Jeremy T. Ringfield's Blog, page 465

Movie review: Action-packed ‘The Garfield Movie’ bridges generation gap

By Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service

Since 1978, cartoonist Jim Davis has explored the quotidian dramas of pet ownership via the daily travails of beleaguered Jon Arbuckle, his eager dog Odie, and the titular tubby orange tabby, Garfield. If the comic strip (the most widely syndicated in the world) is the weekly sitcom version of their story, then “The Garfield Movie,” the latest effort to bring Garfield to the big screen, is the oversized action-adventure film, replete with references and comparisons to Tom Cruise.

Those Cruise-inspired Easter eggs are laid not necessarily for kids, but the adults who have accompanied them to the theater, such as when the score references “Mission: Impossible” while an ox named Otto, voiced by Ving Rhames (who plays Cruise’s techie Luther in the action franchise), lays out the plan for a heist. Later, a triumphant climax featuring airborne food delivery drones offers the chance for a bit of the “Top Gun” theme while Garfield (Chris Pratt) brags that he does his own stunts, “just like Tom Cruise.”

The line is a bit of overemphasis that this is the big, thrilling version of Garfield, not a “Jeanne Dielman”-style study of domestic life. In fact, after a quick framing device that shows us Garfield’s heartstring-tugging history as a starving stray kitten who encounters Jon at an Italian restaurant, the film speeds through a quick montage of our favorite Garfield tropes: he loves lasagna, hates Mondays, torments Jon and manipulates Odie.

We know him, we love him — Garfield’s unique characteristics have been printed on coffee mugs for years — and once that’s out of the way, onto the high-stakes and highly contrived plot. Garfield and Odie are kidnapped by a couple of thuggish pups, Nolan (Bowen Yang) and Roland (Brett Goldstein), who are working for a Persian cat named Jinx (Hannah Waddingham). She wants them to collaborate with Garfield’s deadbeat dad Vic (Samuel L. Jackson) on a milk heist as revenge for the time she did in the pound after a scheme she and Vic pulled.

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The heist plot allows for the action, adventure and suspense to come into play, as well as the aforementioned Tom Cruise references, and nods to film noir and early silent films (there are a lot of sequences set on trains). There’s even a “Rashomon”-like flashback as we see Garfield’s childhood abandonment from Vic’s perspective, changing the way we understand how Garfield found himself alone in that alley that night. The heist may make up the majority of the story, but it’s merely a means by which an estranged father and son can escape the emotional prison of masculinity and express their feelings to each other.

“The Garfield Movie,” directed by Mark Dindal and written by Paul A. Kaplan, Mark Torgove and David Reynolds, may sport a deep knowledge of film history that can delight cinephile parents, but it is still a kiddie movie and comes with the same zany, harried energy one might expect from such a project. The aesthetic hews more closely to the look of the comic strip than the CGI-animation/live-action abomination of the two Garfield movies of the early aughts, which is on trend with other animated films that embrace an illustrated style, though this is less edgy than some of the other examples (the “Spider-Verse” movies, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem”).

Bill Murray voiced the rusty, rotund feline in “Garfield: The Movie” (2004) and “Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties” (2006) in his dry, laconic manner, and Pratt does a fine job taking over vocal duties. Harvey Guillén offers his voice for Odie’s noises, and the rest of the voice cast (Nicholas Hoult as Jon, Cecily Strong as a Midwestern security guard named Marge) round out the world.

Though the film is formulaic and somewhat annoyingly energetic, it’s cute and irreverent enough, and manages to bridge the generation gap, offering up a kid-friendly flick that can keep adults somewhat entertained for the duration, proving that even after all these years, Garfield’s still got it.

‘THE GARFIELD MOVIE’

2.5 stars (out of 4)

MPA rating: PG (for action/peril and mild thematic elements)

Running time: 1:41

Where to watch: In theaters May 24

©2024 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

As states loosen childhood vaccine requirements, public health experts’ worries grow

By Shalina Chatlani, Stateline.org

Louisiana Republican state Rep. Kathy Edmonston believes no one ought to be required to vaccinate their children. So, she wants schools to proactively tell parents that it’s their right under Louisiana law to seek an exemption.

“It’s not the vaccine itself, it is the mandate,” Edmonston told Stateline. “The law is the law. And it already says you can opt out if you don’t want it. If you do want it, you can go anywhere and get it.”

Although Louisiana scores among the bottom states in most health indicators, nearly 90% of kindergarten children statewide have complete vaccination records, according to data from the Louisiana Department of Health from last school year. That’s even as Louisiana maintains some of the broadest exemptions for personal, religious and moral reasons. The state only requires a written notice from parents to schools.

Edmonston, a Republican, has sponsored legislation that would require schools to provide parents with information about the exemptions. The bill is intended to ensure parents aren’t denied medically necessary information, she said.

Vaccines protect not only the patient, but also those around them. Science has shown that a population can reach community immunity, also known as herd immunity, once a certain percentage of the group is vaccinated. That herd immunity can protect people who can’t get vaccinated, such as those with weakened immune systems or serious allergies, by reducing their chances of infection. In the past few years, however, COVID-19 vaccines have terrified some people who oppose requirements to get the shot, even though research shows the vaccines are far safer than getting the disease.

