Heard of the Davis Angels Network, or Silicon Valley Bank? The former is working to build a local culture that supports and invests in start-up companies in Davis, and the latter was founded in 1982 to become a major source of funding for emerging tech companies in the Silicon Valley (and grew into an international bank). On today’s Davisville, Lonnie Bookbinder of the Davis Angels, and retired SV Bank chairman Bob Medearis, who both live in Davis, talk about the real efforts to place more start-up ventures in town. There’s more going on in this area in Davis than you might know about.
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This week I'm glad to welcome Davis film critic Derrick Bang back to Davisville for our annual end-of-the-year movie show. 2015 has been a good year for movies, he says, and today we get his take on films to see and skip this season, the continuing importance of the Thanksgiving-New Year’s stretch to Hollywood, and the films he considers to be the most unappreciated movies of Christmas.
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Shades of Blue: Writers on Depression, Suicide, and Feeling Blue is a new collection of essays by 35 writers, edited by Amy Ferris. Two of the writers are Debra LoGuerico DeAngelo, Winters Express editor and columnist for the Davis Enterprise, and David Lacy, who grew up in Davis and now teaches writing in Southern California. "It is possible to find hope and solidarity in these pages, but don’t expect a feel-good trip," says the review in Publishers Weekly. "It’s a true-to-life kick in the pants designed to bring comfort to anyone who’s feeling hopeless." On today’s show, DeAngelo and Lacy talk about Shades of Blue, and the experiences behind their stories—Lacy’s “Allies in the Sky,” and DeAngelo’s “If I Love You, You’ll Leave.”
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In her Messenger series, Davis novelist Eileen Rendahl tells the story of a young woman living in Sacramento whose unusual powers allow her to recognize and talk to supernatural creatures—including a vampire who’s also an emergency-room doctor, and a werewolf who has tended bar for nearly 100 years. On today’s show we talk about the story, her snarky protagonist, the appeal of supernatural fiction, and why the creatures are no longer the icons of dread they were in the classics ... which doesn’t mean they’re cuddly.
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Even if you don’t own stocks, you’ve probably heard about the steep price swings in the stock market since August, and perhaps wondered what they mean. Brad Barber, a professor of finance at UC Davis, is an often-quoted expert (New York Times, Wall Street Journal, CNN) on the market, investor psychology and related subjects. On today’s show we talk about investing in stocks, this year’s volatility, his research into the habits of the average investor, and the evolution away from pensions that guarantee a defined payout.
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The $300 milion Nishi Gateway project would be a major addition to Davis. It would build research space, offices, housing for rent and for sale, and a relatively small amount of retail on what’s now vacant land southwest of downtown and next to UC Davis. Davis voters, through a citywide ballot, could vote yes or no on the project as soon as June 2016. Sustainable design, jobs, traffic, population growth, the local economy, partnerships with UC Davis--this project touches on all these recurring Davis issues. Today we discuss its ins & outs with the project's managing partner, Tim Ruff of Davis.
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Been through the new “Dutch intersection” at J and Covell yet? The city rebuilt this busy crossroads near the new Cannery housing development in order to slow and improve the safety of right-hand turns by cars and trucks, make bicyclists more visible, and shorten the distance that cyclists and pedestrians must cross to clear the traffic lanes. It represents the continued reshuffle of bikes, cars and foot traffic in Davis, and there’s more to come. On today’s show we talk about the intersection, how it works, feedback from its first month, and what’s next, with Robb Davis, Davis mayor pro tem and an experienced bicyclist himself.
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Today's show wraps up my interview with Richie Furay, who co-founded the bands Buffalo Springfield and Poco, and recently played in Sacramento with his current group, the Richie Furay Band (here's part 1 of the interview). Today he talks about his latest CD Hand in Hand, playing with Keb' Mo', his signature song "Kind Woman," and one of his Christian songs, "Through It All." He also tells the story about the band he and Gram Parsons--another major musician from the 1960s--talked about forming, as well as why they decided it wouldn't work.
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Richie Furay and his band play in Sacramento on Aug. 21, which sets the stage for this two-part interview with this legendary musician about his music, life and bands. Part 1 covers the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame group Buffalo Springfield, its short reunion in 2011, his vague memory of playing in Davis more than 40 years ago, his job as a pastor in Colorado, his current band, and the song Crazy Eyes which—for me, at least—crowned his time with Poco. In Part 2, which will debut Aug. 24, he discusses his latest CD Hand in Hand, Keb’ Mo’s guest spot on the record, Furay’s signature song Kind Woman, and how he and Gram Parsons of the Byrds and Flying Burrito Brothers talked about creating a band in 1969 but realized they essentially had too many musicians they wanted to work with to form just one group.
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