Metro Silicon Valley

D E C E M B E R 3 0, 2 01 5-J A N UA R Y 5 , 20 1 6 | V O L . 3 2 , N O . 41 | S I L I C O N VA L L E Y, C A | F R E E

THE YEAR IN REVIEW

THE CLOCK STRUCK MIDNIGHT. YOU’LL NEVER BELIEVE WHAT HAPPENED NEXT. P14

Fred Harper

metroactive.com | sanjose.com | metrosiliconvalley.com | DECEMBER 30, 2015-JANUARY 5, 2016

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14"

14" Dual Core Laptop

• 15.6" Actual Diagonal Screen Size • 4GB Memory • 500GB Hard Drive

• 14" Actual Diagonal Screen Size • 2GB Memory • 500GB Hard Drive Regular Price $299

$50

Regular Price $499

PROMO CODE

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*With Sunday Promo Code www.frys.com/signmeup

SHIPS FREE

In-Store & Online

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DVD-RW

#8602460

*With Sunday Promo Code www.frys.com/signmeup

Good Through 01.02.16

Professional Security System

Day/Night 600 TVL Security Camera

• Surveillance in the Palm of Your Hand • Live Viewing on 3G/4G- Enabled Smartphone and Tablets Including, iPhone, iPad, Android Devices and More

• 650TVL CMOS Sensor • Weather Proof Rating IP67 • 65-Feet of Night Vision

PROMO CODE

SAVE 28%

#8383627 *With Sunday Promo Code Good Through 01.02.16 SHIPS FREE www.frys.com/signmeup

Home of Fast, Friendly, Knowledgeable Service SHOP ONLINE at www.FRYS.com “Advertised prices valid only in metropolitan circulation area of newspaper in which this advertisement appears. Prices and selection shown in this advertisement may not be available online at Fry’s website: www.FRYS.com”

facebook.com/fryselectronics

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16:9 Aspect Ratio

$13

PROMO CODE

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#8323017 *With Sunday Promo Code Good Through 01.02.16 SHIPS FREE www.frys.com/signmeup

CAMPBELL 600 E. Hamilton Ave. (408) 364-3700 • FAX (408) 364-3718 CONCORD 1695 Willow Pass Road (925) 852-0300 • FAX (925) 852-0318 FREMONT 43800 Osgood Road (510) 252-5300 • FAX (510) 252-5318 PALO ALTO 340 Portage Ave. (650) 496-6000 • FAX (650) 496-6018 SAN JOSE 550 E. Brokaw Road (408) 487-1000 • FAX (408) 487-1018 SUNNYVALE 1077 E. Arques Ave. (408) 617-1300 • FAX (408) 617-1318

#8368667

Good Through 01.02.16 Professional Security Camera

Regular Price $59.99 In-Store & Online Limit 1 per Customer While Supplies Last No Rainchecks

Limit 1 per Customer While Supplies Last No Rainchecks

www.frys.com/signmeup

• Easy Backup - Record Up to 45 Minutes & Use USB Memory Stick to Upload to PC • Long-Lasting Built-In Battery Lasts 45 Minutes & Recharges Via Your PC's USB Port

Regular Price $42.99 In-Store & Online Limit 1 per Customer While Supplies Last No Rainchecks

SAVE 23%

HD PenCam 4GB Black Video Camera and Recorder

HD Analog!

Regular Price $349.99

21.5" Actual Diagonal Screen Size

PROMO CODE

#8602440 Good Through 01.02.16

22"

Regular Price $129.99 In-Store Price $119

DVD-RW

*With Sunday Promo Code www.frys.com/signmeup

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$20

Limit 1 per Customer While Supplies Last No Rainchecks

Professional Security Camera

8-Channel Digital Video Recorder with 4 x 720p High Definition Cameras and Pre-Installed 1TB Hard Drive

SAVE 10%

• 1920x1080Resolution • 5ms Response Time • VGA/DVI

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22" Widescreen LED Monitor

• 15.6" Actual Diagonal Screen Size • 6GB Memory • 1TB Hard Drive Regular Price $599

$100

Good Through 01.02.16

15.6"

15.6" Laptop with Intel® i5 Processor

$50

In-Store & Online

$50

15.6"

15.6" Laptop with Intel® i3 Processor

$40

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1080p Dash Camera with GPS Tracker

Spy Cam! In-Store & Online Limit 1 per Customer While Supplies Last No Rainchecks

#8220896 *With Sunday Promo Code Good Through 01.02.16 www.frys.com/signmeup

STORE HOURS Wed 8-9, New Years Eve 8-6, New Years Day 11-9, Sat 9-9, Sun 9-8 Prices Good Wednesday, December 30, 2015 through Saturday, January 02, 2016.

Prices subject to change after Saturday, January 02, 2016.

Limit Rights Reserved. Not Responsible for Typographical Errors. No Sales to Dealers or Resellers. Rebates Subject to Manufacturer’s Specifications. Designated trademarks and brands are the property of their respective owners. Sales tax to be calculated and paid on the in-store price for all rebate products.Actual memory capacity stated above may be less. Total accessible memory capacity may vary depending on operating environment and/or method of calculating units of memory (i.e., megabytes or gigabytes). Portions of hard drives may be reserved for the recovery partition or used by pre-loaded software.

• Vehicle Safety System Detects Sudden Acceleration, Collisions & Protects You from Fraudulent Insurance Claims • Navigator HD Dash Camera

Regular Price $149.99

$40

PROMO CODE

In-Store & Online

SAVE 26%

Limit 1 per Customer While Supplies Last No Rainchecks

#8692950 *With Sunday Promo Code Good Through 01.02.16 SHIPS FREE www.frys.com/signmeup

*INTERNET PRICE MATCH PROMISE STOREWIDE! “We Will Match Any Competitive Price*.” Before making a purchase from a Fry’s Electronics store, if you see a lower current price at a local authorized competitor in-stock, or from an authorized Internet competitor ready to ship, Fry's will be happy to match the competition's delivered price.

“30-Day Price Match Promise*.” If within 30 days of purchasing an item from a Fry’s Electronics store you see a lower current price at a local authorized competitor in-stock, or from an authorized Internet competitor ready to ship, Fry’s will cheerfully refund 110% of the difference.

Or if within 30 days of purchase you see a lower current price from a local Fry’s lectronics store, Fry's will refund 100% of the difference. To apply for Fry’s price match promise, simply bring in your original cash register receipt and verifiable proof of a lower current price. *Note: Some products only offer 15 days. Other conditions apply. See additional terms and conditions at http://www.frys.com/onlineads/0001507075

11 3

4G LTE on The AT&T Network

• Android • 7" HD Display • 16GB Storage Regular Price $99.99

$5

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#8377867

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Regular Price $39.99 In-Store Price $29.99

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In-Store & Online Limit 1 per Customer While Supplies Last No Rainchecks #8297736

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$20

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In-Store & Online Limit 1 per Customer While Supplies Last No Rainchecks #7923490

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www.frys.com/signmeup

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SAVE 40%

#8683390

*With Sunday Promo Code

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$6

PROMO CODE

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In-Store & Online Limit 1 per Customer While Supplies Last No Rainchecks #8145815

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www.frys.com/signmeup

Digital Bathroom Scale • Instant "Step-On" Technology • Large, Easy to Read 3.25" Display • Weighs Up to 400lbs.

• Includes Stainless Steel Tools • Takes Care of all Your Grooming Needs Anytime Anywhere

In-Store & Online Limit 1 per Customer While Supplies Last No Rainchecks

$10

*With Sunday Promo Code

*With Sunday Promo Code

Regular Price $19.99 In-Store Price $14.99

PROMO CODE

$9

Regular Price $49.99 PROMO CODE

15-Piece Precision Grooming Travel Kit

Regular Price $99.99 In-Store Price $79.99

PROMO CODE

In-Store & Online Limit 1 per Customer While Supplies Last No Rainchecks

• Large 80-ounce removable water reservoir eliminates the need for frequent refills • 5 Cup sizes, including iced beverage setting and removable drip tray for tall travel mugs

• Motorized Oscillation for Even Heat Distribution

Regular Price $20

PROMO CODE

Single Serve Brewing System

800-Watt Halogen Electric Portable Heater with Flat Panel Design

$5

• Connects up to 10 Devices

$10

• Risk Free 30-Day Trial • No Monthly Bills • 12 Months of Unlimited Local Calls

• Super-Fast Charge Output (5V/2.1A) Through USB Port

Regular Price $49.99 In-Store & Online Limit 1 per Customer While Supplies Last No Rainchecks

PROMO CODE

Go VOIP Adapter

4000mAh Portable Charger

4G LTE Fuse Prepaid Hotspot

Regular Price $19.99 In-Store Price $14.99

PROMO CODE

SAVE 55%

In-Store & Online Limit 1 per Customer While Supplies Last No Rainchecks #6416372

*With Sunday Promo Code

Good Through SHIPS FREE www.frys.com/signmeup 01.02.16

$5

PROMO CODE

SAVE 50%

In-Store & Online Limit 1 per Customer While Supplies Last No Rainchecks #8535539

*With Sunday Promo Code

Good Through SHIPS FREE www.frys.com/signmeup 01.02.16

*Instant activation discount requires activation through Fry’s Electronics on new lines of service with new 2-year agreement on qualifying plan per line. Limit 5 phones per customer. Limited time offer.

No Dealers. Subject to terms and conditions of carrier’s agreement, including, if applicable, activation/upgrade fees, credit approval and early termination fees. The Qualified upgrade discount requires a new 2-year agreement for qualified existing customers. See contract and carrier’s rate plan brochures for additional details. California customers to be charged sales tax based on price without activation, including items designated as “free� after instant savings. While Supplies last, limited time offers. DROID is a trademark of Lucasfilms Ltd. and its related companies. Used under license. Beats Audio and the b logo are trademarks of Beats Electronics, LLC. Google, the Google logo, Android and Google+ are trademarks of Google, Inc. 4G LTE is available in more than 410 markets in the U.S.; see vzw.com.

LTE is a trademark of ETSI.Coverage not available everywhere. See brochures and Terms and Conditions (including arbitration provision) at www.T-Mobile.com for additional information. T-Mobile and the magenta color are registered trademarks of Deutsche Telekom AG. Š2013 T-Mobile USA, Inc.**4G speeds delivered by LTE or HSPA+ with enhanced backhaul. Available in limited areas. Availability increasing with ongoing backhaul deployment. Requires 4G device and compatible data plan. Learn more at att.com/network.

Home of Fast, Friendly, Knowledgeable Service SHOP ONLINE at www.FRYS.com “Advertised prices valid only in metropolitan circulation area of newspaper in which this advertisement appears. Prices and selection shown in this advertisement may not be available online at Fry’s website: www.FRYS.com�

facebook.com/fryselectronics

CAMPBELL 600 E. Hamilton Ave. (408) 364-3700 • FAX (408) 364-3718 CONCORD 1695 Willow Pass Road (925) 852-0300 • FAX (925) 852-0318 FREMONT 43800 Osgood Road (510) 252-5300 • FAX (510) 252-5318 PALO ALTO 340 Portage Ave. (650) 496-6000 • FAX (650) 496-6018 SAN JOSE 550 E. Brokaw Road (408) 487-1000 • FAX (408) 487-1018 SUNNYVALE 1077 E. Arques Ave. (408) 617-1300 • FAX (408) 617-1318

STORE HOURS Wed 8-9, New Years Eve 8-6, New Years Day 11-9, Sat 9-9, Sun 9-8 Prices Good Wednesday, December 30, 2015 through Saturday, January 02, 2016.

Prices subject to change after Saturday, January 02, 2016.

Limit Rights Reserved. Not Responsible for Typographical Errors. No Sales to Dealers or Resellers. Rebates Subject to Manufacturer’s Specifications. Designated trademarks and brands are the property of their respective owners. Sales tax to be calculated and paid on the in-store price for all rebate products.Actual memory capacity stated above may be less. Total accessible memory capacity may vary depending on operating environment and/or method of calculating units of memory (i.e., megabytes or gigabytes). Portions of hard drives may be reserved for the recovery partition or used by pre-loaded software.

Fry’s Electronics, American ExpressŽ Cards, MasterCard, Visa Card, and Discover Network Card, Accepted at All Fry’s Locations “We Will Match Any Competitive Price*.� Before making a purchase from a Fry’s Electronics store, if you see a lower current price at a local authorized competitor in-stock, or from an authorized Internet competitor ready to ship, Fry’s will be happy to match the competition’s delivered price*. “30-Day Low Price Guarantee*.� If within 30 days of purchasing an item from a Fry’s Electronics store you see a lower current price at a local authorized competitor in-stock, or from an authorized Internet competitor ready to ship, Fry’s will cheerfully refund 110% of the difference. Or if within 30 days of purchase you see a lower current price from a local Fry’s Electronics store, Fry’s will refund 100% of the difference. To apply for Fry’s low price guarantee, simply bring in your original cash register receipt and verifiable proof of a current lower price. *Note: Other conditions apply. See additional terms and conditions at http://www.frys.com/onlineads/0001507075

DECEMBER 30, 2015-JANUARY 5, 2016 | metrosiliconvalley.com | sanjose.com | metroactive.com

G Pad™ 7.0 Unlocked Tablet

metroactive.com | sanjose.com | metrosiliconvalley.com | DECEMBER 30, 2015-JANUARY 5, 2016

4

Large or Small, We Feed Them All… for less!

METRO SILICON VALLEY A locally owned company.

380 S First St, San Jose, CA 95113 408.298.8000 Editorial Fax: 408.298.0602 Advertising Fax: 408.298.6992

EXECUTIVE EDITOR & CEO

DAN PULCRANO EDITORIAL

endangered clothing Moon Zooom vintage clothing store

1630 w. san carlos st.

408.287.5876 www.moonzooom.com

News Editor: Josh Koehn Music & Arts Editor: Nick Veronin Associate Editor: Paul Hersh Staff Writer: Jennifer Wadsworth Contributing Writers: Rita Cameron, Christiana

Cobb, Jeffrey Edalatpour, John Flynn, Karla Kane, Stephen Layton, Tad Malone, Ngoc Ngo, Sheryl Nonnenberg, Gary Singh, Richard von Busack,

ART/PRODUCTION Design Director: Kara Brown Graphic Designer: Tabi Dolan Production Operations Manager: Sean George Graphic Artists: Lorin Baeta, Rene Barba,

Kathy Manlapaz, Mariana Sanchez Photographers: Greg Ramar, Geoffrey Smith II

Licensed Vet on duty Community Veterinary Clinics Pruneridge, Santa Clara Sundays 1:30-3:00p First St., San Jose Saturdays 3:30-5:30p DeAnza, Cupertino Sundays 1-2:30p Morgan Hill Saturdays, 9:30-11a

Branham, San Jose Sundays 10-11:30a Santa Teresa, San Jose Saturdays 4-5:30p Main St., Milpitas Sundays 1-2:30p

Your Pet is always welcome at

An-Jan Feed & Pet Supply

anjan.com • M-F 9:30a-7p, Sat 9a-7p, Sun 10a-5p

Now Seven Locations!

N

San Jose EW STO R 5750 Santa Teresa Blvd E! 408-578-7790 1109 Branham Ln. 408.269.5551 1633 S. 1st St. 408.293-6232

Santa Clara 1841 Pruneridge Ave. 408.243.1571

Cupertino 1129 S. DeAnza Blvd.