Some lawmakers across the country are working to sidestep vaccine mandates, not just for COVID-19, but also for measles, polio and meningitis. Public health experts worry the renewed opposition to childhood immunizations will reverse state gains in vaccination rates. Meanwhile, cases of some diseases, including measles, have increased across the country.

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Edmonston’s bill is one of dozens this session that aim to relax vaccine requirements, according to a database maintained by the National Conference of State Legislatures, a nonpartisan research organization that serves lawmakers and their staffs. Most of the bills have either died in committee or failed to advance, but a few have become law.

Idaho enacted a law, effective in July, that allows students “of majority age” — 18 in Idaho — to submit their own immunization waivers to schools and universities, both public and private. And Tennessee passed a law, which took effect in April, that prohibits the state from requiring immunizations as a condition of either adoption or foster care if the family taking in a child has a religious or moral objection to vaccines.

“Conservatives have really moved towards that medical freedom position of where people need to be really educated about whatever vaccine that they are taking,” said Tennessee state Sen. Bo Watson, who sponsored his state’s legislation.

“I think the public health community has really lost credibility during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Watson, a Republican. “And they’re going to have to work really hard to restore some of that credibility.”

Other bills that would have allowed some exemptions passed legislatures but were stopped short by governors.

In West Virginia, Republican Gov. Jim Justice vetoed legislation that would have allowed full-time virtual public school students, along with private and parochial schools, to avoid mandatory vaccine requirements. Justice said in his veto message that he “heard constant, strong opposition to this legislation from our State’s medical community.”

Similarly, Wisconsin Democratic Gov. Tony Evers vetoed legislation that would have required public colleges and universities to allow immunization waivers for health, religious or personal reasons.

Edmonston said she’s tried before with her legislation in Louisiana; it either died or got vetoed by former Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards. But now, with Republican Gov. Jeff Landry in charge, Edmonston is confident the bill will get signed into law. It’s already passed the House and is being debated in the Senate.

Both she and Watson said the push to relax requirements or create broader exemptions for immunizations is not tied to vaccines themselves. The debate tends to be centered around what many conservatives call an overreach of government.

“We’re against the government telling us what to do with our own bodies,” Edmonston said.

Greater momentum after COVID-19

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends numerous vaccinations for infants as a standard regimen. And shots protecting against measles, mumps and rubella, chickenpox and hepatitis B, among others, are typically required to attend K-12 schools. States set their own requirements and exemptions, however, and there are variations.

Pushback against vaccine mandates goes back more than a century to the early 1900s, shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court in 1905 ruled that states could require parents to vaccinate their children, according to Simon Haeder, an associate professor of public health at Texas A&M University, who has been tracking vaccine hesitancy for several years.

Although the opposition tends to exist mostly along partisan lines, with Republicans more likely to support vaccine exemptions, Haeder noted that far-left groups — which may tend to be skeptical of medicines in general — also support the loosening of vaccination requirements.

“The scientific skepticism and opposition to state interference and the partisan nature of this issue has really escalated, starting during the COVID years,” Haeder told Stateline.

“It’s very hard for states right now wanting to increase vaccination requirements,” he said.

Among kindergartners, national coverage dropped from about 95% for all vaccines in the 2019-20 school year to about 93% for all vaccines in both the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 school years, according to the CDC.

Nonmedical exemptions account for more than 90% of all approved vaccination exemptions and are allowed in all but five states. Exemptions increased from 2.2% among kindergartners in the 2019-2020 school year to 3% in 2022-2023, and 10 states reported that more than 5% of kindergartners had an exemption from at least one vaccine.

Jennifer Herricks, a microbiologist and founder of Louisiana Families for Vaccines, an advocacy organization in support of vaccines, has been tracking efforts to relax vaccine mandates since 2015.

“I became a mom. And then it became even more personal for me, especially having those little infants who are too young to get a lot of the vaccines,” Herricks said. “And then you realize that they are vulnerable to these diseases and that they are depending on the people around them to be vaccinated so that they don’t get sick.”

But Jill Hines, co-director of Health Freedom Louisiana, a group that opposes vaccine mandates, said some parents just want the chance to opt out.

“Believe it or not, my children are fully vaccinated. We were never informed of the state’s exemption law,” Hines told Stateline. She added that some in her group feel that vaccine reporting requirements are an invasion of privacy.

“We should not be denied access to society, access to a job, access to an education, simply because we’ve refused medical intervention,” she said.

Growing concern among health professionals

Mississippi, which sits near the bottom of state rankings on most health indicators such as obesity and heart disease, hasn’t had a measles case since 1992.

“We have pushed back all the potentially fatal childhood infections from being commonplace in Mississippi to being extremely rare,” Edney, the state health officer, said in an interview.

Immunizations against childhood diseases have been required by state law since 1979 for entry into K-12 schools and day care centers. The mandate has helped Mississippi lead the nation with some of the highest rates of childhood vaccinations, including a vaccination rate of nearly 99% among kindergarteners.

But last year, a federal judge ordered Mississippi to begin accepting religious exemptions after an interest group, Texas-based Informed Consent Action Network, sued the state in federal court. Since then, thousands of exemption requests have poured in.

Mississippi is approaching the approval of more than 2,800 religious exemptions, Edney said. He expects other states also will see more exemptions as lawmakers elsewhere find success with legislation to relax vaccine mandates or increase requirements on opt-out information.

