Recent events have demonstrated that there is a serious flaw in the workings of our constitutional democracy: Namely, no matter how uneducated, misinformed or stupid they may be, everyone who is a U.S. citizen over the age of 18 can register and vote. (Felons, not... Continue

With all the killing and craziness going on, an American optimist is hard to find these days. Even without the prospect of a Trump presidency, pessimism abounds. Yet those who read history know that no matter how bad things seem, they can get worse. Even... Continue

It’s almost impossible to get through a day without encountering another irate citizen of our Valley fuming about being disenfranchised and denied participation in the political process. Over coffee, wine or a GMO taco they fulminate, livid at being deprived of the chance to mix... Continue

Increasingly there is talk of passing strong laws to keep guns away from the mentally ill, but don’t hold your breath. Most mentally ill people are not violent. Some may be very troubled, but as a group they seem to present far less danger to... Continue

“If thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought.” -- George Orwell Scientists are making amazing strides in Artificial Intelligence, but what we really could use is more of the real thing. There seems to be plenty of the artificial stuff around, to the point... Continue

A newspaper not-to-be-named recently conducted an online survey asking: “Should the city establish, staff and fund a rec department?” Nearly 70% of respondents said “Yes!” 

Of course, since the entire globe could take the survey, the 107 respondents may have lived in Beijing or Kirkuk... Continue

Right Out of the Box, Let’s Be Perfectly Clear: Not a Day Goes By when Word On The Street is, “Where Have I Heard That Before?” Maybe it’s because Nine Out of Ten Times, we have. Thanks to Mainstream Media, Amenglish has become an automated... Continue

Totally fabricated rumors (the most salacious kind) are circulating that Congress has taken note of the popularity of Hollywood’s annual award shows and, in an attempt to boost its own dismal poll ratings, is planning to launch its own show to kick off the 2016... Continue

No one should presume to offer advice to financially savvy, highly successful, wheeling-and-dealing developer/investors, particularly without being generously compensated. But after an entertaining Planning Commission study session regarding the re-titled FSE Project (formerly, The Cloisters), having witnessed such entertainment in the past, and with more... Continue