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How the County  is getting smarter about its Fire Districts

The two-year anniversary of our firestorms is approaching. Since October 2017 it has become apparent that our communities’ needs for fire safety have changed. In response, the organization of our Fire Districts must change as well. There are currently 35 fire departments in Sonoma County. Each... Continue

Ignoring the frauds and hacks of mainstream media 

I have effectively established a boycott on consuming the toxic product known as Mainstream Media (MSM) directly. Leave the shabby MSM circus and hall of mirrors… you’ll never look back.  The corporate media has forfeited the right to host these important civic events. The network’s... Continue

The Golem of Artificial Intelligence

Our pursuit of a machine that can think for itself -- gather experience, learn and apply that learning to new situations -- is long standing. The earliest computing machines, designed to calculate numbers, gave rise to fantasies of artificial intelligence through their faultless operation. As... Continue

The loves of our lives

As local animal lovers know, Pets Lifeline is nearing its goal of raising $3.5 million for a complete makeover of its shelter on Eighth Street East.   There was plenty of talk about it at PLL’s annual fundraiser for day-to-day shelter operations, held recently at Vintage... Continue

A promising war season

A highlight of every year for MAGA patriots and local militias is the War Season, also known as summer.   It begins on Armed Forces Day in May, triggering a series of war-themed holidays (Memorial Day, D-Day, etc.) during which the nation honors all current active... Continue

Life at the Improv

Welcome to the I Am Larry Barnett Show. I'm your host Larry Barnett, and like you, I'm making it up as I go along. Hey, this is The Improv, right? I know, you're going to tell me you're busy starring in your own show, and coming... Continue

Be like a bouncing ball

What have I learned in life? Your gut will tell you a lot. It will help you make decisions about half the time and the other half – well, you’ll have to take your best guess. Using common sense is useful too. And I know... Continue

Supervisor Gorin recaps County budget

After several days of deliberations, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously in June 14th to adopt a $1.78 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2019-2020. Each year I write about the budget to help our community understand the balancing act that takes place to... Continue

Setting the new political tone

I fully expect that the county Chamber or the Golden State Restaurant Association will deploy some local business spokespeople to complain about the new Sonoma minimum wage ordinance. There is a kernel of truth in their assertion.   Historically, small business retailers have often relied on... Continue

The Trump within

Why, oh why, did people vote for a bully as our President of the United States? When something bothers me this much, affecting my sleep, my gut, and my moods, I just have to blurt out an emotional hairball, to try and understand why we... Continue