Synthesis Weekly – March 9, 2015

MARCH 9 2015 — FREE

tales from the turntable

MONDAY NLH TOURNEY $25 Buy-in

2 11AM

LIMIT HOLD ‘EM

2PM

OMAHA HI/LO

5PM

$20 Buy-in $20 Buy-in

TUESDAY L I VE AC T I ON

BLACKJACK

$25 DAILY POKER TOURNAMENTS 175 E 20TH ST CHICO, CA 95928 (530) 892-2282 CASINO99CHICO.COM

3

$1 TACO TUESDAYS NLH TOURNEY 11AM $25 Buy-in

DEEP STACK

6PM

$67 Buy-in

WEDNESDAY

4

NLH TOURNEY

11AM

OMAHA HI/LO

5PM

$25 Buy-in $20 Buy-in

THURSDAY

5

$2 DOGS & $2 DRAFTS

NLH TOURNEY $25 Buy-in

SIT-N-GO

11AM 6PM

$200 Buy-in

FRIDAY

6

NLH TOURNEY

11AM

OMAHA HI/LO

5PM

$25 Buy-in $20 Buy-in

SATURDAY NLH

7

11AM & 6PM

11AM $25 Buy-in — 6PM $37 Buy-in

SUNDAY NLH

8

11AM & 5PM

11AM $25 Buy-in — 5PM $37 Buy-in

Please gamble responsibly. If you think you may have a problem call: 1-800-GAMBLER. GEGA # 001814 - GEGA # 002636 - GEGA # 003880 - GEGA # 003664

VOLUME 21 ISSUE 28 March 9, 2015 For 20 years The Synthesis’ goal has remained to provide a forum for entertainment, music, humor, community awareness, opinions, and change.

PUBLISHER/ EDITOR IN CHIEF Amy Sandoval amy@synthesis.net

THIS W E E K

DJ Tell-All Hour

C OLUMNS

PAGE 8

LEAD DESIGNER

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

by Amy Sandoval

Tanner Ulsh graphics@synthesis.net

PAGE 4

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

HARD ADVICE

Arielle Mullen arielle@synthesis.net SynthesisWeekly.com/submit-yourevent/

by Henry Huggins PAGE 5

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Emiliano Garcia-Sarnoff emilianogs@gmail.com

PRODUCTIVITY WASTED

DESIGNERS

pwasted@synthesis.net

by Eli Schwartz

Liz Watters, Mike Valdez graphics@synthesis.net

PAGE 6

DELIVERIES

NO MIDDLE GROUND

Jennifer Foti

by Sylvia Bowersox

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Zooey Mae, Bob Howard, Howl, Koz McKev, Tommy Diestel, Eli Schwartz, Emiliano Garcia-Sarnoff, Jon Williams, Sean Galloway, Alex O’Brien

PAGE 7 THE FRUGAL TERRAN

PHOTOGRAPHY

by TripHazard

Jessica Sid Vincent Latham

PAGE 16

NERD

Dain Sandoval dain@synthesis.net

ACCOUNTING Ben Kirby

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Introducing: Henry Huggins

IMMACULATE INFECTION

PAGE 5

by Bob Howard

Madbob@madbob.com

PAGE 17

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. One copy (maybe two) of the Synthesis is 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 the Synthesis, 210 W. 6th St., Chico, California, 95928. Email letters@ synthesis.net. Please sign all of your letters with your real name, address and preferably a phone number. We may also edit your submission for content and space.

MARCH ART REPORT

PAGE 18 PREVIEW: APE MACHINE

PAGE 19 KOZMIK DEBRIS

by Koz McKev

kozmckev@sunset.net

PAGE 21 FROM THE EDGE

by Anthony Peyton Porter PAGE 22

210 West 6th Street Chico Ca 95928 530.899.7708 editorial@synthesis.net

FACEBOOK.COM/SYNTHESISCHICO

3

LE T T E R F R O M T H E E DI TO R

Worst PET OF THE WEEK

Look at what a peice of crap this stupid little turtle is.

First of all, he smells bad because he’s a turtle, second, he smells bad because of his tobacco addiction.

He wastes all the money that he doesn’t throw away online gambling on buying cigarettes really slowly.

I hate him and so should you.

NOW HEA R THI S

NICKI MINAJ

TANN ER DA N N Y LI Z

Koko Beware - “Bleedin’” National Parks - “Ghosts”

DI N A H

Frank Sinatra & Anita Baker - “Witchcraft”

BE C CA

Nicki Minaj - “Truffle Butter”

H A LEY

Bastille - “Of the Night”

AL M ICH ELLE A LI E

4

Gangrene - “Play it Cool (ft. Earl & Future Islands)”

Afroman - “I’m Ballin’” Big Sean - “I Know” Creedence Clearwater Revival - “Have You Ever Seen the Rain”

SYNTHESISWEEKLY.COM

MAR 9 2015

The Ticking Clock I decided a long time ago that I wouldn’t do the whole “oops, I’m pregnant” thing. I watched plenty of my friends from sophomore year of high school on into my 20s (and, bafflingly, my 30s) enjoy the fruits of the pull-out method: their lives forever bound to a guy who wasn’t responsible enough for a condom, let alone child support payments or positively influencing their offspring.

Sure, my friends loved their babies enough to pretend they had no regrets, but I saw the drama unfold as young loser boyfriends turned into older, more advanced losers; saw them sacrifice their dreams and ambitions so they could make up for their shitty co-parent and provide everything their child needed.

Don’t get me wrong, I dated losers too. If anything, being responsible about birth control emboldened me to be even more irresponsible with my partner choices. The benefit, however, was that I got to leave them all behind.

So here I am, 37 years old, no baggage. I’m madly in love with and married to this man who brings out the best in me. We’re financially stable, emotionally stable, love kids. It’s the perfect time for babies.

But, there’s a catch: it might be too late.

It also might not be, but the possibility looms, vividly real and impenetrably dark. We’ve been trying (like bunnies) for over a year now, and no adorable little dice. I ask and answer the question over and over: could I be happy with a childless future? I’m childless now, and very happy, but I’ve always treasured this vision of myself as a mother and wrapped my plans around it. It’s a dream that’s a part of who I am… would putting it permanently in the grave break my heart or set me free? It cycles through the back of my mind like a second hand ticking laps around the minutes and hours.

I promise myself that if it is too late I’ll just process it and adapt—choose to foster my creative fertility, use all the extra money to travel and stimulate my mind. I could enjoy an easier life with my wonderful man, and just let go of this path untraveled like all the other things I never did. I have a pretty high degree of power over my emotional perspective at this point in my life (a converse benefit of being this age).

Sometimes I look back on my fertile years, at the choice I might have been making between having a baby with the wrong guy, or having no baby with the right guy... If it was indeed such an absolute choice, I’m

glad I have Dain. Call me selfish, but I wouldn’t trade him for anything.

The funny thing about the right guy, though—he wasn’t always the right guy. If I had met him during my prime breeding years, I would’ve met a punk guitarist who got blackout drunk and ate canned pancake batter out of a dumpster to make his friends laugh. He would’ve met a barefoot hippie with stinky armpits and trouble committing to anything. We both became capable of happiness, and became right for each other, through a lot of misadventure and reflection; moved in intersecting circles for years, and then, one day, we met.

My fertility might be a ticking clock, but my whole life has been turning gears that clicked in place with his when the right pieces aligned. It happened when it was supposed to happen, and maybe that’s true of all things.

In the meantime, we finally took the plunge and met with a fertility specialist. We might be able to do this, but only time will tell.

by AMY SANDOVAL amy@synthesis.net

HEN RY HUGGIN S’ HARD OP IN ION S

Hard Opinions The world has lost its goddamn collective mind. But don’t you worry your dumb little brain, good ol’ Henry Huggins is here to guide you back to your sanity; you’re all just a hop, skip, and a swift kick in the ass away from sweet salvation, you smelly bunch of dumbdumbs.

First up on my list of hard opinions: food fads. What in in the Sam Hell is a Cro-nut? It sounds like the medical term for a caveman’s nutsack. And ramen burgers? Sickening. Heap some more MSG onto your food pile, ya loon!

You’ll get no sympathy from Huggins when you’re keeling over after years of constantly poisoning that jelly-like skin-sack you call a body with bullshit food fads like Dippin’ Dots and bacon-flavored everything. You keep eating your cronuts and fried dough, Huggins will be around long after you’ve kicked the bucket. He’ll be off with a fiery bearcat the likes of which you’ve never even seen!

Next up on my list: commercials these days.

Have you seen the one from Nationwide?

Malarky! Pure applesauce and horseshit. Why is every commercial designed to take me for a two minute walk around the emotional spectrum? If I wanted that I’d ask my damn grandkids to do their reenactment of that Freezing movie everyone’s been talking about.

That dead Nationwide kid is the biggest bluenose I’ve ever seen. Pappy Huggins calls bushwa on that bullshit. Get a real job, ya bunch of dewdroppers!

Now, you may think that Huggins is a dumb layabout, who does nothing but sit around, sippin’ off the giggle water and yelling

obscenities at the neighborhood kids. Well, you’re only half right. I might spend a fair amount of my day using my God-given right to park my pooper on the front porch and get spifflicated while doling out my valuable life lessons to kids, but that’s not all I do. Far from it! After my morning constitutional, I take my attentions to my classic ‘94 IBM Aptiva and peruse the world wide web.

