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YEAR 57, NO.41 OCTOBER 9-15, 2019
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Let’s talk about bladder leaks. They’re more common than you think.
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By Robert C. Chan, MD • Urologist specializing in pelvic reconstructive surgery, MarinHealth Urology
ladder leakage and urinary incontinence are subjects that rarely come up in conversations, yet maybe they should.
Approximately, one out of three women over the age of 45, and one out of every two women over 65 have stress urinary incontinence. Incontinence tends to become more common as people get older. However, it can affect all ages and both men and women. The condition can be temporary such as with a urinary infection, or caused be ongoing such as when changes occur in the nerves or muscles around the bladder. Wanting to call attention to these common but typically embarrassing issues, celebrities Kris Jenner, Samuel L. Jackson, and Kate Winslet have decided to share their experiences with the world. Kate Winslet, the 43-year-old star of Titanic, shared on the U.K.’s The Graham Norton show how she suffered from a form of bladder leakage, stress urinary incontinence, associated with activities such as coughing, laughing, lifting, or running. “I can’t jump on trampolines anymore, I wet myself,” Winslet said. Samuel L Jackson, the star of The Avengers, Star Wars, and Pulp Fiction, was initially embarrassed to talk about his experiences, but has been quoted saying “I realized that this was a problem that millions of Americans deal with every day.” Kris Jenner, on an episode of Keeping up with the Kardashians, has shared one of her episodes of urinary incontinence that occurred at a restaurant after Khloe Kardashian didn’t let her out of the booth to get to the bathroom.
Patients often feel embarrassed or nervous about talking about their conditions with their physicians. Often, they no longer leave their house, exercise, or go out to dinner or the movies for fear of having accidents.
diagnostic testing especially if surgery is being considered.
What are the types of incontinence?
Treatments range from conservative management to more invasive forms of therapy.
Stress Incontinence This is leakage associated with activities such as lifting, coughing, sneezing, or running. Many women who have had children develop this as well as men who have had prostate surgery. Urge Incontinence With this type of leakage, patients complain they have a strong urge to go to the bathroom, but begin leaking before they can make it in time. It is caused by a bladder contraction that happens when patients aren’t trying to go to the bathroom. Overflow Incontinence This happens when the bladder fills up, doesn’t empty, and the urine overflows beyond what the bladder can hold. How is urinary incontinence diagnosed? Diagnosis of urinary incontinence starts with a physical exam and discussion of your health. Your liquid consumption—how much, when and what type you drink—will be important to the discussion. Many patients are asked to keep a “bladder diary” for a few days before visiting the doctor. Other tests may include a urinalysis, a bladder stress test (if leaks occur when you cough, sneeze or laugh). Further testing may include X-rays or ultrasound, or further
What are some treatments for urinary incontinence?
With conservative management, your physician may recommend several techniques including the use of medications, devices such as a pessary, physical therapy with Kegel exercises, and biofeedback. Using behavioral techniques to train the bladder such as holding your urine for longer periods of time between trips to the bathroom, emptying the bladder more completely, or scheduling your bathroom visits are effective treatments. Reducing liquids, especially alcohol or caffeine. losing weight and increasing your physical activity can also help. An array of over-the-counter “hygiene products” are also available to help you manage issues with bladder leakage or incontinence. These include pads, liners, pads, disposable underwear, and reusable underwear to absorb moisture. If more aggressive treatment is needed, your physician may recommend sling surgery, peripheral nerve stimulation, botox injection, and bladder nerve stimulators. If celebrities can talk about it, so can you. Seek the help you need. Don’t let your bladder stop you from living the life you want. Bladder leakage and incontinence are treatable conditions that no longer have to limit people’s lives.
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Oh,Henry!
The 1964 movie Becket tells the story of two men: England’s King Henry II, a Norman, and his “loyal” compatriot, Thomas Becket, a Saxon—past sworn enemies. But now, Becket— appointed Lord Chancellor by the king—is his closest adviser in all matters. In an attempt to vanquish all political/religious opposition and solidify power within his monarchy, King Donald, sorry, King Henry, appoints his friend, Becket, with little to no prior experience in these matters, as Archbishop of Canterbury. Sound familiar? Soon it becomes apparent there is a complexity beyond the ability of Rudy Giuliani, the Don’s consigliere, to handle. Republican capos take heed! The punishment of excommunication (impeachment?) on the guilty party is Becket’s edict. Finally, in retaliation, King Henry asks his “loyal” barons, “can no one rid me of these meddlesome priests (aka ‘these treasonous savages of the impeachment inquiry committees’)?”
Trump crossed many bridges in the last two and a half years in office, with little opposition from his own mob, despite flagrant disregard for existing statutes. This latest account now has him threatening “to make an offer that can’t be refused” to his “counterpart” in the Ukraine. Like King Henry, Trump tried to stack the deck, but failed to understand that political expediency and disregard for the rule of law will eventually fail and erode his support. It is simply too high a price to pay, both politically and morally for our nation. “History doesn’t repeat, but it rhymes,” said Mark Twain (Watergate and Richard Nixon, 1974). Many questions regarding this latest inquiry require answers. But these important questions still remain: Will Congress find the courage, honor and integrity to decide which master it serves in this time of great peril to our democracy? Where are the Beckets willing to speak truth to this King? E.G. Singer Santa Rosa
Everyone’s talking about the big 2020 election, but let’s not go there just yet.
Dial M for Measure Your handy guide to this year’s local measures and elections By Will Carruthers
L
ike the long-necked dinosaur emerging from the Millennium Playground’s sand, San Anselmo’s Measure M has some history behind it—albeit not as much as the ancient-looking creature emerging from the sand pit, which local kids like to sit on. A special Park Tax coming for a vote under Measure M this year would generate an estimated $500,000 annually for the next 30 years to fund repairs and
maintenance on San Anselmo’s Memorial Park, the seven-acre park where Millennium Playground is located. The measure would create a $98 annual fee per residential unit and an additional tax, not to exceed $1,000 per year, on non-residential structures. According to San Anselmo’s website, the town acquired the park—now known among many residents as the town’s “crown jewel”—in 1924. “Over the years a playground,
tennis courts, and most recently a skate park were added. Aside from the addition of the above listed amenities, the park has never received any significant renovations,” the website states. While Measure M’s backers and opponents don’t seem to differ on the need for some maintenance on the park, in recent years they clashed over required changes, the cost of improvements and how best to pay for them. In 2015, the town’s voters »6
By Nikki Silverstein
Single-use plastic has been ousted in Fairfax. A newly adopted ordinance requiring food vendors to phase out wasteful plastic by July 1, 2020 demonstrates Fairfax’s commitment to its residents and the earth. “A ‘throw-away’ culture has led to a proliferation of single-use disposable foodware, packaging and plastics, which has significantly contributed to street litter, ocean pollution, marine and other wildlife harm and greenhouse gas emissions,” Fairfax opined. Well, good for you, Fairfax Town Council for voting unanimously to get rid of single-use plastic. You’ve joined the exalted ranks of neighboring San Anselmo, which already has a similar ordinance. Let’s get the rest of Marin on board and eliminate the use of polystyrene and polypropylene products and other non-compostable foodware in our beautiful and progressive County. For weeks now, Golden Gate Transit has suspended service on the Donahue hill in Marin City. Riders forced to walk the mile downhill to the Marin City bus hub aren’t too thrilled, but going the mile back up the steep hill is a bummer. And, that’s in good weather. Soon the rainy season will be upon us and these folks are going to get drenched schlepping up and down that hill. Golden Gate Transit says the suspended service is due to a safety concern. Unofficially, their folks say PG&E informed them it’s a fire hazard when the buses have to back up on the cul-de-sac at the top of the hill. Why do the buses back up, instead of driving around the culde-sac? Because PG&E had their heavy equipment parked there while installing new wiring. Now, they’re finished and gone. Use common sense and restore the bus service on the hill. You’ll enable scores of people to ride public transit instead of heading across the bridge in their cars. PG&E, Golden Gate Transit and Marin County, we’re talking to you. Got a Hero or a Zero? Please send submissions to nikki_silverstein@yahoo.com. Toss roses, hurl stones with more Heroes and Zeros at ›› pacificsun.com
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Upfront
Heroes &Zeroes
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construction, if the funding measure passes. Ultimately, the “updated playground design would be the result of an extensive community process” and could incorporate components of the current, beloved Millennium Playground, according to a staff presentation at a Feb. 2018 council meeting. Supporters may save the playground’s long-necked dinosaur from extinction after all. As invested as both groups seem in San Anselmo’s “crown jewel,” apparently neither side invested any of their own money into the fight, according to a review of the Marin County campaign-finance database.
Fairfax Town Council Councilmember Renee Goddard runs against Stephanie Hellman, a nonprofit coordinator, and Cindy Swift, a retired program manager for one of two open seats on the town council.
Pin your hopes on Democracy, and nice parks.
Fairfax Town Clerk considered two opposing ballot measures regarding Memorial Park. That November, town voters passed Measure D, which called on voters to “save Memorial Park” by rejecting a competing councilbacked proposal, Measure E, to create a flood-control basin in the park in exchange for state funding. Measure E supporters maintained the flood-control basin would have "subordinate accessory use" and that the park would be rebuilt around it. Voters passed Measure D and rejected Measure E. In shooting down the proposal to make the park dual-purpose, the town lost out on the chance to receive an $8.72 million state grant, leaving San Anselmo without enough funding to revamp the park, according to city officials. This time around, park-funding backers aren’t kidding around. By June, Rod Kerr, chair of the town’s recreation and parks commission, amassed a troupe of about 100 volunteers to spread the word, according to the Marin Independent Journal. “Measure M will repair drainage, irrigation and electrical systems, improve and expand bathroom
facilities, improve access for seniors and those with disabilities and provide new picnic areas, benches and shade trees,” Kerr and other residents wrote in an argument in favor of the measure. “The children’s playground equipment will be restored to meet current health and safety standards.” Opponents of the measure argue that the measure is not specific enough about what the money will pay for and the park’s various attractions will be torn down and replaced with new ones, an overly expensive prospect. “We just need to restore and maintain the wonderful park we already have. Memorial Park needs new irrigation, drainage and sod,” the Measure M opponents argue. “Millennium Playground should be brought up to current standards. This can be done for a fraction of the cost and paid for out of the town’s budget.” While the measure itself does not specify what to use the money for, the town completed a master plan for the park in early 2018 after conducting committee outreach. Town staff say they will conduct more outreach before starting
Michele Gardner, the town clerk, runs unopposed for another term in the same position.
Fairfax Treasurer Janet Garvin is alone on the ballot for another term as Fairfax’s treasurer.
Novato, Councilmember, District 1 Three of Novato’s five council districts are open this year. Each seat has multiple candidates, although campaign cash raised in each race tends to be lopsided. In District 1, the north end, Jim Petray, an accountant, challenges Susan Wernick, a member of the city planning commission. Petray contributed $5,000 to his own campaign, while Wernick raised $14,813.20, according to public documents.
Novato, Councilmember, District 3
The race to represent District 3, located in the middle of the city, pits incumbent councilmember Eric Lucan against Kevin Morrison, a community nonprofit consultant. Lucan raised $20,696 this year compared to Morrison’s $4,530.
Novato, Councilmember, District 5 Melissa Galliani faces Mary Hoch and Amy Peele in the race to represent District 5, located on the southern end of Novato. Galliani, a vice president of sales at KGO, raised $149. Marie Hoch, a real estate agent, gathered $15,096. Peele, the former director of the UCSF Organ Transplant Department, raised $8,890.
San Anselmo Town Council Four men are running for two open seats on San Anselmo’s town council. Ford Greene, an incumbent, faces hospital representative Tom King, marketing consultant Kim Pipkin, and Steve Burdo, a public information officer.
San Anselmo, Town Clerk Carla Kacmar, the incumbent, runs unopposed for another term.
San Anselmo, Treasurer Elizabeth Dahlgren, the current treasurer, is the lone candidate in this race.
Larkspur Town Council Scot Candell and Gabriel Paulson were appointed to the council in August after the two men ran unopposed for two open seats.
Measure E – Reed Union School District Since 1990, the Reed Union School District, comprised of three schools in Tiburon, has relied on local funding measures for 10 percent of its budget.
Measure F – Town of Fairfax Fairfax voters will consider Measure F, a 10-year extension of an existing $195 per year tax on homes and businesses to maintain police and fire services and fund additional public works projects. If passed, the tax will stay in effect until June 2031. Fairfax mayor Barbara Coler and Vice-Mayor Renee Goddard both support the measure. No one submitted an argument against it, which is common for these sorts of fire-protection measures, especially nowadays. Y
Flashback 50
Years Ago
THIS WEEK
Long hair is more than a case of overactive follicles. It is a symbol, just as much to a packed gym at Redwood High as it is to SRO crowds at the Gary Theater in San Francisco.
Frank Gabel of Corte Madera laid it on the line for everybody Monday night when he said angrily, “The issue here isn’t hair, it’s discipline!” Without discipline, said Gabel, “You’re going into the jungle!” and he made it plain that he believed that Redwood was in the undergrowth already. . . . . Some have been able to hold to the old world of discipline and order in their own families; some haven’t. In either case they feel surrounded by a horde of young people with long hair, short dresses and strange ideas. That the academic teachers have not shored up their defenses is bad enough. But to have the athletic department—that last bastion of conformity—fall to “permissiveness” is a knife stuck straight to the heart. —Steve McNamura, 10/8/69
40Years Ago THIS
The San Rafael City Council unanimously approved a compromise measure dealing with non-smoking sections in restaurants. A measure approved last month required that 20% of a restaurant had to be WEEK provided for non-smokers; restaurant owners said that the 20% requirement was an undue hardship on their business. Under the new ordinance, the size of the section will be determined by the owner, with the provision that the effectiveness of the plan will be reviewed after six months. —Newsgram, 10/5/79
30 Years Ago THIS
The Big Man is still chasing those rock ’n’ roll dreams. These days [Clarence] Clemons—best known as the longtime foil of rocker Bruce Springsteen and tenor sax player with the E Street Band—is WEEK on the road with Ringo Starr and his All-Stars of Rock tour (they travel later this month to Japan and Australia)... . He recently took a few minutes during a break in his busy schedule to talk about his move last year to Marin County and discuss the challenge of adjusting to life without the Boss, following the dissolution of the E Street Band. —Greg Cahill, 10/6/89
20 Years Ago
Tell it good-bye.
