yoga instructor named Cynthia, who told her students to tune […]
Posted inMusic
‘Saw a Bunch of Amazing Music’
Things are happening, Humboldt. Are you still indecisive about checking out a live show? Maybe you’re tired? Long day at work? So many options on Netflix? Well, here are a few reasons to rally and head out: 1. Going out to see bands often lifts you out of yourself. Not only does an inherent excitement […]
Posted inArts + Scene
Hesse Fit
Suppose you’re an edgy but also starving New York performer, concocting scripts allowing you to impersonate various movie divas but in genre B-movie stories with vibrant titles like Vampire Lesbians of Sodom and Psycho Beach Party (which then actually becomes a B-movie). But after writing the book for a failed musical, you are told by […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Prime Number Cicadas
The cacophony by the lake in western New Jersey was deafening. Which was louder, the voices of my 30-odd family members at our biennial reunion, or the din of millions of cicadas? Both groups were noisy, but the cicadas, making up for 17 years of celibate residency in holes in the ground, were the loudest. […]
Posted inNews
The Billion-Dollar Dream
A whole lot of money and a whole lot of cargo. That’s what a draft report says is necessary to build and pay for a railroad between the Samoa Peninsula and the national rail system in the Central Valley. Restoring the north-south line would also cost a bundle — more than $600 million, according to […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
Boards Behaving Badly
Maybe the Journal should start an ongoing feature called “Boards Behaving Badly.” I don’t get it. These public servants are duly elected and have the backing of the majority of their constituents. Then once in office, they fall prey to taking the easy path of making tough or uncomfortable decisions, first behind closed doors, and […]
Posted inEat + Drink
New on the Menu in Eureka
There’s a recession on, but apparently we still need to eat. When this year’s Menu of Menus hit stands (and the Journal‘s app), a couple of places hadn’t officially opened yet. Three of them are in downtown Eureka. Who doesn’t love a stadium dog? And yet, even as you unwrap the foil, isn’t something telling […]
Posted inMusic
Hot Summer Nights
It has come to our attention that some folks need a little primer on how to make out at live music gigs. Yes, the sweet aphrodisiac of sound — whether it’s slow caresses as the indie band twinkles dreamy songs or aggressive booty squeezing during the DJ’s dance set — music often puts people in […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Combining Wetlands with Wastewater Treatment
Halcyon trails wandering around reedy ponds and grassy meadows give little sign of the tumultuous history of the 307-acre Arcata Marsh and Wetlands Sanctuary. Two years after passage of the Federal Clean Water Act of 1972, the State of California prohibited discharge of wastewater into bays and estuaries without “enhancement.” Instead of buying into a […]
Posted inArts + Scene
Timeless Dance from Cuba and Beyond
This weekend presents the opportunity to travel from the evolving landscape of movement that is being called “new dance” all the way back to the ancient roots of Afro-Cuban dance and drum. On Friday, Synapsis in Eureka presents Leslie Castellano and Like Houses Through a Kaleidoscope, a dance and acrobatic stilt performance by two nomadic […]
Posted inMusic
The Pleasures of Summer
A quick note for those picking up the Journal on Wednesday – did you make it out to the Blitzen Trapper gig last week? Humboldt Brews offers another chance to hear a band perform similarly evocative, melodic sounds on Wednesday (tonight, so hope you picked up the paper early). Athens’ Futurebirds has played with Drive-By […]