BottleRock Brings Big Names

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BottleRock Brings Big Names

My Morning Jacket Among the Throng

The juggernaut music festival BottleRock is back in Napa, bringing with it a cavalcade of bands—old faves and emerging talents alike.

On Friday, May 24, headliners include the legendary Stevie Nicks, dynamic rapper Megan Thee Stallion and the eclectic St. Vincent. Joining them are hip-hop icon Nelly and the indie pop group Miike Snow—and literally dozens of other stellar acts.

Saturday, May 25 promises another day of fantastic music with headliners Pearl Jam and Maná leading the charge. Other acts include Kali Uchis, The Kid LAROI and Louisville, Kentucky’s My Morning Jacket—a band whose trajectory most any touring national act would die for.

Since forming in 1998, the band’s reputation on the live music circuit garnered them praise from audiophiles, concertgoers and press outlets all across the U.S. Fronted by founder/mainstay Jim James, the MMJ collective has released nine studio albums along with a basketful of live offerings, compilations and extended plays.

For the uninitiated, MMJ cut their teeth playing small clubs supporting their indie releases, The Tennessee Fire (1999) and At Dawn—both issued on boutique label Darla Records. Through incessant touring and word-of-mouth, the band caught the attention of New York-based ATO Records, a label the band still calls home today.

Said James after a lengthy MMJ hiatus later in the band’s career that saw him and Broemel release solo records, “We didn’t know if we’d make another record again. For a long time, I was feeling burnt out and unsure if I wanted to do this anymore.” Thankfully, James and the band changed their tune and eventually regrouped to issue The Waterfall II and, eventually, their latest release, 2021’s eponymous My Morning Jacket, to the delight of music lovers.

This gorgeous 11-song affair features some of the band’s best material in recent memory. Starting with the lead track, “Regularly Scheduled Programming,” the collection heads in myriad directions, from contemplative to straight-ahead rockers such as “Complex,” with Jim James and company proving yet again they are as comfortable in the studio as they are on the road.

And while their adoring fans will argue which record is their best, all can agree MMJ hasn’t released a dud yet. From the Grammy Award-nominated The Waterfall record to fan-favorite Z, there is something for every music listener. Once considered an indie rock band, MMJ has appealed to the jam band circuit, southern rock and psychedelic rock geeks.

The band is still anchored by vocalist/guitarist Jim James and rounded out by longtime bassist and co-founding member Tom Blankenship, drummer Patrick Hallahan, guitarist Carl Broemel and keyboardist Bo Koster.

My Morning Jacket plays the BottleRock Festival inside the Napa Valley Expo at 575 3rd St. in Napa on Saturday, May 25. The three-day festival presented by JaM Cellars lasts from May 24 to 26, and a full schedule, along with door times and ticket options, can be found at bottlerocknapavalley.com. Single-day tickets are still available in relative abundance. All ages are welcome.

BottleRock concludes on Sunday, May 26 with a stellar lineup headlined by Ed Sheeran and Queens of the Stone Age. Other top acts include Dominic Fike, Norah Jones and The Offspring.

‘Dead Man’s Cell Phone’ is a Disconnect

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‘Dead Man’s Cell Phone’ is a Disconnect

At a recent performance of Sarah Ruhl’s Dead Man’s Cell Phone, one audience member was heard to murmur to her seatmate, “Is this funny? I think it’s sad,” while other audience members chuckled. The Raven Players production runs through May 26 at the Raven Performing Arts Theater in Healdsburg.

It’s a fair question. The title, which reads like it was ripped off of a modern pulp fiction novel, might make a person think one thing, the play itself another. The truth is it has moments of both humor and pathos.

Jean (Jeanette Seisdedos) is sitting at a table at a nondescript café when a cell phone chimes at the table next to hers. The gentleman at the table (Thomas Gibson) appears to ignore it, much to Jean’s consternation. She gets up to address the situation, only to discover (and there’s no need for a spoiler alert, as it’s in the title) that the gentleman is dead.

On impulse, Jean picks up the phone and answers the call. Rather than tell the caller of the gentleman’s unfortunate passing, she merely responds that he’s “unavailable.” Other calls come in, and she continues to obfuscate the situation. She eventually calls for an ambulance, but keeps the cell phone.

The device leads Jean to forging (in every sense of the word) relationships with the dead man’s mother (Lynn Stevenson), his wife (Mary DeLorenzo), his female friend (Skylar Saltz) and, most importantly for Jean, his stationery-loving brother (Matt Farrell).

This all happens in a fairly linear manner. But when the second act opens with a monologue by the corpse, a trip to purgatory and a choreographed number featuring the entire cast, all bets are off as to what the hell is really going on here.

