My wife and I recently traveled to Seattle to visit her ninety-six-year-old Godmother, and along the way found ourselves hungry at the airport. The options for eating at airports have improved immensely, but our particular American penchant for fast food still dominates. Airports, naturally, include... Continue

In the garden Amid the whispering bamboo and Wind chimes He sits and enters the samadhi Called "nothing happens" [caption id="attachment_65846" align="alignnone" width="420"] Kurt von Meier, PhD - Circa 1966[/caption] I've become an object of study in an anthropological research program. Seriously, two earnest doctoral professors... Continue

Of all pursuits, mathematics may be the most remarkable. I'm not talking about the simple mathematics of calculating the tip on a restaurant tab; that type of calculation is the simple arithmetic of utility. I'm talking about the mathematics of theoretical physics, a realm reflecting... Continue

At a recent Planning Commission meeting, a proponent of a development project under review dismissively referred to project opponents as a "vocal minority." Another said that the proposed project's neighbors were only selfishly interested in "their own backyards" rather than the good of the community... Continue

The decision by a community to commit itself to historic preservation is a commitment to enforcing rules. Unless rules are created that define what contributes to historic preservation and what does not, the entire effort becomes impossible. Here in Sonoma we use various methods to... Continue

Oh, the stories we tell ourselves! Some of them are funny, some not so much, and some of them are, well, are downright dangerous. It's not like this is something new. Human beings have been dubbed "toolmakers" but our real and original talent is making... Continue

My eight-year-old granddaughter and I stopped by Nathanson Creek at the Second Street East bridge yesterday to catch a look after the heavy rains. The water was rushing quickly, having filled the channel halfway up the height of the tunnel under the road. "Papa, why is... Continue

The metaphors of battle, conflict and fighting are tightly woven into our American narrative, beginning with "Don't Tread on Me" in 1776. This effectively defiant message was developed well before any modern forms of propaganda, and yet effectively framed colonist attitudes towards British rule. The... Continue

It's been said life is like an illusion; a drop of dew, a flash of lightning, a phantom, a dream. Such contemplations have endured for thousands of years, fueling philosophers, Mystics, poets, and even scientists. But what if life is not a dream at all?... Continue