Plus Letters To the Editor
I worked at a Santa Cruz tech start-up way back in the days of Web 1.0, and while the fantastic people and a long run of new opportunities made it a great place to be, I think I can now safely say that in creating template websites for radio stations, we definitely had no clue what direction the Internet was headed in. (We did get into the content syndication game pretty early, back when everyone thought people were going to, you know, pay for it.)
Even then, Santa Cruz was being called “Silicon Beach”; the Wired article that popularized the nickname came out around Y2K. In the years since, that designation has ebbed and flowed, through Web 2.0 and then into the co-working revolution exemplified here by Cruzio and NextSpace. The community that came up around those networking spaces paved the way for the current crop of new startups, which Aric Sleeper profiles in this issue.
In some ways, Aric’s story is also a follow-up to Jake Pierce’s cover story “Big Empty” in Santa Cruz Weekly earlier this year, in which he examined why the E.C. Rittenhouse building had remained unoccupied for five years. A few months later, Looker is the building’s first tenant, and, as this week’s story reveals, the company’s aggressive growth and huge ambition show how Santa Cruz tech is poised for unprecedented success.
Steve Palopoli | Editor-in-Chief
Requiem for Don Draper
Re: “The Ins and Outs of Santa Cruz Fashion” (GT, 8/20): When we think “fashion,” Good Times thinks—girlywear?
C’mon, now. Where’s the love for the gnarlier sex? Do we men not have the same desires as the womenfolk to drape our hirsute shagginess in plumage and finery? Surely there must be some enterprising designers out there who are creating threads and accessories for the discriminating slacker-about-town. (Although, admittedly, there’s not much you can do with my cargo shorts-and-T-shirt ensemble).
Still, it might be fun to play mix-and-match like the girls. How about some boas, capes, and chunky pendants for the gay Batman in all of us? Tres chic.
In nature, the peacock with the prettiest feathers gets the ladies. So what happened? Where have all the Don Drapers gone? And how did the King of the Hill end up shopping at Sears for sensible shoes and loose-fit jeans while his girlfriend splurges on sartorial splendor? Emasculation, thy name is Fashion!
Tim Rudolph | Santa Cruz
All Smiles?
I enjoyed Sven Davis’ article “Say Uncle” (GT, 8/13). The two kids who are clearly enjoying his brand of humor are darling. Both, however, show signs of getting too much fluoride into their systems. Dental fluorosis is caused by an excess of fluoride. Even if it isn’t in the water per se, it is in just about every processed food and bottle of juice and soda. It’s also in most toothpastes. I recall reading a study that said that if a person were to eat in a day one cup of cornflakes, a Coke, and a glass of milk or a piece of bread, he or she would be getting too much fluoride. There is a lab test for fluoride poisoning; if positive, great care can be taken with food, drinks, and toothpaste. It should also be noted that fluoride, at least until next year, is in essentially every pesticide and herbicide used in this area.
Barbara Lyons | Watsonville
ONLINE COMMENTS
Re: Child Cancer Rates
We lived in Ben Lomond for three years, and did a radon test on our home. The numbers were through the roof. Everyone should test their homes; radon is known to cause lung cancer, but not a lot of research has been done to see if it causes other cancers—and it seems likely. Go to EPA.gov for information and how to purchase a discounted test kit.
— CynthiaM
I watched a Cousteau special some years ago which noted the high levels of fire retardants in California items such as fabrics, carpeting and most materials used to upholster furniture due to California laws. The entire crew had it in their blood and the child of one had the highest level. Apparently the chemical has been found in ocean mammals.
— Morris
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RIGHT ON TRACK As if the Giant Dipper doesn’t take your breath away, there’s always the occasional sunset like this one. Photograph by Bob von Elgg.
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Greatness Outdoors
Let’s give a shout out to two successful events that livened up downtown this past weekend: the Taco and Tequila Festival in San Lorenzo Park, and the Wellness Fair on Lincoln Street. Great stuff—and there’s nothing like a little biofeedback as your buzz wears off.
Bubble Bus
Not only do the new Brew Cruz tours take people to the hottest microbreweries around Santa Cruz County in a vintage 1989 bus, but the new company also lets you BYOB and party onboard. Finally, Santa Cruz has its own party bus.
“Thanks to technology, we can instantly communicate across the world, but it
