tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-307981312011-12-23T07:44:25.748-08:00craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comBlogger9071100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-58469478884910022602011-12-23T07:44:00.001-08:002011-12-23T07:44:25.763-08:00

I know, it’s crass and, yes, my mother brought me up to have better manners than this, but I’m going to do it anyway. I’m going to tell you what I would like you to give me for Christmas. It’s a simple gift and it won’t cost you a dime. So, here’s my gift request: Would you please stop talking, texting and checking your email on your cell phone while you’re driving? Despite the fact that

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-85649555191251926802011-12-09T13:08:00.001-08:002011-12-09T13:09:23.761-08:00

Well, it looks like Rick Caruso may very well own a piece of the Dodgers and be the next mayor of Los Angeles before the Miramar Hotel ever gets torn down and rebuilt.In recent weeks the shopping mall developer’s name has appeared in news articles reporting that he will be joining forces with former Dodger manager Joe Torre to make a bid for the baseball team.Newspapers are also reporting that he

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-76746126435103847502011-11-25T07:40:00.001-08:002011-11-25T07:45:42.288-08:00

By the time you read this it will be after Thanksgiving. But it you were like me and happened to be watching the news coverage of the Republican Presidential primary candidates earlier in the week, your overstuffed turkey was delivered a few days prematurely. The turkey is Newt Gingrich and I'm talking about his message to the people who are taking part in the Occupy Wall Street movement, saying

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-10274466678201431912011-11-11T00:51:00.000-08:002011-11-11T00:52:53.746-08:00

There was a time in this country when political candidates’ fates were decided in smoke-filled rooms. Now it looks like they might be decided in smoke-filled videos.I’m referring to the recent Internet ad for Herman Cain, who, quite surprisingly, is even in the polls with Mitt Romney as they vie to become the Republican Party’s nominee for President. The ad, which can be seen on YouTube, features

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-75666973876538807282011-10-28T07:38:00.000-07:002011-10-28T07:41:15.600-07:00

A killing that is broadcast on live TV is not unprecedented. It was nearly 50 years ago that TV news cameras captured the fatal shooting of Lee Harvey Oswald by Jack Ruby. But as someone who woke up sleepy-eyed one morning late last week and, as I still lay in bed, switched on the TV just in time to see the reports on the capture and execution of Moammar Kadafi, I couldn't help but think to

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-89955067399722729202011-10-14T07:25:00.000-07:002011-10-14T07:30:26.577-07:00

If artist Mara Abboud is painting in her Santa Barbara studio, don't bother knocking or calling her on the phone. When she is immersed in the creative process she doesn't take calls and she doesn't answer the door. Abboud likes total silence when she paints with just the sound of the waves from the Pacific Ocean, which she can clearly see from her window, as the only audible distraction.For 29

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-23472783413527975982011-10-05T17:00:00.001-07:002011-10-05T17:00:20.563-07:00

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-74838653780561880262011-10-02T16:29:00.000-07:002011-10-02T16:30:49.101-07:00

My mother taught me a number of things to never do. Among them: never ask a woman her age and never ask someone else how much money they make. The first of those no-no's may still be widely observed but the second seems to have gone out the window, at least when it comes to retired public employees.Within the past month two local newspapers have published the names and the dollar amounts of

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-68338006642383446272011-09-28T13:15:00.001-07:002011-09-28T13:15:28.550-07:00

I guess that my recent lack of productivity, blog wise, hasn't gone unnoticed. http://www.santabarbaraview.com/a-view-of-the-media-another-blog-down/

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-71262131352095700152011-09-02T00:00:00.000-07:002011-09-02T08:51:07.908-07:00

Now let me get this straight. Martha's Vineyard gets President Obama for his summer vacation and Montecito gets Kim Kardashian and her big August wedding? Can't we do a switch? Now, don't get me wrong. I have nothing against B list celebrities. Just as long as they don't venture north of Calabasas. After all, the South had its Mason-Dixon line; can't we have a No-Reality-Show-Vixen line? The

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-25277871666043410822011-08-19T00:00:00.000-07:002011-08-19T00:00:05.994-07:00

What do Montecito and Cuyama, the little town located in the far northeastern corner of Santa Barbara County, have in common? Well, until last week not much. But now, under the new boundaries just adopted by the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors, they are both going to be located within the First Supervisorial District. The Cuyama Valley has just moved from the Fifth District to the

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-36098569367188730522011-08-11T20:25:00.000-07:002011-08-11T20:40:11.277-07:00

In the back of my mind I always figured that when the NLRB finally got around to ruling on the News-Press' labor relations case I'd probably be off in some distant place and reading all about it from someone else. As it turned out, when the news broke early Thursday afternoon I was 3,000 miles from Santa Barbara in Edgartown, Massachusetts. But a loyal tipster made sure I was among the first to

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-75511294068973321282011-08-11T13:13:00.000-07:002011-08-11T19:24:42.383-07:00

I interrupt my vacation to bring you this breaking news. The NLRB has ruled against News-Press owner Wendy McCaw.  The Board has unanimously found that the publisher of the Santa Barbara News-Press committed multiple unfair labor practices during a union organizing campaign by newsroom employees, and ordered the paper's parent company Ampersand Publishing LLC to offer reinstatement to eight

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-3452147296868740462011-08-11T00:00:00.000-07:002011-08-10T21:26:42.934-07:00

