arduinna | Network

Is it still a weeknotes if I write massive amounts of text? All the other ones I’ve seen are shorter and more list-heavy. Well, whatever.

📩 Writing this from Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA, with one kitty sleeping behind me on a heated blanket and the other two dozing in the homeowner’s bedroom (one on the bed, one under it). I have the back door open and it’s great weather, mid-60s and sunny– though my writing desk corner is shaded most of the day, which makes it easier to see the screen. I can see the garden from my desk, and so far have chased off the groundhog twice from breaking in and stealing tomatoes. I have on a new-to-me merino wool sweater on that I got from a thrift store a few weeks ago for like $7, which is my favorite shade of purple: a deep wine color. It’s soft and doesn’t itch like most wool things. The WALL-E soundtrack is playing as background noise.

Life Updates

The first half of the week was spent in a semi-sick state– not actually ill, but just bleh feeling, compounded by too much computer use tbh. I finally forced myself outside on Thursday and went walking around, and found a MASSIVE burdock just at the edge of someone’s yard which inexplicably cheered me up.

🐈‍⬛ The cats have been total sweeties this week (despite one day when a cat threw up his breakfast in 3 places, and another one left a poo just outside the litter box) and keep sitting on my lap/near me– compared to where we were at the start of this sit, when they were so nervous they hid under a bet all day, this is great! But of course I’m leaving in a few days and now all I can think about is how much I’ll miss them. 🙁

The only thing that solves that problem is going to another catsit, and luckily I have another one lined up right after this one.

( Read the rest of this entry » )

Crossposted from Pixietails Club Blog.

scriggle

A pot of Chrysanthemums for autumn:

( Zinnia )

lightreads

Murder by Other Means by John Scalzi

3/5. A novella in a series about a world where people who are murdered come back to life 999 times out of 1,000, except natural deaths still stick. I was hiding from my library book (shut up, it happens) and let Audible give this to me for free.

I read the second novella first by accident, and had a decent time. It’s one of those stories that I’m never going to really love because it is built around thinking through the implications of a single premise and how that would change society, but there’s no attempt to actually explain anything, and that’s probably for the best because there is no explanation that would be interesting or satisfying. The implications are mildly interesting, though – how do you murder someone under these constraints, for one? So, entertaining enough, but meh.

Then I realized I read the second one first and tried to read the first one and no, please, stop. The tortured infodumping is just so bad, I cannot. Apparently ‘second in a series, we assume you already know how this works’ is the degree of explanation I want for this sort of shallow construct.

Also, Zachary Quinto narrates these (Audible Originals, they do that sort of thing) and he’s . . . aggressively okay at it. Aggressively okay is kind of the whole vibe.

jesse_the_k

Free Toilet – Haunted. Slightly Used. You’ve Been Warned.

Posted 7-Aug-2025 from the north side of Madison

In a dark room, a standard toilet seems to glow white

( click for pic )

Do you have guts of steel, a strong back, and a questionable sense of judgment? Then boy, do I have the throne for you.

As Paul Harvey intoned, the rest of the story…

I’m giving away a toilet. Not just any toilet. A porcelain enigma, a mystical butt-bucket, a vessel forged in the deepest depths of a cursed Home Depot clearance aisle.

It flushes with the fury of Poseidon’s trident and occasionally emits sounds that suggest it’s trying to communicate in Morse code. It once screamed. Not like the pipes—like a person.

The backstory? This toilet was installed in my guest bathroom, affectionately known as “The Chamber of Screams.” Three guests used it. Two of them have since moved to Canada without explanation, and the third refuses to make eye contact with me at barbecues.

What you need to know:

Flushes. Sometimes violently.

Bowl glows faintly during thunderstorms.

Came with a bidet. Now it just hisses and sprays randomly like a venomous snake.

Every full moon, the tank fills with glitter. Unclear why.

One Yelp review from a plumber simply said “no.”

I just want it out of my house. You must pick it up yourself and sign a waiver that I am not responsible if it follows you home.

NO SCAMMERS. NO WITCHES. NO EXORCISTS (already tried). Serious inquiries only.

If you’re brave enough to sit upon the throne and live to tell the tale, contact me ASAP.

archived version

iamrman posting in

scans_daily

Writer: Bill Mantlo

Pencils: Sal Buscema

Inks: Joe Sinnott

Rom leads Galactus to the Dark Nebula, in the hope he will devour the Dire Wraith homeworld.

