On the eve of a rare Santa Cruz gig, we probe the mind of Bill Maher and explore how comedy and politics helped send the comedian’s celebrity soaring into one hell of an orbit.

It’s political hunting season and, man, is Bill Maher on the prowl. Of course, this isn’t “breaking” news. The unabashed liberal comedian has fiercely pointed his creative Uzi toward the American political system—and its mixed bag of politicians—for nearly 20 years now. Back in the ’90s, when Comedy Central’s Politically Incorrect first aired (it later moved to ABC), Maher quickly became known for being not just your garden-variety envelope-pusher, but somebody far more crafty (and sane). He was able, through a clever mix of wit, wisdom and insight, to help reinvent the way modern comics and commentators approach the issue of politics and present it to television audiences. In the years that followed, especially when the comic found success on HBO with Real Time With Bill Maher (beginning in 2003), others followed suit. Without Maher, some would argue, the likes of Jon Stewart or Stephen Colbert may not have been so lavishly embraced by the masses.

Pleasure Point surfing icon Richard ‘Frosty’ Hesson opens up about being the subject of the soon-to-be-released film, ‘Chasing Mavericks,’ his new book and the importance of enjoying life’s simple pleasures—and enduring its toughest challenges.

Inside:
Cob Together, Right Now, Naturally
The Solar Upgrade
Home Sweet Loan
Love Apple Farms
Tips for your fall and winter garden
Blown Away
Autumn-atic Gardening
‘Brown’ is the new ‘Green’

A look inside fashionART Santa Cruz 2012

It doesn’t take much to convince Santa Cruz residents to dress up—at least in the costumed sense. Any week here could look like Monday, Tuesday, Burning Man, Renaissance Faire, Halloween, Saturday, Sunday (rest, repeat). We will gladly don rabbit ears, a feathered mask or a tablespoon of glitter at the drop of a hat, and fly our freak flag at the most public of venues. However, translate that same practice to a night on the town, or, heaven forbid, daily workaday expression, and many among us tend to be guilty of choosing between “dressy” or “casual” flip-flops. (There’s also the classic barometer, that is thankfully becoming passé, but still bears repeating, if for no other reason than as a cautionary tale: a trip to Shadowbrook Restaurant = wear long pants. Most other destinations = anything goes.)

Dynamic, enterprising and inventive, Community Television of Santa Cruz County weathers the modern media storm but still faces an uncertain future

This past May, YouTube turned 7 years old. To mark its birth, the Official YouTube Blog proudly announced that 72 hours of video are uploaded to the site every minute. Though it seems that now, more than ever before, individuals are creating videos with their smartphones, digital cameras, and computers with the purpose of sharing their footage with as many people as possible via the Internet, YouTube’s success has one local nonprofit scratching its head.

For nearly 18 years, Community Television of Santa Cruz County has been putting locally made videos on the air via three area channels. Whether those videos were produced onsite at its Pacific Avenue studio or produced elsewhere, CTV will air “anything that’s not illegal” and stream it on its website, Keith Gudger, vice chair of CTV, says with a laugh.

A community of local visionary artists is making higher consciousness visible

As I step inside a cave-like structure on Soquel Avenue, a burly, tattooed man glances up from a laptop computer. He’s heavily peacocked in exotic jewelry and space-age gypsy/tribal rock star clothing, and there’s a sizeable splash of blue-green dye in the punky plumage erupting from his scalp. It’s an impressive look: Picture a Road Warrior character whose battle gear has been given a lysergic acid patina.

The “T” word. You’ve muttered it under your breath after witnessing an ill-advised left turn, while shaking your head at an unwieldy load of beach paraphernalia, or maybe when overhearing someone declare “I can see Hawaii!” while pointing straight at Moss Landing. The “T” word is an easy catchall for behaviors we don’t deem local. It’s not flattering. However, anyone who understands, even in the most general terms, the concept of our tourism-based local economy and tax dependency will keep these mutterings to a minimum. Taken a step further, those lucky enough to travel and explore the world outside of our awe-inspiring climes recognize the joy of being the tourist (the definition of which, contrary to popular opinion, is not “one who takes my street parking” but is actually “one who travels for leisure, recreation or relaxation”).

In an excerpt from his forthcoming book, Geoffrey Dunn chronicles the life of his late friend, Godofredo ‘Freddy’ Alnas—and a dark and forgotten chapter in Santa Cruz County history

Why was America so kind and yet so cruel?
It was like going to war with other soldiers;
some survived death, but could not survive life.
-Carlos Bulosan, America Is in the Heart

In the Eye of the Storm
... our bravest archetypes "dress it up"
The Daredevils
The Burners
The Animal Activist
The Goddess
The Lovers
The Cyclist
The Cool Chick
Surfer-Hipster-Sk8R
The Non-Conformist
The Techie
The Performer
The Hunk


Words and concept by Greg Archer. Photo shoot design by Stripe Design Group.
Photos by Keana Parker

Santa Cruz nonprofit Organic Farming Research Foundation leads the charge for organics in the Farm Bill and beyond

Organic. Santa Cruz can pat itself on the back for helping bring about this word’s current ubiquity.

The area’s more obvious contributions to the organic movement include The Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, which is headquartered at our City on a Hill, UC Santa Cruz, and is widely considered the birthplace of organic farming, and Westside Santa Cruz-based California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF), one of the oldest and largest organic certification organizations in the country.

Santa Cruz’s own Joe Ortiz hits a high note. How his turbulent, and oftentimes humorous, childhood became the genesis of an original musical at Cabrillo Stage.

Growing up is hardly a walk in the park—especially when your father is a Puerto Rican womanizer with a gambling addiction that’s as aggressive as his drinking addiction. So was the case for Joe Ortiz, who at 6 years old, had his universe flipped upside down, when a bookie set up shop in his living room in order to settle the gambling debts of his father, who had secretly skipped town.