I've been on a trip to Boston this week hence, the lack of activity on the blogging front. But I did want to share with you my visit to Fenway Park. Didn't get to see an actual game (the Red Sox are out of town) but I did take the tour of the ballpark. Even found out that Dodger owner Frank McCourt (who is originally from Boston) still has a luxury suite here at Fenway. This according to our

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-90268119103088462122011-08-05T00:00:00.000-07:002011-08-05T06:47:47.858-07:00

For my column this week I thought I would tackle what has been one of the great mysteries around here. No, I'm not referring to whether the Miramar project will ever get started or what part of Montecito Tipper Gore is living in. I want to talk about what people around here really want to know. Something that’s been nagging at many of us for the past two weeks. Did the opposing players go easy on

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-55495603579755527812011-08-04T22:17:00.000-07:002011-08-04T22:30:28.528-07:00

I haven't done any Fiesta-ing yet this year and not sure that I will. But I didn't want to deprive you of your annual obligatory Fiesta photo. So hear it is, taken Thursday evening over at De la Guerra Plaza.Lots of local locos and non-local locos in the crowd. But, everybody seemed to be having a good time.&copy 2011 by Craig Smith and www.craigsmithsblog.com

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-23160983826493237102011-08-03T00:00:00.000-07:002011-08-03T09:41:17.506-07:00

Back in the early 1980's when I was in the DA's office I was assigned to prosecute the case of a guy named Ed Gabriel. Gabriel was the owner of Gilchrist's Jewelers which was located near the Arlington Theater in the building now occupied by the restaurant Jane.Gabriel lived in Montecito and was charged with grand theft. Customers would come into his store to have rings sized or repaired and he

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-55915835950235946022011-08-02T00:03:00.000-07:002011-08-02T00:43:52.100-07:00

Don't let the bad reviews keep you from seeing, Page One, Inside The New York Times. I saw the movie over the weekend at the Plaza del Oro and thought that it was great.As you would expect, the full-length documentary looks at how the Old Gray Lady is seeking to survive both as a print and ink operation and as a digital newspaper among competition from online news aggregators, blogs and the

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-42400156539504154922011-07-29T01:17:00.000-07:002011-07-29T20:22:28.135-07:00

The rally marking the fifth anniversary of the meltdown at the News-Press was held on Thursday. Yes, the small turnout was a little disappointing but five years is a long time to hold the community's attention. Plus, five years ago people held out the hope that owner Wendy McCaw might be persuaded to give up the paper. That doesn't seem to be in the cards now.I went to the rally because I want to

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-91410108304075601092011-07-29T00:00:00.000-07:002011-07-29T07:15:53.134-07:00

Let me ask you a question. When you're not reading a newspaper like the Montecito Messenger, where do you go online for local news? If you're like a lot of locals, you may be a regular visitor to Edhat.com.Edhat has been around for seven or eight years and is constantly evolving. Originally, it promoted itself as being made up of "provocative contests, intriguing tidbits and local insight about

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-78509111842102293032011-07-28T00:00:00.000-07:002011-07-27T23:34:10.414-07:00

Freelance journalist Peter Lance, who is fighting off allegations of drunk driving both in the courts and in the News-Press (well, mostly in the News-Press) was in court on Tuesday for a pretrial hearing. Judge Brian Hill declined to find him or the News-Press in contempt for defying his order not to publish certain confidential information in the newspaper.According to the front page article in

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-70688253844590180252011-07-25T00:00:00.000-07:002011-07-25T00:27:35.538-07:00

The case of freelance reporter Peter Lance, who has had the saga of his quest to discredit the Santa Barbara police officer who arrested him for allegedly being a drunk driver published in the Santa Barbara News-Press, has taken a new twist.On Sunday, apparently in defiance of a court order not to publish any articles revealing the contents of confidential court documents that had come into Lance

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-39428890459156591802011-07-22T00:05:00.000-07:002011-07-22T00:13:57.921-07:00

On Wednesday, retired Santa Barbara County employees received a letter from the retirement system's CEO, informing them that their name and the amount of their monthly retirement allowance is about to be released and made public in response to Public Records Act requests made by the News-Press and the L.A. Times. I know this for a fact. I was one of those who received the letter.It's not that big

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-25783130621796957302011-07-22T00:00:00.000-07:002011-07-22T07:28:27.503-07:00

I imagine that a lot of Montecito residents have second homes, perhaps in the LA area, or maybe even Chicago or New York. But how about living in Montecito and having a second home in downtown Santa Barbara?Sounds a bit decadent? And why would you ever want a second home so close to your primary home? Well, how about spectacular views and convenience to concerts, theatrical performances and some

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-85256371813594652422011-07-21T00:00:00.000-07:002011-07-20T23:10:41.323-07:00

If you're as old as I am, you just might recognize the title of today's post as a quote from Ratso Rizzo, Dustin Hoffman's character in the movie Midnight Cowboy. It's what he says as he gets in the face of a cab driver who nearly runs him over as he's crossing a street in Manhattan. As most of you regular readers of this blog know, I live downtown and I walk a lot in the downtown area. I can't

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-62434493134029372192011-07-15T00:00:00.000-07:002011-07-15T00:04:32.571-07:00

Sometimes my neighbors and fellow citizens remind me of my Irish/Scotch uncle. You know, the one who likes to drink but doesn't like to pay.I can think of any number of examples of this phenomenon lately. We want the police to be tough on crime, but we won't vote for a modest tax hike to pay for a new jail. We want the federal government to cut spending but don't dare think of taking our