( Read more... )

regshoe

raremaleslashex works have revealed! I have received a lovely Kidnapped fic which I think lives up to its excellent summary :D

A Careful Touch (2995 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Kidnapped | David Balfour Series - Robert Louis Stevenson
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: David Balfour/Alan Breck Stewart
Characters: David Balfour, Alan Breck Stewart
Additional Tags: Fishing, Fencing, Play Fighting, Intimacy, First Kiss
Summary:

David and Alan at the Heugh of Corrynakiegh (k-i-s-s-i-n-g).

The author tells me they've shipped Alan/Davie for a long time but never written it before (indeed, I don't think any of the other fandom regulars were signed up), so I am curious to find out who they are!

And it's an exciting day for exchanges generally, with the Yuletide schedule just posted. The change in deadline/reveals timing is slightly disorienting—this will be my eighth Yuletide, reveals have been at 9am on the 25th for as long as I've been doing the exchange and I'd developed a nice little routine around them—but I think it'll work. Now I have to think what fandoms I might nominate—anyone else got any ideas...?

tentaclemod posting in

raremaleslashex

Thank you to thedevilchicken who revealed the collection when I got very turned around on my commitments. I hope everyone enjoyed their gifts as scheduled!

Unfortunately, there happen to be two emergency pinch hits needed due to violations of their assigned gifts. These post reveal pinch hits are due as soon as possible, and please let me know when/if you can post here or at tentaclemod@gmail.com. (These assignments won't appear on AO3 as they have technically been filled once already.) Thank you so much for any help!

( EPH 1 - 赤ちゃんと僕 | Aka-chan to Boku | Baby and Me, 銀と金 - 福本伸行 | Gin to Kin - Fukumoto Nobuyuki, 忍たま乱太郎 | Nintama Rantarou )

( EPH 2 - The Mandalorian (TV), Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi (TV), Andor (TV), Crossover Fandom )

profiterole_reads

On Silver Shores by VT Hoang was absolutely amazing! Detective Carver and analyst Jian investigate rebel werewolves together.

Here's to 5 more books on my to-read list, as the 6 novels of this exceptional urban fantasy saga were released within 6 months! The writing style is beautiful, the worldbuilding is complex and the characters are giving me intense feels.

The author is a Vietnamese trans man. Carver is a Black male half-siren. To be specific, all sirens are biologically female, Carver got his Y chromosome from his human father and is biologically intersex. He also has Severance Syndrome (a supernatural disability). Jian is Sino-Vietnamese and suffers from PTSD. There's major m/m, minor f/m/nb and a sapphic character.

psocoptera

Moon of the Crusted Snow, Waubgeshig Rice, 2018 sf novel. The power and phones go out in a small Ojibwe Anishinaabe community in northern Ontario; they slowly realize there is a more widespread (national? global?) breakdown happening, although they (and we) never find out much about it. I found this most interesting in its low-key "how might these people react and adapt to this" parts and less interesting when it got bogged down in the inevitable white man antagonist trying to take over/take advantage. I mean, that definitely is how that would go down and it's fair for Rice to say so but I didn't really feel like we needed an antagonist beyond the situation. I have heard the idea before that for indigenous/First Nations people the apocalypse already happened (in 1492/1620/local year of colonization); Rice states that explicitly, in a conversation between the protagonist and the wise elder, that their world has ended repeatedly and they've survived, so this apocalypse is just another one. Possibly this book is one of the places that originated or popularized that idea? Anyways it felt like an important work of the postapocalyptic genre, and I'm definitely curious to read the sequel and see where Rice takes it.

volkameria

Reading: I finished Prairie Fires, which is absolutely amazing, 10/10, no notes. I learned a lot not just about Laura Ingalls and how the books were written, but also what rural American society was like during the late 1800s/early 1900s. There's a lot of similarities with our current time (the boom and bust economic cycles, major storms affecting everyone's livelihoods, a distrust of government without the education to determine if something is a step forward vs. a step backward in terms of personal freedoms) and it's easily one of the best books I've read this year. Didn't have time to finish How to Hide an American Empire, but I think I'll try to get it from the library again.

