The Key to Ending Minority Rule

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The Key to Ending Minority Rule

In 2022, most congressional elections were decided before Election Day because, as the Cook Political Report had predicted, only 40 House and Senate seats were competitive.

Of the 430 races, only 17% of House races and 26% of Senate races were decided by less than 10 percentage points. The general election was an afterthought. According to Unite America, a pro-democracy watchdog group, 83% of the House was elected by 8% of the American electorate.

Let’s give examples. Andy Ogles of Tennessee’s “safely red” 4th congressional district, population 850,000, needed just 21,000 votes to put him in Congress. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez first won her “safely blue” seat in 2018 with just under 17,000 votes out of 30,000 votes cast (in a district with 215,000 registered Democratic voters) to represent 670,000 New Yorkers.

Primary elections are sending us straight to hell as we cede power to the most negative, partisan, polarized voters. Our system looks just like sports rivalries, in which members of the two major parties cooperate in hatred of the other “team” rather than seek common purpose. Members of Congress elected in low-turnout primaries have only one lame-ass job to pursue: Bash the opposing party, promise results they know will never follow and put public displays of boorishness ahead of legislative accomplishment.

The way to change all this is to build choice and competition into every election. One method is called Final Five Voting, which requires two changes:

One is to eliminate party primaries, which are replaced by preliminary elections open to all candidates and all voters, free from the tyranny of party affiliation. The top five finishers then qualify for the general election.

The second is eliminating non-majority winners by inserting an instant run-off process to determine who among the top five has majority support in a district. An instant run-off is like a series of run-offs, except voters don’t have to return to the polls because they have cast their votes using a ranked ballot. After the polls close, three rounds of automatic run-offs narrow the field to the final two, one of whom will have a majority.

Competition and choice encourage elected officials to do something almost none of today’s candidates are required to do: better serve their “customers,” the electorate. The confederacy of dunces has to go.

Craig J. Corsini lives in San Rafael.

Lingerie Designer Stephanie Bodnar

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Lingerie Designer Stephanie Bodnar

Stephanie Bodnar is the designer behind Evgenia Lingerie, a collection she makes entirely at her West Marin studio. As she puts it, it’s “fine lingerie for the modern heartbreaker.” Not surprisingly, she also loves a good theme party and a great glass of champagne.

What do you do?

I run Evgenia Lingerie, where I design and hand-make luxury silk and French lace lingerie.

Where do you live?

Nicasio.

How long have you lived in Marin?

Just over eight years.

Where can we find you when you’re not at work?

In day-to-day life, taking a class at FITLAB in Fairfax, working in the yard, baking and drawing with my six-year-old-daughter and chasing my chickens around. When I get the chance to shut off for a while, I love playing pool at The Old Western, sipping a cocktail at Stillwater or listening to live music at The Papermill.

If you had to convince someone how awesome Marin is, where would you take them?

Tomales Bay! Heart’s Desire Beach is a favorite, and we always take out-of-towners to Tony’s, Hog Island Oyster Company or the Tomales Bay Oyster Company. Nicasio Valley Cheese Company is also a no-brainer.

What’s one thing Marin is missing?

Style. I’d love to see people dress up more.

What’s one bit of advice you’d share with your fellow Marinites?

Keep exploring. In eight years of living here, I’m still finding corners of Marin I didn’t know existed, and meeting new awesome people all the time.

If you could invite anyone to a special dinner, who would they be?

My grandmother and company namesake. I never met her, and I have so many questions I’d love to ask her.

What is some advice you wish you knew 20 years ago?

You don’t know everything, and the more you learn, the more you’ll realize you don’t actually know. Stay curious and humble.

What is something that 20 years from now will seem cringeworthy?

The current resurgence of early ’00s fashion, which, incidentally, I find cringeworthy right now.

Big question. What is one thing you’d do to change the world?

Have more women in charge!

