"A year ago, Kevin Madsen noticed that conversations with his friends had completely changed. "We were talking about allergies and car seats and what pacifiers work best," he says. "What was sort of surprising to all of us was that we weren't resentful of it."

"On July 13, 2013, upon hearing that George Zimmerman was acquitted in the shooting death of black teen Trayvon Martin, Alicia Garza took to Facebook. Capping a series of posts, she wrote: "Black people. I love you. I love us. Our lives matter." Patrisse Cullors, a friend and activist based in Los Angeles, shared Garza's sentiment, adding a hashtag: #blacklivesmatter. A movement was born."

"When figure skater and Fremont native Karen Chen defends her title as U.S. national champion, she'll do so in front of a hometown crowd. At San Jose's SAP Center December 29–January 7, she could also score a spot on the U.S. Olympic team."

"'Yes, I was very nervous about writing a convincing female lead. I'm not, you know, a woman,' offers author Andy Weir, before he's asked, about the protagonist of his novel Artemis, out November 14. Set in the moon's first city, Artemis, the tale is told from the perspective of Jasmine Bashara, known as 'Jazz,' a small-time criminal who gets in way over her head."

"Samin Nosrat believes anyone can learn to be a good cook. To start, you need to close the cookbook and turn off the kitchen timer. In her new book, 'Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat,' the 37-year-old Berkeley chef—a Chez Panisse and Eccolo alumna who taught Michael Pollan how to cook—distills her philosophy into four basic elements, and encourages readers to start using and trusting their senses."

"From a Bluetooth-enabled sensor bow for violins to a programmable drum pad, Keith McMillen's innovations have been on the cutting edge of music for nearly four decades—and now he's rocking other industries."

"When Ashlee Gadd launched Coffee + Crumbs in 2013, the collaborative blog about motherhood found quick success, with three posts going viral. Then, the East Sacramento mom scored a book deal with Zondervan, releasing a collection of essays, The Magic of Motherhood, this spring."

"Flowers are always a nice gesture. But having a bouquet delivered to your wife back on Earth while doing a spacewalk to assemble the International Space Station—well, that's stellar."

"Ayesha Curry is slicing corn off a cob, her Shun chef's knife catching the sunlight in the kitchen of her Alamo home as she describes some of her favorite cooking tools. A few kernels bounce off the cutting board, roll across the countertop, and fall to the floor. At first, she doesn't seem to notice. Then, after praising her must-have appliance (a Vitamix blender), she says, "One thing I'm not is a precise chef. Stuff is flying everywhere!"

"In Shakespeare's Macbeth, the main character travels a murderous path to the Scottish throne. The Berkeley Rep role won't be too much of a stretch for Conleth Hill, who has spent the last six years as Varys, the master of whispers, on HBO's similarly crown-scheming Game of Thrones."

"He teaches beer and cheese pairings at taprooms, gives presentations on the science of cheese at libraries, and helps customers at the new Whole Foods Market in Dublin create perfect holiday cheese platters. David Fleury is the East Bay's biggest cheese advocate—and one of about 400 Certified Cheese Professionals nationwide."

"It's late on a Sunday night, but Posada is packed. The only available table is on the patio, and despite space heaters, it's chilly. Owner Eduardo Posada comes by to offer me a jacket. A minute later, his wife, Blanca, offers the same."

"The first time Andy Samberg hosted a major awards show, the 2009 MTV Movie Awards, he was beamed from the USS Enterprise into Justin Timberlake's limo—naked. Four years later, in his opening monologue at the Film Independent Spirit Awards, he unleashed a giddy, expletive-laden tirade against Hollywood. It's really anyone's guess what kind of envelope-pushing antics the Berkeley native will employ when he hosts the 67th Primetime Emmy Awards this month."

"Attractions at 65-year-old Children's Fairyland in Oakland—from Happy Dragon's moving eyes to Willie the Whale's waterspout—are coming back to life, thanks to mechanically minded dad Kevin Cruz."

"From a flock of graceful geese in flight to cringe-worthy preserved roadkill, taxidermist Alicia Goode's work is a highlight of Oakland Museum of California's newly renovated Galley of Natural Sciences."

"Dan 'Fingers' Rodowicz learned to play piano as a kid, competed internationally, and is now a regional sales manager for Yamaha. But during baseball season, he moonlights as the organ player for the Oakland A's."

"Sitting on a zebra-print ottoman, clutching an oversized mug of coffee, 53-year-old Dena Fishbein laughs easily, begins most stories with an enthusiastic "Oh, my God," and describes elements of her home in such loving detail, it's like they are members of the family. It's no wonder her textile and product designs—and her home—are so bright and cheerful."

"Glee character Sue Sylvester is best known for sabotage, conspiracy, and blackmail. But who knew the glee club's nemesis is also a fan of amigurumi? Sitting on a shelf in Sue's office, propped up against a trophy, is a miniature crocheted version of the cheer coach—red tracksuit, bullhorn at the ready, and a smirk on her face."

"Like many women, Mai Leigh Chandler has fond childhood memories of roller-skating. She spent summer afternoons bumpily rolling down the streets of her Livermore neighborhood with wheels clamped to her tennis shoes, and she'd join friends for birthday parties and school trips at the local Roller King rink. But at 34, married with three kids and working a full-time job as a commercial property manager, she didn't expect to return to roller-skating. And she certainly didn't envision herself as a body-checking derby girl named 'Mae Daze.'"