The theatrical release and box office explosion of the new A24 psychological horror film “Backrooms” represents a landmark moment in modern cinema. It serves as the intersection of three major contemporary cinematic trends: the box office dominance of horror, the mainstream acceptance of a new YouTube-to-cinema pipeline and a successful push to get Gen Z […]
Culture
Posted inCulture
Free Will Astrology Week of June 4
Gemini’s heart will be flooded with an abundance of ideas and feelings
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Neurologist Oliver Sacks said, “I am haunted by the density of experience.” He meant that every moment contains far more richness than we can fully register or remember. This observation will be especially relevant for you in the coming weeks. Your mind (and heart!) will be flooded with an abundance of […]
Posted inColumns
My 80th Birthday, Heart Problems and Stroke
Life is ever-changing
Can I do this? Time will tell.Please, bear with me and I truly do mean it this time! My hands are unsteady but I want to share my story. I was born June 8, 1946, in Manhattan, New York. Depending on when you are reading this, it could very well be my birthday. My 80th […]
Posted inColumns
The Deco is Art
Gravity bongs at a higher level
Although I use vaporization as my primary form of cannabis consumption, with flower through an Herbalizer desktop unit and rosin in an Omegatron. I find the benefits of vaping to be multifold: richer taste, reduced respiratory irritation, activating and utilizing a wider range of cannabinoids, using precise temperatures to obtain specific effects, extended sessions with […]
Posted inCulture
Free Will Astrology, Week of May 28
Gemini should focus on language
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Among the Dogon of Mali, Sigui so is a secret language. It’s used in a sacred ritual when people gather to retell their beginnings and patch up strains in tribal harmony. I’m borrowing “Sigui so” here as a symbol for a way of talking that I hope you will specialize in […]
Posted inFilm
Star Skirmish
The continuing adventures of “The Mandalorian and Grogu”
Whether you enjoy “The Mandalorian and Grogu” depends entirely on what you want from your “Star Wars” these days. Don’t get me wrong, the film is entertaining and it’s easy to get lost in director Jon Favreau’s version of Star Wars, where every frame is packed with stunningly designed aliens and monsters. Yet, it’s hard […]
Posted inCulture
A Low-Key Summer Pride Celebration
The focus this year is simply about community
The annual Bend Summer Pride event is returning to a grassroots community gathering. It’s unclear what to expect. Unlike years past, this year is a “self-organized” event. A post on the Bend Pride web page says: “We know this looks a little different from years past, and we want to be upfront about that. The […]
Posted inCulture
The Realities of Being a Full-Time Bus Rider in Central Oregon
A frequent rider offers experience and insight into the public transportation system
My Timberland boots crunched against the highway gravel as I marched to the Riverhouse Lodge bus stop, my breath visible. I checked my watch: 15 minutes early. I was up an hour earlier in efforts to get a jump on the North Bend route 4 bus — my veritable ghost ship. I’d missed it almost as many times as I’d caught it, and to my horror I saw it barreling down the highway, moments from passing […]
Posted inColumns
Navigating Difficulties After Ceremony
While most people don’t experience lasting difficulties after working with plant medicines, serious problems and disruptions do sometimes arise
Q: “It’s been weeks since my ceremony, and I’m experiencing depression, anxiety and disconnection that feels worse than before I started this work. Is this normal integration, or could the medicine have triggered something harmful?” A: I hear you. I’ve witnessed this territory before. The weeks following ceremony can sometimes feel like being suspended between worlds. […]
Posted inCulture Features
Be an Ally: Books to Support Your LGBTQ+ Family, Friends and Peers
In honor of Pride Month
Pride month is just around the corner, observed in June to commemorate the Stonewall Uprising of June 28, 1969, when patrons of the Stonewall Inn in New York City resisted a police raid, sparking days of protests and riots that ignited the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement. The first Pride marches were held in June 1970 […]