Keep up with Bodnar at iamevgenia.com and at @evgenialingerie on Instagram.

Nish Nadaraja was on the founding team at Yelp, serves on the San Anselmo Arts Commission and attempts to play pickleball at Fairfax’s Cañon Club.

Your Letters, Dec. 13

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Your Letters, Dec. 13

Carbon Hoofprint

Greetings from the North Pole! As the holidays approach, I wanted to share some exciting changes happening in Christmas preparations this year.

In the spirit of embracing sustainability, I am delighted to announce that our beloved reindeer will be retiring to a beautiful sanctuary. They have served tirelessly, guiding my sleigh through snow and stars for years, and it’s time for them to graze peacefully.

In their place, we will be introducing a new, eco-friendly electric sleigh. The change aligns with our commitment to reducing our carbon hoofprint and taking steps towards a greener, more sustainable future.

This year, I’m also embracing a vegan lifestyle. Instead of the traditional cookies and milk, I kindly ask children to leave out vegan cookies and plant-based milk.

I understand change can be unexpected, but I hope these adjustments will inspire a sense of togetherness for our planet and its inhabitants. Christmas is a time of love, generosity and making the world brighter for all.

Kris Kringle

North Pole

‘Replublicants’

A weekend claim by the ex-president that Joe Biden is the one destroying democracy earned a rebuke.

Have we learned nothing? Nixon expressed the notion that presidential power is above the Constitution; this has been proven false 30+ years ago.

This reveals that the Republicants have slipped from the party of Lincoln and T. Roosevelt (the sublime) to the party of Nixon, McCarthy, Greene, Gaetz and Santos (the ridiculous).

Gary Sciford

Santa Rosa

Art, Nature and Music

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Art, Nature and Music
Petaluma

Set It Free

Lifelong art collector Robert Flynn Johnson’s private collection is the source of the new exhibition, “Catch and Release.” Considering himself more of a steward than an owner of art, Johnson brings his cred as curator emeritus of the Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts to the walls of one of Petaluma’s most vital art spaces, IceHouse Gallery. “The idea of ‘catch and release’ is that a collector only holds on to a piece for so long and eventually it passes [to other hands],” said IceHouse Gallery co-founder Joe McDonald. See photographs, drawings, lithographs, etchings, quilts. Art priced from $25 to $500. All profits go to the Graphic Arts Council of the Achenbach Foundation. Exhibition runs until Jan. 5. IceHouse Gallery, 405 E. D St., Petaluma.

Sebastopol

Nature Calls

For a quiet, early morning, walk near open space land observing winter birds and resident wildlife. Reflect on the importance of this land and area for grassland habitat for wildlife and birds from a guided tour through the wildlife corridor with Madrone Audubon Sonoma County. For those who joined an earlier walk, they may return and share the hour with other walkers and new participants to experience the early winter morning. Bring binoculars and wear outdoor clothing suitable for the weather forecast. Ample parking is nearby. Rain cancels. Madrone Audubon Sonoma County walks from 8:30 to 10:30am on Thursday, Dec. 14, Laguna de Santa Rosa Trail, Sebastopol, and 7:30 to 8:30am on Saturday, Dec. 16, Paula Lane, West Petaluma. Free to all.

 
Mill Valley

The Meaning of Christmas

Vince Guaraldi’s swinging score to the Christman classic, A Charlie Brown Christmas, is a masterpiece of expansive jazz created at a time when the rules of jazz were changing to let in influences from around the globe. The upbeat complexity of Guaraldi’s piano trio has proven to be the most widely known example of that new sound. Musicians Jason Crosby, Dan “Lebo” Lebowitz, Steve Adams and Ezra Lipp bring the album to life for the holiday season at Sweetwater Music Hall, Mill Valley. ‘A Holiday Tribute to Vince Guaraldi’s A Charlie Brown Christmas’ shows at 1pm and 7pm, Sunday, Dec. 17. All ages. Advance tickets $25 at sweetwatermusichall.com/events.