The play, which premiered in 2007, may have been a prescient warning that despite the informational benefits a cell phone provides, there’s a price to pay in the disconnection from actual human contact.

Director Diane Bailey has a cast of Raven regulars at work here, with Farrell’s performance of note as the brother of his mother’s “only son.” Skylar Saltz has some fun as the “other” woman and a “business” associate of the dead man.

Dead Man’s Cell Phone is an odd play that will not be to everyone’s taste. If you do see it and can figure out what the hell the ballet is about, give me a call. My cell phone number is [number redacted].

‘Dead Man’s Cell Phone’ runs through May 26 at the Raven Performing Arts Theater, 115 North St., Healdsburg. Thu–Sat, 7:30pm; Sun, 2pm. $10–$25. 707.433.6335. raventheater.org.

State Deficit Kills Bills

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State Deficit Kills Bills

Legal psychedelics and reparations quashed

California’s budget crunch is forcing the Legislature to scale back its agenda this session, with bills to legalize psychedelic therapy, offer reparations to the descendants of enslaved people and require more transparency around who is paying for lawmakers’ sponsored travel among the early carnage.

Facing estimated deficits of tens of billions of dollars over the next two years, leaders of the Legislature’s appropriations committees said last week that they had to make tough decisions as they held or amended hundreds of proposals with a significant cost during the biannual culling process known as the suspense file—though most of the bills in each committee still passed.

“The budget had a huge impact on what we did,” state Sen. Anna Caballero, of Salinas, who leads Senate appropriations, said. “We were trying to keep costs down and really trying to live within our means.”

Of the 341 bills on the Senate suspense file, 87—or about 25.5%—were held, in line with the average over the past decade. But another 121 were amended, even as they advanced to the floor before a crucial deadline this Friday for measures to pass their house of origin. “Authors were asked to amend their bills to take out the more expensive stuff,” Caballero said. “We don’t have the money.”

The Assembly’s appropriations committee held 233 of the 668 bills on its suspense file, or about 34.5%—slightly higher than last May, when 29% were shelved.

Those included Assembly Bill 2751 by Assemblymember Matt Haney, of San Francisco, which would have barred employers from contacting workers outside of scheduled hours, and AB 2808 by Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, of Oakland, who chairs the committee, which would have limited companies such as Ticketmaster from being able to resell event tickets exclusively.

“We have an obligation to balance the budget here in California—we can’t go into debt,” Wicks told reporters after the hearing, where she killed another attempt to establish a single-payer health care system in California, a policy she has supported in the past. “We needed to be responsible with taxpayers’ money, so that’s why we had to make some tough calls today.”

Assemblymember Ash Kalra, who authored the single-payer bill, said after two years of negotiations, he was confident it would have passed the Assembly.

“I am deeply disappointed the Assembly Appropriations Committee failed to recognize the significant cost-saving potential of AB 2200,” he said in a statement. “Study after study has shown that a single-payer system will not only cost less than our current system but can safeguard the State from future deficits while stimulating economic growth.”

Both Caballero and Wicks are newly in charge of their respective committees this year, overseeing their first suspense file hearings as the state is working through how to close a massive deficit.

Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled his proposed spending plan last week to address the looming shortfall, estimated at $56 billion over the next two fiscal years—and more by legislative finance officials—even after he and lawmakers took early action to reduce it.

With more than $30 billion in cuts to education, public health, environmental and other programs in the next two years on the line, Newsom is likely to have little appetite this year for pricey new legislation. He has already urged discipline over the past two sessions, as California’s finances softened, vetoing dozens of bills that he said would add unaccounted costs to the budget.

The suspense file, where all legislation with a major fiscal impact is considered concurrently and dispensed within a rapid-fire hearing, has also long provided the Legislature with an easier way to kill controversial or undesirable bills.

Caballero refused to discuss any of her specific decisions, citing only cost considerations, including shelving Senate Bill 1012, which would have legalized the use of hallucinogenic drugs in therapeutic settings. Newsom vetoed a broader decriminalization of psychedelics last year, and supporters hoped their focus on therapy would provide a path forward.

“Psychedelics have massive promise in helping people heal and get their lives back on track,” Sen. Scott Wiener, of San Francisco, who carried the bill, said in a statement. “I’m highly committed to this issue, and we’ll continue to work on expanding access to psychedelics.”

The Senate also killed SB 1422, a transparency measure requiring more reporting about who pays for legislators’ sponsored travel.

The bill, from Sen. Ben Allen, of Santa Monica, followed reporting last year by CalMatters that found a 2015 law requiring the organizers of these legislative trips to disclose their significant donors annually had only been used twice, despite interest groups paying for millions of dollars in travel for lawmakers during that time—Allen’s measure aimed to tighten the eligibility criteria for reporting.

