Eric Johnson

Staff Writer

New Music Works Celebrates John Cage

Lou Harrison and John Cage at the Cabrillo Music Festival.

Phil Collins recalls seeing John Cage and Lou Harrison at one of New Music Works’ early Avant Garden Parties. The two old friends, who’d been artistically and personally separated for several decades after they’d both studied with contemporary music icons Arnold Schoenberg and Henry Cowell (not the California landowner), had taken a walk together and returned to the party arm in arm.

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Sol Lipman’s Journey

Sol Lipman is now AOL's Senior Director of Mobile. Brian Solis photo.

The outline for Sol Lipman’s talk at Thursday night’s TechRaising meetup would read like a standard-issue business-inspirational presentation: Your startup is a journey; it isn’t about the money; don’t be afraid to fail; My Five Rules for Startups. But this was not a standard-issue presentation.

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Fallen Hero Stands Tall

Huff at San Jose Muni on July 4.

Looking across the diamond from field level, it seemed as if Aubrey Huff appeared out of nowhere. Walking toward the dugout from the outfield, the 35-year-old veteran and 2010 World Series champion passed a dozen young players who, when he joined the San Jose Giants on a rehab assignment a few hours earlier, had become his teammates. They continued to stretch and goof around, the way all ballplayers do before a game, and he just walked by. Not just a man among boys, it looked like he was in another dimension, a different world.

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Bacteria in our Beaches

Cowell's beach, a popular beginner surf spot, is also infested with a ton of bacteria, says a Santa Monica-based group.

A couple of weeks ago, while blazing temperatures and azure skies drew thousands of people to Santa Cruz beaches, the Santa Monica-based group Heal the Bay threatened the summery good vibes with a press release headlined “Top Ten Beach Bummers.” In its annual Beach Report Card, the group gave Cowell’s Beach, right next to our beloved Steamer Lane, an “F” and listed it as one of the two most polluted beaches in California.

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Silicon Valley’s Power Play

Venture capitalist Steve Jurvetson of Draper Fisher Jurvetson drives a Tesla Roadster. Photo by Felipe Buitrago.

The electric car—quiet, fast and clean—has captured some media attention since the release of the sleek Tesla Roadster 18 months ago.  But it’s not a new idea. Some of the first cars ever built, going back to the 19th century, were battery-powered. And the contemporary push to break away from the internal combustion engine dates back more than 40 years.

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