Totally fabricated rumors (the most salacious kind) are circulating that Congress has taken note of the popularity of Hollywood’s annual award shows and, in an attempt to boost its own dismal poll ratings, is planning to launch its own show to kick off the 2016... Continue
Columnist
By Loretta Carpio Carr I recently engaged in an online discussion about Sonoma’s status as an elitist community. One woman said that in contrast to her former hometown Santa Barbara, which was populated by celebrities, Sonoma was a normal, family-friendly town. I guess it depends... Continue
Maybe it's just a symptom of the times, but I'm seeing an unfortunate trend to make everything, even City Government, all about money. Admittedly, there are those who have long advocated that the road to Utopia is best paved by running government like a business.... Continue
Why is communication so hard? We all have emotional hairballs sometimes. But, if we could just talk to each other, we wouldn’t get so angry all the time. Humans struggle with difficult conversations. Shunning, bolting, prejudice, ribbing, gabbing, gossiping, guff and fly balls abound instead... Continue
There's so much in a name. I've written before about the ways names evolved alongside manners or occupations, resulting in families of Tanners, Archers, Barbers, Fowlers and the like. In what may be one of the most amusing current surnames on everyone's lips is, sorry... Continue
Dear Bonnie, I have made a New Year’s resolution to really buckle down on taking care of my finances. I hate the whole idea, especially when it comes to taxes. Taxes are boring but I need to do something to make sure I get all... Continue
No one should presume to offer advice to financially savvy, highly successful, wheeling-and-dealing developer/investors, particularly without being generously compensated. But after an entertaining Planning Commission study session regarding the re-titled FSE Project (formerly, The Cloisters), having witnessed such entertainment in the past, and with more... Continue
Your servant Alex Águilar is very pleased to be back again after a few months’ absence. This time I’m addressing a topic which is a bit controversial, the wages paid to the Hispanic people – hard-working, responsible and above all, full of dreams and aspirations.... Continue
The Vintage House is sponsoring an eight-week series (through February 25) entitled “Diminished Democracy,” presented by lecturer David Peritz, visiting professor at Sarah Lawrence College. He offers a political science scholar’s perspective on the history and deep themes in American political life. His academic even-handedness... Continue
I honestly cannot recall a time in my 67-year-old life when America seemed more disjointed. Sure, the Vietnam era was one heckava mess, and the civil rights era was pretty messy too. But from the standpoint of governance, there was the presumption that politics was... Continue