Watching old films of the 40’s and 50’s explicitly reveals the underpinnings of our American cultural narrative. Produced before the rise of contemporary comic irony or social satire, these post WWII films feel more like “educational” dating or coming of age films that were shown... Continue
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As the world moves solidly into the 21st century, education in America appears to be headed to the 19th. Teachers and the country’s public school system have been targeted by political conservatives who seek to cut salaries and job security for unionized teachers while diverting... Continue
Doctors aren’t God and intuition goes just so far. How does healing occur? There are lots of opinions: vitamins, exercise, herbs, sex, yoga, even being Italian! So, why write another article about healthcare? Does anybody really care? Let’s face it, marathon runners can die early... Continue
Bob Dylan sang that, “those not busy being born are busy dying” but from what I can tell most everyone is doing both at once. Each new moment is a moment of rebirth. What seems constant and solid is a renewal, one heartbeat, one breath... Continue
Lust is the great equalizer among men, the force that unites Republican and Democrat, foreign diplomat and President, in embarrassment and disgrace. One would think wealth and power would be enough, but of course they are not, and for some men power clearly increases lust.... Continue
Dear Bonnie: I got a letter from the IRS saying that I forgot to include a W2 on my tax return from some place I never even heard of. Do I have to declare this income and pay the taxes on it? It’s for $33,000... Continue
I like to think I’m well-informed but occasionally I’m stunned to realize what a woefully ignorant chump I am. My latest shock came after watching a 90-minute lecture by Dr. Robert Lustig, a physician specialist in endocrinology and metabolism at UCSF. Dr. Lustig is alarmed... Continue
In this difficult economy, an increasing number of individuals are suggesting that nonprofits with similar missions consider merging as a survival strategy. Before organizations consider a merger, its leaders should ask themselves if the merger will result in a stable organization that can more effectively... Continue
A recent excavation in Asia uncovered a small village near the birth place of Attila the Hun. Archeologists found a hand-written scroll from 445 A.D. tucked inside a sealed ceramic bottle. The scroll contains entries by a low-level government employee, much like a Twitter diary,... Continue
We can’t anticipate all the possible outcomes of every human activity, this is just a simple fact. Each action in every moment cascades through endless time, generating effects. Some effects are obvious to all, others are extremely subtle and beyond ordinary awareness. Effects can be... Continue