Last Thursday afternoon time ran out on 40 years of National League baseball at the stadium known for most of that stretch as Candlestick Park. Some fans say good riddance to the often-chilly, wind-whipped yard. Others pause to reflect on the Giants—and giants—who strode its base paths and roamed its manicured outfield for four decades. Yours truly has a foot in both camps, but I’ll hoist my last cold one with the nostalgia crowd.\—Mike Thomas, 10/6/99
THIS WEEK
MILL VALLEY ARTS COMMISSION PRESENTS
CLICK OFF COMPETITION OCT 22 - NOV 6
2019
filed with the county. The Reed Union School District PTA contributed $11,000 on the same day.
The Click Off is a digital photography competition sponsored by: Mill Valley Arts Commission and The Image Flow For applications & details visit www.mvclickoff.com
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Measure E, placed on the ballot by the district’s board of trustees, extends that funding source to the tune of approximately $2.5 million per year for the next 12 years. “If this funding is not renewed, our schools will face significant cuts, equivalent to laying off 23 teachers, which would be devastating to our local schools,” an argument in favor of the measure states. No one submitted an argument against the measure. Despite a lack of formal opposition, the measure’s supporters filled the political committee’s coffers with cash last Wednesday, Oct. 2. The Reed Schools Foundation contributed $39,000 to a political committee supporting the measure, according to campaign finance papers
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BUGGING OUT Lyme disease on the rise as new book blames U.S. military for weaponizing tics
Ticks are on the march, and they’re out for blood.
K
ris Newby thought she had finished with Lyme disease. The Bay Area resident spent years battling the infection and its complications, all while dealing with condescending medical professionals. Some told her she was imagining her symptoms; others recommended she see a shrink. Ultimately, Newby—who traces her case back to a 2002 tick bite near Martha’s Vineyard—was diagnosed with Lyme. She then devoted more than three years to co-producing a well-received 2014 documentary, Under Our Skin, which
shed light on the United States’ largely hidden Lyme epidemic, the plight of Lyme patients and the intense medico-political controversies surrounding nearly every aspect of the disease. An engineer by trade, Newby was ready to move on. She accepted a job as a science writer for the Stanford School of Medicine. But then came the fateful video—sent to her home by a filmmaker she knew. It was then that she learned about Willy Burgdorfer, the famed medical entomologist credited with uncovering the cause of Lyme. Here he was, on camera,
insisting the epidemic was likely directly linked to a secret offensive biological weapons program—a program which he worked on for the U.S. government during the Cold War. Newby tried to peddle the story to some well-known journalists, but they declined to pursue it for a number of reasons. Newby says they told her it would be too difficult and time-consuming to report, and that it might not even pan out. And so, with extreme reluctance, Newby says she decided to pursue the story on her own. “If somebody didn’t look into
this,” she writes in her new book, “the secret would die with Willy. The better angel in me wouldn’t let that happen.” Bitten: The Secret History of Lyme Disease and Biological Weapons was published in May. While many in the medical community dismissed its claims, Newby’s work caught the attention of at least one lawmaker, and she hopes the book will lead to a greater understanding of Lyme and other tick-borne diseases, including anaplasmosis/ehrlichiosis, spotted fever rickettsiosis (including Rocky Mountain spotted fever), babesiosis and tularemia. Any
Spiral Out Californians account for only a minute slice of the roughly 1,000 Americans estimated to contract Lyme on the average every day (300,000 to 400,000 will get the disease this year). Official disease surveillance
published works on the subject— led one U.S. congressman, Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, to take legislative action. Over the summer, Smith called upon the Defense Department’s inspector general to look into any government efforts to weaponize ticks between 1950 and 1975. Over the course of four interviews with Burgdorfer, Newby says he confessed to her (and separately, to independent filmmaker Tim Grey) that he spent two decades working for the U.S. government to weaponize ticks and other insects in an apparent attempt to keep America on a level playing field with the Soviets in the arena of biological warfare. Despite his revelations to Newby and Grey, who tipped her off to his interview, Newby says she never felt the scientist was completely forthcoming. And her reporting bore that out when a second tipster gave her access to a collection of Bergdorfer’s lab notes on early Lyme patients’ blood tests. These notes contain findings that he never included in official reports to the U.S. government or in the scientific literature he published— namely that the blood samples from the earliest Lyme cases contained other dangerous pathogens. In addition to the Lyme spirochete (a spiral-shaped bacterium responsible for the disease), Bergdorfer’s records include references to researchers feeding ticks agents designed “for spreading anti-personnel bioweapons.” In his final discussion with Newby in early 2013, Burgdorfer, then 88, was in the latter stages of Parkinson’s disease and suffered from diabetes. She concedes that Burgdorfer’s speech wasn’t very clear at that point. But she believes he confirmed what he had told Grey on film: The spread of Lyme disease resulted from the release of biologically enhanced ticks developed during the Cold War. California’s first reported case of Lyme came out of Sonoma County in 1978, just a few years after the nation's first known case sprang up in New England. Annual maps prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show new Lyme cases spreading steadily across the Northeast and the Upper Midwest. This is due in part to climate change and human encroachment on tick habitat—but the California
Department of Public Health says the incidence of infection has remained fairly constant in California for the past 10 years. The western blacklegged tick—a close relative of the species that spreads Lyme in the East—thrives best in regions with relatively warm, wet winters along California’s northern coast. That’s why parts of Mendocino, Trinity and Humboldt counties have the highest incidence of reported Lyme cases in the state. Unlike in the Northeast and Upper Midwest, where Lyme disease has been on the mind of every community physician for decades, its relatively low incidence on the West Coast means most local doctors have little experience with it. This a problem, as Lyme disease is a complex affliction that can take months or years to properly identify. If not caught early, it can leave the hardest hit suffering from a litany of debilitating symptoms, including extreme fatigue, severely arthritic joints, a frightening “brain fog” and speech problems. There are two warring factions within the medical community as it relates to Lyme. One side sees the other as seeking to overdiagnose and overtreat Lyme, while the other sees their rivals as underdiagnosing and undertreating it. This plays out in a fiery dispute over what Lyme advocates and allied so-called “Lyme-literate” doctors call “chronic Lyme disease” and medical academics call “posttreatment Lyme disease syndrome.” It’s more than an argument over semantics; it’s an attempt to accurately characterize the cause of symptoms that return or persist even after patients have been treated with a standard two- to four-week course of antibiotics. These symptoms include fatigue, low fever and hot flashes, night sweats, sore throat, swollen glands, joint stiffness and pain, depression, headaches, dizziness, chest pain, sleep disturbances and more. The Infectious Diseases Society of America, which wrote and approved the federally accepted Lyme diagnosis and treatment guidelines, insists “chronic” Lyme is a misnomer. IDSA and its followers prefer the “post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome” terminology and advocate for limited use of antibiotics when treating Lyme. On the other side, where Newby’s »10 sympathies clearly lie, is the
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insights that come from her reporting could result in better diagnosis, treatment and prevention of Lyme and other tick-associated infections currently on the rise in California—a region not commonly associated with such diseases.
statistics—confirmed and probable cases reported to the CDC—tell us that in a typical year, about 110 Californians contract Lyme. But experts on all sides agree that Lyme is, like most infectious diseases, vastly underreported, perhaps by a factor of 10 or more. Lyme symptoms sometimes don’t show up for months after an initial exposure. When they do, the cause is commonly not recognized by local doctors—both because the disease remains relatively rare in this region and because it’s notoriously difficult to diagnose, even for experts. Meanwhile, infected individuals face debilitating physical and emotional pain. Once the disease is accurately diagnosed, it still often takes years to effectively treat. Although prominent medical academics dismiss Newby’s assertion that ticks were deliberately weaponized and wound up getting into the wild as patently absurd, her book set off alarm bells on Capitol Hill. Congress is considering ordering the Pentagon to conduct an investigation into what Newby calls “an American Chernobyl.” While to some it sounds like a plotline from The X-Files, Newby trusts her primary source, Burgdorfer. One of the world’s most prominent experts on Lyme until his death in 2014, Burgdorfer claimed he was part of a secret program that sought to turn ticks into bioweapons. He detailed his involvement in the program to Newby only months before he died. In 1982, Burgdorfer was credited with identifying the bacterial cause of Lyme disease, about six years after the malady burst into public consciousness. In 1976, The New York Times ran a front page report on a mysterious outbreak of unusual arthritic conditions among children and a few adults in and around Lyme, Connecticut. Health officials eventually confirmed their own suspicions that the condition was infectious and spread by deer ticks. The town of Lyme sits 20 miles north of the Plum Island Animal Disease Center of New York—home to the secretive Lab 257, where the US Army Chemical Corps conducted biological weapons research in the early 1950s. Bitten asserts that the United States military deliberately engineered ticks to carry debilitating but non-lethal diseases. Newby’s book—along with other
Chuck Carroll
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10 Bugging Out «9
Writer and former Lyme patient Kris Newby says there is much to uncover about the origins and treatment of Lyme.
International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society. ILADS, composed of a community of doctors and backed by Lyme-patient advocates, contends the criteria for confirming Lyme are much too rigid and that the medically accepted blood test is wildly inaccurate. ILADS, which has a set of Lyme treatment guidelines divergent from the IDSA, argues that given the lack of reliable diagnostic tools and the clinical complexity of Lyme, doctors need more leeway. Physicians, they say, should use their own judgment and experience as they consider the totality of patients’ circumstances and treatment desires. They point out that the Lyme spirochete has a range of properties that make it devilishly difficult to detect in the blood after it has been in the body for some time. According to ILADS, the spirochete dons a disguise so that the antibodies sent out by the immune system to destroy it do not recognize it. It can drill into various tissues as well, and hide out in the heart (Lyme carditis), the joints (Lyme arthritis) and even the brain, causing serious neurocognitive problems.
Just because the standard bloodbased tests do not detect the germ, they say, doesn’t mean it’s not there, embedded out of sight. Those who take this view argue that the improvement in patients’ quality of life outweighs the risk of long-term antibiotic use under the guidance of a competent doctor. Some studies have shown that chronic Lyme sufferers are at heightened risk of depression, suicide and job loss than the population as a whole.