408.446.3932

Milpitas 111 S. Main St. 408.263.1774

Morgan Hill 433 Vineyard Town Center 408-779-6800

DISPLAY SALES Advertising Director: John Haugh Senior Account Executive: Bill Stubbee Account Executives: Reina Alvarez,

Gordon Carbone, Billy Garcia, Michael Hagaman, Stacy Humphrey, Sherman Lee Sales & Marketing Assistant: Natalie Kirkland

CLASSIFIED SALES Senior Account Executive: Michael R. Hill Classified Sales: Dave Miller

ACCOUNTING/OPERATIONS/ ADMINISTRATION Accounting Specialist: Aurene Pokorny Information Systems: Chris Giancaterino Operations/Circulation: Lazaro Cardenas Office Manager: Dave Miller

DISTRIBUTION Metro is available free of charge, limited to one copy per reader. Additional copies of the current issue may be purchased for $1 each, payable at the Metro office in advance. Metro may be distributed only by Metro’s authorized distributors. No one may, without permission of Metro, take more than one copy of each issue. Subscriptions: $50/six months, $95/one year.

FINE PRINT Declared a legal newspaper of general circulation by the Superior Court of Santa Clara County Decree No. 651274, April 7, 1988. ISSN 0882-4290. Entire contents © 2015 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in any form prohibited without publisher’s written permission. Unsolicited material should be accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope; however, Metro is not responsible for the return of such submissions.

11 5

JENESIS CHOOSES BELLAFILL®

DECEMBER SPECIAL

Bellafill® is the only dermal filler FDA approved for the correction of nasolabial folds (smile lines) and moderate to severe, atrophic, distensible facial acne scars on the cheek in patients over the age of 21 years. It is also the only dermal filler established safe and effective through 5 years for nasolabial folds in the largest and longest prospective dermal filler study ever completed.* Bellafill® is a smooth, collagen gel based dermal filler that immediately adds volume to the skin.**

Buy 1 kit of Bellafill: Receive 1 Free Syringe of Bellafill, a FREE Laser Toning, plus a bottle of Regenica.

Value of $1,345

CONTACT US TODAY, LOOK BETTER TOMORROW

(408) 996-0200 1471 SARATOGA AVE #200, SAN JOSE JENESISLIPOPLASTY.COM Bellafill® is now

FDA Approved for the correction of

Acne Scars Baseline

At 3 Months

At 5 Years

Bellafill® is indicated for the correction of nasolabial folds and moderate to severe, atrophic, distensible facial acne scars on the cheek in patients over the age of 21 years. Patients who have had a positive reaction to the Bellafill® Skin Test, have a history of severe allergies, have known bovine collagen allergies, are allergic to lidocaine, have bleeding disorders or are prone to thick scar formation and/or excessive scarring should not receive Bellafill®. The safety of Bellafill® for use during pregnancy, breastfeeding, or in patients under 21 has not been established. You may experience temporary swelling, redness, pain, bruising, lumps/bumps, itching, and discoloration at the treatment site. These side effects are usually transient and typically resolve within 1–7 days. You may experience lumps/bumps/papules that may occur more than one month after injection and that may persist. Less common side effects include rash and itching more than 48 hours after treatment, persistent swelling or redness, lumps/bumps, acne, and increased sensitivity at treatment sites. Infrequently, granulomas may occur and may be treated by your licensed physician provider. Be sure to call your licensed provider immediately if you notice any unusual skin reactions around the treatment area. *Based on the 5-year Post Approval Study on nasolabial folds with 1008 patients, long-term safety of Bellafill® for up to 5 years has been established. For more safety information please visit our website www.bellafill.com.

Toll-free call (U.S. & Canada): 844-Bellafill (844-235-5234). Local calls: 858-550-9999. International calls: ++ 858-550-9999.

Suneva Medical, Inc. does not author and is not responsible for the content of any third party website(s) linked hereto. **Data on File, Suneva Medical Inc.

©SUNEVA MEDICAL, INC. SM1984-5REV01

DECEMBER 30, 2015-JANUARY 5, 2016 | metrosiliconvalley.com | sanjose.com | metroactive.com

Looking For a Little Lift This Holiday? Treat Yourself or Someone Special to Bellafill, The Only 5 Year Filler!

THIS MODERN WORLD

By TOM TOMORROW

I SAW YOU

metroactive.com | sanjose.com | metrosiliconvalley.com | DECEMBER 30, 2015-JANUARY 5, 2016

6

ISawYou@metronews.com Send us your anonymous rants and raves about your co-workers or any badly behaving citizen to I SAW YOU, Metro, 380 S. First St., San Jose, 95113, or via email.

Caddywhacked

comments@metronews.com RE: “49ER CONFIDENTIAL,” FLY, DEC. 23

Keep up the good work Fly you are definitely on to something there EMPTY GUN VIA SAN JOSE INSIDE RE: “49ER CONFIDENTIAL,” FLY, DEC. 23

Well done @sanjoseinside!

All we want for #Christmas is an #Open&TransparentHonest

@SantaClaraCity Council STANDUP4SANTACLARA VIA TWITTER

RE: “SWEET 16: SAN JOSE FINALIZES APPROVED POT CLUBS,” SAN JOSE INSIDE, DEC. 23

Can’t wait for herb to be recreationally legal so we don't have to put up with this shit anymore.

JONATHAN R ESPINAL VIA FACEBOOK

RE: “OUT OF THE PARK,” FLY, DEC. 16

It is Christmas in the park. The vendors have been successful for so many years because kids like hotlinks and funnel cakes.

Nothing is worse than going to a “family” event and finding only fusion and food so sophisticated no 5 year old will touch it.

JANIS VIA FACEBOOK

My lawn has been a little unsightly lately. We’re in a drought, for one thing. For another, I’m a mere renter and don’t want to invest the time and energy keeping up something I don’t own. So, it’s cool that you’re doing your thing. You go on ahead digging your holes and erecting mounds of dirt sporadically throughout my lawn. I’m usually very pleasant and may not mind. But my wife watches HGTV, so she’s learned terms like “curb appeal.”

Well, Mr. Gopher, unlucky for you—but lucky for me—my sweet elderly neighbor owns a gopher trap and an abundance of spare time. I saw him waving me over one day as I was walking from my car to my front door, telling me he had something to show me.

He handed me a brown paper lunch bag, which I opened to find your lifeless body in a coffee jar. Remorsefully, I researched taxidermy. But, as my renter status might imply, my taxidermy account had insufficient funds. I hope you’ve found peace knowing that your family has resumed your dirt mound creations and that my wife has since agreed to share our home.

RE: “CRANE “ GAME,” NEWS, DEC. 16

Oh, my gosh golly. He got a post office named after Mrs. Chan’s husband. A post office! If that doesn’t stink to high heaven, I don’t know what does.

JAMES COMPTON VIA SAN JOSE INSIDE

11 7

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DECEMBER 30, 2015-JANUARY 5, 2016 | metrosiliconvalley.com | sanjose.com | metroactive.com

WINTER NTER SESSION ST STARTS TARTS JAN JAN. 4 SPRING NG SEMESTER START STARTS TS FEB FEB. 1 WESTVALLEY.EDU LEY.EDU 408.867.2200 .867.2200

metroactive.com | sanjose.com | metrosiliconvalley.com | DECEMBER 30, 2015-JANUARY 5, 2016

8

THE FLY

What’s in a Name?

Two weeks ago, Japan’s Supreme Court upheld a 117-year-old law requiring all married couples to share the same last name. Many considered the ruling anachronistic if not outright discriminatory to Japanese women, who take their husband’s surname 96 percent of the time. When it comes to politics, though, name recognition is the name of the game. Enter DARCIE GREEN, a State Assembly candidate and county board of education trustee.

Last time we checked in, Green was getting engaged on a Summer Jazz Fest stage in downtown San Jose. After a Thanksgiving wedding, Green and her husband, RICK ALEXANDER, decided he would tack on her last name. The choice to eschew patriarchal tradition has been applauded by local politicos and wags, but that’s just half the story. Rick actually took the name as a way to honor his new father in-law, ROBERT GREEN, who has two daughters but no sons. The equality angle was simply a happy byproduct of honoring one man’s legacy. But more and more married couples are keeping their own names, going with hyphenates or experimenting with hit-ormiss mash-ups—in this case we’d have Grander, or the less appealing Alexeen. The Greens’ homage couples with a progressive approach to spousal They equality, but it also makes Did good political sense. Green What? has aspired to serve in the Assembly her entire SEND TIPS TO life, so throwing voters for FLY@ a loop with a new name METRONEWS. COM six months before the 2016 primary could imperil her chances of advancing to the runoff.

She’s already facing tough competition from MADISON NGUYEN, a former San Jose councilmember who also retained her surname, and ASH KALRA, who remains on the council one more year. Other examples of women in local politics who have built a public persona and retained their names include county Supervisor CINDY CHAVEZ, U.S. Sen. DIANNE FEINSTEIN and San Jose Vice Mayor ROSE HERRERA. The latter two decided against changing their names a second time after remarrying.

SVNEWS

Love Diamonds SO HOT Diamond Foundry’s popular lab-made diamonds are grown in an 8,000-degree plasma reactor.

Billionaire-backed Diamond Foundry avoids conflict with lab-grown jewels

BY JENNIFER WADSWORTH

R

EELING FROM the Dot Com collapse and recession-inducing post-9/11 panic, Silicon Valley hoped to emerge from the early aughts as the Saudi Arabia of sun power. Private investment, federal subsidies and fears about climate change fueled a staggering clean energy boom.

One of the first to bet big on the sustainability sector was Martin Roscheisen. The inveterate entrepreneur launched Nanosolar in 2002 to make thin-cell solar cells as a cheap alternative to silicon. Thousands of companies followed. But a decade later, with massive over-investment and price competition from China,

California’s green tech bubble had burst.

A host of sun-power startups—most visibly, Solyndra—failed spectacularly.

Nanosolar, which raised a half-billion dollars in its first five years, shuttered its San Jose factory. Roscheisen set his sights on another industry and ducked into stealth mode.

In November, after three years under the radar, Roscheisen unveiled his latest venture—one that harnesses the power of the sun to a very different effect.

Using some of the same technologies to make solar cells, Diamond Foundry will put a Silicon Valley spin on high-end, lab-made diamonds. Unlike diamond simulants like cubic zirconia, these manmade stones aren’t a knockoff, Roscheisen stresses. Rather, they’re an ethical alternative to excavated diamonds, he says, something singular in their own right.

“The diamond industry stood out to us as a very traditional one that needs to see its ‘Tesla moment,’” Roscheisen told

Metro. “Before Tesla, electric car meant golf cart. Tesla changed the auto industry forever by first providing a truly viable choice. That’s what we are doing with diamonds—offering a viable choice for the first time.”

The ability to manufacture diamonds has been around for the better part of six decades, though the process remained cost prohibitive until relatively recently. Today, at least 10 companies create retail or industrial diamonds. But Diamond Foundry claims a proprietary breakthrough that makes it faster to forge diamonds atomically identical to their earth-forged counterparts. “It is very hard to grow pure white, jewelrygrade diamonds,” Roscheisen says. “This is what our technology can do.”

It starts with a “seed,” a thin slice of natural diamond. An 8,000-degree Fahrenheit plasma reactor “grows” the crystal by depositing carbon, layer by atomic layer. Borrowing this method called chemical vapor deposition from semiconductor manufacturing, the company says it can culture hundreds of diamonds up to nine carats in size in the span of a couple weeks. Competitors employ variations on vapor deposition,

rarity. “Does the ability to create within weeks what the earth takes billions of years to fashion take away from the romance?� Shor asks. “That’s a matter of perspective.�

Rather than competing with the traditional diamond sector, lab-grown gems appear to have tapped into a parallel market. Diamond Foundry and its ilk expect to appeal to customers who might not otherwise buy diamonds. Younger consumers seem less sold on their mystique, preferring affordability and sustainability to convention. “Diamonds always give me a bit of a laugh,� says Ryan McCarty, a Stanford Ph.D. candidate researching geology and environmental science. “It’s a funny mix of ideas, emotion, marketing and carbon, pairing things like ‘forever’ with a material that is metastable on the earth’s surface, and somehow making it one of the most symbolic and sought-after gemstones.�

Christine Guibara, a Peninsula-based ďŹ ne jeweler, has noticed that some of her younger clients place more value on a low-carbon footprint than the perceived rarity of a gem. “It totally depends on whom you talk to,â€? she says. “Some think that there’s more value in environmental sustainability, ethical mining practices and all that. For those people, they consider a lab-made diamond the only option. But there will always be people who want a natural diamond, too.â€?

Guibara is among 200 designers who sell through Diamond Foundry’s online marketplace. She hopes having a local diamond supplier will give her a chance to get unconventional cuts. “A lot of times in the industry, it’s really hard to ďŹ nd something cut in an unusual way,â€? she says. “The capital is so high, so there’s a tendency to go with what’s already been done. But I think Diamond Foundry has more of a startup mind. It’s exciting to have that.â€?

As a student of science, Roscheisen also plans to make his high-tech bling available to researchers. For all their mythical associations as fragments of stars, vessels of spirits and tears of the gods, diamonds are incredibly practical. The crystalline carbon may symbolize love, but as the hardest naturally occurring mineral on the planet and viable silicon replacement in semiconductors, he says, they could also make computers a thousand times faster.

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or high-pressure techniques, detonating explosives or ultrasound.

Roscheisen—a Stanford University grad student in the same class as Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page— drew backing from 10 billionaires and a number of Silicon Valley heavyweights.

Investors include Zynga founder Mark Pincus, Twitter co-founder Evan Williams and Facebook co-founder Andrew McCollum. The highest-proďŹ le investor: Leonardo DiCaprio. The actor received an Oscar nomination for playing a gem smuggler in the 2006 ďŹ lm Blood Diamond, which depicts some of the ethical issues plaguing the conventional diamond industry.

Russell Shor, analyst for the nonproďŹ t Gemological Institute of America, said Diamond Foundry has entered an intensely competitive market. “We’re in a strange situation now in terms of diamond economics,â€? says Shor, who’s spent the last three decades working every level of the trade, from mines to dealers, retailers, research groups and industry media. “Supply exceeds demand. Quantity is going up, quality is going up and prices are going down. It’s really unprecedented.â€?

It’s too soon to tell what kind of an impact the synthetic sector will have on the overall industry, he says. However, the emphasis on sustainability and “conict-freeâ€? sourcing seems to appeal to a younger generation of consumers.

Millennials are less likely to buy a mined diamond, partly over concerns about child labor, regional conicts and the environmental toll of mining, according to industry reports. Claims that manmade stones are an ethical alternative can be misleading, though. “It implies that anything else is unethical,â€? Shor says, “which is not necessarily the case.â€?

Diamonds only became a ďŹ xture in the Western engagement ritual after De Beers trotted out its “diamond is foreverâ€? campaign in the 1930s. The slogan and attendant imagery trafficks traditional gender roles, while linking diamonds to emotions of love, envy and expectation—and the somewhat crass notion that a ring should cost one to a few month’s salary. Once a global cartel, De Beers has lost some of its luster. In 2011, De Beers agreed to pay $295 million to American retailers and consumers for alleged price ďŹ xing. The company’s market share has steadily shrunk since the monopoly it held up until the 1980s; it now has 40 percent of the market. Meanwhile, over-supply has increasingly undermined perceptions of

An inside look at San Jose politics

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Photo via YouTube

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and men of color in 2015, a national conversation on race and use of force actually began in earnest. San Jose, thankfully, doesn’t have many of the systemic issues that plague other cities, but the department can still improve when it comes to transparency.

The city’s new independent police auditor, Walter Katz, seems like an excellent successor to retired judge LaDoris Cordell.