Allen said that because the “opaque” suspense file process makes it difficult to know whether his bill died due to fiscal concerns or ideological objections, he was unsure if he would pursue it again. However, he does believe the policy is worthwhile.

“I can only hope it was for a good reason,” he said. “I’ve come to say the Serenity Prayer every time it comes to suspense season.”

On the same day that the Assembly passed a bill requiring California to apologize for its role in perpetuating slavery, the Senate appropriations committee held two other measures that would have provided more direct reparations to the descendants of enslaved people: SB 1007, a housing assistance program, and SB 1013, a property tax assistance program.

Both were carried by Sen. Steven Bradford, of Inglewood, a member of the state reparations task force, who has been critical of legislative efforts that do not go far enough to address systemic inequities. Several other proposals of his, including SB 1403 to establish a state agency that would carry out the task force’s recommendations, continue to advance.

“In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, you need to accept finite disappointment but have infinite hope,” Bradford told reporters following the hearing. “We have a good foundation to work from.”

Lynda Hopkins: SoCo Supervisor reminisces

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Lynda Hopkins: SoCo Supervisor reminisces

In the immediate run-up to her uncontested re-election this spring, I had the pleasure-privilege of an extended interview with Supervisor Lynda Hopkins in a casual setting. To her credit, this former journalist put no limits on my questions.

Lynda, as she had me call her, leads Sonoma County as part of the five-member executive, legislative and quasi-judicial Board of Supervisors. Her District 5 corresponds to West County and includes most of the coast.

CH: Lynda, you were an activist for progressive policy before you were a politician. What surprised you most about becoming a powerful officeholder?

LH: Sometimes politics is far more personality driven than it is policy driven. Sometimes you see “odd” alignments, say around someone perceived as the most progressive person on the board and the most conservative person on the board because they actually think and approach problems in a similar way.

CH: Then how would you characterize your personality in a political sense?

LH: Maybe even more than my political predilections or policy perspectives, I am willing to take risks. I am willing to try things that haven’t been tried before just to see if they work, because the status quo is so broken.

We have to make leaps forward. Just making small improvements around the edges is not going to fix the challenges we have today—rampant homelessness, rampant income inequality, our clear threats from climate change in Sonoma County. Being bold means being willing to accept failure, sometimes humiliating failure in order to move forward.

CH: What else surprised you about taking office?

LH: For most of the past seven years, we have been caught up in a cycle of disaster, response, recovery, and that has been a huge focus that I didn’t anticipate. I am hoping that we can get a few years without disasters so we can really get to think about those big picture policies and longer-term investments.

I’m excited to move a bit past that exhaustion into a more hopeful phase. There are signs. I am seeing all these small towns in West County come together around community space. Graton wants a downtown plaza, Guernville wants a community building and Occidental wants to redo their center.

Hear more. This interview is taken from a longer audio interview in which Lynda talks about what chance good policy has of surviving the political process and legislating for West County. Interview available at ‘Sonoma County : A Community Portrait’ on Apple, Google and Spotify podcasts. linktr.ee/cincinnatushibbard.

Connecting Art & Community: Santa Rosa’s Strange Constellation

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Connecting Art & Community: Santa Rosa’s Strange Constellation

A new storefront in the heart of Santa Rosa’s Arts District on A Street offers so much more than hip products for cool kids.

True to its namesake, Strange Constellation is a place where art, community and commerce intersect in ways that support and uplift a culture of care and mutual aid, particularly for Black and queer people.

Creators Dani DiAngelo, Lee Johnson and new artist-in-residence Taylor Goethe described Strange Constellation as “a Black, femme and queer led art space and boutique that offers vintage clothing and accessories, locally-made and curated goods, and products from QT-BIPOC and femme created brands that we love and who share their ethos.

“As the only Black-owned business in Santa Rosa’s Art District, Strange Constellation is committed to featuring work from local BIPOC artists, for whom there is a serious lack of local representation, and hosts various creative workshops and events in our ever-evolving workshop space,” continued their description.

I came on assignment for the Bohemian, but I’ve wanted to visit Strange Constellation since meeting DiAngelo at a business workshop at The Sebastopol Center for the Arts in January. DiAngelo’s description of Strange Constellation reminded me of the Third Places I frequented in New York City when I lived there. Third Places are much harder to find in Sonoma County.

“Third Place” is a term coined by sociologist Ray Oldenburg to describe spaces where people can go to in their leisure time to relax, learn and have culturally meaningful exchanges with others in their community. Those unfamiliar with the term can think of it this way: A First Place is one’s home, a Second Place is where one goes to work or school, and a Third Place is where one hangs out.