I was shocked and dismayed to see the world so bamboozled by that damn dress! I mean c’mon! It should be plain as day to even the reddest Reuben that the whole kit and caboodle was just a ploy by the government to get people a chatterin’ so they’d lessen up their peepy gaze on the corners of the world wide web where the good stuff is. For instance, did’ja hear the one about the cherry factory in Brooklyn? Turns out the owner made a classic mistake of not knowin’ his onions, and got slapped with a surprise raid by the police and wound up dead on account of his shame at hidin’ a whole goddamn drug farm in the basement!

Take it from me kids, Huggins will never steer you wrong. If you’re lookin’ to make a quick buck… then head to nearest reflective surface and give that dumb idiot the what for, because there’s no such thing! In closing, I’d like to invite ya’ll to get off my damn lawn!

And get a haircut! You all look terrible.

SUPERCLEAN Pros High Performance Detail Cleaners Residential and Commercial Cleaning Services!

• Apartment

• Business

• Home

• Warehouse

• Office

• and more!

Cost Effective, Customer Friendly Cleaning Service Fees FREE estimates with walk- through site inspection (530)774-1175 http://supercleanpros.webs.com

“We clean to YOUR specifications!”

by HENRY HUGGINS FACEBOOK.COM/SYNTHESISCHICO

5

O N THE TOW N — V I N CE L ATHAM FACE B OOK .COM / VA NGUARD P H OTOGRAP H Y

PR O D U C T I V I T Y WAST E D

Idle Hands ON WAITING AND RUNNING Pacing is a challenge that haunts everything from court cases to action movies, and video games are no exception. Indeed, pacing becomes even more tricky with the added interactivity of the game, as the developer must successfully create good pacing, and then pray that the players actually utilize that pacing properly, and not, say, glitch jump through a wall in the tutorial to the final boss, or spend three hours haggling over a hauberk. Heavy, stressful games are wise to give moments of rest to aspirating players, while winding, exploring games will do everything they can to keep the players attention and reduce loading times.

them wait, they’ll come back before long. A strategy of temptation used by all manner of vice-peddlers.

Real-time strategy and MOBAs have pro scenes where slowness, let alone stillness, is tantamount to surrender and death, and play at blistering speeds. Grand Strategy and turn-based games tend to draw on forever, with much waiting, building, and planning between each clash or snap decision. A friend of mine once said, during his first game of Civ V: “I’m actually doing nothing.”

The Idle game always has something being grown over time. Buildings, crops, cookies, lemonade stands, swarms of massive locusts (my favorite), or just good old fashioned money. Idling progress marries the perverse desire in all of us to get without having to work hard—but not too hard. Waiting and returning, simple as it is, is an investment of time, and care, and a little effort too, and that stimulates us without risking much in the way of precious calories.

Yet, of course, there are some games where waiting is not merely a part of the game, but almost a centerpiece. The Idle game is a genre that, despite sounding like no fun at all, manages to be one of the most played, most addictive, and most widely marketed.

One can always point to Farmville and other monstrosities cobbled together by Zynga that once had a place on more smartphones than not.

The Idle game is one where patience is all it takes—but not too much. At a certain point you must reap and you must sow, whether you’re doing so literally or not. Farmville understood the idle at its basic level: Make 6

SYNTHESISWEEKLY.COM

MAR 9 2015

Of course, there is still the question of why people like it at all, and I suspect the answer to be simple and a little psychological.

People like progress. People like to feel that today is better than yesterday in some way. This is much of the reason why RPGs are so much fun; progressing a character and making lists of attribute stats go up is inherently pleasurable, and the video game fits best for this effect by giving us the perfect illusion of our own progress.

Investment and growth are beautiful lies to sell on, and ones that can make us strangely and surprisingly satisfied from the simplest formulas and skills, and it is perfect for hooking in the casual gamer who wouldn’t work too hard for a game, but just hard enough, maybe. And who doesn’t like to get better?

by ELI SCHWARTZ pwasted@synthesis.net

NO MIDDLE GROUN D

David, Please Come Back I was reading the news this morning, and found myself thinking: what would General Petraeus do to fix this? You remember General Petraeus, don’t you?

He was the brilliant military strategist who led from the front. He was the guiding light of our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He created and led the surge that allowed our forces to exit Iraq with dignity. Then, after thirtyseven years in uniform, he retired and became the CIA Director. And then resigned because he had that affair.

He just pleaded guilty to some kind of something in order to stay out of prison.

That Petraeus.

I’m certain that America could benefit from having King David back. He is a natural leader, who possesses huge amounts of courage and talent. He is a veteran of multiple conflicts, and most importantly, he’s a war hero.

Besides, he yelled at me once.

I mean it. He did. Well, he didn’t know it was me and he wasn’t General Petraeus at the time. He was Major General Petraeus, which means that he had two stars on his collar instead of the four that identify him now. It was 2003, and we were in the North of Iraq; I was covering another episode of the Tigris River Valley Commission.

The Commission was a weekly meeting

between the military and the local Iraqi leaders. Like every single meeting that I ever attended during my time in Iraq, this one was focused on listening to the Iraqis and then getting their buy-in for projects that the military was already invested in.

Covering a meeting is tough. Covering a meeting in a war zone is impossible.

You can’t leave once you have the obligatory shots required for the ninety-second television news story.

You have to stick it out, until everyone is ready to get back on the Blackhawk.

This particular meeting starred the celebrities of the 101st Airborne Division, General Petraeus and Colonel Ben Hodges, in addition to an assortment of officers, NCOs, CNN, a couple of prints guys, and me. We were in a medium sized room with lots of chairs, a stage, and Iraqis sporting everything from grey suits to gray robes and red-checkered headdresses.

Think YMCA recreational room over Christmas. I was in the back row. I have no idea what they were discussing at the front of the room, but it probably had something to do with benzene, money, and electricity.

path of the CNN guy and we both almost fell over. And then it happened.

In the calmest, most authoritative voice anyone has ever used to yell at me.

General Petraeus issued his orders.

“Sergeant Blackwood (my name at the time), be still. Set up over there,” And then he pointed to a spot on the left side of the room.

I immediately knew what to do. He gave me direction without causing me, or anyone else embarrassment. I moved to the side of the room and set up my gear. I stayed there for the remainder of the meeting without incident.

You don’t get that kind of authority over night.

He did with me, what he was so good at doing: He took care of his people.

We need him right now. We need a leader who can show everybody how to do the right thing, and take care of the country by taking care of their people.

Plus, in an era of war zones, he’s got experience.

David, please come back.

I got bored.

I decided to move to a good closeup spot in the front of the room.

Unfortunately, I moved right into the

by SYLVIA BOWERSOX FACEBOOK.COM/SYNTHESISCHICO

7

In an effort to give you, dear reader, the best possible insight into the dangerous underworld of the DJ, we bravely set out to survey a broad spectrum of two of our friends. We present to you the following pair of interviews, wherein rivalries are inflamed, and true motivations are revealed.

Could you tell me about your DJ name? Were there any you rejected before settling on that?

I’ve always gone by my initials, but originally I went by just MV (short for Mike Valdez), but a good friend of mine, Patrick Napoko (who is a slam poet), suggested I spell it out EmVee, and ever since then I’ve gone by that.

So you never had some super intense other name in mind, like DJ Dr@gon F!$ts?

No, I’ve always liked the idea of being me, not like an identity. I like people knowing me for me. Except people sometimes think it’s DJ EnVee, like envy. Like “look at this jerk, so self centered...”

Where do you usually play?

I play at LaSalles downtown, and I also play up in Redding pretty frequently at a club called O Bliss.

8

SYNTHESISWEEKLY.COM

Could you describe to me what the scene is like at LaSalles for DJ nights, for people (like me) who’ve never gone to it?

something good.” I find that pretty insulting. I’m not afraid to call people out on that, I’m just like “don’t ever say that to a DJ. Ever.”

Yeah. I play pretty predominantly on the back patio, except for on Wednesdays I play inside. I like the back patio because it has a really open vibe I can kinda play whatever I want. It’s a college-age crowd, but not the frat/sorority type people, more like locals... I play mostly hip hop and R&B. I’m an enthusiast of many genres, but that’s predominantly what I like to DJ. The back patio is kind of the perfect atmosphere for that because it’s not super high energy, but it’s good for dancing and it’s a cool atmosphere where people can interact with one another really easily.

Do they ever elaborate, like “Please play something I can dance to—I only do Irish Step Dance...”?

What’s the most annoying thing people ever do at your shows?

Telling me to “play music they can dance to,” because I try pretty hard to play all music that people can dance to. Or telling me to “play

MAR 9 2015

Actually, the majority of the time when people say that they have no idea what they want to listen to.

I say, “Well, can you elaborate on that? What do you want to hear?

Like, some top 40, some EDM...?”

They’re just like “I don’t know, something different.”

I also don’t like it when people just stand on the dance floor and act awkward, it kills the mood. I really like vibing off people’s energy, so when someone is just destroying that, sucking all the energy from the room, it bugs me. Especially because DJing is a hobby for me. I make some money at it, but I do it because I really like to make other people have as good of a time as possible, and I want to make the best of every time I get to play.

What’s something you see other DJs do that makes you cringe?

The number one thing is when DJs play really selfishly—when they play for themselves as opposed to playing for their crowd... in the end, you lose money for the establishment, and you’re not taking people for a journey that they want to be a part of.

What does that look like?