Biting Newby’s assertion that the government weaponized ticks received deep skepticism and borderline derision. Most have dismissed the accusation as a kooky, scientifically ungrounded theory pushed by people who simply won’t listen to facts. Many doctors in academic medicine reject the notion that Burgdorfer would have helped create offensive biological weapons. After all, he spent his entire career working for the US Public Health Service, which is now known as National Institutes of Health; that agency’s stated mission is to
“enhance health, lengthen life and reduce illness and disability.” “There's just no credible evidence” to support the assertion that the prominent scientist at the heart of the book had involvement in any weapons research, Michael T. Osterholm, the director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, told the Washington Post. “This is again another one of those unfortunate situations where the science fiction of these issues” obscures the truth, Osterholm says. Dr. Amesh Adalja, an infectiousdisease expert and senior scholar with the Johns Hopkins Center for Biosecurity, strongly backs the IDSA’s conservative guidance on the use of antibiotics—and rejects Newby’s claim that the scourge of Lyme disease is the result of a bioweapons program. “I don’t believe any Pentagon investigation is warranted or would change the facts surrounding the epidemiology of Lyme disease in the US,” Adalja says. “It is well established that the Lyme bacterium’s proliferation in ticks and reservoir species predates any alleged military experiments by considerable time. “When you look at patients with chronic Lyme disease, many of them have no evidence of inflammation, meaning their body doesn’t show any kind of reaction when subjected to objective, evidence-based tests. The tests don’t show any evidence of infection.” In addition, Adalja says, “Multiple, large clinical trials have shown that prolonged antibiotic therapy just isn’t effective.” That includes the largest such trial ever, the results of which the journal Neurology published earlier this year. Forensic studies show Lyme disease existed long before Newby says the U.S. began experimenting with weaponizing ticks; this fact is often put forward by skeptics who doubt Newby’s claims. Newby, however, has no doubt. In fact, she says, Burgdorfer’s involvement with weaponizing ticks is just the tip of the iceberg. “It’s a complicated story," she says. “It’s not just that the Lyme spirochete was weaponized. It was this other stuff (other, undisclosed potential Lyme agents) that was covered up. As a journalist, you get
a whistleblower and you have to say, ‘Why is he telling me this?’ This would destroy his career. It would be like Buzz Aldrin saying, ‘I faked the moon landing.’ That’s how outrageous it is in the biology world.” The answer to the question—why now?—she surmises: Burgdorfer felt guilty. Newby acknowledges there’s room for interpretation in some of her conclusions about Burgdorfer and his motivations. For example, in an interview with her, Bergdorfer made cryptic references to “the Russians” getting their hands on a dangerous pathogen he had worked on. Was he vulnerable, she asks, to the influence of foreign agents seeking information about U.S. bio-weapons research? She suggests it’s possible that nefarious actors tempted the financially struggling Burgdorfer into taking payoffs from them. Despite her insinuations and conclusions, Newby’s book appears to be the work of a careful researcher. She is frank about what she knows or intuits based on the breadth of her reporting, what she can’t confirm, and other ways her evidence might be reasonably interpreted. For instance, she didn’t take Burgdorfer’s claims of governmentcreated, weaponized ticks on faith. She sought corroboration, digging through 33 boxes of freshly processed material Burgdorfer donated to the National Archives. She examined reams of documents—including letters, drafts of his published articles and supporting lab notes that Burgdorfer collected over many years. Newby says it’s suspicious that the boxes contained none of Burgdorfer’s lab notes on his greatest achievement: the discovery of the spirochete bacterium that causes Lyme. He and co-authors published his discovery in Science in 1982, and the bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi, was later named for him. After he died, an acquaintance of Bergdorfer’s asked Newby if she had any interest in reviewing documents Bergdorfer had kept in his garage and later turned over to the acquaintance. In those documents, Newby found her “smoking gun”— the blood test lab notes Berdorfer had kept secret for decades, along with information about a previously secret Swiss bank account. Using the federal Freedom of Information Act, Newby also
11 percent of all patients suffering from chronic Lyme disease—Americans have a right to know whether any of this is true. And have these experiments caused Lyme disease and other tick-borne disease to mutate and spread?” Smith asked. For the average person who has had a brush with Lyme disease, it matters little whether a government bioweapons project loosed the pathogen upon us. Lyme patients are far more concerned with simply getting their lives back. For those struggling to attain an accurate diagnosis of Lyme—and for those suffering with persistent symptoms long after they are treated for the disease—discovering the origin story of this disease might provide some comfort. However, for those afflicted with Lyme, the primary objective moving forward has to be a better understanding of this condition. HIV/AIDS and Lyme emerged at roughly the same time. Yet over the years, there have been 11,000 clinical trials involving HIV/AIDS, compared with just 60 for Lyme, according to investigative journalist Mary Beth Pfeiffer. Research into Lyme disease is woefully inadequate. HIV, of course, is fatal if left untreated, so some disparity is warranted. But last year, newly reported cases of Lyme easily surpassed the number of new HIV infections, according to the CDC. Newby hopes Bitten can help raise the profile and lead to more funding for research into tick-borne diseases. “My hope is that this book will widen the lens on our view of this problem and inspire people to more aggressively pursue solutions,” she writes. Among other research needs, she says, “We need epidemiologists to analyze the ongoing spread of these diseases, incorporating the possibility that they were spread in an unnatural way.” If the Senate goes along with the House’s call for an investigation into the allegations in Bitten, perhaps those suffering from Lyme and its fallout will get the answers they so desperately seek. Bitten: The Secret History of Lyme Disease and Biological Weapons Harper Wave Out Now; harperwave.com
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discovered conflicts of interest among academic researchers and federal health officials. In addition, she unearthed military documents she contends prove the CIA released ticks in Cuba and even tracked down an agent who confirmed this in a hair-raising account of his involvement. Knowing that investigators are subject to confirmation bias, Newby vetted her findings by tapping people with deep knowledge of biochemical and germ warfare. None of them waved her off the story or found her interpretations of the new evidence ridiculous. More than one advised her to watch her back if she published. On a long table in her sunlit Palo Alto home office sit neat, tidy piles of labeled files and other artifacts from her research. Asked for a certain photo, Newby digs it out of a filing cabinet in seconds. She seems surprised when one of an interviewer’s first questions is what kind of post-publication blowback she’s received, given the sensitive subject of Bitten and the dire warnings she received while researching it. Her answer: Nothing has had made her feel unsafe or threatened. This was about six weeks after publication. But things began heating up days later, after Congressman Smith read the book. Alarmed, the longtime–co-chair of the congressional Lyme caucus wrote an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Bill calling on the Pentagon’s independent investigative arm, the inspector general, to look into the allegations made in the book. “Bitten: The Secret History of Lyme Disease and Biological Weapons includes interviews with Dr. Willy Burgdorfer, the researcher who is credited with discovering Lyme disease,” Smith said during floor debate. “The book reveals that Dr. Burgdorfer was a bioweapons specialist. Those interviews combined with access to Dr. Burgdorfer’s lab files suggest that he and other bioweapons specialists stuffed ticks with pathogens to cause severe disability, disease—even death—to potential enemies. “With Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases exploding in the United States—with an estimated 300,000 to 437,000 new cases diagnosed each year and 10–20
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Named by Newsweek as one of the Women Shaping the 21st Century, Tiffany Shlain reads from her book ‘24/6,’ about the power of unplugging, on Sunday, Oct. 13, at Book Passage in Corte Madera. See Readings, pg 24.
THE WEEK’S EVENTS: A SELECTIVE GUIDE
SAN RAFAEL
MILL VALLEY
Movies specifically about Stand Up Paddleboarding may seem geared toward a narrow target audience, but the annual SUP Film Festival features short and feature works that transcend the sport and present films depicting natural beauty and inspiring messages of conservation and more. This year’s fest received over 30 film submissions, screened and judged by prominent members of the SUP community and filmmakers. This year’s selections are the short film The Great Route and feature film Epic Love, both of which screen on Saturday, Oct. 12, at Glenwood Elementary multipurpose room, 25 West Castlewood Dr., San Rafael. 7pm. $12–$20. supfilmfest.com.
Producer, songwriter and musician Narada Michael Walden knows a thing or two about making a hit song. He’s worked with stars like Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, Mariah Carey, Jefferson Starship and others, and he’s earned three Grammys and an Emmy Award along the way. This week, Walden presents a concert that’s nothing but the hits, featuring Narada’s all-star band and Bay Area singers Nate Soulsanger, Leah Tysee Omega Rae and Luqman Frank. The hits are coming Saturday, Oct. 12, at Throckmorton Theatre, 142 Throckmorton Ave., Mill Valley. 8pm. $35–$50. 415.383.9600.
Stand Up Films Play the Hits
MILL VALLEY
International Stars Since 1973, the Mill Valley Chamber Music Society has sought to bring the world’s brightest classical and chamber music stars to Marin for engaging concert experiences like no other. This season’s schedule opens this weekend with a concert featuring virtuoso soprano and alto saxophone trailblazer Ashu and pianist Alexandre Moutouzkine, who collaborate on a wide-ranging program of works ranging from a sonata from Sergei Rachmaninoff to film scores from Ennio Morricone on Sunday, Oct. 13, at Mt. Tamalpais United Methodist Church, 410 Sycamore Ave., Mill Valley. 5pm. $40. chambermusicmillvalley.org.
SAN RAFAEL
Going Solo Beloved Bay Area comedian, writer and actor Brian Copeland once again gathers a slew of his contemporaries for the annual Best of San Francisco Solo Series, featuring stage shows by awardwinning performers that are often heartfelt and hilarious. First up for this fall’s series is Irma Herrera, whose one-woman-show, “Why Would I Mispronounce My Own Name,” sheds light on the comical confusion that her Spanish surname inspires. Herrera’s performance opens the series on Sunday, Oct. 13, at Marin Center Showcase Theater, 10 Avenue of the Flags, San Rafael. 7pm. $40. 415.499.6800.
—Charlie Swanson
Lauri Levenfeld
Sundial
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Ridley Scott’s original ‘Alien’ returns to the big screen this month.
ARTS
The Thing Emerges Revisiting ‘Alien’ at 40 By Thomas Broderick
I
might never have been born if it weren’t for one of my favorite films. Let me explain. My parents worked together in SF for a few years before dating in secret to avoid office gossip. They watched their first film together as a couple in May, 1979, at a theater in Corte Madera. The lead actress, a nobody, had only one prior credit—as an extra in Annie Hall. The simple sets included bomber-plane parts left over from World War II, Christmas lights and CRT TVs. The even-simpler plot had been repeated a million times
before: a spaceship crew encounters a monster and fights for survival. But the monster my parents— and millions of other moviegoers— first met in 1979 never left our collective unconscious. The Alien. As Alien celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, I’ve thought a lot about both the movie and the creature that enthralled and terrified me as a kid. After three sequels, two prequels and two tie-ins with the Predator franchise, it’s hard for viewers to remember pre-1979 sci-fi aliens; the Alien changed the genre forever.
Beginning with H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds, just about every alien depicted in literature, film and television possessed either an intelligence or motivation people understood. Possessed with “intellects vast and cool and unsympathetic,” Wells’ Martians “regarded earth with envious eyes.” In the following decades, these and other “bad” aliens were either highly intelligent menaces or zoo creatures on the loose. The Alien, however, was completely different—primal, dangerous and, as science officer
Ash states near the film’s end, pure. It didn’t even need eyes to pick off the Nostromo’s crew one by one. The Alien possessed a Freudian nightmare of a lifecycle that combined rape, birth and a whole lotta phallic imagery—it wasn’t what hid in the shadows, it was the shadows. It wasn’t something to fear, it was fear. The Alien as we know and love it resulted from two problems screenwriter and USC grad Dan O’Bannon encountered while writing the screenplay’s first draft. Firstly, in similar films, the »14
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MILL VALLEY FILM FESTIVAL 42
‘Alien’ «13
SHORT FILM PROGRAMS Ava in the End Backpedal In Full Bloom Keep It Quiet Lefty/Righty
5@5 JUST IN TIME TO SEE THE SUN
Runners The Bumbry Encounter Guilty How to Be Alone The Perfumer Washed Away
5@5 NIGHT HUNTING TIME
Wingmen
AS THE WORLD TOONS
A Kalabanda Ate My Homework Like an Elephant in a China Shop Marooned The Pig on the Hill Raccoon and the Light Robot and the Whale Sam’s Dream Saturday’s Apartment Zog
O C T O B E R 3 -1 3
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Sigourney Weaver’s portrayal of the no-nonsense Ripley in ‘Alien’ has made her a horror film icon.
alien always entered the spacecraft through a ridiculous plot device such as someone forgetting to close a hatch. Secondly, O’Bannon received a diagnosis of Crohn’s Disease, a condition that led to his early death in 2009. Feeling as if your guts are tearing apart from the inside out is one of Crohn’s main symptoms. So, O’Bannon wondered, what if the creature entered the ship inside someone and then burst its way out of them? Which brings us to this article’s title: “The Thing Emerges.” These three words from the Alien script describe the day the film’s cast entered the set—the spaceship Nostromo’s dining room—and found the cameras wrapped in plastic and the air heavy with the stench of animal blood and formaldehyde. Two puppeteers, two technicians manning plungers full of all that nasty fluid, and most of actor John Hurt’s body—only his arms and head were visible—hid beneath the dining room table. The rest of his “body” above the table consisted of dummy legs and a chest cavity filled to the brim with rotting cow parts and the “chestburster” puppet. The scene, from the chestburster’s bloody entrance to its now-famous scurry off-set, lasts only 25 seconds.
But those 25 seconds are a master class in how to make actors perform genuinely in spite of them knowing everything that is going to happen well in advance. Veronica Cartwright, no stranger to horror since her days as a child actor in Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds, let out a genuine scream that mixed horror and disgust. And from that iconic moment on, monster movies, sci-fi movies and horror movies were never the same. From Oct. 13-16, North Bay cinemas celebrate the 40th anniversary of Alien with special showings: Century Napa Valley (195 Gasser Drive, Napa), San Rafael Regency 6 (280 Smith Ranch Road, San Rafael) and The Clover (121 E. First Street, Cloverdale). Reserve your tickets online by visiting Fathom Events. Finally, if you are one of the few people who never saw Alien, I envy you. And if you can’t wait until later this month to view it on the big screen, do yourself a favor and watch it in a pitch-black room late at night with the sound turned way up. It’s an old movie, you might tell yourself. CGI didn’t even exist back then. How could it be scary? I won’t lie to you about your chances of surviving the ordeal, but…you have my sympathies. Y
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Japanese artist Shintaro Sakamoto makes a rare appearance in Marin this month.
MUSIC
Cult Status Two underground music legends come together in San Rafael By Charlie Swanson
H
e isn’t a household name in the North Bay, but Tokyo-native Shintaro Sakamoto enjoys bonafide cult-hero status in his native Japan, where he rides the forefront of the underground scene since he cofounded and fronted psychedelic-rock group Yura Yura Teikoku in 1989. Sakamoto, now a revered solo artist, recently returned to touring after a seven-year hiatus. He appears on Wednesday, Oct. 16, at Terrapin Crossroads in San Rafael in a concert that also features underground New Wave hero Gary Wilson. Sakamoto exerted massive influence in the Japanese rock scene by the time Yura Yura Teikoku played its first U.S. show in 2005. Once they hit the
international scene, the band became one of the few modern Japanese groups to musically hit big in multiple countries. Yet, the band dissolved in 2010, and Sakamoto took a break from performing live. That doesn’t mean he stopped making music, though. In 2014 the psych-pop performer released his debut solo album, How to Live with a Phantom, where he offered up a new, lounge-inspired style complete with lofi, jazzy effects throughout. It marked a trajectory into 1970’s-inspired radio pop and folk-pop many of his fans didn’t see coming, but which continued with Sakamoto’s sophomore solo album, 2014’s Let’s Dance Raw. For this album, Sakamoto learned and utilized the steel guitar to
infuse his folk-pop with a slack-key and Hawaiian groove that further propelled him into the aloofness of AM-radio sanguineness. Yet, the album’s haunting flourishes of cartoonish backing vocals and eerie, apocalyptic lyrics gave the music an ironically chill vibe. In 2017, Sakamoto returned to touring and released this third, and most acclaimed, album— Love If Possible. While Sakamoto’s seven-year break from performing seems long, Gary Wilson’s hiatus from music literally spans a generation. Growing up in the era of the Beatles, Wilson wrote songs by age 12, but his music moved in bizarre directions after he discovered avant-garde composers like David Tudor and John Cage.
