Most of us have too much stuff, and it continually creeps into our space. By the looks of the hourly Amazon and FedEx deliveries on my street, online retail is also alive and well. I seldom shop online. When I do, it’s for things I... Continue
Columnist
Hilary Campbell is a New Yorker magazine cartoonist who just happened to grow up in Sonoma. Her work now appears regularly in the Sonoma Valley Sun. Continue
Anyone studying climate change-related CO2 production understands that trans-boundary emissions are inadequately accounted for. Those are the emissions emitted by the airplanes that bring tourists to Sonoma Valley hotels, restaurants and wineries. They include the internal combustion engine emissions that out-of-county tourists generate getting to... Continue
I’m glad my sweet kitty, Einstein, didn’t live to see the day we have a politician putting him down. J. D Vance – a candidate for vice president – calling childless women cat ladies! Seriously? Someone in government slurring pussies? Hmmm … what’s next? The... Continue
Over the last several years, it has become very clear to me that access to mental health services is one of the highest priority issues amongst residents of the First District. As many have said before me, years of catastrophic fires and the pandemic exacerbated... Continue
In today’s increasingly digital world, technology has become an integral part of our lives, providing convenience and connectivity. However, as the internet expands, so does the sophistication of cybercriminals, who prey on unsuspecting individuals, particularly the elderly. This article recounts the unfortunate experience of an... Continue
A central Buddhist teaching is that being human means living in the realms of desire, and that desire and what flows from it - attachment, craving, grasping, defending, protecting - produces suffering. Sounds reasonable, and from what I can tell, is largely inescapable. As rock... Continue
The beaver dam is back along Sonoma Creek in Maxwell Farms Regional Park, after winter storms washed away the previous dams, as usual. We can find beaver dams here and there in the Sonoma Valley watershed, and the ecological benefits include slowing and storing water... Continue
Animals are alive; it’s so obvious as to be a tautology. Not all animals, however, are aware of being alive. As far as we can tell, human beings are the only ones. Opinion about awareness, and even more precisely reason, has varied. The designation of... Continue
Dog-lovers in the City of Sonoma can be forgiven for being puzzled about recent news from Mars. Mars Petcare, that is; an earthbound dog-food company which also makes candy for humans, a/k/a Mars Bars. Per a press release by Pets Lifeline, our Valley's animal shelter,... Continue