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-18888836132875877622011-07-08T00:00:00.000-07:002011-07-08T00:09:59.977-07:00

There's not a whole lot about the 70's and the '80's that I miss. I don't long for the days of leisure suits, polyester pants or mutton chops. But there is one remnant of that era which I do lament the loss of. A place where one could go to listen to live music and still be able to carry on a conversation. Yes, such places are few and far between now, but in their heyday three Montecito watering

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-33679767073738498802011-07-06T00:00:00.000-07:002011-07-05T23:51:30.838-07:00

July 6, 2006, five years ago today, was when the news broke that the top editors of the Santa Barbara News-Press resigned en masse because they believed the paper's owner, Wendy McCaw, was meddling in the newsroom.More surprising than the fact that five years has gone by is the fact that this country's agency for refereeing labor disputes, the National Labor Relations Board, has failed to deliver

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-5890464113079049042011-06-30T00:00:00.000-07:002011-06-29T22:40:50.272-07:00

I've been busy as of late and haven't had time to come up with a full-blown blog post. But I do have a number of short items.Although a full week has passed since they first started running the series, the News-Press has not published one letter to the editor, pro or con, about Peter Lance's five-part series about on his own arrest for drunk driving.It's not like people don't have an opinion on

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-40494650497818130352011-06-26T00:00:00.000-07:002011-06-26T23:18:33.114-07:00

There is always one thing you can count on every time the annual Summer Solstice Parade and Festival rolls around. While the beer may not be free the spirits certainly will be.There were a lot of untethered souls whopping it up in downtown Saturday. While I'm sure no one shows up to a job interview dressed in their Solstice get-up, it's hard to imagine any of the revelers in the parade punching a

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-56671493807165493192011-06-24T00:00:00.000-07:002011-06-23T23:47:10.267-07:00

Not that anyone has asked me, but if I were approached by a freelance reporter who wanted to write a story about the police officer who busted him for allegedly being a drunk driver, I think I would have passed on the opportunity to publish the article, at least while the case is still pending. I usually prefer that the people who cover stories not have a stake in the outcome of the events they

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-86117473400194754122011-06-23T00:00:00.000-07:002011-06-22T23:34:37.460-07:00

Last weekend I did something that I only do about once every 20 years. I went on a camping trip. The occasion was the reunion of my old Boy Scout Camp staff. But that part of the story I'll save for perhaps another day.In my youth I was a pretty good hiker and backpacker. But over the years I've turned into a city guy. So for this trip to Sequoia National Park, in addition to shorts, hiking

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-52253234048113474862011-06-15T00:00:00.000-07:002011-06-15T12:28:44.892-07:00

If you have seen me in person recently, you may have noticed a difference in my appearance. After about seven years of sporting either a beard or a goatee, I shaved it off last month. However, the departure of the facial hair has meant the return of another inquiry I got used to hearing back before I ditched the razor, "Has anyone ever told you that you look like Colin Powell?" Unfortunately, the

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-91782783239464471682011-06-10T05:00:00.000-07:002011-06-10T11:19:59.095-07:00

I know, I've been writing less and less as of late. But sometimes life and other commitments get in the way. But I do have a new column today. However in order to read it you're going to have to run out and pick up a copy of the premiere issue of the Montecito Messenger which is available for free on newsstands today or, if you live in Montecito, you may even find it delivered to your houseIn the

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-9099895428848708762011-06-07T00:00:00.000-07:002011-06-07T00:07:25.182-07:00

On the morning that the Montecito Messenger was announced in a headline in the Daily Sound, Sam Tyler, one of the forces behind the creation of the new newspaper, dropped into Pierre LaFond in Montecito's Upper Village to have coffee. Sitting at a table was Jim Buckley, the owner and publisher of the well-established Montecito Journal and Richard Mineards, the Journal's plucky society columnist.

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-38753064079555602722011-05-24T00:00:00.000-07:002011-05-24T00:00:02.741-07:00

The long-term rewards for sending my son off to college are yet to be realized. But I can tell you what the immediate payoff is, a climb up four flights of stairs to a dorm room in the attic. Yes, four flights of stairs! And, as we all know, I'm not getting any younger. Thank you Yale University or, as I like to call it, "No Country for Old Kin." I'm in New Haven, Connecticut for my son's

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-9198505571037514352011-05-10T00:00:00.000-07:002011-05-10T00:15:02.441-07:00

It's not only Arnold Schwarzenegger who is getting dumped. On a street corner near where I live, a computer monitor has been sitting there for well over a week. It's not a flat screen. If it was, it probably would have been gone long ago. Rather, it's probably the same vintage as Gordon Gecko's cell phone. You know, the one last seen in the opening moments of the Wall Street sequel, where it is

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-18108500217981637082011-05-09T00:49:00.000-07:002011-05-09T01:10:59.682-07:00

I got the biggest kick out of this story about a Coffee Cat employee chasing down and catching a suspected laptop thief. Especially because it seems like nearly every time I go into the Coffee Cat, Robert, the fast-footed barista, is the employee who takes my order and makes my drink.Good reporting job by KEYT's John Palminteri.And knowing that Robert is the barista on duty will hopefully keep

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-84591071416135737022011-05-06T08:02:00.000-07:002011-05-06T08:15:37.301-07:00