Wilson’s 1977 debut LP, You Think You Really Know Me, a lo-fi masterpiece of early new wave hits, slowly gained a cult following—despite the fact that Wilson retired from music in 1981. Over the course of 20 years, Wilson remained in obscurity, though You Think You Really Know Me continued to gain popularity. Wilson finally returned to the stage in 2002, and he now influences a new generation of musicians, including hip hop artists like Earl Sweatshirt. Shintaro Sakamoto and Gary Wilson perform on Wednesday, Oct. 16, at Terrapin Crossroads, 100 Yacht Club Dr., San Rafael. 7:30pm. $32–$35. terrapincrossroads.net.
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Gotham City resembles ‘70s NYC and ‘Joker’ resembles a Scorsese antihero in director Todd Phillips’ comic book film.
FILM
Chuckleburg Joaquin Phoenix is ever surprising as a ‘Joker’ without a Batman By Richard von Busack
D
o a film autopsy on Todd Phillips’ Joker, and you might find most of the DNA stems from two Martin Scorsese films, Taxi Driver (1976) and King of Comedy (1983). But, what if Joker was instead a movie about a man imploding instead of exploding, a man with laughing sickness, stuck in the worst city in the world—a million bleak tenements rimming an erupting volcano of garbage? There’d be no “cathartic violence” to let wretched Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) pass for anything but a doomed antihero.
Budget cuts on Gotham City’s mental health program end Arthur’s prescriptions for seven different medicines; he carries a dog-eared card explaining his fits of uncontrollable laughter. Arthur nurses his shut-in mother Penny (Francis Connor), who watches a Johnny Carson surrogate (Robert De Niro) while bathed in the light of the TV. Penny writes unanswered letters to the wealthy, thug politician Thomas Wayne (Brett Cullen) who promises Gotham City, “Only I can save you.” Penny once worked as a domestic at Wayne
Manor. From that point on her story gets unreliable. Arthur works at a rent-a-clown agency with some other grim types derived from the donut-eaters in Taxi Driver—“Another day in Chuckleberg!” one says. He sign-spins, or prances in a cancer ward in front of bald, hollow-eyed kids. His vision of a grander career consists of a slot at an open mic comedy club, and he collects gags in his smeary notebook: “Why are poor people so confused? They don’t have any cents.” All bruised skin and bones, with unwashed splotches of greasepaint on
his jaw, Arthur crumples into shirtless positions resembling a figure in an Oskar Kokoschka painting when at home. His garish, 1970s-era wardrobe of deafening plaids, garish colors and wide lapels would look clownish on anyone. The makeup isn’t cheery. The fat lips, the bulbous nose, the black-ringed eyes all but say, Laugh at this stupid bastard. One of Joker’s few jokes: laying on the asphalt after a stomping, Arthur’s squirt flower leaking as if he just wet himself. Nihilist clowns called punk rockers made New York almost this bad in the mid-1970s. So did anti-comedians, like Michael O’Donoghue. “Mr Mike” would have enjoyed Fleck’s idea of a knock-knock joke: “Who’s there?” “The police. Your son’s been killed by a drunk driver.” Arthur’s performance skills interest pale, little Bruce Wayne (Dante Pereira-Olson) wandering alone on the grounds of his Manor; luring him close enough to use his fingers to draw the stunned child’s mouth into the rictus of a smile. It’s all part of Arthur’s transformation into a slow-dancing death clown, culminating with the film’s most lyrical sequence, a soft-shoe down a littered, ominous staircase. Phoenix’s maniac is never boring, always revealing new layers of suffering; it’s even remarkable what he does with the cigarettes he chainsmokes. When he finally finds his way as the Joker, his voice is neither young nor old, but pedantic—like a put-upon 12-year-old. As for whether Joker is what Luis Bunuel called his midnightmovie Andalusian Dog (1929), “a desperate, impassioned call to murder,” something that copycats will answer…given all the essays about the irrelevance of movies, it’s a sick joke that, for once, the influence of films still has a power to be feared. This city-revenge film is smart enough to know that squalor, like waste-water, flows downhill: Arthur’s first victims are some rowdy drunk stockbrokers who kick him around for laughs. Among the last images is a tableau familiar from this saga: a little boy in a filthy alley, standing between the bodies of his two parents. As staged here, it leaves us with no hope, no premonition of dashing Bat-adventure. All that can come after this is just a feedback loop of senseless loss and suffering. ‘Joker’ is playing in wide release.
Abominable (PG)
By Matthew Stafford
Friday October 11-Thursday October 17 Abominable (1:37) Family-friendly cartoon about a group of Shanghai youngsters overcoming all odds to return a wayward yeti to the Himalayas. Ad Astra (2:04) Pensive sci-fi flick stars Brad Pitt as an astronaut searching the solar system for his missing father. The Addams Family (1:27) Charles Addams’ ghoulishly funny family is back, this time in cartoon form with Charlize Theron, Oscar Isaac and Bette Midler supplying the voices. Alien (1:57) Ridley Scott’s horror classic about the crew of a tiny spaceship and the gruesome ET that kills them off one by one; Sigourney Weaver stars. Aquarela (1:29) Victor Kossakovsky documentary immerses the viewer in the awesome power of water, from frozen Lake Baikal to ferocious Hurricane Irma; music by Finnish cello metal band Apocalyptica. A Bold Peace (1:45) Documentary focuses on the demilitarized, welleducated, environmentally awesome nation of Costa Rica, which holds the #1 spot on the Happy Planet Index. Brittany Runs a Marathon (1:43) Jillian Bell stars as a dissolute, out-ofshape Manhattan twentysomething determined to run the New York City marathon. The Cotton Club Encore (2:07) Francis Coppola’s 1984 gangster musical about the legendary Harlem nightspot is remastered and restored with previously unseen footage; Gregory Hines stars. Downton Abbey (1:30) The veddy British cult TV series hits the big screen with the household in a dither over an upcoming visit by King George and Queen Mary their bloomin’ selves! End of the Century (1:24) Mystery-laden romance about a seemingly random encounter between a German and an Argentine in photogenic Barcelona. Gemini Man (1:57) Ang Lee thriller stars Will Smith as a professional assassin targeted for elimination by a technokiller. Hustlers (1:50) True tale of a troupe of strippers who took on Wall Street sleazoids; Jennifer Lopez and Constance Wu star. Jay and Silent Bob Reboot (1:35) The Clerks stoner dudes head to Hollywood to stop yet another movie based on their lives; Kevin Smith writes, directs and stars. Jexi (1:24) A loveless smartphone addict reinvents himself thanks to a sexy new app who gets spookily possessive when the geek starts to embrace the real world. Joker (2:02) R-rated comic-book flick stars Joaquin Phoenix as an especially gritty and freaked-up version of the once-jovial Batman supervillain. Judy (1:58) Biopic stars Renee Zellweger as larger-than-life showbiz icon Judy Garland, putting on a show in Swinging London at the twilight of her career.
Lucy in the Sky (2:04) Natalie Portman as an astronaut who finds the earthbound life unsatisfying after experiencing the beauty of the cosmos. Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (1:58) Angelina Jolie is back as the vengeful fairy-villain, grappling with family politics, an upcoming wedding and those mysterious dark forces that can really screw up your day. Metallica & The SF Symphony: S&M2 (2:30) The heavy metal homeboys hook up with Michael Tilson Thomas at the spanking-new Chase Center for an evening of old and new favorites. The Metropolitan Opera: Turandot (2:00) Christine Goerke divas as Puccini’s coldblooded man-hating princess in Franco Zeffirelli’s dazzling production. Mill Valley Film Festival The 42nd annual cinematic soiree features seminars, workshops, galas, in-person tributes and hundreds of movies from around the globe. National Theatre London: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (3:00) Live from the Bridge Theatre it’s Nicholas Hytner’s immersively atmospheric production of the Bard’s saucy enchanted comedy. Official Secrets (1:52) True tale of a British intelligence agent who leaked politically incendiary information on the eve of the Iraq invasion; Keira Knightley stars. Rambo: Last Blood (1:29) John Rambo is back and more pissed off than ever, exacting vengeance with his customary panache. Rob Zombie’s 3 from Hell (1:20) The scary cineaste presents a blood-soaked three-part horror crime saga replete with sex, violence and naughty language. Skid Row Marathon (1:25) Documentary about a group of homeless drug addicts who get a new lease on life as they train for an international marathon run. The Sky Is Pink (2:22) Poignant look at a 25-year marriage as seen through the eyes of the couple’s terminally ill daughter. Waking Dream (1:00) Documentary follows six undocumented Dreamers on their uncertain path to citizenship after the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program is rescinded. War (2:30) Tiger Shroff and Hrithik Roshan, India’s top two action stars, deliver the goods in a slam-bang adventure flick about an elite soldier ordered to kill his rogue mentor. Zombieland: Double Tap (1:34) It’s 10 years later and undeads Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin are still shambling around despite White House shenanigans and a whole new breed of zombie.
Fairfax: Fri-Sat 12:05, 2:40, 5, 7:20, 9:40; Sun-Wed 12:05, 2:40, 5, 7:20 Northgate: Fri-Wed 11, 1:40, 4:20, 7, 9:35 Rowland: FriWed 10:45, 1:15, 4, 6:50, 9:20 Ad Astra (PG-13) Northgate: Fri-Wed 10:15, 1:10, 4:10, 7:10, 10:10 The Addams Family (PG) Fairfax: Fri-Sat 12, 2:30, 5, 7:30, 9:50; Sun-Wed 12, 2:30, 5, 7:30 Northgate: Fri-Wed 10:20, 11:55, 1, 2:20, 4:50, 6:10, 7:20, 8:35, 9:50; 3D showtime at 3:35 Playhouse: Fri 4:35, 6:50, 9:20; Sat 12, 2:20, 4:35, 6:50, 9:20; Sun 12, 2:20, 4:35, 6:50; Mon-Thu 4:35, 6:50 Rowland: Fri-Wed 10:30, 12:50, 3:10, 5:30, 7:50, 10:20 Regency: Sun 1, 4; Tue-Wed 7 • Alien (R) Lark: Wed 4:20 • Aquarela (NR) Lark: Tue noon (panel discussion follows; lunch options available) • A Bold Peace (NR) Brittany Runs a Marathon (R) Lark: Tue 2:50 Regency: Fri-Sat 11, 1:35, 4:05, 6:45, 9:50; Sun 6:45; Mon-Tue 11, 1:35, 4:05; Thu 1:35, 4:05, 6:45 Rafael: Mon-Thu 6:45 • The Cotton Club Encore (R) Downton Abbey (PG) Fairfax: Fri-Sat 12:45, 3:45, 6:45, 9:35; Sun-Wed 12:45, 3:45, 6:45 Northgate: Fri-Wed 10:35, 1:35, 4:35, 7:40, 10:35 Playhouse: Fri 3:30, 6:30, 9:25; Sat 12:30, 3:30, 6:30, 9:25; Sun 12:30, 3:30, 6:30; Mon-Wed 3:30, 6:30; Thu 3:30 Regency: Fri-Sat 10:30, 1:35, 4:25, 7:15, 10:10: Sun-Thu 10:35, 1:25, 4:25, 7:15 Rowland: Fri-Wed 10:55, 1:50, 4:45, 7:40, 10:35 Sequoia: Mon-Wed 4:15, 7; Thu 4:15 Lark: Tue 9:15; Thu 4:30 • End of the Century (NR) Gemini Man (PG-13) Fairfax: Fri-Sat 12:15, 3:15, 6:30, 9:30; Sun-Wed 12:15, 3:15, 6:30 Northgate: Fri-Wed 10:30, 1:30, 4:30, 7:30, 10:30 Rowland: Fri 10:50, 4:35, 10:25, 3D showtimes at 1:40, 7:20; Sat 10:50, 4:30, 7:20, 10:10, 3D showtime at 1:40; Sun-Thu 10:50, 4:30, 10:10, 3D showtimes at 1:40, 7:20 Hustlers (R) Northgate: Fri-Wed 11:25, 2:10, 4:55, 7:45, 10:30 Northgate: Tue 7 • Jay and Silent Bob Reboot (R) Northgate: Fri-Wed 10:25, 12:40, 3:10, 5:30, 7:55, 10:15 • Jexi (R) Rowland: Fri-Wed 10:55, 1:10, 3:30, 5:45, 8, 10:45 Joker (R) Fairfax: Fri-Sat 12:30, 3:30, 7, 9:55; Sun-Wed 12:30, 3:30, 7 Northgate: Fri-Wed 10:15, 11:45, 1:15, 2:45, 4:15, 5:45, 7:15, 8:45, 10:15 Playhouse: Fri 4, 7, 9:45; Sat 1, 4, 7, 9:45; Sun 1, 4, 7; Mon-Thu 4, 7 Regency: Fri-Sat 10:45, 1:40, 4:35, 7:30, 10:30; Sun-Thu 10:45, 1:40, 4:35, 7:30 Rowland: Fri-Wed 10:40, 12:05, 1:35, 3, 4:30, 5:55, 7:30, 8:50, 10:25 daily Judy (PG-13) Fairfax: Fri-Sat 12:10, 3:10, 6:50, 9:45; Sun-Wed 12:10, 3:10, 6:50 Regency: Fri-Sat 10:30, 1:20, 4:10, 7, 9:50; Sun, Thu 10:30, 1:20, 4:10, 7; Mon-Wed 10:30, 1:20, 4:10, 6:55 Rowland: Fri, Sun 10:35, 1:25, 4:20, 7:10; Sat 4:20, 7:10; Mon-Wed 10:35, 1:25, 4:20, 7:10, 10 Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice (NR) Rafael: Mon-Thu 6:15, 8:30 The Lion King (PG) Northgate: Fri-Wed 10:55, 1:55, 4:45 Regency: Fri-Sun 11:05, 1:55, 4:55, 7:50, 10:40; Mon-Thu • Lucy in the Sky (R) 11:05, 1:55, 4:55, 7:50 Cinema: Thu 7, 10 Fairfax: Thu 7 Northgate: Thu 7, 9:45; 3D • Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (PG) showtimes at 7:30, 10:15 Playhouse: Thu 7 Rowland: Thu 7, 9:50 • Metallica & The SF Symphony: S&M2 (NR) Rafael: Mon-Wed 7 • The Metropolitan Opera: Turandot (NR) Lark: Sat 9:55am; Wed 6:30 Regency: Sat 9:55am; Wed 1, 6:30 Rowland: Sat 9:55am Sequoia: Wed 1, 6:30 Mill Valley Film Festival runs October 3-13 at the Lark, Larkspur Landing, Rafael and Sequoia; call (877) 874-6833 or visit mvff.com for schedule • National Theatre London: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (PG-13) Lark: Thu 6:30 Official Secrets (R) Lark: Tue 5; Thu 2:15 Regency: Fri 11:20, 2:05, 4:55, 7:40, 10:15; Sat 2:05, 4:55, 7:40, 10:15; Sun, Tue, Thu 11:20, 2:05, 4:55, 7:40; Mon, Wed 10:30, 1:15, 4 Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood (R) Northgate: Fri-Wed 7:35 The Peanut Butter Falcon (PG-13) Sequoia: Mon-Tue 4:30, 7:20; Wed 1:30; Thu 4:30 Rambo: Last Blood (R) Northgate: Fri-Wed 12:25, 2:55, 5:25, 8, 10:25 Regency: Mon 7 • Rob Zombie’s 3 from Hell (R) Skid Row Marathon (NR) Regency: Mon 7 Northgate: Fri-Wed 11:30, 2:50, 6:15, 9:30 (in Hindi with English • The Sky Is Pink (NR) subtitles) Too Late to Die Young (NR) Lark: Mon 8:20; Wed 2:15 Us + Them (NR) Lark: Tue 7:30 Rafael: Thu 7 (panel discussion with filmmaker Theo Rigby • Waking Dream (NR) follows the screening) War (NR) Northgate: Fri-Mon, Wed 11:35, 3, 6:30, 10; Tue 11:35, 3, 10 (in Hindi with English subtitles) Fairfax: Thu 7:10 Northgate: Thu 7, 9:40 • Zombieland: Double Tap (R) We have omitted some of the movie summaries and times for those that have been playing for multiple weeks.
