Population pressure plus expanding tourism is quickly pushing Sonoma Valley beyond its carrying capacity. This happened in the Napa Valley years ago, as anyone who has navigated Hwy. 29 in June or July has discovered. For those who commute to work in San Francisco or... Continue
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I recently attended a reception at a new art gallery in the city of Vallejo. The gallery, El Comalito Collective, promotes under-represented artists of all genres, who for reasons of race, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, gender, or religion have not had opportunities for expression. The... Continue
It’s almost impossible to get through a day without encountering another irate citizen of our Valley fuming about being disenfranchised and denied participation in the political process. Over coffee, wine or a GMO taco they fulminate, livid at being deprived of the chance to mix... Continue
This time, my friends, I come with a topic controversial to some or many: labeling. That is, applying qualifying labels that are incorrect or completely unfounded. I want to be sure that my words are not weak, an inaudible voice of reproach; this is definitely... Continue
My wife and I recently traveled to Seattle to visit her ninety-six-year-old Godmother, and along the way found ourselves hungry at the airport. The options for eating at airports have improved immensely, but our particular American penchant for fast food still dominates. Airports, naturally, include... Continue
The center cannot hold. The triad of institutions (the RNC, the DNC and MSM) that defined the norms and themes of 20th century politics is now coming unglued, quickly. This has been described by conventional political analysts as a ‘populist moment’ but that narrative does... Continue
In the garden Amid the whispering bamboo and Wind chimes He sits and enters the samadhi Called "nothing happens" [caption id="attachment_65846" align="alignnone" width="420"] Kurt von Meier, PhD - Circa 1966[/caption] I've become an object of study in an anthropological research program. Seriously, two earnest doctoral professors... Continue
Of all pursuits, mathematics may be the most remarkable. I'm not talking about the simple mathematics of calculating the tip on a restaurant tab; that type of calculation is the simple arithmetic of utility. I'm talking about the mathematics of theoretical physics, a realm reflecting... Continue
Specialists in both disability and psychology agree that the arrival of a child with disabilities creates in most parents first a state of shock, followed by the progression through the stages of denial, then anger and resentment before healing begins. They then enter the period... Continue
When I sat down to have dinner at the bar of a local Sonoma restaurant last month, I noticed a sheet of paper laying directly in front of me on the bar. It didn’t appear to be the menu, so I assume it had been... Continue