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Posts published in “Essays”

Will Kenny Rogers Get A New Trial?

The latest attorney for disgraced Mendo Republican Kenny Rogers, who was convicted last summer of hiring a hitman to kill a political adversary, is claiming that Rogers' last attorney so thoroughly botched his defense that the case deserves another try.

A Very Simple Proposal

The Groundswell following Dave Smith’s generous “Draft Scaramella for Supervisor” suggestion has been, ahem, less than underwhelming. Not one letter of support has been received for publication. And I think four, maybe five, people have…

Dead Man Walking In California: Loose in Obamalandia

First stop was the near north woods, Humboldt County USA, to wheedle the medicos into granting me a clean bill of health before I hit the road. A year ago this February, my doctor who…

Bird’s Eye View By Turkey Vulture

Greetings one and all. If you are sitting comforta­bly then I shall begin. First an update from the world of higher education. AVHS alum Cassidy Hollinger, currently a freshwoman at the illustrious Vassar Col­lege in…

Rehearsals For A Civil War

The Tea Party appeals to the swelling numbers of the new former middle class angry at the sudden van­ishing of their accustomed perks and entitlements to a predictably comfortable suburban existence. They're mad at the government and hot for “liberty.” But how do they propose to maintain the hyper-complexities of suburban life without taxes to pay for fixing the countless roads their lives depend on or to run the gold-plated central school districts that seem to exist solely to provide Friday night football?

Autographs For Geezers

Pitchers and catchers report to spring training this week. There is hope! Baseball is on its way. I would rather watch the Minnesota Twins, but they train across the continent in Florida. Here in Tucson,…

Past Blast

Yesterday I came in from harvesting a storm-felled tan oak, my Neolithic mind thinking ahead to winter warmth from these new-cut logs a year hence, and I found in my email a missive from someone…

Looting Social Security: Wall Street Targets the Elderly

Hank Paulson, the Gold Sacks bankster/US Treas­ury Secretary, who deregulated the financial system, caused a world crisis that wrecked the prospects of foreign banks and governments, caused millions of Americans to lose retirement savings, homes, and jobs, and left taxpayers burdened with multi-trillions of dollars of new US debt, is still not in jail.

Big Ag’s Couple Banks On Brown, Feinstein: The Resnicks Manipulate Water Policy with Big Campaign Contributions

Delta advocates fear that campaign contributions from Stewart Resnick and other big water interests could heavily influence Jerry Brown, the potential winner of the gubernatorial race in the November election, and his positions on the construction of more dams and the November $11.1 billion water bond. They also fear Resnick could pressure Brown to support legislative and administrative attacks on federal plans protecting Delta smelt and Central Valley salmon.

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