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The unintended consequences of doing nothing

Those opposed to the Hotel Limitation Measure - Measure B, are lavishing their criticism on the prospect of unintended consequences. In acts of pure speculation, they proffer a list of the unintended consequences, displaying an uncanny ability to forecast the future as they see it.... Continue

We can create the Sonoma community consensus

The mission of this monthly column from Day One has been to answer the question: What is the Progressive agenda?  This month marks the one-year anniversary of this column in The Sonoma Sun.  I am thankful to Editor Val Robichaud and The Sun for this... Continue

On poppin’ counterfeit pills

I recently refilled a prescription for a beta-blocker I’ve been taking daily for twenty-some odd years. The electrical system of my heart becomes unstable every once in a while, and Atenolol settles it down to a nice normal rhythm. Atenolol was first produced by pharmaceutical... Continue

Separation of church and state

There is more to report this week on our sister city Aswan, Egypt.  I have received endearing emails and texts from friends with simple messages.  Yasser writes on Facebook “I miss you” with a frowning yellow face.  Ahmed writes “how u family,” and Ismail sent... Continue

All Hallos’ Even… continued

Today is the day so many have been waiting for.  The thrill of dressing up, applying makeup, transforming oneself into something else altogether, is upon us. As I discussed last week, Halloween has a deeply-rooted and rather ancient history, however, ghosts are not limited to... Continue

Is my wife a witch?

No, this is not the first line of a Henny Youngman joke (if you don’t know who he was, Google him, the King of the one-liners), it’s an honest question. You see my wife is descended on both sides of her family from Puritans, one... Continue

Selling $onoma

Apervasive belief within Sonoma’s tourist serving businesses is that we must constantly compete for the attention of tourists. The recently formed Tourism Improvement District (TID) is spending $450,000/yr. on advertising of all sorts to “brand” Sonoma; placards on BART trains, billboards, radio spots, newspaper and... Continue

In the bubble of time

A cosmic self-referential paradox, our reckoning of time can be used to prove that it’s an illusion. Is this testament to our enduring capacity for self delusion or an example of humanity’s uncanny knack for cracking the underlying code of existence, or both? What allows all... Continue

Nonprofits role in making Sonoma County healthier

The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors has a vision to make Sonoma County the healthiest county in California by 2020. To help make this goal a reality, the county Department of Human Services is managing the implementation of Sonoma County Upstream Investments, an initiative that... Continue

A head and a hand

Spanish colonial efforts in the Americas necessitated doctrine addressing the relationship between the Spanish and indigenous populations. The welfare of the conquered Natives was addressed by the Laws of Burgos in 1512.  Important to indigenous peoples, the laws attempted to regulate and dictate the interactions... Continue