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Posts published in “Essays”

The Vioxx Settlement

Q: Who killed more Americans —al Qaeda crashing airplanes into the World Trade Center, or Merck push­ing Vioxx? A: Merck, by a factor of 18. One of the most downplayed stories of our time ended…

‘Throw The Bums Out’

Louise "Wheezer" Gonyo was recently elected president of SEIU Local 1021. Gonyo is assumed to be one of the SEIU hardliners who claim the County is insisting on wage concessions simply to break the union,…

Are Drum Circles Protected By The Constitution?

From Manhattan, to Nashville, to St Louis, to Port­land, Oregon, to Oakland, California, the police this week moved in to clear out the Occupy Wall Street pro­testers from the various downtown plazas or squares where…

Panic at PinotFest SF

Refrigerated clouds hovered over Union Square, breathing their wet, cold exhalations against the window panes of the fourth floor of the Kensington Park Hotel. The occasion was San Francisco's PinotFest, a Farallon restaurant showcase of…

A Musical — and Political — Icon, Remembered: Fela Lives!

How many musicians can really be seen as revolutionaries — in not just musical terms but political ones as well? Fela Kuti is one such figure, and Americans are finally learning about him. The award-winning…

HumCo Opts For Dispensary Moratorium

Grappling with legal uncertainties, liability risks and a 300-page staff report, Humboldt County’s Board of Supervisors has voted to pursue a moratorium on new medical marijuana dispensaries and delay action on regulating indoor patient grows.…

Why Close Any State Park?

When Governor Brown issued his list of State Park closures on May 13th, a numb silence spread through our park system. At first, Californians could not believe it. Why close down 70 State Parks at…

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