On a sunny Sunday afternoon in late April, I walked into Strange Constellation. Johnson and Goethe sat at a large table in the middle of the space, surrounded by Goethe’s art supplies. They were making a TikTok for Cute Coffee, a Marin County-based Black roaster, and Flowerhead Tea, a woman-owned tea company started in Oakland, now based out of Los Angeles.

The room radiated holiness reminiscent of Louse Bourgeois Sunday Salons in Chelsea. Before even asking my first question, I understood that Strange Constellation is a place to come in search of care and wisdom, which is how it transcends consumption as a Third Place. “It’s a refuge,” Johnson explained. DiAngelo and Johnson didn’t know what Strange Constellation would become when their doors opened last November.

From a place of compassion, DiAngelo and Johnson present some of the nicest, highest-quality products created in and around Northern California. The aim is for Strange Constellation to expand its selection of Sonoma County-made products and art. During my visit, I discovered my new favorite tinted lip balm by Fat and the Moon, a woman-owned skincare brand based out of Grass Valley and created by herbalist Rachel Budde.

Local writer Jess D. Taylor walked in with her family a little while later. Goethe invited the children to make art at the table while Taylor shopped.

Johnson told me that Strange Constellation is DiAngelo’s brainchild. They met while working at Spinster Sisters, a chic restaurant down the block, and together, DiAngelo’s dream became a reality. When an opportunity availed itself on A Street, they took the plunge. “We didn’t know what was going to become of the space,” Johnson said, but people were at the core of their vision.

Shortly after opening, DiAngelo and Johnson met Goethe, a graduate of UCLA’s MFA program in animation, and invited them to be Strange Constellation’s artist in residence. DiAngelo and Johnson offer Goethe a rent-free space to create work. Goethe also provides community workshops, offers 1:1 art classes for kids and adults, creates portrait commissions for the community and makes their own art.

Goethe’s work table is cocooned by the creations from the Strange Constellation community. They work surrounded by racks of vintage clothing for adults and children curated by DiAngelo and Johnson and other vintage sellers and artisans. A cabinet of skincare, candles and vintage mugs is behind them.

“This is a safe space,” Goethe said of their residency. As a Black woman in Sonoma County, where the Black population is less than 2%, having a safe space to exist and to create is vital.

Of Johnson, Goethe wanted me to know that “the community is coming to [them] because [they] are coming to the community.” The back of the shop serves as another community space where Strange Constellation hosts additional art workshops, night markets and even concerts to raise mutual aid funds and to support local businesses such as the Palestinian-owned Santa Rosa eatery, Falafel Hut.

Strange Constellation offers sliding scale fees to events and workshops, which they advertise on social media (@__strangeconstellation on Instagram). At the end of each post, they request folks DM them when admission is cost prohibitive. “If we can show a space like this is possible, more places will show up,” Johnson explained.

When I first conceived of this profile, I wondered if the increasing popularity of the term Third Place emerged from Gen Z’s desire for connection over consumption. In the past year, many outlets have produced explainers on the term, including major media sites like Today and The Atlantic, and these explainers often feel like they are attempting to help older generations understand the youth’s values. But Goethe was quick to reframe my thinking.

As a Black-owned business, community is a given. It’s not just that Sonoma isn’t New York City. It’s that spaces like Strange Constellation that prioritize and support community aren’t everywhere. At least yet.


Visit Strange Constellation at 300 S A St., Suite 1, Santa Rosa, and follow @__strangeconstellation (double underscore) on Instagram to stay up to date on workshops and events. View Taylor Goethe’s work at @inspectornerd on Instagram.

Jen Hyde is a writer from Sonoma. Read more of her work at jenhyde.substack.com.

ORPHAN Cures

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ORPHAN Cures

For the roughly 30 million Americans living with a rare disease, the chances of finding an effective treatment are tragically slim. Adding insult to illness, an element of 2022’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) discourages research into treatments for rare conditions.

The good news is that Congress can undo this unintended consequence by passing the ORPHAN Cures Act, bipartisan legislation introduced in the House and the Senate. The legislation would remove an unnecessary barrier to medical progress.

Developing medicines that treat rare diseases—or “orphan drugs,” as they’re sometimes known—is an extraordinarily difficult task, in part, because investors are generally unwilling to spend billions of dollars developing a product that benefits so few patients. Right now, just 5% of rare diseases have an FDA-approved treatment.

Unfortunately, the IRA, as written, does the opposite.

