August 25, 2021

Who are the Americans who don't 'want to come home' from Afghanistan?

Over the past few days, the Biden administration, and Biden himself, have said repeatedly that they will evacuate all Americans who "want to come home."  The latest was Jen Psaki, who said it again today.  The repetition...

July 29, 2021

Forcing Deadheads to vax might not end well!

The Grateful Dead and their fans are known for their anti-authoritarian ethos.  Now the music venue owned by the bass player will require proof of vaccination for entry into all events. Today I read an article about a COVID "super-s...

July 21, 2021

If you're tired of Facebook, try Nextdoor

A lot of people are upset with Facebook right now because of censorship. I have a Facebook account that I rarely post to for reasons that pre-date the current censorship dust-up.  Specifically, I've never particularly liked the pla...

July 17, 2021

The slippery slope people were right

Indulge me for a moment while I explain how my thinking on gay rights evolved over a period of about twenty years.  As a person with a definite libertarian streak, I have always thought that sexual behavior between consenting adults in priv...

July 8, 2021

The 'Hotel California' doctrine of US military intervention

It is easy to remember why the United States invaded Afghanistan.  Our country had just been attacked by terrorists based there.  The nation was united in a desire to protect itself from further attacks and bring the parties respo...

July 2, 2021

It's okay for conservatives to care about the environment

Quick: Which President created the Environmental Protection Agency?  Answer: Richard Nixon. When I was a child growing up in Southern California in the late 1960s, the smog was bad — so bad that on some days, I would experience a p...

June 28, 2021

Why Newsom Needs to be Recalled

I am a native Californian and have lived here since 1962. California has always had its fair share of problems, some episodic and others chronic. The one absolute constant problem is the water supply, which relies primarily on snowmelt from the Sierr...

June 24, 2021

When 911 might not be the best choice

On April 19 of 2021, I was watching the closing arguments in the trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin from my home in Alameda, California, after which I intended to run some errands.  I stepped outside and saw some police vehicles a...