It takes a political junkie to keep up with California politics. The political landscape here is complex and there is a continuum of views within each of the two major political camps in county politics. Identifying the best candidates for local office requires a degree... Continue
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Why do people seek ecstasy, those moments of "getting out" of ourselves--getting high? Biochemically, ecstasy can be explained; receptor sites on brain cells connect to natural and man-made substances which reduce pain, and produce sensations and feelings we find pleasurable and relieving. In other words,... Continue
May was a big month. My check-off list: ✓ Found driver’s license that had disappeared three months ago ✓ Blue auto registration tag came, stuck atop the eight others ✓ New passport arrived, not that I plan to wander away ✓ Renewed driver’s license: test, photo, 15 pounds wider... Continue
Last October, we all lost something, even if that something was just a sense of safety. We were all busy before the fires, and now those of us who lost our homes have added daily interactions with insurance, permits, builders, architects, soil samples, and septic... Continue
With the arrival of Memorial Day, it’s time to get out in the fresh air and sunshine for a nice vacation, work on personal fitness, the garden or a nice deep tan. But therapists recommend that to fully enjoy the summer, it’s important to get... Continue
Let’s face it… it's easier to ignore a text than a real person on the other end of the phone. Technology isolates us. This makes us more likely to curl up in a ball instead of sharing our emotional hairballs with each other or a... Continue
For as long as science can tell, humanity has always liked to get high. Between naturally occurring endorphins which stimulate pleasure centers in the brain and substances found in nature (and now chemistry) which act upon those same pleasure centers, getting high is inextricably linked... Continue
The Sonoma Valley readers of this column have expressed appreciation for explanations of the deep structural politics behind the candidates and measures on the ballot. I make it my mission to conduct an excursion through the ballot every election cycle. The ballot is complex in presidential... Continue
The expression “change is the only constant in life” has never been more relevant or appropriate than in these last six months since the fires reshaped our county. So much of our life and world here in the Valley of the Moon is suddenly different,... Continue
With a nod to the opening paragraph of Charles Dickens' 1859 novel "A Tale of Two Cities" I find myself contemplating the ways in which life has never been better and never been worse. It's a matter of perspective, of course. For those of us... Continue