Here are articles that have appeared in the McKinleyville Press, McKinleyville, California.  Thanks, Brian Julian.
 

            Most of the articles below are included in the book In the Clear: A Worldview in Essays.  Many of the articles underwent significant changes for the book; the original versions are here, as they first appeared in the McKinleyville Press.  For articles written since the book went to press, please click ahead to the Articles Page.  Thanks!
 

Big Picture Physical Therapy (5/1/01)
            Scenes from a pediatric physical therapy clinic, and a lesson I learned there--don't get lost in the details, but stay focused on the things that really matter.

The Mad River Levee (4/24/01)
            Paid for and maintained by taxpayers, this levee has been a public-access recreational area since 1956. Recently, the current owner of the adjacent pasturelands has been aggressively chasing people off, claiming that it's his levee and that the public is trespassing. A local issue, in process.

Stretching (4/10/01)
            A tiny article about how stretching exercises benefit the cartilage in joints and can help prevent arthritis.

Self-Contained Systems of Truth (3/20/01)
            It's a famous quote: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world." But it's also true that a small group of zealots and ideologues can screw things up for everyone else. How can we tell the zealots from the committed citizens? Check for the presence of a self-contained system of truth, which provides adherents with all the answers.

Some Good Writers (2/27/01)
            I learn a lot from other writers. Here's a little about the work of some great writers, especially Edward Abbey and Orson Scott Card.

PR and the News (2/13/01)
            Public relations firms employed by giant corporations have a powerful influence on "the news," especially as mergers concentrate control of the news within progressively fewer media companies.

Breathing (1/30/01)
            It's the best thing you can do for your health.

A Guatemalan Bus Ride (1/23/01)
            I spent three months in Guatemala in 1995, and those busses sure did make a vivid impression on me. Here's a one-paragraph picture in words.

Grammar and Gender (12/26/00)
            Most of us probably don't mean to be sexist, so it's unfortunate if our language sometimes steers us that way.  But it's nice to know that spoken English already often uses a language of equality that stuffy 18th century grammarians sought to banish.

Football (11/28/00)
            "I’ve hated football ever since I played it in junior high and high school; I think it’s a modern version of the gladiators.  Before continuing my tirade, I must say that many people I respect love football . . . My views stem from personally painful experiences with organized tackle football . . . "  This article tells of those experiences.

Book, Casino, and Council (11/14/00)
            Thoughts on my forthcoming book and on my experiences so far with the Blue Lake City Council, including the difficult issue of an Indian Casino that the Blue Lake Rancheria Tribe is planning to build just outside the city limits.

The Streaker of Anaheim High (9/12/00)
            My senior year, 1975.  "Streaking" was a national fad.  Amusing stories here of how I helped my brave and slightly wild friend streak (i.e., run--naked) across the campus at lunch and also in the local movie theater and bowling alley.

Uncle Russell's Compost Pile (8/22/00)
            My great uncle Russell from Indiana was an original organic gardener who inspired me to take up composting.  My methods now are evolving quite differently from his; this article discusses composting in general and some of my experiences in learning how to do it.

Mad Cow Disease, Politics, and Public Health (August, 2000)
            The name "Mad Cow Disease" is unfortunate, because people sometimes think it's funny.  It's no joke.  This 2 part series provides a concise, fascinating, and sobering look at the science and politics surrounding devastating "spongiform" brain diseases that can affect not just cows but also humans, sheep, pigs, and many other species.
         Mad Cows and Spongy Brains (8/1/00)
         Mad Cows, Money, Oprah, and Alzheimer's (8/8/00)

Paragraphs on Time (7/18/00)
            A loosely organized collection on thoughts on our relationship to time and the pace of modern life.

The Grateful Dead (June, 2000)
            A series of 3 articles on a very unique strand of American culture--the Grateful Dead and the community that emerged and took form wherever their concerts were held.  These amazing concerts were participatory--not spectator--events.  Powerful and moving lyrics from some of the band's songs are included within these articles.
         Happiness Was Dancing With the Dead (6/13/00)
         The Grateful Dead Community (6/20/00)
         A Broken Angel Sang From a Guitar (6/27/00)

The Secret Space of Dreams (5/30/00)
           We can actively shape our dream life, and thereby magnify our joy and nourish our growth in waking life as well.  This article attempts to show how some fascinating but seemingly esoteric ideas really make very good sense.

The Dark Side of the Boom (5/16/00)
            Consideration of the currently "booming" San Francisco Bay Area--with it's horrendous housing market--may help clarify matters as we seek to diversify the relatively lackluster Humboldt County economy.  Also here are some affectionate personal memories of San Francisco.

