The GOP keeps proving that truth really is stranger than fiction By Paul Gilbert & Dave Spencer Growing up in the Seventies and Eighties, one of our favorite publications was Mad Magazine. While full of sophomoric humor, including a multitude of burp and fart jokes, it also provided a healthy…

Laugh And The World Laughs With You Why intentional laughter provides immediate relief from anxiety and stress My Zoom gallery looks like a revamped Hollywood Squares set, filled with eager faces from across the country. As host, I review the litany of crises facing the nation that week; wildfires, hurricanes…

I was overwhelmed with support and new furry friends — We recently lost our beloved golden retriever, Layla. Her departure left an enormous hole in the house and in our hearts at a time when we needed her never-ending joyfulness, compassion, and affection more than ever. Losing a pet might seem like a small tragedy compared to the ongoing pandemic…

Why I’ve turned from the pitch and pray process to self-publishing There’s an old axiom-if you can’t handle rejection, don’t be an actor. But make sure you add writers who submit unsolicited essays to the New York Times Op-Ed page to that list. Over the years, I’ve had some success…

Why Basketball Leads the Intersection of Sports and Politics When the National Basketball Association resumed its season inside the bubble in Orlando, plastered across arenas was the slogan: Whole New Game. Little did the league know this would soon become an understatement of epic proportions, as the work stoppage by…

The wildfires scorching our redwoods encapsulate California’s crises overload — The fundamental character of a wildfire is that it destroys everything in its path. Watching the increasing devastation from the all-consuming fury of the massive fires burning in Northern California, I feel a special loss for both the people and natural splendor of Santa Cruz County. Forty-seven years ago, I…

Come Together, Right Now, Over Hemp — Former Vice-President Joe Biden has been rolling out major policy platforms to address COVID-19, rebooting the economy, Black Lives Matter, global warming and healing the virulent political divide spread across the country. This perfect storm of a global pandemic, the cratering of the US economy, massive civil unrest over police…

If facing a lopsided loss, the president could take the easy way out — By Paul Gilbert & Dave Spencer With the national election less than three months away, and the polls continuing to show President Trump trailing Joe Biden by double figures, there’s an alternate scenario that seems unlikely, but not impossible. If Trump accepted the fact that he was going to lose…

When faced with a national tragedy or crisis, who does the nation turn to? By Paul Gilbert & Dave Spencer There was a time not so long ago that the President of the United States was considered the leader of the free world. Now, amidst a perfect storm of a…