He has the pedigree to make sure Walter Katz San Jose’s police department follows through on promises regarding body-worn cameras, drones and bias training.

WINDY WILLOW GLEN

JAIL OR BAIL Sheriff Laurie Smith must perform a delicate dance of ferreting out illegal behavior

in county jails while avoiding public scorn.

2016: The Year in Preview MORE SORDID JAIL TALES The abominable conditions in Santa Clara County’s jails came to light after the fatal beating of a mentally ill inmate in August. Reports from multiple investigations still taking place should provide additional shockwaves throughout 2016.

Follow-up reports noted racist text messages shared between several guards, but that might simply be the tip of the iceberg.

A previous report by the Mercury News suggested inmates may have been forced to provide sexual favors to the very people charged with maintaining order.

Sheriff Laurie Smith has positioned herself as a no-nonsense champion of reform who intends to clean house at the Department of Correction, but she may find herself holding the bag if more instances of

BY SILICON VALLEY NEWSROOM

illegal behavior are found to have taken place under her watch.

HONDA STALLS OUT? Mike Honda has been simmering on the congressional hot seat for the better part of a year, but the eight-term rep has mostly avoided commenting on the ethics probe he’s been embroiled in— and not just because he keeps falling asleep on the House floor.

The House Committee on Ethics has plenty of information to go on, but sources recently told San Jose Inside that the group Mike Honda hasn’t acted on recommendations to subpoena individuals with knowledge of Honda’s

most recent race, such as former campaign manager Doug Greven. Rep. Nancy Pelosi promised to “drain the swamp” when the House committee was created, but she probably didn’t think one of her closest political allies would land in such a quagmire. Even Republicans might be leery of pushing hard for the truth, as individuals who stick their necks out quickly become targets in election years.

A more recent report regarding Honda’s biggest donors—and how these people received concierge-level service— likely won’t be the last hiccup for the congressman, who will have to defend his record and pay top-dollar defense attorneys while trying to fend off Ro Khanna in a rematch from 2014.

NEW WATCHDOG Of everything to come out of the violent interactions between police

Someone has to succeed San Jose’s District 6 Councilman Pierluigi Oliverio, but not before hundreds of thousands of dollars are spent—and even more promises are made—in what should be the most expensive City Council race of the year. Oliverio has taken on a kingmaker approach by prodding Pierluigi-Oliverio candidates to answer weekly questions, which he then publishes so the public knows how they would vote on current issues. It’s an unusual approach, which is why it’s perfectly Pierluigi.

LEGAL POT SHOTS Dozens of medical marijuana collectives didn’t get San Jose’s blessing under the new ordinance, and litigation began in the runup to the end-of-year deadline.

Meanwhile, the “Sweet 16” that did get the go-ahead will likely battle the city to shape the local rules into something workable ahead of the statewide legalization push for the fall ballot.

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SILICONALLEYS ALLEYS SILICON

Alleys Annum HIGH TIMES From a wicked Man U match to killer art installations and resurrected neighborhoods and shows, the Alleys this year were filled with attractions.

The anti-man-about-town looks back at 2015, a milestone year

BY GARY SINGH

A

SIDE FROM Sinatra turning 100, I can say that 2015 was a very good year, at least for Silicon Alleys. Numerous crystallizations of the San Jose condition, as well as those of neighboring valley enclaves, appeared in this space over the course of the last year. In many cases, visual arts, urbanism and local history all overlapped in various columns with multiple layers of contemplation.

First of all, 2015 was a year of neighborhoods, both geographical and psychological. The Alchemy Museum, a groundbreaking project at Rosicrucian Park for example, emerged as the esoteric theater of San Jose operations. Thanks to the Rosicrucians, San Jose can now alchemically harmonize its opposing halves and transcend the duality of urban/suburban. The celebrated intersection of Park and Naglee will never be the same.

The Little Italy project, in another case, reached its own milestone in spirited fashion, when its gateway arch finally emerged in grand fashion. That neighborhood, once it actually happens, will likewise never

be the same. Also, over in the SoFA district—you know, those three blocks running south of Original Joe’s—layers of bohemian substrata resurfaced yet again via the SubZERO fest, some groundbreaking jazz madness bordering on quantum physics at Cafe Stritch, and even a new tentacle of the San Jose Jazz Summer Fest. Again, this is where urbanism, arts, history, jazz, literature, craft beer and espresso all converge into a cosmic nexus of sorts. On the East Side, columns on Veggielution and the new Viva CalleSJ event exploded off the page, right here, in this very space. Over in Japantown, a brand new film festival took over a community center. Awesome stuff across the board.

None of this was limited to San Jo. Santa Clara was home to smashing good digs at Studio Bongiorno, which hosted yet another landmark conversation with former Rolling Stones tour manager from the Altamont era, Sam Cutler.

He and Joel Selvin provided more entertainment than anything at Levi’s Stadium. Los Gatos also came back into the forefront with coolness at NUMU, a rocking brand new venue with nothing but a rocking future.

Everything seemed to come full-circle this year, especially sports.

One of the world’s richest clubs, Manchester United, came to town and played a practice match against the San Jose Earthquakes. Avaya Stadium was mostly filled with ManU fans, as opposed to ’Quakes fans. It was like having the Rolling Stones show up at your little nightclub, along with all their fans, to essentially take over the whole venue. At least the ’Quakes made lots of money. I hope.

Even baseball wound up in this column. Masanori Murakami, the first Japanese player in the Major Leagues way back in the ’60s, showed up in San Jose to promote his biography.

In another case, legendary manager Dusty Baker wrote a music book. In both cases, SJ connections emerged in their stories. I didn’t even have to try. It was already there. Regardless of subject matter, writing about someone else’s human condition helps the columnist contemplate the San Jose condition. It helps the columnist find his own way home, all the while hoping he can inspire someone else in the process.

Most of all, Silicon Alleys reached a milestone in 2015. The month of April marked the 10th anniversary of this column—admittedly not much compared to some of my colleagues in this industry—but it made the anti-man-about-town reflect on a few things.

The urban blight exploration junkie, a primary highlight of earlier columns, did not seem to surface that much this year. While doing my own book events for seven straight months, there simply weren’t enough dualityshattering adventures through the blighted interstices of San Jose, nor were there any international travel reports juxtaposed against the San Jose condition. Next year, I’m gunning for more intermittent communiques from both of those fronts, home and abroad. Way too many readers keep asking me to write more of that stuff.

Admittedly, without the blight junkie’s occasional perspective, a part of this column seems incomplete.

With that, onward and Happy New Year!

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2015 YEAR IN REVIEW Not Dead yet

How about that great economy? And national health care, yeah! Panning for gold nuggets in a year of climate change, traffic jams, mass shootings and rent increases takes particular skill. No wonder more people are smoking weed. Still, as is our custom at this time of year, we encourage our readers to find solace in the shameless behavior that winds up becoming news.

And there’s always next year, another 12 months to watch new dramas unfold.

See you next December!

Tens of thousands of Deadheads screamed “Jerry” when a double rainbow magically appeared over Levi’s Stadium at the first of the Grateful Dead’s “Fare Thee Well” shows. Billboard magazine dutifully reported a production hand’s claim that the effect was manufactured at a cost of $50,000, then retracted the bogus report after the prank went viral. Maybe Prankster Kesey was really behind it all.

—The YIR team

Nah, that’s not sexist Gawker’s once-relevant tech blog Valleywag took itself down a notch when its editor, former “Fake Steve Jobs” columnist Dan Lyons got called out for referring to Pando Daily’s Sarah Lacy as a “shrill harpy.” Lyons tenure at Valleywag lasts all of six weeks.

OF COURSE, THE SETTLEMENT DID NOT ADMIT ANTITRUST Apple, Google, Intel and Adobe settled a class-action lawsuit for $415 million after conspiring for years to limit tech workers’ wages and job mobility by not recruiting each others’ employees. The colluding companies agreed to never enter into such an accord again. Wink. Wink.

THE HASHTAG IS MIGHTIER THAN THE BULLET

FEBRUARY

#BlackLivesMatter started as

Rihanna forgave him, though In the early hours of Sunday, Jan. 11, shots rang out inside San Jose’s Fiesta Nightclub as R&B crooner Chris Brown performed his love ballad about hoes being disloyal. Five people were wounded in the shooting spree, Brown’s probation was revoked, the club got sued and had its permit pulled.

a trending topic, an expression of outrage over police shooting unarmed black men. But by the outset of 2015 the movement had become a force to be reckoned with. It would enter the presidential debates—at least on the Democratic side—and influence policies on police accountability.

OH, AND THAT BAD STATUE TOO “Cool Pope” lost some cred after hinting he would make Junipero Serra a saint, enraging Native Americans who still remember Serra’s role in the enslavement, torture and repression of California’s original residents.

BASEBALL PLAYS

BY ITS OWN RULES

Ex-spokesflak tells all Steve Harmon left behind a prestigious statehouse reporting gig to be a spokesman for Assemblywoman Nora Campos (D-San Jose). A year after slamming a Metro report uncovering Campos’ reign of terror, Harmon spilled the beans on Campos and her then-chief of staff, saying “unless you’re slapped or hit physically or [sexually] harassed … they can treat you any way they want.”

SKINNY ROAD RAGE Despite a drop in traffic congestion, a sect of shopkeepers along Lincoln Avenue squawked like the rapture had arrived when Willow Glen’s “Road Diet” repaved the street from four lanes to three. Merchants cited massive drops in customers and revenue, but when push came to shove, refused to open their books.

AVAYA STADIUM QUAKES IT UP The San Jose Earthquakes have lost their team more than once, but the opening of the brand-new 18,000-seat Avaya Stadium should keep ’Quakes in San Jose for at least few more months.

COMMUNICATE THIS Communications Hill residents were none too pleased with the influx of uninvited visitors and their early-morning workouts, obstructive parking, drug use and public displays of nudity. State Sen. Jim Beall came to the rescue with a bill that effectively turned the grand staircases into a park where CrossFit and public sex is outlawed.

FRIENDS IN ROBES

Not since Monica Lewinsky’s little black number has a dress incited so much controversy. Is it blue? Is it gold? Do we care? (No.)

C-SPAN

George Shirakawa Jr.’s odyssey of abusing the public’s trust came to an end as the thieving ex-county supervisor pleaded no contest to political mail fraud, without ever

A Tale of two dresses

Is this Mike on?

Rep. Mike Honda continued to fall asleep on the job, in front of cameras, but an Office of Congressional Ethics investigation— launched as a result of Metro’s reporting—seemed to snap him out of his coma. A report released in September found “substantial reason to believe” Honda and his staff broke laws by using official House resources to boost his re-election campaign, and maybe even gave top donors pay-to-play perks.

MARCH

END OF WATCH On March 24, Michael Johnson became the 12th San Jose police officer killed in the line of duty, when he was ambushed by a suicidal shooter in South San Jose. A 14-year veteran of the department, law enforcement from across the country congregated in a packed SAP Center to honor Johnson’s life and service. He was 38 years old.

KP DEFEATS PAO Boorish behavior got a pass when venture capital firm KP prevailed over a former partner in a closely watched suit claiming gender discrimination. Plaintiff Ellen Pao accused the firm, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, of discriminating against

her. Kleiner Perkins scored a sweeping victory in the case, which had mesmerized Silicon Valley with its salacious details while simultaneously shedding light on concerns about the technology industry’s lack of diversity.

PROSTITUTES TAKE AIM AT PROHIBITION Three former sex workers and a disabled john filed a historic lawsuit claiming that enforcing prostitution laws violates their constitutional freedoms.

Levi’s leg lock Wrestlemania 31 put the smack down on Santa Clara, drawing tens of thousands of fans to Levi’s Stadium for a violent sideshow that, finally, didn’t involve 49ers fans.

APRIL NORCAL ‘JINX’ LINKS? HBO documentary The Jinx thrust New York City real estate heir

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San Jose swung for the fences but came up a big whiffer, as the U.S. Supreme Court walked away from city’s challenge to Major League Baseball’s antitrust exemption.

15

coming clean about who helped him steal elections. In a farcical sentencing hearing, Judge Ron Del Pozzo, a past Shirakawa political supporter, nearly held the lead prosecutor and defense attorney in contempt before giving Shirakawa just 45 days community service.

metroactive.com | sanjose.com | metrosiliconvalley.com | DECEMBER 30, 2015-JANUARY 5, 2016

REVIEW

Ted Eytan, via Flickr

16 2015 YEAR IN 15

and suspected murderer Robert Durst back into the national spotlight as he appeared to confess during the final episode. His arrest also resumed speculation that he may have been involved in the 1998 disappearance of Bay Area teen Karen Miller.

ADOLF, JUST KIDDING Khanh Russo, a senior policy advisor to San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo (pictured), learned a hard lesson: stick to your strengths. Humor isn’t one of them, as Russo had to apologize for wishing Hitler a happy birthday on Facebook.

M AY

Love wins In a hard-fought victory for gay rights, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 vote that same-sex marriage is a constitutional right. “No longer may this liberty be denied,” Justice Anthony M. Kennedy wrote for the majority in the landmark decision. In 1972, a gay couple from Minneapolis appealed a similar case to the high court, which rejected it for lack of merit. Thanks to the litigation and activism that followed, the question of same-sex unions went from quixotic to constitutionally mandated.

HANG A LEFT ON SLUR STREET Google Maps invited everyone to contribute to its open source component, and it didn’t take long for racist slurs to be linked to landmarks like the White House and historical black colleges.

Google says it fixed the glitch, but for some reason a geolocated search of the Washington Redskins still works.

SURVEYMONKEY CEO DIES IN FREAK ACCIDENT The tech world was stunned to learn Dave Goldberg, CEO of SurveyMonkey and husband of Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, died from a treadmill accident while on a family vacation in Mexico. The news highlighted the dangers of exercise equipment, as a reported 24,400 emergency room injuries in 2014 were linked to treadmills.

JUNE

Black(ish) like me WE NEVER STOPPED LOVING YOU, SoFA San Jose’s SoFA District was the beating heart of the city’s nightlife scene in the ’90s, but the party became a casualty of pesky things like laws and buzzkills like police enforcement.

Things have come full circle though, and ever since The Ritz opened in April, things have been looking up. It certainly doesn’t hurt to have BackBar SoFa, Café Stritch, The Continental and Aura booking diverse and interesting acts.

Confused white lady Rachel Dolezal passed herself off as a black woman for years until a TV reporter “unmasked” her with a simple question about her racial identity. Her insistence on identifying as African American, even after her parents outed her—not to mention her impressive repertoire of black hairstyles—launched the spraytanned Afrophile into viral infamy.

BITTERSWEET SYMPHONY The Peninsula Symphony overlooked Stephen Jay Carlton’s 1991 manslaughter conviction for strangling his wife during sex play— an expensive oversight. Carlton, the company’s musical director, was sentenced in June to embezzling more than $272,000 from the venerable arts organization to fund trips to Vegas and pay off old debts.

NUMU MEANS NOSTALGIA A modest collection of local artifacts and “curiosities” has blossomed into a full museum, dedicated to documenting the history of South Bay art, from illustrations of would-be space colonies to kitschy theme parks only baby boomers remember.

Michael Vadon

Jell-O Jackass How many women does it take to convince the world that Bill Cosby is a rapist creep? Apparently, 35, which is how many were featured on the cover of New York Magazine.

Inside, each of them leveled their own personal allegations of being drugged and sexually assaulted by the comedian.

AUGUST

VTA RIPS UP LITTLE PORTUGAL

Trump and the Crazy 86 ONE BUCK CHUCK Former San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed is a man of principles, and taxpayers paid dearly to sustain his moral compass.

