Some guys are assholes. I learned this very early on in life, and it’s still true. I’ve known some women who were assholes, but on balance, assholes tend to be men. So what exactly is an asshole? Assholes are mean people, highly aggressive, and frequently... Continue
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By Andrew Emer Let's talk roundabouts. Anyone who pays attention to the flow of traffic, and/or has been to Europe, understands both their purpose and functionality. A roundabout is basically a big circle that a driver yields to enter and, once inside, has the right... Continue
A movie by Paulino Duran, called “Chasing Bliss” was screened at the Sonoma International Film Festival a few years ago. It was described as a search that brings Duran to the happiest country in the world, Finland, where he embarks on a journey to test... Continue
Readers have no doubt noticed reports in numerous media that Americans are increasingly alarmed, concerned, disgusted, incensed and/or out-of-their-mind-outraged in their assessments of President Trump. From a blizzard of executive orders, to middle-of-the-night postings en route to the toilet, to firing thousands of federal employees... Continue
Every Tuesday night for five years, I wrote stories of my family in Stephanie Moore’s writing class. I’d no idea I was writing a memoir until I was done. When I finished, I sent drafts to my siblings and some friends. They loved it, so... Continue
Her name was Maryanne, she worked in what was then called a “sheltered workshop,” making gloves on an industrial sewing machine in hopes of qualifying for a real job in a local glove factory and achieving a degree of independence. There were 10 or 12... Continue
Future Farmers of America Yes we do have future farmers, thank heavens. We need them badly. And we need to learn to grow our own food. So here’s good news. More high school students are taking classes in the Agriculture Department at Sonoma Valley High... Continue
For centuries, we in America have thought of ourselves as a nation of law and order. Between the two, law has maintained dominance while order has remained subordinate. That hierarchy now appears to be flipping. Democracy’s weakness is itself, which in their wisdom our founding... Continue
Hilary Campbell is a New Yorker magazine cartoonist who just happens to have been born and raised in Sonoma. Continue
There is always much news on the global, geopolitical front that makes headlines, causes concerns and, honestly, makes life in Sonoma seem like a literal walk in the park. Not that we haven’t our own challenges, many of which are related to the big picture... Continue