I've learned that one of the signers of the petition to decertify the Union at the Santa Barbara News-Press was sportswriter Gerry Fall. Fall has probably one of the most recognizable names among News-Press employees as he was a long-time sports anchor on KEYT (and before that KCOY) before joining the News-Press. Fall's name appears on the caption of some of the paperwork regarding the petition

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-6945359963521549272011-05-05T07:48:00.000-07:002011-05-05T07:55:24.051-07:00

Eight people who work in the newsroom at the Santa Barbara News-Press have filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board asking that the Teamsters Union be decertified.According to a press release from Union attorney Ira Gottlieb, the Union was notified of the filing of the petition on Tuesday and the petition was reportedly signed by eight employees, or about 30 percent of those

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-91397216972813245142011-05-04T00:00:00.000-07:002011-05-04T10:38:17.199-07:00

The latest newspaper circulation figures were released yesterday. And with newspaper circulation continuing to decline with each reporting period, the industry has taken a bold step to turn the tide of loss of readership. They've changed the rules on how they count the readers.According to an industry observer who is quoted on the Poynter Institute website, "The rules will probably be viewed,

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-50296306240874857982011-05-02T00:00:00.000-07:002011-05-02T00:00:01.799-07:00

My post from last week about the debate over what to do about "transient crime" in downtown Santa Barbara drew a lot of attention and comments over at Edhat.I was surprised at the number of people who expressed reluctance, if not out-and-out fear, when it came to venturing down to State Street.Let me repeat what I said in my original post, I'm not suggesting that there isn't a problem. I'm just

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-79290568245126583582011-05-01T20:35:00.000-07:002011-05-01T20:40:29.280-07:00

Every one of us who is old enough will forever remember where we were when we heard the news that Osama bin Laden is dead. Donald Trump's answer to that question will be, "I was firing someone from The Apprentice."&copy 2011 by Craig Smith and www.craigsmithsblog.com

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-74029854589168430972011-04-29T00:00:00.000-07:002011-04-29T00:28:16.678-07:00

I never thought I'd begin a blog post by apologizing to Billy Idol, but I stole his lyrics for the headline to today's piece.I always thought that getting married on a weekday was something that only "the little people" did. You know, the couples who had to elope or were just having a simple small civil ceremony down at the courthouse.So what's up with William and Kate, the future King and Queen

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-80251474522979517012011-04-27T00:45:00.000-07:002011-05-01T12:45:48.054-07:00

Yesterday afternoon the Santa Barbara City Council had a discussion on transient related street crimes. I caught part of it from the comfort of my living room via the live broadcast on TV.If you read me on any kind of a regular basis you know that I live downtown and therefore walk on State Street just about everyday, so I have more than a passing interest in this discussion. And, as I've

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-71068267067835451822011-04-26T00:00:00.000-07:002011-04-26T00:04:45.879-07:00

Now that spring and longer days have arrived, I'm back to riding my bike on a regular basis. Last week, I was riding on Coast Village Road in the middle of the day. When I got to a stop sign I looked over to my left at the car next to me. It was an older sedan that was the size of a land yacht and had "no insurance" written all over it. The only occupant was the driver, a woman who with one hand

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-43352248150004897662011-04-24T12:53:00.000-07:002011-04-24T13:19:38.991-07:00

Over the weekend PBS used the premiere of Cinema Verite, an HBO drama about the making of the '70s documentary series An American Family, as an occasion to re-run the original series as a 12-hour marathon. Make that a grueling 12-hour marathon.And the fact that they would air the marathon starting at 11pm Saturday night and concluding at 11am Sunday morning makes me wonder if PBS really wanted

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-48173113219606059812011-04-18T00:00:00.000-07:002011-04-18T00:12:17.564-07:00

Steve Kunes, a local resident who lists his occupation as "screenwriter," seems to have fooled a few people lately. A parolee, he currently is awaiting a preliminary hearing on an allegation that he swindled the former owner of Cafe Buenos Aires out of $2,000.00. Barney Brantingham reports that on another occasion Kunes allegedly tried to pass himself off as being a major player in bringing the

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-69948758168514785092011-04-13T00:00:00.000-07:002011-04-13T07:48:34.893-07:00

A local Santa Barbara newspaper is in a spat with City Hall and it's not the News-Press.The Daily Sound ran an editorial Tuesday that was critical of Santa Barbara City Administrator Jim Armstrong and City Finance Director Robert Samario for being slow to respond, or in some instances for not responding at all, to the paper's request for information about the City's employee home loan

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-1683943532181251762011-04-12T00:00:00.000-07:002011-04-12T00:00:05.861-07:00

Over the past weekend Sidney Lumet, the director of some of my all-time favorite films passed away. One of Lumet's credits is "Network" in which Peter Finch's character urges a nation of TV viewers to go to their windows and yell: "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore!"One of the things I'm mad as hell about these days is that windbag Donald Trump making the ludicrous claim that

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-8177370543007970542011-04-07T00:00:00.000-07:002011-04-07T00:00:00.796-07:00

I have the definite feeling that the economy is improving. For example, on Tuesday evenings I teach a class downtown. We take a 20 minute break around 8 pm and I often use the break to take a short walk. I usually stroll by several of the nicer restaurants in town. Bouchon, Olio E Limone, Jane and Opal. What do they have in common? They're all packed. And on a weeknight evening no less.It's not

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-14259777600753413882011-04-05T01:28:00.000-07:002011-04-05T01:35:47.632-07:00

