Cover Story
FUR-ther
Ever since the term “furry” was born sometime during the ’80s, media outlets have made a sport of poaching it for their own uses. Consult the likes of MTV, Vanity Fair, or Wired and you’ll get a description of a kinky subculture in which socially awkward, computer-interested humans who, for whatever reason, missed the sci-fi/anime…
Shopping artfully
Even though Art After Dark doesn’t return till February, it doesn’t mean you can’t patronize these fine art spaces throughout SLO County. Art is the perfect gift: it can be affordable and it’s the ultimate solution when you say to yourself, “I have no idea what to get so-and-so.” Happy holiday shopping! ARTS Space…
Clubs
Goin’ South … BILL’S PLACE: 112 E. Branch St., Arroyo Grande, 489-9989. Fri.-Tues.: Karaoke. CLIFFS RESORT: 2757 Shell Beach Road, Shell Beach, 773-5000 or cliffsresort.com. Live music on Sat. from 1-5pm and Sun. Jazz from 11am-3pm. Mon. and Tues.: Louie Ortega. DOLPHIN BAY/LIDO: 2727 Shell Beach Rd., Shell Beach, 773-4300 or TheDolphinBay.com. Mon. and Wed.:…
Oh, Gemini
New Times: How did you get your start in the world of astrology? Diana DeGarmo: In 2000 I was lost, wondering who I was, what the heck I was about. So, on an exploration of who I was, I started studying astrology really heavy and got a reading in Santa Fe. Some of things that…
Merrily, joyfully, sweetly, solemnly
During the Dec. 7 Christmas concert at Cal Poly’s Performing Arts Center, the usual bouncing jolly refrains about sleighs dashing through snow and slinky references to material goods that Santa Baby ought to slide down the chimney will be absent. In their stead, the Vocal Arts Ensemble will fill the hall with solemn—though equally joyous—religious…
May all your Christmases be white
Isaac Stern, the violin virtuoso, once said, “America’s music was born at his piano.” Irving Berlin, whom Stern was talking about, touted White Christmas as the best song he’d ever written, proclaiming, in fact, it was the best song “anybody had ever written!” This bold declaration came from the man who also wrote God…
Ghost haunts
Oy, Chihuahua! Bob & Wendy’s new album The Ghost of Guadalupe is a stunner! It opens with the country romper “Trace of Longing,” filled with the kind of amazing lyrics Wendy Liepman is known for: I’ve been shaken to the core/ I can’t take it any more/ I’ve lost my nerve/ I’m in no shape…
Babich 2007 Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough
I’ve found this available by the glass in several restaurants and it was delicious. Typical New Zealand style, but it’s not as high in acid as most. This vintage offers softer notes of grapefruit weaved with gooseberry, grass, and melon flavors. Friendly enough to drink alone but it’s a very good choice for chicken in…
Pipestone 2006 Grenache Paso Robles
A new release from this family-owned-and-operated winery, this varietal usually goes into their Rhone blend, according to Jeff and Florence Pipes. But they bottled this 100 percent Grenache so people could taste it alone “in all its glory.” Deeply flavored with ripe plums, black cherry and wild berry aromas and flavors, it’s big and spicy.…
Sweet, succulent crab
A California girl born and raised, ever since I was old enough to recognize the difference I’ve boasted Alaskan king crab has nothing on Dungeness crab. Of the latter from California’s northern coast, I still claim proudly that when it’s in prime season, Dungeness is so sweet and succulent it doesn’t need drawn butter or…
Vance Weber – Founder, Open Air Flowers
NEW TIMES: When did you first open for business? WEBER: We first opened 27 years ago, and have been at our new location for 3 years. We originally began business with street corner flower stands. NEW TIMES: Do you have a best seller for this time of year? WEBER: We don’t have a single item…
Change shoes, for a minute
The “Yes on 8trs” have lots of reasons for denying same sex marriages, which I’m sure make perfectly good sense to them. I’ve heard them all: theology; they already have equal benefits; the meaning of marriage would change; protecting traditional marriage; children would be taught about gay marriage; wait, it’ll happen, it just takes…
We can do better
I wish I could say I was surprised by the trampling of a person on Black Friday but sadly, I was not. I’ve grown disillusioned by the master manipulation in our society regarding the most holy of holidays. It’s disgusting and we should all be ashamed of ourselves. The thought of a saving that can’t…
Catch 22
So ‘they’ hooked up the DMV computers now so gross repeat offenders guilty of DUI, hit and run, and other such violations can be tracked and held accountable. Good news, right? Think again. What if one of the states decides to abuse the system to make up for lost revenue in tough economic times? What protection…
Watch out
To all of the blackhearted individuals and companies that are profiteering from the war and the economic plundering, I pray for you. But I must remind you of a moral tenet that you all ignore: “What does it profit a man to gain the world, and lose his own soul.” Enjoy your loot now, because…
Gay merriage
I am a conservative kind of person, and voted for Prop. 8. I read New Times to be a well-rounded person, getting both sides of the argument and making my decision from information, not from feelings. I think the Shredder hit the nail on the head with his article about gay people getting merried (“Semantics,…
Do Prop 8 supporters value life?
