Art Escapes

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Art Escapes

Marin art lovers have plenty of reasons to celebrate this holiday season, as the region offers several chances to view and collect serious works directly from the local artists who create them.

This year, two of Marin’s most popular open-studio events observe significant anniversaries, as the Point Reyes Open Studios tour turns 20 and the ICB Winter Open Studios event turns 50.

The two occasions offer different ways to approach the open-studio model. In West Marin, the Point Reyes Open Studios leads visitors on a rural, self-guided Thanksgiving Day weekend getaway to secluded art studios along the backroads between Bolinas and Tomales Bay, Nov. 23–25.

West Marin sculptors, photographers, painters, printmakers and woodworkers show off their spaces for the 20th annual tour, allowing visitors a chance to explore the area’s charm and picturesque locales.

Brochures and maps can be found at venues like Point Reyes Books, the Station House Cafe, Palace Market and Ink Paper Plate, as well as online.

On the opposite end of the open-studio spectrum, the ICB Winter Open Studios event boasts over a hundred artists in a single location, the historic Industrial Center Building near Sausalito’s waterfront. Once a massive structure built to construct liberty ships during WWII, the space today is a veritable treasure trove of art that is both one of the original and largest artist collectives in the country.

“Fifty years ago, a guy by the name of Tim Rose came up with the idea of open studios,” says John Kunzweiler, artist and president of the ICB Artists’ Association. “Rose was your classic Sausalito beatnik artist, and he wanted to raise money for a trip to France, so he thought, somehow, the best thing to do was to open a building and have an art show with several other artists. That was the genesis of our open studios.”

The ICB Artists’ Association honors the late Rose and the hundreds of working artists that currently occupy the Industrial Center Building for the 50th anniversary of the ICB Winter Open Studios, Nov. 30–Dec. 2.

“It’s a big operation,” says Kunzweiler. “When you have that many artists, you get into an amazing range of artistic styles. That broadens the experience of the different artists. It’s really a creative hub.”

As well as being a destination for art lovers, Kunzweiler notes that ICB always has a waiting list of artists looking to get in.

“People want to be there because it’s very collegial and, with such an amazing number of active artists, there’s something happening there everyday.”

The weekend-long ICB Winter Open Studios will display a gallery of Rose’s mobile sculptures as well as holiday-themed works in addition to the individual studios. Friday includes an artist party, available with registration.

“With our program in hand, you can go directly to the artists and the art that you want to see,” says Kunzweiler, “or you can walk the halls, look in doorways, talk to artists and get a feel of what they do and why they do it.”

Point Reyes Open Studios runs Friday, Nov. 23, to Sunday, Nov. 25, at various locations in West Marin. 11am to 5pm daily. Free. pointreyesart.com.

ICB Winter Open Studios happens Friday, Nov. 30, to Sunday, Dec. 2, 480 Gate Five Road, Sausalito. 11am to 6pm daily. Free. icb-artists.com.

Advice Goddess

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Q: I lost over 100 pounds. I’m really proud of my myself and my new body, so I post pix on Instagram. Disturbingly, I’ve got a few haters—all women!—who come at me saying I’m narcissistic, slutty, a showoff, etc. I thought women are supposed to support one another. How should I respond? Should I post fewer selfies?—So Much for Sisterhood

A: Nothing lasts forever—except middle school, which never ever ends. You’ll be 85, and some biddy will be all, “Look at that slut with the pink walker.”

There actually seem to be sex differences in the content of social media meanness, according to research by psychology doctoral student Joy Wyckoff and her colleagues. In keeping with previous studies, they found that women online get comments knocking their physical appearance more often than men, whereas men more often get comments “derogating their status” and skills.

These differences in who gets bashed for what—appearance in women versus status and skills in men—are right in line with the differences I often cite in male and female mating priorities. These evolved out of the differing potential costs from having sex. Because women can get pregnant and stuck with kids to feed, mate-seeking women are drawn to high-status men—“men with the ability . . . to provide resources,” as the researchers put it.

They note that men, on the other hand, are “unconstrained” by any sort of “minimum obligatory parental investment” (that is, beyond the initial teaspoonful of sperm). This allows men to prioritize hotitude in prospective female partners—which is to say, men’s eyes make a beeline for boobs and butts, and never mind whether they’re attached to the barista or the senior VP.

As for the ugliness you’ve been experiencing on social media, it’s best understood as female-on-female psychological warfare. Block the Cruellas. Nobody has a right to your attention or a seat on your social media platform. On a positive note, now that you’ve been schooled in the covert ways some compete, you should be quicker to identify and fend off female underhandedness, on Instagram and beyond.

Q: I’m a 28-year-old guy in grad school. I love my girlfriend, but I don’t want to have sex with her anymore. I’m hitting the books and writing papers day and night. She still wants to party—go out and smoke pot and drink a lot—which I used to enjoy but now find empty and stupid. I keep feeling seriously annoyed with her choices, and I’m increasingly attracted to other women. Is this the end, or should we try to make it work?—College Boy

A: When you’re slaving away in grad school, it can be hard to feel connected to somebody whose idea of higher education is Googling how to grow pot in your closet. Your eye-rolling at your girlfriend’s choices is not exactly the stuff a peppy libido and a happy future together are made of. In fact, the mounting lack of respect you have for her is the starter emotion for contempt—an ugly emotion that plays out as sneering disgust. Relationship researcher John Gottman finds that contempt leaching into a marriage is the single best predictor that a couple will split up.

Conversely, for a relationship to have staying power, you need to have the hots for your partner, not just as a sextivities provider but as a human being. This involves having deep admiration for what they think and value, which shapes who they are and how they go about life.

Did you start out in a place like that with your girlfriend? If so, you two should have a chat about where you are now and whether you can get back there. The answer may not be immediately apparent, so you might set a defined period of time to give this a look, with a deadline to make a decision. Ultimately, there has to be enough that connects you to overcome the stuff that divides you, or the only thing that will ever be throbbing in your relationship is that big vein in your neck.

Paradise Glossed

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Paradise Glossed

It’s been two weeks since the Camp fire broke out in Butte County, and the North Bay air is still filled with smoke from the catastrophic blaze that destroyed the town of Paradise.

Or was that the town of . . . Pleasure? President Trump couldn’t seem to get that fact straight when he showed up in California last week to implore residents to break out the rakes, just like they do in Finland, to stop forest fires in their tracks. Smokey the Landscaper, anyone?

The presidential visit last week is worth noting for its awkwardness. There was Trump, sandwiched between a bewildered-looking Gov. Jerry Brown, and Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom, as the reality-show president bloviated about the fake news of climate change and blamed a lack of raking for the cataclysmic fires that have taken dozens of lives and destroyed thousands of homes.

