5X!1th~~rn JAN UARY 20 - JAN UARY 26 For 19 years The Synthesis' goal has remained to provide a forum for entertainment, music, humor, community awareness, opinions, and change.
PUBLISHER Kathy Barrett kathy@synmedia.net
MANAGING EDITOR Amy Olson amy@synthesis.net
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Tanner Ulsh graphics@synthesis.net
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Amy Olson amy@synthesis.net calendar@synthesis.net
DESIGNERS Colin Leiker, Mike Valdez graphics@synthesis.net
DELIVERIES Joey Murphy, Jennifer Foti
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Arielle Mullen, Bob Howard, Erica Koenig, Howl, Jaime O'Neill, Koz McKev, Tommy Diestel, Dan O'Brien, Jackie Reardon, Negin Riazi, JD DiGiovanni, Jayme Washburn, Eli Schwartz
PHOTOGRAPHY Jessica Sid Vincent Latham
DRAG QUEEN EMPIRE How far back does drag go? Who was "Chico Sal?" What is drag, and why do people do it? What is the Sovereign Court of the Czaristic Dynasty? Get the whole story straight from the queen's mouth, and get to know the lovable Deryl Northcote.
PAGE 6 IMMACULATE INFECTION
PAGE 5 PRODUCTIVITY WASTED
GIVING MLK HIS PROPERS What would the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. want you to do to honor the sacrifices he made for the Civil Rights movement, his life, and his legacy? Go do some shopping maybe?
PAGE 18 COMICAL RUMINATIONS
PAGE 7 OLD CROCK
FIRE-BOMBS AND FIREBRANDS TIME CAPSULE Did you know Chico's Planned Parenthood was the target of arson back in 1994? Did you know there was a big controversy over how to deal with panhandling? Thank God society has moved past those issues.
NERD Dain Sandoval dain@synthesis.net
ACCOUNTING Ben Kirby
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS Karen Potter
OWNER Bill Fishkin bill@synthesis.net The Synthesis is both owned and published by Apartment 8 Productions. All things published in these pages are the property of Apartment 8 Productions and may not be reproduced, copied or used in any other way, shape or form without the written consent of Apartment 8 Productions.
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One copy (maybe two) of the Synthesis is
SPORTS BALL
available free to residents in Butte, Tehama and Shasta counties. Anyone caught removing papers will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. All opinions expressed throughout the Synthesis are those of the author and are not necessarily the same opinions as Apartment 8 Productions
and the Synthesis. The Synthesis welcomes, wants, and will even desperately beg for letters because we care what you think. We can be reached via snail mail at
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Cover Photography:
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Melanie MacTavish
JANUARY 20 - JANUARY 26, 2014
3
PET OF THE WEEK
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
EX-PECTATIONS
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After talking to Deryl Northcote for our feature this week, I got to thinking a lot about outside perceptions and the burden it can lay on a person to either live up to or disprove them.
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DAVID HOUSDEN - "ESCAPE"
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SCHOOLBOY Q- "MAN OF THE YEAR"
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JAN UARY 20 - JAN UARY 26, 2014
The best example I can give you is how weird it is being divorced. It divides your life into these extremely definite chapters. The contrast is even more dramatic than a graduation or moving to a new city, because the way that person (with whom you were so intimately entangled) viewed you penetrated the way you viewed yourself during an entire era of your lifealmost like during that chapter you were an entirely different person in an entirely different world. For added weirdness, you can be sucked back into that world within 3 seconds of talking to them again. Every now and then, something comes up and my ex and I have to awkwardly interact. I always leave the conversations feeling momentarily trapped in his (perceived) perception of me. It's that whole "I am who I think you think I am" thing. Whether these things are really what's in his mind or not, I always imagined that what he sees is a weak person who makes nothing but mistakes that inconvenience him; a shell of a person whose value is in what I can do to make his life easier. Even when he's being friendly, I feel this underlying level of guilt about being powerless to make him happy. That feeling makes me behave in strange ways; I
want to watch a lot of TV and bake things. A few minutes later I remember my real life, like waking up from a dream, and shake it off. It's not like living in that bubble of reflected self image was unique to being with him (or his fault). I had developed a life strategy early on that was like being in an improv troupe with the world. I used to navigate uncomfortable social situations by reacting in whatever way I thought would get me through conversations in the smoothest manner possible. I avoided revealing anything meaningful about myself, reflected back speech patterns and body language, and told people whatever I thought they wanted to hear. My true self was like a fragile secret I had to protect. Now, of course, I take the opposite approach. Part of the shift happened because I just couldn't stand living in a shell any more, and part of it was because I chose to form my next relationship with a person who showed me (through his positive reactions to my honesty, and his example) that it was way better to be totally transparent. I'll tell anything to anybody (like right now, to you), to the point of oversharing on a regular basis. It's been incredibly liberating, and I highly recommend it. The biggest surprise was discovering that being bold isn't nearly as difficult as I always thought it was, and that being open makes you feel so incredibly alive and loved.
AMY OLSON - AMY@SYNTHESIS.NET SYNTHESISWEEKLY.COM
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CLIMATE FEARS AND FLAMING CURTAINS
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between projects on the farm and work friends and neighbors are almost foisting upon me I haven't had much time to stop and contemplate. My ever-present sense of urgency and impending doom is still with me. Onward, pagan soldier.
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Whose Town is it, Anyway? In Chico news I'm hearing one-sided reports that the "R-Town"-the subtext being " not your town"-campaign has been wildly successful. I'm not opposed to volunteers cleaning up trash, but the images of the eerily empty downtown plaza, exposed and barren in all its concrete glory, creep me out. A park isn't really a park without a few folks in it, sitting and enjoying the day. I guess they made that illegal-sitting and lying down is illegal. Has anyone wrapped their head around that? Welcome to America in the year 2014. All in the name of making sure one segment of the population doesn't have to be exposed to anything that might make them question themselves or feel uncomfortable. Keep shopping, everything is going to be okay, pay no attention to the slobbering, spark-shooting, hyperventilating android behind the curtain; and if you happen to be part of the population that has the money, go ahead, piss and puke in the streets, set couches on fire, etc. etc. Now we have an army of volunteers who are happy to clean up after you. Keep shopping, keep shopping, keep shopping. Is it my imagination, or is the curtain starting to catch fire?
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JAN UARY 20 - JAN UARY 26, 2014
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PRODUCTIVITY WASTED BY ELI SCHWARTZ
CONTINUE?9876543210
Now more than ever, a question has become elevated from dismissive to debatable: can a video game be art? This paradigm shift has encouraged new games that define themselves on the cover as art, and created new challenges and controversies for developers.
completely screwed up because the player character handles stairs like a greased monkey in socks on linoleum and went flying off to the bottom of the stage, ruining my chances of making it to the exit on time. Combat is made difficult by inaccurate attacks and limited angles.
Continue?9876543210 is an art game. The game is a serious meditation on the various aspects that make up life and thought, tied through with the threat and acceptance of death. Not a game you play at a party, if you catch my drift.
Outside of the action, the mechanics are to talk to people who randomly spawn and quickly de-spawn throughout a level. But let's say you found, approached and talked to one; they 'd either offer you information, an opportunity to obtain a new item, or just some random dialogue. But let 's say they gave In the game, you play the discarded spirit you an opportunity which led to a new item. of a dead video game character, wandering The item could help you escape and progress, through the fragmented, ethereal realm or it could do nothing. All of this is done under of Random Access Memory. The player a very low time limit. High difficulty with bad is hunted by GC.exe, an application controls with randomization-all under a time designed to recycle old data in order to limit. free up space for the game. The idea is an ingenious metaphor for death and the What that makes is a frustration only subconscious, and I knew I had to try it. deepened by the desire to learn more about the story you can 't progress through. The storyline of the game itself is loose The contemplative nature of the game is and partially randomly generated, with overwhelmed by the frenetic difficulty, and different moments appearing from we're left with more conflict between the different worlds, each with different "art" and "game" of the art game. While not themes and concepts of our world unplayable, Continue is frustrating. If you feel and lives. Yet each of these small cutyou can-or at least desire to-look past that scenes and scraps of dialogue contribute to unlock its emotional and philosophical powerfully to the feel and themes of the exploration, then get the game, learn and game, and leave the player emotionally discover. If that reward doesn't sound worth hooked to experience and learn from the the issues, then its negatives essentially next world. As a work of art, the game has counterbalance its positives. serious potential. As a game, however, it's seriously flawed. First off, the game is hard. Late game, it's so difficult it nears becoming mostly dependent on luck. Bad controls make the problem even worse; I had a golden run
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JANUARY 20 - JAN UARY 26, 2014
Continue ?9876543210 for PC, Mac, Linu x and iOS Available on Steam , in the Humble Store, or in the iOS App Store. http://continue9876543210.com/
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COMICAL RUMINATIONS BY ZOO EY MA E - ZOOEYMAE@SYNTHESISNET
DYSTOPIAN EMOJIS I've never been too into using emojis. To me it seems like something a sweaty middle aged weirdo with an unhealthy Hello Kitty obsession would be into. Recently though, as part of a French campaign to raise awareness about the vast number of sexual predators on line, a small series of emojis were brought to life. Their intended goal might have been to show the dangers of letting your kids roam free on the information highway, but really the thing that most jumps out at me is the realization that emojis should never be brought to life. Go to www. innocenceendanger.org to see the whole series. Is it just me or is there a startling lack of imagination present in Hollywood these days? Don't get me wrong, sometimes there are exceptions to the rule (Her), but mostly the studios just keep churning out pointless dribble that's either a remake of something better that's already been made, or a weird amalgamation of themes
that feel like studio execs are just pulling verbs and nouns out of a hat. I'm pretty sure the only reason Cowboys and Aliens was made is that a bunch of writers got together in a room with a pile of cocaine and used the script as an extended Mad Libs game. In a move that's left George Orwell fans irate, The Verge has announced that Orwell's dystopian novel 1984 will soon be turned into a movie starring (vomit) Kristen Stewart and Nicholas Hou It {Warm Bodies). The script was written by Nathan Parker, who wrote the screenplay for Moon, which, if you haven't seen, stop reading my stupid column and go watch it. Directing this project is Drake Doremus, who directed Like Crazy. The terrible part about this movie being made isn't the fact that they're just recycling old ideas instead of inventing something new, or even that Kristen Stewart, professional sigh utterer and hair flipper, has landed the lead role. The real issue
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is that they've decided to " update" the story, and concentrate on the romance. In the book (spoiler alert), the two who fall in love, betray each other, then end up being brainwashed back to their original mentally-mushy state, so really it's not a super happy ending. This redheaded stepchild of a movie is called Equals, and most likely it'll be a perfect representation of the usual Hollywood bullshit. However, with Nathan Parker on board maybe they'll stick with the depressing ending and we can all watch the movie then have an angry cry afterwards. Apparently even ol' K-Stew isn't totally confident she can pull off this role (psst-Kristen ... neither are we). She's been quoted as saying : "I trust Drake's process and I know we will do something really natural and real. But I told Drake, 'Don't expect that I'm going to be able to do this. It's too hard.' I've given directors disclaimers before, but never this much." Wowzers.
