When a natural event like Superstorm Sandy wreaks havoc and destruction it provides an opportunity to reflect on our preoccupations and priorities and how out of whack they so often are. Disaster strikes and suddenly we realize what’s truly precious; it’s not American Idol, the... Continue
Columnist
With limited funds to pay for advertising, Sonoma Valley nonprofit organizations usually rely on sending information via email to local newspapers to inform the public of their news. Since nonprofit activities comprise such a large percentage of Sonoma Valley happenings, The Sonoma Sun wants to... Continue
All objects are devoid of inherent meaning, which is to say for example, a chair is not a chair except in the mind of the perceiver. To a squirrel, a chair is simply something namelessly convenient upon which to settle while cracking a black walnut;... Continue
By the time you read this, the election will be over (or will it?) I don’t know what the outcome will be. But one thing I do know is that if we, the people, don’t speak up, we’re in doo-doo much deeper than any argument... Continue
As income inequality continues to grow in America, with millionaires and billionaires increasing their record-setting ownership of the nation’s wealth, the sharp divide between haves and have-nots played-out in the reelection of Barack Obama. Despite record-setting expenditures, the haves were unable to purchase the presidency;... Continue
Charles Darwin introduced the concept of natural selection to describe the mechanism of evolution and the ways in which life on earth reflects a continuum of time and change. His theory challenged generations of belief in an absolute, immutable order of existence, and in his... Continue
The historical task of the progressive movement is to facilitate the evolution of American society and its economic substructure to meet the social, economic and environmental challenges of the 21st century and to finally break the grip of corporate control so that our political process... Continue
Sitting in the hot tub watching the afternoon wind whip a flag flying atop a 40-foot bamboo pole in my garden, I thought about waves. Flags wave in the wind, a convergence of weight, length, wind speed, and air turbulence. If the right proportions of... Continue
Dear Bonnie, I just filed my tax return and found that I owe, but don’t have the money to pay. Are they going to take the money out of my bank account? Anonymous, Sonoma Dear Anonymous, If you are unable to pay your tax liability, your... Continue
Roughly 500 years ago, Johannes Guttenberg introduced moveable type and the modern book was born. Guttenberg hoped that his invention would make the Bible more available and help sustain and enlarge the Catholic faith, but ironically it was reformer Martin Luther who used moveable type... Continue