We Talk Between the Cards (4/25/00)
            Reflections on how playing bridge can draw people together (as it has my family), and a little about the history and some other aspects of this amazing game that involves logic and deduction together with intuition, imagination, creative flair, and human communication.

Self Defense of the Mind (4/11/00)
            In a police state, naked force controls the populace.  Despite remarkable freedoms here in the U.S., the same urge to power operates and seeks to control us from within by shaping our values and perceptions.  Mental self defense may be our only protection.  This article outlines some principles and techniques for self defense of the mind.

Bubbles May Burst (3/28/00)
            Our current economic yardsticks mask diminishing Natural Capital while creating an illusion of well-being.  Financial maneuvers of big-time "wheeler-dealers" may look like a complex game, but these activities impact all of us.  In the words of David Korten, we have "an institutional system of autonomous rule by money and for money that functions on autopilot beyond the control of any human actor and is unresponsive to any human sensibility."

Voting (3/7/00)
            Nothing in the U.S. Constitution requires a "two-party system," so why do Republicans and Democrats dominate our government?  A discussion of the meaning of our votes, the current strength of democracy, the California ballot proposition system, and other ways that we "vote" for the kind of world we will have in the future.

Hate Is Not a Family Value (2/29/00)
            California law does not currently recognize a marriage between individuals of the same sex.  Ballot Proposition 22 attempts to fix this into stone and thereby prevent same-sex marriages from ever being recognized in the future.  A brief discussion of the motivation, morals, and logic behind attempts to dictate the lifestyles of others.

Upgrades and Connections (2/15/00)
            Thoughts about upgrading an old computer versus getting a new one, and the value of using a local internet service provider instead of a corporate behemoth like AOL.

Heroes of Health (2/1/00)
            A review of three authors who have written powerful books about health and nutrition.  This article also touches on factory farming and environmental problems associated with today's agriculture, and may be very motivational for those ready to improve their diets.

The Politics of Tobacco (1/18/00)
             State governments within the U.S. have long paid huge bills for smoking related medical expenses.  Focusing only on the U.S., Big Tobacco's 1998 settlement with the states does virtually nothing to discourage the companies from pushing their dope overseas.

Thoughts from the Blue Moon Saloon (12/28/99)
            Memories of Seattle and observations about the "War on Drugs."

I Want A Train (12/21/99)
            When oil prices rise in the future, we may apply our ingenuity to developing sensible transportation in the USA.  The current near-exclusive reliance on private automobiles is wasteful and fragments our communities.

The West Coast Cabbie (12/7/99)
            Memorial reflections on Randy Collenberg, author of "Cab 10," a column that ran in the McKinleyville Press and several other northcoast newspapers, documenting Randy's adventures driving a cab.  Randy, his wife Dannette, and their family helper Janice were all tragically killed in a car wreck on November 26.

Corporate Globalization (11/16/99)
             John Jay, one of our Founding Fathers, said that "the people who own the country ought to govern it."  Applying this philosophy globally, the world's owners are quietly rewriting the rules....Ralph Nader's group "Public Citizen" calls it "a slow-motion coup d'etat over democratic governance worldwide."

The Gaia Hypothesis (10/12/99)
            In the population article below, I said "we may be arrogant and naive to assume that we are the most important thing happening on the planet."  This speculative article explores the idea that the earth may be a living, conscious being.  If so, she may be a lot more important in the grand scheme of things than we are.

The Day of 6 Billion (10/5/99)
            World population weighs heavily on the life support systems of the earth.  While it may be easy to say that "they" should have fewer children, we have a taboo against discussing population in a way that might influence our own reproductive choices.  This candid article attempts to gently break this taboo.

Medical Insurance (9/14/99)
            A discussion of the skyrocketing cost of medical coverage and the reasons behind it.  Also, thoughts about the uninsured, and about how having medical insurance tied to one's job can stifle flexibility and creativity in today's volatile economy.

Voice of the Lakers (8/31/99)
            Affectionate memories of one of the greatest sports announcers of all time, Chick Hearn of the Los Angeles Lakers, who is still going strong at 85.

Democracy and Development (8/10/99)
              Local media can facilitate democratic decision making, as evidenced by recent controversies surrounding development in Humboldt County, especially regarding whether a Wal-Mart will be erected in Eureka, and whether McKinleyville will be developed along the lines that have characterized "the suburbanization of America."