Trump’s antics aside, serious people are now asking serious questions about how this latest round of devastation will play out for the Pacific Gas & Electric Company; press reports about the investor-owned utility have contemplated whether the Paradise fire will bankrupt the company, whose stocks have tumbled since the flames broke out on Nov. 8.

The official line from PG&E is that the cause of the fire is under investigation. “The cause of the fire has not been determined,” says PG&E spokeswoman Deanna Contreras, “so it is uncertain if we could be liable for any of the damages.”

The utility filed a letter with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Nov. 11 indicating that, were it found liable for the Camp fire, it could lead to bankruptcy. That letter prompted news reports on the national wires speculating about whether this was the fire that would finally break the utility, and a follow-up round of stories seemed to assure investors, if not consumers, that bankruptcy was not afoot. (The company declared bankruptcy around the time of the great California brownouts of 2000–01.)

As the Camp fire raged, California legislators, including State Sen. Jerry Hill, speculated that this year’s round of devastation could lead to the utility being broken up. But there’s another question for the utility, its regulators in the state and lawmakers as they re-engage on California’s “new abnormal” of climate-change-driven weather events that scorch the state on a routine basis:

Should PG&E continue to make the decision about whether to keep the power on when wind conditions pose a significant threat of blowing tree limbs into live power lines? Should that decision be off-loaded to state officials? Will the question be taken up by lawmakers when they reconvene in Sacramento to figure out a fire-free path forward?

It’s an open question that’s got a “third rail” political quality about it, insofar as decisions about de-energizing power lines are currently PG&E’s alone to make (it’s a private corporation and not a state-run utility).

The de-energizing issue was brought into harsh relief on Nov. 8, when PG&E elected to not shut down the power in Butte County and other Northern California counties (including parts of Napa and Sonoma counties) after announcing that it was planning to do so.

In a statement on Nov. 8, PG&E senior vice president of electric operations Patrick Hogan wrote to the company’s customers to thank them for their understanding “and for their actions in preparation of a possible Public Safety Power Shutoff [PSPS]. We know how much our customers rely on electric service, and we will only consider temporarily turning off power in the interest of safety and as a last resort during extreme weather conditions to reduce the risk of wildfire.”

The Camp fire broke out on Nov. 8.

As the cause of the fire is investigated, PG&E defends its decision to keep the power on. “Regarding the Public Safety Power Shutoff situation,” says Contreras, “beyond a Red Flag warning, there are a number of other factors PG&E considers when deciding to initiate a Public Safety Power Shutoff [PSPS]. These include strong winds, very low humidity levels, critically dry vegetation and on-the-ground observations by our crews.” According to PG&E, “the forecasted conditions didn’t meet the criteria” to initiate a shutdown in Butte County.

In fairness to utilities such as PG&E, they’re in a kind of “damned if they do, damned if they don’t” bind when it comes to decisions about shutting down the power.

The utility was blasted by Lake County leaders and businesses in October when it pro-actively shut down the power to some 70,000 residents under high-wind Red Flag conditions. No fire broke out, but one liability question for PG&E is whether shutting down the power is in itself an acknowledgement of potential wrongdoing on its part.

In other words, why shut down the power if the utility’s vegetation-clearance work, as claimed, is up to snuff?

The current de-energizing protocols are part of the deeply controversial Senate Bill 901 from this year’s session, which aimed to compel PG&E to address the “new abnormal” while not driving the utility out of business in the process by foisting all liability for wildfires onto it (and despite failures on PG&E’s part to adequately remove vegetation from around power lines).

The utility was found liable for several of the fires that broke out in California in late 2017, including the catastrophic Tubbs fire that destroyed Coffey Park in Santa Rosa. Among PG&E’s high-powered friends in Sacramento is the lobbying organization Platinum Advisors, which was founded by Darius Anderson, a Sonoma County power broker who is also the founder of the nonprofit Rebuild Northbay. The Anderson-led nonprofit includes a PG&E employee on its board. The utility has been actively engaged in highly visible, subcontracted vegetation-removal work in the North Bay over the past few weeks.

As currently regulated, PG&E’s actions around de-energizing power lines are only reviewed in the aftermath of a decision to shut the power down.

The state of California has no role in making the de-energizing decision, says Terrie Prosper, director of the news and outreach office at the California Public Utilities Commission (whose past leadership has been charged with acting as a rubber-stamp agency for PG&E’s interests).

Senate Bill 901 requires utilities such as PG&E to submit wildfire mitigation plans, Prosper notes; those plans are under review by the CPUC, as of Oct. 25.

Under the current regulatory structure, the CPUC’s role is to investigate utilities’ decisions to de-energize power lines that distribute electricity to consumers; critically, the CPUC has no regulatory role in investigating a utility’s decision to not de-energize power lines. The CPUC’s role is not so much advisory as it is investigatory when it comes to de-energizing decisions.

The utility is required to file a report within 10 days of the de-energizing event, says Prosper, “explaining their decision to shut off power, the notice that was given to customers and community representatives, the number and types of customers affected, the steps they took to restore power, and any other mitigation provided by the utility,” Prosper says. “The CPUC may assess de-energization events that occur, and may take enforcement actions if a utility’s actions were unreasonable.”

The shutoff protocol is “an additional precautionary safety measure implemented following [2017’s] wildfires and is used under specific extreme weather conditions to further reduce the risk of wildfires,” says PG&E’s Contreras, “and is not deployed as a response to an active fire.”

The de-energizing issue is complicated by the nature of the power lines being considered for de-energizing, and the intersection of oversight of those lines, Contreras explains.

High-voltage transmission lines are not part of the PSPS program and are regulated by the feds through the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and operated by the California Independent System Operator (CAISO).

Transmission lines operate at higher voltage than distribution lines, and outages impact a much larger number of customers, Contreras says via email. The CAISO does allow utilities to de-energize high-voltage transmission lines (those that operate at 115 kV or above)—for example, at the request of Cal Fire—but only through coordination with the utility.

“In light of the potential public safety issues resulting from de-energizing higher-voltage transmission lines, including the potential to impact millions of people and create larger system stability issues for the grid,” Contreras writes, “PG&E has not extended the PSPS program to transmission lines that operate at 115 kV or above.”

The question remains: Will lawmakers de-energize PG&E’s power to shut off the juice when the Red Flags start flying again next year?

Holiday Arts 2018

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Holiday Arts 2018

Ready or not, nearly two months of holiday fun and cheer are coming your way. To help navigate the season and keep your spirits bright, we present our select guide to holiday fun leading up to Christmas.