Showtimes can change after we go to press. Please call theater to confirm. CinéArts Sequoia 25 Throckmorton Ave., Mill Valley, 388-1190 Century Cinema 41 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera, 924-6506 Fairfax 9 Broadway, Fairfax, 453-5444 Lark 549 Magnolia Ave., Larkspur, 924-5111 Larkspur Landing 500 Larkspur Landing Cir., Larkspur, 461-4849 Northgate 7000 Northgate Dr., San Rafael, 491-1314 Playhouse 40 Main St., Tiburon, 435-1251 Rafael Film Center 1118 Fourth St., San Rafael, 454-1222 Regency 80 Smith Ranch Rd., Terra Linda, 479-6496 Rowland 44 Rowland Way, Novato, 898-3385
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Movies
• New Movies This Week
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Robin Jackson
Mushnik’s Florist Shop gets more than it bargained for in College of Marin’s latest production.
STAGE
Appetite for Horrors College of Marin’s ‘Little Shop’ opens with difficulty By Harry Duke
W
hen Little Shop of Horrors opened in New York in 1982, it was in a small, 98-seat Off-Off-Broadway theatre. Its success led to its move Off-Broadway to Manhattan’s 299seat Orpheum Theatre, where it ran for five years. It had a chance to move to the Great White Way, but playwright/lyricist Howard Ashman felt the show might lose its heart and soul on Broadway. A decade after Ashman’s passing, the trustees of his estate licensed a Broadway production. It received mixed reviews and closed in under a year. The show’s history came to mind as I watched the College of Marin production running through Oct. 13
in the 572-seat James Dunn Theatre. Having seen a delightful production last month at Petaluma’s quaint Cinnabar Theater, I was curious as to how a show usually done in smaller spaces would play in a cavernous auditorium. With some difficulty, it turns out. Based on the 1960 cult-horror quickie directed by Roger Corman, Little Shop is the musical tale of nerdish Seymour Krelborn (Michael Kessel) and his unrequited love for co-worker Audrey (Sophie De Morelos), and how the arrival of a strange and interesting plant at Mushnik’s Skid Row Florist seemingly makes things better for Seymour— until it doesn’t. The show has an infectious rock ’n’ roll-, doo-wop- and Motow-influenced score (music by
Alan Menken, lyrics by Ashman), outrageous characters, wickedly dark humor and a giant, man-eating plant. Director Lisa Morse has a typical (mostly) youthful college cast here, which made me question the lack of energy on stage. This show should bounce but, with few exceptions, it was flat in pacing and presentation. Kessel does fine as Seymour, and De Morelos makes for a very sympathetic Audrey. She doesn’t overdo the character voice and shines with “Somewhere That’s Green.” Andrew Pryor-Ramirez as Orin Scrivello, DDS (demented dentist & sadist) brings the energy that’s lacking elsewhere, and while he may not exude a real sense of danger, it’s the cockiest take on the role I’ve seen.
Sound is a real issue with this production. Microphone levels were erratic, with the good vocal work being done by Matt Kizer, as Audrey II, often lost. A good sound mix could compensate for some of the intimacy lost in a larger space. COM brings a fun musical with a stylish set, colorful costumes, wonderful wigs, creative choreography and some plucky performances to the stage. Could they please bring volume to the vocals? ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ runs through Oct. 13 at the College of Marin James Dunn Theatre, 835 College Ave., Kentfield. Friday & Saturday, 7:30pm; Saturday & Sunday, 2pm. $15–$25. 415.485.9385. pa.marin.edu.
DINING
Fresh Princes HenHouse Brewing hosts inaugural Freshtival beer fest By Charlie Swanson
T
he table on the patio of HenHouse Brewing Company’s Palace of Barrels tasting room in Petaluma already overflows with beer flights and fried chicken sandwiches when HenHouse co-founder Collin McDonnell comes out of the back with several additional cans—of the craft brewery’s signature IPA. We’re here for a taste test, except that all three of the IPAs placed before us appear to be the exact same beer. Yet, appearances can be deceiving, and a closer look at the three cans reveals one small, but important, difference between them—the expiration date. Yes, HenHouse
Brewing marks each of their cans with a best-by date, and it’s more than a suggestion. Best-by dates are a mantra for McDonnell and the staff at HenHouse—one that makes freshness their top priority. That mantra is on full display this weekend when HenHouse Brewing hosts the first-ever “Freshtival” beer festival on Saturday, Oct. 12, at SOMO Village Event Center in Rohnert Park, in which more than 50 brewers pour over 100 less-than-a-week-old beers, celebrating the flavorful power of fresh beer alongside live music, great food, a gallery of beer industry art, interactive freshness demos and more. But, back to the taste test.
McDonnell first cracks open a fiveday-old can of HenHouse IPA, then pops the tab on a three-month-old can and finally opens a nine-month-old can. The differences in the flavor profiles are striking, with ripe notes of fruit and hops in the young can, and a stale, metallic flavor in the old can. “So much about what we do is shortening the chain between us and the beer drinker,” says McDonnell. To that effect, HenHouse employs a strict, 28-day shelf-life policy for any beer it distributes to tap rooms or stores. “You can really tell that the beer tastes so much better in those first 28 days,” says McDonnell. “I think it’s super important for the consumer to drink
The ‘Freshtival’ beer festival takes place Saturday, Oct. 12, at SOMO Village, 1100 Valley House Dr., Rohnert Park. 1:30pm to 7pm. $20-$55. 21 and over. henhousebrewing.com/thefreshtival.
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Photo courtesy HenHouse Brewing Company
HenHouse Brewing’s Collin McDonnell lives his best life when he’s at beer festivals like the upcoming outdoor Freshtival in Rohnert Park (Keanu Reeves not included).
28-day-old beer. You can tell how much brighter and vibrant and more fun the hop flavor is in new beer.” McDonnell adds that the company’s 28-day shelf-life policy advocates for the consumer. “Life is actually better for the people drinking the beer if they get it in the first 28 days,” he says. “At 90 days it’s a muted and boring experience, and when we get to nine months old it’s sad and gross. The more it oxidizes (in the can), the beer’s hop flavors get grating and it’s super unpleasant. Even under the best treatment, nine-month-old beer is still not fun to drink.” HenHouse is not alone in this thinking; the entire craft beer industry has moved towards the fresh trend in recent years, meaning that the Freshtival comes at a perfect time for beer lovers. “It’s something that Bay Area Brewers Guild and us put our heads together and collaborated about,” says HenHouse account manager and Freshtival coorganizer Kristie Hubacker.“It’s a change in the industry, people are moving to packaged-on or drink-by dates, and you can see consumers checking that, you’ll see people in the aisles turning the cans, checking the dates.” The majority of breweries at the Freshtival will be Bay Area-based, with North Bay brewers like Barrel Brothers, Bear Republic, Cooperage Brewing, Crooked Goat, Iron Springs Brewing, Indian Valley Brewing, Russian River Brewing, Stone Brewing Napa and Third Street Aleworks getting in on the freshness. Other West Coast breweries are taking advantage of HenHouse’s distribution side of the business and utilizing the company’s cold transport system to get beers from as far away as Los Angeles and Washington State. “We were not exclusive, any brewery from anywhere can come if they can bring beer that’s seven days or fresher,” says Hubacker. For its part, HenHouse will release an “Art of Freshness” IPA at the event, which McDonnell says will be kegged that morning. They will also pour a “Mr. October” double-IPA and other signature releases packaged that week. “The Freshtival for us is about going out and making (freshness) a big deal in front of a lot of people,” says McDonnell. “Hopefully, it’s something we can do to not just make our beer better, but make beer better.”
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11TH
James Knight
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DOORS: 6:00 PM | SHOW: 7:00 PM GENERAL ADMISSION & VIP TICKETS AVAILABLE PARKING PASSES & SHUTTLE SERVICE AVAILABLE
Hospitality is the name of the game at Capo Creek Winery.
SWIRL
Capo Taste-o There’s something new cooking up at Capo Creek By James Knight
I
t’s hard to imagine this corner of the world without Healdsburg. But it was new to Mary Roy when, seeking a breather from an intense medical conference in San Francisco, she asked a hotel concierge where she could go to get off the beaten path, away from tourist-trammeled wine country. The answer was Healdsburg. Some years later, just after Mary and her husband, Bob Covert, fired
their realtor after a pricey prospect fell through, their new realtor said, “Would you try looking in Healdsburg?” Hard as it is to imagine that a 50acre parcel with a neglected old-vine Zinfandel vineyard, some run-down barns, and lots of potential, could still be found in 2014 in these parts, they found their dream property on Capo Creek. The little seasonal stream didn’t actually have a name, Mary explains while I sample a floral—but fleshy—2018 Grenache Blanc ($28), so they named it for the guitarist’s clamp, capo tasto. They’re big music fans, Mary explains, as the croon of the late Eva Cassidy wafts from the kitchen alongside savory scents. It’s not a random play from streaming music: they named the vineyard below the rustically landscaped tasting area Eva’s after one of Mary’s beloved recording artists, and named the new planting of Rhône varieties on the hill above the handsome barn-style winery Eric’s, for his. While the vines grow, they source Capo Creek’s 2016 Grenache Noir ($52) from Carneros, but this cool and silky, mint-accented red is a standout rendition, sure to ease any worried mind. Bob and Mary’s dream-winery retirement project hit a few roadblocks along the way. It seems that wresting a building permit or two from the County is not the stuff of dreams. So, while Bob stays on in Chicago, where he’s a noted neonatologist, Mary runs the winery with the help of her sister, with whom she formerly founded a radiology service. “I don’t want to just be serving wine to people,” Mary says of her winery’s approach to hospitality. There is no tasting bar. She does like to cook, however, and serves up a tasty little pierogi to pair with the plush, estate-reserve Zinfandel ($52), which she farms with organic inputs, though its not certified as such. “I’m a doctor, so I don’t do Roundup,” Mary says. It might be a good idea to upgrade from the one-hour tasting to the two-hour food pairing experience ahead of time. “People come here, and they never want to leave.” Capo Creek, 7171 W Dry Creek Rd., Healdsburg. Wed–Sun 10am–5pm. Tastings, pairings, and tours by appointment, $35–$135. 707.608.8448.
NUGGET
Pot Pivot Santa Rosa loads the bong By Jonah Raskin
A
new, cannabis-devoted “institution of higher learning” is coming to Santa Rosa. “The Galley” will serve as a center for the co-manufacture and distribution of cannabis in Northern California. “Our mission is to create a cannabis campus,” says Annie Holman, The Galley’s public face. “We have efficient equipment. We’ll be able to produce high-end cannabis products.” For years, North Coast Fisheries occupied the 8,300-square-foot space on Sebastopol Road. Now the icon for The Galley—a red-headed mermaid with a marijuana leaf—is the only thing fishy about the space. Nancy Birnbaum, the director of Women’s Cannabis Business Development (WCBD) and the publisher of Sensi magazine, says, “I love the idea of The Galley as
Jonah Raskin is the author of Marijuanaland and Dark Day, Dark Night and has story credit for the movie Homegrown.