One example would be DJs who like to scratch a lot, like continuously. To them it’s a really appealing sound and really gratifying, but... And this is something I’ve had to battle myself with: as I started to learn and get more proficient I wanted to show it to people, share my craft, but I had to get over the fact that people don’t care about that. They want to hear the music. They want to hear a really smooth mix. They’re there to have a good time, they’re not there to see you.

Another facet of that: taking

requests is a huge thing, a lot of DJs won’t take requests. I’m totally open to taking anyone’s request—although, I won’t always play it, because it’s my job to make a professional decision, if it’s not right for the energy level at the time... like if they want a super low tempo bump ‘n’ grind song when it’s 12:00 and everyone wants to rage and be listening to really upbeat, fun music. You have to know where to take people on certain parts of your set.

Do you have a nemesis?

I do, kind of. Well, there’s a couple DJs that really annoy me.

Yessss. [laughs] They annoy me more because of the way they carry themselves than anything. They really hype themselves, see themselves as like extraterrestrial beings that are divine... you know.

They talk down to other people a lot.

“...TELLING ME TO “PLAY SOMETHING GOOD.” I FIND THAT PRETTY INSULTING.”

Name me a name! Challenge them to a battle right now!

Okaay. Well, a lot of people know this DJ, his name is DJ Lil 50. We started DJing at the same time, and he just... he never had the right frame of mind, and that bugs me.

And he kind of uses people for their connections and things like that. Really has no respect for the establishments that he plays in.

He’s one of those selfish DJs that plays for himself. [tents fingers] Nice...

And I’m fortunate enough now to where a lot of people in Chico do know me, but I still don’t walk around like [in a deep voice] “My name is DJ EmVee.” I mean, when people ask what I do I’ll tell them that I’m a DJ, and if they ask where I’ll tell them I DJ at LaSalles, and sometimes people recognize me as a result. But, I mean, five years from now, will I be famous? No, probably not. This is just a hobby.

Could you beat that guy in a DJ

battle? How about a knife fight?

Yeah. Well... I don’t know about the knife fight.

What about Deadmau5, could you beat Deadmau5’s ass? He’s all top-heavy with that helmet on, you could just push him over.

Yes, I could. [laughs] But yeah, I do think I could probably beat Lil 50 in a DJ battle, just because I’ve been more focused on the craft itself over the years, as opposed to promoting myself and creating a persona. By creating that artificial persona, he’s also created a really negative reputation for himself, and people think of him the same way I think of him. And that’s an unfortunate thing, I hope he changes his mentality.

What’s the weirdest show you’ve ever played?

Actually... That would be a 40th birthday party for this woman.

They rented out Monk’s Wine Bar. I thought it was going to be like

any other birthday party, totally fine, whatever... But, it turned to be the craziest party I’ve ever DJed in my whole life. I played such a vast array of music, I mean, I dug so deep in my crates... I went from like Jack Johnson to Biggie to Tupac to Madonna to Guns ‘n’ Roses to ACDC to Bob Marley… They were asking for E-40 and Too Short... I played every spectrum of music, every genre. Almost everyone, including the bar staff, was dancing on every table top in the entire place. It was probably one of the funnest sets I’ve ever played. The whole group was so open minded.

It was a really good time, but super weird and unexpected.

Billy Hopkins (AKA “Simple Science”), has had a hand in the Chico music scene for years. From Beta nights, Bassmint at Peeking, and the Fab Lab, it’s safe to say he’s seen his fair share of what the DJs in town have to offer, and have to go through in the pursuit of dropping those funky ass beats.

You can catch his sets occasionally at Bassmint, and at various spots around town.

Were there any DJ names you rejected before settling on Simple Science?

I honestly don’t remember, but I’m sure they were awful. Oh, Glass Jawed Gunslinger. But it’s like 80 letters long. Its more of a gamer tag than a name that anyone would put on anything, ever.

So why did you settle on Simple Science?

It was kind of a fluke decision, frankly. It was just something that I said a lot for a period of time…

When I had no argument but I was trying to prove a point, I would say, “It’s simple science!”

Where do you play? (is that even what you call it?)

Oh it’s all play. You could say “spin” or “mix” or “perform” if you want to be all toity about it.

Where do you drop those mad fatty beats?

When I drop those mad fatty beats, a lot of the time now it’s at the Fab Lab. Occasionally at Bassmint.

Other random bars and galleries around town for special events. I’m a little more selective these days.

Frankly, one of the reasons I got involved with the Fab Lab was that we were tired of trying to throw shows at really gross bars, because we hit the ceiling of what we could do there, and the venue owners didn’t really care about trying to improve the quality of their show.

So it became embarrassing to bring guest DJs from out of town who were like, “where’s the green room?” Well, unfortunately the stall doesn’t have a door, or I’d say, in there.

What sort of music? (is that even what you call it?) [laughs] That’s a great question, it’s not pointed at all! I play a mix of electronic styles. We say “bass music” a lot of the time now, just to

FACEBOOK.COM/SYNTHESISCHICO

9

PEOPLE JUST EXPECT THEM TO BE A JUKEBOX, LIKE “I WANT MICHAEL JACKSON, RIGHT NOW.”

keep it simple because there’s so many subgenres. People will argue about the definitions of them, like “that’s not house, that’s electrohouse, that’s prog-house, that’s dub step or down-tempo…” or whatever.

There’s so many little terms and it’s just not worth it. I play a mixture of underground, I guess you could say, music styles. Drum and bass, dubstep, house, and all sorts of weird stuff in between. But mostly bass-centric. Some people call it music.

What’s the most annoying thing people do or have ever done at your shows?

I’m sure every DJ deals with people requesting music, but especially electronic DJs because unfortunately what they’re playing is pretty limited in style, or what they’re carrying with them at the time. And people just expect

10

SYNTHESISWEEKLY.COM

them to be a jukebox, like “I WANT MICHAEL JACKSON, RIGHT NOW.” And they’re just fucking mean if you don’t have it, or don’t want to play it. Like no, this is a house music night, the flyer said it was going to be house music all night. “PLAY SOME FUCKING EMINIEM.” People are just fucking mean. So mostly aggressive requests. But also, sadly, venue owners are usually pretty mean to DJs. Understandably so, they don’t really respect them as musicians, so they’re just like “you’re just a jukebox, why do you have opinions or needs? Shut up and go play.” They treat it like you’re just iTunes.

skating rink. It brought a lot of weird, flashback memories, because the last time I’d been there I was probably about ten. So yeah, a bunch of ravers, smashing to dubstep, on a skating rink.

[Bettis], just to keep it biblical. We used to be brothers and then we went our separate ways. So we might have a showdown at some point. I could totally take him.

What about a knife fight?

Were they on roller skates?

That seems dangerous.

Oh I got that on lock. He’s slow. He’s a father now. He’s nursing children.

He’s not out there on the streets like me, fightin’ and scrappin’. He’s gone soft.

It was very dangerous. I’m sure a lot of Mollyheads were falling down pretty hard.

What’s something that you see other DJs do that makes you cringe?

What’s the weirdest show you ever played?

Who’s your nemesis? Could you beat them in a DJ battle? What about a knife fight?

[laughs] Give me a minute… I played a rave at Cal Skate. It was 18+, but it was pretty rave-y, and we were right in the middle of the

I usually keep it pretty jovial with my cohorts… I don’t know…

Swedish House Mafia was always really terrible. I might say Owen

A lot of ego for not much talent.

A lot of DJs aren’t as good as they think they are, and it’s kind of a silly thing to have an ego about anyway, because at best you’re really good at playing someone elses music.

I try to have a sense of humility, because it’s a lot of fun, but people

MAR 9 2015

No… Well actually, I think maybe some of them were.

take it way too seriously. It’s supposed to be a fun thing, and when they’re way too proud of themselves, that’s really annoying.

Or when they can’t mix. Just fucking mix. that’s all you’re supposed to do. A smooth transition between tracks. Don’t just slam it back and forth and drop it. If you’re actually there to perform and give people a smooth experience, you should take the time to practice and learn how to blend. I would understand the complaints of old school DJs versus the new, where now all you have to do is push a “make this work for me” button on the mixer.

Thank you to Billy Hopkins and Mike Valdez for indulging our curiosity.

Where Fitness is a Resort!

1ST PLACE 1994

1ST PLACE 1995

1ST PLACE 1996

1ST PLACE 1997

1ST PLACE 1998

1ST PLACE 1999

1ST PLACE 2000

1ST PLACE 2001

1ST PLACE 2002

1ST PLACE 2003

1ST PLACE 2004

1ST PLACE 2005

1ST PLACE 2006

1ST PLACE 2007

1ST PLACE 2008

1ST PLACE 2009

1ST PLACE 2010

1ST PLACE 2011

1ST PLACE 2012

1ST PLACE 2013

1ST PLACE 2014

FOOD + DRINK

WATCH

MARCH

MADNESS HERE

SUNDAY ALL DAY $5.49 GRAD/GARDEN/TURKEY BURGER W/ FRIES OR SALAD BLOODY MARY $3 WELL OR $4 CALL $5 TOP SHELF, $6 GREY GOOSE, MIMOSAS $2/FLUTE OR $5/PINT $7 CHEAP BEER PITCHERS

344 west 8th St | chico, ca | 530-343-2790

MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY FRIDAY

EAT. DRINK. PLAY Find out how you can play pool for only $1/day

LESSONS, LEAGUES AND TOURNAMENTS!

SATURDAY

Closed.

We need to drink, too!