“If you’re going to be against good, sound childhood vaccine policy — the vaccinations that have been proven safe and effective for decades — you need to be against clean water and against proper sewage and food protection,” Edney said.

Dr. John Gaudet, a Mississippi pediatrician for about three decades, said he worried the COVID-19 vaccine controversy would spill into the nation’s ongoing childhood vaccine debate.

“I think there was a point where you would go to the doctor, and you would just kind of take it almost as, ‘Well, this is what the doctor recommended,’” he said. “And so there’s now more of a consumer mentality: ‘Well, the doctor may say this, but maybe that doctor is not trustworthy.’”

Across the country, meanwhile, measles has surged, with at least 132 measles cases reported so far this year, according to the CDC. Two-thirds of those cases are among people under the age of 19, and over half of them have resulted in hospitalizations. The cases have spread to 20 states.

But not, so far, to Mississippi.

Stateline is part of States Newsroom, a national nonprofit news organization focused on state policy.

©2024 States Newsroom. Visit at stateline.org. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Horoscopes May 27, 2024: Paul Bettany, make learning a priority

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Chris Colfer, 34; Shanola Hampton, 47; Jack McBrayer, 51; Paul Bettany, 53.

Happy Birthday: Take pride in your work, and concentrate on what’s important. Where you put your energy will make a difference to your physiological attitude. Being satisfied with who you are and what your actions should be will determine how far you go. Let your creativity shine through, and you will find exciting ways to use your talents to accomplish your goals. Make learning a priority. Your numbers are 4, 13, 18, 23, 24, 31, 42.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Pay attention, get your facts straight and think twice before you let your emotions turn to anger. You’ll get better results if you put your energy into self-improvement, doing your best to get ahead and putting the past behind you. Display your talents, and opportunities will develop. 2 stars

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Don’t fear change; embrace what life offers and enjoy the ride. Don’t complain, get involved and make changes that improve what concerns you. Change begins with you, and the satisfaction you gain from being the one to make a difference will boost your ego. 5 stars

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Apply pressure where necessary and make things happen. Taking control of things will save you time and ensure you get the best results. Be open to suggestions, but apply only what’s applicable and within budget. Change begins with you, and handling matters from start to finish is in your best interest. 3 stars

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Ask questions, search for alternatives and move forward. Persistence will pay off and encourage others to pitch in and help. A relationship will experience a shift, but in the end, it will be to your benefit. Use your imagination and experience, and do what’s best for you. 3 stars

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Take a wait-and-see approach, and you’ll dodge having to backtrack. Pay more attention to health, fitness, and looking and feeling your best. Make romance a priority, and invest in meaningful relationships that make you feel comfortable and secure. 3 stars

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Consider the path of least resistance and head in that direction. Don’t limit what you can accomplish or waste time trying to pursue the impossible. Put your energy into educating yourself in areas that can help you make better decisions, and an opportunity will come to you. 5 stars

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): An outlet for excess energy will help you make the most of your day. Anger solves nothing, so don’t embark on something that could hold you back. Self-improvement is your best choice and will bring the highest returns. Invest in yourself and do what makes you happy. 2 stars

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Use your imagination to design the best way to use your talents to bring your ideas to life. Make a change that offers the adventure you desire and the mental stimulation to promote chasing knowledge. Take the initiative to seize the moment. 2 stars

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Follow your intuition and desires regarding affairs of the heart. Be open and receptive to new possibilities instead of holding on to or living in the past. Opportunities are apparent, but you must take advantage of what’s available to you to enjoy the benefits. 4 stars

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Devise a plan that works for you, and don’t hesitate to follow through. You can’t please everyone, but it’s time to do what’s best for you. Take the road that offers freedom to fulfill your dreams. Missed opportunities will lead to anger, not solutions. 3 stars

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Mixed emotions will lead to confusion. Clear up any misconception by being direct. Ask questions, assess the situation, and take the path that makes you feel good about yourself and whatever you decide to pursue. It’s up to you to make the transition. 3 stars

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Work incognito to accomplish the most. Focus on exploring and expanding your intentions to improve your finances, health and personal life. Discipline will pay off and encourage positive change. Listen to your heart. 4 stars

Birthday Baby: You are optimistic, aggressive and hardworking. You are innovative and persistent.

1 star: Avoid conflicts; work behind the scenes. 2 stars: You can accomplish, but don’t rely on others. 3 stars: Focus and you’ll reach your goals. 4 stars: Aim high; start new projects. 5 stars: Nothing can stop you; go for gold.

Visit Eugenialast.com, or join Eugenia on Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn.

Want a link to your daily horoscope delivered directly to your inbox each weekday morning? Sign up for our free Coffee Break newsletter at mercurynews.com/newsletters or eastbaytimes.com/newsletters. 

Steph and Ayesha Curry announce arrival of fourth child

Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry and his wife, Ayesha Curry, have welcomed their fourth child.

The couple announced on social media Sunday that Ayesha gave birth to a baby boy named Caius Chai on May 11.

“Our sweet baby boy decided to make an early arrival!!” the couple wrote on Instagram. “He’s doing great and we are finally settling in at home as a family of 6! So grateful!”

The couple now has two girls and two boys: daughters Riley, 11, and Ryan, 8, and son Canon, 5.

Ayesha Curry, 35, revealed in March in the magazine she founded, Sweet July, that the couple was expecting her fourth child after the two initially believed that they would not have any more children.

