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Personal/Political

Lies in all sizes

We like to think we know a lie from the truth, or think there is a gray area where we just can’t make a judgment. Sometimes we tell little lies, to avoid hurting someone’s feelings or just to get out of something. These little lies... Continue

What’s the plan behind the big buying spree?

Many years ago when we first moved to the Springs, I was out for a walk.  I saw this bumper sticker:  “Militant agnostic, I don’t know and neither do you.” The car and the agnostic are long gone, yet the line stays with me. My... Continue

Powered by money

Where do you draw the line and consider someone wealthy? Is it if they own a home that is now worth a million dollars? Does it matter that they paid very little for it 30 years ago? A million dollars sounds big. In today’s world... Continue

Book bans and boycotts

In discussing the buying spree of KS Mattson, LeFever Mattson, or any of their 50 companies, it is important to make a distinction between property they own and lease to others, and property where they own and operate a commercial business. Properties like Sonoma’s Best,... Continue

In defense of the “Boomers”

Boomer. What exactly does this word mean? It could be someone who makes loud booming noises, or a person born in the years just after World War II. This was known as the Baby Boom, as those that had grown up during the Great Depression... Continue

Sonoma won’t have a second dispensary anytime soon. Why not?

Last month the Sonoma City Council addressed the issue of issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP) for a second cannabis dispensary within city limits. The city’s cannabis ordinance was changed two years ago to allow another dispensary, its second. But at its April 19 meeting,... Continue

There was no ‘golden age’

I just returned from a visit with an old friend. We were coworkers at Visa Credit Card, many years ago.  We have maintained our friendship even though we are at opposite ends of the political spectrum.  People often ask me, how do you do this?... Continue

The spectacle of violence

This is the headline for a movie review of John Wick: Chapter 4: A three-hour killing spree perversely entertains. It claims the “fetishized violence” is “visually impressive.” I do not watch movies like this; I believe that violence has consequences. In real life, killing rips... Continue

The once and future Springs 

Can we picture the Springs as it will be, as it should be? When I recently viewed “Picturing the Springs” by Michael Acker at the Depot Park Museum, I could not stop thinking about what our Springs community once was, what it is now, and... Continue

A Springs Plaza — what’s our next move?

Often after speaking at a local government meetings, I hear, “Well that’s just your opinion, just anecdotal.”  I consider myself a logical, observant person.  I do my best, not to just make things up.  I think this comes from my years as a business and... Continue