It may sound rather contradictory, but there is a species of violet that is actually yellow! In fact, the yellow violet (Viola purpurea) can be found in abundance around Hunter Mountain. They bloom from April to June and are reputed to be found throughout the Great Basin region. I ran into quite a few of these plants on a recent hike up Hunter Mountain. The hike up Hunter Mountain is short (about a half mile) and doesn't involve much elevation gain (about 400 feet), but it provides a fantastic view of Saline Valley and a good view of the entire region!

The featured video for the week is "Flower Power" and so far, although the rainfall was not all that good in the Death Valley area this year, there have been a lot of great wildflowers! I suppose for many people the concept of flowers in the desert seems like a bit of a contradiction, but it is this apparent contradiction between the arid desert and an abundance of plant life that helps to make desert wildflowers seem even more precious!

The Dysfunctional Logic of Power is my most recently published book. It underscores some of the contradictions between the concepts that we are taught to believe in while growing up and the realities of our world. For instance, we are taught that the truth is something that is highly valued in our society, but it seems that whenever someone speaks truth to power that person winds up paying for his or her insubordination. In fact, it seems that as long as we ignore the corruption and unfairness in our society that we are rewarded, but we pay a price as soon as we cross the line and do anything to challenge the powers that be!