One of the things I like to do on this blog from time to time is to point out stories that you might otherwise miss. Over at UCSB's Daily Nexus, Managing Editor Lexi Pandell recently won a first-place award in the California College Media Journalism competition.Pandell’s award winning article "Under the Influence" told the story behind five UCSB student deaths related to drugs and alcohol that

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-43342748184308743632011-03-28T00:15:00.000-07:002011-04-04T23:17:27.600-07:00

It was only a year ago that we were in the midst of one of the most vigorously contested elections for County District Attorney in anyone's memory. Then District Attorney Christie Stanley, who was forced by illness to resign from office prior to the end of her term, used her resignation letter to urge the Board of Supervisors to appoint Chief Trial Deputy Josh Lynn, to replace her and at the same

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-40065060349513092232011-03-27T15:06:00.000-07:002011-03-27T20:37:17.384-07:00

It looks like Coleen Sullivan, KEYT's weekend anchor and a field reporter as well, is no longer with the station.Her bio no longer appears on the page on the station's website showing the local ABC affiliate's on-air talent and the website also has a job posting saying that they are looking for a weekend anchor.Sullivan has been off the air since early November when she took maternity leave.

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-82252632869735576742011-03-25T00:00:00.000-07:002011-03-25T12:27:59.570-07:00

My post from this past Monday in which I took News-Press guest editorial writer Lanny Ebenstein to task for playing "fast and loose" with the facts about public employee pensions got quite a response in the form of emails from readers. And one of those responding was Ebenstein himself.His email to me was lengthy and detailed in his effort to try to persuade me to see things his way. Among the

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-42551451875660909392011-03-23T00:10:00.000-07:002011-03-23T00:20:15.058-07:00

The front page of Tuesday's L.A. Times had two separate articles each about a man and his living situation. One is the story of how someone is currently living his life day-to-day and the other is a story of dreams and plans. I found the contrasts in the attitudes about what it takes to be comfortable and happy in regards to one's shelter and environs to be fascinating.On the far left of the

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-35395565183469683012011-03-23T00:00:00.000-07:002011-03-23T07:26:23.178-07:00

I'm not a betting man, but if you had asked me back in March of 2006, if the Daily Sound, which had just started up then, would be around in five year's time I would have said, "no."It was nothing personal, it's just that five years ago when people were fleeing the newspaper industry like it was a burning building, Jeramy Gordon, the then 23-year old founder of the paper, was rushing into that

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-83873386735913456032011-03-21T00:00:00.000-07:002011-03-21T12:55:46.015-07:00

Am I the only one around here who thinks that Lanny Ebenstein, the de facto editorial writer for the News-Press, is bending the truth when it comes to public employee pensions?For example, his guest opinion piece in Sunday's News-Press starts out by decrying "the ability of hundreds of thousands of California public employees to retire between the ages of 50 and 55 with pensions of 75 to 90

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-25574255414570304352011-03-18T09:30:00.000-07:002011-03-18T09:35:03.129-07:00

The Borders store in Goleta near Costco is among the 28 additional stores the company will be closing.  According to a list posted on the company's website the store will be closing by late May. Believe it or not this means that Ventura will have more big chain book stores than Santa Barbara.

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-89684991448053262472011-03-17T00:00:00.000-07:002011-03-17T00:22:12.831-07:00

Anyone who knew me say, 15 years ago, would probably be surprised to learn that I'm taking Garrison Keillor's announcement that he will be retiring from Prairie Home Companion in 2013 pretty hard.When I first heard of the concept of his show, a middle-aged guy, doing a radio show from the mid-west to a presumably not-so-live audience of middle America, (people who undoubtedly clung to their guns

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-54996213824051510632011-03-13T17:01:00.000-07:002011-03-13T17:22:56.538-07:00

Scott Hadly, who for many years was an investigative reporter for the Santa Barbara News-Press, is leaving Santa Barbara and newspaper journalism.He is going to work for a personal genetics company in the San Francisco Bay Area called, 23andMe where he will be a content editor and science writer.To many people here in Santa Barbara Hadly is best remembered for what he did in the wake of the July

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-7264421486288072192011-03-11T00:00:00.000-08:002011-03-11T00:00:15.148-08:00

When the iPad was originally introduced a little over year ago I was among those who pooh-poohed it. I saw it as strictly a consumption device. Its on-screen keyboard, which I found difficult to type on, didn't lend itself to creating content. In other words it wasn't a tool for blogging.Although there was no initial attraction I eventually got seduced. I broke down and bought one last August.

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-85239015775146795382011-03-07T00:00:00.000-08:002011-03-07T00:00:09.253-08:00

I find it a little hard to believe but today is the third anniversary of the premiere showing of Citizen McCaw, the documentary that is the definitive chronicle of the controversy that surrounded, and still surrounds, the Santa Barbara News-Press under its owner, one-time billionaire Wendy McCaw.The Producers of Citizen McCaw (l to r) Chuck Minsky, Rod Lathim, Sam Tyler, Peter Seaman, and Brent

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-42462322542954785032011-02-28T00:00:00.000-08:002011-02-27T23:27:40.972-08:00

Last night for the first time in several years, I watched the Oscars from the comfort of my living room couch. Laugh at me if you must, but I'm a big fan of the Oscar telecast. Even when it's bad it's good and I didn't think last night's telecast was as good as some in recent years.Natalie Portman on the red carpet at last night's Oscars.Not that I'll ever complain about having to look at Anne

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-58375262198602871432011-02-27T00:00:00.000-08:002011-02-26T23:38:14.380-08:00