“For so many years, Stephen and I thought we were done,” Ayesha wrote. “We said, “Three, that’s it, we’re not doing this again.” And then, last year, we looked at each other and agreed we wanted to do this again. For me, the decision came from always finding myself looking around and feeling like somebody was missing. I would load up the car and think, “Oh, I forgot something.” But nobody was forgotten.

“It started to turn my brain a little bit. Maybe somebody was missing. So we set out on this journey, knowing that this would complete our family.”

Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry and his wife Ayesha Curry lead cheers for Oakland Marathon runners.(Desmond Gribben for Eat. Learn. Play.)

Steph Curry posted a photo of his pregnant wife wearing white high heels and a white bra under a brown blazer on March 1, saying they were getting ready to welcome “Vol. 4” of their family.

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Steph met Ayesha when they were both teenagers. On March 23, Ayesha’s birthday, Curry wrote on Instagram, “My woman!!!! @ayeshacurry Taking this moment to shout you from the roof tops and say Happy Birthday . You are everything to me and our beautiful family.

“The smile and the goofiness that lights up the room. But always count on you to keep it real and keep our family pushing forward. I LOVE YOU more life!”

SF Giants end wacky road trip with walkoff loss to Mets

NEW YORK — And what a weird, wacky trip it was.

If there was a game the Giants were set up to lose on this six-game swing through the Eastern Time Zone, it seemed they were able to pull it out. And then there were those they seemed well-positioned to win, which bookended four improbable wins with a pair of tough-luck, walkoff losses.

The latest bad break came in the bottom of the ninth inning on a hot and humid Sunday afternoon at Citi Field.

Mets catcher Omar Narváez lined a soft single into center field off Tyler Rogers to walk off the Giants, 4-3, capping a three-run rally that flipped the score from a 3-1 San Francisco advantage and wasted a brilliant effort from Logan Webb.

“I felt like we had a good chance to win the game, obviously,” manager Bob Melvin said. “The first game of the (road trip) was tough. The last game was tough. In between was good. But it just felt like a game we were going to win.”

The Giants went 4-2 on the trip, though their record could have just as easily been 6-0, 0-6, or 2-4 with the unpredictable nature of each game. They lost both games they led after seven innings and prevailed the four times they trailed after seven.

“It was a weird one,” said Webb, who limited the Mets to one unearned run over seven innings with a season-high eight strikeouts. “Anytime you come away and win more games than you lose on a road trip, it’s good. I wish we won the other two, but it was just a crazy road trip.”

After reeling off four straight wins to get their record over .500 for the first time this season, the Giants (27-27) return home to host the hottest team in the sport — the Philadelphia Phillies — with their pitching staff in questionable shape.

Camilo Doval was unavailable Sunday, having pitched in four of their previous five games, so the Giants called on Rogers, who let a high chopper from Brandon Nimmo glance off his glove on the first pitch of the inning. The next batter, J.D. Martinez, also attacked the first pitch and lined a single in right field, putting the tying run on base before Rogers had thrown his third pitch of the inning. In all, he allowed six of the seven batters he faced to reach base.

“I don’t know that it looked like he had his best stuff today,” Melvin said of Rogers. “But if you get the first out of the inning, it feels a little different.”

Just one of the five hits surrendered by Rogers — Martinez’s single — was struck harder than 84 mph (95 mph is considered hard contact). The Mets dugout poured onto the field in celebration after Narváez’s walkoff knock, which left his bat at a meager 76.4 mph, just enough to sneak over the outstretched glove of a leaping Brett Wisely.

“My effort today kind of put a stink on the road trip, but it was a great road trip for the boys,” Rogers said. “Yeah, (the leadoff hit) changes the course of the inning. But you feel good about yourself when you’re out there and get some weak contact like that. You just move on to the next one, another first-pitch single. Two pitches, to me that situation happened pretty quick. Tried to navigate from there, and some balls were hit where the guys weren’t.”

Omar Narváez #2 of the New York Mets celebrates his walk off RBI single in the ninth inning with Starling Marte #6, Brett Baty #22 and DJ Stewart #29 after defeating the San Francisco Giants 4-3 in a game at Citi Field on May 26, 2024 in New York City. The Mets defeated the Giants 4-3.(Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)

The Giants led 3-1 entering the bottom of the ninth, thanks to seven strong innings from Webb and two more hits from Wisely.

Making his second straight start at short, Wisely gave the Giants the lead for the second game in a row with a solo shot in the third inning, after a recording three hits the previous night while delivering the tie-breaking knock in extra innings. At Triple-A this time last month, Wisely was only added to the roster amid a slew of injuries and only made his third career start at short due to Marco Luciano’s defensive woes on the first part of the trip.

After his big game Saturday, Wisely chalked it up to the brown striped polo shirt he wore to the ballpark. Emblazoned with one of the Seven Dwarves — Grumpy — on his left chest, Wisely said the shirt brings good luck and joked that he planned to wear it again the following day.

Before the game, Melvin said he hoped to prioritize the infield defense behind Webb, one of the league’s top ground ball pitchers, and with five errors from Luciano in the first five games of the trip, that meant Wisely got the nod despite only 34 previous games there at any level.

It turned out to be a moot point as Webb transformed into a strikeout artist for seven innings, racking up a season-high eight punchouts — his most since he fanned 10 Rockies in his last start before the All-Star break last year — and forcing the Mets to swing and miss 17 times, also a season-high.