 
Napa

Rachael & Vilray

Rachael & Vilray reinvigorate jazz, pop and swing from the ’30s and ’40s for the harmonies and melodies of a bygone era from the historic Napa Valley Opera House. Blue Note Napa features enchanting evenings with Rachael & Vilray on Friday, Dec. 15 and Saturday, Dec. 16. Their unique blend of music offers a nostalgic escape. Immerse in the harmonies and melodies that capture the essence of vintage charm. 6:30pm and 9pm Friday, Dec. 15; 9pm Saturday, Dec. 16. Blue Note Napa, 1030 Main St., Napa. 2 drink minimum. Ages 8+.

A Guide for Marin Gifting

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A Guide for Marin Gifting

Last-minute gift buyers of Marin, listen up! There’s still time to make those holiday present selections shine, especially with the help of a handy dandy list of outside the giftbox ideas for local pit stops and places to shop before the calendar flips over to 2024.

Almonte Spa

For anyone with someone in their lives who is stressed out and in dire need of a relaxing experience to top off the holidays, consider giving the gift of a day at Almonte Spa. At Almonte Spa, even the least relaxed present recipient may be able to start the new year with a pep in their step, especially with the full package experience of a hot tub soak followed by an out-of-this-world massage and a sauna to finish it all off.

Almonte Spa is located at 158 Almonte Blvd. in Mill Valley—for more information or to book an appointment (as a gift for oneself or someone else), visit the website at almontespa.com or call 415.383.8260.

Cinelounge

Movie lovers may also be catered to in Marin’s outside the giftbox giving season. Now is the perfect time to take advantage of the local cinematic experiences, perhaps at Cinelounge.

Cinelounge is located in Tiburon’s Ark Row Shopping Center at 40 Main St.—visit the website at cineloungefilm.com or call 415.797.6976 to learn more or to access a list of current showings.

Heidrun Meadery

Another unexpectedly amazing place to purchase presents this holiday season is Heidrun Meadery—between the delicious selection of meads, those sweet-smelling beeswax candles and the various curios, it’s all too easy to find a unique holiday gift to give at Heidrun. Plus, the perfect present just may be(e) the Heidrun beekeeping experience, where customers can don beekeeping suits and meet the bees before tasting a flight of mead during a tour of the meadery.

Heidrun Meadery can be found at 11925 along State Route 1 in Point Reyes. Call 415.663.9122 or visit the website at heidrunmeadery.com for more information.

The Lark Theater

The Art Deco cinema in Larkspur has showtimes running throughout and after the holidays, all of which would make an excellent gift for a film-loving friend or family member. A ticket to see a show at The Lark makes for a great present, especially considering just how many people come from far and wide to take in a show at this cinematic location.

The Lark Theater is located at 549 Magnolia Ave. in Larkspur. Call 415.924.5111 or visit the website at larktheater.net to learn more about the upcoming shows to gift this holiday season.

Longway

Shopping local this holiday season is made easy in Marin, especially with access to places like Longway, a woman-owned clothing shop that offers a stunning selection of sustainable, ethically-crafted clothing. The flagship storefront in San Anselmo just so happens to also be a coffee shop, so come on by and buy some last-minute gifts for the holidays and sip some caffeine as well.

Longway is located at 641 San Anselmo Ave. in San Anselmo—to learn more, call Longway at 415.306.7657 or visit the website at longwaycalifornia.com. Longway’s coffee shop is open seven days a week from 8am to 4pm.

Marin Art and Garden Center

Shopping local during the holiday rush can feel a little challenging at times, but the Marin Art and Garden Center sure makes it easy by collecting and selling local art, jewelry, upcycled items and more.

The Marin Art and Garden Center is located at 30 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., Ross. Visit the website at maringarden.org to learn more about the gifting options available this holiday season at the garden center.