JAN UARY 20 - JAN UARY 26, 2014
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eryl Northcote, aka Claudette De Versailles, is amazing. Not just because he's great with hair, has a bawdy sense of humor, and has a vast store of knowledge about costumes, fashion, and Golden Age starlets . As if there needed to be more than that, he's also one of Chico's very first drag queens, founder of the Imperial Sovereign Court Of The Czaristic Dynasty (Northern California's branch of the International Imperial Court. We'll get into that later, but you may want to read the Wikipedia entry because it's nuts.) (No pun intended .), Drag Mother to many, and a pioneering force for integration between the gay and straight communities.
D
I came into this interview with so many muddled questions about the history of drag, the perspective, the constructs of the subculture, and how queens became such a visible part of what- by all rights- could've been just another redneck town in the middle of nowhere. Not only did he shed a lot of light on those subjects, he also left me with lots of food for thought. And Honey, I love a buffet. Perhaps more than anything I was left with this question: what makes a good party great? Why is it that drag queens are so awesome at turning up that volume? Is it the breaking of taboos? Is it the glamorous fantasy that's missing from our lives? ls it because they're experts at making everybody laugh at the things others are scared to touch? Whatever it is, I intend to put on something outrageous and find out at the Coronation Ball, happening Saturday, January 25th at the ARC Pavillion . See our event calendar for more details.
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JANUARY 20 - JANUARY 26, 2014
What's the story with drag? I'm still looking for history, so [it would be great] if in any way this article actually makes it where people go, "I knew a queen that used to perform here in the '50s ... "or whatever... it's very hard to know because it's word of mouth . The earliest queen that we know of in Northern California was black, and named "Chico Sal." He's slivered in the history of Chico, but not a lot is known about him . He was a guy who was considered an eccentric, who used to walk around Chico in the early days in drag. Like [in the] '10s' Like horse and buggy days' There's one story about how he did a fund raiser in downtown Chico, and they had people throw balls at his mouth and he'd try to catch them in his teeth . His ability to survive being "that person" meant he had to have a damn good sense of humor. But you could go as far back as Shakespearean times, or you could go as far back as geishas ... before they were women, the term geisha meant an artist, and they actually were men who entertained, kind of along the vein of jesters. But you see it a lot throughout history. Like in Shakespearean times, women were not allowed to perform because it was looked at as a whorish occupation for a woman . "Good" women were not supposed to be vain and presenting themselves onstage. Traditional drag [in modern times] was also kind of a counter cultural thing; in the gay community particularly it was a form of revolution - like with hippies and "the man," and
growing their hair out- you're telling me I can't be this, so I'm gonna be this. But generally, I look at drag as more of an art form, no different than a geisha is performing, or any other kind of entertainment in that vein . Like Vaudeville, or any of that. [Although] I think drag is probably closer, in a weird way, to geisha culture, because you do end up in a house, you do end up with a pseudo-mother figure usually. There is a weird sisterhood to it. The rule used to be that the person who put you in drag the first time, or helps you get dressed up, becomes your "Drag Mother." That's still the case for some people. I think of the role of Drag Mother as much broader, because a lot of times- because of the way society is- people are forced to recreate families because their own families abandon them . They have to turn around and, through this counter-culture, rebuild the family unit again . The mother role is important in that you help them figure out things like insurance, and try to help guide them and help them along. But you learn just as much from them, you know what I mean? Because drag constantly evolves . Now, when I started it was an accident. I never thought I'd do this, I'd never even thought about it. I was invited to a '50s cross dressing party when I was 16 with my best friend . We went to the Salvation Army and bought '50s dresses. We didn't have wigs, I didn't have shoes, but just nylons and a '50s dress with lipstick and eyeshadow.
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dUSP Of HP Wd~ SOCiPt~ iS-~PO~IP dfP fOf CP~ to fPCf PdtP fdmiliPS ~PCdUSP t~Pir own fdmiliPs d~dn~on t~Pm.' ' I was the first person to hit downtown before it was gayfriendly, and definitely was not friendly to drag. The guys from Duffy's-when Duffy's was relatively new and had just opened-came out to the old gay bar (900 Cherry Street) and saw Cabaret Claudette. I was doing my first live show, and they liked it and invited me to do Cabaret Claudette at Duffy's . So, once I came downtown, I thought, "Well, it's stupid that we all can't party together." Like, that's what turned the ph ilosoph ical coin for me. I thought, since I'd been in the punk rock scene and the New Wave scene-that whole period of Boy George androgyny- there's not that big of a step between the two. It's similar; it's messing with our perceptions of gender identification and masculine and feminine. How did you choose Claudette De Versailles? What 's Claudette all about?
Ohl Well. .. I had started doing more and more shows, going up to Redding and traveling to Sacramento, doing shows all over, and I was meeting all these other queens. It was the '80s .. .so in that particular time period (and there's not a lot of us left because of the AIDS crisis from that particular generation) a lot of us chose elegant and glamorous names. I always liked the movie It Happened One Night, and I really liked Claudette Colbert So you kind of pick a woman or a star or somebody you admire, and obviously Claudette is a name that not a lot of people Immediately jump to. [Plus] I wanted a French name. I had been in Europe when I was 16, and went to Versailles ... And so I thought, "Well that's the grandest, most glamorous place I know of." So that's how I became Claudette De Versailles . What does it mean to be a Drag Queen?
Drag to me is open ended . Like there's drag kings, who are women performing the more masculine roles ... but I think drag can mean the guys going up to the Crazy Horse who aren't real cowboys wearing cowboy outfits. That to me is their drag. A lot of things are drag. But drag is particularly associated as cross-gender dressing. People get it confused a lot with trans-sexuality Sometimes peop le get confused because it's such a taboo subject; they lump us all into this one category ...or they think we're all out to get laid or are dressed like that to trick men . But to me it's a costume. I've always don e theatre, so it's no different for me than playing Malvolio in Twelfth Night. You put on the makeup, put on the costume, get in character, do the show. But the difference is a drag character tends to move in and out of the stage world. In drag, unlike theatre, we more often than not don't take the
costume off; we stay in it for th e rest of the evening, and that breaks the fourth wall. People get to enjoy it onstage, but then they actually want to be with you when the show is over because they're fascinated with it It's like an aura, it's some kind of thing that they're attracted to, like a moth to a flame . I've never been to a party or a bar or anywhere where there's a drag queen present and you didn't know it was going to be fun . Like, just the presence of a drag queen in a room of 200 people changes the dynamic of that party for some reason . Drag particularly flourished in what's called cabaret theatres . The way I define cabaret is different from my study of cabaret In the old days like in Germany or France, the working class couldn't afford to go to the operas or the plays or the theatre, all that big stuff. But cabaret brought the theatre into the bars, into the coffee shops. Cabaret to me is working class theatre. It brings theatre to the people. And so that's obviously where queens have thrived-doing clubs and little bars, like the Maltese's shows, like Duffy's, all these little bars around here ... biker bars .. .we've pretty much performed everywhere in this town . Except, we've never made it into college town .. Yet I look at that as a personal goal : that one day somebody will be brave enough to book us. I think that the college community, even though it's still new to them, would actually have a helluva good time with the right drag show. Once they get over their fear of it I mean, there's nothing really that scary about it, it's just a queen in a dress. Or a woman in slacks. Sometimes I think [that fear is] because of society and the way men are raised-to become a drag queen he's giving up his male birthright to power, and taking on the role of the submissive woman is an insult to manly men. We make people question their trad itional values, things they were taught generation after generation . And those things ore starting to change, but still, some people at certain points have said to me, "Oh, doing drag is an insult to women, because you're mocking women." And I'm like, I don't think we're mocking women at all. We're certainly effeminate, but I'd generally say we're more fantasy than reality. No woman would walk around on a Wednesday night in a cocktail dress with a five foot train . Do you feel like it's changed you at all? Like in just your regular life?