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Higher learning indeed.
a cannabis campus that will help educate the community and a place where people will be able to learn about health and wellness.” “There’s already a big demand for space at our campus,” Holman says. “A lot of mom-and-pop operations were knocked out of the market because they couldn’t afford to pay for licenses, rent or buy a building, and purchase equipment. We’ll help them get back in business, survive and thrive.” The company also plans to produce its own line of goodies under the “Big Fish” label. Holman knows cannabis works. She suffered back pain and insomnia in the 1980s. “I was using too much Advil and sleeping medications,” she says. “I tried CBD and THC and it made a profound difference in my life. I started to sleep again.” Shortly before the passage of Prop 64, Holman owned and operated the Derby Bakery in Petaluma, where she made medicinal baked goods and cannabis chocolates. Around the same time, authorities raided a storage space she rented. “We were caught up in a sweep,” she says. “That’s behind us now.” Holman partners with two people at The Galley: Gina Pippin, the CEO, and another woman who wants to fly under the radar for the time being. The company secured authorization from Santa Rosa, and now Holman waits while the city issues an occupancy permit, which will secure a license from the California Department of Public Health. Holman expects Santa Rosa to become a major hub in the Northern California cannabis world. “At our event center, we’d like to host Sonoma County cannabis groups, organizations and businesses, as well as health and wellness seminars,” Holman says. “We want people to hang out and share their expertise. We want to learn.” The Galley will employ more than 20 people, most of them skilled bakers, chocolatiers and candymakers. Employees will receive health benefits and a living wage. “We have not done much advertising,” Holman says. “Word-ofmouth and our presence at cannabis events seems to be the way to go.” The Galley intends to be operational before the end of the year. Maybe you’ll want to go back to school and continue your education at Santa Rosa’s own cannabis campus.
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LIVE MUSIC EVERY DAY
FOOD. MUSIC. FUN.
Outdoor Dining Sat & Sun Brunch 11–3
Lunch & Dinner 7 Days a Week
By Howard Rachelson
2
Din ner & A Show
LoWatters Oct 11 Low Down Dirty Roots to Fri
FRI, OCT 11 > 8PM GRATE ROOM, 16+
BRANDON “TAZ” NIEDERAUER MATT JAFFE
High Lonesome Twang 8:00 ⁄ No Cover
Foxes In The Henhouse Oct 12 It Don’t Mean a Thang Sat
SAT, OCT 12 > 2–4PM FREE, BEACH PARK, ALL AGES feat SHAKEY ZIMMERMAN PERFORMING SONGS FROM HARVEST & HARVEST MOON
HARVEST FEST
SAT, OCT 12 > 8:30PM FREE, BAR SHOW, ALL AGES
PAINTED HORSES
SUN, OCT 13 > 7:30PM FREE, BAR SHOW, ALL AGES
JENNY KERR BAND
MON, OCT 14 > 7:30PM FREE, BAR SHOW, ALL AGES
GRATEFUL MONDAY feat
THE JOE MARCINEK BAND WSG/ STU ALLEN TUE, OCT 15 > 6:30PM FREE, BAR SHOW, ALL AGES
TERRAPIN TRIVIA NIGHT!
TUE, OCT 15 > 7:30PM FREE, BAR SHOW, ALL AGES
STUESDAY feat WSG/ JONNY MOJO 100 YACHT CLUB DRIVE, SAN R AFAEL terrapincrossroads.net | 415.524.2773
If It Ain’t Got That Twang 7:30
Jacob Aranda Oct 13 Classic Country & Sun
Southwestern Folk 5:00 ⁄ No Cover
Sweet City Blues Oct 18 Swing, Blues & Classic Rock 8:00 Fri
Stompy Jones featuring Dance Oct 19 Annette Moreno 8:00 ! Party Sat
Johnny Allair Oct 20 Real Rock ‘n Roll 5:00 Sun
1a.
What’s the team name for the UC Berkeley athletic squads?
Tom Finch Trio Oct 25 Funky Dance Grooves Sat
The Annie Sampson Band Oct 26 Rock, Blues, R&B 8:00
This stadium lies just on top of what earthquake fault?
Todos Santos Oct 27 Cantina Americana
Young William Shakespeare grew up in what town, along what river?
8:00 ⁄ No Cover
Sun
5:00 ⁄ No Cover
Reservations Advised
415.662.2219
On the Town Square, Nicasio www.ranchonicasio.com
5
1b.
The Cal football team plays home games at what stadium on the campus?
Fri
1c. 2
3
What two colored crayons in the Crayola box have three-letter names?
4
What modern country is most closely associated with the Aztec civilization?
7
5
at the
For what 2009 Quentin Tarantino movie did Christoph Waltz win the Academy Award as best supporting actor, playing a frighteningly soft-spoken Nazi?
OSHER MARIN JCC 3RD ANNUAL
OCT 19 7:30 pm
Trivia Café
6
After water, what are the world’s two most widely consumed beverages?
Live Music Lyrics Projected Great FUN for all Ages
7
Her name is Vigdis Finnbogadottir, and in 1980 she became the world’s first democratically elected female head of state, representing what isolated country?
8
When all the U.S. capital cities are listed in alphabetical order, the last three city names begin with the letter “T.” What are they?
JOHN LITHGOW
9
This prolific Austrian composer wrote over 600 compositions, symphonies, operas and works of chamber music in less than 20 years, before he died of typhoid fever at the age of 31, in 1828. Who was he (FS)?
On stage conversation with Michael Krasny
10
What is the sum of the first 100 odd numbers, beginning with 1+3+5+7+… ?
OCT 31 7:30 pm
BONUS QUESTION: One of the biggest hurdles in sorting out the Brexit problem is: what to do about the only-land border between the UK and Europe, located where in the British isles?
COMING SOON 11/7 11/10
The Ito Sisters Documentary Film New Century Chamber Orchestra
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The perfect pairing.
You’re invited to the next Trivia Cafe team contest, Tuesday, Oct. 15, at Terrapin Crossroads in San Rafael, 6:30pm; and a Halloween Trivia Party on Tuesday, Oct. 29, at Moseley’s in Corte Madera, 7:30pm. Contact howard1@triviacafe.com for more information and visit www.triviacafe.com for free questions.
Answers on page
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Calendar Angelo Moore Legendary frontman of ska-punk band Fishbone performs with Claude Coleman Jr (Ween). Oct 14, 8pm. $15. HopMonk Novato, 224 Vintage Way, Novato, 415.892.6200. Harvest Fest at Terrapin Crossroads Shakey Zimmerman plays songs from Neil Young’s “Harvest” and “Harvest Moon” albums, with family activities and food trucks on hand. Oct 12, 2pm. Free. Terrapin Crossroads, 100 Yacht Club Dr, San Rafael, 415.524.2773. Pete Yorn Veteran musician and singer-songwriter performs as part of his “You & Me” solo acoustic tour. Oct 13, 8pm. $39 and up. Sweetwater Music Hall, 19 Corte Madera Ave, Mill Valley, 415.388.3850.
Clubs & Venues Homestead Valley Community Center Oct 10, Mill Valley Philharmonic chamber music concert. 315 Montford Ave, Mill Valley, millvalleyphilharmonic.org. HopMonk Novato Oct 10, Country Line Dancing. Oct 11, Aaron Lee Tasjan. Oct 13, 5pm, Steve Poltz cookout concert. 224 Vintage Way, Novato, 415.892.6200. Iron Springs Public House Oct 10, Mike Taraban and Bob Smith. 901 Fourth St, San Rafael, 415.457.6258. Marin Country Mart Oct 11, 6pm, Rich Armstrong & Neo Trio. Oct 13, 12:30pm, Savannah Blu. 2257 Larkspur Landing Circle, Larkspur, 415.461.5700. Mt Tamalpais United Methodist Church Oct 13, 5pm, Mill Valley Chamber Music Society presents Ashu & Alexandre Moutouzkine. 410 Sycamore Ave, Mill Valley, chambermusicmillvalley.org. 19 Broadway Nightclub Oct 9, Olive & the Dirty Martini’s. Oct 10, Rhythms & Rhymes. Oct 11, Attila Viola & the Bakersfield Boys. Oct 12, Achilles Wheel. Oct 13, Lovin’ Dead. 17 Broadway Blvd, Fairfax, 415.459.1091. No Name Bar Oct 10, Jesse Lee Kincaid Band. Oct 11, Michael Aragon Quartet. Oct 12, Post Age. Oct 13, Doug Nichols and friends. Oct 14, Kimrea & the Dreamdogs. 757 Bridgeway, Sausalito, 415.332.1392. Osteria Divino Oct 10, James Moseley and Beverly Freeman. Oct 11, Joe Kelner Trio. Oct 12, Walter Earl Duo. Oct 13, Parker Grant Trio. Oct 15, Michael Fecskes. Oct 16, Jonathan Poretz. 37 Caledonia St, Sausalito, 415.331.9355. Panama Hotel Restaurant Oct 9, Two Smooth. Oct 10, Todos Santos.
Oct 15, Wand Stafford. Oct 16, EMK. 4 Bayview St, San Rafael, 415.457.3993. Papermill Creek Saloon Oct 10, the Deep Basement Shakers. Oct 11, the Kelly Peterson Band. Oct 12, Fairfax Social Club. Oct 13, Papermill Gang. Oct 16, the Honky Tonk Heroes. 1 Castro, Forest Knolls, 415.488.9235. Peri’s Silver Dollar Oct 9, Liquid Green. Oct 10, Mark’s Jamm Sammich. Oct 11, Oakadelic with Noelle Glory & the Guarantees. Oct 12, Ryan McCaffrey and friends. Oct 13, Fog Swamp. Oct 16, Santero Way. 29 Broadway, Fairfax, 415.459.9910. Rancho Nicasio Oct 11, LoWatters. Oct 12, Foxes in the Henhouse. Oct 13, 5pm, Jacob Aranda. 1 Old Rancheria Rd, Nicasio, 415.662.2219. Smiley’s Schooner Saloon Oct 12, El Radio Fantastique. 41 Wharf Rd, Bolinas, 415.868.1311. Sweetwater Music Hall Oct 10, “You Gave Me a Song” with Alice Gerrard and friends. Oct 11, DJ Snoopadelic. Sold-out. Oct 12, MJ’s Brass Boppers and Skip the Needle. 19 Corte Madera Ave, Mill Valley, 415.388.3850. The Tavern on Fourth Oct 11, Illy Bogart. Oct 12, Steady Eddy & the Shakers. 711 Fourth St, San Rafael, 415.454.4044. Terrapin Crossroads Oct 10, Stu Allen and friends. Oct 11, Brandon “Taz” Niederauer with Matt Jaffe. Oct 12, Painted Horses. Oct 13, Jenny Kerr Band. Oct 14, Grateful Monday with the Joe Marcinek Band. Oct 16, Shintaro Sakamoto with Gary Wilson and Once & Future Band. 100 Yacht Club Dr, San Rafael, 415.524.2773. Throckmorton Theatre Oct 12, “Nothing But The Hits” with Narada Michael Walden. Oct 13, 4pm, the Berkeley Festival of Choro concert: The Brass Edition. 142 Throckmorton Ave, Mill Valley, 415.383.9600.
Art Opening Art Works Downtown Oct 11-Nov 8, “Ceramic Sensibilities,” several artists display thoughtful works of ceramics in the 1337 Gallery, with exhibits by Lisa Clarke and Fan Lee Warren in the Underground and Founders’ galleries. Reception, Oct 11 at 5pm. 1337 Fourth St, San Rafael. 415.451.8119.
Comedy MarINSANITY Bay Area comics tape for a TV show and need a live studio audience. Space is limited, reservations recommended. Oct 14, 6:30pm. Free. Community Media Center of Marin, 819 A St, San Rafael, 415.721.0636. Mark Pitta Veteran Bay Area standup performs. Oct 11, 8pm. $30. Marin Center Showcase Theatre, 10 Avenue of the Flags, San Rafael, 415.499.6800. Tuesday Night Live See standup comedians at the top of their game. Oct 15, 8pm. $17-$27. Throckmorton Theatre, 142 Throckmorton Ave, Mill Valley, 415.383.9600.
Dance Alma del Tango Studio Mondays, 7pm, Tango Class Levels 3 & 4. Tuesdays, 7pm, Intermediate East Coast Swing Class. Wednesdays, 7pm, Tango Class Levels 1 & 2. Thursdays, 5pm, Beginning East Coast Swing Class. Fridays, 7pm, Tango Class Levels 2 & 3. 167 Tunstead Ave, San Anselmo 415.459.8966. Dance Arts Studios Mondays, 6pm, Intro to Salsa Levels 1 & 2. Tuesdays, 6pm, Foxtrot & East Coast Swing Class. Wednesdays, 6pm, Tango & Nightclub 2-Step Class. Thursdays, 6pm, East Coast Swing Class Levels 1 & 2. 704 Mission Ave, San Rafael 415.459.1020.
Events Biketoberfest Brewfest & Bike Expo Savor local brews, see amazing bikes, hear live music featuring San Geronimo and Panoramic Highway, enjoy family activities and more. Oct 12, 11am. $35-$50 tasting tickets. Fair-Anselm Plaza, 765 Center Blvd, Fairfax, marinbike.org. CABI FALL 2019 Pop-up & Fundraiser Shop for new fashions and get ideas on trends and styling tips. Oct 11, 6:30pm. The Indie Alley, 69 Bolinas Rd, Fairfax, theindiealley.com. The French Market Outdoor antique market features vintage furniture, decor, clothing, jewelry and more, with crepes and live music. Oct 13, 9am. Free admission. Marin Civic Center, 3501 Civic Center Dr, San Rafael, goldengateshows.com.
Marin Society of Artists Oct 10-Nov 2, “Marin Society of Artists Members Show,” annual exhibit demonstrates the full range of MSA artists. Reception, Oct 11 at 5pm. 1515 Third St, San Rafael. 415.464.9561.