Events

Marin Turkey Trot  Work up an appetite with one-mile, 5k and 10k runs. Proceeds benefit San Francisco-Marin Food Bank.
Packet pickup, Nov. 19 and 21; race, Nov. 22. Indian Valley College,
1800 Ignacio Blvd., Novato.
$25–$55. marinturkeytrot.com.

San Rafael Parade of Lights & Winter Wonderland  Thirty-ninth annual event in the heart of Marin features a grand parade and tree-lighting ceremony, with snow sledding, kids activities, a holiday market and more. Festive window displays light up the scene while live music and holiday entertainment packs in families from around the Bay Area. Nov. 23–24. Fourth and B streets, San Rafael. Friday, noon to 8pm; parade begins at 5:30pm; Saturday, 9am to noon. 800.310.6563.

Point Reyes Open Studios  Spend part of Thanksgiving weekend with artists in their studios throughout West Marin during the 20th annual free, self-guided tour. Includes displays and demonstrations. Nov. 23–25, 11am to 5pm. pointreyesart.com.

Bolinas Museum Turkey Trot  Ninth annual family-friendly walk is a popular post-Thanksgiving tradition in West Marin. Prizes, treats and Bloody Marys are waiting at the finish line. Nov. 24. 48 Wharf Road, Bolinas. 8am. $10–$25; kids nine and under are free. 415.868.0330.

ICB’s Winter Open Studios  More than a hundred painters, sculptors, fabric artists, jewelers, photographers and other artists under one roof all open their doors for this 50th annual event to let you discover new and unique works of art where they are created. Nov. 30–Dec. 2. Industrial Center Building, 480 Gate Five Road, Sausalito. 11am–6pm. Free admission. icb-artists.com.

Breakfast with Santa at Sausalito Yacht Club  Annual family event features breakfast prepared by elves and a visit from Santa. Dec. 1. Sausalito Yacht Club, 100 Humboldt Ave., Sausalito. 8:30am and 10am. $15–$18; kids under two eat free. RSVP required. 415.289.4152.

Sausalito Gingerbread House Competition & Tour  Twelfth annual citywide event features more than 30 businesses and merchants participating in creating festive and delicious gingerbread houses. Most are on display within walking distance of each other, meaning this is a family-friendly diversion from the hustle and bustle of holiday shopping. Dec. 1–31. Downtown Sausalito. Maps are available at participating merchants or at sausalitogingerbread.com.

Osher Marin Festival of Lights  Marin’s biggest Hanukkah party includes festive foods, glow-in-the-dark dancing, live music, an artisan crafts marketplace and kids activities like Lego dreidel building, bouncy house hopping and cookie decorating. All are welcome. Dec. 2. Osher Marin JCC, 200 N. San Pedro Road, San Rafael. 11:30am–2pm. Free admission. 415.444.8000.

Sausalito Woman’s Club Holiday Open House  Santa makes an appearance for this community event. Toys for Tots and Giving Tree donations are appreciated. Dec. 2. Sausalito Women’s Club, 120 Central Ave., Sausalito. 3pm. 415.332.2700.

Mill Valley Winterfest  Annual celebration includes snow-sledding, a visit from Santa, live entertainment, refreshments, children’s activities and a tree-lighting ceremony. Dec. 2. Downtown Plaza, 85 Throckmorton Ave.,
Mill Valley. 11am to 5pm. enjoymillvalley.com.

Dickens’ Family Victorian Holiday Party  Hosted by characters from Charles Dickens’ works, this annual party boasts parlor games, dancing, crafts and light refreshments. Dec. 7. Falkirk Cultural Center, 1408 Mission Ave., San Rafael. 6:30pm. $9–$12. falkirkculturalcenter.org.

Sensitive Santa  Holiday event for children with special needs features an online sign-up to eliminate the stress of waiting in a line, a sensory-friendly playground and activities, therapy dogs from Marin Humane Society and a professional photographer. Dec. 8. All Children’s Academics, 1665 Grand Ave., San Rafael. Free; $20 donation includes raffle ticket. 415.258.9572.

Makor Marin’s Chanukah Art & Light  The community organization dedicated to offering outdoor experiences that incorporate a Jewish curriculum hosts an expressive and exploratory day of art and learning at the O’Hanlon Center for the Arts. First, take part in an art project in the center’s studio. Then, head into the sculpture garden for a hike that incorporates storytelling and sing-alongs that celebrate the Festival of Lights. Dec. 8. 616 Throckmorton Ave., Mill Valley. 3–5pm. Free. RSVP requested. 860.987.3110.

Sausalito Winterfest  Thirty-first annual event includes Saturday’s Lighted Boat Parade on the water with dozens of brightly decorated vessels and fireworks. Then, Sunday’s Jingle Bell 5k features a runner’s brunch and children’s fun run. Dec. 8–9. Sausalito Waterfront. Saturday, 6pm; Sunday, 8:30am. winterfestsausalito.com.

Shopping

Marin Center’s Pop-Up Holiday Boutique  Shop for locally produced original arts and crafts including jewelry, woodworks and fashion accessories. Nov. 29–Dec. 7, Marin Center Exhibit Hall, 10 Avenue of the Flags, San Rafael. 11am to 7pm. Free. marincounty.org.

Dance Palace Artisan Craft & Holiday Market  This 48th annual event offers art and fine crafts from favorite local artisans and boasts an expanded holiday market with live entertainment, kids craft stations and gourmet food. Nov. 30–Dec. 2. Dance Palace, 503 B St., Point Reyes Station. Friday, 4–9pm; Saturday, 10am–5pm; Sunday, 10am–4pm. Free admission. dancepalace.org.

Mill Valley Holiday Craft Fair  Fourteenth annual fair features over 55 artists selling handmade arts and crafts, including jewelry, glasswork, fiber arts, ceramics and more. Dec. 1. Mill Valley Community Center,
180 Camino Alto, Mill Valley. 10am to 5pm. Free. millvalleyrecreation.org.

Belvedere-Tiburon Landmarks Society Holiday Art & Craft Sale  Local artists bring a wide range of gifts and holiday items to browse in a farm-cottage setting. There will be jewelry, glass works, knitted items, vintage books and baked goods, with door prizes and hot cider. Dec. 1, Landmarks Art & Garden Center, 841 Tiburon Blvd., Tiburon. 10am to 4pm. Free. 415.435.1853.

Muir Beach Holiday Arts Fair  Head to the coast for some holiday shopping that boasts unique and handmade fine art, crafts, jewelry, gourmet treats, holiday knickknacks and more. Dec. 1–2. Muir Beach Community Center, 19 Seacape Drive, Muir Beach. Saturday, 10am–5pm; Sunday, 10am–4pm. Free admission. muirbeachartsfair.com.