Open Secret Bookstore

For an intriguing array of less-mainstream bookshop options that could serve as excellent last-minute gifts, consider visiting Open Secret Bookstore in San Rafael, where shoppers can find everything from books to music to a space to meditate.

Open Secret Bookstore is located in San Rafael at 923 C St. Call 415.457.4191 for more information, or visit the website at opensecretbookstore.com.

Poet and the Bench

For that upscale, artistic and downright discerning person in one’s life who may still need a gift, consider visiting Poet and the Bench. There, they have everything from custom jewelry to fine apparel and, of course, artistic pieces for those present-related needs this holiday season.

Poet and the Bench is located at 11 Throckmorton Ave. in Mill Valley. They are open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:30am to 5pm and on Sunday from 11am to 4pm. Call 415.569.4383 or visit the website at poetandthebench.com for more information.

The Rafael

Once again, a ticket or two to a local cinematic experience makes for an excellent experiential gift. The Rafael is a great place to take someone for a movie (possibly followed by dinner, drinks and an evening on the town).

The Smith Rafael Film Center is located at 1118 4th St. in San Rafael—to reach the info-line for showtimes, call 415.454.1222 or visit the website at rafaelfilm.cafilm.org.

Revolution 9

Anyone looking to buy some holiday presents for people of all ages should consider visiting Revolution 9, which offers an amazing array of gifts for adults and children alike.

Revolution 9 is open seven days a week, from 10am to 6pm Sunday through Thursday and 10am to 8pm Friday and Saturday. The storefront can be found at 14 Bolinas Rd. in Fairfax. Visit the website at r9fairfax.com or call 415.459.7999 to learn more about the gifting options and opportunities at Revolution 9.

Wayfinder Bookshop/Point Reyes Books

Readers rejoice! These locally-owned bookshop pit stops have two locations across Marin County and are primed and ready to receive any and all holiday shopping requests.

Point Reyes Books can be found at 11315 State Route 1 in Point Reyes Station, and Wayfinder Bookshop is located at 9 Bolinas Rd. in Fairfax—for more information or to order a book, call 415.295.7318 for Wayfinder and 415.663.1542 for the Point Reyes location, or visit the website for both bookshops at ptreyesbooks.com.

West Marin Culture Shop

A wildly unique and surprisingly widely-accessible holiday gift option in Marin can be found at the West Marin Culture Shop, where every kind of fermented stocking stuffer one could imagine is there and waiting to be gift wrapped and stuffed into an oversized sock (’tis the season, after all).

West Marin Culture Shop can be found at 80 4th St., Point Reyes Station, where Cowgirl Creamery was once located. The shop is open Friday through Monday from 11am to 5pm. For more information, call 415.310.5700 or visit the website at wildwestferments.com.

PQ

There’s still time to make those holiday present selections shine, especially with the help of a handy dandy list of outside the gift box ideas.

Young and Strange: A Review of ‘Poor Things’

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Young and Strange: A Review of ‘Poor Things’

The new film, Poor Things, lands with a thud. In a scenario lifted from countless vintage horror/sci-fi flicks, it’s the old story of a mad scientist, a young woman who falls under his control and an outlandish conception of interpersonal relations.

Strange things happen to Bella Baxter (Emma Stone) and Dr. Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe). Particularly to Bella. After she commits suicide by jumping off a bridge in the opening shot, “God”—that’s her name for the scientist—recovers and revives Bella’s corpse in his lab, transplanting the brain of her unborn baby into her cranium. The operation is a success.

And so we have the spectacle of an attractive, fully grown woman behaving like an infant: crying, wetting herself, throwing tantrums, gradually becoming physically coordinated and learning to talk. All this to the tune of British composer Jerskin Fendrix’s (real name: Joscelin Dent-Pooley) remarkably evocative, yet fully annoying, 20th century-modernist-style music track.