Come see our beautiful Patio! Happy Hour 4-6: Menu cocktails $1 off. Sierra Nevada Draft $3

Come see our beautiful Patio! Happy Hour 4-6: Menu cocktails $1 off. Sierra Nevada Draft $3 Live music 8-10

GET FOXY, THE DEVIL YOU KNOW, BRADLEY RELF & THE FAMILY FOR THE NIGHT

ST. PATTY’S DAY | 12PM

SHAMROCK FESTIVAL THE DEVIL YOU KNOW, MISCREANTS, SIN TWISTER, HER TRAGIC MISTAKE, STUBBLEGUM, THE VELVETEEN GABIT, BIGGS ROLLER

319 MAIN STREET (530) 892-2473 12

SYNTHESISWEEKLY.COM

MAR 9 2015

SUNDAY

Closed

Closed

Mon-Fri Happy Hour 12-4pm $3 Sierra & Domestic Pints 6pm - close $1 Off Pitchers $5 Sailor Jerry DBLs All Day Every Day

Daily Happy Hour from 4-7pm PBR $2.25 Everyday!

$2.50 TUESDAY: Tacos, Corn Dogs, Fries or Tots, Chips & Salsa and Motzerells sticks only $2.50 ALL Day! $3 Sierra and Dom Pints $ 3.50 Kamis ALL DAY!

Daily Happy Hour from 4-7pm PBR $2.25 Everyday!

WING WEDNESDAY! $2 for 3 Wings w/ drink purchase 8pm-Close $4.50 Shooter of the Day $5.50 DBL Bacardi Cocktails $5 Sailor Jerry DBLs All Day Every Day

Daily Happy Hour from 4-7pm Full Bar in Back Room Weds, Fri & Sat Nights!

PBR $2.25 Everyday!

Open Mic Comedy Night Every Other Week!

Happy Hour 2-6pm M-F $1.00 off Sierra and Dom Pitchers $1.00 off PBR & Olympia Pool Rates Cut in 1/2!

$6.99 Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich MONSTER MONDAY SPECIALS 6PM-CLOSE BEER $3.50/4.50/5.50/6.50

Two Dollar Tuesdays! $2 PBRs $2 Tacos!

Happy Hour 2-6pm M-F $1.00 off Sierra and Dom Pitchers $1.00 off PBR and Olympia Cans Pool Rates Cut in 1/2!

Fried Chicken Sandwich w/fries or salad $6.99

8 ball Tourney 6pm sign-up Happy Hour 2-6pm M-F $1.00 off Sierra and Dom Pitchers $1.00 off PBR and Olympia Pool Rates Cut in 1/2!

Reuben Sand w/ fries or salad $6.99

Happy Hour 2-6pm M-F $1.00 off Sierra and Dom Pitchers $1.00 off PBR and Olympia Pool Rates Cut in 1/2!

1/2 Rack Slow Cooked Pork Ribs w/ fries, salad and garlic bread $11.99

Rock Out at The DL! Enjoy Live Music, Great Grub, and 10 9' foot tables Open @11am All ages untill 10pm

10 oz. Tri-Tip Steak w/ Fries or Salad & Garlic Bread $8.99 8pm-Close $4 Jäger Shots $5 DBL 3 Olive Red Bull $5 Imports

FREE Pool EVERY DAY after 10pm w/ Purchase

6-close $3 Sierra Nevada Pints FREE Pool EVERY DAY after 10pm w/ Purchase

6pm-Close Pitcher Specials $7/$10/$14 FREE Pool EVERY DAY after 10pm w/ Purchase

Come see our beautiful Patio! Happy Hour 4-6: Wander Food Truck on the Patio 6pm

Bartender Specials 9-11pm $15 Bottomless Slushies with Souvenir Glass

Mon-Fri Happy Hour 12-4pm $3 Sierra & Domestic Pints $3.50 Soccer moms $6 Dbl Roaring Vodka $5 Sailor Jerry DBLs All Day Every Day

Daily Happy Hour from 4-7pm PBR $2.25 Everyday!

Join us for Beers on our Patio Bar! Happy Hour from 4-6.

Open 9pm Bartender Specials $15 Bottomless Slushies w/ Souvenir Glass 9-11pm Jack Daniels Honey Promo 9pm - Close Samples, Specials & Giveaways

Mon-Fri Happy Hour 12-4pm $3 Sierra & Dom Pints Weekend Blast Off!!

8-close $6 Dom Draft & Jack or Jack Honey Shot

Daily Happy Hour from 4-7pm

We open at 12:00pm.

Open 9pm Bartender Specials $15 Bottomless Slushies w/ Souvenir Glass 9-11pm

Open at 11am $4.50 Bloody Mary $5.50 Absolut Peppar Bloody Marys Noon - 6pm $1 OFF SN & Dom Pitcher $5.50 DBL Bacardi Cocktails

Daily Happy Hour from 4-7pm Full Bar in Back Room Weds, Fri & Sat Nights!

PBR $2.25 Everyday!

Rock Out at The DL! Enjoy Live Music, Great Grub, and 10 9' foot tables Open @11am All ages untill 10pm

1/2 Rack Slow Cooked Pork Ribs w/ fries, salad and garlic bread $11.99 8pm-Close $4 or $6 DBL Jack or Captain & Coke or 3 Olives Any Flavor

10am -2pm $5 Bottles of Champagne with entree $4.50 Bloody Mary $5.50 Absolut Peppar Bloody Marys

Daily Happy Hour from 4-7pm PBR $2.25 Everyday!

Free Pool with Purchase! $1.00 off Sierra and Dom Pitchers $1.00 off PBR and Olympia Cans

$5.49 Grad/Garden/ Turkey Burger w/fries or salad Bloodies $3 Well, $4 Call, $5 Top, $6 Goose Mimosas $2/flute, $5/pint $7 CHEAP Beer Pitchers

Tacotruck.biz and Beers on the Patio!

Bushmills Promo 10pm - Close Samples, Specials & Giveaways

MARCH 13

HQX PRESENTS:

Closed

WE OPEN AT 12:00PM MIMOSAS WITH FRESH SQUEEZED OJ FOR $5 UNTIL 5PM.

CLOSED

WED/9PM

HAPPY HOUR 4-7PM Beer Week Guinness cocktail specials Beer coozie giveaway at back bar

FRI/4-7PM

DANCE NIGHT HAPPY HOUR DJ SPENNY, JEFF HOWS THE PUB SCOUTS & DJ LOIS

3 3 7 M A I N S T.

530-343-1745

6pm-Close $3.50 All beer pints 3 Olive Red Bull$4/$5 DBL 9pm Red Bull Movie Night

Fire Grill &

Closed

Go DownLo

BEAR-E-OKE BURGER MADNESS! Bear Burger with fries or salad for $5.49.

11am-10pm.

Bar

Happy Hour 11-6pm select bottles & drafts $3

CLOSED

Closed for Repairs

2 FOR 1 BURGERS ALL DAY !!

MINORS WELCOME!

CLOSED

$2.50 Select Sierra Nevada or Dom Drafts $2 Kamis -any flavor All Day

$3.50 Tea of the Day Bartender Specials Happy Hour 4-8pm

Under New Management!

Happy Hour 4 - 7pm

NEW Food Menu

$1.50 sliders and other cheap eats!

Progressive Night: 8 - 10pm—$1 Dom, Wells & Sierra Nevada Pale Ale 10pm - Close—Up $0.25 per hour til closing $3 Sky Cocktails

LATE NIGHT EATS! kitchen open until 1am Closed

Go DownLo

BEAR WEAR! 1/2 off while wearing Bear Wear.

MUG CLUB 4-10pm

Bartender Specials Happy Hour 4-7 9-10pm Fire Hour $3.50 Fireball Shots

LATE NIGHT EATS! kitchen open until 1am WACKY WEDNESDAYS (8pm - close ) DJ Party 4 different DJ’s $1 wells $2 calls $2 domestic bottles $6 pitchers of well drinks

Go DownLo

Happy Hour 4-8pm Ladies Night!

8pm - CLOSE $5 Pabst pitchers $2 shot board $4 Moscow Mules $3 Jamo and Ginger Buck Hour 10:30 - 11:30

Early Bird Special 9-10pm 1/2 off wells

Happy Hour 4 - 8pm

Early Bird Special 9-10pm 1/2 off wells

FIREBALL FRIDAYS!!!

8pm - Close $3 Fireball Shots $4 Big Teas $3 Coronas

TRIKE RACES! Post time @ 10pm.

Win T-shirts and Bear Bucks.

MUG CLUB 4-10pm

All 16 oz Teas or AMF $3 All Day

$3.50 Skyy Vodka Cocktails $3.50 Tea of the Day Bartender Specials Happy Hour 4-8pm

LATE NIGHT EATS! kitchen open until 1am

1/2 OFF COVER before 10pm

BURGER MADNESS! Bear Burger with fries or salad for $5.49.

11am-10pm.

MUG CLUB from 4-10pm

LATE NIGHT EATS! kitchen open until 1am

Early Bird Special 9-10pm 1/2 off wells

Happy Hour 11-6pm $3 select bottles & drafts $2.50 16oz Wells All Day

Select Pints $3

KARAOKE "INDUSTRY NIGHT" 8PM - CLOSE HALF OFF ALMOST EVERYTHING!(Except Red Bull and Premium Liquors) Specials All Day!

Go DownLo

LIVE MUSIC 1/2 OFF COVER before 10pm BURGER MADNESS! Bear Burger with fries or salad for $5.49.

