Plus Letters to the Editor

One political debate down. A few more to go. With less than a month to go until Election Day 2012, the political season just continues to heat up. So, who better to offer more perspective, as biting as it is, than Bill Maher? The comedian/author and Emmy-nominated host of HBO’s Real Time With Bill Maher descends upon Santa Cruz in what promises to be a wild night at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium on Sunday, Oct. 21. Maher is our cover boy this week and in our GT interview with the comic, he waxes political about President Barack Obama, GOP frontman Mitt Romney, legalizing marijuana and oh so much more. But the man also opens up about some of his earlier influences and reveals the curious emotional and mental tightrope most comics walk. Dive into the journey.

I think the Electoral College is in place for a really good reason, which is, if you look at how many uninformed voters there are, you can be swayed, especially the way the media is set up today, I think that it's a really good control mechanism to make sure that the majority of the people’s votes are counted correctly, and that it's a fair and honest system that’s had over 200 years of proven success.
Mark Andrews
Santa Cruz | V.P. Business Development/Software

The planet of communication (Mercury) and the planet of structure and discipline (Saturn) entered Scorpio, sign of Discipleship and the Nine Tests, last Friday. They slipped out of Libra (did we choose the path of the past or the unknown future we must create?) and quietly entered the dark discipleship waters of Scorpio. Saturn remains in Scorpio for 2=plus years (until 2015). 

Locals and surf enthusiasts are familiar with the name Jay Moriarity. He was the dynamic local surfer whose celebrity soared after tackling Mavericks, the notorious surfing spot up the coast. The surf pro met an early fate at 22 years of age in 2001, but his legacy, especially here in Santa Cruz, lives on.

Moriarity is also the subject of the new film Chasing Mavericks, which will be released later this month and headlined by A-list celeb Gerard Butler morphing into Moriarity’s mentor Richard “Frosty” Hesson. Of course, for those rooted here, Frosty is no stranger. His soulful way of being, not to mention his inspiring insights, have made the man a legend in his own right, which is what writer Geoffrey Dunn illuminates in this week’s cover story. Learn more about the man who inspired Moriarity, the upcoming film and much more.

Mitt Romney’s political campaign slogan should be "Rich People Rule the World."
Beth Sherman
Santa Cruz | Professional Cult De-programmer

Thursday, St. Francis of Assisi feast day, Jupiter (the planet at the heart of the Aquarian Age) turns stationary retrograde (16.23 degrees Gemini). Jupiter signifies good fortune, faith, abundance, expansion, luck, optimism, speculation and seeing life philosophically. 

The only thing that is constant is change. Perhaps you’ve discovered this in your own life. Regardless, this week, perhaps we can allow ourselves to be reminded about that truth. More on that in a moment. But first ... let’s being with the most significant change of all—the one that leads us deeper into the fall season. Last week officially marked the beginning of fall, which gives GT another opportunity to present our annual Fall Home & Garden issue.

Energy heals. Like Qi Gong, energy healing, [and] so forth. We all have the ability to heal ourselves by accessing the life force energy.
Can Truong
Santa Cruz | Energy Healing

We are in Libra now, the sign of creating Right Relations with our world and all we encounter. Libra is also the sign of balance. We oscillate between two opposing points until a balance is achieved. In Libra, we make a serious, spiritual life choice. Do we return to previous realities or move forward into the new, eventually into Scorpio, sign of the Nine Tests, of death, regeneration, warriorship, discipleship and triumph? During Libra’s interlude we assess the two paths ahead. We understand Robert Frost’s poem, “The Road Not Taken”: Two roads diverged in a yellow wood. And sorry I could not travel both. And be one traveler. Long I stood. And looked down one as far as I could, To where it bent in the undergrowth. Then took the other, just as fair. And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy and wanted wear. 

Plus Letters To The EDITOR

There’s plenty to look forward to this fall for Santa Cruzans. For starters, we are blessed with having some of the best weather this time of year and so far, Mother Nature is shining good cheer down on us. Beyond that, school is back in session—both at Cabrillo College and UC Santa Cruz, and beyond. On that note, be on the watch for this year’s Dilated Pupil, GT’s annual student guide publication.