Let's see... I also read The Saint's Magic Power is Omnipotent (vol 3) which is an easy breezy isekai light novel with a female protagonist - the twist at the end is adorable. I dropped Yuru Camp because I don't particularly care about the cohort of kohais introduced. Got back into the Maisie Dobbs series after hitting a reading block on the 5th novel and am halfway through it now, and also started going through one of Martha Wells' Stargate Atlantis books (because I miss the gate team and she does such a good job characterizing them).

Watching: Dr. Who - almost done with the Matt Smith era! I do love his take on the Doctor, and it might be hard to switch over to Capaldi. Also saw Kpop Demon Hunters and completely understand the hype. The animation is top notch, the soundtrack is *chef's kiss* - also, the aesop they went with to frame the conflict was inspired, and I think there's a fun way to watch the movie from a spiritual viewpoint focusing on the roles of shame, community, and forgiveness.

I also started Babylon 5, which is simply lovely. It's ridiculous and earnest in the best way (The PS1 era graphic transitions! The "plucked from a 50s cop drama" commander! A security chief who loves to invite women to his room to not have sex but to watch Looney Tunes! Their comms are called the Babcom because it's communications on Babylon 5!), with hilarious dialogue and lots of plot threads that could lead to some wild episodes later on. Ivanova best girl. Hubby is also watching it with me - the animators really did their research on space flight and he loves the ship battles.

Playing: Still on my UmaMusume and Tiny Bookshop nonsense. Tiny Bookshop is getting a bit annoying because it's all the same gameplay loop with not much more to it other than completing random sidequests, but the vibes are immaculate.

Listening: Nearly done with Everyone is Lying to You, an incredible thriller with a lot of twists I genuinely didn't see coming.

spiralsheep

- Current reading quote:
I was trying to maintain conversation as he rattled mugs and spoons, but I was incredibly distracted by a taxidermied wallaby staring blankly at me across the room. Eventually, unable to continue without acknowledging it, I said, 'Andy, there's a stuffed wallaby in your kitchen.'
Andy looked up from the kettle to the wallaby and laughed, 'He doesn't say very much,' he offered, before returning to the tea. No further explanation was forthcoming.

- Some people can't be helped, the map reading edition:
I offered to help direct a couple of all-day walkers, who were lost despite standing next to a literal signpost for their next destination. I showed them where they were on their map and explained verbally where they were going next. We were walking the same path for a short distance so I even walked along with them and pointed to each landmark on their map as we passed. I explained I would be taking an earlier footpath to the right that would cut out a small corner of their route and suggested they accompany me instead of walking slightly further and through a farmyard, but they declined. I repeated yet again that they should turn right through the farmyard and showed them on their map. I could hear them arguing when they reached the farmyard and I waited to see if they turned right and walked across the field below me but, no, they inevitably turned left away from the farmyard and 180 degrees opposite to their intended destination which was still some miles away over another ridge. One can only hope that when they reached the next inhabited road somebody with a sense of direction offered to drive them back to their car because I'm honestly not sure they were going to make it any other way.
[/possibly they have the opposite of whatever migrating birds have and Persistent Directional Wrongness is a disability but I feel it's more likely they were subjects of an Ancient Curse]

- Pleasing occurrences:
25: Serendipitous reading.
26: Had positive conversations with two neighbours met individually in town.
26: Found a very new book I wanted was unexpectedly on the shelves in a local library.
26: Decided to start a new reading challenge, an a-z type, which is my third set for this year as I'd completed the first and second by April.
27: Spotted new invertebrates in my garden.
28: Was treated to a vanilla soya milkshake and had a delightful flashback to the last time I ate vanilla ice cream which was in St Ives in Cornwall.
29: Had a very pleasant walk. Saw a new-to-me invertebrate in the meadow behind my house.
30: Productive day full of small satisfactions. :-)

( Minor habitat improvements )

marycatelli

This week's prompt is:
easy 🌄

Anyone can join, with a 50-word creative fiction vignette in the comments. Your vignette does not have to include the prompt term. Any (G or PG) definition of the word can be used.

sjmerc_local_feed

Posted by Anne Gelhaus

https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/08/31/sunnyvale-recognized-by-state-for-prohousing-efforts/

https://www.mercurynews.com/?p=12176054

Prohousing points

The City of Sunnyvale recently earned top honors from the state for its efforts to implement policies that go above and beyond state housing law to facilitate housing production.

