another favorite pastime: Santa Cruz Derby Girls

I reported on the season opener back in March, but discovered only last week that we have a video of it now. Great! Saturday's bout (5/15), in comparison, was a bit more subdued, for several reasons. First I noticed that the music seemed at a lower volume than usual, which was somewhat strange considering the kind of music you enjoy at the bouts. The only explanation I could think of was that we were having ourselves a family-friendly event since the Derby Groms were scheduled to compete during the half-time break. After the Groms' performance a good part of the audience, proud parents I suppose, promptly disappeared, which made for a (relatively) quiet second half. Birgit and I thought that we could also detect a certain fatigue spreading. It felt like a double header with one team, the Groms, being very cute, but not exactly very exciting, which took some momentum out of the proceedings. Would it be better to schedule separate events for the kids? I, for one, will avoid the bouts from now on that include the Groms. Which is not to say that we didn't have fun. It's always a blast! I'm ready to order my tickets for the next Santa Cruz bout June 26th, if my perpetual nemesis, friggin santacruztickets.com, will let me. I always have problems with this site. (One specialty would be to send me a temporary password, only to lock me out as soon as I use it. Thanks!)

The Jesus Factor

Could it get more Santa Cruz? Guerilla Drive-In presents the local film The Jesus Factor. Written and directed by Cheri Lovedog. Friday May 14th 8pm. Under the Soquel Avenue bridge, behind the Indian Restaurant. Free (Bring warm clothing).

Thema Spargel, genauer grüner Spargel.

Über weissen Spargel in Santa Cruz muss uns jemand anderes informieren. Es gibt ihn schon wenn in Saison, aber entweder bin ich zu doof, oder habe nicht die entsprechenden Kultrequisiten, auf jeden Fall wird der weisse bei mir immer eher nix. Weshalb ich auf grünen umgestiegen bin und sagen muss: Einmal grün, immer grün, da er so viel einfacher zu handhaben ist!
Ich schneide ihn in Stücke und haue ihn in die Pfanne. Wenn ich nicht rechtzeitig wende und er leicht anbrennt schmeckt er sogar noch besser. Praktisch.
Ein Hinweis für Santa Cruzianer: Da wir die Gelegenheit haben frisch vom örtlichen Anbieter zu kaufen sollten wir sie auch ergreifen. Als Lohnsklavin ist mir der mittwöchliche Wochenmarkt versagt, aber ich kaufe zumindest bei Shopper's Corner ein und kann den Laden mit Überzeugung weiterempfehlen. Trader Joe's ist ja nett für andere Geschichten, aber vom Gemüsekauf dort würde ich allgemein abraten. Die langen Wege der teilweise eingeflogenen Waren sind nicht nur politically incorrect, sondern lassen das Gemüse schlichtweg altern bevor es in die Regale kommt. Man tut sich wirklich keinen Gefallen ein paar Cent zu sparen um dann die Geschmacksnerven mit komplett unspannendem Futtergeschmack zu langweilen. TJ Spargel insbesondere hat sich als holzig erwiesen, während die Stengel bei Shopper's bisher jedesmal frisch & saftig waren. Natürlich ist Unikat Shopper's teurer als Kette TJ, aber ich habe gerade festgestellt, dass man die wöchentliche Zeitungsanzeige mit Angeboten auch online anschauen kann, was sich allemal lohnt. Und die Wandmalerei auf der Branciforte Seite ist natürlich klasse! (Foto Coyro/Sentinel)

From The Smoking Gun to Extras via Thin White Duke

Browsing the web on a quiet night at home I let the The Smoking Gun's extensive mug shot collection entertain me for a while. Among a plethora of stars, starlets and superstar athletes, it offers the classic shots that we all know & love, of Sam Shepard, several of Robert Downey Jr. over the years, and Nick Nolte, of course. Interesting are TSG's Favorite Mug Shots, "images of the not-so-famous that chronicle the rich assortment of American misbehavior." Leona Helmsley e.g. is pretty funny. Among all the dazed and disheveled, for once human looking celebrities The Thin White Duke stands out in his magnificent artifice. He did have a chance to tidy up, though, the "Rochester Police Department mug shot was taken three days after Bowie's arrest, when the performer appeared at City Court for arraignment." 1976. Still lovely! This incarnation just never went out of style. Iggy was nabbed the same night, apparently, but we don't have any pictures. And while we're at it, guess who declared: "Bowie said that after Let's Dance, which is his biggest album ever and obviously not his best, he was doing these stadium gigs and looked out at the audience and suddenly realized that he had Phil Collins fans instead of Iggy Pop fans. And that's how I feel about everything I do: I want Iggy Pop fans." Guess! Ricky Gervais. Biggest Bowie fan. "See his pug-nosed face" in one of the top cringe-inducing scenes in comedy history! If you're not familiar with Extras, you might have to watch the whole episode, though, to appreciate it, including the Bowie interview. They've been mates & at it at least since back in The Observer days. And yes, I'm feeling a little sentimental tonight!