It's completely changed everything about my life. Because, you know, at a very very young age I was taking on the role of mother when some of the people I was dealing with were older than me. By the time I was 25, I'd already created the Court of Chico, I'd made up the title of Czarina, I'd brought this international system here. At 26 I'd become the Dowager Empress of the court here. It's been expensive, it's been heartbreaking. It's very hard because people tend to put you into a role, and they tend to take the humanity out of it for you . They can force you to become that character. They can have expectations that are higher on you than ot her people. Your faults are magnified . This other character I kind of think of as my wife, because she gets a lot of attention and she costs a lot I have to go without in order to make her happen . And it is great to be
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wanted for a lot of the shows, but sometimes the drag thing had affected me in the fact that people sometimes never get to know me because they see me only as that It can create a barrier, but for as many barriers as it creates it opens so many doors and [makes for] such tighter friendships . There is such a tight bond between me and my friends no matter what their walk is. We've become closer over th~ years because they know what I'm doing, and they know I'm doing what I do to liquidate barriers, not create more ... When I'm doing a show or if I'm dressed up for an event that's going on, I'm not dressing up for my pleasure; I'm dressing up because I want the crowd to have a good time. I'm there to facilitate it I'm there to entertain them . So that helps a lot Is it dangerous? Yes . Have I been attacked? Yes . Have I almost been beat up many times? Yes, lots of times . The most powerful tool I think a drag queen has is a good sense of humor and a sharpness of wit That sharpness of wit can be misinterpreted as bitchiness; you 'll see it even among the queens where you'll get this snappy like "Giiiir/J" all that kind of stuff, but those are defense mechanisms. Usually if somebody is being really nasty to you, if you can, find the humor in it and make them laugh with you, and you can diffuse the situation . But there are times when that doesn't work . There are times when they're out to hurt you . I've had to be escorted physically out of bars because some guy, for some reason, was offended by me and wanted to kill me. So there is a very dark side to it, and that's why I believe in avoiding those confrontations as much as possible. But I also think that I have the right to be whoever I am wherever I want to go. If there's a place where you know there is a deep, steeped hatred, don't go over there in drag and pick a fight cont. on pg 10 JANUARY 20 - JAN UA RY 26, 2014
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There will always be people who don't like us. There will always be people who don't care, they're not into it, they don't understand it, nor do they want to . And you know what? I respect those people. They don't have to like what we like. They don't have to like what we do. Not everyone has to be a fan of drag. There's some drag that /'m not really a fan
of. Everybody has a right to their own taste. Like I always say about human sexuality, if you ask someone "What's your favorite color?" and the person says what their favorite color is, and then you ask them "Why is that your favorite?" they could never describe why. You just are attracted to that color. It's just a personal response to something. Tell me about the Court system and how they choose the Emperor and Empress. The Court is a 50l(c)(3) non-profit. It's run legitimately with an elected board of directors. So the board of directors and all the people that have been Emperors and Empresses in the past have a review board where they review the people that are prospectives to become Emperor and Empress. We just had that, and we've announced our candidate for this year, Bijou L'Amour. She's the only one. There were other candidates that didn't pass because they have to prove that they know the history and traditions of the group, they know how the bylaws and constitution work, and they know how to throw a party, because that's the job. They are elected by the community; anyone can vote, you just need an ID. It's all legitimate and votes are legitimately counted . The current person is running unopposed, but that doesn't mean they get elected automatically. They could be no-voted . But I think the current candidate is quite innovative, and hopefully the new Empress will do quite well . What are the responsibilities of the Empress? Responsibilities of the Empress are to preside over their area, be a public figure, to not take themselves too seriouslyalthough there is a seriousness to it because they're responsible for raising as much charity money as they can . That's actually the signature that they leave. Anyone can join the Court; straight, gay, whatever your story is, the Court welcomes everybody. There's twelve meetings a year, and you have to do twelve parties a year. When I did it with my friend Art, sometimes I had more than one event a month . So your weekends are gone. You're travelling all over the country and Canada, going to everybody else's coronations representing your area . I look at the Emperor and Empress as our mascots; they must represent the best and the brightest of what our area has to offer. When the Coronation Ball happens, it's actually the ball of the monarch stepping down . The night you're crowned is at the end of the last year's celebration, where they're celebrating their reign . We do a ceremony where we pass flowers over the grave of the Empress from Sacramento who helped set this part of California "free" (otherwise we would still be under them) . So we take flowers to the cemetery in Oroville and when the flowers are passed over the grave, the old monarchs going out pass the flowers to the new monarchs coming in, and then at that second is actually when the new person's reign begins . We're saying goodbye
10
JAN UARY 20 - JAN UARY 26, 2014
's dll t~lP~OS dn~ ~PO~IP from PVPf ~W~PfP WPdrinij t~Pif finPst. .. fo~r fout crowns. HrPP fout trnins. SCP~tPrs. it's VPf~ fPijdl. ' ' to Emperor Patty and Empress Desere, who are Regent Emperor and Empress. Is the Ball open to the public? What's it like? The Ball is open to the public. Coronation Ball is .. .well, if you've ever seen My Fair Lady, or if you're into all that pageantry in England with William and Kate ... lt's fancy dress. Fancy fancy. We call it "crowns and gowns." It's all tuxedos and people from everywhere wearing their finest... four foot crowns, three foot trains, scepters, it's very regal . There's performances. The Friday night show is the out of town show; everybody who comes into town from everywhere gets to perform . Saturday night are the performers who are the creme de lo creme, who the Emperor and Empress hand pick. The Friday night show is a little less expensive. Saturday night is very formal : it's $40 to get in, there's a full bar, and the entertainers; it's all about protocol and grandeur... And I will be performing, as the founder of the group. The founder of the whole system, who created it to begin with (who was the first openly gay man to run for public office in the U.S.) Jose Sarria, passed away this year at ninetysomething, and so this year there'll be a lot of tributes. He started pre-Stonewall Riots . The Court system goes back before even the gay civil rights movement as we know it. Different people have different opinions, but I believe it's the second oldest gay organization in the world that's still running. But Jose came to Chico many times. I actually once took Jose with me to a Brutillicus Maxim us show. There was Jose in his little teeny crown and his widow's weeds .. He was called the Widow Norton after Emperor Norton of San Francisco, who was an eccentric [in the 1800s] who thought he was Emperor of the World and everyone treated him like he was . So when Jose created the Court system and created the Queens and the Empresses and all that he declared himself the Widow Norton . ... Now, I do have more shows coming up this year : there's the New Wave Prom at the Chico Women's Club on January 31st, and I will be returning with my historic event, Beans For Queens, on Cinco de Mayo. The theme will be "Frijoles para la Reinas: South of my Border, North of my Garter." Other than that, they can catch the new regular drag show Dragopolis at the beautiful Maltese Taproom, happening on the 3rd Saturday of the month starting on March 15th at lOpm - hosted by Miss Claudette, all entertainers welcome. Contact me through Ultra Beautician for more info. And can I just say that I love my community and it's an honor to serve them . I am a big fan of all the drag queens, but especially my drag children'
SYNTHESIS WEEKLY. COM
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INGS FORA CURE ----* * * * *---LOCAT I ON
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JA NU A RY 20 - JA NU A RY 26 , 2014
11
Closed. We need to drink, too!
Closed
MON
FRI SAT SUN
Menu cockta ils $1 off. Sierra Nevada Draft $3
JANUARY 20 - JAN UARY 26, 2014
2 DOLLAR TUESDAY! Food & Drink spec ials! 11AM-2PM $2.50 SN &
Mon-Fri 2-6PM
$6.SO Pulled pork sand
$1.50 PBR or Coors Pin ts $2 Kami Shooters 1/2 OFF POOL Pool League, 3 player
fri es or salad 25 cent w ings from
teams. Sign up with bartend er. Starts 7PM. All
ages until lOPM
Mon-Fri 2-6PM
Daily Happy Hour from 4-7PM
PBR $2.2S Everyd ay !
Dom Drafts
$1.50 PBR or Coors Pints $2 Kami Shooters 1/2 OFF POOL
2-close $2.50 we lls & Dom
Drafts $3.50 Dbl We lls &
GAME NIGHT!
Kami shots
$1 PBR all night All ages unb l lOPM
w/
halftime 'til they're gone! MONSTER MONDAY SPECIALS 6PM-CLOSE BEER $3/4/S/6 $1 SHOTS FREE Pool after lOPM
Chicken Strip Sand only $6.SO before 6 PM DOLLA R DAZ E 6-9pm $1 Bee r $1 We lls $2 Doubl es FREE Poo l after lOPM
WING WEDNESDAY!
Daily Happy Hour
Mon-Fri 2-6PM
Reu ben Sand w/ fries or
Patio! Happy Hour 4-6:
$2 for 3 Wings
from 4-7PM
$1.50 PBR or Coors Pints
Menu cocktails $1 off.
