Imagine this scenario: You\'re divorcing your spouse, but he or she refuses to release personal financial records. You both hire attorneys. In fact, your ex spends a substantial amount of money on legal fees to avoid the release of records. Your spouse enlists the help of officials and governors all over the country to keep the information well hidden. And one day, years later, your ex releases the sought after documents. You scratch your head in wonderment. Why did this person hide them...
I love Sarah. Michele Bachmann is, to me, a gift to humankind. In fact, I like most of the potential conservative candidates for president. However, my number one choice for the Republican candidate for President? Donald Trump -- or a Trump-like man. A strong man; that is, someone willing to get into the ring and get his hands dirty. A Street Fighting Man.Now it pains me enormously to admit this. Up until three years ago, I was a progressive, and a big fan...
There is a fascinating article from the UK about teenagers going through withdrawal when their wiring was removed for a day. Even though the kids had a landline phone and a book, they still suffered like any addict. They all had overwhelming cravings; one youngster reported itching like a crack head.Of course, it\'s not just teens who are hooked these days, but people of every age. While the ever present wiring is altering brain cells, what\'s more disturbing is the effect on society.Human...
There is a fascinating concept in Jungian psychology called the "collective unconscious." While the "personal unconscious" stores our own unique memories, the "collective unconscious" is the reservoir for an entire culture.It\'s amazing how certain people and phenomena find their way into the collective unconscious, whether intentionally or not. For instance, take the term, "googling." Those young Stanford dudes didn\'t realize that they would not only change the nature of Internet searching, they\'d add a new word into the vocabulary. People may choose to...
I was just filling out an application to be a provider for an insurance panel. And one of the questions they ask is, "Are you a GLBT-owned business?"GLBT means gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgendered. I rolled my eyes when I saw this. I thought, "So, if I share my bed with a woman, I would be a superior therapist, a more desirable member of your insurance panel?"Of course, the questionnaire also asked whether I were a minority- or female-owned business. Apparently, if I...
One of the reasons I drifted so far left was because of a constant sense of outrage. It was like a steady drumbeat in my head: Capitalism? Patently unfair! Unequal pay for women? Outrageous! Of course, out here in Berkeley, I was in good company, surrounded by the multitudes up in arms most hours of the day. There\'s even a popular bumper sticker around town that captures the general vibe: If You\'re Not Outraged, You\'re Not Paying Attention.However, once I snapped out...
It\'s the end of the world as we know itIt\'s the end of the world as we know itIt\'s the end of the world as we know itAnd I feel fine. . .(from REM)Every day, on my ride to work, I listen to Catholic Radio. Of course, I didn\'t know there was such a thing until a few months ago.I was driving along one day, when I saw a car with a bumper sticker that read: Catholic Radio 1260 am. I decided to...
I have noticed fewer people around town this past weekend. First I thought it was because of the Presidents Day holiday. Then I realized it was because anarchists were being bused into Wisconsin! More for them, and fewer for us!The Midwest is getting a bit of a taste of Berkeley life. I\'m guessing they are not liking it one bit. The violent, hostile vibe wouldn\'t sit well with decent Midwestern folks.Of course, around Berkeley, riots are nothing new; there are street uprisings whenever the...
Like most of you, I have several websites that I read on a daily basis. One of them is Lucianne.com, which is fondly known as Ldot. Last Sunday, I was shocked and deeply saddened to discover that Lucianne Goldberg\'s oldest son, Joshua, died of a fall at the age of 43. What a tragedy, and the unexpectedness of his passing adds a level of trauma to grief. My heart goes out to Lucianne and her family.On a personal level, I\'m also coping with...
A number of years ago, I was the victim of a brutal street crime. Although I was left with a broken nose and two black eyes, I learned soon thereafter that I wasn\'t a "good victim."A progressive friend, Fran, clued me in. When I told her what happened, she said, "What you went through wasn\'t half as bad as what he has suffered." Fran was referring to the fact that I am white and the assailant was black. In other words, my suffering didn\'t...