Poor Things is directed by Yorgos Lanthimos (The Favourite), with a screenplay adapted by Tony McNamara (Cruella) from a novel by Alasdair Gray, with both Lanthimos and Stone among the producers. It’s less an extension of The Favourite’s satiric nastiness than it is a whacky genre update with a cleverly hidden subtext. The more Bella relearns about being a woman, the more disgusted she is with the status quo.

The director enjoys playing games with history. In The Favourite, the 18th-century court of Queen Anne of England is home to randy shenanigans and power struggles in addition to mountains of bric-a-brac. That’s a similar case to Dr. Baxter’s Victorian London, but turned up a notch or two in the soft-core sex department.

“God” doesn’t exactly use Bella as a sex toy—to him she’s a scientific experiment in progress—but his acquaintances are not so scrupulous when it comes to a naive beauty open to suggestions. The “furious jumping” is played for broad laughs, but that sexual cruelty ruins whatever sympathy a viewer may have had for the scar-faced doctor, and turns Lanthimos’ tilted riffing on Bride of Frankenstein and Edward Scissorhands into a painful ordeal instead of a simple shaggy-dog lampoon.

For instance, when Bella discovers masturbation, it’s really nothing to rejoice about—at that stage she’s more of an artificial lust object than a woman with recognizable feelings. Her danse-mécanique body movements are similarly un-amusing. As depicted by Stone in a frantic performance, Bella might as well be an inflatable doll or a robot. The cheap chuckles continue in that vein for about half the film’s running time.

But then suddenly, after Bella is introduced to goofball sybarite Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo) and they embark on a luxurious trip into the wondrous outside world, a major tonal shift occurs. In a welcome departure from the sophomoric look-at-the-freak antics of the film’s early scenes, Bella grows more complicated with age. She’s still absurdly oversexed and naive, but from a slightly more experienced point of view, and is quite capable of thinking for herself.

In scenes aboard an ocean cruise ship and later in the demimonde of Paris, the innocently curious Bella learns useful things from a pair of libertines (Hanna Schygulla, Jerrod Carmichael); the saturnine madam of a Parisian bordello (actor Kathryn Hunter, in a thrillingly corrupt supporting-award-contending role); and a fellow prostitute (Suzy Bemba).

There’s nothing remotely titillating about our heroine’s experiences, and yet the tale of Bella’s ironic “education” seems like another, better film entirely, compared to the marionette antics of the first half.

Stone’s career-best performance verges on brilliant. Classically inclined culture fans might be reminded of everything from Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion to Kore-eda Hirokazu’s Air Doll to Alfred Hitchcock’s Rich and Strange.

Stone rises to the occasion, and so does Ruffalo. As for Dafoe, he recycles much of his oeuvre—nothing especially offensive about that. The production designers and art directors put on their own dazzling show. After its iffy first half, Poor Things emerges as a revelation.

In theaters

Wine Tasting Room Becomes Cheese Shop

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Wine Tasting Room Becomes Cheese Shop

For years, Barber Cellars, a small, family-run winery in the Sonoma County town of Petaluma, has offered patrons cheese boards with their wines.

So it’s not a big surprise that their downtown wine tasting room has pivoted its focus from wine tasting to cheese tasting, with their launch of The Petaluma Cheese Shop, a European-style cheese market.

There, visitors and locals alike can try a variety of cheese tastings from local and internationally made products, complete with full tasting experiences and a retail cheese market. Locals, never fear, as the small-production, estate-grown Barber Cellars wines the community has come to love are still available at the shop, and make a great pairing with the new cheeses. This shift from a wine to cheese focus is a natural progression for the Barbers.

“Our local-focused cheese boards have always been the biggest and best deal in Sonoma County,” notes co-owner Lorraine Barber. “We’re just seriously expanding a part of our business that we really love, and offering the cheese lovers of our town an experience they can’t get anywhere else.”

Bringing the focus to cheese is a welcome approach to the traditional wine and cheese pairing, which typically emphasizes the wine.

