Thousands of words have been written in the press, social media and by local political bodies to oppose ballot Measure J, authored by the Coalition to End Factory Farming. I have 550 words in this column.  First I must disclose that I have been a... Continue

Start of summer of 1968, the war in Vietnam was raging. A smaller war was raging in our little green house. My father, World War II vet, notorious underachiever, with a bad temper and me, a drug addled 16-year-old hippie war protester, were at odds.... Continue

Last year I watched the movie, “Leave the World Behind.” The plot is an apocalyptic scenario in which external threats and internal strife break down societal order. Starting with a tanker ship running aground on the beach, then building the story that everything we know,... Continue

As I was growing up my father constantly downplayed our dreams saying they were not reality.  I now realize that his “reality” was, indeed, only his perception of reality.  As I grew older, I found out I could make lots more money than he did... Continue

On November 19, 2023 I attended a church service held by the Sonoma Collective Church in the theater at Sonoma Valley High School.  I am not a religious person, though I had a Catholic upbringing.  My mother was a devout Catholic and never missed mass. ... Continue

Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is a fuel gas which contains a flammable mixture of hydrocarbon gases, specifically propane, propylene, butylene, isobutane, and n-butane. LPG is used in heating appliances, cooking equipment, and vehicles. 2 years ago over 100 railroad tanker cars filled with LPG were... Continue