Money and Marriage (7/13/99)
           Good communication about money may sometimes be the most important key to making marriages last.  This may even involve written prenuptial agreements.  If you don't have a customized agreement, then you automatically get the generic one provided by the state.

The Telephone (6/29/99)
             As the role of new technology such as personal computers and fax machines continues to expand in our world, it may be helpful to reflect on the effects of a technology we've had for awhile:  the telephone.

A Death in the Family (6/1/99)
            My mother died peacefully at home on May 11.  Here are reflections on this experience, on hospice care, on mortuaries, and on the importance of fostering closeness with our loved ones while they are alive.

The Diderot Effect (5/4/99)
            A powerful phenomenon of personal finance that often leads us to get in "over our heads" and sometimes "up to our ears" in debt.

Fava Beans (4/20/99)
            Gardeners can reap important benefits from planting winter "cover crops," which enrich and protect the soil, and produce valuable "green manure."  Also here are thoughts about our dependence on microorganisms, and some more on pollinating insects and the fabulous bumblebees.

School of Assassins (4/6/99)
        Many graduates of the US Army's "School of the Americas" in Fort Benning, Georgia, have committed horrendous atrocities in Latin America.  Unfortunately, our taxes pay for "torture, rape, and murder in Latin America."  This article discusses specific cases, and also some underlying reasons why we have condoned such behavior.

Queen Azalea (3/16/99)
            A discussion of the fascinating life cycle of bumblebees, their extremely important role in pollination, and some reflections on starting a home bumblebee colony.

Circles, Lines, and Paradigms (3/2/99)
            Reflections contrasting the cyclical nature of reality with our often linear modes of thinking.  An explanation of the meaning of a "paradigm shift" as it applies to scientific discovery, and an extension of these ideas into a discussion of how our underlying linear world-view is at the root of many of our troubles today.

A Simpler Life (published in the Northcoast Co-op Newsletter, March/April '99)
           A condensation and blending of some ideas from the articles "A Return to Frugality" and "Food for Thought" below, as well as some thoughts on organic food and thankfulness for a store where organic food is available.

Open Hearts, Healthy Hearts (2/16/99)
            A discussion of Dr. Dean Ornish's incredible work showing that we can reverse heart disease and feel better through healthy lifestyles.  In particular, having close ties to others and "opening our hearts" emotionally literally opens and heals our physical hearts as well.

Corporate Welfare (2/2/99)
            An examination of some of the ways in which our taxpayer dollars and public resources are given away to large corporations.

Hemp Can Help Us (1/19/99)
           A survey of the many uses of the hemp plant:  for paper, for textiles, and for fuel.  The plant varieties used for industrial fiber production are virtually drug-free.  Some history is included regarding the extensive use of hemp fiber in the past, and how the plant came to be banned in the United States.

Christmas Values (12/22/98)
          Alternatives to the consumerism of the holidays, along with thoughts and practical suggestions regarding holiday spending and credit card debt.

The Gift of Listening (12/8/98)
         One of our deepest needs is to feel understood.  When we really listen to another, we give a gift that is beyond monetary value.

Healthcare at Home (Published in Senior News, December 1998; McKinleyville Press, 12/29/98)
         Recent significant changes in Medicare coverage for home health services, and how these changes may affect senior citizens.

Buy Nothing Day (11/24/98)
        Thoughts on consumerism, the measurement of "progress," advertising, community values, and public marketplaces.

Teachers, Learning, and Education(11/17/98)
        Thanksgiving reflections on some great teachers, and thoughts on education.

Taming the Computer (11/10/98)
        Using the computer well and enjoying it, but keeping it in its proper place within a balanced life.

Taking Responsibility (10/27/98)
        Political labels as a substitute for thought; the need for our lives to be good for the planet and human society; how we have turned over our responsibility to giant corporations which are systematically designed to evade responsibility.

Positive Addictions (10/13/98)
        How we can turn our weakness into strength by becoming "addicted" to things that are good for us.

Food for Thought (10/6/98)
        Regaining humanity through gardening, and a synopsis of problems associated with our current agriculture, which depends on cheap oil.

A Return to Frugality (9/29/98)
        Thoreau said:  "one is happy in proportion to the things he can live without."

Landscape Architecture (9/22/98)
        Suburban development and alienation; arranging our surroundings to facilitate community.

Bridge at the Senior Center (9/15/98; also published in Senior News, Nov. 1998)
        A complex card game mirrors the drama of life.
 
 
 

          (All articles copyright by Brian Julian; please copy and distribute these articles freely; I just don't want anyone else to sell them.  Thanks!)