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Posts published in “Essays”

The Second Coming

For an elder, (or for anybody in fact) contemplation of the tableau of US history can become a habitual 4th of July conversation.. As commonly told and commemorated on Independence Day, our nation’s story begins…

Hinges Of Hades In My Back Yard

Was it hot in Ukiah last week? It was Thursday when the sun quit spinning in the sky and the meteorologist heat index registered between OMG and WTF. Yeah, well I’m a Buckeye. Weather in…

Dying For Diversion

A case can be made for dropping out of your life every once in a while just to see what you can see. It doesn’t matter where you go or what you do. The point…

On The Way To San Francisco

I grew up in Seattle, but I’d had enough of living the expected life. My girlfriend had dumped me, and I hated my job. I had only a few friends, and a yearning for something…

Pay Us. We’ll Fix It, But Good

Here’s a short list of things that worked fine until we fixed them, at which point every solution wound up a failure. MARIJUANA: For decades weed supported Ukiah and Mendocino County economies despite it being,…

AVA Staff Interviews The Editor

Part 1: Questions from Terry Sites Do you miss being able to talk? Are you in pain? Can you eat conventionally? What senses have you lost? Which ones do you miss the most? The least?…

Bye Bye Oakland A’s

Faithful Oakland A's fans – I counted myself one of them — kept hoping until the bottom of the ninth inning that Andujar, Langeliers or someone else on the squad might hit a towering home…

The June Ranch

Sometimes, when I’m alone and I'm able to escape the daily drone of people and machines that drive us all a little closer to the edge of insanity, I close my eyes and I drift…

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