2006 - Page 141 of 269 - The Santa Barbara Independent

Angry Poodle By Nick Welsh

X-Dogs: The Last Stand

GET ME REWRITE, GUT THE PRESS: Back when I was still a recovering Catholic, the story of Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden used to infuriate me beyond belief. It seemed incredibly unfair that every human born since those two would come into the world indelibly stained with Original Sin just because Adam and Eve disobeyed the Almighty and ate the apple. Under this scenario, we’re all born with three strikes against us; we don’t even get a chance to screw up. But now that I am a fully recovered Catholic and these matters no longer get under my skin, I see the wisdom in such theological pessimism. Its basis – from which all else follows – is the infinite perversity of the human species. The original-sin scenario recognizes that even if we have within our grasp everything we need to be perfectly happy, we’ll mess it all up the very first chance we get.

Uncategorized By Indy Staff

NOT WORTH THE VIEW:

In a ruling hailed as a great victory for property rights advocates, a state appeals court unanimously allowed a San Luis Obispo man to build his dream 10,000-square-foot mansion in Harmony.

By Indy Staff

DARK SKIES OVER GOLETA:

Instead of staging its fifth annual fireworks display from the beach, the Bacara Resort and Spa took its toys and went home this 4th of July. The dark skies over the luxury hotel were due to the Goleta City Council’s showing favoritism to other organizations, according to Bacara manager Annie Montalvo. The Bacara’s public relations representative insisted that finances were not the issue. The resort which has reportedly generated $60 million in local spending during its six years of existence spends $10,000 on the display and charges no fee to beachgoers.

Uncategorized By Shannon Kelley

Death of the Metrosexual

Once upon a time, not so very long ago, a trend was born. The “fab five,” as they are known on their hit show Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, were the face of this trend, and the quirky quintet took it upon themselves to revamp the style-, hygiene-, and culture-challenged men of the world, while the masses looked on. The makeover spectacle earned huge ratings, and got an enormous amount of press, and soon, straight men everywhere were coming out as “metrosexuals”: extolling the virtues of a layered wardrobe, sporting man-dals on their newly pedicured tootsies, and scrutinizing their toiletries with a newfound concern. Or so the media would have had us believe. But it seems that Madison Avenue has tired of the trend, if the recent slew of commercials touting the return of the manly man is any indication.

By Nick Welsh

Domestic Spying on S.B. Peaceniks

California Attorney General Bill Lockyer denounced the collection of political information by the governor’s Office of Homeland Security (OHS) earlier this year about a protest co-hosted by the Santa Barbara chapter of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) in the Courthouse’s Sunken Gardens.

Education By Ethan Stewart

Class Warfare?

Despite being exonerated recently at a state-level administrative hearing, former Dos Pueblos High School social studies teacher Matef Harmachis is still fighting for his job and his good name.

Uncategorized By Gerald Carpenter

Lessons of the Masters

SUMMER SCHOOL: At 1 p.m. today (Thursday, July 6), the celebrated maestro Jerome Lowenthal will teach a piano chamber masterclass in Lehmann Hall, the one at Miraflores, the gorgeous Mediterranean villa and estate that houses the Music Academy of the West. (At 2 p.m. today, the Academy Young Artists will offer a free Community Concert in the auditorium at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art.)

Another venerable master, violist Donald McInnes, will present a viola masterclass at 3:15 p.m., also in Lehmann Hall at Miraflores; and the modest winds master Fred Ormand will offer a free clarinet masterclass in Singher Studio at the same time.

Business By Nick Welsh

Esau’s in Peril

Esau’s – one of Santa Barbara’s signature breakfast and lunch spots for more than 50 years – may be forced to find new quarters because the restaurant’s landlord refuses to negotiate a new lease. According to Esau owner Scott Stanley, landlords Abe and Mike Safina have declined to discuss renegotiating his lease at 403 State Street, which expires in October.

By Nick Welsh

Secord Attacks

After barely snagging the most votes in the June primary, 2nd District supervisorial candidate Dan Secord is taking the offensive against candidate Janet Wolf, his opponent in the November run-off.

By Charles Donelan

Good Neighbors

Jim Connolly and the Gove County String Quartet

At Center Stage Theater, Sunday, July 2.
Some time early in Sunday night’s performance, Jim Connolly took responsibility for announcing the program from the stage. “We didn’t do a program,” he said. “I am the program.” And so he was.

Year: 2006