11am-10pm.

4-6pm $1 Dom Drafts $2 SN Drafts & Wells $5 DBL Captain Buck Night 8pm-Close $1 wells, SN Pale Ale, Rolling Rock, Dom Draft $3 Black Butte $4 Vodka Redbull

9pm-Close $2 12oz Teas $3 20oz Teas $2 Well, Dom Bottles & bartender Specials $5 Vodka Red Bull SoCo Promo 9pm - Close Samples, Specials & Giveaways

Under New Management!

Happy Hour 4 -7pm

NEW Food Menu Bartender Specials Happy Hour 4-7 9-10pm Fire Hour $3.50 Fireball Shots

$1.50 sliders and other cheap eats!!

$3.50 Tea of the Day Bartender Specials Happy Hour 4-8pm

Monday - Friday HAPPY HOUR 4-7PM $1 OFF ALL DRINKS (excludes energy drinks)

Happy Hour- 4-7pm $5 Fridays 4-8pm Most food items and pitchers of beer are $5

Power Hour 8-9pm 1/2 Off Liquor & Drafts (excludes pitchers) 9pm-Close $4 Jim Beam $3 Domestic Drafts $9.75 Pitchers $5 Dbl Sugar Island Rum NO COVER

Hot "Dawgs" ALL DAY!

Mon. - Sat. 4pm - 6pm $1 Dom. draft, $2 SN Draft and Wells Power Hour 8 - 9pm $3 Domestic Drafts $9.75 Pitchers $5 Dbl Sugar Island Rum NO COVER $4 Jim Beam

Champagne Brunch and SPORTS!

CLOSED

Jack Daniels Honey Promo 9pm - Close Samples, Specials & Giveaways LATE NIGHT EATS! kitchen open until 1am

1/2 OFF EVERYTHING!!!

9-10pm Fire Hour $3.50 Fireball Shots

LIVE MUSIC 1/2 OFF COVER before 10pm

Opening at 8pm for ‘80s NIGHT!!

8pm - CLOSE $4 Sauza Margaritas $3 Kamis $3 Shocktop & VIP pint

Monday - Friday HAPPY HOUR 4-7PM $1 OFF ALL DRINKS (excludes energy drinks) Bartender Specials

$4 Sex On The Beach $4 Sierra Nevada Knightro ON TAP $1 Jello Shots 7-10pm $3 Fireball

$3.50 Tea of the Day Bartender Specials Happy Hour 4-8pm

$4 World Famous Bloody Joe $5 Premium bloodys your choice of vodka

Champagne Brunch 11am - 2pm $4 Champagne with entree

Bushmills Promo 10pm - Close Samples, Specials & Giveaways

$6 DBL Sugar Island 8 - close $5 DBL SoCo Saturday & Sunday HAPPY HOUR 3-6PM $1 OFF ALL DRINKS (excludes energy drinks) $6 DBL Sugar Island 8 - close $5 DBL SoCo Saturday & Sunday HAPPY HOUR 3-6PM $1 OFF ALL DRINKS (excludes energy drinks)

4-6pm $1 Dom Drafts $2 SN Drafts & Wells $5 DBL Captain 8pm - Close $4 151 Party punch 22oz.

8 - 9pm $1 Pale Ale & Dom.Draft Up $0.25/ hr until close

MARCH MADNESS MONDAY - FRIDAY

HAPPY HOUR 12-4

$3 Sierra & Domenstic Pints

ST. PATTY’S OPEN 10 A.M.

DRINK & FOOD SPECIALS! + CORN BEEF SANDWICHES

134 Broadway St, Chico, CA | 530.893.5253

LATE NIGHT EATS! kitchen open until 1am

Sunday

Champagne Brunch 10am-2pm Every Sunday $3 champagne with purchase of an entrée

177 E 2nd St, Chico (530) 895-8817 FACEBOOK.COM/SYNTHESISCHICO

13

SUBMIT YOUR EVENTS AT SYNTHESISWEEKLY.COM/SUBMIT-YOUR- EVENT

THIS W E E K O N LY — B E ST B E TS I N E N T E RTA I N M E N T

Fine Dining in the Tradition of Southern Italy

SICILIAN CAFÉ MONDAY, MARCH 9TH

FRIDAY, MARCH 13TH

POOKIE & THE POODLEZ, THE SHE THINGS, CUMSTAIN

Celebrating 30 years !

Farm.

Fresh.

Italian.

MALTESE

CHICO PEACE & JUSTICE CENTER

When was the last time you were so overwhelmed by cuteness that you vomited all over your favorite studded leather jacket? Can’t remember? Well you’re in luck because Pookie & The Poodlez, Cumstain, and Chico darlings The She Things are coming to the Maltese to trigger your gag reflex with adorable rock n’ roll ruckus. 9pm, 21+, $5.

Do you have some hard opinions about climate change? Are you convinced that this can all be tied back to the Illuminati, Lizard People, and/or Obama?

Head on down to the Chico Peace & Justice Center and spew your rantings to a captive audience. 18+ (for language about Obama), donations appreciated, 6:30pm-8pm.

SUNDAY, MARCH 15TH

SUNDAY, MARCH 15TH

4TH ANNUAL CHICO SILENT FILM FESTIVAL

SYNTHESISWEEKLY.COM

AVE GRAVE, CHRIS KEENE, NYX

CHICO WOMEN’S CLUB

MALTESE

Are you a Buster Keaton buff? Have you modeled all your menswear looks after Louise Brooks in Beggars In Life? Did you shave your beard into a Chaplin ‘stache? You probably shouldn’t have done that, it looks like a homage to Hitler.

But dagnabbit, you definitely sound like a silent film enthusiast. Festival runs Sunday through Monday, all ages, noon.

The scuttlebutt about town is that Ave Grave (AKA Sean Galloway) is striking out on his own and heading down to sunny Los Angeles to melt faces and break hearts. If you enjoy his melancholy tunes, this may be your last chance to catch his set for a while. Head over to Maltese to soak it up while you can. 9pm, 21+, count on a cover.

1020 Main Street Chico 530.345.2233 14

CLIMATE CRISIS PUBLIC TALK

MAR 9 2015

This Week...

On

Main

DOUG STEIN’S 25TH CHICO ANNIVERSARY

Upcoming shows...

03/15

MAR

07

03/19

MOON HOOCH W/ BIG STICKY MESS & SMOKEY THE GROOVE

PIGWAR W/

03/17 ST. PATTY’S DAY

03/21

FT. SWAMP ZEN & ZUHG

EXQUISITE CORPS & BANDMASTER RUCKUS

FUNKANAUTS W/ BLACK STAR SAFARI

319 MAIN ST | DOORS OPEN AT 9PM | HALF OFF DRINKS BEFORE 10PM

03/25

PIMPS OF JOYTIME W/ LAFA TAYLOR

03/26

STAY POSITIVE SOUND PRESENTS:

THURSDAY THUNK-ITT

F EATURED EV EN TS

O N G O I N G E V E N TS

9 MONDAY

9 MONDAY

Maltese: Pookie & The Poodlez, The She Things, Cumstain. 9pm, 21+, $5 Sierra Nevada Big Room: Claire Lynch. 7:30pm, all ages

10 TUESDAY

Laxson Auditorium: Cirque Mechanics: Pedal Punk. 7:30pm, all ages, $10-$36

11 WEDNESDAY

Maltese: Wednesday Yoga with Faith & Amor. 12:45-1:45pm, all ages, $5-$20 donation

12 THURSDAY

1078 Gallery: Grandparents (PDX), Dakota Cree, 3house.

7:30pm, $5, all ages BMU Auditorium: Soundclash: Music Showdown. 6pm, all ages, free Neighborhood Church: Taste of Home Cooking School: Live Cooking Demo. 6:30pm

13 FRIDAY

Blue Room Theater: Mark Leathers, Becky Lynn, Chris Bobertz, Don Ashby. 8pm, $10 Chico Peace & Justice Center: Climate Crisis Public Talk. 6:308pm, 18+, donations appreciated Chico Women’s Club: KZFR Presents: Wake of the Dead. 7pm, all ages, $10 DownLo: Get Foxy, The Devil You Know, Bradley Relf and The Family for the Night, Moon Bears.

7pm, free, all ages before 10pm LaSalles: Dr. Luna CD Release Party. 9pm, 21+ Maltese: The LoLo’s, Fera, Sid Prinz. 9pm, 21+, $5 Tackle Box: Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers. 9pm, 21+

14 SATURDAY

Cafe Coda: Bandmaster Ruckus, Ape Machine, The Vesuvians.

8pm, all ages, $5 Casino 99: Texas Hold ‘Em Poker Tournament (Fundraiser for the Rose Scott School). Free tutorial at 5pm, poker at 6pm Chico Peace & Justice Center: Climate Crisis Public Talk. 6:308pm, 18+, donations appreciated Chico Women’s Club: Fourth Annual Chico Silent Film Festival.

12pm Habitat Lab: Camp Upsie Dasium Presents: Burnal Chiquinox. 6pm, all ages, $10, $7 if in playa attire LaSalles: Happy Hour with live music by OBE. 4-8pm, 21+ Maltese: Looking 4 Eleven. 9pm, 21+, $5 Sierra Nevada Big Room: Butte College Foundation Spring Gala.

6-9pm, all ages, $100 Tackle Box: Josh Budro. 9pm, 21+

15 SUNDAY

Chico Women’s Club: Fourth Annual Chico Silent Film Festival.

