Santa Barbara Independent | Culture | AAN.org

Waves and Rockets: Surfing in the Middle Eastnew

A California surfer heads to Middle East in search of swell and truth.

Santa Barbara Independent | Jesse Aizenstat | 03-04-2011 | Travel

Tags: Middle East, Surfing, Jesse Aizenstat

Unicyclist's Affair with the Foothills: Man Drives 200 Miles to Ride Santa Barbara Trailsnew

Santa Barbara County is also a hub for mountain unicyclists, also known as MUni. One of these is the energetic and passionate Terry Peterson, a 54-year-old extreme unicyclist who frequents Santa Barbara trails even though he lives in Redondo Beach.

Santa Barbara Independent | Jordan Lerum | 03-01-2010 | Sports

Tags: Terry Peterson, unicycling, nature, Santa Barbara, fitness

Irish Music, Dance Hit Santa Barbara for the Holidaysnew

Last Wednesday, Tomáseen Foley and his troupe of four transformed the Granada into an Irish “rambling house,” sharing stories, traditional music, and dance. Throughout the show, Foley shared traditions that went back before “the quills inked history,” as his grandmother put it, creating an intimate ambiance.

Santa Barbara Independent | Michelle Drown | 12-22-2009 | Performance

Tags: irish dance, Tomáseen Foley, folk, storytelling

The Ancient Origins of Pet Ratsnew

Only becoming popular as pets over the last century, rats have actually lived with humans for thousands of years. While historically rats were viewed as disease-ridden, it was black rats that were involved in spreading bubonic plague; modern pet rats normally pose no health risk to their owners.

Santa Barbara Independent | Teisha Rowland | 12-07-2009 | History

Pet Psychic Gets Friendly With Dolphinsnew

A few weeks ago, a pod of dolphins was swimming around the surfers and I thought I would challenge myself to make friends with them.

Santa Barbara Independent | Laura Stinchfield | 08-03-2009 | Recreation

Tags: Dolphins, animals, swimming, beaches

Sowing the Future: International Seed Saving Daynew

Just as farmers in the developing world are facing challenges to their old way of cultivation, so are those in the developed world. With more and more of the seed for our major food crops being developed and sold by fewer and larger companies, the loss of diversity is just as troublesome here.

Santa Barbara Independent | Virginia Hayes | 02-02-2009 | Gardening

Tags: gardening, International Seed Saving Day

Talking About the Trade with Newsweek’s Back Page Punditnew

With her smart, snappy take on politics and society, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Anna Quindlen has spent years fox-trotting back and forth across the column-writing tightrope—and making it look easy.

Santa Barbara Independent | Starshine Roshell | 02-02-2009 | Culture

Tags: Anna Quindlen, columnists

California's Great Olive Oil Floodnew

In the past decade, armies of trees have taken root in the Central Valley, the northern Bay Area wine country, and the Central Coast hills. California is still just a baby in world production, but has paced itself to enter the ranks of the world's leaders in olive oil milling in the next 15 years.

Santa Barbara Independent | Alastair Bland | 01-12-2009 | Food+Drink

Tags: food, California, farming, olive oil, olives

A Cautionary Tale About Airports and Holiday Horrorsnew

We have all heard the horror stories, but up until last year I can't say I really believed them. All that changed last Christmas, when the forces of the friendly skies conspired against me for three days straight, eventually breaking me.

Santa Barbara Independent | Ethan Stewart | 12-22-2008 | Travel

Tags: travel, stress, airports, delays, holiday travel

A Sojourn in the Palestinian City of Nablusnew

Arabs by day, Jews by night, and it was getting clear that both had become accustomed to the hells of occupation. My mind was swirling through a vortex of insanity that can only be found on a battlefield. What was I doing here?

Santa Barbara Independent | Jesse Aizenstat | 12-15-2008 | Travel

Tags: travel, Middle East, Israel, Palestine, Hamas, war & peace, Nablus