“A group of friends can dine-in, share some bottles or glasses of wine, have way more cheese and food than they can handle, and split a pretty affordable check,” co-owner Mike Barber says. “Everybody leaves fat, sassy and happy, with hopefully a new understanding of what Sonoma County wine country is really all about: good friends, good times, and great wine and cheese!”

And when one has had their fill, they can purchase favorites to take home.

“When we first moved to Petaluma, we looked around and saw that there were limited wine tasting options in what is arguably the gateway to wine country,” explains Lorraine Barber. “So we opened our downtown tasting room, a place where you could feel comfortable asking questions about wine without feeling like you were being judged for not knowing something already. We want to do the same with cheese. Many people come through that are curious about cheese but don’t really have a place to explore what’s out there. We want to change that.”

And they have. It’s a new frontier and a traditional one at the same time. With the heritage dairy industry in Sonoma County, it’s an experience truly specific to this area. And because there are abundant cheeses and a lot to learn, it’s akin to wine tasting, where one can try diverse varieties and discover new favorites from the knowledgeable and comfortable guides at the shop.

Petaluma Cheese Shop is located at 112 Washington St., Petaluma. 707.971.7410. petalumacheeseshop.com.

Sara Porkalob’s One-Woman Show Tackles Tough Topics

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Sara Porkalob’s One-Woman Show Tackles Tough Topics

Memoirist Paul Lisicky once said, “When you are writing an elegy, it’s hard not to turn the lost one into a mythical figure.” Sara Porkalob’s new one-woman show, Dragon Lady, directed by Andrew Russell, certainly veers toward the mythical. Mill Valley’s Marin Theater Company, in association with Walnut Creek’s Center REP, has a production running through Dec. 17.

The first of three Dragon Cycle plays Porkalob has written that chronicle the women in her direct lineage, it’s the story of her karaoke-singing, chain-smoking, accidental gangster-moll and possibly murderous grandmother, Maria Senora. Told in a fourth-wall-breaking cabaret style, Maria recounts her life’s exploits to her favorite grandchild (Sara) through a mix of original and adapted music by the talented Pete Irving—including a fun rendition of “Gangsters Paradise.”

This production is a visual and auditory feast. Of particular note is Randy Wong-Westbrooke’s set design. Scarlet velveteen and lushly draped fabrics transform the live jazz band into a set piece by staging them as tantalizing silhouettes in a translucent cupboard.

Despite MTC’s misguided marketing touting this as a “funny and fearless family tale,” Porkalob has written an often-uncomfortable eulogy about the flesh and blood woman behind her mythologized grandmother. Through the tales, Porkalob chooses to have Maria Senora tell us we are plunged into the difficult task all descendants face when trying to merge our beloved predecessors with their complex and often problematic actions.

Another thing MTC doesn’t prepare its audience for through its insistence that this is a comedy is that though we have become inundated with “content and trigger warnings,” these things exist because of real pain, not just as buzzwords. So, in an effort to lessen another’s pain, be aware that if one also grew up in an abusive, neglectful household, the beginning of Act Two may feel like a sucker punch to the gut if one isn’t braced for it.

In the end, this is a highly personal exploration of Porkalob’s relationship with her past. And like all things highly personal, it’s impossible to give it a fair critique. So perhaps it’s best to go back to Lisicky, who, when asked what we owe our dead as artists, answered, “I’m not sure that we as writers owe our dead anything other than to make them interesting.”

Porkalob’s writing of Maria Senora is many things, not all of them nice, comfortable or funny, but all of them are interesting.

‘Dragon Lady’ runs Weds – Sun through Dec. 17 at Marin Theatre Company, 397 Miller Ave., Mill Valley. Weds – Sat, 7:30pm; Sat & Sun, 2pm. $25-$67. 415.388.5208. marintheatre.org.