Marin Indoor Antique Market Christmas Show  Over 70 booths of antiques and collectibles features vintage and estate jewelry, furniture, Native American and Asian art and more. Dec. 8–9, Marin Center Exhibit Hall, 10 Avenue of the Flags, San Rafael. Saturday, 10am to 6pm; Sunday, 10–5pm. $8. 415.473.6800.

Spirited Marin Holiday Marketplace  Festive shopping village features Marin-based sellers and raises money for local nonprofits, with a special Airstream photography exhibit, seasonal drinks, music and more. Dec. 8–9. Marin Country Mart, 2257 Larkspur Landing Circle, Larkspur. Saturday, 10am to 8:30pm; Sunday, 10am to 5pm. spiritedmarin.org.

Performance

Marin Center  Just Dance Academy Winter Performance commences Nov. 18. 2pm. $22–$27. Vocalist Evan Tyrone Martin stars in “An Unforgettable Nat King Cole Christmas” Nov. 27–28. $60. Stapleton Ballet performs The Nutcracker. Dec. 1–2. 1pm and 5pm. $26–$38. Performing Arts Academy of Marin’s Holiday Spectacular gets festive Dec. 1–2. Saturday, 7pm; Sunday, 2pm. $22. Mayflower Chorus presents “Sounds of the Season” Dec. 7–8. Friday, 8pm; Saturday, 2:30pm and 7:30pm. $8–$22. Marin Ballet’s Nutcracker returns Dec. 8–9. 1pm and 5pm. $25–$45; Candy Cane Party following each 1pm performance is $10. “Sister’s Christmas Catechism” offers holiday mystery Dec. 14–15. $60. Marin Dance Theatre’s “Sophie and the Enchanted Toyshop” makes for a sweet treat Dec. 15. 1pm and 5:30pm. $32–$40. Singers Marin offers annual performance of “’Tis the Season . . . Sing Joy!” Dec. 16. 4pm. $25–$40. Windham Hill’s Winter Solstice marks the season Dec. 21. 8pm. $25–$65. 10 Avenue of the Flags, San Rafael. 415.473.6800.

Sweetwater Music Hall  Start the holidays with a post-Thanksgiving bash featuring rock band Jerry’s Middle Finger, Nov. 25. 5pm. $12–$15. “A Rat Pack Christmas” pays tribute to Frank Sinatra’s birthday, Dec. 12. 8pm. $25–$30. The Christmas Jug Band make their way back to town for two spirited shows, Dec. 17 and 20. 7pm, 8pm. $19–$27. Jerry Joseph & the Jackmormons invite guests like Steve Kimock to play two nights of holiday magic Dec. 21–22. 9pm. $25–$40. 415.388.3850.

Throckmorton Theatre  Michelle Schmitt’s 10th Annual Holiday Concert benefits the community on Nov. 29. 8pm. $25–$100. Deborah Winters and the Peter Welker All Star Band jazz up the holidays Dec. 7. 8pm. $25–$35. Narada Michael Walden Foundation’s Annual Holiday Jam returns Dec. 15. 8pm. $100–$175. 142 Throckmorton Ave., Mill Valley. 415.383.9600.

Holidays in Harmony  Novato Music Association Chorus comes together in song for this annual winter concert. Nov. 30–Dec. 2 and Dec. 8. St. Vincent’s Chapel, 1 St. Vincent Drive, San Rafael. Times vary. $5–$20. novatomusicassociationchorus.org.

Inspector Gadje Hanukkah Celebration  San Francisco–based Balkan Brass Band leads a holiday extravaganza that marks the Jewish Festival of Lights with plenty of dancing, cocktails, food and fun. Dec. 1. Osher Marin JCC’s Hoytt Theater, 200 N. San Pedro Road, San Rafael. 7pm, Balkan dance lessons; 7:30pm party. $10–$35. 415.444.8000.

Marin Symphony’s Holiday Concerts  Spend the most wonderful time of the year with the acclaimed symphony orchestra, who present several concerts throughout the season. First, the chamber chorus shines in the Holiday Choral Concerts by Candlelight, Dec. 1–2, at the Church of Saint Raphael, 1104 Fifth Ave., San Rafael. Saturday, 7:30pm; Sunday, 4pm. $20–$32. Next, the symphony presents its annual Holiday Pops concert, led by musical director Alasdair Neale and featuring beloved classics and contemporary musical treats on Dec. 11, at the Marin Center’s Veterans Memorial Auditorium, 10 Avenue of the Flags, San Rafael. 7pm. $20–$25 and up. 415.479.8100.

Kitka: Wintersongs  The Oakland-based women’s vocal ensemble channels Eastern European melodies with traditional vocal styling. Kitka perform a program of critically acclaimed, winter-inspired music ranging from Slavic folk carols to Eastern Orthodox choral works, Yiddish, Sephardic and Hebrew songs for Hanukkah. Dec. 9, the Kanbar Center for the Performing Arts, Osher Marin JCC, 200 N. San Pedro Road, San Rafael. 5pm. $10–$35. 415.444.8000.

First Presbyterian San Anselmo Chancel Choir  Daniel Canosa conducts a performance of three versions of the “O magnum mysterium,” by Javier Busto, Morten Lauridsen and Ola Gjeilo with orchestra. Dec. 9. First Presbyterian Church, 72 Kensington Road, San Anselmo. 10am. Free. 415.456.3713.

Very Merry Singalong on Tomales Bay  West Marin nonprofit Sound Orchard leads a special selection of familiar carols, interfaith holiday music and non-secular songs for the season. Dec. 13. St. Columba’s Sanctuary, 12835 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., Inverness. 7pm. $10-$20. soundorchard.org.

Stapleton Theatre Company  The theater arts division of the Stapleton School of the Performing Arts presents A Christmas Carol: The Broadway Musical, an adaptation of the Charles Dickens tale. Dec. 13–16. The Playhouse, 27 Kensington Road, San Anselmo. Thursday–Friday, 7:30pm; Saturday–Sunday, 2pm. $16–$22. stapletonschool.org.

Marin Oratorio  Boyd Jarrell directs the College of Marin choir’s performance of world-beloved works by Franz Schubert. Dec. 15–16, James Dunn Theatre, College of Marin, 835 College Ave., Kentfield. Friday, 7:30pm; Saturday, 3pm. $15–$20. 415. 457.8811. Y

This Week in the Pacific Sun: Holiday Arts!

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This Week in the Pacific Sun: Holiday Arts!