“I felt good with all my pitches today, and that’s probably a first for this year,” Webb said. “I thought my mechanics felt the best they’ve felt all year. My stuff was crisp. Better than it has the last couple (of starts) for sure.”

Limiting his opponents to one run (none earned) on three hits, Webb has himself to blame for the only damage the Mets managed. He was charged with an error on a difficult play that put D.J. Stewart on base in the second inning, mishandling a toss from Wilmer Flores after the first baseman snagged a sharply hit line drive.

“I had no clue where the base was, so I took my eye off of it for a second,” Webb said. “Just missed it.”

Webb and Stewart converged at the bag simultaneously, and the ball bounced out of Webb’s mitt, allowing Stewart to make it to second, putting him in position to score on a base hit a couple of batters later from Harrison Bader. Webb retired 16 of the next 18 batters, and one of the two runners he allowed on base was erased by Patrick Bailey, who caught Francisco Lindor trying to swipe second to end the third inning.

“Efficient, hot day, very few hits and only one walk,” Melvin said of Webb’s effort. “Those types of games you expect to win.”

Facing old friend Sean Manaea, who signed with the Mets after opting out of his deal in San Francisco, Wisely whacked the first strike of the top of the third into the bullpens beyond right-center field that opened a 2-1 advantage, and the Giants would tack on one more run once Manaea left the game after five innings.

The home run was Wisely’s first of the season. The diminutive middle infielder has seven hits in 15 at-bats since being called up May 11, and all seven have come in the past three games.

“He’s swinging the bat really well,” Melvin said. “That’s not the easiest of assignments as far as lefty-lefty with Manaea. He hits a homer and the next time up shoots a ball the other way; looks comfortable in the field no matter where we’re putting him. Since he’s gotten a little bit of regular playing time here he’s played really well.”

San Francisco Giants’ Brett Wisely reacts as he crosses home plate after hitting a solo home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets at Citi Field, Sunday, May 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)Up nextRelated ArticlesSan Francisco Giants | SF Giants sit Marco Luciano for 2nd straight game amid defensive woes San Francisco Giants | No-hit for 5 innings, SF Giants still find a way to beat Mets San Francisco Giants | Cardiac Giants do it again, then barely hang on to beat Mets San Francisco Giants | SF Giants sign Drew Pomeranz, out of MLB since 2021, to boost bullpen San Francisco Giants | Kurtenbach: The SF Giants’ comeback kids spark hope into season [3 Up, 3 Down]

Following a cross-country flight scheduled to land late Sunday night, the Giants host the red-hot Phillies for a Memorial Day matinee (2:05 p.m. PT).

LHP Blake Snell (0-3, 11.40) was reinstated from the paternity list and is tentatively scheduled to start, but his girlfriend, Haeley Mar, is still awaiting the birth of the couple’s first child. Her due date was last Monday, and Snell flew back to the Bay Area after his start Wednesday in Pittsburgh, but they continue to wait.

“I don’t know what the next step is. He threw his bullpen yesterday or the day before, so he’s ready to pitch,” Melvin said Sunday. “The good thing is he’s still with her and she’s there in San Francisco. We’ll see what happens. Once we get home we’ll take stock.”

The Giants’ starter on Tuesday is just as much up in the air, with Keaton Winn (forearm) still sidelined, Mason Black back at Triple-A, and their bullpen taxed. Winn is eligible to be activated on Thursday, but Melvin was not optimistic that he would be ready by the end of the homestand.

The Phillies, 30-7 in their past 37 games entering Sunday, are scheduled to throw right-handers Taijuan Walker (3-0, 5.06) and Zack Wheeler (6-3, 2.53) and end the series with lefty Christopher Sánchez (2-3, 5.15).

Local books: When life as you know it . . . isn’t

What if you’d never, ever been sick? John Percival thinks nothing of it. After all, advancements in genetics have conquered all disease. But when a classmate asks from which parent he inherited his sea-gray eyes, he realizes he has no memory of his parents. His search for answers sets him on a path through danger he didn’t know he had the courage to face, to a destiny he isn’t sure he wants.

Yet, author W. Owen Williams does.

The premise for such a story emerged in the mind of the retired professor of rhetoric and theatre, who possesses five advanced degrees. After graduating from Hollister High, where he met his future wife and spent a lot of time “doing theater,” Williams went on to UCLA, where he achieved his bachelor’s degree in theater. From there, he began campus hopping across the country, as he achieved a master’s degree in writing, a Ph.D. in rhetoric, and a master’s degree in theatre history.

Author W. Owen Williams. (Courtesy photo)

“Deciding I was still young enough and had it in me to pursue another Ph.D.,” he said, “I returned to UCLA to explore performance studies. But, after a three-year investment, I converted it into a master’s degree and called an end to my advanced education. Having collected a handful of generally impractical liberal arts degrees, I am profoundly, absurdly overeducated.”

Yet, much has come of it. While pursuing his master’s degree in writing, Williams was assigned to write a story, based on a “What if” premise. Because this was 30 years ago, things have since changed, he says; for example, his characters all use land-line telephones. Yet even then, as he looked at society, considered the direction in which things were moving, leaving folks frightened and uncertain, he wondered, “What would happen if. . .” and began to write “Falcon’s Flight,” a metaphysical-meets-science fiction-meets-love story.