After being fined $1 for violating state laws on political contributions, Reed appealed and won his case, costing the state $106,000 in legal fees.

TECHNICALLY, A SEA CHANGE Santa Clara County’s civil grand jury issued a report urging local governments to address global warming-caused sea level rise, and company execs for Chevron calmly rubbed their hands while muttering “excellent.”

Noah Salzman

Donald Trump’s hair descended an escalator and plainly laid out its plan to rid America of Mexican drug dealers and rapists, which, the hairpiece estimated, is roughly, más o menos, everyone in Mexico.

J U LY NUDES, WATER AND WAGE THEFT

Warriors win it all The Golden State Warriors and everyman star Steph Curry won a long-awaited title and made us all feel like kids again—kids who could hypothetically dominate even the most towering of pituitary gland experiments.

Lupin Lodge, the revered nudist resort in the bucolic Santa Cruz mountains, apparently transmogrified into a camp of scofflaws and indentured servants, as the DA charged owners Glyn and Lori Kay Stout with felony water theft. Soon after, some of the dozens of live-in workers filed a lawsuit accusing the Stouts of violating a litany of labor laws that could qualify as human trafficking.

A new rapid bus route through East San Jose was supposed to take a little more than a year, but delays, safety issues and a struck gas line forced the Valley Transportation Authority to consider $50,000 payouts to enraged business owners.

A very trashy idea San Jose Councilman Johnny Khamis and Mayor Sam Liccardo want to deputize garbage trucks by equipping them with license plate scanners to download data on parked cars throughout the city.

Privacy advocates complain the idea stinks to high heaven—but still not as bad as Newby Island.

ACTUALLY, WE’RE PHENYL-FLUID San Jose sued Monsanto, claiming the Big Ag conglomerate knowingly polluted the San Francisco Bay and its attendant tributaries for years with Polychlorinated biphenyls, commonly called PCBs. Monsanto was all, ‘But ….’

18

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The World Affairs Council of Philadelphia

17

2015 YEAR IN REVIEW

NEWSPAPER GROUP ANONYMIZED?

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Embarcadero Media Group had its weekly newspaper websites temporarily shut down after a grammatically challenged message claimed to be an attack perpetrated by the hacker collective Anonymous.

Slummin’ it San Jose rents have ticked up more than 50 percent since 2010, forcing thousands of families to double up, move back in with parents or endure adulthood while cohabitating with roommates. At least we’re all living the same shitty sitcom.

LATE NIGHT SHAKEUP Two late-night icons stepped down from their chairs this year. David Letterman left his 22-year post at The Late Show, while Jon Stewart ended a 16-year run at The Daily Show. They were replaced by a South Carolinian Catholic and a South African immigrant, respectively.

Pizza rat New Yorkers love pizza, and nonNew Yorkers love ragging on New York. So when footage emerged of a rather large subway rat absconding with an entire slice of greasy pie, we all ate it up—the video, that is. Not the pizza. That’d be gross.

OCTOBER HELLA SHIGELLA Some 200 or so diners at a downtown seafood eatery took home more than just leftovers.

Public health officials traced an outbreak of the bacterial infection Shigella to Mariscos San Juan Restaurant No. 3 in San Jose. Health inspectors never did find a “patient zero,” but if we were playing Clue we’d probably look somewhere in the kitchen.

Harry Who

ANYA, GET ON UP Anya Kvitka, the Moscow-born and San Jose denizen, signed to Plug Research— the same taste-making L.A. label that discovered Flying Lotus and is currently home to Bilal, Milosh and Naytronix. “A lot of these people I’ve looked up to my whole life,” she told Metro. “I just feel like, ‘Holy crap. I’m part of that now.’”

S E PT E M B E R ABUSE BEHIND BARS

Cake wars The second-generation owner of East San Jose’s Peters’ Bakery—whose burnt almond cake is the stuff of local legend— found himself on the receiving end of a federal lawsuit for allegedly discriminating against a longtime clerk. Chuck Peters allegedly told a Mexican-American employee to lose her accent and lighten up about the term “wetback.”

Michael Tyree was diagnosed with a mental illness, and like so many others he was homeless, battled drug addiction and cycled in and out of the clink for petty theft, possession and other minor charges. On Aug. 27, he was found dead in his cell and three jail guards were charged with his murder. The tragedy shone a light on the festering systemic abuses in local jails, and the thuggish subculture that dehumanizes the people jailers have a responsibility to protect.

#EDWARDSNOWDENSCISSORHANDS San Jose resident and “Weird Twitter” pioneer Jon Hendren, featured on the cover of Metro in May, took his online persona of @fart and terrorized a HLN news network anchor. Asked about Edward Snowden’s decision to get on Twitter, @fart used the segment to indirectly defend the merits of Tim Burton’s fictional character, Edward Scissorhands.

Herndon #FTW.

Brian Solis

‘HOTLINE’ MEME Toronto rapper and R&B singer Drake broke the Internet with his grandpa-esque dance moves in the video for “Hotline Bling.” Within a week, YouTubers all over had paired the clip with everything from “It’s Not Unusual” to the Frasier theme song, and even had the former Degrassi star throwing sliced pepperonis on a pie and swinging a virtual tennis racket.

NOVEMBER HIGH EXPECTATIONS

WOW, THESE SCHMUCKS Mark Zuckerberg purchased himself a lawsuit when he bought out a real estate developer’s option to build a 9,600-square foot house overlooking his master bedroom. Mircea Voskerician sued the Facebook CEO after he failed to hook him up with his rich and powerful social network, which he allegedly promised as part of negotiations. Zuck did generously offer his celebrity to drive the price down, and his financial adviser advised his scheduler to locate the meeting at Facebook’s offices. “WE are trying to ‘wow’ these schmucks so they will accept an offer for the home that is reasonable,” he wrote. “The plan is to have (Zuckerberg) spend 15 minutes with them, make them feel special etc. Perhaps you can prepare 2 goodie bags as well.” In October, Judge Patricia Lucas allowed the lawsuit to continue.

ALLEGED CAT KILLER CAUGHT A former San Jose policeman’s son, Robert Farmer, was found sleeping in his car with evidence linking him to the disappearance of cats across south San Jose.

DUMB MONKEY Former Santa Clara County firefighter Daniel Clark sued CalFire for firing him after he wore a gorilla mask while flying a helicopter during a Halloween 2013 training exercise.

MARTIAN MANIA When he started writing episodic blog installments of what would eventually become The Martian, self-described “space nerd” Andy Weir just wanted to explore how an

Anticipating legalization in 2016, Silicon Valley tech enters marijuana market. Tech startups like Eaze, Flowhub and Leafly all took turns trying to tip the cannabis cash cow in 2015, as the industry market grew by a reported 74 percent in 2014.

SMALL PLATE TREND APPLIED TO HOUSING AND WAGES Prosecutors accused TapaOle owners Esther Narbona-Sanchez, Paulino O’Farrill and Pedro Barea-Riva of staffing their Saratoga eatery and a local salon with indentured servants who were recruited from Spain with the promise of a decent job and a new life. Instead, authorities say, they were put up in coffin-sized rooms or a shed and reduced to slavery.

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astronaut stranded on Mars might survive. He certainly didn’t imagine it would end up being turned into a box office smash starring Matt Damon and directed by Ridley Scott.

“It’s been a wild ride,” Weir told Metro in the fall.

20 2015 YEAR IN REVIEW

19

metroactive.com | sanjose.com | metrosiliconvalley.com | DECEMBER 30, 2015-JANUARY 5, 2016

Steve Jurvetson

MARTY MCFLY GUYS

CNBC

They call them “hoverboards,” though they don’t actually hover.

Over the past six months, the it gift of two-wheeled, selfbalancing electric vehicles—like Segways without handlebars— have exploded in popularity.

Unfortunately, the batteries in some models are faulty so they’re also exploding, literally.

GOOGLE’S GHOSTRIDE Google’s self-driving car may be able to navigate the streets, but it apparently can’t avoid cops. A Mountain View policeman pulled over Alphabet’s adorable little prototype (inset) for slogging along under the 35 mph speed limit.

THE FRAUD WILL BE MICROBLOGGED Could a small-time fraudster upend the global economy in 140 characters or less? Apparently so.

Nearly a decade after the advent of Twitter, the U.S. Attorney for Northern California indicted a Scottish man, 62-year-old James Alan Craig, for illegally manipulated stock prices with a couple Twitter accounts. While the markets evened their keel in minutes, Craig cost shareholders $1.6 million.

DECEMBER THERE WILL BE BLOOD In Silicon Valley’s aspirational parlance, they’re called “unicorns”—unlisted startups valued at a billion bucks or more.

Theranos emerged as the most prominent of these mythical creatures, as founder Elizabeth Holmes claimed her technology could run dozens of tests with a pinprick of blood from the tip of the finger. But a damning Wall Street Journal investigation accused the company of being little more than VC blood suckers.

Scott Weiland dies Stone Temple Pilots lead singer Scott Weiland had a long and well-documented history with hard drugs, which ended up costing him his life. What many locals may not know, however, is that Weiland was born in San Jose.

He died in his sleep—apparently of a heart attack—at the age of 48.

KARMA’S BITCH

Martin Shkreli has been called parasitic trash, a morally bankrupt sociopath and everything wrong with capitalism, after he hiked up the price of a life-saving HIV drug by 5,000 percent. But karma circled back something fierce. Days before Christmas, the feds busted the entrepreneur on suspicion of running a Ponzi scheme at his old company.

THE YEAR WE KILLED EACH OTHER There was a point in time in December when the US had more mass shootings than days in the year. The definition requires at least four or more people to be injured or killed by gun violence. The biggest tragedies of 2015: Charleston; Lafayette; Roseburg; San Bernardino. If those don’t immediately ring familiar, it’s because we’ve become accustomed to atrocities. Gun violence should be the number one issue of next year’s presidential race or we will have failed as a humane society.

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metroactive.com | sanjose.com | metrosiliconvalley.com | DECEMBER 30, 2015-JANUARY 5, 2016

SVDINING

HAWAIIAN POKE BOWL One of San Jose’s favorite local poke vendors was once only available on Fridays at the San Pedro Square Farmers’ Market. These fresh healthy bowls can still be purchased under the white tent, but now they’re available every day at a brick and mortar location in the new SoFa Market. 387 S. First St., San Jose.

GO FISH POKE BAR The brand new Go Fish Poke Bar makes eating poke an experience.

The combinations are endless with different options for the base, sauce, poke (naked or dressed) and toppings.

For the indecisive, there is a menu with suggested combinations or plastic wrapped temaki hand rolls. 1183 S. De Anza Blvd. #40, San Jose.

Pokin’ Around LET’S GO BOWLING Hawaiian Poke Bowl is one of several new poke joints putting creative spins on dishes.

Silicon Valley’s poke eruption has resulted in numerous specialities

side? All sorts of traditional Hawaiian fare is served here, including pork lau lau and the loco moco. 230 Jackson St., San Jose.

PACIFIC CATCH Pacific Catch puts creative twists on poke. The California Style introduces avocado to the mix, while the Macadamia Nut and Serrano versions include those respective ingredients. If it's hard to commit to one out of the five flavors, get the poke trio and try three kinds. 1875 S. Bascom Ave. #550, Campbell.

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BY NGOC NGO

P

OKE (poh-kay) is a raw fish salad originating from Hawaii. The original version contains ahi tuna tossed in soy sauce, sweet onions and seaweed, but it can be made with salmon, octopus, shrimp and any other sashimi-grade cut of fish.

Commonly served alone or on top of salad or a bowl of rice, the poke craze has definitely hopped over to the mainland.

Here are some newcomers who have joined the usual suspects.

SANTO MARKET Grocery store food isn’t particularly exciting—but the poke here is.

There are regular and spicy flavors sold by the pound and an option to mix half of each with a side of rice.

Pickled vegetable sides in pre-made packages are available for purchase to round out the meal. 245 E. Taylor St., San Jose.

HUKILAU An old local favorite with another location in Honolulu, Hukilau offers seven different flavors in Da Poke Menu.

Why be limited to one flavor when combos are available in the Da Hukilau Poke Dinner with spam musubi on the

DA KINE ISLAND GRILL Fairly new to downtown San Jose, Da Kine brings the familiar flavors of Hawaii. Enjoy poke dishes here on the side of plenty of Spam-based dishes—a Hawaiian staple. Or better yet, enjoy the poke at a discounted price during Aloha Hour, 3-7pm Tuesdays through Sundays. The tiki décor and blended tropical drinks round out the island experience. 23 N Market St., San Jose.

POKI BOWL Poki Bowl offers customers a fastcasual approach, where bowls come with an option of rice or salad, and type of fish mix, sauce and toppings.

The store is standing room only

OCK makes just about the fanciest poke you ever did see. It comes in a tin box with a lid and is aptly named the Poke Box instead of bowl. There is only an ahi tuna version with spicy mayo, tomatoes and shiitake mushrooms. OCK is known for changing up their menu seasonally, so get it while it lasts. 1875 S Bascom Ave #190, Campbell.

POKE BAR The fast casual poke craze has not missed Mountain View. Poke Bar places an emphasis on fresh and healthy— some options here contain quinoa and kale, gluten-free shoyu sauce and tofu. Poke can be ordered by weight in quarter-, half- or whole pound increments. 340 Castro St., Mountain View.

11 23

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metroactive.com | sanjose.com | metrosiliconvalley.com | DECEMBER 30, 2015-JANUARY 5, 2016

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FLIGHT SCHOOL Coopervino staff are more than happy to inform about their wine tastings.

A Coup for Coop’

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s someone inclined to pronounce terroir like a breed of dog, it’s comforting that wine snobbery is nowhere in sight at CooperVino, a new wine bar in Cupertino’s planned “downtown” development across from Vallco Mall.

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The restaurant and bar is decorated with a faux winery theme (although much of the furniture is reclaimed), complete with a “barrel room” which can be separated from the rest of the restaurant for private events. Though the décor may be faux, the knowledge behind the bar is real.

During a recent visit for lunch, our winetender Antonio was at ease educating two wine newbies at one end of the bar, while chatting with a winery employee at the other. A friend and I ordered two wine flights, each with three 2-ounce pours. Antonio thoroughly schooled us. My “Queen Chardonnay” flight ($16) consisted of the light, earthy Alpha Omega Unoaked ’13, the sharper and more alcohol-forward Storrs ’13 and the Lloyd by Robert Lloyd ’14, which reminded me, fresh off the Star Wars premiere, of intense buttered popcorn.

My friend ordered “The Sweet Life” flight ($14), with the Smith Story Rose of Pinot Noir ’14, and the Weingut Max Ferd Richter ‘14 Reisling Kabinett. They were out of the wine that usually makes up the third leg of the flight, but Antonio recommended a mellow and sweet Hugel that more than sufficed.

As for food, CooperVino’s menu sticks to California cuisine. We split a smoked salmon Panini ($13) with a side of pickled vegetables and a truffle oil mac and cheese ($14). A hungry diner might run up a hefty bill with CooperVino’s light tapas portion sizes, but after tasting the breadcrumbed mac and cheese, no one was complaining. The warm smoked salmon Panini was topped with mascarpone cheese, red onion and capers, the saltiness nicely complementing the refreshing chardonnays.

CooperVino’s happy hour from 2:30pm-6pm daily offers several $8 small plates and plus deals on cheese plates and select wines-by-theglass. They also offer wine education classes for the curious, plus a wine club featuring new bottles monthly. A rotating cast of jazz musicians performs weekly acoustic sessions. —Stephen Layton COOPERVINO 19800 Vallco Pkwy., Ste. 130, Cupertino. 408.642.1057. coopervino.com.

