FOLLOW US
Culture
The rest is just Gravy
The story goes like this: In 1969, Hugh Nanton Romney Jr. was lying on stage at the Texas International Pop Festival, when he asked the conga drummers not to dance on the “wavy gravy.” B.B. King came...
Curling is the new black
One of the world’s most out-there sports, invented by—who else—the Scots, is having its roaring moment. Every four years, the Winter Olympics sweeps curling briefly back into the spotlight, but this year was a bit different.
American Olympic...
Let’s talk about it
People are talking about … the fact that people don’t like talking anymore. Multiple studies bemoan the death of conversation. But Paul Spinrad doesn’t buy it. He believes people are eager for face-to-face conversation, especially if prompted...
History is no joke … or is it?
In some places in Berkeley, it’s April Fool’s Day every day. This is because an unknown someone—or someones—has been placing plaques honoring nonexistent events in sites around the city for years.
Most people have seen historical plaques on...
Nomadic Bookshop centers collective imaginings
Nomadic Bookshop, a new, community-empowered bookstore in Oakland’s vibrant Uptown area, is making a significant splash. At the three-hour Jan. 17 official opening, store owners/founders J. K. Fowler and Uriel Landa welcomed nearly 400 guests.
“There was a...
Women prioritize health and redefine ‘hustle’
Millions of people in the United States and around the world find the voice of former ABC News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton speaking on matters of health to be a sanctuary.
As the co-host of Good...
A love story for the ages
Online dating didn't yet exist in the early 1990s. What did, though, were classified ads and "telepersonals" that allowed users to call 900 numbers and listen to recorded voice personals or leave their own. In July 1992...












