Descending on Thimann Lecture Hall at 8am on a Thursday morning is like joining a flock of zombies: coffee cups and notebooks loosely clutched, we shuffle through the remnants of last night’s dreams towards habitual seats in the 300-seat hall. By 8:12am, though, it’s apparent that this isn’t just another morning in the risers of PSYC170, Professor David A. Hoffman’s abnormal psychology class at UC–Santa Cruz.
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Gourmet Goodies in the Picnic Basket
Artisanal food impresarios Zach Davis and Kendra Baker continue their handmade roll through the tastebuds of Santa Cruz. It wasn’t enough that this entrepreneurial duo gave us downtown’s Penny Ice Creamery, and plenty of national coverage for the little shop’s innovative hand-made desserts. They needed to bring us more. Much more. And so there is the delightful, beachfront Picnic Basket, facing the Boardwalk and seaside volleyball courts. Yes, the same Picnic Basket that got yet another shoutout in this month’s Sunset Magazine.
Letters to the Editor: June 6-12
Readers weigh in on the power of the ocean to soothe the mind, suggest a pedestrian-only Pacific and curse litterbugs.
Local Businesses Use Square
“I’m sorry.”
“I shouldn’t be doing this.”
“It’s all I have.”
The all-too-familiar refrains of the regular credit card user may soon be put to rest thanks to an entirely different plastic invention, a little white square about the size of a thumbnail.
In general, smaller establishments prefer cash transactions because they cost the businesses nothing, while each credit card swipe costs businesses a certain percentage on top of the monthly fee they pay just to have the ability to read cards with what is called a merchant account. The thinking is that if you’re really supporting small business, you’re not paying with a card. Problem is—who carries cash these days?
One Cattle Company’s Carbon Paradox
Time was that price and USDA Grade A quality were all that the average shopper asked of their beef. Now the meat counter is a crossroads of signs touting all-natural, sustainably raised and grass-fed beef, especially at premium butcher shops like Shopper’s Corner and Staff of Life.
Marine Biologist Explores ‘Blue Mind’
Marine biologist J. Nichols suspects water puts us into a mildly meditative state. He has dubbed this sensation “blue mind”—as opposed to “red mind,” the edgy high that modern society puts us in, and “gray mind,” the numbed indifference that comes from looking at TV or the computer screen in an attempt to relax. “Surfing the web is not truly relaxing,” Nichols says. He believes if people can experience and appreciate the “blue mind” state the ocean grants us, it will result in big gains for conservations efforts.
Michelin Stars and Solar Eclipse at Love Apple Farm
It started with tiny spoon-sized amuse bouches flavored in every shade of delicious, such as beautiful shreds of aged and fermented veggies, tossed with orange, olive oil and raw mild curd. My favorite appetizer spoon contained a bite of poached Monterey abalone encased in chrysanthemum aspic on a dot of sorrel cream. Three layers of luxurious flavors in every mouthful! And that was just the opening salvo of last week’s Iconic Chefs Dinner up at Love Apple Farms.
Letters to the Editor: May 30-June 5
One reader applies logic to the arguments about Thrive, and another explains why he’s voting for Bob Fultz and not Mark Stone for Assembly in this Tuesday’s primary.
The Beauty of The Very Small Business
Your career path is dead. Save yourself. Such is the underlying premise of Chris Guillebeau’s new book The $100 Startup, a rallying cry to scrappy entrepreneurship.
Yes, job security and pensions have evaporated, but Guillebeau consoles us with the idea that we’re actually in charge. The subtitle says it all: Reinvent the Way You Make A Living, Do What You Love, and Create A New Future.
UC Wants Feedback on Protest Responses
UC–Santa Cruz campus provost Alison Galloway this week asked the campus community to comment on a new report about the handling of student protests on UC campuses.