Sunnyvale among 65 jurisdictions in California that have received the Prohousing Designation from Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) since the program began accepting applications in 2021.

With a total of 62 points, the City has the seventh highest score of any jurisdiction and the highest in Santa Clara County. This top score means Sunnyvale will be even more competitive for special funding opportunities, including Prohousing Incentive Program grants, community development, and infrastructure funding programs administered by HCD.

The Prohousing Designation Program was created as part of the California State 2019-20 Budget Act to provide support, incentives and accountability measures to meet California’s housing goals.

In applying for the Prohousing Designation, Sunnyvale highlighted its proactive housing and zoning programs such as requiring 15% Below Market Rate (BMR) inclusionary housing and using city-owned sites for six 100% affordable housing developments.

For more information on Sunnyvale’s housing efforts, visit https://www.sunnyvale.ca.gov/homes-streets-and-property/housing.

Vintage and yard sale

The Sunnyvale Historical Society is hosting its annual Vintage and Yard Sale on Saturday, Sept. 13, 8 a.m.-3 p.m., in the museum courtyard.

Merchandise is reasonably priced and includes household items, tools, games and puzzles, toys and vintage china, glass and linens.

The sale is planned, organized and set up entirely by volunteers, and profits go toward the museum’s operating budget.

The Heritage Park Museum is located at 570 E. Remington Drive, Sunnyvale. For more information, visit Heritageparkmuseum.org or call 408-749-0220.

https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/08/31/sunnyvale-recognized-by-state-for-prohousing-efforts/

https://www.mercurynews.com/?p=12176054

sjmerc_local_feed

Posted by Anne Gelhaus

https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/08/31/train-day-pulling-in-to-los-altos-history-museum-on-sept-14/

https://www.mercurynews.com/?p=12176169

Train Day at museum

Train lovers, history buffs and families are invited to climb aboard for Train Day at Los Altos History Museum on Sunday, Sept. 14, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Train Day is a hands-on, all-ages event, with opportunities to interact with train enthusiasts, explore steam and electric model trains and try robotics. This year’s event also features train-themed music, books and film.

Singer/songwriter Michael McNevin will perform a special set of train songs—both originals and covers—from 1-2 p.m. Local author Robin Chapman will be at the museum store from noon-2 p.m. with signed copies of “The Valley of Heart’s Delight: True Tales from Around the Bay,” exploring the region’s early days when the area was home to orchards and electric railroads.

Historic train footage highlighting the role of California’s early film industry will be screened in the upper gallery, while demonstrations by local high school team The Spartan Robotics will add a contemporary touch. Hands-on activities include building Lego trains.

Participating clubs displaying their model trains include BAGRS Live Steam Group, Joan Hodnett of the Golden State Toy Train Operating Society, and CCC On30. Visitors will also be able to peek inside a historic maintenance railway motor car brought on-site by Art Carmichael.

Admission is $10; free for museum members and children 12 and younger. Food will be available for purchase on-site. To learn more, visit losaltoshistory.org/TrainDay2025.

A real good time

Palo Alto Players opens its 95th season Sept. 5 with the Broadway classic “Gypsy.” Suggested by the memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee, the musical follows her coming-of-age story alongside her demanding stage mother Rose in the 1920s and ’30s.

The show runs through Sept. 21 at the Lucie Stern Theater, 1305 Middlefield Road in Palo Alto. Tickets are $20-$63 at 650-329-0891 or www.paplayers.org. This production is recommended for ages 10 and up.

https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/08/31/train-day-pulling-in-to-los-altos-history-museum-on-sept-14/

https://www.mercurynews.com/?p=12176169

sjmerc_local_feed

Posted by Anne Gelhaus

https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/08/31/students-from-taipei-city-present-steam-powered-projects-in-san-jose/

https://www.mercurynews.com/?p=12173772

Peer review

“For the past five years, SVCTE has partnered with our sister schools in Taipei City and New Taipei City,” said Kiran Grewal, assistant superintendent of educational services for the Metropolitan Education District, aka MetroED, which runs SVCTE. “This relationship is significant because it aligns with MetroED’s mission to prepare students for success in a global economy.”

Before traveling abroad, each student was required to go through a review process with professors in Taipei. Their projects included building a medical assistant robot, creating new waste disposal solutions, improving environmental sustainability and designing a response-time training system for the elderly.