11 25

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come see

metroactive.com etroactive.com | sanjose.com | metrosiliconvalley.com | DECEMBER 30, 2015-JANUARY 2015 J 5, 2016

26

metroactive

CHOICES BY:

Jeffrey Edalatpour John Flynn Andrew Lentz Nick Veronin

THE WEIGHT

KABIR SINGH

*thu

WILD 94.9’S NYE

DISVEIN

BackBar SoFa, San Jose Thu, 9pm, $5

The Caravan Lounge, San Jose Thu, 9pm, Free

Double up on your partying this New Year’s Eve, as “The Bay Area’s Party Station,” Wild 94.9 FM, takes over both rooms of BackBar SoFa. DJ Quam, DJ Ruben R and DJ Leone will be spinning up sets all night long, as the evening’s guest host San Francisco rapper Priceless Da Roc—whose party banger “Yiken” puts a ridiculously raunchy spin on the traditional twerk—makes sure everyone stays turnt. Bottle service is available and a complimentary champagne toast will ring in 2016. (NV)

There’s plenty of ill-will to go around at this gathering of South Bay sickos. Disvein’s selfdescribed “brutal d-beat” has a grindcore-meets-crust-punk vibe—featuring galloping drums and stomped-on guitars, which give it an uneven, nasty edge.

Their recent full-length, Enmity, is worth a visit to Bandcamp. SJ powerviolence crew Deadpressure is more dynamic than a lot of their sub-genre cohorts, trading off between d-beat-laden blasts and chugging breakdowns. Deathgrave, who recently released a split 7” with Deadpressure, vacillate even harder between those two extremes with a heaping helping of crazed, shrieking-golem vocals.

(AL)

*fri

*sat *fri

NO GOD ONLY PAIN

TOTAL BAD ASS CD RELEASE

The Caravan Lounge, San Jose Fri, 9pm, Free

The Ritz, Sat, 8pm, $8

No God Only Pain aren’t worried about an impending apocalypse.

According to the San Jose trio, we’re already living in the end times.

On Joy Of Suffering the band spin Darkthrone- and Burzum-inspired, black metal. It’s atmospheric, yet synth-free and dirty. Topped by Vier Satien’s fuzzed-out, twangy bass and raspy, possessed lyrics— inspired by Clive Barker’s Hellraiser films—NGOP groove as good as any blackened-doom out there. If the Danzig-esque, black ‘n’ roll scuzz of “Who Forgives God?,” from the upcoming Roads To Serfdom, is any indication of where these guys are headed, then point us down that that darkened trail. (AL)

Total Bad Ass singer Nate Desastre knows the speed-metal dress code: studded jean-jacket vest, white high-tops and tight jeans. But this super fun band isn’t about fashion.

Like all great new-school thrash acts, they ride the bleeding edge between metal and punk, humor and anger, flashy chops and unschooled instinct. Desastre’s snotty, pitchperfect, mid-register vocals really cut through the band’s crisp crossover anthems—including fan faves from Into The Void and hopefully “Chemikill” from their latest EP, Warbeast Of Tomorrow. They share the bill with Law Abiding Citizens, Since We Were Kids, Bumbastard and Section 5150. (AL)

THE WEIGHT The Catalyst, Santa Cruz Fri, 8pm, $30-$35

The Weight is not a cover band.

Named for one of The Band’s best-known songs—from their 1968 release, Music From The Big Pink—these legit associates of the roots-rock icons offer inspired interpretations of The Band essentials, including “The Night They Drove Ol’ Dixie Down,” “Up On Cripple Creek,” and of course, “The Weight.” Spearheaded by guitarist Jim Weider (aka Robbie Robertson’s replacement) and drummer Randy Ciarlante (from original drummer/vocalist Levon Helm’s Midnight Ramble), bassist Byron Isaacs and keyboardists Brian Mitchell and Marty Grebb round out the lineup. The soul of Woodstock is alive and well, so take a load off. (AL)

* concerts UGWA NEW YEARS EVIL

ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW

Jan 9 at The Ritz

EUROPE Jan 19 at RockBar Theater

THE ADICTS Jan 23 at The Ritz

YAMATO DRUMMERS OF JAPAN Jan 23 at Stanford

SUPER BOWL OPENING NIGHT Feb 1 at SAP Center

PAN ASIAN MUSIC FESTIVAL Feb 1 at Bing Concert Hall

WWE LIVE Feb 6 at SAP Center

STRANGELOVE Feb 4 at RockBar Theater

SUPER BOWL 50 Feb 7 at RockBar Theater

BLACK SABBATH Feb 9 at SAP Center

VALENTINES OLD SCHOOL JAM Feb 12 at SAP Center

DISNEY ON ICE: FROZEN Feb 17-22 at SAP Center

CHRIS MOORE’S SUPER TERRIFIC DANCE PARTY RockBar Theater, San Jose Fri, 7pm, $15 When it comes to club DJs, there is no shortage of well-groomed bros, who take themselves way too seriously as they coax utterly inhuman beats out of their laptops. Chris Moore from Damage and Endangered Species bucks this trend. The biker-bearded, tattoo-sleeved percussionist built a career as a hardcore drummer, but he kicks off the first day of 2016 by drumming over the hits of the ’80s. Moore won’t discriminate by genre, bashing and crashing on his kit to rock, funk and disco in this unique night of dancing.

Sweet Hayah opens. (JF)

*sat

KABEEZY SINGH JJ’s Blues, San Jose Sat, 9pm, $17 JJ’s Blues usually hosts stellar jazz and blues artists, but on the second day of the New Year they’re offering a stacked lineup of comedy. The undercard features sets from solid jokesters Pete Munoz, Kevin Monroe and Sam Marcoux, but the main draw is Kabeezy Singh. He’s been called “The Next Big Indian Comedian”

by India West, he starred in season three of Gabriel Iglesias Standup Revolution and has shared the stage with big-timers like Dave Chappelle, Dane Cook and Bill Burr.

One of his jokes hits on how he changed his opinion on arranged marriage after he saw his cousin, who “looks like he’s from Narnia,” betrothed to a babe. (JF)

ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW Camera 3, San Jose Sat, 11:45pm, $10

The Rocky Horror Picture Show simply will not die. As the film enters its 40th year of cult worship, Barely Legal will be performing a live rendition of the brilliantly bizarre classic. The plot pays homage to campy sci-fi horror flicks of the mid-20th century and tracks two tame sweethearts as they enter the castle of Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a transvestite scientist who seduces them both. The lasting legacy of the film is owed perhaps to its doublearmed embrace of androgyny. The inclusive fan community welcomes everyone from the straight-laced to the proudly freaky, and if you don a exceptionally eccentric ensemble, you may even be invited onstage to show it off. (JF)

*tue

GUIDED MEDITATION IN THE GALLERY SJICA, San Jose Tue, Free

If making more time for art and sitting meditation are on your list of New Year’s resolutions, then consider taking a trip to the San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art. Every Tuesday in January, a professional instructor will lead guided meditations in the ICA gallery. Jim Campbell’s works of luminescent LED, currently installed at the museum, should provide a suitable setting for finding a moment of Zen. In the darkened gallery, Campbell’s light show soothes the soul with a hypnotic glow. His vision is a new way to reach nirvana: in pre-programmed swells of radiant light. (JE)

RIHANNA Feb 28 at SAP Center

CASH’D OUT Mar 11 at The Ritz

JUSTIN BIEBER Mar 17 at SAP Center

STYX Mar 17 at City National Civic

THE REVEREND HORTON HEAT Mar 18 at The Ritz

ELLIE GOULDING Apr 6 at SAP Center

YANNI Mar 19 at City National Civic

MELVINS Mar 19 at The Ritz

SELENA GOMEZ May 11 at SAP Center

PRONG Jun 1 at RockBar Theater

For music updates and contest giveaways, like us on Facebook at metrofb.com

DECEMBER 30, 2015-JANUARY 5, 2016 | metrosiliconvalley.com | sanjose.com | metroactive.com

QUEENSRYCHE Jan 7 at RockBar Theater

27

mixes science, mathematics, English literature, immortal tortoises, hermits and more. The Pear may be teeny-tiny, but it handled such dense material with aplomb. (KK)

28 metroactive.com | sanjose.com | metrosiliconvalley.com | DECEMBER 30, 2015-JANUARY 5, 2016

metroactive ARTS

EMMA — THEATREWORKS TheatreWorks’ holiday revival of its most popular show of all time, a lovely musical adaptation of Jane Austen’s 1815 novel, is as warm-hearted, well-crafted and winsome as you’ve been led to believe. Lianne Marie Dobbs is perfectly cast as the titular matchmaker, and she’s surrounded by performers equally as talented. (KK)

NOEL COWARD FESTIVAL — STANFORD REPERTORY THEATER Stanford’s summer festival celebrated all-things Noel Coward, one of the kings of modern music and theater.

His witty wordplay and memorable melodies were on display in two live productions, as well as a film series and community symposium. (KK)

Terrific 10

RFK — SAN JOSE STAGE COMPANY

STAGE ROYALTY ‘The Lion King’ was definitely one of the best productions to come through the Valley in 2015.

A look back at some of the best plays and musicals of 2015

BY KARLA KANE AND NICK VERONIN

S

ILICON VALLEY has no shortage of theater companies— from larger groups, like the Palo Alto-based TheatreWorks and Broadway San Jose, to the more nimble outfits, such as City Lights and The Pear. All do excellent work, and it would be impossible to choose a definitive list of the 10 best stage productions in 2015.

That said, here are 10 great shows we saw this year.

BUILD — CITY LIGHTS After reading the description, I wasn’t expecting Build to resonate so strongly.

However this story—about a pair of Palo Alto techies and former best friends, who designed a hit video game together and then grew apart—turned out to be a riveting sci-fi tale, filled with tons of heart and great performances by its three leads. (KK)

M. BUTTERFLY — CITY LIGHTS City Lights had another winner with M. Butterfly, a stellar version of David Henry Hwang’s astonishing and ambitious art-imitating-life-imitatingart take on love, sex, international politics and Puccini. More incredible still: it’s based on a true story. (KK)

CHICAGO — PALO ALTO PLAYERS Chicago is one of the all-time best

musicals—so much so that any community theater revivals risk unfavorable comparisons to recent Broadway or hit-film versions. I was very pleased to see Palo Alto Players deliver a pitch-perfect production, full of razzle dazzle and biting wit. (KK)

VIOLET — TABARD THEATRE I went in knowing nothing about the theater company or the show and came out pleasantly surprised by both. The key to the success of this sweet story is Jeanine Tesori’s rousing, eclectic score, which includes bits of bluegrass, gospel and R&B. Tesori went on to win the 2015 Tony Award for her work on Fun Home. (KK)

ARCADIA — PEAR THEATRE The Pear Theatre—formerly known as the Pear Avenue Theatre—had a big year, changing locations and opening a brand-new performance space. But it was the final show performed at its old location that’s stuck with me.

Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia is a dizzyingly clever, time-hopping play that

David Arrow gave an impressive performance in this one-man-show exploration of Robert Kennedy’s interesting life and important legacy.

As presidential-election season ramps up, the “what if ?” of RFK’s career cut short is especially poignant. (KK)

THE LION KING — CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS It’s always a big deal when the king is in town. Case in point: when Disney’s Tony Award-winning touring musical, The Lion King, stopped for a run in downtown San Jose, fans of the amazing musical packed the Center for the Performing Arts four weeks in a row.

No wonder: the performances were stellar, the singing was first-rate and the costumes were breathtaking. (NV)

THE BOOK OF MORMON — CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS The Book of Mormon is a juggernaut among modern Broadway musicals, and it’s easy to see why. Though the musical—penned by Trey Parker and Matt Stone of South Park fame— doesn’t pull any punches, it’s never overly cruel, and ultimately it finds a sweet spot between lampooning organized religion and recognizing the unique ability faith has in unifying people for a common good. (NV)

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30 metroactive.com | sanjose.com | metrosiliconvalley.com | DECEMBER 30, 2015-JANUARY 5, 2016

metroactive FILM

The Femme Force Awakens POWERFUL WOMEN Less ‘bossy,’ and more ‘like a boss,’ female actors like Melissa McCarthy took on many more leading roles in 2015—portraying strong, uncompromising and in-control women in positions of power.

This year in movies saw more strong and independent female characters

BY RICHARD VON BUSACK

I

F THERE WAS a worse movie in 2015 than Fantastic Four, I didn’t see it.

And if there’s anything we can learn from 2015 in film, it’s that complaining vociferously and ceaselessly is always a good policy— especially when it comes to issues of equality. A few years ago, during the height of the Frat Pack, there were so many males on screen I wondered if they’d passed some Elizabethan-style law against women actors. But judging by the year we just had, it would seem

that at least some in showbiz were listening to the despair of moviegoers.

There was Daisy Ridley, who rejuvenated a male-dominated franchise with her portrayal of Rey in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which handsomely counters George Lucas’s tendency to turn the few women in his space operas into wax statues or, in one notorious case, cheesecake fit for a Hutt.

We had the true aim of Jennifer Lawrence’s beloved Katniss Everdeen, underestimated one last time by the effete and the elite. Tom Hardy’s Mad Max was upstaged

by Charlize Theron’s Mad Maxine.

Jessica Chastain was the master

of the interplanetary Hermes in The Martian. There was 007’s companion Lea Seydoux, giving Blofeld a welldeserved facial with high explosives.

And we saw that that the suave and svelte aren’t the only ones capable of espionage: Bond’s troubles would have been fewer if he had teamed with Melissa McCarthy in Spy. In less bombastic films, the repeated depiction of the inner world of women defied the fact that female directors are still a small minority compared to men. The documentary Amy was a warning to bright talented girls who believe they should give their souls over to love, as much as it was a CSI examination of a fragile woman done to death.

Compare Amy Winehouse’s troubles with the backbone of the lonely but brave Eilis, played by Saoirse Ronan—maybe the single most

stirring performance of the year—in Brooklyn. There was Shu Qi’s lovelorn killer in eighth century China in The Assassin, and Elizabeth Banks’ charm-school educated saleswoman, standing her ground against a master manipulator in Love and Mercy.

It can be hoped that Alicia Vikander’s tremendous acting in Ex Machina shook the obscene selfconfidence of the engineers plotting the next step in artificial intelligence.

(And Oscar Isaac’s take on the Steve Jobs type was somehow more Jobsian than Michael Fassbender playing the actual man.) Ex Machina snuck up on you like the invisible “It” battled by Maika Monroe’s Jay in the brilliant It Follows, scaring you with things seemingly too hackneyed to have any fright left in them. It was amusing to see some critics fretting about the misogyny of Eva when “she” wasn’t even what you’d call a woman. As a womanoid, engineered to look shy, flirty and frail, Ex Machina savagely critiqued the damsel in distress that activates so many movies.

Inside Out’s gumball machine version of a girl-child’s mind was pretty. It was also something like the reductive pop-psychology that was bruited about when I was a little more than a tween. Still, this was a movie trafficking in something that a few years ago would have been judged absolutely unsellable: the inner life of a maturing young female.

Some eccentric could double-bill Inside Out with the semi-animated Diary of a Teenage Girl, which took up the next interior chapter in one girl’s life. There are scarier things in San Francisco than broccoli pizza.

Fremont-raised Don Hertzfeldt’s “World of Tomorrow” could be the last stage of this particular fanciful arc: a woman heading off into the solar system, but allowed by the magic of time travel to converse with her toddler-aged grandmother. For speculative fiction and with great poignancy, Hertzfeld surpassed any other animated film of the year.