“I was writing, but I also was raising four kids with my wife, needing to be a father, a husband, to have more than one fulltime job, and to find the time to write something of substance. Ultimately, I wrote the book,” he said, “but it was soundly rejected by publishers. I went back to my desk and worked on it for years during summer and holiday breaks.”

Throughout the process, Williams was constantly providing his manuscript to colleagues for feedback, one of whom, the publisher of Blackbird & Company, said it grew on him as he read. So, he created a fiction imprint, Sans-Créance, and made “Falcon’s Flight” his first release.

Perhaps it was Williams’ first sentence: “In the final days of the wettest winter in memory, the storm clouds cleared, and the first shoots of oats and alfalfa broke through the rich dark soil of the valley.” A perfect setting, if ever, for a “What if.”

After that, because his mind lived in the context of directing theater, Willliams’ writing became largely improvisational. Essentially, he says, you create a character, give him a circumstance, and then go with it, to see how it turns out.

“I never had anything fully mapped out, but I do like character development,” he said, “so I became very clear about who my character was, where he was going, or what he was going to do or say within the framework of that given circumstance. This became my process.”

Williams says his characters don’t come from his life, but a lot of people who have read his work find themselves within various character dynamics. At least the good ones.

“All of them had to come at least from my subconscious,” he admitted. “Perhaps they’re a blending of all the people I’ve ever known, in the context of all the things I’ve ever done.”

Onto something

When he began writing, Williams was willing to let the tale unfold and see how far the storyline took him. As he got further into his writing, he had a sense the story was taking him far enough to form a trilogy.

“I’m pretty well into writing the third book, but if I keep the story within three books,” he said, “this third one will be fairly long. Maybe four? I sort of know where the story is going to go and where it will end, but I’m not always sure how to get there.”

The thing is, Williams likes his characters, likes hanging out with them. Even if one is a villain, he’s probably, at some level, thinking he’s doing the right thing, he figures, based on what the situation demands and how to get the conflict resolved.

Williams’ characters are always more interesting to him than the plot. After all, he says, you need to know your character as well as you know yourself. Sounds like a true scholar of theater.

“Plot develops,” he said, “based on the goals and motivations of the characters. While the lead character in my book is a young man who doesn’t really know who he is, I do. Someone has a dream in which he’s a falcon, so he changes his name to Peregrine and becomes the falcon in the story, escaping all who are trying to kill him. He remains the central figure, but I can’t guarantee for how long.”

Everything W. Owen Williams has done, all his theater work, all his academic degrees, all his teaching, he realizes, has prepared him, set the scene for his writing.

“Yet my prospectus would have been far different had I started writing years ago. When pursuing my second Ph.D.,” he said, “my department chair asked me about my future, and I said I wanted to write. She said, ‘You don’t want to write. If you wanted to write, you would go write.’ She was on target. At some point, you’ve got to quit preparing and start doing.”

W. Owen Williams is writing, in true Bohemian style, tucked into a second-story apartment above a restaurant in Carmel. His second book, “Eagle Arising,” in what has become “The Wanderer’s Ode” trilogy, is due out in November. His third installment in the saga is not far behind.

“Falcon’s Flight” is available at River House Books in The Crossroads Carmel, and via Amazon.

SF Giants sit Marco Luciano for 2nd straight game amid defensive woes

NEW YORK — When the Giants called up Marco Luciano, their top decision-maker, Farhan Zaidi, said the club was going to “give him a good shot at this job” and that the their highly touted prospect was going to “get some run” at shortstop in Nick Ahmed’s absence.

Not two weeks later, Luciano’s name was absent from the starting lineup for the final two games of the Giants’ road trip. In their series finale Sunday against the Mets, manager Bob Melvin opted for the left-handed-hitting Brett Wisely over Luciano, even with Sean Manaea, a southpaw, on the mound for their opponents.

“Maybe not Marco’s best trip, as far as defensively,” Melvin said before first pitch Sunday.

In five games, Luciano has committed five errors. Four of them, including his latest after entering off the bench Saturday night, have come in the ninth inning or later.

With the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the ninth of Tuesday’s eventual 7-6 loss in Pittsburgh, Luciano wasn’t able to handle a hard chopper that could have been a game-ending double play. He was eaten up again two days later on a grounder that put the leadoff man on base to begin the bottom of the ninth.

In New York, Luciano airmailed a throw in the first inning Friday night and flubbed another late-inning double play ball. The next night, Luciano was removed from the starting lineup in favor of Wisely but was inserted after a string of substitutions and almost immediately committed his fifth error in as many games, missing a point-blank toss from second baseman Thairo Estrada.

“Sometimes when you’re struggling a little bit defensively those are the tougher plays because you have time to think about them,” Melvin said. “It’s the instinctive plays that you don’t think a whole lot about. He’s made some good plays on this road trip on some of the tougher plays. So he’s just going through a little patch here where it isn’t great, but a lot of times that happens with younger guys. With anybody.”

Before each of the past two games — both matinee starts, which don’t typically feature lots of on-field work beforehand — Luciano has been at shortstop, taking ground balls. He has also been accountable, sitting at his locker willing and ready to answer questions after his miscues.

