During the Civil War, brothers fought against brothers over the right to keep human beings as property. Decades of controversy were brought to a head when Abraham Lincoln won the 1860 presidential election, triggering seven Southern slave states to secede from the U.S. The war began on April 12, 1861, as the Confederacy bombarded Fort Sumter in South Carolina. A wave of … [Read more...]

Many in western North Carolina were hard hit by Hurricane Helene. This includes the folks at Earthaven Ecovillage near Asheville, a region previously considered a climate safe haven. After the epic storm passed, the hundred or so Earthaven members were confronted with raging rivers in their roadways, downed trees everywhere, landslides, and bridges damaged by flood waters. … [Read more...]

Nobody could have foreseen the young Mohandas Gandhi becoming a world leader. Small and unassuming, with a big nose and jug ears, the Hindu boy was so shy he couldn’t speak up for himself. But another side of him began to arise after he was married at 13 to a girl of the same age. He became a bossy husband who fought constantly with his wife. But at least he began to assert … [Read more...]

This year, the San Diego region has been experiencing heat waves and drought conditions that have severely impacted local wildlife. All over California, birds and mammals are suffering from dehydration and heat stress – especially this week, as temperatures soared into the triple digits and wildfires raged.   Living adjacent to a canyon, I’m concerned for the nearby creatures. … [Read more...]

Most of us will remember Don Henley’s 1982 smash hit “Dirty Laundry.” The catchy tune was a scathing send-up of tabloid journalism, which was then on the rise. To air one’s dirty laundry means to discuss or argue about unpleasant or private things in front of others. And although the practice has never gone away (it’s actually increased since the advent of social media), we … [Read more...]