As for the rest of the picks: Beasts of No Nation and Spotlight standout as works exposing scandals. The horror of Africa’s child soldiers was made palpable by the remarkable Cary Fukunaga—of True Detective fame—with the help of Netflix’s production money.

Similarly wrenching was the innovative Holocaust film, Son of Saul.

the camera’s lens with a rose, was something it’d be hard to watch clear-eyed.

The most noble function of cinema is seen in its opposition to fanaticism in all forms—it’s an old fight that goes back as far as D. W. Griffith’s Intolerance, celebrating its centennial next year. At their best, the movies civilize us with visions that make us understand each other, to let us know what it’s like to have a different skin, a different tongue or a different sex.

RICHARD VON BUSACK’S TOP 10 FILMS OF 2015 IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER...

Amy The Assassin Beasts of No Nation Bridge of Spies Ex Machina It Follows Love and Mercy Son of Saul Taxi World of Tomorrow (short

by Don Hertzfeldt) RUNNERS UP End of the Tour Spectre We Who Live in the Shadows Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem The Forbidden Room The Martian Inside Out Shaun the Sheep ‘Twelve Angry Men Inside Amy Schumer’ (episode, Inside Amy Schumer)

31

metroactive FILM

NOW PLAYING THE BIG SHORT Like a really good punk rock recording, The Big Short is a triumph of snotty tone and fourth-wall breaking, not over-sweetened by the populism of a Michael Moore, or the smugness of Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street. Director Adam McKay (the Anchorman franchise, Step Brothers) makes grim farce out of the traders who made a mint betting on the financial collapse of the late 2000s. In this telling, based on the book by Berkeley author Michael Lewis (of the book Moneyball), among the few who understood that prime mortgages were mixed with useless subprimes was the solitary Silicon Valley physician turned founder of Scion Capital Dr. Michael Burry (Christian Bale). Clapping a pair of drumsticks (he likes to bash along with Metallica), hanging his jaw in an imitation of a smile, it’s a one-note performance by Bale, though if his Bruce Wayne carried on like this, surely no one would ever know about his secret identity.

Another trader is a principled Manhattanite who is God’s angry man (a Lee J. Cobbish Steve Carell, in his most impressive movie acting yet); a pair of garage-based guys from Boulder who seek the help of a guru who quit The Street in disgust (Brad Pitt); and Ryan Gosling as a typical financial industry Young Turk—the most cynical of the characters. McKay makes genial comic use of celebrities, to focus the wandering attention of people who can’t seem to understand how the fleecing worked. If you can’t figure out what a subprime mortgage was, what if supermodel Margot Robbie in a bubble bath spelled it out for you? This lightness of tone counterpoints a landscape of financial horror—stories of the so-called “NINJa mortgage,” with “NINJa” being an acronym for “no income, no job”; the insane exuberance of the market that turned bankers from dull citizens to frothing gamblers. In the end, 6 million houses were left vacant because of fiscal skullduggery. The people who said it’ll never happen again are also the people who said it would never happen in the first place. (RvB)

CLEO FROM 5 TO 7 (1962) During the afternoon of the summer solstice, a minor pop singer who calls herself Cleo (Corinne

brilliant director/writer Agnes Varda demonstrates her lifelong preference for documentary camera work; there’s rarely been such a snatched-offthe-streets-of-Paris film. The yeast that was leavening the French New Wave is practically ambient here.

Varda was there at the right time to capture the city right before its transformation in the 1960s, through the kind of construction that Jacques Tati would go on to mock in his comedies, particularly Playtime. It’s a real time-machine ride, and anyone who loves Paris will be floored by it. The music is by Michel Legrand, easily recognizable from the pianoplaying style when he turns up for a visit to Cleo’s loft. Godard himself, momentarily without his sunglasses, is an actor in a playful but weird pastiche of silent comedy. (Hulu Plus/ Criterion Collection). (RvB)

Marchand) awaits the results of a biopsy in something near real time—the movie runs 90 minutes.

Thanks to an unfavorable Tarot card reading—a color sequence in this otherwise black and white film, Cleo is sure she is doomed already. She distracts herself from the bad news to come with errands and visits, and—though she has an older man helping her and perhaps keeping her—she meets a soldier (Antoine Bourseiller) on leave from the ruinous Algerian War by the waterfall in the Parc Buttes-Chaumont. While the immediacy of this story is compelling, Marchand doesn’t really light up until she meets this man whose chance of imminent death is the same as her own. Marchand may be one of those actresses who really prefer playing a woman in love. In what was only her second feature, the

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In focusing nearly every shot of the film on the face of its leading man, it recreates the claustrophobic tunnel vision of a man trying to survive a death factory.

Spotlight covered the worldwide disgrace of the Catholic Church’s pedophiliac cover-ups, while also functioning as an elegy for the newsrooms that had the resources to expose these scandals. End of the Tour had a valuable critique of soft journalism and the destructive power of the celebrity interview on the kind of people we need the most—those least interested in fame.

It’s clear Bridge of Spies has its own relevance to current crises. The demonization of dissenting radicals, and denial of due process is an old custom in America—celebrated from Guantanamo to the podiums of the Republican debates. Spielberg really knows how to recapture the past. The multiple time voyages to the 1950s in this, Brooklyn, Trumbo and Carol deserves some speculation.

Are directors of a certain age trying to recapture the world of their childhood … are they nostalgic for the repression of the past?

What can you say about a branch of a religion that has the men thanking The Eternal every morning that they were not born a woman? Details of the Orthodox Jewish repression in Gett could be matched with the way religious courts in Iran try (vainly) to keep the brave director Jafar Panahi down. It’s probably not the most dignified way for a film critic to conduct himself, accounting for his tears so that the world will know what a great bawling suckling he is.

But the moment in Jafar Panahi’s Taxi, in which the unidentified female lawyer, greeting the film watchers of the world, and presenting

Greg Ramar

32 metroactive.com | sanjose.com | metrosiliconvalley.com | DECEMBER 30, 2015-JANUARY 5, 2016

metroactive MUSIC

REY RESURRECCION— HEART OF THE CITY When he isn’t rocking shows, writing raps or working on beats in his downtown studio, Rey Resurreccion can often be found teaching chess to young kids. One day in late 2014, Resurreccion told a group of his mentees to “make sure every move you make counts.” Rey Res knows a thing or two about waiting for the right moment. The local emcee made sure that everything was just so before dropping his third full-length, Heart of the City, on Jan. 27. The album is his strongest to date.

FORGOTTEN GODS—TWIN SISTERS Anyone who has recorded a full-length record on a tight budget and in a professional studio knows just how stressful the process can be. That they managed to record their sophomore LP in just two days is, in itself, a testament to the work ethic of local stoner metalheads Forgotten Gods—especially considering how good it is. There wasn’t much room for error, says guitarist Dave Stoltenberg. But that didn’t get him too worked up. “We figured that Black Sabbath did Paranoid in one day. We had twice that amount of time.”

Hit Parade

CITABRIA—EXIT REALITY

MUSICAL MEMORIES Ali Shaheed Muhammad, of A Tribe Called Quest fame, was one of this year’s memorable local performances.

New venues, strong releases made 2015 a great year for local music

BY NICK VERONIN

W

ITH THE HELP of new and new-ish venues, downtown San Jose saw some great shows in 2015.

SIR MIX-A-LOT proved that big butts will never go out of style, and MAC SABBATH demonstrated the power of drive-thru metal with energetic sets at The Ritz; KIRK HAMMETT brought djent masters MESHUGGAH and stoner metal veterans HIGH ON FIRE to the RockBar Theater, with his two-day FEAR FESTEVIL; THE VELVET TEEN returned with a full-length album and a powerhouse performance at

Cafe Stritch; and The Continental Bar, Lounge and Patio hosted some fantastic, forward-thinking dance music—hosting, among others, ALI SHAHEED MUHAMMAD of A TRIBE CALLED QUEST fame.

Some notable big-name acts rolled through town, as well. TAYLOR SWIFT brought her 1989 World Tour to Levi’s Stadium, while AZIZ ANSARI got big laughs and THE WEEKND hit high notes at the Shark Tank.

Also, this year in the realm of musical WTFs, CHRIS BROWN presided over a terrible party (see Pg. 14) at the Fiesta nightclub in south San Jose, where five fans were shot; and STEVE HARWELL— frontman for the reviled San Jose-bred alt-rockers, SMASH MOUTH—had a meltdown after the crowd at a Colorado music festival started throwing slices of

bread at the band during their set.

“I’m gonna come find your ass, I’m gonna beat your ass, whoever the fuck you are out there, OK?” Harwell can be heard saying into the microphone in a viral video of the bizarre spectacle. A Vine clip of Brown’s “Capricorn Bash” shows the self-styled bad boy R&B singer flinching as shots ring out in the middle of his song, “Loyal.”

And 2015 was also a great year for local releases. Here are my five favorites:

WILL SPROTT—VORTEX NUMBERS Former frontman for The Mumlers— one of the better indie rock outfits to emerge from the South Bay in recent memory—released his debut solo LP. On Vortex Numbers, Sprott, who now lives in Seattle, lays out a stripped-down, 10song set, which recalls his work with the Mumlers, as well as the dusty, shuffling beats, warm guitar lines and shaky harmonies of The Rolling Stones.

After local alt-rockers Citabria released the excellent, if scrappy, The Stereo Guillotine EP in 2010, local fans couldn’t get enough. But then internal tensions led the band to take a long hiatus.

They returned in 2015 with the highly polished and ultra-catch Exit Reality. One of the album’s standout tracks, “The Animal,” features a stuttering, Moog bass line, soaring vocal harmonies and jet-plane guitars; it sounds like a cross between Muse, Depeche Mode and Dredg.

ERIC VICTORINO—“CAPTURED” The frontman for Strata and The Limousines decided to step out on his own this year. Initially calling the project Gestalt—a nod to the psychological concept that underpins the project—he has since changed his moniker to E. James. A record is due out in mid-2016, according to his PledgeMusic page, but at least one full track has been released: the moody, downtempo, electronic track, “Captured.” A snippet of another song, “Stumble Back To You,” recalls the exuberance of Passion Pit.

11 33

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metroactive.com | sanjose.com | metrosiliconvalley.com | DECEMBER 30, 2015-JANUARY 5, 2016

Rock/Pop/ Hip-Hop AGAVE Every Fri, 9:30pm: DJ Norman. San Jose.

NUMBER ONE BROADWAY Every Tue: Jack Ripoff. Every Wed: Isaiah Pickett Jam. Wed, Dec 30, 8pm: Isaiah Pickett Jam. Sat, Dec 31, 8pm: Hella Good Party Band.

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SAN PEDRO SQUARE MARKET Thu, Dec 31, 9pm: Groovy Judy. San Jose.

AGENDA LOUNGE Every Wed, 8pm: Salsa Wednesdays w/ free dance lessons. Every Thu, 9pm: Banda Night. San Jose. Every Sunday: Hip-hop & reggae.

San Jose.

THE X BAR Every Thu: No Cover night.

Every Sat: Saturday Nite Live Music Show. Cupertino.

Every Wed: DJ 512. Every Thu: DJ Nico & Neeber. Every Fri: DJ Benofficial & Clay. Every Sat: DJ Ready Rock. San Jose.

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CARDIFF LOUNGE Every Tues, 10pm: Resident DJ Gabriel Black presents Beat Culture. Every Wed, 10pm: Rubber Soul w/ Wen Davis, Nappy, Cutso, and Golden Child (Hip-Hop). Every Thu, 10pm: Roger Morehouse Presents Foxy Thursdays. Campbell.

Complimentary Champagne Toast at Midnight Party favors Dancing

Wed, Dec 30, 7pm: Acoustic Madness. Sat, Jan 2, 8pm: Whiskey Pass. Every Sun, 6pm: Joe Ferrara. Los Gatos.

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NORMANDY HOUSE LOUNGE

Woodhams W dham ounggee Wooodh mss LLounge 2942 S. Bascom Ave., San Jose 95124

Every Thu: Banda La Unica.

Every Fri, 6:30pm: Mariachi Mariachismo. San Jose.

ANGELICA’S BISTRO Every Tue: Jazz Tuesdays.

Thu, Dec 31, 9:30pm: Paula Harris and her Big Funkin’ Blues Band. Sat, Jan 1, 8:30pm: Fiesta Flamenca Redwood City.

BLUE NOTE LOUNGE Every Tue, 7:30pm: Yoshi Senzaki Band. Every Sun: Jazz or Blues. Milpitas.

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O’FLAHERTY’S Thu, 9pm: Live Music. Sun, 5pm: Reggae music. Tue, 6:30pm: Live Irish Rock. San Jose.

POOR HOUSE BISTRO Every Wed: Blues & Brews w/ Sid Morris & Kyle Jester. Thu, Dec 31, 8pm: Tony Lindsay Band. San Jose.

Fri: Live music. Santa Clara.

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Thu, Dec 31, 9pm: Marcus Shelby Residence. Sat, Jan 2, 8:30pm: Sylvia Quenca. Every Sun: Eulipions Jazz Jam Session. San Jose.

LITTLE LOU’S BBQ Wed, Dec 30, 7pm: Jim Ripper and the Night Prowlers. Thu, Dec 31, 8pm: Aki’s NYE Blues Jam. Fri, Jan 1, 8pm: Fred McCarty Sat, Jan 2, 8pm: The Jokers. Every Sun: Little Lou’s Jazz Jam Band. San Jose.

MOROCCO’S Every Wed, Fri, and Sat, 5pm: Belly dancing. Every Tue, 4pm: Live Jazz Music w/

SAM'S BBQ Wed, Dec 30, 6pm: Matt and George and their Pleasant Valley Boys. Tue, Jan 5, 6pm: Bean Creek. San Jose.

UNWINED Every 2nd and 4th Thu, 7-9pm: Don Balistreri. Every Sat, 7-9:30pm: Live jazz.

Every 1st and 3rd Sat, 9pm: Randy Whiting and “@Jazz.”

San Jose.

C&W/Folk DANA STREET COFFEE Every 2nd Mon, 7pm: Ukulele Jam. Mountain View.

CHARLEY'S LG Every Thu, 7pm: Speakeasy Saloon w/ live Country music. Every Tue, 7pm: Tuesday Bluesday w/ live Blues music. Los Gatos.

MISSION PIZZA Sat, Jan 2, 7pm: Mill Creek Ramblers. Fremont.

ORCHARD VALLEY COFFEE Every Thu: Acoustics Music Nights. Every Fri & Sat: Acoustics/Bands Music Nights. Campbell.

PIONEER SALOON Every Sun: Jam Session.

Every Wed: Marty and Annika. Every Thu: Pete Weston. Woodside.

THE SADDLE RACK Every Wed, 7:30pm: Country Get Down Wednesday. Every Thu, 7:30: Country Music.

Every Fri, 9pm: Country Get Down Friday. Fremont.

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10 36 metroactive.com | sanjose.com | metrosiliconvalley.com | DECEMBER 30, 2015-JANUARY 5, 2016

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BLINKY’S CAN’T SAY Fri, 9pm: Karaoke Friday Nights. Santa Clara.

Mon & Wed, 9pm: Darryl.

Milpitas.

BOULEVARD TAVERN Thu: Karaoke. Los Gatos.

BRANHAM LOUNGE ANGELICA’S BISTRO

Tue: Karaoke with Medik & Sean Blak. San Jose.

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Every Tue: Open Mic Tuesdays. Redwood City.

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Every Wed at 9:30pm: Karaoke. Willow Glen.

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Wed and Sun, 10pm: Karaoke w/ DJ Hank. San Jose.

