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Posts published in “Essays”

Synanon Foundation Inc.

We lived in a building called the Delmar Club. The Delmar Club sits at the base of Santa Monica Boulevard. It was once a private beach club boasting an all white clientele including Ronald Reagan. No Jews at the Delmar Club.

Guns, Butter and Inner Preparedness

Mendoland is gearing up for Y2K, stockpiling rice right along with apocalyptic homilies in a sort of mounting purplish frenzy. KZYX is abuzz with end-of-the-world speculations and even the normally well-grounded Ukiah Chamber of Commerce…

The Week that Was

Five years ago this Christmas, an elderly aunt of mine from a little town in Illinois came out to Boonville for a visit. Like lots of Americans of her generation, my aunt’s political views were…

Will Affinito Get Away With It?

Dominic Affinito says he didn’t punch Fort Bragg City Councilman-elect Dan Gjerde repeatedly in the back and threaten to kill him Thursday, November 12th in the Fort Bragg City Hall at 1:30 in the afternoon.…

Jim Jones

Didn’t know the man myself, but by the time I arrived in Mendocino County in 1970, the Rev was already a local big shot. He was throwing big ecumenical dinners with everyone from the heavy…

Private Ryan, Manila, 1945

I’ve decided that the very least I can do is put you wise on how us warriors are making out in the far reaches of the Pacific. To cover over the preliminaries quickly, I left…

Hunting Season

About 100 years ago in rural America no one gave much thought to hunting. In the fall, ranchers and farmers and other country folk, thoroughly familiar with the terrain near their homes, would go out…

Socio-Math Problems for KZYX Listeners

1. Jill and Karen were given a rottweiler at their commitment ceremony. If their dog needs to be walked two miles a day and they walk at a rate of x miles per hour, how…

Roederer Adopts Gallo Strategy

Roederer, Inc., as predicted, has now made it clear it will attempt to slowly strangle its vineyard workers’ union. The French-owned winery — the oldest family-owned winery in the world, and certainly among the most…

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