Last night’s City Council consideration of a proposal to remove Broadway’s oak trees was notable less for its action than the conduct of the City Council. Though only four could participate, Gary Edwards having stepped-down due to the proximity of property he owns to the subject... Continue
Public Citizen
In spite of or possibly in reaction to California's worst drought in 120 years, I suddenly find myself surrounded by neighbors building swimming pools. Five homes within 200 feet already have pools and two more even closer have completed the construction phase and have moved... Continue
It's easy to dismiss much of modern culture as crass, insensitive, dull or even stupid. Set aside the fact that a TV commercial featuring Mathew McConaughey for the new Lincoln MKC is a 60-second full-fledged Hollywood production costing millions to create; it's still basically a... Continue
One of the common experiences of contemporary politics is feeling like what you are being told is so stupid and nonsensical that the person saying it knows it is stupid and nonsensical too. Denial of climate change, evolution and established historical fact certainly provide such... Continue
I've always wondered if it's a matter of translation; namely did the the tablets brought down Mt. Sinai by Moses prohibit killing or murder? From what I can tell, most people think "Thou shalt not kill" fully covers the topic, generating reams of argument about... Continue
Before movies there were dreams, the experience of being simultaneously involved while impassively observing events and emotions displayed on mind's internal "screen." In many ancient cultures dreams played a pivotal role in individual and social life. For Australian Aboriginal peoples, Dreamtime is considered the greater... Continue
Although the human impulse towards religious experience is undeniable many people today do not consider themselves as religious or spiritual. Writer Richard Dawkins or television pundit Bill Maher take great pains to paint religious belief as nonsense - destructive mumbo-jumbo unsuited to modern society and... Continue
Ok so it's 2040 and I'm 92 years old - too old if you ask me, which of course you didn't - but that's not the point. The point is I'm pissed-off. Sure, you say, of course you're pissed-off - you're old - and being... Continue
When I was growing up a fella named Charles Atlas adorned the back pages of cheap magazines, displaying a body we'd today call "buff" but back then "muscle-bound." The proverbial answer to being a skinny wimp at the beach and having sand kicked-in-your-face by the... Continue
There is a decidedly anti-intellectual strain in contemporary American society, this despite a high rate of literacy and a historical legacy of higher education. Though books are still written, dissertations, doctorates and advanced degrees awarded, the present level of public discourse can only be termed... Continue