Marin Open Studios 2020 Kickoff Party Meet other artists and enjoy refreshments, with a presentation on selling your art and more. RSVP requested. Oct 15, 6:45pm. Marin Society of Artists, 1515 Third St, San Rafael, marinopenstudios.org.
Rebound Bookstore Oct 11-Nov 1, “Kate Pepper Exhibit,” artist celebrates 10 years of watercolor paintings. Reception, Oct 11 at 5pm. 1611 Fourth St, San Rafael. 415.482.0550.
MarinMOCA Open Studios Dozens of artists open their workspace and share their creative process in the weekend event. Oct 12-13, 11am. Free. MarinMOCA, 500 Palm Dr, Novato, 415.506.0137.
Second Fridays Art Walk Anchored by Art Works Downtown galleries and artist studios, the art walk links venues throughout downtown San Rafael with receptions and entertainment. Second Fri of every month, 5pm. Art Works Downtown, 1337 Fourth St, San Rafael, 415.451.8119.
Field Trips Inverness Morning Paddle Gentle, naturalist-led tour is perfect for first-time as well as experienced paddlers. Wed, 10:30am. $88. Blue Waters Kayaking, 12944 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, Inverness, bluewaterskayaking.com. Naturalist Walk Explore the park and learn about the abundant wildflowers and wildlife in the area in a guided hike. Oct 12, 9:30am. China Camp State Park, 100 China Camp Village Rd, San Rafael, 415.456.0766. Sunrise Tour of Muir Woods See majestic trees and hear the story of the forest. Reservations required. Oct 13, 7am. Free. Muir Woods Visitor Center, 1 Muir Woods Rd, Mill Valley, 415.388.2596.
Film Break Free Tiburon Film Society presents the documentary on a couple’s two-year trek crisscrossing West Africa. Oct 10, 6:30pm. Free. Belvedere-Tiburon Library, 1501 Tiburon Blvd, Tiburon, 415.789.2665. Italian Film Festival The fest offers great films, both comedy and drama, from Italy. Sat, Oct 12, 5:30 and 7:45pm. $16/$120 full series. Marin Center Showcase Theatre, 10 Avenue of the Flags, San Rafael, italianfilm.com. Metallica & San Francisco Symphony: S&M² Heavy metal legends and acclaimed orchestra team up again for a massive concert film. Oct 14, 7pm. Smith Rafael Film Center, 1118 Fourth St, San Rafael, 415.454.1222. Movies in Creek Park Family-friendly movies screen at dusk with raffles, trivia contest and more. Oct 12, 6pm. Creek Park, Sir Francis Drake Blvd and Center Blvd, San Anselmo, moviesincreekpark.com. SUP Film Fest Inspiring evening of short films celebrates nature, conservation and the human spirit. Oct 12, 7pm. $12-$20. Glenwood Elementary, 25 West Castlewood Dr, San Rafael, 415.492.3200.
Food & Drink Corte Madera Oktoberfest Community tradition features local food, homebrewed and craft beers, wines, mead and more with live music and
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Concerts
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Clubs&Venues
Pray, Heal” with Donna Fado Ivery. Oct 13, 1pm, “My Name Is Y” with Doreen Stock. Oct 13, 4pm, “24/6: The Power of Unplugging One Day a Week” with Tiffany Shlain. Oct 14, 7pm, “United States of Distraction” with Mickey Huff. Oct 15, 7pm, “Refugees in America” with Lee T Bycel. Oct 16, 7pm, “The Butterf ly Girl” with Rene Denfeld. 51 Tamal Vista Blvd, Corte Madera 415.927.0960. Marin City Library Oct 12, 1pm, “Hidden History of Napa Valley” with Alexandria Brown. 164 Donahue St, Marin City 415.332.6157. Novato Copperfield’s Books Oct 12, 11am, “Walking with Charlie” with Scott Hayes. 999 Grant Ave, Novato 415.763.3052. Point Reyes Books Oct 14, 7pm, “Tidal Flats” with Cynthia Newberry Martin. 11315 Hwy 1, Pt Reyes Station 415.663.1542. Studio 333 Oct 10, 7pm, Why There Are Words, six authors read works based on the theme “Unrest.” 333 Caledonia St, Sausalito 415.331.8272. Sweetwater Music Hall Oct 12, 1pm, “Queen Meryl” with Erin Carlson, includes screening of “Mama Mia!” in conjunction with MVFF. Free; ticket required, 19 Corte Madera Ave, Mill Valley. mvff.com.
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family activities. Oct 12, 12pm. $10-$30. Menke Park, Redwood and Corte Madera avenues, Corte Madera, oktoberfestcortemadera.org. Off the Grid Food Trucks Eat your way through the largest gathering of mobile food trucks in Marin, listen to live music and take in great views. Sun, 11am. Marin Country Mart, 2257 Larkspur Landing Circle, Larkspur, 415.461.5700. Sausalito Wine Experience Event includes Champagne, caviar and tastes from 13 iconic wineries to benefit the Sausalito sister cities. Oct 13, 2pm. $125-$195. Casa Madrona Hotel & Spa, 801 Bridgeway, Sausalito, sausalitowineexperience.org. Sourdough Made Simple Learn how to make sourdough bread at home from an expert. Oct 12, 10am. $75. Fairfax Backyard Farmer, 135 Bolinas Rd, Fairfax, 415.342.5092. Wine Through the Ages: From Grape to your Table Wine reception and talk offers a history of wine. Oct 11, 7:30pm. Free admission. San Anselmo Library, 110 Tunstead Ave, San Anselmo, 415.258.4656.
Lectures Fall to Winter Vegetable Gardening Marin master gardener Joe Jennings gives a presentation on planting for winter. Oct 12, 10am. Free. Larkspur Library, 400 Magnolia Ave, Larkspur, 415.927.5005. Northwestern Pacific Railroad Historical Society Lecture on the history of the Guerneville Branch of the railroad. Oct 10, 7:30pm. Free; donations appreciated. San Rafael Elk’s Lodge, 1312 Mission Ave, San Rafael, 415.453.1108. Screenwriting Workshop Three-session class offers basics on story structure, dialogue and more. Oct 10, 6pm. $150. Community Media Center of Marin, 819 A St, San Rafael, 415.721.0636. Sergei Eisenstein: Soviet Communism & the Movies Talk shows how the 1920s Soviet state filmmaker developed modern filmmaking techniques. Oct 16, 7pm. Corte Madera Library, 707 Meadowsweet Dr, Corte Madera, 415.924.3515. Solo Performance Workshop Workshop is for performers, writers,
comedians, actors and other professionals who are developing original material. Oct 14, 7pm. Throckmorton Theatre, 142 Throckmorton Ave, Mill Valley, 415.383.9600. Your Voice, Your Story Author Maria Ramos-Chertok leads an interactive workshop designed to help you unleash your creativity using writing exercises. Oct 12, 12:30pm. Marin City Library, 164 Donahue St, Marin City, 415.332.6157.
Readings Angelico Hall Oct 16, 7pm, “High: Everything You Want to Know About Drugs, Alcohol & Addiction” with David and Nic Sheff. Dominican University, 50 Acacia Ave, San Rafael 415.457.4440. Bay Conference Center Oct 16, 5pm, “The Outlaw Ocean” with Ian Urbina. 3152 Paradise Dr, Tiburon 415.338.3543. Book Passage Oct 10, 7pm, “Our Dogs, Ourselves” with Alexandra Horowitz. Oct 12, 7pm, “Sleep,
Laura Partain
Acclaimed singer-songwriter Steve Poltz, known for collaborations with Jewel and his own sardonic Americana, performs a cookout concert on Sunday, Oct 13, at HopMonk Tavern in Novato. See clubs & venues, pg 23.
Best of SF Solo Series Laugh-out-loud storyteller Irma Herrera presents her one-woman-show, “Why Would I Mispronounce My Own Name?” to kick off the performance series. Oct 13, 7pm. $40. Marin Center Showcase Theatre, 10 Avenue of the Flags, San Rafael, 415.499.6800. Little Shop of Horrors A meek florist and his killer plant wreak havoc in the classic off-kilter musical. Through Oct 13. $15-$25. College of Marin James Dunn Theatre, 835 College Ave, Kentfield, 415.485.9385. The Mousetrap Ross Valley Players present the classic mystery written by Agatha Christie. Through Oct 13. $17-$29. Barn Theatre, Marin Art and Garden Center, 30 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, Ross, 415.456.9555. Sovereignty A young Cherokee lawyer fighting to restore her Nation’s jurisdiction confronts the ghosts of her grandfathers. Through Oct 20. $25-$52. Marin Theatre Company, 397 Miller Ave, Mill Valley, 415.388.5208.
The PACIFIC SUN’s calendar is produced as a service to the community. If you have an item for the calendar, send it to calendar@bohemian.com, or mail it to: NORTH BAY BOHEMIAN, 847 Fifth St, Santa Rosa CA 95404. Inclusion of events in the print edition is at the editor’s discretion. Deadline is two weeks prior to desired publication date.
TO PLACE AN AD: email legals@pacificsun.com or fax: 415.485.6226. No walk-ins
Seminars&Workshops
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT
OCTOBER 2, 9 of 2019)
To include your seminar or workshop, call 415.485.6700
SINGLES CLASS. Single & Dissatisfied? Tired of spending weekends and holidays alone? Join us to explore what’s blocking you from fulfillment in your relationships. Next nine-week Single’s Group starts October 22. Advance sign-up required. Space limited. Also weekly, Coed (emotional) Intimacy Groups and Women’s Group (all meeting now) and Individual or Couples Sessions. Meets in spacious Victorian in Central San Rafael. For more info, call Renée Owen, LMFT #35255 at 415453-8117 or email reneeowen@sbcglobal.net or http://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/renee-owen-sanrafael-ca/183422 A Day Of Spiritual Exploration. Join us for a day of interactive workshops, a Spiritual Fair, and an uplifting and inspirational program. You are invited to join in any of the free activities throughout the day. Everyone is welcome. Bring your friends and family. Featuring a Family Dream Workshop,” Dreams! What Do They Mean?” Saturday September 21st from 10:30 am - 6:00 pm. Albany Veteran’s Memorial Bldg. 1325 Portland Ave, Albany , CA 94706. For more information and a full list of events visit: [ http://www.spiritualfreedomca.org ]www.SpiritualFreedomCA.org or call 877-504-6364. Sponsored by Eckankar - The Path of Spiritual Freedom.
Seminars & Workshops CALL TODAY TO ADVERTISE
415.485.6700
Mind&Body HYPNOTHERAPY Thea Donnelly, M.A. Hypnosis, Counseling, All Issues. 25 yrs. experience. 415-459-0449.
Home Services FURNITURE REPAIR FURNITURE DOCTOR Ph/Fax: 415-383-2697
Complete Yard Clean Up
Real Estate
Landscaping & Hauling Fire Break Clearing Landscaping Free Estimates
AFFORDABLE MARIN? I can show you 60 homes under $600,000. Call Cindy Halvorson 415-902-2729, BRE #01219375. Christine Champion, BRE# 00829362.
Call Pat Now 415-250-4787
HOMES/CONDOS FOR SALE
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT —File No: 2019-147498. The following individual(s) are doing business: LIQUID STOCK, 840 APOLLO STREET, EL SEGUNDO, CA 90245: LIQUID CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC., 840 APOLLO STREET, EL SEGUNDO, CA 90245. This business is being conducted by LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. Registrant will begin transacting business under the fictitious business name(s) listed herein. This statement was filed with the County Clerk-Recorder of Marin County on AUGUST 27, 2019. (Publication Dates: SEPTEMBER 18, 25,
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT—File No: 147620. The following individual(s) are doing business: SOL SISTER, 35 BUENA VISTA AVE, MILL VALLEY, CA 94941: CRISTINA JENNINGS, 35 BUENA VISTA AVE, MILL VALLEY, CA 94941. This business is being conducted by AN INDIVIDUAL. Registrant will begin transacting business under the fictitious business name(s) listed herein. This statement was filed with the County Clerk-Recorder of Marin County on SEPTEMBER 18, 2019. (Publication Dates: SEPTEMBER 25, OCTOBER 2, 9, 16 of 2019)
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT—File No: 2019147640. The following individual(s) are doing business: TQ SOLUTIONS, 1687 HILL ROAD, NOVATO, CA 94947: TINA M QUINTANILLA, 1687 HILL ROAD, NOVATO, CA 94947:. This business is being conducted by AN INDIVIDUAL. Registrant will begin transacting business under the fictitious business name(s) listed herein. This statement was filed with the County Clerk-Recorder of Marin County on SEPTEMBER 20, 2019. (Publication Dates: SEPTEMBER 25, OCTOBER 2, 9, 16 of 2019)
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please. All submissions must include a phone number and email. Ad deadline is Thursday, noon to be included in the following Wednesday print edition.
