Opinion

“ called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.’” (Mark 8:34) What does that really mean anyway? I can tell you what it...

This month Buddhist throughout the world are celebrating the birth of Shakyamuni Buddha with the celebration called Hanamatsuri the Flower Festival. The name comes from the legend of Shakyamuni’s birth in Lumbini’s Garden and the many flowers that were in bloom that day in...

Destruction of the Administrative State Perhaps you remember that the title above was Steve Bannon’s goal.  I wasn’t sure what that meant in the beginning, but it is clear now that Bannon (through Trump and his Republican supporters) is achieving his goal, and weakening our...

MEMO FROM REV. SHINSEKI “It is wrong to think that misfortunes come from the east or from the west; they originate within one’s own mind. Therefore, it is foolish to guard against misfortunes from the external world and leave the inner mind uncontrolled.” Teachings of the...

In the heart of Santa Cruz County, our community is rallying around a powerful commitment to equity.  Our recent equity statement reflects a transformative spirit, embracing every individual with support, dignity and compassion. Together, we're striving for systemic changes to address historical underfunding, language barriers,...

I would say the summer blockbuster season usually begins on the first weekend of May, but the last two weeks have been filled with duds and small independent flicks. There was no way I was going to watch “Breaking In” or “Life of the Party” last weekend — I think I’ve had my fill of Melissa McCarthy playing the same “aw-shucks-look-at-miserable-me-fall-off-of-things” role. So here’s my look ahead at the upcoming summer movie season.

A few days after my 67th birthday in early February, I got my first Covid-19 vaccination shot a day after my wife Sarah got hers. It was really simple and straightforward. The process began with calls from our health provider, Dignity Health, about getting vaccinated....