Gina Keating’s new book ‘Netflixed’ chronicles the behind-the-scenes story of Netflix’s founding, the company’s amazing success in capturing the hearts of movie lovers, its role in crushing video-rental behemoths like Blockbuster, and the Qwikster debacle that destroyed most of the company’s market value, practically overnight. This excerpt focuses on the company’s beginnings in Santa Cruz.
News
Q&A: Ed Watson of Zameen
Five years ago, Ed Watson opened Zameen Mediterranean Cuisine in Aptos, in partnership with his father-in-law Mike Assar. He took time to talk about Zameen’s new food truck and new mobile menu.
Standing Desks Improve Health & Life Expectancy
Sitting. It seems as innocent and natural as breathing or sipping a cup of tea. And yet, some health experts warn that too much of it could be deadly. Most people understand the connection between obesity and poor health, and the importance of being physically active every day. But public health guidelines rarely mention the importance of reducing sitting time—even if you’re active—and they probably should.
Bantam Adds To Santa Cruz’s Pizza Revolution
The Westside’s newest pizzeria-in-progress, Bantam, is almost ready for prime time. “Sometime in November” is what proprietor Benjamin Sims predicted as he showed me around the spacious scrubbed and polished industrial space at the edge of Fair Avenue, across from New Leaf. The obvious centerpiece of the new restaurant is the Mugnaini wood-burning pizza oven, handsomely tiled by Sims’ cousin, at the center of the exhibition kitchen.
Letters to the Editor, Nov. 14-20
Readers show support for a safe, warm environment both in schools and on our streets, writing in regards to our recent cover story on bullying and the city’s new street light bulbs.
New Nonprofit Supports Pre-Columbian Tribe
It was 1971 in Mexico, and Brant Secunda, an 18-year-old kid from New Jersey, lay unconscious on a patch of dusty, clay-like ground. A wanderer who ventured below the border to learn how to make pottery, he wound up stumbling upon an ancient civilization. That may not seem so surprising—Mexico has an abundance of ancient ruins. But this ancient civilization was alive and well.
Scenes From Election Night in Santa Cruz
Election night in Santa Cruz County this year was nothing like the scene in 2008—no celebrations in the streets, no climbing on cars, and a foggy stillness had set into downtown Santa Cruz by the time newly re-elected President Barack Obama gave his acceptance speech. But Democrats and Republicans did gather last night around the county to watch the results,
Citywide Public Wi-Fi for Santa Cruz Unlikely
The thinking goes like this: surely, there must be some way to turn Santa Cruz into Silicon Beach, a free-surfing utopia where budding entrepreneurs ride waves of innovation like Nat Young at Steamers Lane. One idea is free wireless Internet, and it was a popular one this year on the Santa Cruz City Council campaign trail.
UCSC’s Delta Lambda Psi Sued By Gay Fraternity
Whoever came up with the phrase “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery,” it apparently wasn’t the Greeks. Last month, national gay men’s fraternity Delta Lambda Phi filed a trademark infringement and unlawful trade suit against Delta Lambda Psi, a gender neutral “frarority” founded at UCSC in 2005.
Parent Says Soquel School Has Bullying Problem
In most ways, he’s what you could call a normal kid. Quentin Barnes enjoys sports like swimming and playing basketball, and has what his mother Denice Barnes calls a “goofy sense of humor.” When the fourth grader grows up, Quentin wants to be part-time professional baseball player and an entomologist. His enthusiasm for biology is already impressive for a nine-year-old.
