Albert Camus wrote of fiction as, “the great lie through which we tell the truth.” So what are the “great lies” and what are the “truths” they tell? Now, to be sure, 'great' is in the mind of the beholder. But the “great lies" referred... Continue
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Local Sonoma Valley News:
Notwithstanding the work of 30 global environmental conferences and Sonoma County’s strict recycling rules (‘No tampons in the blue can’), climate change is definitely coming. But not to worry. Our planet has gone through many climate changes in its 4.5 billion-year history, each of which... Continue
Honoring the Old, Respecting the Present, & Planting for the Future By Vincent Distrola, Hannah Aclufi, and Sedra Nathan Birth month flowers for December: Paperwhites and Holly [caption id="attachment_145485" align="alignleft" width="284"] Heidi Kolsky[/caption] [caption id="attachment_145486" align="aligncenter" width="282"] Michigan Gardener[/caption] When we think of December, flowers... Continue
Editor’s Note: The following story, posted on Nextdoor Marty Drive, captures both the spirit of the season and an essential lesson in paying attention to what matters in the moment. My name's Raymond. I'm 73. I work the parking lot at St. Joseph's Hospital. Minimum... Continue
Donald Trump, who has demonstrated neither interest in nor aptitude for knowing and understanding world history, has seized on the word “communism” as a favorite pejorative to define many of his most prominent political enemies. He insists in countless email messages that, “Known Communists, like... Continue
By Anna Pier Leo Dale captured this stunning image of a bobcat with prey at Point Reyes at dusk last January. He was notified in November that he was awarded first place, Youth Division (10 -17 years), in the Nature Photographer of the Year competition... Continue
Animal activist Zoe Rosenberg, who captured three chickens from a chicken farm in Petaluma to rescue them from slaughter and what she says was poor living conditions, has been sentenced to 90 days by the Sonoma County Superior Court. A portion of the 90 days... Continue
The Metropolitan Transit Authority has announced that with the new year just weeks away, the Bay Area Toll Authority (BATA) reminds drivers that tolls at the region’s seven state-owned toll bridges will go up by 50 cents on Jan. 1, 2026. This will be the... Continue
Don't Blow It Again Dear Trustees, Sonoma Valley Unified School Board has an abysmal record in hiring superintendents. The last three served only two years each, and two of those three required heavy payouts, then you gifted a bonus to the most recent superintendent after... Continue
The student of history quickly learns that new technologies do more than support the operation of culture, they transform and replace it. From the wheel to the plow, from the printing press to the iMac computer, society and everyday lives take on the characteristics of... Continue