I may have lost my second home in the forest of Middletown to the Valley Fire -- as of this writing, I don’t know. The roads are closed and we cannot get back there to check. I know that many of my friends from that... Continue
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"Name?" The barista behind the counter asked without looking up from his touch-screen. "Blythedale, with a 'y'. Lucius Blythedale," I answered. "Lucius Montgomery Blythedale, to be precise." The barista didn't miss a beat. "One Chicken Artichoke sandwich, smoky barbecue chips, one chocolate cake pop and... Continue
Often, when tragedy strikes, the story begins with “it was a day just like any other day” but the day the Valley Fire raced through Lake County was not like any other day. Saturday, September 12 felt unsettling, reminiscent of earthquake weather. I was moving... Continue
I’m too narcissistic for aging, so I ignore it. If I happen to glance in a mirror at the wrong time I’m surprised. At least I’m not the only silver-haired person in Sonoma. Tonight, a friend asked: “Didn’t your hair used to be red?" He... Continue
Getting people out of cars and into mass transit is good for air quality, may reduce road congestion, and encourages public transportation. These are all good effects, but systems like SMART also affect growth and development patterns. Unless extreme care is taken in the planning... Continue
Having a place to call home is one of life’s most basic needs. It is the nexus of well being and central navigation point from where we begin and end each day. Home is where we head at the end of the workday, while we... Continue
Residents annoyed by battleship-sized tour buses, stretch limos and converted produce vans hauling gaggles of tourists through the Valley should consider that those traffic-clogging monstrosities perform an important public service. Namely, keeping inebriated, cluelessly-lost tourists from getting behind the wheel and becoming menaces to themselves... Continue
We've told ourselves that people are the greatest for so long, most of us actually believe it. Religious narratives puff us up with tales of being made in God's image, having dominion over nature and even existing in non-material heavenly dimensions. With tales like that,... Continue
Campaign logos that ignite supporters and help win elections are usually carefully crafted after weeks of ferreting out the hopes and fears of voters through scientific polling conducted by highly-paid campaign operatives whose job it is to polir l'étron (pardon the French, but this is... Continue
Only in America could an arrogant businessman who inherited substantial wealth from his father become elevated to celebrity status and then leverage that fatuous fame to run for President of the United States and lead the polls in the Republican primary race. We've known The... Continue