In order to reduce Medicare’s costs, the IRA allows the government to demand price controls on a range of prescription drugs paid for through the program. So as not to stand in the way of orphan drug development, lawmakers attempted to exclude these medicines from the price-setting program—but with one important exception. The rare-disease carve-out doesn’t extend to treatments approved for more than one rare disease.

In other words, an orphan drug approved to treat one disease is exempt from Medicare price cuts. But if a scientist discovers a second rare disease application for the same drug, they face a steep financial penalty through loss of the exemption.

Of the more than 280 orphan drugs approved since 2003, nearly a quarter were later approved to treat additional diseases. Some medicines earned approval for four or more follow-on indications. These are potentially life-saving discoveries that may not have occurred under the pricing system created by the IRA.

Lawmakers can fix this problem right now simply by passing the ORPHAN Cures Act. The two-page bill amends the IRA’s drug-pricing section by changing the words “only one rare disease” to “one or more rare diseases.”

With that revision, the legislation vastly increases the odds of treating and curing many of the thousands of rare diseases that currently lack effective medications.

Dr. Ted W. Love is chair of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization’s board of directors.

Your Letters, May 22

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Your Letters, May 22

One Word: Plastics

I’m concerned about the increase in plastic production, and I think you should be too. Major fossil fuel companies make the bulk of plastics, the production of which has increased as we have moved toward clean energy implementation. This has caused a decrease in the use of fossil fuels. So to continue to make money, plastic production is increasing significantly.

Meanwhile, the detrimental impact of plastics is worldwide—from fracking to production and throughout the whole life of plastics until they pile up on land and in the oceans. The health of communities near plastic production plants is at risk, particularly in poorer and marginalized communities.

The health and environmental impacts continue to run their course, and many unanswered questions remain. Is the potential risk involved worth the risk? I say it’s not.

Ava Funk

Formerly of Marin County

Dam Scam

One hundred years ago, San Francisco completed the O’Shaughnessy Dam project, which captured the Tuolumne River (“Tuolumne Blues,” May 15, 2024). The Hetch Hetchy Valley, like Yosemite Valley, features breathtaking cascades and waterfalls, two of which are the tallest in North America.

The dam and inundation of the magnificent “other” Yosemite Valley was the first national environmental debate over land use. Objections led by John Muir to this unnecessary boondoggle were pushed aside primarily through political power and a sense of entitlement by city officialdom. The irony resides in pro-dam lobbyists’ false and condescending claim of “serving the greatest good for the greatest number” and today’s failure to provide enough water to cleanse San Francisco’s indulgent acceptance of Dark Ages sanitation.

Leland Dennick

Sebastopol

Treasure, Parades, BBQ and Opera

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Treasure, Parades, BBQ and Opera

St. Helena

Treasure Hunt

Join the adventure at the Robert Louis Stevenson Museum Annual Treasure Hunt from noon to 3pm, Saturday, May 25, at the museum, 1490 Library La., St. Helena. Inspired by Stevenson’s classic Treasure Island, this family-friendly event offers a chance to hunt for clues around downtown St. Helena and find the treasure. This free Memorial Day weekend activity encourages pirate costumes and provides clues in both English and Spanish. The hunt is walkable and begins and ends at the museum. Children must be supervised by a parent or guardian at all times. For more information, visit stevensonmuseum.org.

Guerneville

Stumptown Daze

Guerneville’s Stumptown Daze Parade returns to Main Street at 11am, on Saturday, June 8, following a pandemic hiatus. Reminiscent of the first parade in 1946, this year’s event kicks off with the Caz Dozer Crew as grand marshals. These firefighting heroes cleared brush and cut firebreaks during the 2020 Walbridge Fire, protecting Cazadero, Armstrong Woods State Park, Guerneville and Rio Nido. The theme, “All Aboard for the Russian River,” commemorates the historic Northwestern Pacific Railroad days. Appreciation awards will be presented to Leslie Jo Booker and Spartacus Mitchell for their community service. The festivities conclude with the Bourbon Street Brass Band and a gumbo cook-off at Saucy Mama’s Jook Joint. For details, visit stumptownparade.org.

Muir Beach

Muir Beach BBQ

The Muir Beach Volunteer Fire Department presents its 50th Annual Muir Beach Volunteer Firemen’s Barbecue from noon to 5pm, Sunday, May 26, at Santos Meadows, 2704 Muir Woods Rd., Muir Beach. This Memorial Day Weekend tradition features food, live music, craft beers, premium wine and family fun. And this year, proceeds will help fund the new firehouse near the Muir Beach Overlook. Featured will be performances by local funk favorites Vinyl and Andre’s All-Stars, along with barbecue chicken, crepes, vegetarian tamale lunches and more. The event concludes with a raffle. Entry is $30 per vehicle, with carpooling encouraged, or $10 for walk-in and bike-in attendees. For more details, call 415.235.6458 or visit muirbeachfire.com/bbq.

