Desire being the root of most human experience, finding ourselves attracted to things we see around us is entirely normal. Given widespread religious doctrines and legal prohibitions against theft, it would appear powerful temptations to satisfy desire are rather normal as well; those of us... Continue
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What is self, and how will you know if you know it? are unanswered questions that have been the subject of endless discussion, from esoteric religious thought to reductionist scientific rationalism. Who is looking, and who is found? Even asking such paradoxical questions seems to... Continue
Why would anyone hunt for fun? Hunting is often cruel. Sometimes creatures don’t die immediately; sometimes they bleed to death or starve, half hunted, leaving their young to fend for themselves. Are we still primitive? Do we really need to kill? Is it because there... Continue
Dear Bonnie, My kid is going to college next year. Can you tell me something about the tax credits for higher education? I’m kind of confused. There’s the Hope Credit and the Lifetime Learning Credit. Thanks. Bernie, Sonoma Hi Bernie, The American Opportunity Tax Credit,... Continue
If you’re wondering why modern life seems dominated by discussion of fiscal cliffs, taxes and money, look no further than the origins of Western civilization. For roughly 10,000 years, civilization has been obsessed with accumulating and accounting for material things, and our obsession with stuff... Continue
As we begin another year, many nonprofit leaders are looking at their 2013 budgets and wondering what they can do to reduce operational costs that seem to be increasing each year. Fortunately, there are many online resources available that provide discounted and no-cost options for... Continue
This all seems quite familiar by now. The new normal in American politics is a continual series of manufactured crises over what used to be fairly routine budget processes, like annual fiscal appropriations or raising the debt ceiling. These procedural choke points are held hostage... Continue
“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” So reads the Second Amendment of the Bill of Rights, one complete sentence expressing a complete thought. Despite grammar... Continue
Halloween, elections, Thanksgiving, Christmas and then taxes … it’s just too much! This is supposed to be the “most wonderful” time of the year, but I get worn out just trying to keep up. And, all of this during the shortest days and coolest weather.... Continue
Time can be visualized as a branched structure of causes and outcomes, beginning with interactions between the simplest subatomic particles all the way up to the current composition of the cosmos. All that exists and has ever existed is interconnected by this vast array of... Continue