The current ruckus at the Mexican Border is turning out to be exactly what President Trump forecast it to be. The invasion doesn’t come in the form of the steel-helmeted, jack booted uniformed soldiers carrying assault weapons. Rather it is a straggly bunch of ordinary looking civilians, some of whom bull rushed the border using women and children as their shields while they … [Read more...]
Nike Therapy: ‘Just Do It’
The Freudian Mystique is culturally pervasive. People come to therapy hoping to find that dramatic flash of insight: “That’s it! The reason I bite my fingernails is to compensate for my mother’s ‘rejecting, withholding breast,’ at which I did not have a nurturing experience!” People believe deeply that psychoanalytic insight will provide immense relief to them. People … [Read more...]
A Christmas Fantasy for Freedom-Loving Racists
Everybody knows the dice are loaded. Everybody rolls with their fingers crossed. Everybody knows the war is over. Everybody knows the good guys lost. Everybody knows the fight was fixed. The poor stay poor, the rich get rich. That’s how it goes. Everybody knows. -- Leonard Cohen I had a dream that white guys finally vanquished the black and brown menace. Nevada … [Read more...]
Give Books About Nevada and Written by Nevadans
With Christmas rapidly approaching some of you may still be confounded by the question of just what to give that Nevada friend or family member. May we be so bold as to suggest a gift that endures — books about Nevada or by Nevadans. The choices are as varied as Nevada’s people and its landscapes. These can be found in your local bookstore and online from several book … [Read more...]
Children Need to Be Admired
As he tells the story of self-respect, fears faced and conquered, boundaries claimed and defended, I notice he seems taller. The timbre of his voice coming deeper. He is absent the anxious energy with which he first walked into my office, months ago. In moments like this, it’s as if patients forget I’m there. They talk from a place of authenticity and authority that makes me … [Read more...]
A Pledge of Allegiance for Our Empire’s Children
I pledge allegiance To the United States of America A republic One nation, indivisible With liberty and justice For some. That’s what I say when I put my hand over my heart to face the stars and stripes of our national non-sectarian religious icon. To say otherwise would perpetuate a myth. America’s depredations weigh heavily on this old man’s heart this chilly … [Read more...]
Coming Legislative Session Could Resurrect Some Bad Bills
With the election of Democratic majorities in both the state Assembly and Senate, many fear that, as Yogi Berra once said, it’s going to be deja vu all over again. The 2019 session of the Legislature could resurrect many of the bills that Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval vetoed in 2017 — 41 in all, and he is considered a moderate Republican — because this time around the … [Read more...]
All Aboard the V&T Polar Express
Anyone who is struggling to get into the Christmas spirit should hie away to the Eastgate Depot of the V&T Railway, which is located 5 miles east of Carson City on US Highway 50. Once there, you have an opportunity to board the famous V&T Polar Express, which runs three trains a night on Friday, Saturday and Sunday until the final runs on Christmas Eve Monday, … [Read more...]