Press "Enter" to skip to content

Posts published in “Essays”

Potholes On Path To Health Insurance

I have been calling Covered California for the past month, trying to get information on my health insurance application because my current coverage terminates on Dec. 31. In keeping with the federal government's guidelines, I…

River Views

It has been a cold, cold December by California stan­dards, though by the time this is read nighttime tem­peratures should return to seasonal norms. What is abnormal is the lack of autumn rainfall. Walking upstream…

Caruso’s Cigarettes

Listening now to Enrico Caruso’s last recording made in September of 1920, you would never suspect that you are hearing the voice of a heavy smoker. Caruso favored strong Egyptian cigarettes, even enjoying them between…

Letter To Japan

Dear Hiroshi, I’ll see you soon in Kochi on Shi­koku, southern Japanese main island; most beautiful, least populated, mostly agrarian, putatively “lightly” bombed during WW II. Shikoku, the birthplace of revered 9th Century Shingon Buddhist…

Sideline At The ‘Stick

Sunday an hour before kick-off, Niners vs Seattle, I’m on the sideline behind the Seahawk bench. A few players for both teams are on the field, running practice routes, playing soft toss, punting balls high…

Sonic Trash

Praised by some as the summation of Robert Red­ford’s distinguished acting career, his latest film begins without music, just the stillness of a calm sea at dawn, the wide-screen expanse bathed in myriad shades of…

Understanding Emotional Abuse

Before she was a victim of homicide, Susan Keegan was a victim of emotional abuse.

When we think about domestic violence, we tend to think about physical harm, but a victim can also be the target of verbal aggression, manipulative behavior, and deliberate efforts to humiliate or belittle. Contempt is often part of that package, with the abuser mocking or insulting his partner, demeaning her appearance, demanding obedience, even becoming enraged when chores are not done as requested. Sex may become a weapon — for example, when an abuser insists that marriage itself entitles him to sex where, when, and how he wants it.

-