Neighborhood Notes

CAMBRIAN/ROSE GARDEN>>The nonprofit Vitalant is holding a series of blood drives in San Jose this month. As a special thanks, Vitalant is offering all donors in September a free hemoglobin A1C test, a key indicator of diabetes risk. Within a week of donating, donors can check their A1C level and other wellness results in their confidential, online account. Learn more at vitalant.org/a1ctesting.

Blood drives are set for Monday, Sept. 8 and 22, noon-4:30 p.m., at Cambrian Park Church of the Nazarene; Tuesday, Sept. 23, 1-5:30 p.m., at Bellarmine College Preparatory; and Tuesday, Sept. 30, 1-5:30 p.m., at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church.

Donors of all blood types can review eligibility requirements and make an appointment to give blood at vitalant.org or 877-25-VITAL (877-258-4825).

https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/08/31/students-from-taipei-city-present-steam-powered-projects-in-san-jose/

https://www.mercurynews.com/?p=12173772

sjmerc_local_feed

Posted by Darren Sabedra

https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/08/31/bay-area-prep-football-2025-where-to-find-our-complete-week-1-coverage/

https://www.mercurynews.com/?p=12176567

That’s a wrap for the high school football weekend.

As always, the Bay Area News Group provided extensive coverage of the football week, from features and breaking news to rankings, roundups and game stories.

If you have not already, please subscribe here for digital access all season long. Your contributions keep us going.

Here is our complete Week 1 coverage:

WEEK 1

Roundup: Best of Week 1
Results: Weekend scoreboard, how Top 25 fared
Photos: Our staff’s Week 1 images
Serra: In epic barnburner, Folsom scores 2 late TDs, wins 56-42
Riordan: San Francisco powerhouse rolls past McClymonds
De La Salle: Duece Jones-Drew leads Spartans over Florida powerhouse
Pittsburg: Pirates start fast, hold off Granite Bay
St. Francis: Cathedral Catholic too much for host Lancers
Los Gatos: Wildcats lose to Soquel in high-scoring thriller
Valley Christian: Warriors turn five third-quarter turnovers into TDs, rout Wilcox
Acalanes: Dons beat Mitty, dedicate season to late teammate
Bellarmine: In first night game on its campus, Bells end long skid
Preview: Top Week 1 matchups, schedule
Playing for Pop: Mt. Diablo running back dedicates season to late father
CTE research: UCSF aims to neurodegenerative diagnose disease in living people
Bellarmine (Part II): Are admission standards too stringent to compete at top level?
Predictions: Our staff’s Week 1 picks
Mt. Diablo fire: School finds a temporary home while football field undergoes repairs
Preseason rankings: Bay Area News Group Top 25
Bellarmine (Part I): What’s next after storied program’s first 0-10 season?
Up in flames: Mt. Diablo’s new field set on fire
Monday Morning Lights: What to know as season kicks off

PREVIOUSLY

Preseason 2025: League previews, all-BANG position lists, more

https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/08/31/bay-area-prep-football-2025-where-to-find-our-complete-week-1-coverage/

https://www.mercurynews.com/?p=12176567

sjmerc_local_feed

Posted by Anne Gelhaus

https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/08/31/private-high-school-starts-classes-in-milpitas/

https://www.mercurynews.com/?p=12173888

New school’s in session

Stratford School has opened its second private high school in the Bay Area in Milpitas. Stratford Preparatory Milpitas, located at 1323 Great Mall Drive, recently welcomed approximately 225 students in grades 6-9 for its inaugural school year. Plans are for the school to add one grade level each year until it serves grades 6-12.

Stratford Preparatory Milpitas offers a STEAM-based curriculum in a facility that includes dedicated biology, chemistry and physics labs; two art studios; dual innovation labs; and music spaces—all anchored by a brand-new 7,853-square-foot gymnasium.

The high school is the fourth Stratford campus in Milpitas. Deepali Deshmukh, who was head of school at Stratford’s Milpitas Great Mall Parkway campus since 2018, is now heading Stratford Preparatory Milpitas.

For more information, visit http://bit.ly/3Jxb3jK.