WOODHAMS LOUNGE

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Tue-Thu & Sat: Karaoke.

Santa Clara.

Mon, 7pm: Musical open mic for singer/songwriters. Sign up at 7pm. Free. San Jose.

BLUE ROCK SHOOT Thu, 7pm: Musical open mic.

San Jose.

CAFFE FRASCATI Every Mon, 8pm: Commediaopen mic for comedy. Every Tue, 7pm: Open mic. San Jose.

ROOSTER T. FEATHERS Wed, Dec 30, 8pm: New Talent Showcase. Thu, Dec 31, 7:30pm/10:30pm: Adam Newman. Fri-Sun, Jan 1-3, various: Dave Burleigh.

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Mon, 10pm: Mandatory Monday Karaoke. San Jose.

DIVE BAR

Dance Clubs

Wed, 10pm: Karaoke. San Jose.

AJ’S BAR

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DJs and dancing every night.

Mon-Sat, 6pm-1am; Sun, 8pm-12:30am. San Jose.

Thu, 8pm: Karaoke. San Jose.

FIREHOUSE GRILL & BREWERY Sun, 7pm-close: Uncle Dougie Show. Palo Alto.

BRANHAM LOUNGE Wed: Almaden Valley Beer Pong with DJ ONEmanARMY. Thu: Vintage (80s, 90s, Pop, Rock, Hip Hop) with DJ David Q. Fri: Quality Control with DJ DLuzion. Sat: Lounge Life with DJ Krucial and DJ NESSrock. San Jose.

LOFT BAR AND BISTRO WOODHAMS LOUNGE

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Mon: Comedy open mic with Pete Munoz. Santa Clara.

Fri-Sat, 9:30pm-1:30am: Karaoke. Willow Glen.

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ISLAND CAFE & BAR

2nd Thu, 7pm: Words Drawing Music. San Jose.

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Fri-Sat, 9pm: Karaoke.

Sunnyvale.

KATIE BLOOM’S Wed & Sun, 9:30pm-1:30am: Karaoke. Campbell.

NORMANDY HOUSE LOUNGE

Wed-Sat, 9pm: Karaoke. Tue, 9pm: Karaoke. San Jose.

Fri-Sat, 9:30pm: Karaoke.

Santa Clara.

7 STARS BAR & GRILL

THE OFFICE BAR & GRILL

Fri-Sat, 8pm: Karaoke. San Jose.

Tue, 9pm: Karaoke with TJ The DJ. Sunnyvale.

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Every 2nd Thu: Gothic, industrial karaoke. Club Lido, San Jose.

Tue, 8:30pm: Acoustic karaoke with Sam Marshall.

Woodside.

THE BACK BAR

POINCIANA LOUNGE

Tue thru Sat: Karaoke. San Jose.

Wed, 9:30pm: Wildside. No cover.

Sun, 9pm: Joe. Santa Clara.

ROCKBAR Tue, 7pm: Live Band Karaoke.

San Jose.

Fri: Loft Fridays w/ DJ Exrated, J-Quest. Sat: The Upstairs Party w/ DJ Howhigh, DJ RQ, DJ Sequence, DJ Christylz. San Jose.

MILANO Every Fri: Salsa Dancing.

Every 3rd Fri: Strictly Freestyle. Every 4th Fri: Fuz. San Jose.

MYTH TAVERNA LOUNGE Thu, 9pm: Therapy Thursday. Fri, 9pm: Soul Therapy. San Jose.

NORMANDY HOUSE LOUNGE Thu, 10pm: Dancing to DJ BenOfficial & DJ Vex. Santa Clara.

WILLOW DEN Every Wed, 9:30pm: Karaoke; Every Thu: $2 Drink Night; Every Fri/Sat: DJs featuring a variety of Top 40, Hip Hop, EDM; Every Sun: Service Industry Night (1/2 off drinks w/industry card). Willow Glen.

37 DECEMBER 30, 2015-JANUARY 5, 2016 | metrosiliconvalley.com | sanjose.com | metroactive.com

THE WOODSHED

Thu: JR. Sun: JR Diaz Family Karaoke. Tue: James. Gilroy.

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metroactive.com | sanjose.com | metrosiliconvalley.com | DECEMBER 30, 2015-JANUARY 5, 2016

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BE CAREFUL OF IMITATORS! All Recommendations must be done in person by a CA Certified MD or you are NOT legal!

If your Rec was done by Skype, Notify the Medical Board.

ASK ABOUT OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY SPECIALS

DECEMBER 30, 2015-JANUARY 5, 2016 | metrosiliconvalley.com | sanjose.com | metroactive.com

By Dr. Raja Toke

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40 10 metroactive.com | sanjose.com | metrosiliconvalley.com | DECEMBER 30, 2015-JANUARY 5, 2016

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DECEMBER 30, 2015-JANUARY 5, 2016 | metrosiliconvalley.com | sanjose.com | metroactive.com

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metroactive.com | sanjose.com | metrosiliconvalley.com | DECEMBER 30, 2015-JANUARY 5, 2016

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ATTENTION: State governmental entities can NOT create or recreate laws that organizations and individuals simply can’t abide by or follow without blatantly violating a superior law known as the Federal (CSA) Controlled Substance Act! The first thing that everyone MUST know and fully understand is the federal “Supremacy Clause.” The Supremacy Clause is the provision in Article Six, Clause 2 of the United States Constitution. This establishes the Constitution, federal statutes, and treaties as the “supreme law of the land.” It provides that these are the highest form of law in the United States legal system, and mandates that all the state judges MUST follow federal law when a conflict arises between federal law and either a state Constitution or state law of any state.

Question: How can California establish or recreate any state law or amend the state Constitution without violating the "supreme law of the land" known as the federal Controlled Substance Act? Answer: In our opinion...they can’t! As long as federal laws like the CSA, IRS Rule 280E and federal banking laws exist NO state can lawfully legalize something that is federally illegal! The federal governmental entities may NOT prosecute or pursue the states themselves but they’ve recently made it clear that they will go after organizations and individuals.

So….We’ll All Take the Fifth!

The Fifth Amendment’s right against self-incrimination permits an organization or individual to refuse to follow a law or laws that could be used against the organization or individual in a criminal prosecution. This right is to inhibit the government from compelling a confession or illegal activity through force, coercion or deception.

DECEMBER 30, 2015-JANUARY 5, 2016 | metrosiliconvalley.com | sanjose.com | metroactive.com

State Law vs Federal Law

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DECEMBER 30, 2015-JANUARY 5, 2016 | metrosiliconvalley.com | sanjose.com | metroactive.com

A LT E R N AT I V E MEDICINE

metroactive.com | sanjose.com | metrosiliconvalley.com | DECEMBER 30, 2015-JANUARY 5, 2016

46

ADVICE GODDESS

By AMY ALKON

AdviceAmy@AOL.com

My girlfriend’s “best friend” is a straight guy. I trust that she THINKS he’s just her friend. However, as a guy, I know that if he could hit it, he would. FYI, I’m not really a jealous or insecure person, and my guy friends complain about this same scenario, so this can’t just be my stuff. —Annoyed

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There’s a saying, “A true friend accepts who you are and helps you become who you can be”—for example, a person who’s naked in her true friend’s bed, feeling really guilty about cheating on her boyfriend.

Sorry to be less-than-reassuring, but you and your guy friends are right: For many men, the friend zone is a holding area where they wait to Mr. Sneaky back-massage their way into the sexfriend zone. In a study of 88 opposite-sex friendships by evolutionary psychologist April Bleske-Rechek, men were more attracted to their female friend than vice versa and more likely to assume she also had the hots for them—a belief bearing little correspondence to how the woman actually felt. Women, on the other hand, tended to assume their male friend had only platonic intentions. And sure, some male friends are just looking out for their female friends— but others do it in the way a hungry lion looks out for the limping gazelle.

Bleske-Rechek’s findings align with research by evolutionary psychologists Martie Haselton and David Buss suggesting that we evolved to make protective mistakes in perception— erring in favor of whatever assumption would be least costly to our mating and survival interests. Men tend to

overestimate women’s attraction to them because they lose more by missing a possible mating opportunity than by making asses of themselves hitting on a woman who isn’t interested. Women, however, tend to underestimate men’s interest, because they have a lot to lose from believing a cad will stick around to be a dad.

You aren’t without options here, though it’s probably best to refrain from dusting off the old flintlock and challenging the guy to a duel at dawn.

Showing jealousy suggests you have reason to feel threatened (like maybe he really is all that). Instead, simply be the better deal. Consistently show your girlfriend that you’ve got what women evolved to prioritize in men—a willingness to invest time, energy, and resources—like by really listening when she talks instead of uh-huhing her while blowing up alien invaders on your phone.

Do this stuff not because you’re afraid of losing her (which stinks of desperation) but because you haven’t forgotten that you love her. And as a show of how secure you are, maybe even encourage her to hang with him—that is, whenever she’s all “Golly, it’s been months since I spent the better part of an hour at the mall trying to decide between two slightly different vanilla-scented candles.”

I’m a 41-year-old male sports fan, and every girlfriend I’ve had has initially claimed to like sports. But once I’m all in, she admits that she never liked sports at all. Why can’t women just be honest in the beginning?—Bugged Say you like camping. A woman who likes you claims she likes camping, too, perhaps believing that she could like camping—not quite connecting it with everything she absolutely hates, like peeing in a hole and bugs that don’t come in pink resin with a matching choker.

Of course, women aren’t the only ones who claim to be a little more woodsy or literate or … sportive … than they actually are. However, men tend to lie to get sex, while women tend to lie to get love. But because women evolved to be the nurturers and peacekeepers of the species, they are probably more likely to say yes or okay to stuff they’re not very yes or okay with. (Some confuse being a pleaser with being

kind and giving in healthy ways.) Men, on the other hand, evolved to be the competitors of our species and are more comfortable with conflict—starting in infancy, when they’re beating up the kid in the next crib.

What’s essential to figure out is whether the lie is a little “I like what you like!” stretchie or part of a disturbing pattern—suggesting she’s either a pathological liar or a gaping void looking to use love as Spackle.

Expect hyperbole at the start, and ask probing questions to see whether a woman is truly into sports—beyond challenging some other woman to a cage fight over the last pair of DKNY ankle booties in a 9-and-a-half narrow.

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©2015, Amy Alkon, all rights reserved. Got a problem? Write Amy Alkon, 550 S. First St., San Jose, CA 95113, or email adviceamy@aol.com.

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Fax your ad to the Classified Department at 408.271.3520

Mail to: Metro Classified 550 S. First St. San Jose, CA

Visit our offices Monday through Friday, 9am–5pm

classifieds@metronews.com Please include your Visa, MC, Discover or AmEx number and expiration date for payment.

For copy, playment, space reservation or cancellaion: Display ads: Thursday 3pm, Line ads: Friday 3pm

JOBS Gold Club San Jose Entertainers Auditioning entertainers. Call for details. 81 West Santa Clara St. 408-294-6666, info@goldclubsj.com

Clari seeks Sr S/W Engr in Sunnyvale, CA to develop S/W apps for medium to large enterprises. Send resume w/ad to 1154 Sonora Ct, Sunnyvale, CA 94086.

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ENGINEERING NXP Semiconductors USA, Inc. has the following employment opportunity in San Jose, CA: Applications Engineer (SK-NXP)- Perform application and device driver software development with DSP or USB focus. Develop training materials and application notes for new products and critical interfaces.

Submit resume by mail to Attn: HR Coordinator, NXP Semiconductors USA, Inc. 411 East Plumeria Drive, San Jose, CA 95134. Must reference job title and job code.

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Super dump/transfer, end dump, 10 wheeler, and water truck drivers for local construction material hauling. All work is daily some nights and weekends on occasion no long haul, you will be home with your family daily. Must have clean DMV, Class A or B lic. read, write and speak fluent English as well as pass pre employment and random drug screening. Compensation is competitive and based on experience and performance. Please apply at:1217 Dell Ave., Campbell CA 95008Between 10 am and 3 pm. Mon - Fri. 408-9714430 for immediate interview.

Pacific Hand Car Wash Must have high energy, enthusiasm, team leadership and with sales experience. Apply in person! 1667 S. Bascom Ave., Campbell, 95008

ENGINEERING Agilent Technologies, Inc. has the following employment opportunity in Santa Clara, CA: R&D Engineer (IMCA): Design and implement Agilent OpenLAB SDMS products and specify the components that make up the products.

Send your resume (must reference job title and job code) to Agilent Technologies, Inc., Attn: Cielo, 200 South Executive Drive, Suite 400, Brookfield, WI 53005.

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ASIC Design Verification Engineers IV(Ref #101);

ASIC Design Verification Engineers III (Ref #102, 103, 107, 108, 109); ASIC Physical Design Engineers III (Ref #104, 105, 106); Computer Systems Engineers II (Ref#110); Business Analysts (Systems Analyst (Ref #111) Multiple positions available. Detailed job description at www.smartplayin. com. Job Site: San Jose, CA. Job may require working from employer’s branches located in San Diego, CA and Austin, TX and/or various unanticipated locations throughout the United States. Travel required only to the extent of relocating to employer’s branches located in San Diego, CA and Austin, TX and/or various unanticipated locations throughout the United States. Send resumes referencing job title & reference number to SmartPlay, Inc., 2580 North First Street, Suite 480, San Jose, CA 95131.

MUSIC ThugWorldRecords.com Thug World Records explosive label based out of San Jose CA with major features lil Wayne E-40 Ghetto Politician Punish. Free downloads mp3s Ringtones. Over 22 albums online. Call or log on thugworldrecords.com 408-561-5458 ask for gp

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GUARANTEED INSTALLATION

LEGALS & PUBLIC NOTICES The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: Maxxed Out Music, 134 S. 20th St., San Jose, CA, 95116, Maxx Cabello. This business is conducted by a individual.Registrant began transacting business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein on 12/7/15. Refile of previous file #432524 after 40 days of expiration date/s/Maxx Cabello Jr.This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Clara County on 12/07/2015.(pub Metro 12/09, 12/16, 12/23, 12/30/2015)

STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME #611892 The following person(s) / entity (ies) has / have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name(s): Cuu Long Spa, 1310 Tully Road, Suite 105, San Jose, CA, 95122, Huyen Tran, 2600 Senter Road, #142, San Jose, CA, 95111, Fang Hsui Piazza, 304 W. Abbey, Mountain House, CA, 95391. Filed in Santa Clara County on 8/18/2015 under file #608212This business was conducted by an general partnership/s/Huyen TranThis statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Clara County on 12/09/2015.(pub Metro 12/16, 12/23, 12/30, 1/06/2016)

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT #611067 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: D-Tek Manufacturing, 3245 Woodward Ave., Santa Clara, CA, 95054, . This business is conducted by a corporation.Above entity was formed in the state of CaliforniaRegistrant began transacting business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein on 4/24/2006. refile of previous flie #547784 with changes/s/Thanh Lan DangSecretary#C3270608This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Clara County on 11/12/2015.(pub Metro 12/09, 12/16, 12/23, 12/30/2015)

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT #611520 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: Dong Vi Spa, 1310 Tully Rd., #105, San Jose, CA, 95122, Ha Nguyen, 458 Archove Ct., San Jose, CA, 95111, Huyen Tran, 2800 Senter Rd., #142, San Jose, CA, 95111. This business is conducted by an general partnership.

Registrant has not yet begun transacting business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein on. /s/Huyen TranThis statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Clara County on 11/25/2015.(pub Metro 9/16, 9/23, 9/30, 1/06/2016)

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT #612109 The following person(s) is (are) doing business

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT #611190 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: Sedo Appliance, 5201 Terner Way., #201, San Jose, CA, 95136, Sarkis Sedo Hessar.