12pm Laxson Auditorium: State Symphony Orchestra of Mexico. 2pm, all ages, $10-$36 Lost On Main: Moon Hooch, Big Sticky Mess & Smokey The Groove. 8pm, 21+ Maltese: Ave Grave, Chris Keene, Nyx. 9pm, 21+ My House: No Pants Party with Entertainment by Netflix & Flicking Rubber Bands at Neighborhood Cats. 11am-midnight, age 29+, free

100th Monkey: Fusion Belly Dance mixed-level class, with BellySutra. $8/class or $32/month. 6-7pm Chico Womens Club: Prenatal Yoga. 5:306:30pm DownLo: Open Mic Comedy Night. Free.

Pool League. 7pm. All ages until 10pm Madison Bear Garden: Bear-E-oke! 9pm Maltese: Open Mic Music, Signups at 8pm, starts at 9pm. Mug Night 7-11:30pm University Bar: Free Pool 6-8pm Yoga Center Of Chico: Sound Healing w.

Emiliano (no relation). Breathwork, Meditation, Healing.

10 TUESDAY

Alternative Energy Systems: Intro to Solar Seminar. 12pm, 6pm, all ages Chico City Plaza: Picnic In The Plaza, 11:30am-1pm, all ages, free Chico Women’s Club: Yoga. 9-10am. Afro Caribbean Dance. $10/class or $35/mo.

5:50-7pm.

DownLo: Game night. All ages until 10pm Holiday Inn Bar: Classes and Dancing, 7-11pm, 21+ LaSalles: ’90s night. 21+ Madison Bear Garden: Open Jam Night, featuring a different live band opening each week. Bring instruments, 9pm-1:30am Panama Bar: Tropical Tuesdays ft. Mack Morris & DJ2K. 10pm Studio Inn Lounge: Karaoke. 8:30pm-1am University Bar: Free Pool 6-8pm Valene L. Smith Museum of Anthropology: “Leaping Lemurs and Mysterious Crimes: On the Trail of Physical Anthropology.” 11am3:00pm Woodstocks: Trivia Challenge. Call at 4pm to reserve a table. Starts 6:30pm

11 WEDNESDAY Chico Women’s Club: Afro Brazilian Dance.

5:30-7pm DownLo: Wednesday night jazz. 8 Ball Tournament, signups 6pm, starts 7pm Duffys: Dance Night! DJ Spenny, Lois, and Jeff Howse. $1, 9pm Farm Star Pizza: Live Jazz with Carey Robinson and Friends. 6pm-8pm The Graduate: Free Pool after 10pm Madison Bear Garden: Trike Races. Post time 10pm The Maltese: Friends With Vinyl! Bring your vinyl and share up to 3 songs/12 minutes on the turntable. 9pm-1am The Tackle Box: Open Mic, 9:30pm-12am University Bar: Free Pool 6-8pm

Valene L. Smith Museum of Anthropology: “Leaping Lemurs and Mysterious Crime.”

11am-3:00pm Woodstocks: Trivia Night plus Happy Hour. call at 4pm to reserve a table. Starts at 8pm

12 THURSDAY

1078 Gallery: The art of Monika Meler: Fragile Structures. 12:30-5:30pm The Beach: Live DJ, no cover, 9pm DownLo: Live Jazz. 8-11pm. All ages until 10pm The Graduate: Free Pool after 10pm Has Beans Downtown: Open Mic Night.

7-10pm. Signups start at 6pm Holiday Inn Bar: Karaoke. 8pm-midnight LaSalles: Free live music on the patio.

6-9pm Maltese: Karaoke. 9pm-close Panama Bar: Buck night and DJ Eclectic & guests on the patio. 9pm Pleasant Valley Rec Center: CARD World Dance Classes. 6-7pm/youth 10-17, 7-8:30pm/adults. $20/4classes Quackers: Karaoke night with Andy. 9pm1am Tackle Box: Karaoke with DJ Andy. 9pm1am, 21+ University Bar: Free Pool 6-8pm Valene L. Smith Museum of Anthropology: “Leaping Lemurs and Mysterious Crime.”

11am-3:00pm Woodstocks: Open Mic Night Yoga Center Of Chico: Ecstatic Dance with Clay Olson. 7:30-9:30pm

13 FRIDAY

1078 Gallery: The art of Monika Meler: Fragile Structures. 12:30-5:30pm The Beach: Live DJ, 9pm Cafe Coda: Friday Morning Jazz with Bogg, happy hour. 10am-2pm Chico Creek Dance Center: Chico international folk dance club. 7:30pm, $2 DownLo: ½ off pool. All ages until 10pm.

Live Music, 8pm Duffys: Pub Scouts - Happy Hour. 4-7pm The Graduate: Free Pool after 10pm Holiday Inn Bar: DJ Dance Party. 8pm-midnight LaSalles: Open Mic night on the patio.

6-9pm Maltese: Happy hour with live jazz by Bogg.

5-7pm. LGBTQ+ Dance Party. 9pm Panama Bar: Jigga Julee, DJ Mah on the patio. 9pm Peeking: BassMint. Weekly electronic dance party. $1-$5. 9:30pm Quackers: Live DJ. 9pm

Sultan’s Bistro: Bellydance Performance.

6:30-7:30pm University Bar: Free Pool 6-8pm Valene L. Smith Museum of Anthropology: “Leaping Lemurs and Mysterious Crime.”

11am-3:00pm

14 SATURDAY

1078 Gallery: The art of Monika Meler: Fragile Structures. 12:30-5:30pm The Beach: Live DJ Battle, 9pm Crazy Horse Saloon: Ladies Night. Line dance lessons, 9-10pm, DJ & dancing, 10pmclose.

DownLo: 9 Ball tournament. Signups at noon, starts at 1pm. All ages until 10pm The Graduate: Free Pool after 10pm Holiday Inn Bar: DJ Dancing. The Molly Gunn’s Revival! 8pm-midnight LaSalles: 80’s Night. 8pm-close Panama Bar: DJ Eclectic on the patio. 9pm University Bar: Free Pool 6-8pm Valene L. Smith Museum of Anthropology: “Leaping Lemurs and Mysterious Crime.”

11am-3:00pm

15 SUNDAY

Dorothy Johnson Center: Soul Shake Dance Church. $8-$15. 10am-12:30pm DownLo: Free Pool, 1 hour with every $8 purchase. All ages until 10pm LaSalles: Karaoke. 9pm Maltese: Live Jazz 4-7pm.

Tackle Box: Karaoke, 8pm

FACEBOOK.COM/SYNTHESISCHICO

15

O N THE TOW N J ESSI CA SID

T H E F R U GA L T E R R A N

Time is Not Money THOUGH BOTH MAY NOT EXIST Two big events are fresh in my mind, framing today’s column. First (and less important), today is my birthday. Second (and more important), my aunt just passed away at age 55, despite being the picture of health.

These events coalesced into a single purpose for this column—to focus on the idea that all one ever actually has is time to fill in various ways. You’ll probably spend a significant percentage of your time on sleeping, but you can decide for yourself if that’s a waste or an enjoyable necessity. Eating and drinking work the same way—you’ve got do to them in some form or another, and you can determine how much pleasure you derive and how much time you’ll spend on that need.

One strategy we humans have devised to determine the options available for timefilling is money. If you have a lot of money, then you have more options available to fill your time. You might drastically alter your geological location by flying to a new place, which will cost little time but some money.

If you have more time and less money, you might relocate to the same new geographical location by walking and foraging for food along the way. Both might enjoy the journey equally, but given collective human measuring systems, they spent drastically different amounts of time and money on those journeys As a financial columnist, I could blather on that in this sense time is money (or can be exchanged for money) and so urge you to get all the money you can gather in as short a 16

SYNTHESISWEEKLY.COM

MAR 9 2015

time as possible. I should at least encourage you to demand the most amount of money possible for your time and labor. Those are fine ideas, and they might serve you well, but they are not the ultimate goal of this column. The column is intended to show your financial choices now impact your time and your options to fill it, for better or for worse.

If you plan to never retire, because you love your work, congrats.

Conversely, your job may not satisfy you in that way, and there’s no shame in that acknowledgement. Consider again my aunt.

As near as I can tell, her great love was spending time with her family. She had been working for years toward the goal of retiring, wherein she would have enough money to cover her expenses without working, enabling her to spend even more time with her family. If she knew her time ran out at 55, I expect she’d have already been retired, instead of slogging on at her job and waiting for the weekends.

This struggle illustrates how time is not money. The fundamental uncertainty of life is that none of us knows how much time is in our account, no matter how we budget it. Think on that, dear reader—what’s one moment or minute or hour of your time that you could give up, and spend it on something else you desire?

by TRIP HAZARD

IM MAC ULATE IN FE CTION

ON T H E TOWN J ESS ICA SID

The DJ Makes us Think FORGOING FACEBOOK, HEAD TRANSPLANTS, AND ART VERSUS ENTERTAINMENT I ran into a good friend of mine yesterday who told me she was forgoing Facebook for a spell. I’ve been tempted to do this myself, but I feel like I’m already disconnected enough from the world at large, and if I dropped my main artery of information I’d be floating in a farm and wine-induced void—maybe not such a bad thing.

