Plus Letters to the Editor

This is not the original Editor's Note I wrote for publication this week, which went to press early Tuesday afternoon. That note found me pondering the state of our culture after watching a frenzied Academy Awards telecast that, to me, was void of class. Except for when the women appeared, many of which—Barbra Streisand, Jennifer Hudson, Adele, Norah Jones—reminded us, that in an attention-hungry culture, less is more, grace is good and dignity still exists. (It's interesting to note that we rarely get reminded of that whenever we see a Bruce Willis or Arnold Schwarzenegger movie. Even the cast of The Avengers didn't evoke that, try as they might, when they hit the Oscar stage Sunday.)

Women can be priests, abortion legal, and they got to share all that wealth they've been storing for centuries.
Lauren Joe
Santa Cruz | Garbage Truck Driver

We are in Pisces now, the last sign of the zodiac—“Light of the World, revealing Life itself, ending forever the darkness of matter.” Pisces contains all previous eleven signs. Pisces is the two fish, connected by a silvery cord. One fish is the personality, the other the Soul. They represent the duality all of humanity experiences. Being both animal and divine, we experience simultaneously feelings of attraction and separation, passion and despair, suffering and bliss.

Plus letters to the editor

It’s 2013. We have no business partaking in activities that don’t A) water our spirit and, more importantly, B) send some good juju back into the ethers of the Universe. Alright, that sounded entirely too “California Woo Woo,” a term my Chicago pals may have been using of late. Regardless, as we venture into this decade, more and more, we may find ourselves questioning our motivations and why we are participating in some of the things we are (or have been) participating in. Especially in the realm of “work.” We get a few reminders—nudges, really—on that subject and a whole lot more this week in our exclusive interview with Marianne Williamson. The best-selling author, who hits the Rio Theatre this weekend, rounds out GT’s “Three Women to Watch” in the month of February. The first was local author Belinda Farrell, who penned “Find Your Friggin’ Joy.” Then came local teen crooner Jackie Partida. And now, Williamson. Her new book “The Law of Divine Compensation” certainly offers plenty of insights about work, profession, money, love and ... forgiveness. Williamson crafts an interesting narrative and looks at the current state of the economy as well and how all that—and all that we do—sends out ripple effects.

I hunt bike thieves. I hate 'em! Scum! They got to go! I've recovered a lot of expensive bikes, more than the cops do. And to the bike thieves I say beware! I will get you!
Michael Smith
Santa Cruz | Vigilante

Saturday Mercury turns stationary retrograde (20 degrees Pisces). Mercury remains retrograde until March 17. Sunday is the festival of Purim (deliverance of the Jewish people from destruction). Monday is the Pisces solar festival (full moon) and the Lantern Festival, signifying the end of Chinese New Year. By Wednesday Sun, Mercury, Venus, Mars and Neptune are in Pisces—waters that purify, cleanse and prepare us for the fires of spring.

Plus Letters to the editor

What inspires you? What helps you become more empowered? We tap into those ideas, in part, in this week’s cover story. And we have 18-year-old Jackie Partida to thank. Partida is at the helm of the all-girl indie pop group Dressed In Roses. The local has been singing and performing since she was a toddler but what readers might walk away from the article appreciating—and learning more about—is how songwriting can actually empower teen girls. It wasn’t the main intention when we first began exploring Partida, but we soon stumbled upon a fascinating tool for personal growth.

No they should not. That would be absolutely horrifying to let gay men handle the Boy Scouts.
Richard Wood
Santa Cruz | Mechanic

Valentine’s Day is Thursday. Aries moon says, “Let’s do something new and different. Let’s get out and about, move around, challenging the ways we’ve done Valentine’s Day before.” Valentine’s Day this year is free and easy, nurturing, friendly, happy-go-lucky, cheery, light-hearted, happy and optimistic. Let’s make Valentine’s day all of these. With sweet treasures in between, ”be(ing) of love a little more careful …” (e.e.cummings).

It's definitely preferable that they live in the communities they serve. I used to be the mayor of Santa Cruz, so I understand that police have difficulty finding housing like everyone else. The city needs to do more to make it available to all types of city employees, so that they can understand the community they're in—being located here.
Tim Fitzmorris
Santa Cruz | Retired