Peer review

A delegation of 16 students from Taipei City, alongside a project teacher and administrators, arrived in San Jose last month to present their Science, Technology, Arts, and Math (STEAM) projects to their peers at Silicon Valley Career Technical Education (SVCTE). SVCTE is run by the Metropolitan Education District, aka MetroED, which career technical education for students in the Milpitas Unified School District, among others.

“For the past five years, SVCTE has partnered with our sister schools in Taipei City and New Taipei City,” Kiran Grewal, MetroED’s assistant superintendent of educational services, said in a release.

https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/08/31/private-high-school-starts-classes-in-milpitas/

https://www.mercurynews.com/?p=12173888

calculatedrisk_feed

Posted by Calculated Risk

http://www.calculatedriskblog.com/2025/08/realtorcom-reports-median-listing-price_31.html

What this means: On a weekly basis, Realtor.com reports the year-over-year change in active inventory and new listings. On a monthly basis, they report total inventory. For July, Realtor.com reported inventory was up 24.8% YoY, but still down 13.4% compared to the 2017 to 2019 same month levels.

Here is their weekly report: Weekly Housing Trends: Latest Data as of Aug. 23

• Active inventory climbed 20.3% year over year

The number of homes active on the market climbed 20.3% year over year, easing slightly compared to the previous week for the 10th consecutive week. Nevertheless, last week was the 94th consecutive week of annual gains in inventory. There were roughly 1.1 million homes for sale last week, marking the 17th week in a row over the million-listing threshold. Active inventory is growing significantly faster than new listings, an indication that more homes are sitting on the market for longer.

• New listings—a measure of sellers putting homes up for sale—rose 2.7% year over year

New listings rose 2.7% last week compared with the same period last year, a lower rate compared to the previous week, as the number of new listings remains below the spring and early summer norm. Homeowners are showing less urgency to list, as rising inventory and cautious buyer activity continue to temper the market.

• The median listing price was flat year over year

The median list price has been flat compared to the same week in 2024 for three weeks in a row. Meanwhile, the median list price per square foot, which accounts for changes in home size, also remained flat year over year, pausing its nearly two-year growth streak. The flattened trends in both price measurements suggest that we are entering a period of pricing stability, as buyers are squeezed by high mortgage rates and sellers are slow to adjust expectations.

http://www.calculatedriskblog.com/2025/08/realtorcom-reports-median-listing-price_31.html

sjmerc_local_feed

Posted by Anne Gelhaus

https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/08/31/local-international-acts-coming-to-campbells-heritage-theatre/

https://www.mercurynews.com/?p=12177736

The 2025-26 season at Campbell’s Heritage Theatre features music from as far away as Jamaica and as close as Oakland.

The season opens big on Saturday, Oct. 11, with Julian “Junior” Marvin and the Legendary Wailers.

Marvin was born in Kingston, Jamaica. He moved to London as a child and started out playing in various London-based bands. In America, playing with blues and R&B legends like T-Bone Walker, Billy Preston and Ike and Tina Turner.

On Feb. 14, 1977, Marvin was invited to join both Stevie Wonder’s band and Bob Marley and the Wailers. He accepted Bob Marley’s offer and debuted with the band on the acclaimed “Exodus” LP as lead guitarist.

Since Marley’s passing in 1981, Marvin has released four CDs with The Wailers. The Legendary Wailers’ single “Message of Love” dropped worldwide in 2020.

Tower of Power is bringing back its Holidays & Hits Tour to the Heritage Theatre Dec. 18 for a concert featuring the band’s hits, with a dusting of select holiday classics.

“East Bay Grease,” released by Bill Graham’s Fillmore Records in 1970, was the Oakland-based band’s first LP and landed them with Warner Brothers. Bump City, their 1972 debut for the label, netted them the hits “You’re Still A Young Man” and “Down to The Nightclub.” The hits kept coming in the ’70s with radio classics like “So Very Hard to Go” and “What Is Hip?” These songs and others defined an “Oakland soul” sound.

Besides having its own hit singles, Tower of Power has backed artists including Otis Redding, Elton John, Santana, the Grateful Dead, John Lee Hooker, Aerosmith and Bonnie Raitt in the 55 years since the band’s formation.

Easton Corbin is bringing his unique blend of traditional and modern country music to the Campbell stage on Feb. 26, 2026. Known for No. 1 singles like “A Little More Country Than That” and “Roll With It,” Corbin has amassed seven top 10 singles and three American Country Awards since being named Billboard’s 2010 Top New Country Artist.