Facebook almost blew my head off this morning. Heavy eye-rolling, a few clicks of “I don’t want to see this,” and one serious, heavy moral conundrum left me sputtering around on the floor and lurching for my coffee mug. It’s all reminding me of the quote from Banksy in the film Exit Through the Gift Shop wherein he explains that he used to encourage other people to make art, until he saw the horrific results. Of course there are terrific people out there doing terrific things, but for some reason my Facebook feed has decided to filter out the good stuff and condense all the contrived, pretentious, and muddled crap into one viscous black ball, and then inject it right directly into my brain.

Maybe it’s time for one of those head transplants I’ve been reading a little bit about.

The internet and the social media revolution have been a boon for aspiring artists and entertainers. Suddenly anyone can publish, anyone can display, anyone can share their work. In the past there was a definite structure in place that had to be penetrated in order for an artist to be exposed, and oftentimes the barriers were arbitrary at best, and systemically unfair—i.e. sexist or racist— at worst. Those impediments are not gone, but they are breaking down in substantial ways. This is a good thing, but it leaves us as the viewers with a tremendous amount of

information to sort and sift; to evaluate.

Arts and Entertainment; Art versus Entertainment It becomes natural to fall back on what we know—the cover night, the tribute show, the DJ spinning our favorite records, the play we’ve seen a dozen times and already know by heart. This is entertainment, and that’s fine. Lord knows we need entertainment. Life is a pressure cooker and we need to unwind, to dance, to party, and to relax. We need to open the vent on that pressure cooker in our head and let off some of the building steam.

There is a definite place for entertainment.

Too Future To my way of thinking though, more than entertainment, we need art. We need work that raises questions and challenges the viewer. We need to expose ourselves to ideas that make us squirm. This has nothing to do with the medium. An artist is an artist regardless of whether they play an instrument, paint on canvas, or spin records.

Art has to do with intention. An entertainer intends to create a good time, an artist strives to create tension and upheaval. DJ Shadow once got kicked off stage because the set he spun left his vapid, hyperprivileged, bubble-dwelling audience feeling confused and disappointed.

God forbid the DJ ever makes us think.

by BOB HOWARD Madbob@madbob.com FACEBOOK.COM/SYNTHESISCHICO

17

March Art Report

by MICHELE FRENCH CAPTAINJACKAFTON@HOTMAIL.COM

Monika Meler was born in Brodnica, Poland, but her family emigrated to America before the success of the Solidarity movement. The family settled in Chicago, and it was 14 years before Meler returned to her birthplace to find that everything had changed.

Not only had the drabness of the Communist regime been somewhat eased, her childhood home was different, too. The house had been painted a different color, and the road which ran beside it had been paved. Her childhood memories suffuse her art, for, as she says: “I use a multitude of media—ideas transcend media so that my work can take different forms while exploring memory, nostalgia, history, and the past.”

disturbing narrative.

Fragile Structures, her show at the 1078 Gallery which ran through March 7, was filled with haunting images and highly personal symbolic gestures. The most striking work in the exhibit was a large paper-cut relief print, “The Folded Folktale,” which employed round, lacey, interlocking shapes stained dark shades of rose and navy. At its very center was the barely discernable outline of at least one skull, or possibly two, framing the intriguing, but

“Labyrinth Mind” is a collaboration between Banwell, Evan Moore, Brad Rios and Guillermo Cartagena, a layered three-dimensional laser cut sculpture based on a 3D scan of a friend’s head. The all white layers fold around a brightly lit structure, its “labyrinth,” in the center of the sculpture that “...[signifies] the complexities of the human mind.” This and about 25 other works will be on display through April when the Fab Lab will have another open house. If you want

18

SYNTHESISWEEKLY.COM

The Idea Fabrication Lab held a reception on the afternoon of February 21 to showcase recent work by Erin Banwell, much of which was created using the Big OX CNC, a computer built by the IFL Crew. CNC stands for Computer Numerical Control. The crew says of their computer: “This CNC router is a Cartesian Style Robot. Which means that it has 3 axis: X, Y, and Z, and can be controlled to move in all three.” The computer was on display, working on what appeared to be an endless loop. The room in which it stands has a fascinating black grid on the ceiling which lights up with an intricate, rippling pattern of rainbow colors.

MAR 9 2015

information on events or the classes that are held at the lab you can go to their website ideafablabs. com. Unfortunately, the site doesn’t seem to have updated since last December.

ART+TECH at the University Gallery was a really fun show. Too bad if you missed it, since it ended on February 27. All the artists in this show were from New York City, but only one, Derek Larson, had problems getting his work shipped on time so I didn’t get a chance to fully appreciate it until later. I went to the artist’s talk on January 29 which preceded the reception and, of course, I failed to ask him a vital question (I only thought of it later): “Are your feces an element in your work?” (I can’t say shit in a high class art review!) If I seem to be fixated on this subject it’s because Larson mentioned he suffers from Irritable Bowel Syndrome and that one of his works, “Summer of Hate,” directly references the problem.

Larson’s three works in the show were mixed media sculptures which had video images projected on their surfaces. Although it had some of the gooey, dripping elements of the other two, “Dog & Pony” was an oddly pleasing image.

About six feet wide and three feet high it depicts a bower of leaves with eyes at either side. The eyes blink as if to clear the neon goo dripping over them while in the center a pair of hands interact, the left hand stroking the right causing it to bark silently at intervals.

pointed at you until you smiled and then they waved. “Hooray” was a double row about eight feet long of tiny wooden which bowed to you when you got close to them. My overall impression of the work is that techno art is in an experimental stage.

Babycastles, the art collective of Stephen Clark and Sonya Belakhlef, had their mixed video installation, “Autominata and The Fruity Fantasy,” placed in the hallway.

Essentially, it’s a video racing game, but the set-up was a little complicated. That involved three large pineapple, apple and banana pinatas which were connected to a flat screen TV. By manipulating the piñatas with a wand (you had to have the assistance of the gallery attendant to do so), images of racing vehicles appeared on the TV screen. If you did things in a certain sequence you could actually win the race!

ART+TECH was curated by Nanhee Kim, Assistant Professor of Communication Design who first encountered Hye Yeon Kim work at a show in Atlanta, GA. In a brief statement Kim remarks, “... digital technology has arrived as a component of contemporary art.”

Hye Yeon Nam, a Korean artist, had two crowd pleasing works (among three) in the show, possibly because they were so sycophantic: “Please Smile” and “Hooray.” When you stepped inside a rectangle marked on the floor for “Please Smile” skeletal wood and plastic hands

1078 Gallery is located at 820 Broadway and is open Thursday through Saturday 12:30-4:00pm.

Idea Fabrication Lab is located at 603 Orange St. and open most weekdays for classes. Trinity Hall is located on the Chico State campus and is open Monday through Friday 8:00am-5:00pm.

ON T H E TOWN — V INC E L AT H A M FACEBOOK.COM /VAN G UARDPHOTOG RAPHY

The Gospel of Ape APE MACHINE, THE VESUVIANS, BANDMASTER RUCKUS SATURDAY MARCH 14, CAFE CODA

by JEREMY VOTAVA When initially introduced to the glorious throwback rock of Portland’s Ape Machine in 2010, my jaw dropped and my head nodded instinctively. Their crunchy riffs and crazy time signatures took me back to the golden age of classic rock… cracking a cold Schlitz, dropping Dad’s cans over my ears, and cranking the eight tracks of Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, and Thin Lizzy. As the smoke dissipates, it all becomes clear… once the band explains that the name Ape Machine is a “nod to the days of reel-to-reel magnetic tape audio recording; a fitting moniker for the heavy-hitting quartet as the band plays through vintage tube amplifiers and lays down its songs using exclusively throwback quality studio equipment.” Consisting of equal parts progressive, psychedelic, early metal, stoner-rock, and a generous helping of blues, they really… wait, did I mention stoner rock? Okay, now what was I saying…

Five years later, Ape Machine has released three critically acclaimed full-length albums, with plans to record their fourth this summer.

Their last two releases, Mangled by the Machine and War to Head, were produced

by Ikey Owens (Jack White, Mars Volta, Mastodon) who also graced these albums with his keyboard skills. Owens was set to produce the next, before his untimely passing last October, while touring with Jack White. A great loss to the music community and Ape Machine is “obviously, very saddened by the loss.”

After touring the U.S. and Europe in support of their latest effort, the boys are currently back on the road promoting a live LP/DVD combo release titled Live at Freak Valley, filmed and recorded at a single live show, the Freak Valley Festival in Germany… where they probably didn’t drink any beer at all.

With their captivating stage presence and enchanting knack for live improvisation,

this fierce hour-long performance is sure to intoxicate you, as it did the sold-out festival crowd. Through constant writing, recording and touring, Ian, Caleb, Brian and Damon continue to faithfully “spread the gospel of Ape.” Getting the party flowing will be the newest local super group, The Vesuvians, who are “bursting from the Earth’s crust as Chico’s resident volcanic-space-rock and gothicAmericana band.” Featuring Mad Bob Howard and Scott Pressman on guitars and vocals, Alex Kokkinakis on bass, and Steve Bragg on drums, the band “combines elements of rock, country, goth and space to create their own sound and style.” They’ve taken members of Chico legends Vomit Launch, Brutilicus Maximus and The Asskickers, and thrust them to infinity and beyond! “Rumbling in unison since 2013,” their debut album, Meet the Vesuvians!, is set to drop this spring.