$2.SO SN Pint All Day
Full Bar in Back Room
$2 Kami Shooters
salad $6.50 Spm-Close 1/2 off kids items 8pm-Close Pitch e r
Closed
Sierra Nevada Draft $3
Weds, Fri 8PM-Close
& Sat Nights!
1/2 OFF POOL
PBR $2.2S Eve ryday !
$3.50 Fireball, Jim Bea m,
8 Ball Tournam ent Sign-up
Captain Morgan and
6PM. Starts 7PM.
Specials $6/$9/$12 FREE Pool after lOPM
Jameson
Saco PROMO lOPM - Midnight
11-2PM $2.50 Dom
Mon-Fri 2-6PM
& Sierra Nevada Drafts
Daily Happy Hour from 4-7PM
$1.50 PBR or Coors Pints
Menu coc ktails $ 1 off.
3-6PM
PBR $2.2S Everyday !
$2 Kami Shooters
Sierra Nevada Draft $3
$3.SO Dbl We lls
Patio ! Happy Hour 4-6:
1/2 OFF POOL
6pm-Close $4 Grad teas
$3 Soccer Moms
JAZZ NIGHT- Martini
FREE Poo l after lOPM
$5 Smirnoff Bl asters
Specials
$5 DBL Roaring Vodka
All ages until lOPM
$3 All bee r pint s
8-close
Food Tru ck Friday:
$3 20oz Slushies
11-2PM
Pop's Pi zza wood-fired
$2 12oz Slushies
pizza 's mad e to order on
$2 Wells, Drafts and
the patio.
Bartend er Specials
$2.SO Dom & Sierra Nevada Drafts 3-6PM
Happy Hour from 4-6.
$S Vodka Red Bull Saco PROMO
Baby Back Ribs $10.99 Philly Cheesesteak $7.SO
$3.SO Dbl Wells 8-Close $2.SO Dom & SN Drafts
Daily Happy Hour from 4-7PM
Mon-Fri 2-6PM
10 oz. Tri-Tip Steak w/
$1.50 PBR or Coors Pints
Fries or Salad & Garlic
Full Bar in Back Room
$2 Kami Shooters
Weds, Fri & Sat Nights!
PBR $2.2S Everyday!
Bread $8.99 8pm-Close $4 Jage r
1/2 OFF POOL All ages unbl lOPM
lOPM - Midnight
$S DBL Vodka Red Bull $6 Jager Red Bull $2 Kamikaze shots FREE Pool after lOPM
We ope n at 12:00pm.
Bartend er Specials
Open at llAM !
Daily Happy Hour
Kentucky Bucks are $5
$3 14oz Slushies
Bloody Mary Bar
from 4-7PM
until 5pm!
$4 20oz Slushies
Bartende rs Choice
Noon-6PM
Full Bar in Back Roo m
$8 Dom Pitcher
Weds, Fri & Sat Nights!
9 Ball Tournam ent.
$9 SN Pitcher 8PM-Close
PBR $2.2S Eve ryday !
Sign-up at noon . Starts
lPM.
$6.SO DBL calls
Baby Back Ribs w/Sa lad, Fries & ga rlic bread $10.99 8pm-Close $4 Single/$6 Doubl e Jack or Captain $2 Sierra Nevada
All ages unbl lOPM
FREE Poo l after lOPM $S.19 Grad/Garden/
WHENEVER OAKLAND
10AM-2PM
Daily Happy Hour
FREE POOL
PLAYS: DARK AND STORMYS FOR $S WHEVEVER THE NIN ER'S
$5 Bottl es of Champagne
from 4-7PM
1 hr. with eve ry $8
Turkey Burger w/fries
with entree
PBR $2.2S Everyday !
purchase
or sa lad
All ages until lOPM
Bloodies $3 Well, $4 Call, $S Top, $6 Goose
PLAY: FRISCO SOURS
$4.SO Bloody Mary $S.SO Absolut Peppa r
FOR$S
Bloody Marys
Mimosas $2/flute, $S/pint $6 Be er Pitch ers
FREE Pool after lOPM
WEDNESDAY 9PM
FRI.DAY 4-7PM
DJ SPENNV &JEFF HOWSE
THE PUe路 SC0 UTS
DANCE NIGHT 12
Closed
Patio ! Happy Hour 4-6:
Come see our beautifu l
THU
PBR $2.2S Everyday !
Nevada Drafts
Come see our beautiful
WED
Daily Happy Hour from 4-7PM
3-6PM v$3.SO Dbl Wells 6PM -close $8 Dom Pitch er $9 SN Pitcher
Come see our beautiful
TUE
Mon-Fri happy hour 11-2PM $2.50 Dom & Sierra
HAPPY HOURI
SYNTHES I SWEE KLY. COM
~ cf ~) ~Y1~9'.9 ~ ~
!I
C HI CO CA
GoDownlo
BEAR-E-OKE
Happy Hour 11-6PM
BURGER MADNESS!
$2.7S
select bottl es & drafts
CLOSED
Bea r Burger with fri es or salad for $5.29.
$1.00 Food items
llam-lOpm.
$1 Kamikazes $3 Jameson and Skw Special
GoDownlo
BEAR W EAR! 1/2 off while wea rin g Bea r Wea r. MUG CLUB 4-lOPM
EVERY DAY Happy Hour- 4-7pm $1.7S Pints, $1.00 Shots, 1/2 off all Single cocktails,
2 for 1 Burgers llam-Bpm
$2 All Day $2 Select Sierra Nevada or Dom Drafts
$3Tea of t he Day Bartender Specials Happy Hou r 4-Spm
Lounge
V1pu1tra
$2 Marqis $3 Cuervo Marqis
CLOSED
. EpLAYOFFS TH WATCH
$2.50 Corona's & Sierra Drafts Mon-Sat 3PM-6PM $1 Dom draft, $2 SN draft, $2 we lls
Happy Hour- 4-7pm Bu ck
Progress ive Night !
night 9pm-lam
8- lOPM $1 Sierra Pale
CLOSED
Ale, Domesti cs, Rollin g Rock & we ll coc ktail s
$2 Kamis -any flavo r
up lOPM-close 25C per
hou r-close Mon-Sat free pool 6-8PM
GoDownlo
TRIKE RACES!
All 16 oz Teas or AMF $3
GAME NIGHT
Happy Hour- 4-7pm
Bu ck Night 8-close
Post time @ lOpm .
All Day
9-llPM
1/2 off all cocktails, $1.7S Drafts, Guest bartend ers every wee k
$1 we ll cocktails, Sierra
W in T-shirts and Bea r
$3Tea of the Day Bartender Specials
Bucks.
MUG CLUB 4-lOPM
BURGER MADNESS!
Happy Hour 11-6PM
9pm -Close
$2.50 Pint of Sierra Nevada
Bea r Burge r w ith fri es
$2. 75 se lect bottl es &
$2 12oz Teas
Half Off Rockstar Cocktails
or sa lad for $5.29.
drafts
$3 20oz Teas
GoDownlo
$2 Well, Dom Bottles &
llam-lOpm.
$216oz Wells
bartend er Specials
SS Vod ka Red Bull SoCo PROMO lOPM - Midnight $2.50 Fireball Shots $2.50 Pints of Sierra Nevada
GoDownlo
$5.50 Doubl e Pinnacle
LATE NIGHT EATS! BEAR BURGER AND FRIES FOR ONLY $4.99! Mon-Sat lOpm - lam .
SS Vodka Red bull
GoDownlo
$3 Featu red Shot of the
Night
$3 Hot Licks
Happy Hour 5-SPM
$4.50 Doubl e Ba ca rdi
$5 House Martinis
SO cent well drinks 9-lOpm $2 Kamis,
8-9PM $1 pale ale and dam draft
$4 Glass of House W in e
$2 Fireball, $3 Cherry Blasters, $2 bottl e Beer lOpm-lam
up 25C per hour until
20% off w in e by bott le $1 off Call liqu o r and bottl ed bee r
$6.50 Appl e Cinnamon Cider
Happy Hour- 4-7pm
Powe r Hour 8-9PM
Happy Hour 5-BPM
$5 Fridays 4-Spm Most
1/2 off Liquor & Drafts
$5 House Martinis
food items and pitch ers of
9PM-Close
$4 Glass of Hous e Wine
beer are $5
$3 Pal e Ale Drafts $9.75 Pale Pitch ers
$3 Well Cocktails 20% off wine by bottl e $1 off Call liquor and bottl ed bee r
LATE NIGHT EATS! BEAR BURGER AND FRIES FOR
$4 Sex On Th e Beach
$3 Tea of the Day Bartend er Specials
Happy Hou r- 4-7pm
Mon-Sat 3PM-6PM
Happy Hou r S-8PM
Hot dog m enu all day
$1 Dom draft, $2 SN draft,
$5 House Martinis
ONLY $4.99 ! Mon-Sat lOpm - lam.