The Academy Awards are handed out tonight and this year, in comparison to years past, I feel much better able to make Oscar predictions. I've seen six of the ten movies that are up for Best Picture. ("Black Swan," "The Kids Are All Right," "The King's Speech, "127 Hours," The Social Network," and "True Grit.) Heck, until a couple of years ago if you'd seen six best picture nominees you'd seen

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-30941043432087020262011-02-25T00:08:00.000-08:002011-02-25T00:13:55.265-08:00

Abel Maldonado, the former lieutenant governor and state senator from Santa Maria, hopes to go where no man has ever gone before: to the election-night podium to declare victory over Congress-member Lois Capps.According to The Fix, a Washington Post political blog, a source close to Maldonado said the plucky politico would indeed challenge Capps next year. Maldonado is banking on the redrawing

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-5602426532882817002011-02-17T00:00:00.000-08:002011-02-17T00:00:05.724-08:00

NBC News had a story yesterday on members of Congress who sleep in their offices instead of maintaining a second residence in the Capital.I was curious as to whether our own representative in Congress, Lois Capps was among those who sleeps around the office."She certainly doesn't sleep in her office," her press representative, Ashley Schapitl, assured me in an e-mail.Without getting too personal,

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-33308921567458640762011-02-16T10:33:00.000-08:002011-02-16T10:37:53.221-08:00

Two days after an elderly driver paid an after-hours visit and backed his SUV into the plate glass window of Fast Frame in the 1300 block of State Street, the plywood boards over the windows of the picture framing store looked like this.When questioned by police who were investigating the accident the 83-year old driver told them he thought Fast Frame was a crash and carry store.No, not really.&

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-26140454263093591852011-02-13T17:58:00.000-08:002011-02-13T21:19:44.799-08:00

State & A, which since I moved Downtown happens to be one of my favorite neighborhood watering holes, has been sold.Rumored for some time now to have been on the market, a Notice of Application for Ownership Change is posted in the window of the restaurant which is located on the corner of State Street and Anapamu, showing the names of the new owners, Barry and Margaret Shulman, and that the name

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-24674500591942637452011-02-11T00:00:00.000-08:002011-02-11T20:54:27.280-08:00

Borders and Barnes & Noble, the two chain bookstores that were located practically across the street from each other in Downtown Santa Barbara have both been closed for a little over a month now and I sure do miss them. The empty Borders bookstore on State Street.I live Downtown and on the weekends when my 15-year old daughter comes over to visit we often go for a walk down to Paseo Nuevo Mall.

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-77893173047051402732011-02-10T16:17:00.000-08:002011-02-10T16:22:25.776-08:00

In response to my post of Tuesday on how the Daily Sound and the Independent were denied access by the Young America's Foundation to coverage of Sarah Palin's speech here last Friday I received the following e-mail from Brent Kilpper who is associated with the YAF:A few points regarding your complaints about our denial of access to small business - KEYT was offered a spot ( by me ) to place

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-4698305344730100742011-02-10T00:41:00.000-08:002011-02-10T01:19:12.330-08:00

Even us lowly bloggers occasionally receive "letters to the editor." Last week, while my coverage of the Santa Barbara Film Fest was in high gear, this e-mail landed in my inbox.I simply can't stand it any more and had to email you. Please, Craig - Why are you focusing on this trivia when there is so much suffering and injustice going on in the world and you have (to your credit) established a

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-91364915497133171092011-02-09T11:23:00.000-08:002011-02-09T11:28:56.070-08:00

I don't know this for a fact but my guess is that on Tuesdays when the Santa Barbara City Council holds its meetings, councilmember Dale Francisco must get up awfully early and get dressed in the dark.Dale Francisco at a recent City Council MeetingI mean, how else would you explain what he's wearing?Dale is known for being conservative but he's certainly liberal when it comes to mixing his checks

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-41480094428501311242011-02-08T00:00:00.000-08:002011-02-08T10:41:11.499-08:00

As you may have heard, Sarah Palin, America's best-known half-baked Alaskan, slipped into town Friday evening to give a speech before the Young America's Foundation as part of the celebration of the centennial of the birth of Ronald Reagan.Although one of the talking points in Palin's speech on Friday night was to decry big business, it was small business that got left out in the cold, at least

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-28238277448782034022011-02-07T00:00:00.001-08:002011-02-07T00:00:04.262-08:00

On the final weekend of the Film Festival, State Street seemed to be packed with people from out of town. And not a single one of them was wearing a NASCAR jacket.Photo Credit: Chuck Cagara / www.MagicalLightPhotography.comOf course there did seem to be an unusually high percentage of well-dressed older gentlemen escorting their college-aged daughters around.But that's what Film Festival is about

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-74724196974918621002011-02-06T01:31:00.000-08:002011-02-06T01:40:47.604-08:00

The last of the big movie star tributes of the Santa Barbara Film Festival took place on Saturday night at the Arlington Theater. The honoree was Nicole Kidman.Nicole Kidman, on stage at Santa Barbara's Arlington Theater last night.Photo Credit: Chuck Cagara / www.MagicalLightPhotography.com Photo Credit: Chuck Cagara / www.MagicalLightPhotography.comMore Film Fest Photos by Chuck Cagara in this

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-86268663137969062992011-02-05T14:05:00.000-08:002011-02-05T14:20:55.933-08:00