His self-titled debut album was named Country Breakthrough Album of the Year by iTunes Rewind Best of 2010, while American Songwriter has complimented the singer’s “warm, smooth-as-gravy Southern drawl.”

To close the season, Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy will lead the Celtic All Stars in concert on Saturday, Feb. 28. The couple will explore the connections between Celtic styles across countries and take the audience from the music’s ancient roots to its modern trends. This musical journey will feature Celtic performers from Ireland, England and Scotland.

Tower of Power tickets go on sale August 22nd. All other shows on sale now through the Box Office (phone

All performances are at 8 p.m. at the Heritage Theatre, located at the Campbell Community Center, 1 W. Campbell Ave. For tickets, call 408-866-2700 or visit HeritageTheatre.org.

https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/08/31/local-international-acts-coming-to-campbells-heritage-theatre/

https://www.mercurynews.com/?p=12177736

sjmerc_local_feed

Posted by Anne Gelhaus

https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/08/31/voice-of-the-revolution-in-concert-in-campbell-sept-7/

https://www.mercurynews.com/?p=12173829

‘Voice of the Revolution’

One of the Arab world’s most influential contemporary artists is coming to Campbell’s Heritage Theatre on Sept. 7.

Hamza Namira is an Egyptian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose music rose to prominence during the 25 January revolution in 2011, a day of nonviolent protests against increasing police brutality during the last few years of Hosni Mubarak’s presidency. Namira participated in the demonstrations and was considered the “Voice of the Revolution.” His music is marked by sociopolitical themes.

Namira’s Campbell concert starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are $60-$105 at http://bit.ly/467W74g.

Peer review

“For the past five years, SVCTE has partnered with our sister schools in Taipei City and New Taipei City,” said Kiran Grewal, MetroED’s assistant superintendent of educational services. “This relationship is significant because it aligns with MetroED’s mission to prepare students for success in a global economy.”

https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/08/31/voice-of-the-revolution-in-concert-in-campbell-sept-7/

https://www.mercurynews.com/?p=12173829

iamrman posting in

scans_daily

Writer: Chuck Dixon

Pencils: Tom Lyle

Inks: Bob Smith

Robin and the Huntress take on the KGBeast.

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james_davis_nicoll

I didn't win any awards in August but I did review 22 more works. James Nicoll Reviews is now 34 reviews away from its 3000th review.

August 2025 in Review

sjmerc_local_feed

Posted by Linda Zavoral

https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/08/31/krispy-kremes-2-labor-day-weekend-doughnut-deal/

https://www.mercurynews.com/?p=12181243

Krispy Kreme is sweetening an already-sweet long Labor Day weekend.

Customers who purchase any dozen doughnuts — or 16-count minis — at regular price (including the new Harry Potter series) can buy a boxed dozen of the Original Glazed for just $2.

The deal is limited to two dozen if you pick up in person at one of the shops or drive-thrus. If you order online with the promo code BOGO2, the limit is one dozen.

The promotion is valid through Monday night.

Also, if you join Krispy Kreme Awards online and buy a dozen, you can get a second dozen for $1, That promotion runs through Sept. 3.

Details: www.krispykreme.com

https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/08/31/krispy-kremes-2-labor-day-weekend-doughnut-deal/

https://www.mercurynews.com/?p=12181243

sjmerc_local_feed

Posted by Bay Area News Group

https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/08/31/they-said-it-a-housekeeper-and-mother-hospitalized-after-ice-encounter/

https://www.mercurynews.com/?p=12179018

“Don’t worry, honey, we are with you.”

— Armando Rodriguez Garcia, in a note with a bouquet of flowers he tried to deliver to the Stanford Medical Center room of his daughter, Aleyda “Yeny” Rodriguez, a 47-year-old housekeeper and mother of three with a chronic blood condition exacerbated by stress, who was hospitalized last week when ICE agents detained her in East Palo Alto over an expired visa.

https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/08/31/they-said-it-a-housekeeper-and-mother-hospitalized-after-ice-encounter/

https://www.mercurynews.com/?p=12179018

james_davis_nicoll

Marooned on a backwater planet, a down-on-his-luck actor sets out to transform his new home. Will he survive success?

Always the Black Knight by Lee Hoffman

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