I had a lunch date with a friend in San Francisco last week at Green’s in Ft. Mason. I hadn’t been there in years, and the entrance to Ft. Mason had been re-engineered, requiring me to find my way to the new entrance. As I... Continue
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“Leaf blowers to right of them, leaf blowers to left of them – into the valley of death rode the six hundred!” With apologies to Tennyson, I must admit that there are few sounds more detestable than the gasoline-powered leaf blower. On Wednesday my southbound... Continue
Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to conduct an interview with a group of executive directors of some of Sonoma Valley’s larger nonprofit organizations. My goal was to discover the challenges faced by our nonprofit organizations as they continue to serve the vast needs... Continue
Prior to 20th century physics, which established the dominance of Einstein’s special and general theories of relativity, the concept of an all-pervading invisible aether, the medium through which light, gravity and electromagnetism moved, was commonly accepted. Harkening back to ancient alchemy and natural philosophies dominant... Continue
My wife says I remind her of the story of the princess and the pea, the parable about making a big deal about nothing. It’s true I am a picky person, though I prefer to think of my self as discerning. That distinction notwithstanding, there... Continue
9-11 is a special day for me because it is my birthday, but it’s not so pleasant for everyone else. The events of 9-11-2001 produced tremendous cultural trauma, and its powerful effects are still reverberating. Such trauma happens from time to time and it often... Continue
This tough economic climate presents a perfect opportunity for nonprofit organizations to embark on a strategic planning process. A strategic planning process that actively involves all of an organization’s stakeholders enables an organization to clarify its mission, goals, core values, and vision for the future.... Continue
We live in a “me” world, where attention to self is a daily preoccupation. “I want this and you want that” is the basic functioning of contemporary society and we routinely go to sleep each night expecting to greet our “selves” the next morning. Our... Continue
In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court of the United States recently ruled that any action which can be defined as “material support” to an organization deemed “terrorist” is a federal crime. Material support, says the court, includes discussion and/or consultation about non-violence or peace,... Continue
In the 1974 book Lives of a Cell, author Lewis Thomas paints a disarmingly sweet portrait of a single cell that all but imparts a charming personality upon a living thing so small it’s microscopic. The life of a single cell, one of 40 trillion... Continue