This business is conducted by a individual.

Registrant began transacting business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein on 11/17/2015. /s/Sarkis Sedo HessarThis statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Clara County on 11/17/2015.(pub Metro 12/09, 12/16, 12/23, 12/30/2015)

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT #611965 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: A-Able Locksmiths, 103 S. King Road, San Jose, CA, 95116, Paul Nhut Minh Nguyen.

This business is conducted by an indivdual.

Registrant began transacting business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein 1965. Refile of previous file #538914 with changes/s/Paul Nhut Minh NguyenThis statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Clara County on 12/10/2015.(pub Metro 12/16, 12/23, 12/30, 1/06/2016)

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT #612328 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: Abyss Vapor Distribution Inc, 2681 Corde Terra Cir., San Jose, CA, 95111. This business is conducted by a corporation.Above entity was formed in the state of CaliforniaRegistrant began business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein on 12/1/15.Refile of previous file #611466 due to publication requirement not met on previous filing./s/ Wesley A. BrownCEO[#C3835466This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Clara County on 12/22/2015. (pub Metro 12/30, 1/06, 1/13, 1/20/2016)

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT #611962 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: Lock World, 103 S. King Road, San Jose, CA, 95116, Paul Nhut Minh Nguyen. This business is conducted by an indivdual. Registrant has not yet begun business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein. /s/Paul Nhut Minh Nguyen This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Clara County on 12/10/2015. (pub Metro 12/16, 12/23, 12/30, 1/06/2016)

THE STRAIGHT DOPE

By CECIL ADAMS

49

CECIL@METRONEWS.COM If humans were to die out tomorrow, how long would it take for nature to take over and overgrow most traces of our existence? After like 10,000 years, would you have to undertake an archaeological dig to find evidence of us, or would parts of major cities still be standing and distinguishable? —Jim Huff Why not take it a step further: what if humans never existed at all? As the Republican primary race drags on, I can’t say it’s not an alluring proposition, and— helpfully—one that was broached this year by researchers at Denmark’s Aarhus University. They came to the fairly obvious conclusion that, sans Homo sapiens, the rest of the world’s fauna would be a hell of a lot better off—so much so that most continents would resemble Africa in the diversity of their mammal populations. In a human-free world, the authors imagine, not only wolves and bears but elephants and rhinos would right now be roaming northern Europe.

Alas, we have to work with the facts we’ve got, namely: 1) we exist on earth, and 2) someday we might not— whether by disease or nuclear winter, or because we’ve ditched this rock for one that’s not yet totally hosed. For the sake of your question, though, let’s imagine we simply vanished—a kind of nondenominational rapture.

As it happens, such a scenario was entertained by the journalist Alan Weisman in his 2007 book The World Without Us. Weisman’s conceit was apparently seductive enough that it inspired not one but two documentary franchises: the History Channel series Life After People and National Geographic Channel’s Aftermath: Population Zero. Granted, that latter title carries a real whiff of basic-cable cheese, but Weisman’s no slouch.

Working from interviews with botanists, structural engineers, art conservators, et al., he credibly predicts what might happen in cities and less-populated areas, as well as at sites whose abandonment would lead to notably dramatic results— think oil refineries and nuclear reactors.

A particularly vivid passage gives the play-by-play in New York City. How quickly would urban infrastructure go to shit in a rapture scenario? Very, very quickly. “After we’re gone, nature’s revenge for our smug, mechanized superiority arrives waterborne,” Weisman writes. In New York’s case it comes from below: with no one to operate the pumps that keep water out of the subway tunnels, the system finds itself inundated in “no more than a couple of days.” (Superstorm Sandy gave us a taste

of what this might look like.) As the water rises toward ground level, it eats away at the soil; within 20 years the streets collapse, becoming rivers. Pipes burst, gas lines ignite—your standard postapocalyptic hellscape. Within 50 years, their foundations scoured out by water, skyscrapers start to falter and crumble. It’s another few centuries before trees really recolonize the place. (Interestingly, the animals that don’t make it are ones that adapted too well to human dominance, including several species fabled for their supposed indestructibility: cockroaches, which can’t handle northern winters without heating, and rats, which can’t replace the caloric value of a zillion tons of garbage.)

But you’re thinking on a bigger scale than this, Jim. Here are the headlines: • Debris in high earth orbit stays there for more than a century.

• Suspension bridges collapse within 300 years; other, heftier designs might hold up for a millennium.

• In cities like New York, the most durable structures will be stone walls, like those of St. Paul’s Church; Weisman sees them lasting “thousands of years.”

• Meanwhile, the estimated erosion rate at Mount Rushmore is just one inch per 10,000 years. From this, Weisman extrapolates that we can expect parts of it to remain recognizable for about 7.2 million years.

In 10,000 years, then, a visitor surveying the earth’s surface will find it largely reforested, with stone ruins here and there indicating the former presence of human life. How long till those are gone too? Here’s where Weisman and another scientist who’s written on the subject—astrophysicist Mayank Vahia, of India’s Tata Institute of Fundamental Research—demur. Vahia suggests that stone and metal building materials will hang on “for tens of thousands of years,” while Weisman figures whatever’s still standing in 20,000 or so years will be erased by another ice age.

What’s left then? PVC plastics and glass remain under the ice, ground to a powder. Wiring and plumbing, which show up as subterranean metal deposits.

Heavy metals and nuclear materials like uranium and plutonium residues, whose half-lives only begin at 24,000 years.

DECEMBER 30, 2015-JANUARY 5, 2016 | metrosiliconvalley.com | sanjose.com | metroactive.com

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT #611749

as: Il Pastaio, 1266 E Julian St., San Jose, CA, 95116, Sam Moeini, 2860 Creston Rd., Walnut Creek, CA, 94597. This business is conducted by an individual. Registrant has not yet begun business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein. /s/Sam Moeini This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Clara County on 12/16/2015. (pub Metro 12/23, 12/30, 1/06, 1/13/2016)

metroactive.com | sanjose.com | metrosiliconvalley.com | DECEMBER 30, 2015-JANUARY 5, 2016

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STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME #612353 The following person(s) / entity (ies) has / have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name(s): Quality Factory Reps, 2059 Camden Ave., #168, San Jose, CA, 95124, Adriana Gutierrez, Luis Guillermo Bernal Gutierrez. Filed in Santa Clara County on 12/23/2015 under file #594327This business was conducted by a general partnership/s/ Adriana GutierrezThis statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Clara County on 12/23/2015.(pub Metro 12/30, 1/06, 1/13, 1/20/2015)

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT #612038 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: Forian Photography, 1418 Vinci Park Way, Toan Nguyen. This business is conducted by an indivdual. Registrant has not yet begun transacting business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein. /s/ Paul Toan NguyenThis statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Clara County on 12/14/2015. (pub Metro 12/16, 12/23, 12/30, 1/06/2016)

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT #611867 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: Franco Tree Service Inc., 17975 Monterey Rd., Spc 50, Morgan Hill, CA, 95037.

This business is conducted by a corporation.

Above entity was formed in the state of CaliforniaRegistrant began transacting business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein 9/6/2008.

Refile of previous file #599214 afer 40 days of expiration date due to publication requirement not met on previous filing/s/ Maria FrancoCEO#C3734328This statement

CUBESOULS

was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Clara County on 12/09/2015.(pub Metro 12/16, 12/23, 12/30, 1/06/2015)

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT #612327 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: Vape of a Kind Inc, 2681 Corde Terra Cir., San Jose, CA, 95111. This business is conducted by a corporation.Above entity was formed in the state of CaliforniaRegistrant began business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein on 12/1/15.Refile of previous file #611465 due to publication requirement not met on previous filing./s/ Wesley A. BrownCEO#C38331380This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Clara County on 12/22/2015. (pub Metro 12/30, 1/06, 1/13, 1/20/2016)

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT #611216 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: Lion Electric Co, 1211 Park Ave., #104, San Jose, CA, 95126, Hamid R. Hozhabry, 501 Granger Terrace #2, Sunyvale, CA, 94087.

This business is conducted by an individual.

Registrant began transacting business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein on 9/29/2004 due to publication requirement not met on previous filing./s/ Hamid R. HozhabryThis statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Clara County on 11/17/2015. (pub Metro 12/16, 12/23, 12/30, 1/06/2016)

Publish Your Legal Document Here call 408.200.1300

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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY ARIES (March 21-April 19): John Koenig is an artist who invents words. Here's one that's applicable to your journey in 2016: “keyframe.”

Koenig defines it as being a seemingly mundane phase of your life that is in fact a turning point.

Major plot twists in your big story arrive half-hidden amidst a stream of innocuous events. They don't come about through “a series of jolting epiphanies,” Koenig says, but rather “by tiny imperceptible differences between one ordinary day and the next.”

In revealing this secret, I hope I've alerted you to the importance of acting with maximum integrity and excellence in your everyday routine.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): The coming months look like one of the best times ever for your love life. Old romantic wounds are finally ready to be healed. You'll know what you have to do to shed tired traditions and bad habits that have limited your ability to get the spicy sweetness you deserve.

Are you up for the fun challenge? Be horny for deep feelings. Be exuberantly aggressive in honoring your primal yearnings. Use your imagination to dream up new approaches to getting what you want. The innovations in intimacy that you initiate in the coming months will keep bringing you gifts and teachings for years to come.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In ancient times, observers of the sky knew the difference between stars and planets. The stars remained fixed in their places. The planets wandered around, always shifting positions in relationship to the stars.

But now and then, at irregular intervals, a very bright star would suddenly materialize out of nowhere, stay in the same place for a while, and then disappear. Chinese astronomers called these “guest stars.” We refer to them as supernovae. They are previously dim or invisible stars that explode, releasing tremendous energy for a short time.

I suspect that in 2016, you may experience the metaphorical equivalent of a guest star. Learn all you can from it. It'll provide teachings and blessings that could feed you for years.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Be alert for an abundance of interesting lessons in 2016. You will be offered teachings about a variety of practical subjects, including how to take care of yourself really well, how to live the life you want to live, and how to build the connections that serve your dreams. If you are even moderately responsive to the prompts and nudges that come your way, you will become smarter than you thought possible.

So just imagine how savvy you'll be if you ardently embrace your educational opportunities. (Please note that some of these opportunities may be partially in disguise.)

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): The silkworm grows fast.

Once it hatches, it eats constantly for three weeks.

By the time it spins its cocoon, it's 10,000 times heavier than it was in the beginning. On the other hand, a mature, 60-foot-tall saguaro cactus may take 30 years to fully grow a new side arm. It's in no hurry. From what I can tell, Leo, 2015 was more like a silkworm year for you, whereas 2016 will more closely resemble a saguaro. Keep in mind that while the saguaro phase is different from your silkworm time, it's just as important.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “The sky calls me,” wrote Virgo teacher and poet Sri Chinmoy. “The wind calls me. The moon and stars call me. The dense groves call me. The dance of the fountain calls me.

Smiles call me, tears call me. A faint melody calls me. The morn, noon and eve call me. Everyone is searching for a playmate. Everyone is calling me, ‘Come, come!’” In 2016, Virgo, I suspect you will have a lot of firsthand experience with feelings like these.

Sometimes life's seductiveness may overwhelm you, activating confused desires to go everywhere and do everything. On other occasions, you will be enchanted by the lush invitations, and will know exactly how to respond and reciprocate.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In the 19th century, horses were a primary mode of personal transportation.

Some people rode them, and others sat in carriages and wagons that horses pulled. But as cities grew larger, a problem emerged: the manure left behind on the roads. It became an ever-increasing challenge to

By ROB BREZSNY week of December 30

clear away the equine “pollution.” In 1894, a British newspaper predicted that the streets of London would be covered with nine feet of the stuff by 1950.

But then something unexpected happened: cars.

Gradually, the threat of an excremental apocalypse waned. I present this story as an example of what I expect for you in 2016: a pressing dilemma that will gradually dissolve because of the arrival of a factor you can't imagine yet.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): The longest river in the world flows through eastern Africa: the Nile. It originates below the equator and empties into the Mediterranean Sea. Although its current flows north, its prevailing winds blow south. That's why sailors have found it easily navigable for thousands of years.

They can either go with the flow of the water or use sails to harness the power of the breeze. I propose that we make the Nile your official metaphor in 2016, Scorpio. You need versatile resources that enable you to come and go as you please—that are flexible in supporting your efforts to go where you want and when you want.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): In many cases, steel isn't fully useful if it's too hard. Manufacturers often have to soften it a bit. This process, which is called tempering, makes the steel springier and more malleable. Car parts, for example, can't be too rigid. If they were, they'd break too easily. I invite you to use “tempering” as one of your main metaphors in 2016, Sagittarius. You're going to be strong and vigorous, and those qualities will serve you best if you keep them flexible. Do you know the word “ductile”? If not, look it up. It'll be a word of power for you.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): In his essay “The Etiquette of Freedom,” poet Gary Snyder says that wildness “is perennially within us, dormant as a hard-shelled seed, awaiting the fire or flood that awakes it again.” The fact that it's a “hard-shelled” seed is a crucial detail. The vital stuff inside the stiff outer coating may not be able to break out and start growing without the help of a ruckus. A fire or flood?

They might do the job. But I propose, Capricorn, that in 2016 you find an equally vigorous but less disruptive prod to liberate your dormant wildness.

Like what? You could embark on a brave pilgrimage or quest. You could dare yourself to escape your comfort zone. Are there any undomesticated fantasies you've been suppressing? Unsuppress them!

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Frederick the Great was King of Prussia between 1740 and 1786. He was also an Aquarius who sometimes experimented with eccentric ideas. When he brewed his coffee, for example, he used champagne instead of water. Once the hot elixir was ready to drink, he mixed in a dash of powdered mustard. In light of the astrological omens, I suspect that Frederick's exotic blend might be an apt symbol for your life in 2016: a vigorous, rich, complex synthesis of champagne, coffee, and mustard. (P.S. Frederick testified that “champagne carries happiness to the brain.”)

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): My Piscean acquaintance Arturo plays the piano as well as anyone I've heard. He tells me that he can produce 150 different sounds from any single key. Using the foot pedals accounts for some of the variation. How he touches a key is an even more important factor.

It can be percussive, fluidic, staccato, relaxed, lively, and many other moods. I invite you to cultivate a similar approach to your unique skills in 2016.

Expand and deepen your ability to draw out the best in them. Learn how to be even more expressive with the powers you already possess.

If you'd like to enjoy my books, music, and videos without spending any money, go here: http://bit.ly/LiberatedGifts.

Go to REALASTROLOGY.COM to check out Rob Brezsny’s Expanded Weekly Audio Horoscopes and Daily Text Message Horoscopes. Audio horoscopes are also available by phone at 1-877-873-4888 or 1-900-950-7700

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metroactive SVSCENE Snapshots from a year spent partying in Silicon Valley

Geoffrey Smith II

Greg Ramar

Celebrating its anniversary early in the year, 55 South threw a â&#x20AC;&#x2122;70s themed party.

After their landlord refused to renew their lease, Fahrenheit bid farewell with a wild white party.

Greg Ramar

Geoffrey Smith II

The Ritz continued the tradition started by The Blank Club, offering patrons the fabled black card.

Scan this QR code with your smartphone or visit METROGIVEAWAYS.COM

This summer, the SoFA Street Fair returned for its second year after its lengthy hiatus.

DECEMBER 30, 2015-JANUARY 5, 2016 | metrosiliconvalley.com | sanjose.com | metroactive.com

SCENE 2015