Healdsburg

Opera at The 222

Critically acclaimed baritone Eugene Brancoveanu will present an evening of song and storytelling at 7pm, Saturday, June 1, at The 222, located at 222 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg. Programmed by Caroline Altman, the event features Vaughan Williams’ “Songs of Travel,” a cycle based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s poems, marking Williams’ first major foray into songwriting. The evening will also include Finzi’s “Let Us Garlands Bring” and Ravel’s “Don Quichotte a Dulcinee.” Brancoveanu, a Tony Award winner and recipient of a 2004 LA Stage Alliance Ovation Award, is renowned for his portrayal of Marcello in Baz Luhrmann’s Broadway production of Puccini’s La Bohème. Tickets range from $35 to $75. For more information, contact Jonathan Wind at me**********@***il.com or call 415.710.0256.

Free Will Astrology: Week of May 22

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Free Will Astrology: Week of May 22

ARIES (March 21-April 19): In the coming weeks, you will experience uncomfortable weirdness if you do the following: 1. Meander without focus or purpose; 2. give yourself permission to postpone, procrastinate and engage in avoidance behavior; 3. ignore the interesting though challenging truths that are right in front of you; 4. hang out with people with mediocre ambitions. But you will experience healthy, uplifting oddness if you do the following: 1. Trust your instincts and intuitions; 2. authorize your spontaneity to invigorate and guide you; 3. take the straightforward path that gets you to the destination most efficiently; 4. be crisp and nimble.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Mysterious energies will soon begin healing at least some of the wounds in your financial genius. As a result, I predict new powers of attraction will awaken in you, making it likely you will add to your wealth in the coming months. To synergize these happy developments, I recommend you give yourself permission to have joyous fun as you lust for more cash. More good news: I will supplement your good fortune by casting a benevolent spell to boost the flow of riches into your bank account.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): When I first got my job writing a horoscope column, I wasn’t looking for it. It found me. My bike had been stolen, and I was looking for a new one in the classified ads of the Good Times, the local Santa Cruz newspaper. There I serendipitously spied a “Help Wanted” ad. The publisher of the Good Times was hiring a new astrology writer to replace Robert Cole, who had just quit. I quickly applied for the gig and got it. Ever since, Robert Cole has been a symbol for me of an accidental and unexpected opportunity appearing out of nowhere. I mention this, Gemini, because when I meditate on you lately, I see the face of Robert Cole.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): In myths and legends, the consummate spiritual goal has various names: the Holy Grail, philosopher’s stone, pearl of great price, nirvana, alchemical gold, key of life and many others. I appreciate this profusion of sacred symbols. It encourages us to not be too literal about identifying the highest reward. The old fables are equally equivocal about where the prize can be found. Is it in an empty desert or dark forest? In the deepest abyss, on a mountaintop or in the backyard? I bring these thoughts to your attention, Cancerian, because the coming months will be an excellent time to conduct a quest for the marvelous treasure. What do you need most right now? What’s the best way to begin your search?