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PublicNotices FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT—File No: 147485. The following individual(s) are doing business: MODICA HOME, 15 E. BLITHEDALE AVE, MILL VALLEY, CA 94941: CHERYL MODICA, 13 SKYLARK #1, LARKSPUR, CA 94939. This business is being conducted by AN INDIVIDUAL. Registrant will begin transacting business under the fictitious business name(s) listed herein. This statement was filed with the County Clerk-Recorder of Marin County on AUGUST 26, 2019. (Publication Dates: OCTOBER 2, 9, 16, 23 of 2019) FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT—File No: 2019147544. The following individual(s) are doing business: JC TOWING, 5 SAINT PAUL CIRCLE, NOVATO, CA 94947: JOSE D GUZMAN CASTILLO, 5 SAINT PAUL CIRCLE, NOVATO, CA 94947. This business is being conducted by AN INDIVIDUAL. Registrant will begin transacting business under the fictitious business name(s) listed herein. This statement was filed with the County Clerk-Recorder of
Marin County on SEPTEMBER 6, 2019. (Publication Dates: OCTOBER 2, 9, 16, 23 of 2019) FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT—File No: 147622. The following individual(s) are doing business: AMANDA MATHSON, 62 CHESTER AVENUE, FAIRFAX, CA 94930: AMANDA LOREN LEE, 62 CHESTER AVENUE, FAIRFAX, CA 94930:. This business is being conducted by AN INDIVIDUAL. Registrant will begin transacting business under the fictitious business name(s) listed herein. This statement was filed with the County Clerk-Recorder of Marin County on SEPTEMBER 18, 2019. (Publication Dates: OCTOBER 2, 9, 16, 23 of 2019) FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT—File No: 147657. The following individual(s) are doing business: POINT MARIN, 6 CREEKSIDE COURT, NOVATO, CA 94945: POINT MARIN, LLC, 6 CREEKSIDE COURT, NOVATO, CA 94945:. This business is being conducted by A LIMITED
LIABILITY COMPANY. Registrant will begin transacting business under the fictitious business name(s) listed herein. This statement was filed with the County Clerk-Recorder of Marin County on SEPTEMBER 24, 2019. (Publication Dates: OCTOBER 2, 9, 16, 23 of 2019) FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT—File No: 147521. The following individual(s) are doing business: BRIDGE TO BRIDGE APPRAISERS, 8 LUISA CT., SAN RAFAEL, CA 94903: BRIDGE TO BRIDGE ENTERPRISES INC., 454 LAS GALLINAS AVE., SAN RAFAEL, CA 94903. This business is being conducted by A CORPORATION. Registrant will begin transacting business under the fictitious business name(s) listed herein. This statement was filed with the County Clerk-Recorder of Marin County on AUGUST 29, 2019. (Publication Dates: OCTOBER 9, 16, 23, 30 of 2019) FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT—File No: 147703. The following individual(s) are doing busi-
ness: DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH CONSIGNMENT BOUTIQUE, 448 MILLER AVE, MILL VALLEY, CA 94941: SYBIL ALIZA MAYFIELD., 316 MESA VERDE WAY, SAN RAFAEL, CA 94903., ZACK CECIL MAYFIELD., 316 MESA VERDE WAY, SAN RAFAEL, CA 94903. This business is being conducted by A MARRIED COUPLE. Registrant will begin transacting business under the fictitious business name(s) listed herein. This statement was filed with the County Clerk-Recorder of Marin County on OCTOBER 03, 2019. (Publication Dates: OCTOBER 9, 16, 23, 30 of 2019) FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT—File No: 147684. The following individual(s) are doing business: RINKOR TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS, 2600 MENDOCINO AVE #C, SANTA ROSA, CA 95403: ACME SECURITY CENTER, INC., 2600 MENDOCINO AVE #C, SANTA ROSA, CA 95403. This business is being conducted by A CORPORTATION. Registrant will begin transacting business under the fictitious
business name(s) listed herein. This statement was filed with the County Clerk-Recorder of Marin County on SEPTEMBER 30, 2019. (Publication Dates: OCTOBER 9, 16, 23, 30 of 2019) OTHER NOTICES ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME CASE NUMBER: CIV 1903502 SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF MARIN TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS 1. Petitioner (name of each): Layli Adelstein, has filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Present Name: Ted Barry Adelstein to Proposed Name: Teddy Dov Adelstein 2. THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter shall appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days
before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. if no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. NOTICE OF HEARING a. Date: 11/14/2019, Time: 9:00am, Dept: B, Room: B. The address of the court is same as noted above; 3501 Civic Center Drive, San Rafael, CA 94903. 3.a. A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the Pacific Sun, a newspaper of general circulation, printed in the county of Marin. DATED: September 13, 2019 Andrew E Sweet Judge of the Superior Court James M Kim Court Executive Officer MARIN COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT By E. Anderson, Deputy (SEPTEMBER 25, OCTOBER 2, 9, 16 of 2019)
By Amy Alkon
Q:
About six weeks ago, I started dating the nicest guy. I have some intimacy issues, and having somebody be nice to me is new and uncomfortable. I freaked out one night and had sex with somebody else. I know this guy I’m dating isn’t sleeping with other women, but we haven’t had the official talk. I don’t plan on doing this again, but I really want to confess. The guilt is terrible.—Disgusted With Myself
A:
The only man with whom you should be discussing your recent sexual history is Dr. Maury Finkelbaum, your 7,000-year-old gynecologist. You and Neighbordude have no agreement for sexual exclusivity, and you can’t violate a treaty that doesn’t exist. Still, assuming he isn’t getting it on with anyone else, it’s natural you’d feel guilty about an asymmetry in sexual grazing. Human psychology evolved to have an inner-accounting staff monitoring the fairness level of our behavior—calculating whether we’re giving as much as we’re getting. However, evolution doesn’t care whether we’re nice people. It just wants us to survive so we can pass on our genes. Accordingly, this fairness-monitoring system safeguards our physical survival through safeguarding our social survival. Even today, when we perceive we’re getting more than our fair share of something, our behavioral accounts-payable team pings us in the form of feelbad: the noxious, gut-churning feeling of guilt. Research by evolutionary psychologist Daniel Sznycer and his colleagues deems guilt a “recalibrational emotion.” Translated from the Professorese, this means that our wanting to stop the feelbad from guilt motivates us to even the balance between ourselves and somebody we’ve shorted in some way. The thing is, emotion, which rises up automatically with no effort from us, needs to be fact-checked by reason. Unfortunately, reason has to be dragged out of bed and forced to work. And that’s what you need to do with yours. Again, remember you and this guy had no exclusivity agreement that would have barred you from venturing into other men’s beds, back seats or sex dungeons. Also, let’s get real on why you’re longing to tell. It isn’t to make the guy feel better but to make yourself feel better—to rid yourself of the psychological tension that comes from holding back information. Next, consider the view from psychiatrist and evolutionary researcher Randolph Nesse that painful emotions are important motivational tools. Just as searing pain gets you to lift your hand pronto, you can use your guilt-induced discomfort in a positive way: as reinforcement against your stepping out on the guy once you two do have a relationship. Other helpful insight comes from research on “attachment.” The “attachment behavioral system,” explain social scientists Mario Mikulencer and Philip Shaver, motivates human beings, from infancy on, “to seek proximity to significant others (attachment figures) in times of need.” A person’s “attachment style” indicates the degree to which a person “worries that a partner will not be responsive in times of need” (including the worry that one’s partner will flee the relationship entirely). However, Mikulencer and Shaver note that “a growing body of research shows that attachment style can change, subtly or dramatically.” One way to change it is through asking your partner to be physically and emotionally expressive with you in loving, cuddly ways. Research by psychologist Brooke C. Feeney finds that the more an insecurely attached person sees their partner is there for them, the more independent they can be. Finally, there’s something you can do to help yourself feel more secure, per Mikulencer and Shaver’s research: Turn on the TV in your head and run helpful programming—a mental video of warm, fuzzy “attachment figures.” The researchers explain that “thoughts of an available and supportive attachment figure” lead people with a lot of attachment insecurities “to behave more like secure people.” Or, putting this another way, your response to a man being really loving to you would be to give love in return—as opposed to giving excuses like “I was so freaked out by how nice you were to me that I tripped and fell on somebody else’s penis.” Got a problem? Write Amy Alkon at 171 Pier Ave. #280, Santa Monica, CA 90405, or email adviceamy@aol.com. @amyalkon on Twitter. Weekly radio show, blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon
Astrology
For the week of October 9
ARIES (March 21-April 19): “Love is when you
meet someone who tells you something new about yourself,” wrote poet André Breton. I think that’s an excellent principle to put at the top of your priority list in the coming weeks, Aries. To be in maximum alignment with cosmic rhythms, you should seek input from allies who’ll offer insights about you that are outside your current conceptions of yourself. You might even be daring enough to place yourself in the paths of strangers, acquaintances, animals and teachers who can provide novel reflections. There’s just one caveat: Stay away from people who might be inclined to fling negative feedback.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Constantine
P. Cavafy’s poem “Waiting for the Barbarians” imagines the imminent arrival of an unpredictable agent of chaos. “The barbarians are coming today,” declares the narrator. Everyone in town is uneasy. People’s routines are in disarray. Faces look worried. What’s going to happen? But the poem has a surprise ending. “It is night, and the barbarians haven’t come,” reports the narrator. “Some people have arrived from the frontier and say that there aren’t any more barbarians.” I propose that we use this scene as a metaphor for your life right now, Taurus. It’s quite possible that the perceived threat isn’t really a threat. So here’s my question, taken from near the end of the poem: “What are we going to do now without the barbarians?”
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Some folklorists prefer the term “wonder tales” rather than “fairy tales.” Indeed, many such stories are filled with marvelous events that feature magical transformations, talking animals and mythical creatures like elves and dragons and unicorns. I bring this up, Gemini, because I want to encourage you to read some wonder tales. Hopefully, as you do, you’ll be inspired to re-imagine your life as a wonder tale; you’ll reframe the events of the “real world” around you as being elements in a richly entertaining wonder tale. Why do I recommend this? Because wonder tales are like waking dreams that reveal the wishes and curiosities and fascinations of your deep psyche. And I think you will benefit profoundly in the coming weeks from consciously tuning in to those wishes and curiosities and fascinations. CANCER (June 21-July 22): I suspect that in the coming days you’ll be able to see into everyone’s souls more vividly than usual. You’ll have a special talent for piercing through the outer trappings of their personalities so as to gaze at the essence beneath. It’s as if your eyes will be blessed by an enhancement that enables you to discern what’s often hidden. This upgrade in your perception may at times be unsettling. For some of the people you behold, the difference between how they present themselves and who they actually are will be dramatic. But for the most part, penetrating to the depths should be fun and enriching—even healing. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): “This heart is rusty,” writes poet Gabriel Gadfly. “It creaks, it clanks, it crashes and rattles and bangs.” Why is his heart in such a state? Because he has been separated from a person he loves. And so he’s out of practice in doing the little things, the caring gestures and tender words, that a lover does to keep the heart well-oiled. It’s my observation that most of us go through rusty-heart phases like this even when we are living in close proximity to an intimate ally. We neglect to practice the art of bestowing affectionate attention and low-key adoration. We forget how important it is for our own welfare that we continually refresh and reinvigorate our heart intelligence. These are good meditations for you right now, Leo.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “All the effort in the world won’t matter if you’re not inspired,” writes novelist Chuck Palahniuk. I agree! And that’s a key meditation for you right now. Your assignment is to enhance and upgrade the inspiration you feel about the activities that are most important to you—the work and the play that give you the sense you’re living a meaningful life. So how do you boost your
By Rob Brezsny
excitement and motivation for those essential actions you do on a regular basis? Here’s a good place to begin: visualize in exuberant detail all the reasons you started doing them in the first place.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): I hope you are embarking on a vigorous new phase of selfredefinition. I trust you are excited about shedding old ways of thinking about yourself and eager to revise and re-imagine the plot of your life story. As you do, keep in mind this helpful counsel from physicist Richard Feynman: “You have no responsibility to live up to what other people think you ought to accomplish. I have no responsibility to be like they expect me to be. It’s their mistake, not my failing.” SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You’ve probably heard the saying, “Genius is 99 percent perspiration and one percent inspiration.” It’s often attributed to inventor Thomas Edison. 16th-century artist Michelangelo expressed a similar idea. “If you knew how much labor went into it, you would not call it genius,” he said about one of his masterpieces. I’m guessing that you Scorpios have been in a phase when these descriptions are highly apropos. The work you’ve been doing may look productive and interesting and heroic to the casual observer, and maybe only you know how arduous and exacting it has been. So now what do you do? I say it’s time to enjoy the fruits of your efforts. Celebrate! Give yourself a thrilling gift.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): “The universe is under no obligation to make sense to you,” declared astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. If that’s even a little bit true, I bet you won’t believe it in the coming weeks. According to my analysis, the universe will make a great deal of sense to you—at times even exquisite, beautiful, breathtaking sense. Life will be in a revelatory and articulate mood. The evocative clues coming your way about the nature of reality could tempt you to believe that there is indeed a coherent plan and meaning to your personal destiny. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): In 2005,
Facebook was a start-up company barely on the map of the internet. Its president asked graffiti artist David Choe to paint murals on the walls of its headquarters. Choe asked for $60,000, but the president convinced him to be paid with Facebook stock instead. Years later, when Facebook went public, Choe became a multi-millionaire. I suspect that in the coming months you will be faced with choices that are less spectacular than that, Capricorn, but similar and important. My conclusion: Be willing to consider smart gambles when projects are germinating.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): “Experiment is the sole source of truth,” wrote philosopher and polymath Henri Poincaré. “It alone can teach us something new; it alone can give us certainty.” He wasn’t merely referring to the kinds of experiments that scientists conduct in laboratories. He was talking about the probes and explorations we can and should carry out in the course of our daily lives. I mention this, Aquarius, because the coming days will be prime time for you to do just that: ask provocative questions, initiate novel adventures and incite fun learning experiences. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In my opinion,
Piscean singer, poet and actor Saul Williams produces high-quality art. So he has earned a right to critique mediocre art. In speaking about movies and TV shows that are hard to enjoy unless we dumb ourselves down, he says that “we have more guilty pleasure than actual f------ pleasure.” Your assignment in the coming weeks, Pisces, is to cut back on your “guilty pleasures”—the entertainment, art and socializing that brings meager returns—as you increase and upgrade your actual f------ pleasure.
Go to realastrology.com to check out Rob Brezsny’s Expanded Weekly Audio Horoscopes and Daily Text Message Horoscopes. Audio horoscopes are also available by phone at 1.877.873.4888.
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