Wifi isn’t all that it’s cut out to be. The past couple of weeks I have been adventuring through Guatemala and Belize with the promise of good wifi, the kind of wifi that gets columns back to the states. Unfortunately, wifi didn’t always find it’s... Continue
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Why does poverty exist in the wealthiest countries in the world? This question has vexed economists for several hundred years, and the answer remains elusive. In tribal societies, now increasingly rare, economy is intrinsic to cultural habits and social relationships; reciprocity, sharing and customs of... Continue
The Fourth of July was bubbling with fun, except the booming firecrackers scared my dogs to death. Willie trembled as we hid in my bedroom, TV turned up, trying to muffle the sounds outside. I don’t want to be a party pooper, but what’s up... Continue
An unoccupied mind is a dangerous thing. Organic brain’s powerful processing capacity combined with limitless symbolic creativity of mind gives rise to the need for pursuing purpose and meaning. Lacking these, people veer into forms of madness; hyperactive states of violence against others, self-injury, paranoia,... Continue
Once in a great while, you leap to your feet in amazement on seeing a headline that strikes to the heart of your political concerns. That’s what hit me when I pulled my copy of the NCR (National Catholic Register) from the mail on my... Continue
The idea of labor as a commodity, the creation of a class of people subject to competitive rates who can be bought and sold on the open market is inherently dehumanizing, but we live in a capitalist world addicted to consumption, increased productivity and shareholder... Continue
Dear Bonnie, I just bought my first rental property. I can write off the closing costs, right? What else can I write off? J.K., Sonoma Dear J.K. Thanks for writing. I get this question often. And I’m afraid the answer is no, you cannot write... Continue
Health is a big deal. I have friends who eat mainly protein or veggies, rice or nuts -- no carbs or gluten. (Or, are we nuts?) It’s so crazy trying to figure out what to eat. I have a hairball to get out about it... Continue
Human sensibilities are in part a matter of scale, which is to say that as we interact with the world we move from the particular to the general and vice versa, oscillating between conceptions of reality in order to find our comfortable place among events.... Continue
Eliza spoke of suffocation from the stench hovering around the stables on a hot summer day. Everyone knew her. She drew sympathy from local Indians, the Mexican elite, soldiers, and American settlers. California was restless in the mid-19th century, as people from all backgrounds rummaged... Continue