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): I have good news for any Leos who are devoted to pragmatism and rational analysis. Just this once, my horoscope will offer no lyrical teasers or mystical riddles. Your pressing need for no-nonsense grit has moved me to offer straightforward, unembellished counsel. Here it is, dear: Cultivate connections that will serve your passionate ambitions. Make vigorous use of your network and community to gather information that will serve your passionate ambitions. Meditate on what course corrections might be necessary to serve your passionate ambitions.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): For many of you Virgos, your health seems chronically unsettled. You may be constantly hyper-vigilant about the next glitch that could possibly affect your well-being. There’s a problem with that approach: It may intensify your fear of frailty, which in turn saps your vigor. But I’m happy to report that in the coming months you will have an enhanced power to break out of this pattern. To get started, try this: Every morning for four minutes, picture yourself overflowing with vitality. Visualize every part of your body working with joyful heartiness. Send streams of love and gratitude to all your organs. Do this for the next 21 days.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Many people regard the word “faith” as referring to delusional hope or wishful thinking. But I ask you to rethink its meaning—and consider the possibility that it could be an empowering force in the coming months. How? Imagine a faith that’s earthy and robust. You actually feel it vibrating in your heart and gut. It literally alters your brain chemistry, fortifying your natural talents and attracting needed resources. It liberates you to feel pragmatically excited as you pursue your goal of fulfilling your soul’s code.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): When I was born, my parents gave me the name “Robert.” It’s derived from an Old North French word meaning “shining” and “bright with glory.” In Middle English, though, “robert” was a designation for “a wastrel, a marauder, a good-for-nothing.” I use this dichotomy as a reminder that my own nature is a mix of brightness and darkness. A lot of me is shining and inspirational, but there’s also a part that’s ignorant and confused. And what’s true about me is true about everyone else, including you: We are blends of the best and the not-so-best. Now is a good time to draw strength and wisdom from meditating on this reality. Your shadowy aspects have important and interesting truths to reveal to your brilliant aspects—and vice versa.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Here are some meditations on emotions. They are as key to our intelligence as our thoughts! But it’s crucial that we distinguish between emotions generated by delusions and emotions that are responses to true perceptions. Let’s say I get angry because I imagine a friend stole money from my room while visiting, but then later I put on my vest and find the supposedly stolen cash in the vest pocket. That is a delusional emotion. But if I am sad because my friend’s beloved dog is sick, that is emotion based on an accurate perception. I bring this to your attention, Sagittarius, because I believe it is essential that in the coming weeks you discern between the two types.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): As an adjunct to the Ten Commandments, I have formulated the Ten Suggestions. Here’s Suggestion #1: Wash your own brain at least three times a year. I’m speaking metaphorically, of course. What I mean is that like me and everyone else, you are always accumulating junky thoughts and useless feelings. Some are generated by our old, conditioned responses, and some pour into us from the media and entertainment industries. And it’s best to be proactive about the toxic build-up—not allow it to become monumental. In my astrological opinion, now is an excellent time for a regular mind cleanse.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): So many writers have said terrible things about our existence on planet Earth. “Life is a disease,” wrote George Bernard Shaw. “Life is a bad dream,” declared Eugene O’Neill. Life is “a vast cold junkpile,” according to Stephen King. There are thousands more of these un-nuanced disparagements. Why? Here are the facts, as I see them: As tough as it can be to navigate through problems and pain, being alive in our miraculous bodies with our dazzling awareness is a sublime gift. We are all blessed with a mysterious and fascinating destiny. In accordance with the astrological omens, Aquarius, I invite you to celebrate being alive with extra gratitude and ebullience. Begin the jubilee by feeling amazement and awe for your mysterious and fascinating destiny. Second step: Identify five sublime gifts in your life.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In the coming weeks, I ask you to refrain from indulging in extreme nostalgia. On the other hand, I encourage you to explore the past and sift through memories with the intention of clarifying what really happened back then. Pluck new lessons from the old days that will help you forge smart decisions in the near future. Use your history as a resource while you redefine the meanings of pivotal events. For extra credit, create a new title for the book you may someday write about your life story.

Homework: Read and hear free excerpts from my book: tinyurl.com/BraveBliss.

Growing Signs of Wine Industry Downturn

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An interesting and somewhat contradictory thing is happening to the California wine industry right now: It’s starting to show signs of a downturn, even though Sonoma, Napa and Lake counties just had their most lucrative wine-grape harvest ever in 2023. In the Napa Valley alone, the latest crop reports show last year’s plentiful rains made for a 35% increase in “the gross value of its agricultural production,” the North Bay Business Journal reports — for a haul worth over $1.2 billion. But those numbers might not hold in future years, if recent market reports are any indication. Demand for wine — especially among younger people — has been plummeting over the past year, after a boom during the first couple years of the pandemic, according to an in-depth piece published earlier this month by the San Francisco Chronicle. (Apparently young people are finding other ways to numb their pain!) “The entire $55 billion California wine industry is, like the wine industry worldwide, experiencing an unprecedented downturn now,” the Chronicle reports. “No sector is immune — not the luxury tier, not the big conglomerates, not the upstart natural wines. Wine consumption fell 8.7% in 2023, according to leading industry analyst the Gomberg Fredrikson Report, a sobering reversal for an industry that had, for a quarter-century, taken annual growth for granted. This year could be the breaking point, with many industry figures predicting ‘a good-sized housecleaning,’ as put by Ian Brand, owner of I. Brand & Family Winery in Monterey County. ‘A lot of brands are dead, but they don’t even know it right now,’ echoed Michael Honig, president of Honig Vineyard & Winery in Napa Valley.” Under this doomsday cloud for the industry, vintners all over California are reportedly making the tough decision to rip out their vineyards. Meanwhile, a growing cohort of activists — including some in Sonoma County — are trying to protect historic, old-growth vines from the sweep. More from CBS: “Winemakers in Lodi, pulling vines from the ground, reflect an industry that has hit a pocket of uncertainty. After decades of steady growth, wine consumption has plateaued, or even started to decline by some measures. So, supply is up while demand is heading the other direction. And while industry giants in Napa may be slightly insulated from this, [Tom Davies, President of V. Sattui Winery in St. Helena] said, yes, the industry is changing. ‘We were blessed with people my age, drinking wine,’ Davies said of the possible generational divide. ‘They were really loyal. The Boomers discovered wine.’ He said younger drinkers may not be shifting towards wine like their parents. Something he thinks can and will happen. ‘I think that it is incumbent upon our industry, to learn how we talk to this new generation,’ Davis said.” In a somewhat dark turn for the traditionalists among us, the Business Journal reports that big wine brands are trying to win over Gen Z by pushing lighter, more low-cal wines — and food-and-bev marketing gurus are recommending winemakers explore more of the fun, fruity flavors that have helped the hard seltzer and vape industries win over the kids. Oh, lordy… (Source: SF Chronicle & CBS News & North Bay Business Journal & North Bay Business Journal & North Bay Business Journal & North Bay Biz & Barrel Ahead & Retail Wire & Progressive Grocer)