ON TAP $1 Jello Shots 7-lOPM $3 Rumpy, Jage r and Fireball
Football Specials:
llam-Spm, All Day and All Night Tall cans of bee r
Baca rdi Cocktails
(24oz) $3.50, $2 Capri sun Shots, All Teas $3.50, Tea
$2 wells Power Hour 8-9PM 1/2 off Liquor & Drafts 9-Close Pal e Ale Drafts
$4 Glass of House W in e
Bucket of Beer
Party 9-llpm 32oz Teas are $2.SO
$9.75 Pale Pitch ers
and bottl ed bee r
CLOSED
CLOSED
$4 Sierra Nevada Knightro
Southern Comfort
Skyy & Red Bull
HALF OFF EVERYTHING
Call To Rent For Private
BURGER MADNESS!
$4 World Famous Bloody
Brun ch lOam - 2pm
Happy Hour- 4-7pm
(Except Red Bull and Premium Liquors)
Party
Bea r Burger w ith fries
Joe $5 Premium bloodys your choice of vodka
Football Specials
Champagne Brunch
or salad for $5.29 . Go Down Lo
close
$3 Well Cocktails
SoCo PROMO lOPM - Midnight
Vodka & Red Bull
Half Off Rockstar Cocktails
$3 Tea of the Day Bartend er Specials
Happy Hou r- 4-7pm
Happy Hour 11-6PM select we lls, bottles and pints $2.7S
$3 Double Well Cocktails
$2.50 Pint of Sierra Nevada
Free Happy Hour Food 4PM until it's gone
WEST COAST SWING NIGHT 9PM
$3 Black Butte
Happy Hour 4-Spm
$2.50 Pinnacle Cocktails
Nevada Pal e Ale, Rolling Rock, dam draft
Happy Hour S-BPM
llam-lOpm.
Lounge
~
$3 We ll Cocktails 20% off w in e by bott le $1 off Call liqu o r
930am-lpm, Every Nfl Game (20 Tv's), $3 Bloody marys, $3 screwdrivers, $5 pitch ers of bee r
FACE BOOK.COM/SYNTHES ISCH I CO • SYN TH ES ISWEE KLY.COM
JANUARY 20 - JAN UARY 26, 2014
13
THIS WEEK ONLY BEST BETS IN ENTERTAINMENT PRESENTS
MONDAY, JANUARY 2QTH THURSDAY, JANUARY 23R 0 CRYSTAL EXHUMED BOWERSOX ...,. LASALLE'S ,,. Wall to wall hair thrashing and I EL REY THEATRE screaming: if this is the sort of thing Set aside the cheesy connotations of like, you will like this thing very ,/ American Idol for a moment and admit . you . much. American death metal band ~ it to yourself: Crystal Bowersox just Exhumed, with Gigantes, Aberrance,
-
- - ~ ...
--
/
":_
has an amazing voice. $18. Doors 7pm, show 8pm
lo Torus, Blood Cabana, and Kranken Welpen. $10. 7pm
THURSDAY, JANUARY 23Ro
FRIDAY, JANUARY 24TH
FRENCH REFORM
CHRISTOPHER TITUS
CAFE CODA
EL REY THEATRE
It's about time the French decided to straighten up and fly right. It seems like a strange venue to overhaul an entire culture, but the sound will be good. French Reform, Sisterhoods, and Ugly as Hell. All ages. $3. 8pm
You like laughing, don't you? Of course you do. Famous comedians don't blow through every day, don't miss it. Christopher Titus, w/ Rachael Bradley. Tickets are $28/advance. Doors 7:30pm, show8pm
OTHER NEW AND EXCITING THINGS 21 TUESDAY Sierra Nevada Big Room: John
Mccutcheon. $20. 7:30pm
Town Show, featuring visiting drag performers from all over the place. $15. Doors 7pm, show 8pm Blue Room Theatre: Venus In Fur.
22 WEDNESDAY 1078 Gallery: Artist's reception for
Philip Hartigan & Patricia McNair: Places I've Never Been. Live music by Rob Davidson and Elizabeth Kuiper. 5:30-7:30pm
23 THURSDAY Blue Room Theatre: Venus In Fur.
$10. Doors 7pm, show 7:30pm
24 FRIDAY ARC Pavillion: Imperial Court
coronation weekend kickoff: Out of
14
JANUARY 20 - JANUARY 26, 2014
$12/advance, $15 at the door. Doors 7pm, show 7:30pm. Cafe Coda: Jake Nolan, Sean Martin,
Tom and Jerry. 7:30pm The Maltese: Alli Battaglia & The
Musical Brewing Co, The Remnants. $5. 9pm-midnight Manas Art Space: "Everything Blue"
Reception and Exhibit. Open mic and music by The Urban Minstrel. 7-llpm
coronation weekend: Hospitality meet and greet, llam-2pm. Coronation Ball featuring creme de la creme drag performers, full bar and the most fantastic fancy-dress eye candy. $40. Doors 6pm, coronation 6:59pm Blue Room Theatre: Venus In Fur.
$12/advance, $15 at the door. Doors 7pm, show 7:30pm. Cafe Coda: Pulling Strings, Kara mo
Susso. 7:30pm Chico Women's Club: Daphyne
Altman multimedia art retrospective for her 90th birthday. 2-6:30pm
ARC Pavillion: Imperial Court
Michael Beck. $4.
26 SUNDAY ARC Pavillion: Imperial Court
coronation weekend finale: Victory Brunch. $10. llam-lpm Blue Room Theatre: Venus In Fur.
$12/advance, $15 at the door. Doors 7pm, show 7:30pm. Laxson Auditorium: Pink Martini
Global Cabaret. Premium/$50, Adult/$45, Senior/$43, Student/ child/$30. 7:30pm The Tackle Box: Country music from
The Maltese: Heather Michelle
25 SATURDAY
The Tackle Box: Country music from
Northern Heat. $3.
and the Make You Mines, Sons Of Jefferson, The Rugs. 9pm
SYN TH ESI SWE EKLY.COM
ONGOING EVENTS
20 MONDAY
22WEDNESDAY
figure drawings.
Maltese: LGBTQ+ Dance Party.
The Bear: Bear-E-oke ! 9pm
100th Monkey Cafe & Books:
The Graduate: Free pool after
9pm
Cafe Flo: Live Jazz Happy Hour
Open Mic. All ages. 7pm
lOpm
Peeking Chinese Restaurant:
The Bear: Trike Races. Wint-shirts
Has Beans: Open Mic Night.
7-lOpm. Signups start at 6pm
Chico Women's Club: Prenatal
and Bear Bucks. Post time lOpm. Mug Club 4-lOpm
BassMint. Weekly electronic dance party. $3. 9:30pm
Yoga. 5:30-6:30pm
Cafe Flo: Carey Robinson Trio.
DownLo: Pool League. 3 player
5-7pm.
teams, signup with bartender. 7pm. All ages until lOpm
Chico Women's Club: Afro
Empire Coffee: Group show of figure drawings.
DownLo: 8 Ball Tournament. Signups 6pm
with the Carey Robinson Trio. 5-7pm. Prints by artist David Plant.
Maltese: Open Mic Night. Comedy Signups at 8pm, starts at 9pm. Mug Night 7-11:30pm
Brazilian Dance. 5:30-7pm
Holiday Inn Bar: Karaoke. 8-llpm LaSalle's: Thirsty Thursdays, featuring Mack Morris
Knitting Circle. 2-4pm
Panama's: Eclectic Nights. Buck
The Bear: DJ Dancing. No Cover.
night and DJ Eclectic. 9pm
9pm
Quackers: Karaoke night with
Cal Skate: Adults only skate night.
Duffy's: Dance Night! DJ Spenny and Jeff Howse. 9pm. $1.
Andy. 9pm-1am
$6. 18+.9-llpm
Empire Coffee: Group show of
University Bar: Free Pool 6-8pm
Chico Theater Company: Grease.
University Bar: Free Pool 6-8pm
figure drawings.
VIP Ultra Lounge: Acoustic
The Graduate: Free Pool after
Grownups. 6:30-7:30pm
10pm
performance with Bradley Relf. 7-9pm. No Cover.
21TUESDAY
Jesus Center: Derelict Voice
Songwriter Night with Aaron Jaqua. 7-9pm. Chico Women's Club: Yoga.
9-lOam. Afro Carribean Dance. $10/class or $35/mo. 5:50-7pm. Followed by Capoeira, $3-$10. 7:30-8:30pm
25 SATURDAY 100th Monkey Cafe & Books:
Maltese: Karaoke. 9pm-close.
Woodstock's: Spelling Bee for the
Cafe Flo: Open Mic Singer-
University Bar: Free Pool 6-8pm
Adults/$20, kids/$12 . 7pm. Dancing. 10pm-1:30am
Woodstock's: Open Mic Night.
DownLo: 9 Ball tournament.
Writing Group, everyone welcome. 9-10:30am
24 FRIDAY
Sign ups noon, starts at lpm.
Maltese: Friends With Vinyl!
100th Monkey Cafe & Books:
Bring your vinyl and share up to 3 songs/12 minutes on the turntable. 9pm-1am
Acoustic Music Singer Songwriter Showcase. 7:30pm
The Graduate: Free Pool after
The Beach: DJ 2K & Mack Morris.
lOpm
Empire Coffee: Group show of
figure drawings.
The Tackle Box: Swing Dance
9pm-close. $2, $10 VIP
Holiday Inn Bar: DJ Dancing. 70s
Wednesday, classes 7-9pm
The Bear: DJ Dancing No Cover.
and 80s music. The Molly Gunn's
University Bar: Free Pool 6-8pm
9pm
Revival! 8pm-midnight
VIP Ultra Lounge: Laurie Dana.
