How do you get a group of cowboys to turn their mosey into a full sprint across Las Vegas Boulevard? Shout “Run!” Easy enough, right? The thing is, I wasn’t yelling at them. Just days before my birthday, I flew to Las Vegas to escort my mom on an impromptu trip to see a relative […]
SHELLY CONE
Posted inNews
Local music venues must fork over hundreds of dollars to provide live entertainment
If it seems like there are fewer places at which to play or listen to music on the Central Coast, it’s because there are fewer events. Recent efforts by organizations designed to collect music-licensing fees on behalf of writers and publishers have prompted a number of venues to limit or even stop offering music altogether. […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
‘Insidious’: The Phone Book Edition
Shelly tries to stop the seemingly innocuous volumes from overtaking her home
I was sitting at the kitchen table typing at my computer when a strange young man caught my eye. He was walking toward the house with a bundle in his hands. He wore a beanie, T-shirt, big sunglasses, and a beard. By his appearance and the bundle he was carrying, I instantly suspected his intentions. […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
What dreams are made of
Sweet dreams will come, but only if you’re friends with the Sand Crab
At bedtime when my kids were young, they would excitedly jump into bed and ask us to quickly tuck them in before the “Sand Crab” came. The Sand Crab, or Sandman, as most people know him, wasn’t scary or mean; he brought sweet sleep and visions of sugarplums, much like “Sana Kwaus” brings presents. They’d […]
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Violence is relative: Federal stats put Santa Maria in the top 10 most violent cities in California–but local leaders say the numbers are skewed
Just weeks before the scheduled opening of the new jewel of downtown Santa Maria—the Regal Theater—a report began to circulate on social media calling attention to the city’s ranking as the 10th most violent city in the state. The report that surfaced in November was based on the FBI’s ranking of most violent cities in […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
A list of failed traditions
Sometimes the gift list is the only tradition that lasts
Christmastime has never been my favorite time of year. I love the joy of the season and all the extra time spent with my family, but it just never seems to live up to my expectations. I’m not talking about gifts received either, but just the expectations I put on what the season should be […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Link’s adventure through Hyrule comes to life at the ‘Symphony of the Goddesses’ in San Jose
A night at the symphony generally conjures up the thought of needing to get a suit pressed or that little black dress dry-cleaned. So why then did a select group of concertgoers pull out their green tunics and long flowing princess dresses this weekend? The Legend of Zelda—Symphony of the Goddesses wrapped up its last […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Flu, sex, and a raw bird
The holiday celebrations might differ, but it’s the family that counts
We only recently re-introduced the practice of saying grace at our dinner table. We’ve always had a formal dinner as a family, but saying grace has always been something that has come and gone. No matter your views on religion, I don’t think anyone can argue that taking time out of your day to be […]
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Spotlight on: Edwards Theatre
Santa Maria Town Center, proprietors
It’s been many years since Santa Maria has had a downtown movie theater, but after much anticipation the Edwards Theatre will open in the Santa Maria Town Center mall in the old Gottschalk’s footprint. The city’s downtown area was once a bustling hub of historic storefronts anchored by the Santa Maria Theatre. The city lost […]
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Good fences make good neighbors
This is especially true when nudity is involved
There is something in each of us that creates a desire to see the unseen, take a peek at that which is not meant to be seen. This is true with both nudity and car accidents. Not matter how horrible it is, you’ve just got to look. This is why I was concerned about our […]
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Splitting hairs
Fear of embarrassment can make you think a little irrationally
One of the things that happens to you as you get older is you really do stop caring what others think. Not about everything of course, but it’s no longer such a big deal when, say, you discover you’ve been walking around much of the day with your shirt on inside out, or when you […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
No such thing as scrap
Voila! It’s a thingamajig!
Tape, cardboard, string, and duct tape. These items are like contraband in my house. It’s not uncommon for a package to arrive in the mail for someone in my household and when they go to retrieve it from the kitchen table its packaging is missing 2-1/2 sides. At Christmastime adhesive tape for wrapping presents is […]