Greetings! This week in the Pacific Sun we’ve gone “whole holiday” with our annual Winter Arts Guide, courtesy of Arts Editor Charlie Swanson. Check it out for all the great Christmas and Hanukkah events taking place during this most wonderful time of the year. We’re also presenting the first cut of our Holiday Gift Guide with a writeup on what may be the season’s first must-have gift that’s not an iPhone: A big new book of Led Zeppelin photos! Stay tuned for more Gift Guide action in an upcoming mid-December issue. In the meantime, this week Tanya Henry takes a spin through the menu at Flores in Corte Madera and declares it delicious, in Dining. Richard von Busack sings the praises of the latest Coen brothers movie, in Film. In Stage, Harry Duke writes about Pac Sun contributor David Templeton’s hilarious myth-of-Santa play, which is being put on for the first time in years. We’ve also got some newsy online-only content on deck through the week, so keep checking the Pac Sun website as you make your way through these weird and smoky days in Marin County—and don’t forget to pre-order those Dungeness crabs for Thanksgiving while you’re at it (we’ve got a little writeup on the opening of crab season, too.) —Tom Gogola, News and Features Editor

Advice Goddess

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Advice Goddess

Q: I’m a 28-year-old guy with an amazing girlfriend. She gets upset and sometimes cries, and I never know how to soothe her. I’m afraid to say the wrong thing, so I don’t say anything at all. Of course, she then gets more upset, thinking I don’t care. But I do care, and I want her to know.—Tongue-Tied

A: When things get emotionally fraught in a relationship, it’s tempting to wish for a simpler existence—like being a dog so all that’s expected of you is to not pee on the rug, and to sit still while the girlfriend dresses you up as a bee. In fact, if you’re like a lot of men, a female partner’s tears are liquid kryptonite, causing you to pretty much lose consciousness while appearing to be totally awake and ambulatory. Women may not entirely get this—or the extent of it—because of some sex differences in emotion processing.

Generally speaking, putting it in collegiate terms, the female mind majors in psychology; the male mind majors in physics—though individual male and female minds vary, of course. Research by psychologist Simon Baron-Cohen finds that women tend to be the “empathizers” of the species, driven (from childhood on) to identify others’ “emotions and thoughts, and to respond to these with an appropriate emotion.” Men, on the other hand, tend to be “systematizers”—driven to understand the inner workings of the blender.

The good news is, there’s a secret—even for the most emotionally inarticulate man—for comforting an upset woman: you don’t have to be Shakespeare; just don’t go all shutupspeare. For example, last week, when I was bummed about something—to the point of tears—I was on the phone with my boyfriend, and he said the sweetest thing: “I’m bad at this” (meaning knowing what to say) “but I want to help you feel better.” This made me feel loved—and better. Also, it was kind of sexy.

As an emergency measure—if even the words about not having the right words fail you—you can communicate your desire to comfort her with a hug, hair stroking and other loving gestures. Again, just be sure to make some kind of effort to soothe her, lest she add feeling emotionally abandoned by her boyfriend to her boo-hoo list.

Q: My husband’s parents asked to be in the delivery room while I’m giving birth, and he said yes—without asking me. Now he doesn’t want to tell them otherwise, which is weird because he isn’t usually lacking in assertiveness. I get along fine with my in-laws, but I don’t want them in there with me.—Horrified Mom-to-Be

A: There are those men who understand what it’s like to give birth—those who’ve passed a kidney stone the size of a decorative lawn boulder out a slim fleshy tube normally meant for urine.

You are not doing a one-woman show in the delivery room; you are the lead character in a medical procedure, one that can involve pooping while pushing, horror movie-esque blood spatter and impressive strings of screamed profanity (interspersed with tender maternal utterances like “GET THIS DEMON SPAWN OUT OF ME!”).

Sociologist Erving Goffman pointed out that we all engage in constant “impression management,” editing our behavior to control how others see us. (Choosing how much of our selves to make public is a big part of this.) Goffman explains that losing control—not being able to present our desired image—is deeply disturbing to us, leading to feelings of shame and compensatory strategies to clean up the damage. (Never looking your father-in-law in the eye again sound good to you?)

You say your husband generally isn’t lacking in assertiveness. Chances are, in the wake of his saying yes instead of “Gotta check with my wife,” he would feel bad about going back on it. (Maybe part of his impression management is coming off as a man of his word.) But back on his word he must go, because it’s your choice whether you make your private parts public parts. Not surprisingly, you feel you put your best foot forward with your feet in shoes under the dinner table—not in stirrups while the in-laws go sightseeing with the iPhone up the, um, Grand Canyon: “Look, Ralph . . . there’s a little fist coming out! Quick! Get a shot for our Instagram!”

Merry Bombast

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Merry Bombast

The question that’s inevitably asked is: Does the world really need another book on, by or about classic-rock legends Led Zeppelin?

Of course it does, and especially around the holidays (so someone else can buy it for us). The listening public’s craving for the virile, swinging bombast of Zep is insatiable. And in the 50th anniversary year of the founding of the band, there’s a fat new book of photos and backstage ephemera to commemorate the half-century mark, simply called Led Zeppelin, by Led Zeppelin.

It’s the first official member-sanctioned photo book about the band, and arrives on shelves about a decade removed from Zeppelin’s outstanding 2007 reunion concert at the O2 club in London, which featured Jason Bonham filling in for the late drummer John Bonham.

There are plenty o’ pics from the well-regarded reunion show in a book that’s organized chronologically and roughed out around the band’s eight original studio albums and live album (The Song Remains the Same) that were issued from 1969 to 1979. Led Zeppelin spans the whole of the band’s career—from early shows in San Francisco to the current day.

There are plenty of backstage band shots, onstage band shots and lots of shots of giant crowds at epic rock festivals such as Knebworth. A 1970 snap of Bonzo wearing an ugly sweater and sitting behind a small drum kit is kind of precious. A well-traveled backstage shot of Jimmy Page chug-a-lugging a bottle of Jack Daniels is kind of gross.

One curiosity about Led Zeppelin is that the book is short on documentation of the first Led Zeppelin reunion, the 1985 Live Aid concert universally declared to be horrible, or at least by Rolling Stone magazine. That’s the same Rolling Stone which declared, upon the release of Led Zeppelin I in 1969, that Jimmy Page was a writer of “weak unimaginative songs and the Zeppelin album suffers from his having produced it and written most of it.”

It would have been cool to see that rather imbecilic review also be a part of Led Zeppelin, which is reminiscent of those big Taschen art books that come out of Germany (the publisher is a British concern called Reel Art Press), and is indeed as heavy as a lead balloon and as big as the Hindenberg. It will take up most of the space under my Christmas tree this year—and may in fact topple it.

