Inflation is on everyone’s mind these days. Currently running at 6.2% (4.6% if you strip out food and energy), inflation is at its highest rate in many decades — since 1990 to be precise. And, although that number is unacceptably high, a historical lens can put things into perspective. From the early 1970s to the […]
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On November 12, on an enchanting property in Montecito’s Hedgerow kindly donated by the Winn and Twining families, nearly 300 people came together to the Butterfly Ball, an event to support Santa Barbara residents Bill and Victoria Strong and their quest to build a state-of-the-art, truly inclusive playground for kids and adults alike. Gwendolyn’s Playground […]
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If you look closely, you might catch a scant glimpse of red, yellow, and orange leaves on the trees as you walk through town, but if you’re really hungry for a sign of autumn, look at a menu. Local chefs have begun introducing new dishes for fall and winter and the fare isn’t just inspired […]
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It may have slipped by you with everything else that’s been going on lately — the new variant and two national murder cases — that this year was our country’s 400th Thanksgiving! And all was going well at my family’s annual Turkey Day celebration at my sister’s home in Los Angeles. Until my sister made […]
Lea másWhether “naughty” or “nice,” I’ve got something for everyone on your list for the holidays. First, Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s Executive Director Roger Durling has a gorgeous coffee-table book called Cinema In Flux: A year of Connecting Through Film, filled with essays and mouthwatering photos of Durling’s movie recommendations, all started during the pandemic. […]
Lea másPublic speaking is a commonly held fear, but I have noticed a dramatic rise in fear of speaking privately – particularly with those whom we love and respect, but also disagree. Local conversations about school bonds, water, masks, racism, elections, and conspiracies escalate with unnerving speed and ferocity, as if all these issues are connected […]
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I’ve known Mollie Ahlstrand for more than 30 years. Her high-end Italian restaurant on Coast Village Road was there for more than 25 of those years. But, the fires, the floods, the debris flow, and other disasters took their toll and she moved her place to Santa Barbara three years ago, only to run into […]
Lea másMy last article talked about the climate crisis as an example of market failure. “Free” markets in fact require a vast government infrastructure: Laws, enforcement, courts, established financial systems. And a system to rebalance extreme wealth inequalities. Homelessness results from a lack of the latter mechanism. Wealth begets wealth. This can happen directly as wealth […]
Lea másSanta Barbara’s Brasil Arts Cafe is not what it appears. Walk through the restaurant proper to the shadowy back of the place. A grinning bruiser parts a speakeasy-like curtain and you enter a hidden grotto the police could raid at any moment. Welcome back! Local standup impresario Kimmie Dee’s aptly named NO INDOOR VOICES (NIV) […]
Lea másWe love good books, and we cannot lie! Choosing which books to give beloved friends and family, however, is not an easy task. With the holidays coming up, here are some staff picks for books that might be worthy of your consideration. For older kids and teens, it’s much more difficult to throw out titles […]
Lea másThis Saturday, December 4, Montecito Association presents the first annual Holiday Magic Parade of Lights. Twenty-five cars and vehicles, decked out in their holiday finery, will parade through Montecito beginning at 5:30 pm. The parade route will leave Upper Manning Park, turn onto North Jameson and onto Coast Village Road, through the roundabout onto Hot […]
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To many, the 2021 Music Academy of the West Summer School and Festival was nothing short of a miracle. Despite the need to plan well in advance of the state’s reopening in mid-June, MAW not only managed to pull off a spectacular hybrid season that brought more than 100 fellows from around the world to […]
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