Author: tonihall805@outlook.com

 I’ve lived in Southern California almost my entire life.  It wasn’t until the 1970’s that I experienced the horror of the wild fires that come with living in this great state.  When I was 13, our family moved out of the city to a magical place  at the foothills of the Angeles National Forest.  We moved to Lake View Terrace, a suburb off what is now the 210 freeway at the east end of the San Fernando Valley.  This week, Lake View Terrace was in the news  again because of the fire threat.  Continue reading “California Fires”

I’m grappling with what to make of all these men who have violated our current moral code by sexually abusing vulnerable woman.  We’ve all heard the saying that good people sometimes do bad things. Any  human being who lives long enough will eventually do something “bad”.  By bad, I mean an action that violates the social construct of morality gleaned from the family or community in which the person grew up.  Clearly Charlie Rose, Matt Lauer, Roy Moore, Al Frankin and Donald Trump have done really bad things to women and in Roy Moore’s case, to girls. But when do they cross the line into being bad people?  Continue reading “Doing bad and Being Bad”

I am a consumer.  I’m a retailers dream come true.  After over-consuming a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner with family plus two students too far from home, my daughter and nephew and I headed to the mall for deals.  We purchased exactly what we were looking for at a nice discount. But the mall and the stores were relatively empty, not a single long line anywhere.  Good for us, but I wonder about the economy where they expect the average person will spend $900 on Christmas this year.  I’ll spend half of that and I’m still consuming too much. Continue reading “Over Consumption”

There is a tidal wave of political and ethnic division rooted in tribal ambitions and tribal fears threatening the very fabric of our nation.  And we can’t afford to ignore it.  On C-Span Book TV yesterday, I watched the live Miami Dade Book Festival as one of the authors of “One Nation After Trump” presented.  During the question and answer period, a 20 something clean cut and very articulate white male stood up in front of a packed audience and respectfully asked if people like the author were not the racist because they seem to celebrate the fact that whites will soon be a minority in their own nation? Continue reading “Innocent Evil”

With the continuing pains in my chest and the loss this week of one of our Ventura County community heroes, Mr. John R. Hatcher, III, I feel compelled to write about the great mystery facing us all, death. People close to me will tell you that I am a bit morbid because I talk freely and openly about death. Maybe that’s because I’ve had several very interesting experiences with it over the years. Continue reading “Mortality Thoughts”

I woke up Thursday morning and experienced a sharp, fleeting pain in my chest, deep beneath my right breast to be precise.  I ignored it and went ahead with my routine, including 35 minutes on the treadmill despite the continuation of the fleeting pain in the same place.  Then I went to work and by noon I was in the emergency room. Continue reading “Me and My Chest Pains”

A relatively new colleague commented to me after a meeting that she found me to be upbeat and positive all the time.  She said that I always seem so happy.  I responded by saying that I was happy.  What I should have said was that I am resilient. Continue reading “Being a Bit Resilient”

I wake up at about 4am each morning and the first thing I do is turn on  MSNBC, CNN, or CSPAN Washington Journal.  The moment I arrive home from work each evening, the first thing I do is turn on MSNBC or CNN.  I can’t seem to help myself.  I think I’m addicted to the daily drama and trauma caused by this president. Continue reading “This Addictive Chaos”

The Civil War was largely fought among White people who wanted to preserve their way of life that included slavery and White people who viewed slavery as wrong and wanted to end it.  I posit that today White people are heating up and taking sides for another battle for the soul of this nation.  Continue reading “Whites Are Fighting Again”

I’m a gun owner because California is a community property state.  I’ve never held a gun in my hand and I have no desire to feel the supposed rush of shooting one.  But it is our 2nd Amendment right to own guns and according to CNN, 3% of Americans own 95% of them.  I wonder if the rest of the world thinks we’re a bit crazy, given all the mass shootings by Americans exercising their right to purchase firearms and our unwillingness to do anything about it beyond offering thoughts and prayers to the victims and their families.  I have a few solutions, but I’m doubtful this Congress will do anything to address the root of the problem. Continue reading “America’s Gun Obsession”