Closing the show is Bandmaster Ruckus, a three-piece alternative blues rock band from Red Bluff, featuring Brad Dufour, Seth Burns and Tyler Hansen. One thing that sets this band apart is that the two front-men swap roles on bass and guitar during a show, starting with the blues/funk grooves of Burns, and wrapping up with the grungy/ alternative vibe of Dufour. Another is that this trio of [almost] 22-year-olds possesses an old soul feel, sublimely delivered with youthful exuberance. Simply put, this band is in the hot seat locally, and with their consistent gigging and full length debut album out now, Bandmaster Ruckus is in the power position, perfectly poised to take over the planet.

Catch Ape Machine with The Vesuvians and Bandmaster Ruckus at Cafe Coda, Saturday March 14, 8pm. ALL AGES, Food offered by the Wander Food Truck FACEBOOK.COM/SYNTHESISCHICO

19

CASH! CASH! CASH! We pay cash for your recyclables!!

CRV ALUMINUM CANS $2.00/Pound E-WAStE! We pay 5¢ per pound for TV’s , Computers, Monitors and Laptops!!

And, as a courtesy to our customers, we’ll accept all other consumer electronics, such as fax machines, printers, VHS players, etc. as a drop-off, with no payments* * Some restrictions may apply Call for more information on getting cash for other recyclable materials.

2565 S. Whitman Place, Chico (Corner of East Park Avenue and S. Whitman Place) 343-5500

LIFE IN CHICO Do you like Life in Chico? So do we! -“Like” Life in Chico, CA facebook.com/ChicoCA

GREAT SHORT STORIES Lotus Land, written by local writer William Wong Foey Local writer William Wong Foey author of best selling novel: Winter Melon releases his new book Lotus Land, a short story collection of bold and amazing stories of desire, despair, courage, and redemption. Available at Lyon’s Book Store at 135 Main (Chico) and in paperback & e-book at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, & Direct Music Cafe.

A special thanks to all the people who purchased my debut novel: Winter Melon.

20

SYNTHESISWEEKLY.COM

MAR 9 2015

MARCH 9, 2015

by KOZ MCKEV ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

You are a combination of motivation and confusion this month. This week you will blaze a trail between transformation, exotic experiences, and public performances. Pay attention to your highest values between the afternoon of the 11th through the 13th. You’re also luckier these days, and they are all great days for travel.

The weekend will give you an opportunity to show your leadership ability. Be aware of what your talents and skills are and use them. You may even be aware of talents you inherited from your mother’s side of the family.

The time to make friends and expand your social life is now.

This is also a good time to make plans for the future. During the first part of the week it would be wise to pay attention to partnership issues. Much karma is being made during this time.

Meditate, pray, and stay conscious. What you can’t control might actually be good for you.

The weekend looks good for travel, education and exotic experiences. You’re likely to experience some type of good fortune. Stay curious about life in general and you’re likely to discover something new.

Delegate some of your responsibilities to others this week.

Much has been happening in your social life. There is a pressing need to prepare for the future. Partnership issues come more into focus the evening of the 11th through Friday the 13th. You are either in a relationship that was meant to last or one that is meant to dissolve. The weekend is good for going to yard sales, getting help from others, and learning about to occult. Remain calm when things beyond your control occur. Mercury moves into your tenth house Thursday night, giving you wisdom regarding your career.

Miracles happen amidst the strangest circumstances. One of my first thoughts is that you might recover a lost item. The week begins on a positive and creative note. Your heart is open and you are ready to do good things. Focus on health, service and teamwork on Thursday and Friday. The weekend looks good for romance, negotiations and getting contracts. The best way to enjoy this time is to try new things and to be open to other peoples ways of doing things. Beyond this you are able to show the world the many talents that you have cultivated.

I might describe this week as a bunch of good fortune amidst a little discomfort.

Other people may control the shots, yet the lessons learned are most enlightening. You are luckier than usual, especially Wednesday evening through Friday. Playful feelings and the pursuit of happiness dominate during this period. The weekend is good for charitable causes, getting organized and taking care of health issues. During this period you will learn to trust your intuition more. Be aware of the goals that produce things that are built to last.

Honey can preserve things for thousands of years. You need to be like honey when it comes to anything of value.

Relationships are everything.

Mercury moving into your seventh house Thursday evokes words of kindness. Get your communication done early in the week. Wednesday evening through Friday is good for home improvement and spring cleaning. The weekend looks good for all things creative, playful, and love oriented.

This is a good time for deep romance, casual flings, travel and confidence building.

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Working on a better situation characterizes much of this week. Opportunities to increase your income are likely to come early in the week. Where are you going to take your personal ambitions? If anyone has anything against you, they are likely to be open about it. Your focus and organizational abilities are top notch with Mercury moving through your sixth house. The weekend is good for seeing parents or older relatives. Work on improving your house. Get to know the people that you consider to be part of your tribe.

Climb the big mountain. Attend to the many tasks before you.

Creative instincts and playfulness dominate. There is a need to serve others and to engage in teamwork. You are learning how to have better health. Stay detail oriented and remain on task. The moon will be in Scorpio Monday the ninth through most of the afternoon of the eleventh. The weekend looks good for short trips, neighborhood events and catching up on communiqués. You’ll be making some advances. Enjoy indulging in your heart’s desires.

Today’s burdens are forgotten tomorrow. Goals that are worthwhile are a bigger part of your focus. You have so many creative ideas that you don’t know what to do with all of them. The moon will be in Sagittarius late Wednesday afternoon through Friday. Be prepared to initiate your best ideas. The weekend looks good for making money, finding your voice, and doing things that affirm your values.

Family life and helping your parents can’t be ignored. Our ancestors give us a foundation from which we can move forward.

Make some new friends this week. Monday and Tuesday could be powerful days for you to make new alliances. During Wednesday evening through Friday it would be best for you to lay low, except to take care of unfinished business. It’s time to be over the learning process, and to begin putting things into practice. Your communication gets better Thursday night when Mercury moves into your third house. The weekend features the moon in Capricorn.

Many goals and challenges will take on a different form as Saturn goes retrograde Saturday morning.

Believe that your good values make a difference. Life is an investment, you’ll get out of it what you put into it. Economic needs continue to be part of your focus. During Monday through most of Wednesday, focus on your career. This is a powerful time for manifestation. Wednesday evening through Friday are your best days for socializing and for future planning. The weekend looks good for laying low and catching up on your sleep.

Knowing when to let go of certain things or situations is for your health both mentally and physically.

You’ve done much to make things happen the last few weeks. In many ways you are richer now than you were before. Kindness and compassion take on many forms. You are becoming more fixed in terms of your values. Monday through Wednesday afternoon are your luckiest days for taking risks and moving forward. You may find yourself with more responsibilities on Thursday and Friday. The weekend looks good for parties and socializing.

Watch for changes amongst the most responsible members of your social circle.

Koz McKev is on YouTube, on cable 11 BCTV and is heard on 90.1FM KZFR Chico. Also available by appointment for personal horoscopes call (530)891-5147 or e-mail kozmickev@sunset.net

FACEBOOK.COM/SYNTHESISCHICO

21

F R O M THE EDGE

Conferring I went to two conferences in the last couple of weeks, one on mental illness stigma, and one on the economics of happiness. I keep busy. In the early seventies, I was conferring somewhere most months, usually de facto trying to figure out how to get more money from the feds for local community development of one sort or other, although usually we couldn’t just say that.

I was grateful for the change of pace and scenery, especially since I didn’t have to drive, and I appreciate getting to see all those people with the same intent, more or less, and actually talking to a few.

It’s encouraging just to know there are other people trying to do the same thing.

Mental illness stigma can be as harmful as mental illness, and self-stigma keeps people with a mental illness from getting help. “Anything but that.”

I wore my lime-green ribbon to the economics of happiness conference the next week, and only one person asked me about it. Apparently, the rest of them didn’t care what my lime-green ribbon was for, and I don’t blame them one bit.

The economics conference was a lot homier than the one about stigma

22

SYNTHESISWEEKLY.COM

MAR 9 2015

the week before. The mental illness stigma conference was at the Hyatt in downtown San Francisco. The economics of happiness conference was in a church on the outskirts of downtown Portland. Different vibe altogether.

Some of the talks and workshops discussed: From GDP to Happiness and Well-Being, Community as Currency, Corporate Personhood and Trade Treaties, Community Rights in Action, Toward a Caring Economy, The Eloquence of Stones, Envisioning Local Learning, The Genuine Progress Indicator, and The Space Between Stories—some charts, no spreadsheets.

The leadoff man was a stand-up economist, a professor of economics who is a stand-up comedian. I laughed, so I’ll say Noram Bauman is a funny guy, though no doubt many would disagree.

I most liked a workshop about community rights, where local laws take primacy over other laws, specifically including those of the State and federal government that grant the status of persons to corporations, so that communities can control their environments, instead of a legal fiction with no emotional stake in the

neighborhood, a little like Wayne Cook.

From an article by Thomas Linzey: “[New community laws] not only prohibit fracking, drilling, corporate water extraction, sludging, or factory farms, they also establish local bills of rights which recognize the rights of residents to clean air, clean water, a sustainable energy future, sustainable energy use, and sustainable agriculture... These communities have come to recognize that environmental and economic sustainability cannot be attained without fundamental changes regarding who the structure of law recognizes as the legal authority to make the rules within those communities. Attaining that structural change means openly defying the laws that got us here in the first place.” Amen to that.

Locally there are ways to give people back the power we’ve ceded gradually and by big jumps to our sorry-assed elected officials and the corporations we allow to exist right in our front yard.

by ANTHONY PEYTON PORTER A@anthonypeytonporter.com