Hard to imagine a 14-year old who could be more poised and confident than Hailee Steinfeld.Lovely and poised at 14, Hailee Steinfeld wades into the limelight at the Santa Barbara Film Fest Virtuoso Awards presentation on Friday night.Photo Credit: Chuck Cagara / www.MagicalLightPhotography.comOf course, having an Oscar nomination for best supporting actress for her role in "True Grit," probably

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-84495790102644943452011-02-04T17:07:00.000-08:002011-02-04T17:24:30.554-08:00

They say Fiesta attracts people who like to party and drink, but when it comes to a spaced-out crowd, you can't beat the folks who show up at the Santa Barbara Film Fest.This bunch was in front of the Metro 4 Friday afternoon to promote the film Angels & Airwaves Presents "Love."&copy 2011 by Craig Smith and www.craigsmithsblog.com

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-63468292630181588522011-02-04T00:00:00.000-08:002011-02-04T00:09:09.671-08:00

Thursday afternoon, I went to the Arlington to see Women In Temptation, which reportedly is the top grossing movie in the Czech Republic, even outperforming "Avatar."It's the story of three generations of single women; a marriage counselor who has been abandoned by her husband, her 20-something daughter and, grandma, a sensuous septuagenarian. The vibrant urbanscape of a cosmopolitan town is the

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-13943674673151230052011-02-03T00:24:00.000-08:002011-02-03T01:09:21.302-08:00

If you don't have a Film Fest Platinum Pass but you wanted to be treated as if you do, what might you say to a Festival volunteer and what might you get in response? "I'm friends with Roger, he and I are down." "Yeah, you and every fool in town."That's one of the lines you will hear if you listen carefully during the Film Fest's opening trailer for this year. Called," I've Got A Megaphone!" (at

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-65589041599766725922011-02-02T23:48:00.000-08:002011-02-02T23:56:52.048-08:00

Helena Bonham CarterPhoto Credit: Chuck Cagara / www.MagicalLightPhotography.comGeoffrey RushPhoto Credit: Chuck Cagara / www.MagicalLightPhotography.comFilm Fest regular Christopher Lloyd and Roger Durling are deep in thought on the red carpet. For you trivia buffs, Durling had just asked Lloyd, "What does a yellow light mean?"Photo Credit: Chuck Cagara / www.MagicalLightPhotography.comMore

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-18740658947470778702011-02-02T00:03:00.000-08:002011-02-02T00:37:55.260-08:00

I made my first visit of the year to the red carpet Monday night for the Geoffrey Rush/"King's Speech" tribute. My old cronies from the media contingent on the carpet welcomed me back and one of them asked why I wasn't taking more photos while I was there? My reply was, "Oh, I have my photographer to do that for me." Although I didn't mean to, I probably came off as if I was trying to sound like

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-59052439783120559032011-02-01T12:03:00.000-08:002011-02-01T12:19:09.901-08:00

Usually, the first thing I do in the morning after leaving the house is head out to find coffee. On Tuesday, the first place I headed to when I left the house in the morning was the Metro 4 to see a movie. Who would show up at 8 am on a Tuesday morning to watch a movie? During Film Fest, a lot of people.The auditorium was about two-thirds full for the screening of Troubadours. The three other

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-13464744265163485742011-02-01T00:58:00.000-08:002011-02-01T01:10:08.566-08:00

He's not blessed with the classic movie star looks of Colin Firth, but Geoffrey Rush sure can act!Geoffrey RushPhoto Credit: Chuck Cagara / www.MagicalLightPhotography.comThat much was evident after watching the film clips from a cross-section of his work during the tribute to him at the Arlington on Monday night where he received the Santa Barbara Film Fest's Montecito award.Seeing The King's

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-30250147375488278282011-01-31T01:37:00.000-08:002011-01-31T07:12:11.763-08:00

Chuck Cagara, who has so graciously donated his photographic talents to my blog for the last three Film Fests sent the following message along with his nightly feed of photos: "Craig, while you were at the Lobero Sunday night, (see below) I was elbowing squealing adolescent girls who were anxious to get a look at their heart throb, Leonardo Di Caprio who presented the "Modern Master Award" to

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-57882468224115540392011-01-31T01:07:00.000-08:002011-01-31T07:30:17.899-08:00

As you might imagine, when the Santa Barbara Film Fest presented its first ever "Blogger's Panel, 'The Future of Film Journalism,'" I was there in the audience sitting front and center eager to learn as much as I could. Pete Hammond, Steve Pond and Sasha Stone, formed half of the Blogger's PanelPhoto Credit: Chuck Cagara / www.MagicalLightPhotography.comBut unlike the Screenwriter's Panel that

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-70001055037546408022011-01-30T01:03:00.000-08:002011-01-30T01:11:35.663-08:00

Back in the '60's when I was growing up I vaguely remember a horror film that advertised it was so scary that: "Nurses will be on duty in the lobby to attend to any members of the audience."James Franco on the red carpet Saturday nightPhoto credit: Chuck Cagara / www.MagicalLightPhotography.comWell, 127 Hours, which I finally screwed up the courage to go see when it was shown at the Film Fest on

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-60321655415952950442011-01-29T15:27:00.000-08:002011-01-29T15:43:46.132-08:00

Went to the screenwriters panel discussion at the Santa Barbara Film Fest on Saturday morning. It was a fascinating discussion and perhaps was even newsworthy when David Seidler, who wrote the screenplay for the King's Speech, responded, I believe for the first time publicly, to an allegation made by noted journalist Christopher Hitchens on Slate, that the movie is "bad history" in that it