“I felt bad for him. I felt bad for me,” Luciano said through Spanish-language interpreter Erwin Higueros after his error Tuesday, the only one that has impacted the team in the win-loss column. “I want to help, at least, to get a force out. But those are things that happen. … I did not put my glove in the right way. I was undecided how I wanted to field the ball.”

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At the plate, he’s been a positive, batting .391/.462/.565 in nine games since being called up. Wisely, meanwhile, provided three hits and drove in the go-ahead run in Saturday’s extra-inning win.

“We’ll get him some extra work today, get him some distance, and then get home,” Melvin said. “The hard part is he’s swinging the bat really well, too. Both of them are. It is what it is. … We’re just trying to get it right day to day. It’s a little bit of a tougher one with a lefty on the mound. It’s what we’ve got today.”

With Logan Webb, one of the league’s top ground-ball pitchers, on the mound Sunday, Melvin said the Giants would like to maximize their infield defense.

But, he acknowledged, “it’s not like Wisely has played a ton of shortstop either.” Sunday marked his 35 game at short across all levels of professional baseball.

The Giants will take stock of Ahmed when they return to San Francisco, where the veteran Gold Glove winner remained to continue rehabbing his sprained wrist, though Melvin said, “I don’t know that he’s close.”

Horoscopes May 26, 2024: Helena Bonham Carter, set an example

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Helena Bonham Carter, 58; Lenny Kravitz, 60; Pam Grier, 75; Stevie Nicks, 76.

Happy Birthday: Discipline and hard work will pay off. Concentrate on what you want to achieve, and refuse to let anyone disrupt your plans. Tunnel vision is recommended and will lead to positive change and opportunities this year. How you conduct yourself will influence how people evaluate you. Don’t lose sight of your goal, and you will set an example for others and give your confidence and reputation a boost. Your numbers are 5, 19, 27, 33, 37, 39, 42.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Gather information and don’t make a fuss. Use your energy to fulfill obligations, and move on to more enjoyable activities. Spending time with someone you love will lead to suggestions and opportunities to improve how or where you live and handle expenses. Romance is on the rise. 2 stars

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Set your sights on your goal and forge ahead. You’ll learn something new if you talk to an expert or research your next move. Joining forces with someone like you will help bring about change and point you in a direction that offers positive alternatives. 5 stars

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Share information, fact-check and execute your plans enthusiastically. You’ll discover something intriguing about someone you know that will intensify your feelings. Express your feelings and make your intentions clear. A direct approach will offer a revealing response. Romance is on the rise. 3 stars

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Don’t let anger get in your way. Consider your options, and use intelligence and common sense to devise a solution. Control situations instead of letting them manipulate you. Make your intentions clear and walk away from drama. Positive change is the road to recovery. 3 stars

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Don’t get caught in someone else’s crossfire. Distance yourself from chaos and uncertainty, and concentrate on being and doing your best. Your power is your ability to act quickly to resolve issues while influencing others to see things your way. A direct route is a ticket to success. Romance is favored. 3 stars

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Take care of unfinished business, and distance yourself from risky situations that can disrupt your reputation or well-being. Attend events that interest you and encourage you to connect with individuals who can help you make a positive change. A receptive attitude will lead to good results. 5 stars

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): A change to how you handle your money, contracts, medical matters and romantic encounters is coming. Don’t shy away from the unknown when exploring the possibilities can lead you away from conflicts and toward a stable future. 2 stars

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Apply pressure where it is most effective. Look for alternatives that will work in your favor. Consider your relationship with people who can enhance or hinder your lifestyle, and take the necessary steps to ensure you surround yourself with people who are supportive. 4 stars

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Bypass anyone trying to get in your way. Keep your eye on what’s important to you, and participate in events or activities that call for physical stamina. Opportunities will develop and success will be yours. Self-improvement is favored, and romance is on the rise. 3 stars

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Speak up, participate and make changes that improve your life. Let your intuition take over, and opportunity will find you. Don’t feel you have to follow the crowd when the road that beckons you is calling. Your knowledge and experience won’t let you down. 3 stars

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Organize your space to make room for something you want to pursue. It’s time to build the future of your dreams instead of procrastinating. Discuss your plans with someone who can help or who you want to be a part of your plans. Romance is favored. 3 stars

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Don’t fold under pressure. Size up your situation and initiate changes that help you look out for your welfare. It’s time to put yourself first and to reduce the risk of being taken advantage of by others. Make stability and security your priorities. 4 stars

Birthday Baby: You are astute, hardworking and deliberate. You are adaptable and thorough.

1 star: Avoid conflicts; work behind the scenes. 2 stars: You can accomplish, but don’t rely on others. 3 stars: Focus and you’ll reach your goals. 4 stars: Aim high; start new projects. 5 stars: Nothing can stop you; go for gold.

Visit Eugenialast.com, or join Eugenia on Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn.

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CIF state track and field finals: Adams podiums in 400 for North Salinas

CLOVIS — Add one more milestone to Clara Adams resume.

While her track and field chapter at North Salinas High is just beginning, the freshman has already left a legacy.

Adams became the first girl at North Salinas to podium at the CIF State track and field championships, placing fourth in the 400 meters Saturday at Buchanan High in Clovis.

Dipping into the 54’s for the third straight meet, the 5-foot-7 Adams was clocked in 54.64, just a shade off her county record of 54.46, achieved at last weekend’s Central Coast Section finals.

