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Night Howl
By Karen Reardanz

Cosmotology Scholars: Terence McKenna (from left), Ralph Abraham and Rupert Sheldrake offer scientific musings on the future of the world as we know it on Saturday at UCSC's Classroom Unit II. Weird Science: Three thinkers converge for a day of musings on chaos, theory and the end of the world as we know it THE WORLD HAS A RAGING CASE of premillennial tension right now, and the closer we get to the big 2000, theories and speculations on the fate of our Earth grow more convoluted, complicated and enthralling. Is the apocalypse near? Will a new Messiah come? Or will we just wake up come the first day of the new millennium with a killer hangover and life as usual? In a forum known as the trialogue, Ralph Abraham, Terence McKenna and Rupert Sheldrake address these questions, as well as the state of the planet, current technologies and the renewal of science. The first public appearance for the trio since 1993, this daylong seminar features great minds presenting their thoughts on far-reaching questions from very different ideologies. All three are renowned experts in their respective fields (visual mathematics, cell biology, transformative future) and are expected to give good discourse. Abraham, McKenna and Sheldrake appear on Saturday (9am­5pm) at UCSC's Classroom Unit II. The day-long fee is a whopping $95, but the threesome also will offer up a free condensed version of their thoughts on Sunday (7:30pm) at the Capitola Book Cafe. For more info on the university event, call 427-6695 or go to www.uc-extension.edu. Book Ends Now entering into a completely different realm, it seems the booking folks at the Catalyst and Palookaville are both vying for the same target audience. Gary Tighe, the Cat's on-again booking agent (after a brief stint at Palookaville), unveils a new live music showcase on Thursday night, coming just a few months after he started a similar musical ball rolling at Palookaville. At first glance, Palookaville's Wednesday night showcase and the Cat's Thursday gigs are practically clones. Both feature three new or young bands from the local or national circuit for an nice price ($5 and $3 respectively). The main push behind both is to attract a younger crowd. Geared toward the college types (18 and older), the shows feature bands mostly from genres favored by the Youth Quake generation. Regardless of the motives behind these music series, it's a welcome opportunity for band and audience alike. Palookaville's past few shows (with bands like Junk Sick Dawn, Tortoise and The Peggy Hills) have been great, attracting a wide audience and providing both bands and music fans with a full-service venue to have a smaller show. The Catalyst, with only a few weeks booked, looks just as promising--watch for locals the What Nots and the soulful Ozmotli soon. This Thursday features Mudfrog, Crazy from the Heat and Con-X-ion. To find out what each club has booked for the next few weeks, call the Catalyst at 408/423-1336 and Palookaville at 408/454-0600. FutureThink Santa Cruz faves Lackadaisy, along with minimalist trio Tinfur, plays What Is Art? on Sunday. ... Vox author Nicholson Baker reads from his latest work, The Everlasting Story of Nory, on Wednesday, June 10, at the Book Cafe. [ Santa Cruz | MetroActive Central | Archives ]