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-70323901874629918782011-01-29T01:09:00.000-08:002011-01-29T01:37:45.060-08:00

In five years of attending the Santa Barbara Film Festival, I don't think I've ever done what I did last night: Skipped a tribute to a movie star at the Arlington and gone to see one of the films being shown at another venue instead.Annette Bening on the red carpetPhoto credit: Chuck Cagara / www.MagicalLightPhotography.comRather than seeing Oscar nominee Annette Bening walk the red carpet and

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-76683958168422125912011-01-28T00:35:00.000-08:002011-01-28T23:41:23.460-08:00

The opening night of the 2011 Santa Barbara Film Fest didn't have much in the way of Hollywood star power on the red carpet. But it did have local politicians including newlywed Assembly member Das Williams and his bride Jonnie.Photo credit: Chuck Cagara / www.MagicalLightPhotography.com Mayor Helene Schneider, a big supporter of the Film Fest, also did a stroll down the red carpet.Photo credit:

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-11257555361210788432011-01-27T00:00:00.000-08:002011-01-27T00:00:05.610-08:00

It's back! The Santa Barbara Film Festival begins its 10 day run today. This year, I'll be spending less time on the red carpet and more time in the darkened theaters checking out the movies, er, I mean films.Ever since the schedule was announced I've been poring over the program in search of the must see movies at this year's fest. Here's what I've come up with.127 Hours. People in the audience

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-40511512588799608662011-01-26T00:00:00.000-08:002011-01-26T00:15:10.593-08:00

When the President entered the chamber of the House of Representatives a few minutes past 6 pm last night to deliver his State of the Union address, the Santa Barbara City Council, which had convened at 2 in the afternoon, was still going strong considering an energy efficiency ordinance.What is the local political junkie without a TiVo machine to do? Watch the President or the City Council? I

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-65299767840390582592011-01-20T00:00:00.000-08:002011-01-21T23:40:52.232-08:00

Around here and elsewhere, newspapers once did a brisk business in personal ads. In fact, back in the early days of the Independent, there were times when the personal ads in the classifieds were the most entertaining part of the paper.Personals have all but vanished from newspaper classified ad sections having, no doubt, migrated to places like craigslist, plentyoffish.com and match.com.

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-53431371255334404812011-01-17T00:00:00.000-08:002011-01-16T23:30:14.132-08:00

Have you ever paused to think about how much the world has changed in the 43 years since Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated?We've put men on the moon, cut the cords on telephones and eliminated the need to hop in car and go to the library in order to look up obscure facts.Many of us carry in our pockets computers whose equivalent power would have taken a room to fill in 1968.So why is it

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-43214388518820169832011-01-03T00:00:00.000-08:002011-01-03T00:00:02.685-08:00

I admit it. When it comes to scary movies, I can be a wimp. Take Black Swan for instance. This film first got onto my radar back in November when its star Natalie Portman was a guest on Dave Letterman's show and Letterman was just beside himself raving about her performance. With Letterman spending so much time gushing over the acting job she turned in, about all that came across about the movie

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-67954315693342713012010-12-19T13:25:00.000-08:002010-12-19T13:34:17.510-08:00

Richard Mineards, who writes the Montecito Miscellany column in the Montecito Journal, reports that Abercrombie & Fitch will be doing a photo shoot here in Santa Barbara in February for one of their notoriously racy catalogs.According to Mineards:So, if you see a lot of preppy athletic types cavorting naked in the sand in the New Year, you'll know what it's all about . . . I thought that we

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-15856371258426767992010-12-17T00:00:00.000-08:002010-12-17T00:00:03.481-08:00

It's a new day at the Paradise Cafe where shirts and shoes are required and, yes, flip-flops are okay too.We don't mind if you split a plate or split the bill. Just as long as you don't split the vote.Who do you think served more Happy Meals Tuesday night after the city council meeting, McDonalds or the Paradise?And yes, I am having fun with how Paradise owner Randy Rowse snuck onto the city

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-27232354699209785682010-12-16T00:00:00.000-08:002010-12-16T00:00:04.714-08:00

Yesterday, while we all had our eyes on City Hall, over at the Courthouse, a high profile trial was getting derailed.A mistrial was declared in the Corey Lyon's double murder case. That means the jury was let go and sometime, probably in the not too distant future, a new jury will be selected and the case, which was nearing its conclusion, will have to be retried starting over from scratch.Mind

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-59269436899021221562010-12-15T00:24:00.000-08:002010-12-15T08:13:31.765-08:00

In Santa Barbara we knew that Liberals control the Senate. But most of us were surprised to find out that Conservatives had control of the House. Make that, Grant House.While I seriously doubt that House was under anyone's control, the vote that he cast with the conservative bloc to make Randy Rowse the newest member of the Santa Barbara City Council surprised and even outraged some Liberals in

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798131.post-58423271871749398472010-12-14T23:21:00.000-08:002010-12-15T00:59:03.434-08:00

My first reaction when I heard the name that garnered the crucial forth vote was, "Who is Randy Rowse?" And then when I saw him as he strode to the front of the council chamber to take the oath it dawned on me, "It's the owner of the Paradise!"I'd seen him around plenty of times before. I didn't know him by name, I only knew him as "The-Dude-Who-Owns-The-Paradise." I had no idea he was one of the

craigsmithsbloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12072502937327574985noreply@blogger.com