Cafe Coda: Friday Morning Jazz
LaSalle's: 1980Now! 8pm
7-9pm
with Bogg. llam
until lOpm
Woodstock's: Trivia Night plus
Cafe Flo: Flo Sessions weekly
Empire Coffee: Group show of
Happy Hour. call at 4pm to reserve a table. Starts at 8pm
Chico Theater Company: Grease.
Crazy Horse Saloon: All Request
Karaoke. 21+ DownLo: Game night. All ages
figure drawings.
music showcase. 7-lOpm.
Maltese: Live Music. 9pm Quackers: Live DJ. 8:30pm-1am Scotty's Landing: Music Showcase. Open Mic hosted by Rich & Kendall. 5-9pm
23 THURSDAY
Adults/$20, kids/$12. 7pm
The Bear: DJ Dancing. No Cover.
9pm
Dance Jam with Mark Johnson. $10. 7-8:30pm
Cafe Flo: Flo-n-the Blues with
Crazy Horse Saloon: Fusion Fridays.
Steven Truskol and The Next Door Blues Band.
Country dance lessons 9-10:30pm
Maltese: Karaoke. 9pm-Close Studio Inn Lounge: Karaoke.
Chico Theater Company: Grease.
lOpm
8:30pm-1am
Adults/$20, kids/$12. 7pm
Duffy's: Pub Scouts- Happy Hour.
Chico Yoga Center: Ecstatic Dance
4-7pm
with Clay Olson .. 7:30-9:30pm
Empire Coffee: Group show of
Empire Coffee: Group show of figure drawings.
DownLo: Chico Jazz Collective every Thursday. 8-llpm. All ages until lOpm
figure drawings.
LaSalle's: Karaoke. 9pm
The Graduate: Free Pool after
lOpm
Maltese: Walking Dead Viewing Party. 9pm
Holiday Inn Bar: DJ Dance Party.
The Tackle Box: Karaoke. 8pm
Farm Star Pizza: Live Jazz with
Shigemi and Friends. 6:30-8:30pm Holiday Inn Bar: Salsa Lessons,
7-lOpm LaSalle's: ' 90s night. 21+
The Tackle Box: Karaoke. 9pm University Bar: Free Pool 6-8pm Woodstock's: Trivia Challenge. Call at 4pm to reserve a table. Starts 6:30pm
Empire Coffee: Group show of
Chico Yoga Center: Friday Night
DownLo: Y, off pool. All ages until
WARM UP THE WINTER AT SICILIAN CAFEI
Crazy Horse Saloon: Ladies Night
University Bar: Free Pool 6-8pm
26 SUNDAY Chico Theater Company: Grease. Adults/$20, kids/$12. 2pm DownLo: Free Pool, 1 hour with every $8 purchase. All ages until lOpm
8pm-midnight.
1020 MAIN STREET CHICO .... ?) 530.3~5.2233 (G•..,FACEBOOK.COM/SYNTHESISCHICO • SYNTHESISWEEKLY.COM
JA NU A RY 20 - JA NU A RY 26, 20 14
15
ON THE TOWN
PHOTOS BY VINCE LATHAM FACEBOOK.COM/VANGUARD.PHOTOGRAPHY
OLD CROCK BY JAIME O'NE ILL - JAIMEANDKARENONEILL@GMAIL.COM
DECENCY DEFECTIVES TAKE TO THE AIR
There are some things decent people just don't say or do, but far too many Americans seem to have lost all sense of what decency means. They are the decency defectives, and we have a plague of them these days. Collect all the meanspirited, racist or indecent comments made by Michelle Malkin, Bill O'Reilly, Glenn Beck, Laura Ingraham, Michael Savage, Ann Coulter, Mark Levin, Sean Hannity, and hundreds of local right wing radio talkers from coast to coast and you'll have a big compendium of ignorance, fear, and hate; a a big book of misanthropy, misogyny, racism and cruel indifference to the less fortunate. If you're not meeting the minimum daily requirement of hate speech, there are lots of suppliers out there willing to amp up your dosage of plain ol' human shittiness. One recent example of how low right wingers can proudly go was supplied by Laura Ingraham, one of those conservative bottle blondes who makes a nice chunk o' change by making sure the word "bitch" shall never lose its utility. She has a call-in show disseminated like a virus on hundreds of radio stations. On this particular occasion, a Hispanic woman called in to politely offer her opinion about the need for immigration reform. The charming Ms. Ingraham spent several moments making fun of the caller's accented English, sneering at it for the benefit of her xenophobic listeners. Ingraham says she speaks Spanish, but I'd bet my left hand that when she does, she
16
JA NUA RY 20 - J A NU A RY 26, 2014
speaks with a pronounced accent. Travelers who have struggled to make themselves understood in a language they didn't learn as children would not be inclined to make fun of any non-native speaker who may stumble on a word or two. The fact that Ms. Ingraham chose to stoop so low represents a failure of decency at a very elemental level. On the hateful hypocrite front, we find a stunning example in the recent case of Congressman Trey Radel of Florida, a cocaine consumer who voted to make his constituents take drug tests before they could get welfare or food stamps, though he sees no reason to make drug testing mandatory for those like himself who receive hefty congressional salaries, thus allowing taxpayers to foot the bill for their recreational drug use. And no discourse on the subject of indecency would be complete without mentioning cuddly ol' Rush Limbaugh, the Kl own King of Unkindness, squirming in his chair to mimic the effects of Parkinson's Disease while claiming that Michael J. Fox, who suffers from that disease, was faking his symptoms to gain sympathy. What kind of asshole do you have to be to do a thing like that, or to tune in to hear a guy who can be counted on to perform it for your delectation? Lately, Rushbo has been worrying about what he calls the "chickification" of America. He's concerned that we're becoming feminized, and he seems to think he's one of the last real men left in this country. If Limbaugh is the model for American manhood these days, I'll happily take a pass.
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SPORTSBALL BY DAN O'BRI EN - AMA LGAMCONSU LTING@GMAI L.COM
PHOTOS BY VINCE LATHAM FACEBOOK.COM/VANGUARD.PHOTOGRAPHY
ON THE TOWN
A SPORTS WASTELAND
Sports have become a large part of American culture; whether it is football, basketball, or baseball, we all seem to have a horse in the race. National pride in sports is nothing new; look anywhere else in the world and futbol (or what we butcher and call "soccer") is the pastime of the rich and the poor alike. Our sports traditions have come to define us. Words like tailgating are not pegged as an incorrectly spelled word in Microsoft Word. Pervasive and invasive, sports are larger than life. I know what you're thinking: way to be a downer, jackass. Isn't the Super Bowl only a couple of weeks away? Don't get me wrong, I am a fan. I love the statistics and the hometown feeling of a team you root for going all the way. But I had a strange thought as I was considering a novel I am working on: What would this world look like if the current iteration of sports resembled something completely different? Let me set the scene: I was having a late breakfast and watching Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless duke it out on First Take on ESPN. I enjoy their back-and-forth banter because it so expertly captures our reverent need to have meta-discussions
about sports. As I sat there and listened to them talk about the Alex Rodriguez scandal, I tried to imagine how much world-building I would have to accomplish in order to have a meta-discussion about a minor part of the human experience. And then it dawned on me: it isn't a minor part at all. Our love of our sports teams leaks into every aspect of our daily lives: personal and private moments, as well as in our professional lives. We have sports pools with our co-workers, fantasy football teams with our friends, sports apparel, and after-school sports teams for our children. Sports, in all its incarnations, are damn near an infestation-if you were to look at them negatively, of course. Yet, sports provide us with so much : lessons on how to compete, how to be physically fit, to focus our passions, to play on a team, and to have confidence in ourselves. I think somewhere along the line the intrinsic factors of sports are hijacked by the extrinsic factors that lead to philosophical and monetary differences that leave us feeling alone and mortified for our friend who can't seem to stop posting about his favorite team. Let's try and remember what sports offer us to make our lives better-and to make us better people-and not what we can do to make athletes and endorsing parties ever richer.
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JA NU A RY 20 - JA NUA RY 26, 2014
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ON THE TOWN
PHOTOS BY JESSICA SID
SCENE REPORT
DOWN HOME IN DURHAM WITH THE SPECIAL CONSENSUS BY TOMMY DIESTEL
On Tuesday, January 14th, a big time Grammy nominated band came to play for free in the North-state. Where was this great opportunity you missed? Durham. Yep. Durham, which is probably why you missed it. The Special Consensus, a ripping fast paced bluegrass band tore up the Mid Valley Baptist Church. Wait... Baptist Church? In Durham? The pieces are making a bit more sense now aren't they. They packed the house pew to pew, and they had to set up extra seating in the hallway. In such a small community, it isn't surprising an event like this had such a big draw. Which brings me to wonder... How did a band of this caliber end up in Durham? It was the workings of the California Bluegrass Association who book shows around the area. The Special Consensus played for free, with CBA passing around a collection plate. All proceeds went directly to the band. No one else took any of the money. Not the Church. Not the CBA. Just the band. As a musician who is undyingly grateful to get pizza when he plays at Monstro's, that was pretty cool. The fans got to give whatever they felt was right. And there were a lot of $20 bills. These guys have radio play, are probably signed, and were in the same room as a Grammy, so I'm guessing they're not as strapped for cash as your typical bar act. But the gesture is nice. When was the last time you saw a plate get passed around in a church for anyone but God? (Or were in a church for that matter...)
