TV shows and Hollywood movies often portray elite government security teams as oafish incompetents around whom brilliantly evil criminals run rapid circles. The plots then center around a cat-and-mouse game played by the evil-doers and the one or two members of law enforcement who can... Continue
Columnist
Just as global warming gains international traction with treaties, targets and timetables the price of oil miraculously drops. A coincidence? I think not. Just as solar, wind, biofuel and electric technologies become more competitive with high-priced oil and gain wider adoption worldwide the price of... Continue
Sex Porn is a global multi-billion-dollar industry. Studies indicate that for many addicted to such material its sexual content is less significant than its feelings of overcoming powerlessness. The defining characteristic of porn is a sense of control through the objectification of self and other,... Continue
Last week I received a phone call at my office from Simon Blattner, president of the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art’s board of directors. He was calling me as a follow-up to the museum’s annual end-of-year financial appeal letter I had previously received. Simon thanked... Continue
This week I bring to the forefront Ina Coolbrith. Jack London was quite taken with her, stating her to be the noblest woman he had ever met. Her story begins with her birth in 1841, when the small pueblo of Sonoma was in its infancy.... Continue
What more can be said of the proposed roundabout at Broadway and Napa Street? For starters, how about “thanks” to the hardworking folks who made the sketches and the PowerPoint, donned Kevlar vests and drew straws to see which of them would present it to... Continue
For most people, the holidays mean time with family and celebrating traditions in the warmth of home. This is the time when heaters get cranked, fireplaces lit, and lights hung. Children learn the value of giving and delight in the experience of receiving. There is... Continue
Every election year since 2000, the Sonoma County liberal/progressive alliance holds a post-election analysis meeting called (with a nod to Dr. Seuss) “Green Eggs and Ham.” This has been updated to “Green and Blue Eggs and Ham” for the eighth edition of this event, which... Continue
Money, money, money. It’s on most of our minds, particularly during gifting season. I’m trying to keep my sense of humor about it, but what’s funny about not having enough money? There’s just no “ho- ho- ho” in it – even if there’s a ‘ho’... Continue
We place a great deal of faith in eyewitness testimony and its impact on criminal justice is enormous. Eyewitness accounts can vary widely, however, as has been the case in the shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri by a young police officer. Declining... Continue