Stuck in Traffic? That’s a Story Waiting to Be Told

If you’re a working professional, chances are you drive on Highway 101 to get to your job. You may not like it, but it’s part of life here in San Rafael. According to local historian and Marin Independent Journal columnist Barry Spitz, “No aspect of the county's infrastructure plays a bigger role in our daily lives.”

Especially if you’ve lived here for a while, you’ve probably had your fair share of interesting, frustrating, frightening, or even funny experiences on Highway 101.

We know we’ve got lots of talented residents among us—maybe some of you are good writers. If so, then the Marin Independent Journal is looking to publish your stories! The paper is starting a contest where locals can tell their favorite Highway 101 stories, for a chance that it will actually get published:

To acknowledge that, the IJ is asking readers to pen exactly 101 words — no more, no less — that capture a slice of life on Highway
 101. Fiction, nonfiction, prose, poetry — the choice is yours.
Send your submission, along with your name and town (submissions are disqualified if there's no Marin town listed) — by 5 p.m. Oct. 4 to lifestyles@marinij.com. Please put "101 on the 101" in the subject line. We'll run them in the Oct. 22 Plus section and online.
 Vicki Larson can be reached at vlarson@marinij.com; follow her on Twitter at @OMGchronicles, fan her on Facebook at Vicki-Larson-OMG-Chronicles 

Southern Cuisine in Northern California

While Northern California might be known for its burgers and cantina-style Mexican food, be careful not to pigeonhole us! Marin County is evolving, including its local businesses and the palettes of its residents.

San Rafael and its surrounding areas are slowly becoming a culturally diverse center, and in the coming months, the area will have a new addition that feature Southern regional cuisines from around the country.

In October, Arthur Chang and Rachel Hundley will be taking iconic Southern cuisine opening “Drums & Crumbs,” a fried chicken specialty pop-up restaurant in the café at the Renaissance Center Marin in downtown San Rafael. From Inside Scoop SF:

“Due date for the pop-up is October 1, with the food truck coming online (on wheels?) later this fall, secured with funds raised by a just-completed Kickstarter campaign. Currently, Drums & Crumbs is catering and doing events, like at the recent Broadway Under the Stars concert series in Jack London State Park, and this past weekend’s Taste of Sonoma in Healdsburg.”

The diverse cuisine of San Rafael isn’t anything new—West Brooklyn Pizza has been in business since 1985, opened by a native New Yorker. And their East Coast-style pizza has been a big hit in Marin County for years.

Marin is already a great place to do business--probably because all you need to succeed is a fresh idea that embraces the diverse tastes of its residents.

See the Maestros of the Movies this Monday

Think of the movies you love most: does the list include Star Wars? Jurassic Park? Jaws? Or how about any of these other flicks?

John Williams is one of the most prolific cinematic composers ever, even though many people don’t connect his music with his name. Still, someone had to write the iconic theme songs that we all remember today—and with a great local symphony here in the Bay Area, this has the makings of a great event: This coming Monday, September 16, Joh Williams will conduct the San Francisco Symphony as they play the iconic scores that he wrote for films like E.T., Schindler’s List, and Jaws.

And, there’s a special guest! The event will be hosted by Steven Spielberg. Here’s the official release from the San Francisco Symphony: 

As the man responsible for the most recognizable music in film history, John Williams is a Hollywood legend. His iconic scores for Star Wars, Jaws, Indiana Jones, Harry Potter, Schindler's List, E.T.,Lincoln, and so many others, have inspired generations of movie fans. His longest and most frequent artistic collaborator, Steven Spielberg is truly one of the most successful and honored directors in the history of motion pictures. For the first time in more than a decade, Maestro Williams returns to conduct the San Francisco Symphony in a thrilling concert of his film music. Mr. Spielberg will join him as a special guest host for the second half of what is sure to be an unforgettable evening.

The event will be held at 8:00 pm on Monday, September 16 at the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. For more information about the event, click here.

Competition Breeds Innovation at ICS 2013

Are you a technology professional? Do you work with some? It’s pretty likely if you live here. However, tech development isn’t just work—some of the best discoveries happen when professionals collaborate together in a fun environment.

On October 16-17, 2013, technology professionals and innovators in the Marin area will gather at the 2013 Institute of Competition Sciences (ICS) Tech Summit at NASA’s Ames Research Center in Moffet Field, CA. The event will encourage collaboration between technology leaders and innovators to explore how competitions, challenges, and prizes can create cost-effective solutions for their businesses and society.

According the ICS’s event website:

We have curated a content-rich, interactive program for leaders seeking collaborative innovation models. The highest level leaders in Tech Innovation will deliver keynote addresses and skilled facilitators will engage all the talent in the room in dynamic conversations. 

If you are looking to solve a massive technical challenge, build a community of innovators, leverage your R&D budget many times over, or create media buzz this event is a must-attend for you.

The event will also feature speakers like Mason Pecj, Chief Technologist at NASA and Mark Bunger, Research Director at Lux Research.

To learn more about the 2013 ICS Tech Summit, including how to register, click here.