Scientists have long known about black holes, those deep-space phenomena whose gravitational attraction is so powerful that not even light escapes their relentless pull. Scientists in the local observatory down at Steiners have seen black holes so massive that even consciousness disappears. Lately they’ve been... Continue
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Documenting our lives through photographs went mainstream with the introduction of Kodak's "Brownie" camera, introduced in 1900 at the price of $1; the "snapshot" was born, and with it arrived a new sense of self. Prior to that, memories of travel to distant places were... Continue
This month's column was prompted by Katie Byrnes' article, 'Why the 1960s matter' in the Aug 21st edition of the Sonoma Sun column. It was a rather melancholy column that captured a mood that is in the air now. "It was an inspirational, luminous and... Continue
This is the text of a speech made at the September 6 DACA rally held in response to President Trump’s announcement that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals would be rescinded on March of 2018. Thank you for showing up in support of the immigrant... Continue
They were here at 8:30 sharp, as agreed. They didn't want coffee or water. They stared at the huge, looming trees overhead and looked a bit tired, maybe it was dread. They carefully started putting on climber’s equipment, belts and chains and put gas in... Continue
I recently returned from a five-day convention of the Cactus and Succulent Society of America, held in Tempe, Arizona. That's right, I'm a cactus and succulent nerd. For the past forty years I've been growing and collecting cactus and succulents, and some of the very... Continue
The Internal Revenue Service has added several new features to their website. If you go to www.irs.gov, you will be pleased to find that if you need information about your tax liabilities or your refund, or general tax related questions, you will find the tools... Continue
Things move so quickly in digital technology that yesterday's fad is old hat before it's even reached maturity. Such is the case with Virtual Reality (VR), the technology that promised us the god-like chance to step into worlds of our own making so exciting that... Continue
I just returned from a solo 18-hour Amtrak train trip to Washington state to visit family, and I’m still processing a number of thoughts and experiences. The first lesson I learned is to reserve a private sleeper compartment next time for a trip that long.... Continue
Later this month, Sonoma Valley’s La Luz Center will launch a new initiative to help emerging Sonoma Valley Latino leaders hone their leadership skills and develop deeper linkages in the community. This program is called the La Luz Latino Leadership Program and is being led... Continue