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Posts published in “Essays”

Cackle Doodle-Doo

Even though Mom used to warn against women who laughed too loudly, my cousin Monica and I cultivated our “cackles” and had fun doing it. It could be pretty noisy with the two of us…

Manson: The Life & Delusions

More than one friend, when told I was reading the “definitive” new biography of Charles Manson, said “Why would anybody want to read that?” It's a reasonable question. The Manson murders, almost 45 years ago,…

Sittwe Homeboy

Today I was riding a bike around a neighborhood, or “quarter” as they call it here. I’m looking for a house to rent for just Yvonne and me.  I hear strange banjo music. I stop…

Aggression Versus Intelligence

Konrad Lorenz famously defined aggression as “the fighting instinct in beast and man which is directed against members of the same species.”

Sports Notes

The San Francisco 49ers are being overly cautious this season. GM Trent Baalke may be getting into Coach Jim Harbaugh’s head too much. It seems that management wants to take the legs away from the…

The Big Business Lobby Behind BART Management

In July, Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) workers went on strike for four and a half days resisting the concessions demanded by the District's management. After a 60-day cooling off period implemented by the Governor,…

One Man’s Mental Health Experience

Ed note: a former county Mental Health staffer on the Mendocino Coast wrote the following letter to the Hospitality House Board of Directors earlier this month after being fired from the County when the County…

The Agony Of Ecstasy

“Ecstasy” is back in the news, although now it's being called “Molly.” A few young partiers have died at big “Electronic Dance Music” (EDM) festivals around the nation, even prompting cancellation of some such events.…

Liberace’s Prison

Last weekend Michael Douglas took home an Emmy for his performance as Liberace in the HBO bio-pic Behind the Candelabra; this accolade might in turn ignite renewed interest in the film that was released in…

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