“There is a lot of emotion right now,” Adams said. “I still excited. But I’m so relieved that it’s over. I’m satisfied. I know I did my best.”

Adams became the highest freshman finisher in county history for any event at the state finals. The last athlete from North Salinas to medal at the State meet was Ronnie Drummer in the 100 and 200 in 2001.

“She’s having fun,” said Adams’ dad David. “There’s no pressure. Sure she trains a little different. Her workouts are a little tougher. She’s bought in. She understands. There was a template before Clara even got here.”

Adams, who became the first North Salinas girl to qualify for the state meet in 27 years, broke the school records in the 200 and 400 meter sprints this past spring.

Last week the 15-year-old became the school’s first CCS track and field girls champion, when she came from behind to win the 200. Her mark of 24.31 in Friday’s State trials is the second fastest 200 time in county history.

Adams is the first girl athlete from Monterey County to podium (top six) at the state meet since Laura Wong finished third in the pole vault in 2019 for Santa Catalina.

Having dropped nearly a second off her time at the CCS finals, Adams has run three consecutive races in the 54’s, having run 54.63 in Friday’s trials — the third fastest time among 28 competitors.

“I just stuck to the script that my dad gave me,” said Adams, whose father is her sprint coach.

As she has done throughout the season, Adams went out hard, hitting the midpoint of the race locked in even battle with seven other competitors.

“We were all pretty much together at the 200-meter mark,” Adams said. “Separation began to occur around at 300 meters.

Sitting in fifth place with about 80 meters remaining, Adams showcased her stamina and strength, catching one runner to finish fourth.

“I walked a girl down over the last part of the race,” said Adams, who won Cypress Division titles this past spring in the 100, 200 and 400. “I feel really proud of what I’ve accomplished this year.”

Adams will begin her club season in two weeks when she competes in the Northern California regional meet, as she will attempt to qualify for the nationals in her age class for the sixth time in seven years.

The only year she’s missed came when she tore her ACL playing youth football.

 

College baseball: Otters eliminated in Super Regionals by Pt. Loma

SAN DIEGO — Three outs away from a trip to the Division II College World Series.

It will likely be replayed back in Cal State Monterey Bay’s minds for some time to come.

“It’s a little somber right now,” CSUMB coach Walt White said. “There’s a strong contingent of players that have been a part of two and three conference championships. They’ve felt this pain too many times.”

Moving a step closer to the ultimate goal will feel like a small consolation for the Otters, who dropped a pair of games to Pt. Loma Saturday, falling 10-8 in 13 innings in Game 1, and 7-1 in a winner-take-all NCAA Super Regional final.

As a result, Pt. Loma (45-17) is going back to the NCAA Division II College World Series for the second time in three years, while the Otters will have a quiet eight-hour bus ride back Sunday from San Diego.

“I felt before the year started that we had a team capable of winning a national championship,” White said. “I still feel that. It sure is bittersweet. We’re going to bring a national championship to Monterey. It’s just a matter of when.”

The Otters, who were swept in two games in the Super Regionals last year by San Bernardino, opened with a win on Friday and were in command for eight innings in Saturday’s first game.

The reigning three-time California Collegiate Athletic Association champions were three outs away from wrapping up a trip to the World Series when Pt. Loma tied the game with a two-run homer.

While the teams traded runs in the 11th to extend the game, it was Pt. Loma who pushed across a pair of runs in the 13th to force a second game between the two California powers.

Up until Pt. Loma’s ninth inning dramatics, the Otters (39-18) had led the entire game, building a 7-3 lead through the first five innings.

“Game 1 was incredible,” said White, who went over 400 wins for his career this past spring. “Games like these are decided by slim margins. We let one slip through.”

One bad inning crippled the Otters in the second game as Pt. Loma pushed across six runs in the fourth inning to build a 7-1 lead.

“Their pitcher had his command and made it challenging on us,” White said. “When Pt. Loma put up six runs, it felt like he got even better. And Pt. Loma made a bunch of plays that stopped us from a potential big inning.”

For the second straight year, the Otters tied the single season school record for wins with 39, winning their conference title and the West Regionals to advance to the Super Regionals.

“We’re going keep knocking on the door,” White said. “Each year we take a step closer. This is as close as you can be without being there. As difficult as it is, we’ll make another run in 2025. At some point, we’ll be the team celebrating.”

All nine players had reached base in the first five innings for CSUMB in the first game, with KW Quilici hitting his 11th homer of the spring, a two-run shot in the first inning. Senior JJ Engman drove in three runs.

The Otters set a team record for homers this year with 73, breaking the old mark of 61.

“I did not know that,” White said. “We could have used a couple more today.”

The Otters, who dropped three of four to Pt. Loma back in February in non-conference play, opened the Super Regionals with a six-run ninth inning Friday for a 10-5 win.

During its postseason run, CSUMB has had ninth inning rallies in the CCAA conference tournament and in the Division II West Regionals to extend its season.

“Some of these guys have been around each other for a long time,” White said. “It’s hard. A part of me is on this bus. The other part is already thinking about 2025.”

White was greeted after the game by numerous alumni, who helped build the culture of the program, who made the trip with hopes of joining in the celebration.

“Some of the alum told me they’ve been following us and hanging with what we do,” White said. “They really wanted to celebrate with us. As hard as this loss is and how it makes us feel, I’m proud of what we’ve built. The program is in really good shape.”