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as out of place as me and my friends looked and felt, everyone was really receptive to us. The pastor was stoked people from Chico came at all. By this point you may be wondering when I'm going to start talking about how awesome The Special Consensus were, or where my descriptions of their epic fast paced twangy songs are. I picked up a copy of their latest album, so you'll have to wait for the review for all that jazz. The real point to take with you from this article is : GET OUT OF THIS TOWN!!!!!!
Speaking of the church, it was actually a really nice venue. The high ceiling gave great acoustics, and no one tried to shove God down my throat. Typically I get one of two reactions around adamant church going folk: Either the "how have you not burst into flames you vile sinner?!?" look, or the "Hey! You kinda look like Jesus!" look. But at Mid Valley Baptist Church, all I
There are cool shows that happen in the small towns in the area. I've seen shows in Orland, Paradise, Red Bluff, in Tehama County, and now Durham that were all worth the measly drive to get there. Sure, there usually isn't a whole lot going on in these towns, but that makes something happening a lot bigger of a deal. If more people got rid of the "podunk place" mentality, and were open enough to actually make an effort to check it out, they'd probably find it fun. Plus, if there was a bigger draw from Chico to these events, it'd be better incentive for more things to happen in these towns.
got were warm smiles. Except from one guy who caught me eyeing his lady friend. Even
So get out and explore! Give it a try, you might like it.
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HOWL HOWLM OVESM OU NTAl NS.TUM BLRCOM
PHOTOS BY JESSICA SID
ON THE TOWN
THE THOUGHTS THAT GROW
Thoughts grow over time, the more that you think them. Beliefs that are held over the course of years can grow to appear quite large. The structures of your beliefs are changeable, however-no matter how real they've managed to become. Reality can seem quite implacable when one is faced with its undesirable aspects. You create your reality through your beliefs-you must look past the seeming concrete-ness of the "facts," therefore, to your personal beliefs that attracted those "facts" in the first place. When I say "facts," I generally mean "truths about reality." One's personal beliefs can be hard to discern at times, since they appear in one's experience first as basic truths about reality. "Women are the more compassionate sex." '"The government is corrupt, and means us harm." "I'm more intellectual than I am athletic." These are some examples of personal beliefs that tend to be treated as "facts," when really, they're only thoughts-thoughts that are then overly stressed, until they narrow down your awareness to perceive only the evidence that fits in with them. You create these "facts" in the first place, as you create your reality as a whole. You must remind yourself of this with some persistence if you really wish to improve the nature of your experience. Thoughts have an electromagnetic reality,
and they grow as you persist in thinking them. A certain thought, repeated, will attract other thoughts and physical events that are similar to it. When you realize that your reality is yours to create, you can step back from the habitual flow of thinking, and choose anew which train of thought you'd like to entertain at any given moment. When you remember that your present experience is ALWAYS a reflection of your personal thoughts and beliefs, you naturally feel a greater sense of well-being, because these thoughts and beliefs are yours alone, to support or abandon, as your desire dictates. Buddhists are fond of abandoning thinking altogether, in favor of a sunny, clear sky of pure experience, with no actual opinions one way or another about it. This tendency can be quite beneficial to those who wish to take a step back from the endless stream of human thought-they are then able to observe how those thoughts color their experience. Pursuing this clear, thoughtless state can prove troublesome, however -you are a MIND, as well as a body and a spirit, and thoughts are as much a natural part of you as your cells are. Physicists are already beginning to notice how consciousness not only colors one's physical experience, but helps create the phenomenon of 'experience' in the first place. You can have a much richer, more enjoyable experience by growing thoughts yourself, with the conscious intention that you will improve your reality.
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JANUARY 20 - JANUARY 26, 2014
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HONORING A MOVEMENT BY TAMMY WICHMAN
January 20th, 2014 marks the 28th celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a holiday intend to commemorate a visionary of the Civil Rights movement who lived and breathed Thomas Jefferson's axiom that "all men were created equal." Not too many people need a history lesson to know that this was not the case when the United States was established in 1776, and did not ring true until 1964 when the Civil Rights Act made major discrimination based on sex, race, ethnic origin, nationality and/or religion illegal. By the way, It took many legal reforms and a LONG time before many states enforced these requirements. Currently, inequality is just called by a different name and wears a different mask. Examples? Look at LGBTQ+ people still protesting for the right to love who they love in Texas and Utah after the Supreme Court declared it unlawful to deny marital benefits to same sex couples; or look at the mandatory requirement for any person charged with a misdemeanor or a felony to relinquish this information to any and all applications for jobs, housing, welfare benefits; or people living on the streets who are treated as foreigners in their own hometowns. Are these people created equal? I digress. Point being, there is still much work to be done before society sees each person for their intrinsic value as human beings. It has been 45 years since Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968, and though the celebration of his life was signed in to law in 1983 (to take effect in 1986), it was not until 1999 that all states celebrated the holiday. Yeah folks, just 15 years ago not every state found it IMPORTANT to recognize and honor the life of a man that lived and breathed equality and justice. A bit befuddling. Martin Luther King was amongst many others who have worked and continued to work toward social change; Cesar Chavez, Susan B. Anthony, Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, Harvey Milk, and Malcolm X to name a few. If any of these names are not recognizable, stop by the Chico Peace & Justice Center at 526 Broadway, downtown Chico to get the low-down of social change. I promise they don't bite. So, it is Monday, January 20th. If you work for the state or go to school or have a half decent job, you have the day off to commemorate the man who this day is intend to honor. You could
If you choose B) and want to follow in the footsteps of Martin Luther King Jr., Here are some worthy organizations to volunteer for on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, or any other day of the year! Torres Community Shelter
Helping to provide shelter to the house-less 101 Silver Dollar Way, Chico, CA 95928 (530) 891-9048 chicoshe/ter. org Jesus Center
B) Spend some time doing something for others, as the namesake of this day would have done most days.
Providing of Myriad of Services including 3 meals a day, showers, computers and more. 1297 Park Avenue, Chico, Ca, 95928 530.345-2640 fax 530.345-2449 jesuscenter.org
C) Stop by the Chico Peace & Justice Center.
Chico Peace & Justice Center
D) Go to Sacramento for the 33rd Annual Capitol March for the Dream, joining the 28,000 others that will be there, which would surely be enlightening. (Want more info? Go to http.j/www.mlk365.org or call 916-698-5147)
Educating, Motivating, and Mobilizing the community about social justice 526 Broadway, Chico, Ca, 95928 530-893-9078 chico-peace.org
A) Stay home and watch movies.
E) Go to our local events commemorating King.
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Catalyst Domestic Violence Services
Serves the needs of all victims of domestic violence and their children regardless of ethnicity, citizenship, language, religion, physical disabilities, sexual orientation, gender identity or HIV status. Administrative Office & Drop-In Center 330 Wall Street, Suite 50 Chico, CA 95928 (530) 343-7711 Starting Over Strong
Empowering formerly incarcerated people by helping them acquire knowledge and connection to services to participate in their community by obtaining meaningful employment. Expungement Workshop: Tuesday, January 28, 2014 6:00pm California State University 400 W. 2nd Street Chico, CA 95928 Bell Memorial Union (BMU) building: room# to be announced StartingOverStudents@gmail.com Sharon(530)570-4863 In the words of Martin Luther King Jr. "Life's most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?"
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TIME CAPSULE
COMMUNITY FORUM: OCTOBER 24, 1994 Devastation, Misinformation, And the Chico Clinic Bombing (no author credit)
referred to the Paradise clinic, which provides all the same services but is a smaller facility.
Sunday, October 9 [1994), in the early hours of the morning, both the Redding Feminist Women's Health Center and the Chico Planned Parenthood were severely damaged in fires that were deliberately set. The arson attacks were followed by community outrage and public outcry over what many of us believe to be acts of political terrorism .
The CSU Chico Women's Center, members of Chico's NOW chapter, and other concerned members of the community held a demonstration in support of Planned Parenthood on Tuesday, October 11, held signs on the corners proclaiming their support for the clinic, protesting violence as a means of political action, and point to the irony of bombs being used to send a " pro-life" message.