Spirited Away with Scott Jampol of Sausalito

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Spirited Away with Scott Jampol of Sausalito

I love that Scott Jampol and I have remained in touch all these years. We had crossed paths when he was at OpenTable, and I was still at Yelp. These days, he’s found his true calling as the founder of the Sausalito Liquor Company.

What do you do? I launched the SLC with the goal of returning the art of distilling back to the area. We offer unapologetically drinkable spirits that reflect the beauty, intrigue and quirkiness of Marin, including Marin Coastal Gin and Unsinkable Bourbon and Rye Whiskeys.

Where do you live? Sausalito—just up the hill from Sushi Ran.

How long have you lived in Marin? 14 years.

Where can we find you when you’re not at work?

I’m pretty easy to track down. On Mondays, I bartend at the Sausalito Cruising Club (don’t consider that work). On all days ending in “y,” I’m driving my teenagers around Marin. Otherwise, I’m finding time to hike, run and share cocktails with my wife, Patricia, and friends and our Bernese Mountain dog, Tippy.

If you had to convince someone how awesome Marin is, where would you take them?

Hike Morning Sun Trail to SCA Trail to the peak, with 360-degree views of Marin and the bay. Immediately follow that with some “Millionaire’s” bacon and eggs at Fred’s Place in Sausalito. Lunch at Fish (or Fishhook) and then bocce in Dunphy Park.

What’s one thing Marin is missing?

An ice rink. It’s good for everyone, no matter the age.

What’s one bit of advice you’d share with your fellow Marinites? Use your damn turn signal. And the left lane is for passing, not puttering.

If you could invite anyone to a special dinner, who would they be?

Irwin M. Fletcher and Bob Marley; put it on the Underhills’ bill.

What is some advice you wish you knew 20 years ago?

Don’t sweat the petty things. Life’s too short to get hung up on things that don’t bring you happiness.

What is something that 20 years from now will seem cringeworthy? Bars serving cocktails that take 10 minutes each to make. With just a few simple ingredients and, ahem, great quality spirits, we can win back that time.

Big question. What is one thing you’d do to change the world?

Get rid of the “If you lose, I win” mentality that has seeped into our world today.

Keep up with Jampol at @sausalitoliquor on Instagram.

Nish Nadaraja was on the founding team at Yelp, serves on the San Anselmo Arts Commission and attempts to play pickleball at Fairfax’s Cañon Club.

Negotiate an End to the Ukraine War

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Negotiate an End to the Ukraine War

The war in Ukraine has destabilized and polarized the international order. It pits two nuclear-armed superpowers, the United States and Russia, against each other. Any miscalculation can take all of us to nuclear Armageddon. How can the war be ended and on what terms?

Conventional wisdom holds that wars end in one of two ways. Either one side wins and the other loses, or they negotiate a peace agreement by coming to an understanding that both sides can live with. Peace agreements are reached by making a win-win deal where both sides get something they want out of it.

The “deciders” will be Russia (essentially Vladimir Putin) and Ukraine (the Zelensky administration). They will be the ones with representatives at the negotiating table. Beyond “the table,” there are other influencers, such as those who support Ukraine with arms and funding—the European Union and the U.S. There are those who tacitly support Russia by continuing commerce with Putin and by not voting in the UN to sanction Russia.

If a peace settlement is to be reached between Ukraine and Russia, we must consider the institution most capable of facilitating the necessary negotiations. The United Nations is the logical party for this task. The International Court of Justice was foreseen by the UN Charter as the primary method of resolution of disputes between countries, offering law as an alternative to war. But the law needs enforcement, and the ICJ has none, and its ruling against Russia nearly two years ago was utterly ignored.

But this does not prevent the UN secretary-general, Antonio Guterres, from organizing serious peace negotiations. He is charged with mediation and appointment of envoys to broker peace agreements. In getting such negotiations off the ground, he might find it useful to draw upon countries such as China or Turkey, both of which have a rapport with Putin.

