Life is artful; it has to be. At once both particular and universal, manifesting as individual lives while simultaneously functioning in a species-wide manner, life navigates through living and non-living environments; through its collective experience, life finds ways to endure. Artfulness is available to all... Continue
Public Citizen
The idea of Samsara generates considerable confusion, an ironic condition since the essence of Samsara is confusion. Although we humans are a clever lot, there’s far more that we do not know or understand than there is that we do. We are profoundly ignorant. In... Continue
When I was a small boy I cried a lot. By all reports, I was an affable, joyful little guy, sensitive and always smiling, but as the years passed, I came under the shadow of my older brother who took out all his resentments on... Continue
Capitalism is a hot topic at the moment, its successes and failures, its potential and limitations, and its impacts on culture and the environment. Any examination of capitalism requires its definition, however. While it has many facets, for the purposes of this discussion, I am... Continue
“Why don’t you and your daughter Zoe come over for dinner,” said the voice at the other end of the telephone, continuing, “I live just down the block.” “Sure,” I replied, “see you at 5:30.” So began my 50-year relationship with Norma Jean Marsh Campbell.... Continue
Teleology is the philosophical exploration of purpose, and for many of us, finding purpose is elusive. Is purpose inherent or found, and can it be both? The business of being human often feels like a test, but if we are being tested, by whom and... Continue
The hot book of 1972 was Alex Comfort’s “The Joy of Sex.” In 2025, “The Joy of Hate” might top the charts. In the words of James Baldwin, I’m horrified at America’s “moral apathy,” the degree to which unthinkably vile behaviors are now normalized. Baldwin,... Continue
Today I unpacked the last remaining box of my late wife Norma’s books. The two-car garage at the condo was completely filled when we moved in just over four months ago, and now it’s almost empty. Between what’s been thrown away, donated, and brought inside,... Continue
I first sat on my wicker sofa in diapers as a toddler, 75 years ago. It was located on our screened-in porch on the western side of our house in the suburbs of New York. Given summer’s mosquitos, a screened-in porch was not not a... Continue
Kaiser recently announced it is laying off nurses at two of its clinics in the North Bay. Those of us who have regular encounters with healthcare providers know that nurses provide the human touch in a profession that’s increasingly impersonal. Although technology like Zoom provides... Continue