The book’s getting good press in the lead-up to 2018’s season of consumer chaos—may “Black Dog” be your spirit guide on Black Friday this year. As its members prepare to ride the stairway to heaven, the AARP magazine recently threw some positive press to the book as it noted the band remains the third best-selling rock outfit in history, after the Beatles and the Eagles. The charts bear it out: every time Zeppelin reissue their catalogue—most recently with the 2014–15 remasters—the offering goes gold or platinum, at least in Norway.

At 400 pages, the book will leave longtime fans and newcomers to the band alike with a clear sense of the outsized debauchery and musical genius that the quartet brought to bear over a decade when they indeed ruled rock and roll with a hammer borrowed from the Gods (along with numerous purloined riffs from black American bluesmen—but they’ve at least paid those dues).

The roster of shutterbugs whose work peppers Led Zeppelin includes the likes of Bob Gruen, Ross Halfin, Eddie Kramer and many others, and the generous smatterings of ephemera include backstage passes, vintage ticket stubs, a photo of the 7-inch of “Rock and Roll,” and a few letters and memos from Atlantic Records, whose Ahmet Ertegun signed the band in 1968. One letter was written by the band following the death of John Bonham from alcoholism, in 1980, letting the world know that they would not, could not, continue without the animal ferocity of Bonzo, rock’s greatest drummer.

The photos, though not all of them, are annotated with descriptions and histories provided by Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones, in the back of the book. There are also full-page quotations in the basically unreadable “Zep font” from Plant, Jones and Page peppered throughout. The annotations make for some pretty interesting reading, though the gist of the textual conceit in Led Zeppelin is a song that rides the same theme of maximum self-regard throughout—regardless of which living member is making the claim: We were a pretty goddamned great band, huh?

 

Geek Loves

In the gaming scene this holiday season, the Nintendo Switch is still the hot property to have. While most of the console’s current releases are older games, the ability to play them anywhere remains a big draw. Blizzard’s Diablo 3 is now six years old, but remains the pinnacle of dungeon-crawling, hack-’n’-slash gaming, while critical darling Undertale brings its engaging storyline, lovable characters and unique RPG gameplay to a Nintendo console for the first time. Old-school fans will want to check out Grim Fandango, the classic point-and-click adventure game in the land of the dead.

The perfect gift for gaming friends is Nintendo’s latest killer app, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, to be released on Dec. 7. This mascot fighting series, famous for including video-game characters from across Nintendo’s vast library, promises an upgrade both in content and playability, and features a roster of 72 characters, drawn some of the most famous games in history.

OK, now let’s talk about comic books. Grant Morrison, legendary writer of such classics as Justice League, Animal Man and All-Star Superman, has returned to writing a monthly ongoing comic for the first time in years with ‘The Green Lantern.’ Featuring the adventures of Hal Jordan, a member of the intergalactic police force called the Green Lantern Corps, the comic has Morrison’s trademark high concepts and bizarre happenings, balanced out by human drama.

The series just started, so now’s your chance to pick up the first issue for your prospective DC Comics fan. If they’re more fans of Marvel, however, pick up the first few issues of ‘Spider-Geddon,’ Marvel’s next big-event comic where Spider-Men from across the multiverse join different sides in an battle over Spider-Man’s very mortality, while in the background comes a menace that threatens to destroy them all. Eek, it’s Donald Trump in a cape!—Alex T. Randolph

High Plains Riffers

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High Plains Riffers

The Coen Brothers anthology The Ballad of Buster Scruggs portrays the frontier as a place of death so sudden and terrible that the word “ironic” is too fancy for it, with demises as swift as a dropped anvil in a Road Runner cartoon.

As filmmakers, the Coens often create equal and opposite reaction to film classics, spinning off of ideas they’re trying to top, honor or besmirch. (This tribute to Westerns starts with a common prestige-movie beginning of the old days: a hand opening a leather-bound volume and turning the pages.) But the half-dozen tales are closer to Ambrose Bierce than Louis L’Amour.

One of the briefest, “Near Algodones” with James Franco as an unlucky bandit, seems to be a riff on “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge.” The longest, “The Gal Who Got Rattled,” has moments as sincere as the Coens’ best film, True Grit.

This tale opens at a boarding house, where Alice (Zoe Kazan) spends her last night in civilization before joining a wagon train on the Oregon Trail. Her companions are her useless brother and a yappy, troublemaking terrier named President Pierce.

Kazan is sweetly appealing in a sunbonnet during a slow, cautious romance with trail boss Billy Knapp (Bill Heck, courtly and gallant—the kind of cowboy you buy movie tickets to see). He dallies with the idea that he could settle down with her in the Willamette Valley, but then a war party of Indians show up. The brutally staged skirmish is worthy of the Randolph Scott era in Westerns.

In the title episode, the chummy, white-clad Buster Scruggs (Tim Blake Nelson) rides in, playing his guitar on horseback and warbling “Cool Water.” This sunshiney rambler shows us his wanted poster, which gives his alias as “the Misanthrope.” We find out how he earned the name after greasy tavern polecats urge him at gunpoint to play a dead man’s hand, aces and eights in spades. “Things have a way of escalatin’,” he drawls. If the Coens’ Hail, Caesar! seemed like inside baseball, this savage assault on the milk-drinking cowboys of yesterday delves even deeper into semi-forgotten movies.

One of the best of these tales is the finale, a straight-out tale of terror called “The Mortal Remains” that follows a party of five bouncing down a dark road in a stagecoach: a smelly, talkative trapper (Chelcie Ross), a philosophizing Frenchman (Saul Rubinek) and a haughty dame (Tyne Daly). Riding up top is a corpse sewn up in canvas, the property of other two passengers: one, a formidable Irishman (Brendan Gleeson); the other, a twinkling-eyed dandy named Thigpen played by an astonishing Jonjo O’Neill, who sets a claustrophobic mood that goes from hideo-comic to absolutely deadly. Asked if he’d known the deceased well, Thigpen smiles: “Yes—at the end of his life.”

Frontier humor: it always means the kind of joke on someone who’ll either die or who’ll wish he was dead.

‘The Ballad of Buster Scruggs’ streams on Netflix starting Nov. 16.

Flores brings the flava’

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Flores brings the flava’

Few things bring back memories of my childhood visits to Baja and Mexico more vividly than Chiclets. It was south of the border where I first encountered mini boxes that contained one or two squares of the brightly colored chewing gum. I was enamored. At Corte Madera Town Center’s newest restaurant, Flores, a large bowl of the multicolored treats are offered up like books of signature matches, or after-dinner mints.

