“Qualified local physicians should not be blocked from deciding who will provide care to local families”

Newborn babies with critical health problems, often at their first breath, are among a hospital’s most fragile patients. Some babies are so premature and small that they almost fit in one hand of the doctor who delivers them. Thanks to the advancement of medical technology, and the skill and training of neonatologists and pediatricians, these […]

Buying the Place With Beads

Years ago now–and apropos of nothing–I wrote a poem that began like so: I long to linger among the Hmong; how I hunger to hear their tongue! These nonsense poems frequently come as a sort of whisper I strive to catch up with in writing. More often than not, I’m unsuccessful. And at this remove […]

Happy New Year!

If only to send a message to the remainder of the country, California should vote to secede from the Union. Not that it could ever happen–and its certainly not something I would ever truly wish for–but this would be a shot across the bow of the 49 other states: California is rowing an aircraft carrier […]

Donald Trump Is My President

I find revolting the election of Donald Trump as our president; then again, in voting for him, that’s what approximately half of the voting electorate did–revolt. As of 14 November, Hillary Clinton garnered 668,483 more votes than Trump. That’s about the size of Boston. The 60 million-plus who voted for Trump despite his antics did […]