BottleRock Brings Big Names

My Morning Jacket Among the Throng The juggernaut music festival BottleRock is back in Napa, bringing with it a cavalcade of bands—old faves and emerging talents alike. On Friday, May 24, headliners include the legendary Stevie Nicks, dynamic rapper Megan Thee Stallion and the eclectic St. Vincent. Joining them are hip-hop icon Nelly and the indie pop group Miike Snow—and literally...
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‘Dead Man’s Cell Phone’ is a Disconnect

At a recent performance of Sarah Ruhl’s Dead Man’s Cell Phone, one audience member was heard to murmur to her seatmate, “Is this funny? I think it’s sad,” while other audience members chuckled. The Raven Players production runs through May 26 at the Raven Performing Arts Theater in Healdsburg. It’s a fair question. The title, which reads like it was...
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State Deficit Kills Bills

Legal psychedelics and reparations quashed California’s budget crunch is forcing the Legislature to scale back its agenda this session, with bills to legalize psychedelic therapy, offer reparations to the descendants of enslaved people and require more transparency around who is paying for lawmakers’ sponsored travel among the early carnage. Facing estimated deficits of tens of billions of dollars over the next...
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Lynda Hopkins: SoCo Supervisor reminisces

In the immediate run-up to her uncontested re-election this spring, I had the pleasure-privilege of an extended interview with Supervisor Lynda Hopkins in a casual setting. To her credit, this former journalist put no limits on my questions. Lynda, as she had me call her, leads Sonoma County as part of the five-member executive, legislative and quasi-judicial Board of Supervisors....
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Connecting Art & Community: Santa Rosa’s Strange Constellation

A new storefront in the heart of Santa Rosa’s Arts District on A Street offers so much more than hip products for cool kids. True to its namesake, Strange Constellation is a place where art, community and commerce intersect in ways that support and uplift a culture of care and mutual aid, particularly for Black and queer people. Creators Dani DiAngelo,...
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ORPHAN Cures

For the roughly 30 million Americans living with a rare disease, the chances of finding an effective treatment are tragically slim. Adding insult to illness, an element of 2022’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) discourages research into treatments for rare conditions. The good news is that Congress can undo this unintended consequence by passing the ORPHAN Cures Act, bipartisan legislation introduced...
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Your Letters, May 22

One Word: Plastics I’m concerned about the increase in plastic production, and I think you should be too. Major fossil fuel companies make the bulk of plastics, the production of which has increased as we have moved toward clean energy implementation. This has caused a decrease in the use of fossil fuels. So to continue to make money, plastic production...
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Treasure, Parades, BBQ and Opera

St. Helena Treasure Hunt Join the adventure at the Robert Louis Stevenson Museum Annual Treasure Hunt from noon to 3pm, Saturday, May 25, at the museum, 1490 Library La., St. Helena. Inspired by Stevenson’s classic Treasure Island, this family-friendly event offers a chance to hunt for clues around downtown St. Helena and find the treasure. This free Memorial Day weekend activity...
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Free Will Astrology: Week of May 22

Free Will Astrology: Week of May 22
ARIES (March 21-April 19): In the coming weeks, you will experience uncomfortable weirdness if you do the following: 1. Meander without focus or purpose; 2. give yourself permission to postpone, procrastinate and engage in avoidance behavior; 3. ignore the interesting though challenging truths that are right in front of you; 4. hang out with people with mediocre ambitions. But...
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Growing Signs of Wine Industry Downturn

An interesting and somewhat contradictory thing is happening to the California wine industry right now: It's starting to show signs of a downturn, even though Sonoma, Napa and Lake counties just had their most lucrative wine-grape harvest ever in 2023. In the Napa Valley alone, the latest crop reports show last year's plentiful rains made for a 35% increase...
Read more
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