I once lived in Northern California near a local landmark, a mountain named Mount Ina Coolbrith. It’s in the northern Sierra Nevada, and its eastern slopes border the sagebrush country that extends into Nevada. Back then, I often wondered who…
The Golden State once was known as a land of prosperity and opportunity. Its politics was mainstream. A majority of Californians voted for Ronald Reagan four times, twice for governor and twice for president. Alas, that California disappeared years ago….
By a 6-1 margin, the San Francisco Board of Education recently voted to rename 44 schools in the city. The school board has decided to postpone these renamings until schools reopen for in-person instruction after ongoing COVID shutdowns. But when…
Clarity and consensus among medical professionals has been hard to find on many issues related to COVID-19 policy, so it’s much appreciated when something appears to be clear-cut and universally agreed upon. In today’s sound-bite world, it can be dizzying…
Sacramento “All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle,” wrote the city of San Francisco’s namesake, St. Francis of Assisi. Catholics revere the Italian friar — canonized in 1228 — for his great love…
“We’re having a, uh, a territorial dispute, hm? … You’ve taken offence at my presence and I can understand that. I mean, I wouldn’t want you people in my back yard either.” – Falling Down (1993) While the Trump-era violence…
It was said a long time ago, in a different era, that hypocrisy is the tribute vice pays to virtue. I would like to think that’s still true, but today’s media and political culture certainly doesn’t operate that way. Today,…
When my old iPhone jingle-jangled a couple of days ago, the heads-up on the screen indicated Unknown Caller. As a rule I let such things go to voicemail, but this time — I don’t know why — I picked up…
Sacramento As my daughter recently searched for a new apartment in San Francisco’s typically overheated market, she experienced an unusual situation: Falling rent prices, less competition for available units and – get this – landlords who were calling her to…