They were also followed by misinformation. The Chico Enterprise Record ran an article stating that the clinics suffered "not much damage." In truth, the Planned Parenthood building on Vallombrosa suffered massive damage, with much of the rear portion of the building completely destroyed. According to a Planned Parenthood representative, the building suffered at least $100,000 in structural losses, and has a projected amount of $250,000 in losses total. Because the attack on the Chico clinic took place in the back of the building, it may look like " not much damage" to passers-by, but those who have actually seen the damage report a common experience: that of awe at the devastation that the fire left behind. The E-R article also reports that, the clinic expects "to continue offering abortions" and goes on to tell readers which days they are performed, and describe what precautions are taken to protect clients and staff on those days. The information here is true, but what is omitted from the report is that 91 percent of the services provided by Planned Parenthood are unrelated to abortion, and those services too were taken away from the community by those responsible for the bombing. The goal of Planned Parenthood, said a representative who spoke at Chico State last Friday, is to promote " health edu cation for women and men, wanted children, and strong families ." Yes, this includes offering abortion services, but it also means providing pregnancy testing, cancer screening, HIV testing, and increasingly; primary care for families of lower income . It is from the limiting or lack of these services that the Chico community will primarily suffer in upcoming months, and it is the community as a whole that will suffer. The Chico Planned Parenthood-which in addition to being partially destroyed by fire, suffered smoke and water damage in every part of the building-will not be reopened for three to four months. Some services will be provided at a temporary location at 199 East 19th Street, beginning with education, pregnancy testing, and referrals and will build back up to a full range of services, except abortions . While the clinic is out of commission, patients will also be
Although there is no evidence as of yet, it is likely that the bombing was an anti-abortionist act . People who drove by the demonstrators honked their horns and gave thumbs-up signs to show their support. There was also a rally held in the Chico State Free Speech area on Friday and a silent candlelight vigil at the clinic on Saturday night. Planned Parenthood needs support in the forms of donations and volunteers in order to rebuild the clinic and continue to provide services. If you are outraged, as many of us are, at this violent act of terrorism, please make your voice heard! It is not just money that is needed, but support of the Planned Parenthood staff, who work under the threat of terrorism daily, and expression of Chico citizens' anger at the attack. So, don't keep your rage bottled up! Write letters: to newspaper editors, city council members, members of Congress, someone! And, if you want to help, just call Planned Parenthood and see what they need . Rue Barbs by Stephen T. Davis
California's governor, with the blessings of San Francisco's mayor, and Chico's Chamber potentate, vetoed Assembly Bill 252194, which would have added homelessness to the list of hate-crime categories. Thus, it 's kind of open season for those who want to hunt and haunt my street friends . In this vein I am offering our City Council and Police Department had an idea that could end all "aggressive panhandling." (Now, Drake Homes, which is trying to buy a Council seat via someone named Bill Shelgram, is asking the City for financial aid in purchasing development space: if that isn't aggressive panhandling, tell me what is). Anyway, since Senate Bill 583-94 makes it a crime to possess aerosol paint "with the intent" to commit graffiti, our Mayor, whose sympathetic regard for the public is widely known, should introduce a resolution making it a crime to appear anywhere "with the intent" to panhandle . In this way all local law enforcement agencies could make an early morning sweep around the
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Jesus Center and Chapmantown . Let us hope that the world 's most aggressive panhandler never comes to our Christian town. I wonder how Tom GUAriNO would publicize Chico's arresting Mother Teresa as she entered the city limits. Another bill vetoed by the governor: Senate Bill 1691 would have made all state armories available to nonprofit and governmental agencies as shelters for the homeless on a year-round basis. Let me be the first to wish him a Merry Christmas . Among the silliest things in town : gringo radio announcers mispronouncing Tres Hombres, margaritas, enchiladas, and quesadillas. Ole'. Word of the Week: crapulous (don't let the first syllable mislead you!) The word " tourism" inches steadily closer to being included in my private list of obscenities . Item: When cholera appeared in the Mexican province of Chia pas, the federal government refused to send doctors and medicine because the publicity might frighten away U.S. tourists. Item: San Francisco Mayor Jordan's harassment of the homeless is motivated primarily by their incompatibility with the city's " tourist image." Item: Headline of an article about the terrifying plague in India: "Problem for doctors is a nightmare for travel industry." Bon voyage! Quote of the Week: " I raise the philosophical question : Are politicians actually capable of talking rationally about crime without petty, partisan politics intruding?" - Molly Ivins, Fort Worth Star-Telegram. I have lost thirteen pounds so far campaigning. If this keeps up, I will be the first Councilman ever wheeled into the Chamber hooked up to an oxygen tank. (I know a few who will start reaching for their cigarette lighters.)
JANUARY 20 - J A NU ARY 26, 2014
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JANUARY 20 - JANUARY 26 BY KOZ MCKEV
ARIES
TAURUS
GEMINI
CANCER
LEO
VIRGO
Things begin to lighten up for you this week. Your social life begins to take precedence over last week's work load. Mars continues to agitate your seventh house. We can agree to disagree this week. Peter Tosh once said that "Peace is the diploma they give you at the cemetery." You have some intelligent people in your court who can help you come up with a game plan for the future. This is a good time to throw a party and to celebrate the returning sun and the joys of mid-winter.
Venus is still turning backwards in her retrograde mode. Creativity and love is felt more easily than it is expressed. Explore love in a way that is as unique and unusual as an eskimo kiss. Responsibility is your new theme this week. Your focus should be on career and what you can do. You'll have a better handle on what your sense of duty is. Physically you can gain strength during this period. Be aware of your best talents and skills. Any leadership ability you have will begin to be expressed.
Sometimes when things are going well we hardly notice it at all. Take a car that runs well or a trip that ends up timely: there may be no frustration, yet there is all too often little appreciation. Look for joy and humor in everyday situations. Stop taking things for granted. Instead of saying "I deserve this,'' try rephrasing it as "I appreciate this." Find a way to do small things with a great amount of love. Your creative projects and romantic journeys will begin to take on a life of their own.
We are not in control during this period. Sometimes we must deal with swallowing some type of poison in order to avoid a worse fate. The good news is that there are many positive alliances to be made during this period that will help you to enjoy more than could be enjoyed by you alone. Giving is winning. Your libido is getting stronger. For whatever you are losing, real gains need to be made. Thursday afternoon through Saturday you discover the things that really matter to your heart.
Your opinion counts more when you make room for others. We are not all like you or wanting to move in your direction. Even if you are right in what you say. Peacefully enter conflict. Break out of old and useless patterns. Look for the good and praise it. Romance gets better. Problems from the past will be less worry some. By Sunday you'll be in your heart space feeling generous, loving and creative. After all, isn't this what you were working towards in the first place?
It is difficult not to be a nit-picker when there are so many problems and challenges at hand. You are the " Dutch Boy" with your finger in the dyke, and the child in The Emperors New Clothes who exclaims, "The King is naked." On Monday the moon will be in Virgo. Keep looking for solutions without being overwhelmed by the problems. Learn to appreciate what you are going through. Sing sacred songs. Be more charitable. Find a way to engage in more team building exercises.
LIBRA
SCORPIO
SAGITTARIUS
CAPRICORN
AQUARIUS
PISCES
Being fair to yourself may mean going at it alone these days. You have more energy than you normally have. Your creative side begins a rebirthing journey. Your new mantra might be, "There is beauty even in the waste dump." Bigger goals seem more attainable. The moon will be in Libra Tuesday through Thursday morning. The bigger the risk perhaps the greater reward. Take care of finances towards the end of the week. Good efforts attract great supporters. Plant seeds on fertile ground.
I am happy and grateful to share this effort of getting to know ones self better. Your search is for the deep stuff. You have little time for trivial B.S .. If something is earth shaking, you'll be there. The moon will be in Scorpio Thursday afternoon through most of Saturday. Be the mystical, sexual, creative joker that you were always meant to be. Keep things toned down enough for the "muggles" as well as for the authority figures in your family. Allow people to digest new information in slow bites .
Find the poem that honors you for who you really are. We fall in love not so much as to make our lives easier, but to invite deeper lessons as to where our motivations lead us. It is usually us more than the other person that takes us to this place in life. Honor siblings and childhood friends. Be a better neighbor. Take the time to befriend your natural environment. Saturday night through Sunday the moon will be in Sagittarius. A fun loving attitude of freedom and exploration should be shared by all.
Once rules are made it is human nature to try and find ways of bending them. Be slicker than a corporate master. Be kinder than a legendary saint. Show your values in what you buy, eat, say and do. There are no losers and no winners. There is only honest effort and lazy fraudulence. Pay your bills. Don't cheat friends or anyone else. Your values are never hidden, but are seen in all your actions. Don't pretend or try to fit in. Be as real as you want other people to be with you.
Happy Birthday and welcome to your first week of your season. You give up much to enjoy the company of others. You are annoyed by small minds. Last month revealed what was working for you and what was hurting, or hindering you. You have the ear of the universe since you are the flavor of the month . Come forward with your best plans. Seek a dream that unites peoples hearts. Find a job that fulfills your best talents and skills. Try doing things differently from your normal patterns this week.
Envy, jealousy, and disappointment are teaching tools to get back into your soul. These next four weeks are about personal reflection, intimacy and the question of the type of karma that you are creating for yourself. Thursday afternoon through Saturday you'll be able to master deeper learning. It's best to take advantage of all the alone time you can get. Help others who may be isolated, incarcerated or hospitalized. Keep a dream journal of all your wildest dreams.
Koz McKev 1s on You Tube, on cable 17 BCTV, 1s heard on 90/FM KZFR Chk:o, and also available by appOJi7tment for personal horoscopes. Call (530)891-5147 or e-mail kozm!C:kev@sunset.net
GREAT WINTER READ Winter Melon, written by local writer Bill Wong Foey A defiant and passionate young woman survives the Rape of Nanking in this debut novel. Voted Book of the Month for July by Lyons Books "Lives of Asia" book group. In paperback online at Amazon.com and Lyons Book Store, 135 Main Street, or as an e-book from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple iTunes and DirectMusicCafe. ADVERTISEMENT
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JAN UARY 20 - JAN UAR Y 26, 2014
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