To some the words politics or politician are pejoratives. A person the voters have elected to represent them and their community may be dismissed as “just a politician.” In our representative democracy, what should a politician be and how should politics be viewed? The famous American ...

There was a time when both major political parties had a substantial number of liberals and conservatives. But over the course of the lifetime of everyone reading this column today, liberals have shifted to the Democrats, while conservatives have shifted to the Republicans. That has ...

“These days I’m up about the time I used to go to bed Living large was once the deal, now I watch the stars instead They’re timeless and predictable, unlike most things that I do But I’d tell the wind and my old friend, I’m headed home to you.” These are the lyrics of ...

Preparing for this weekend’s garage sale, I came across a canvas bag I hadn’t seen in years. It was filled with pinecones. Giant Sequoia pinecones. Some of these babies are almost a foot long, and my memory of first seeing them goes back to 1949. 1949? Yes, I was alive then – and out ...

Given the tremendous change and angst we are seeing in the world today, you might wonder why I’ve chosen to write about such an insignificant topic as salt. But that’s precisely why I’m writing about it. Now is not the time to lose our wonder about the world, or to lose our curiosity. In ...

“Think globally, act locally.” That aphorism is familiar to most. Its origins are unclear, but its gravity is more important now than ever. Globally, are you concerned about the erosion of the rule of law and the undermining of democracy? Then vote for Democrats locally who inherently ...