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Posts published in “Essays”

Exploring The Mendocino Coast

Maps are a time trap for historians—just ask the folks at any museum. A map inspection can turn from a quick glance to an hour or more, often with the assistance of a magnifying lens,…

The Hidden Attribute

Lately my thoughts have turned to attributes; those inherent elements of our being that make us worthy individuals. Some, like beauty, physical strength, intelligence, creativity and talent, are lauded – in some cases over lauded…

Downwind From Kramer

A cold snap roared into Florida just when I arrived for a vacation and wanted sun and heat. Rain accompanied the cold. I'm downwind from Tommy Wayne Kramer. That's not news. I’m always downwind from…

On the Road Without Jack, 2011

While I’m driving back from the coast to 128, my mind (what’s left of it) is in free fall, landing occasionally on fertile ground where the sprinkling of my thoughts take root and, in time-lapse…

The ‘Thousand Year Flood’ Of 1964

This December marks the 50th anniversary of the “Thousand Year Flood” in Northern California, which officially began on Dec. 21, 1964 — reaching its peak on Dec. 23 of that year and continued until early…

Name Dropping

A new edition of Franz Kafka's diary has just been published in English. The New Yorker review mentioned that Kafka's close friend Max Brod, who compiled and edited Kafka's diary after his death, had concealed…

And On The Sixth Of January…

And so it came to pass that on the sixth of January, 2023, two years after the demonstration/riot/failed coup that caused millions of dollars in property damage, six deaths and countless injuries on Capitol Hill,…

We Begin 2023 With ‘Uhh, Sorry’

I wish all my several readers much happiness in 2023 and at the same time beg forgiveness for my behavior at the AVA’s annual New Year’s Eve Party.  My actions was inexcusable, although none (or…

Martin Luther King, San Francisco, 1968

So we all take a day off, on the off chance we have a job to take off from, to celebrate Martin Luther King’s birthday and ponder the meaning of his life. The in-school discussion,…

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