This is the second location for Flores (the first is on Union Street in San Francisco) and though open less than a month, the lively space has transformed the longtime and former PF Chang’s into a convivial, bustling eatery with indoor and outdoor seating, a banquet room and a massive bar. Gray cinder-blocks and woven basket–like light fixtures ignited more memories of Mexico, and though the spacious room still needs warming up, the food and the service have hit their stride.

Consistency for restaurants is everything. By the looks of it, Flores’ favorites (including the citrus-roasted and fried pork shoulder carnitas and chile rellenos stuffed with spinach, mushrooms and cheese) are every bit as good as the flagship’s take on these dishes.

But it’s the appetizers that excited me the most on a recent visit—especially the bowl of ceviche mixto campechano, which brimmed with spicy, marinated fish, shrimp and squid. A smoke-tinged sauce of chiles and tomatoes made for an exquisite base to showcase the fresh seafood. Likewise, two generous tostadas de cangrejo featured house-made crispy tortillas piled high with a mixture of Dungeness crab, pickled onions and lettuce. The crab takes center stage in this tasty starter.

And then there’s the tequila—over 50 options to choose among and almost as many mescals. A handful of speciality cocktails on the drinks menu utilize everything from chocolate and allspice to passion fruit and mole bitters. The De Flore margarita combines mescal, curacao, lime and orange in just the right amounts.

Flores is a good fit for the retail-heavy Corte Madera Town Center. Soon-to-be-weary holiday shoppers will now have a refuge to refuel with a margarita, a taco—and a brightly colored piece of gum.

Flores, 301 Corte Madera Town Center, Corte Madera. 415.500.5145. Cortemadera.floressf.com.

Common Meal

There’s something in the air. A bug of sorts. A smoke-driven sickness that seems to be afflicting everyone. Help is on the way, this Sunday, when the Commonweal (480 Mesa Road, Bolinas) offers a forum and feast on the uses of food as medicine, “with an emphasis on anti-inflammatory, blood sugar stabilizing foods, and an understanding of anti-oxidative, longevity-supporting and anti-cancer foods.” A chef demonstration will be provided by Anna O’Malley, and there’s a potluck lunch in the Commonweal’s garden. The event’s being put on by the Natura Institute of Ecology & Medicine. Attendees are invited to bring gardening gloves and stick around for a bit of garden-tending after the event. Tickets are $40–$50, and the event runs from 10am to 1pm; garden-tending is scheduled from 2pm to 4pm. naturainstitute.org/ground-of-wellbeing.

Grateful Crabs

There will be Dungeness crabs for Thanksgiving this year, even as the California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced last week that the commercial Dungeness season has been delayed in waters north of Bodega Bay. The reason is yet again the appearance of high levels of domoic acid in crabs caught above the Bodega line. The commercial season for Dungeness in waters from the Bodega Head State Marine Reserve to the Mexican border will open at 12:01am on Nov. 15. Crabbers will be busily setting their gear in the 18-hour window that precedes the season opener, on the 14th. Domoic acid is a neurotoxin produced by a marine algae that flourishes in warm ocean waters. The ocean waters are warming, the sky is filled with smoke, the president is a nightmare—but we’re grateful for that big ol’ crab with all the trimmings this year.—Tom Gogola

 

 

Horoscope

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Horoscope

ARIES (March 21–April 19) Interior designer Dorothy Draper said she wished there were a single word that meant “exciting, frightfully important, irreplaceable, deeply satisfying, basic, and thrilling, all at once.” I wonder if such a word exists in the Chamicuro language spoken by a few Peruvians or the Sarsi tongue spoken by the Tsuu T’ina tribe in Alberta, Canada. In any case, I’m pleased to report that for the next few weeks, many of you Aries people will embody and express that rich blend of qualities. I have coined a new word to capture it: tremblissimo.

TAURUS (April 20–May 20) According to my astrological intuition, you’re entering a phase when you will derive special benefit from these five observations by poet and filmmaker Jean Cocteau. 1. “There are truths that you can only say after having won the right to say them.” 2. “True realism consists in revealing the surprising things that habit keeps covered and prevents us from seeing.” 3. “What the public criticizes in you, cultivate. It is you.” 4. “You should always talk well about yourself! The word spreads around, and in the end, no one remembers where it started.” 5. “We shelter an angel within us. We must be the guardians of that angel.”

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Adolescence used to be defined as a phase that lasted from ages 13 to 19. But scientists writing in the journal The Lancet say that in modern culture, the current span is from ages 10 to 24. Puberty comes earlier now, in part because of shifts in eating habits and exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals. At the same time, people hold on to their youth longer because they wait a while before diving into events associated with the initiation into adulthood, like getting married, finishing education and having children. Even if you’re well past 24, Gemini, I suggest you revisit and reignite your juvenile stage in the coming weeks. You need to reconnect with your wild innocence. You’ll benefit from immersing yourself in memories of coming of age. Be 17 or 18 again, but this time armed with all you have learned since.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) Cancerian baseball pitcher Satchel Paige had a colorful career characterized by creative showmanship. On some occasions, he commanded his infielders to sit down and loll on the grass behind him, whereupon he struck out three batters in a row—ensuring no balls were hit to the spots vacated by his teammates. Paige’s success came in part because of his wide variety of tricky pitches, described by author Buck O’Neil as “the bat-dodger, the two-hump blooper, the four-day creeper, the dipsy-do, the Little Tom, the Long Tom, the bee ball, the wobbly ball, the hurry-up ball and the nothin’ ball.” I bring this to your attention, Cancerian, because now is an excellent time for you to amp up your charisma and use all your tricky pitches.

LEO (July 23–August 22) “Everyone tells a story about themselves inside their own head,” writes fantasy author Patrick Rothfuss. “Always. All the time. We build ourselves out of that story.” So what’s your story, Leo? The imminent future will be an excellent time to get clear about the dramatic narrative you weave. Be especially alert for demoralizing elements in your tale that may not in fact be true, and that therefore you should purge. I think you’ll be able to draw on extra willpower and creative flair if you make an effort to reframe the story you tell yourself so that it’s more accurate and uplifting.

VIRGO (August 23–September 22) In describing a man she fell in love with, author Elizabeth Gilbert wrote that he was both “catnip and kryptonite to me.” If you’ve spent time around cats, you understand that catnip can be irresistible to them. As for kryptonite: it’s the one substance that weakens the fictional superhero Superman. Is there anything in your life that resembles Gilbert’s paramour? A place or situation or activity or person that’s both catnip and kryptonite? I suspect you now have more ability than usual to neutralize its obsessive and debilitating effects on you. That could empower you to make a good decision about the relationship you’ll have with it in the future.