All of the controversy over Proposition 8 has really made me think. Most people seem to have a very strong opinion about the subject of gay marriage, but I have a genuine question. I hope I do not offend anyone in assuming that most people who are against gay marriage are also pro-life. Of course,…
Show us the numbers
Come, come, folks! It is time to stop blathering about Off-Highway Vehicles (OHVs) on the Oceano Dunes. The letter of Nov. 20 (“Shut down offroading”) cited a thousand injuries treated annually at the Arroyo Grande Hospital and many more (triple the number?) that go unreported. The two deaths referenced, though sad, are irrelevant and…
Remember these words
Watch and remember when Obama’s socialist policies send our economy further and further into debt. I doubt that is what Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had in mind when he said, “I have a dream.” His dream wasn’t about killing the entrepreneurial spirit, it was about equality. Equality also means that you need to work…
Right on, Pedro
Reading Pedro Inzunza Arroyo’s “Open letter to the Cal Poly president” (Nov.13) reminded me of the ’70s, when southern universities demanded photographs with each application, to see one’s color. This drove me to the West Coast, and I am proud of my alma mater, UCSB. Somewhat like Mr. Arroyo, years after graduation, I also attended…
Save Santa Margarita’s small-town feel
After reading the article “Margarita Ranch gets board OK,” (Nov. 20), I feel the need to express my opinion on the matter. There will be unavoidable impacts on traffic, water supply, habitat, agriculture, and air pollution, so why let this project pass? In addition, I must express that if over 500 new homes, a golf…
SLOCOG looks 42 years forward
Not many people realize that there is an agency in the county called the San Luis Obispo Council of Governments (SLOCOG) where all five county supervisors and members from each of the city councils meet almost every month to address transportation, housing, and other issues. These representatives also serve as the governing board of the…
This may not be true
Well, Merry Christmas, Shredder! It turns out San Luis Obispo has a Shredderific new City Council. John Ashbaugh, the brand new member, went raving mad with power at the new board’s very first meeting. I think it’s going to be a very happy new year indeed. First, Ashbaugh shocked fellow new council member Jan Marx,…
Last quack
So long; farewell; auf weidersehen; goodnight. It’s not going to be all sad waves and tearful goodbyes when Supervisors Jerry Lenthall and Harry Ovitt are replaced next year. Many SLO County wonks will be delighted to bid the current board adieu, especially with the last-minute string of pro-development votes that have passed at the…
Proposition 8 is still making waves
On Nov. 4, Proposition 8 passed with a four-percent margin, amending the California Constitution to define marriage as a union “between a man and a woman.” The longevity of that controversial clause, however, remains in question. On Nov. 19, the California Supreme Court announced it would review three petitions challenging the legality of Proposition 8.…
United Way of SLO County turns 50
Marching forward in its mission of “improving lives by mobilizing the caring power of the community,” the SLO County branch of United Way is celebrating its semicentennial anniversary. “As cuts in the state and federal budget take hold, there’ll be more of a reliance on the private sector to step up and fill the void,”…
Fast facts
KURQ New Rock 107.3 is conducting an unusual toy drive, Christmas for Teenagers, on Sunday Dec. 7 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event, hosted by Best Buy in San Luis Obispo, will feature onsite broadcasting the entire day; donors are automatically entered to win a drum set from Drum Sync worth more than…
SLO bus routes on Google finder
There’s a new, easy way to figure out which bus to take within the City of San Luis Obispo. The city and other agencies have linked city bus route information with Google, and the result is a bus-finding tool that’s as simple to use as Google Maps. The link is Google.com/transit. Enter starting and ending…
Fees going up and supes’ salaries could too
Just weeks after SLO County supervisors voted to increase 2,519 county fees in anticipation of a yawning budget deficit, they’re posed to vote on boosting their own salaries. The board introduced an ordinance that would increase each supervisor’s salary from $84,024 to $86,376, which will go to a final vote on Dec. 9. Each supervisor…
Autopsy awaited on student death
Police were awaiting the results of an autopsy on Cal Poly freshman Carson Starkey as they pursue an investigation into what role alcohol may have played in his death. In the meantime, Cal Poly suspended the SAE fraternity charter whose party Starkey, of Austin, Texas, had attended the night before he died. The autopsy was…
Atascadero city manager role criticized in report
A report compiled by Atascadero Mayor Mike Brennler, a retired police detective, shows that City Manager Wade McKinney knew a beleaguered employee hadn’t done anything wrong even when the employee was forced to resign and was pegged as a rogue employee. Redevelopment Agency Deputy Executive Director Marty Tracey was forced out of his position in…
Park-paving lot gets go ahead in feisty meeting
There was no rehearsal meeting for the new SLO City Council, and the body could have used one. The Dec. 2 meeting was like a shot of whiskey when some members wanted a nice warm glass of milk for their introduction to council service. The catalyst? The proposed parking lot for the senior center in…
Are you optimistic?
Dale Green Salvation Army bell ringer “Very. I wouldn’t be working where I am if I wasn’t optimistic.” Barbara Filegar retired “Yes. You have to be in an economy like this. And some of us have already lived through the Depression as children. So we already learned how to live very frugally.” Dan Mounts server…
