Columnists

Don’t let anyone do your thinking for you by attaching a scary label to an idea before you’ve examined it. That’s become one of the oldest tricks in politics. Instead

By David Hegg I often attend conferences where the attendees are given name tags that boldly announce who they are. This creates a phenomenon rarely seen elsewhere. As we walk the

At least for the summers, I’ve been trying to move out of this darn place for almost 60 years. Never much of a fan of mercury’s broiling tantrums stretching from

I previously discussed the future housing needs of the elderly. Those needs coincide with an anticipated ensuing shortfall of Social Security benefits that is only six years away.  For decades,

Imagine your son or daughter plays hockey. Things are financially tight, so you’re shopping around for affordable gear. Last year, a basic wooden hockey stick from a Canadian brand cost

For nearly three years, I have stood with the families living next to the Chiquita Canyon Landfill. I’ve walked their neighborhoods, listened to their stories and experienced firsthand what no

As a practicing psychiatrist and a trustee on the William S. Hart Union High School District board, I see the fallout of a quiet, devastating crisis every single day. Our

By David Hegg As I have watched, listened and grieved the erosion of civility in our society among those who make and report the news, the course we’ve taken has

“What does the Post Office have to do with mail-in ballots?” At first glance, the answer seems simple. The Post Office delivers the ballots. But this year’s election raises a

There are things I miss about a place called home. Clem Cox was a major uber old-time rancher and he used to grin that he had lived in nine different

I have been considering the impact of an aging population on our health care system and our ability to provide adequate housing for the elderly.  At the age of 73, I

When I was growing up, Americans argued about priorities.  Should we build another freeway or another school? Should we cut taxes or expand education? Should we spend more on scientific

As the father of two teenagers, trying to manage screen time today feels less like parenting and more like working a second job as a frustrated information technology administrator.  Our

By David Hegg Recently, I connected with some of my high school friends, and it brought back memories, good and not so good.  And it reminded me of our last

So. I got scammed. Well. Nearly. I’m not out cash, but, I frittered away valuable time. They say you can’t kid a kidder. The person who said that? They’re a

As I write this column, Iran has fired on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. retaliated by striking military sites in Iran and revoked the Iran oil sanctions

Russia’s Tzar Ivan III, known as Ivan the Terrible, was renown for torturing and murdering his rivals, to include his own son whom he had killed in prison. He refurbished

By David Hegg When Charles Darwin penned his final draft of “On the Origin of Species” in 1876, he gave the world a game-changing worldview. Until then, it was generally

Two hundred and 50 years ago, this country made a promise to the world: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Not for the privileged few, but for every American

I feel a bit like the proverbial frog in boiling water. You know the fable. You plop a toad in a pot and he doesn’t notice the temperature rising as