LIBRA (September 23–October 22) “I had to learn very early not to limit myself due to others’ limited imaginations,” testifies Libran astronaut Mae Jemison. She adds, “I have learned these days never to limit anyone else due to my own limited imagination.” Are those projects on your radar, Libra? I hope so. You now have extra power to resist being shrunk or hobbled by others’ images of you. You also have extra power to help your friends and loved ones grow and thrive as you expand your images of them.

SCORPIO (October 23–November 21) The United States is the world’s top exporter of food. In second place is the Netherlands, which has 0.4 percent as much land as the U.S. How do Dutch farmers accomplish this miraculous feat? In part because of their massive greenhouses, which occupy vast areas of non-urbanized space. Another key factor is their unprecedented productivity, which dovetails with a commitment to maximum sustainability. For instance, they produce 20 tons of potatoes per acre, compared with the global average of nine. And they do it using less water and pesticides. In my long-term outlook for you Scorpios, I see you as having a metaphorical similarity to Dutch farmers. During the next 12 months, you have the potential to make huge impacts with your focused and efficient efforts.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22–December 21) “The world is like a dropped pie most of the time,” writes author Elizabeth Gilbert. “Don’t kill yourself trying to put it back together. Just grab a fork and eat some of it off the floor. Then carry on.” From what I can tell about the state of your life, Sagittarius, the metaphorical pie has indeed fallen onto the metaphorical floor. But it hasn’t been there so long that it has spoiled. And the floor is fairly clean, so the pie won’t make you sick if you eat it. My advice is to sit down on the floor and eat as much as you want. Then carry on.

CAPRICORN (December 22–January 19) Novelist Anita Desai writes, “Isn’t it strange how life won’t flow, like a river, but moves in jumps, as if it were held back by locks that are opened now and then to let it jump forward in a kind of flood?” I bring this to your attention, Capricorn, because I suspect that the locks she refers to will soon open for you. Events may not exactly flow like a flood, but I’m guessing they will at least surge and billow and gush. That could turn out to be nerve-racking and strenuous, or else fun and interesting. Which way it goes will depend on your receptivity to transformation.

AQUARIUS (January 20–February 18) “Miracles come to those who risk defeat in seeking them,” writes author Mark Helprin. “They come to those who have exhausted themselves completely in a struggle to accomplish the impossible.” Those descriptions could fit you well in the coming weeks, but with one caveat. You’ll have no need to take on the melodramatic, almost desperate mood Helprin seems to imply is essential. Just the opposite, in fact. Yes, risk defeat and be willing to exhaust yourself in the struggle to accomplish the impossible; but do so in a spirit of exuberance, motivated by the urge to play.

PISCES (February 19–March 20) “Never invoke the gods unless you really want them to appear,” warned author G. K. Chesterton. “It annoys them very much.” My teachers have offered me related advice. Don’t ask the gods to intervene, they say, until you have done all you can through your own efforts. Furthermore, don’t ask the gods for help unless you are prepared to accept their help if it’s different from what you thought it should be. I bring these considerations to your attention, Pisces, because you currently meet all these requirements. So I say go right ahead and seek the gods’ input and assistance.

Art Escapes

Marin art lovers have plenty of reasons to celebrate this holiday season, as the region offers several chances to view and collect serious works directly from the local artists who create them. This year, two of Marin’s most popular open-studio events observe significant anniversaries, as the Point Reyes Open Studios tour turns 20 and the ICB Winter Open Studios event...
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Advice Goddess

Q: I lost over 100 pounds. I’m really proud of my myself and my new body, so I post pix on Instagram. Disturbingly, I’ve got a few haters—all women!—who come at me saying I’m narcissistic, slutty, a showoff, etc. I thought women are supposed to support one another. How should I respond? Should I post fewer selfies?—So Much for...
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Paradise Glossed

It’s been two weeks since the Camp fire broke out in Butte County, and the North Bay air is still filled with smoke from the catastrophic blaze that destroyed the town of Paradise. Or was that the town of . . . Pleasure? President Trump couldn’t seem to get that fact straight when he showed up in California last week...
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Holiday Arts 2018

Ready or not, nearly two months of holiday fun and cheer are coming your way. To help navigate the season and keep your spirits bright, we present our select guide to holiday fun leading up to Christmas. Events Marin Turkey Trot  Work up an appetite with one-mile, 5k and 10k runs. Proceeds benefit San Francisco-Marin Food Bank. Packet pickup, Nov. 19 and...
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This Week in the Pacific Sun: Holiday Arts!

Greetings! This week in the Pacific Sun we've gone "whole holiday" with our annual Winter Arts Guide, courtesy of Arts Editor Charlie Swanson. Check it out for all the great Christmas and Hanukkah events taking place during this most wonderful time of the year. We're also presenting the first cut of our Holiday Gift Guide with a writeup on...
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Advice Goddess

advice goddess
Q: I’m a 28-year-old guy with an amazing girlfriend. She gets upset and sometimes cries, and I never know how to soothe her. I’m afraid to say the wrong thing, so I don’t say anything at all. Of course, she then gets more upset, thinking I don’t care. But I do care, and I want her to know.—Tongue-Tied A: When...
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Merry Bombast

The question that’s inevitably asked is: Does the world really need another book on, by or about classic-rock legends Led Zeppelin? Of course it does, and especially around the holidays (so someone else can buy it for us). The listening public’s craving for the virile, swinging bombast of Zep is insatiable. And in the 50th anniversary year of the founding...
Read more

High Plains Riffers

The Coen Brothers anthology The Ballad of Buster Scruggs portrays the frontier as a place of death so sudden and terrible that the word “ironic” is too fancy for it, with demises as swift as a dropped anvil in a Road Runner cartoon. As filmmakers, the Coens often create equal and opposite reaction to film classics, spinning off of ideas...
Read more

Flores brings the flava’

Few things bring back memories of my childhood visits to Baja and Mexico more vividly than Chiclets. It was south of the border where I first encountered mini boxes that contained one or two squares of the brightly colored chewing gum. I was enamored. At Corte Madera Town Center’s newest restaurant, Flores, a large bowl of the multicolored treats...
Read more

Horoscope

ARIES (March 21–April 19) Interior designer Dorothy Draper said she wished there were a single word that meant “exciting, frightfully important, irreplaceable, deeply satisfying, basic, and thrilling, all at once.” I wonder if such a word exists in the Chamicuro language spoken by a few Peruvians or the Sarsi tongue spoken by the Tsuu T’ina tribe in Alberta, Canada....
Read more
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