The United Nations is the logical place to organize these negotiations. We can move from war to law by reforming and strengthening the United Nations, but it will take some creative thinking and action by all of us.

Jerry Tetalman is co-author of ‘One World Democracy.’

The Key to Ending Minority Rule

In 2022, most congressional elections were decided before Election Day because, as the Cook Political Report had predicted, only 40 House and Senate seats were competitive. Of the 430 races, only 17% of House races and 26% of Senate races were decided by less than 10 percentage points. The general election was an afterthought. According to Unite America, a pro-democracy...
Read more

Lingerie Designer Stephanie Bodnar

Stephanie Bodnar is the designer behind Evgenia Lingerie, a collection she makes entirely at her West Marin studio. As she puts it, it’s “fine lingerie for the modern heartbreaker.” Not surprisingly, she also loves a good theme party and a great glass of champagne. What do you do? I run Evgenia Lingerie, where I design and hand-make luxury silk and...
Read more

Your Letters, Dec. 13

Click to read
Carbon Hoofprint Greetings from the North Pole! As the holidays approach, I wanted to share some exciting changes happening in Christmas preparations this year. In the spirit of embracing sustainability, I am delighted to announce that our beloved reindeer will be retiring to a beautiful sanctuary. They have served tirelessly, guiding my sleigh through snow and stars for years, and it’s...
Read more

Art, Nature and Music

Petaluma Set It Free Lifelong art collector Robert Flynn Johnson’s private collection is the source of the new exhibition, “Catch and Release.” Considering himself more of a steward than an owner of art, Johnson brings his cred as curator emeritus of the Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts to the walls of one of Petaluma’s most vital art spaces, IceHouse Gallery. “The...
Read more

A Guide for Marin Gifting

Last-minute gift buyers of Marin, listen up! There’s still time to make those holiday present selections shine, especially with the help of a handy dandy list of outside the giftbox ideas for local pit stops and places to shop before the calendar flips over to 2024. Almonte Spa For anyone with someone in their lives who is stressed out and in...
Read more

Young and Strange: A Review of ‘Poor Things’

Young and Strange: A Review of 'Poor Things'
The new film, Poor Things, lands with a thud. In a scenario lifted from countless vintage horror/sci-fi flicks, it’s the old story of a mad scientist, a young woman who falls under his control and an outlandish conception of interpersonal relations. Strange things happen to Bella Baxter (Emma Stone) and Dr. Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe). Particularly to Bella. After she...
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Wine Tasting Room Becomes Cheese Shop

For years, Barber Cellars, a small, family-run winery in the Sonoma County town of Petaluma, has offered patrons cheese boards with their wines. So it’s not a big surprise that their downtown wine tasting room has pivoted its focus from wine tasting to cheese tasting, with their launch of The Petaluma Cheese Shop, a European-style cheese market. There, visitors and locals...
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Sara Porkalob’s One-Woman Show Tackles Tough Topics

Memoirist Paul Lisicky once said, “When you are writing an elegy, it’s hard not to turn the lost one into a mythical figure.” Sara Porkalob’s new one-woman show, Dragon Lady, directed by Andrew Russell, certainly veers toward the mythical. Mill Valley’s Marin Theater Company, in association with Walnut Creek’s Center REP, has a production running through Dec. 17. The first...
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Spirited Away with Scott Jampol of Sausalito

I love that Scott Jampol and I have remained in touch all these years. We had crossed paths when he was at OpenTable, and I was still at Yelp. These days, he’s found his true calling as the founder of the Sausalito Liquor Company. What do you do? I launched the SLC with the goal of returning the art of...
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Negotiate an End to the Ukraine War

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The war in Ukraine has destabilized and polarized the international order. It pits two nuclear-armed superpowers, the United States and Russia, against each other. Any miscalculation can take all of us to nuclear Armageddon. How can the war be ended and on what terms? Conventional wisdom holds that wars end in one of two ways. Either one side wins and...
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