General Electric and the death of American outrage

If there was a funeral notice, I missed it. No obituary appeared in any of my daily papers. But make no mistake about it: In the spring of 2011 in the United States of America, our collective sense of moral outrage must now be officially dead.

Poisson d’avril

Hopefully, everyone reading this column successfully made it through another April Fool's Day. It is difficult for me to have any serious conversation on the first day of April because I'm always worried that I will be made a fool in the end.

America's energy future

Across the country, American families and businesses are feeling the impact of higher gasoline prices. But while some politicians may claim they have a quick fix, the truth is that in the years to come, prices will continue to go up more than they go down. There are only long-term solutions.

Let the buyer beware

Those of us who have been around the block a few times will remember the last time gasoline hit $4 per gallon a new industry sprang up. Drivers could buy magnets to attach to fuel lines to allegedly boost a car's gas mileage by 20 or even 30 percent.

Gadhafi — the mad dog who trumped the world

Every American should look at Libya through the prism of the 1988 Pan Am 103 terrorist bombing that left 270 people dead. Moammar Gadhafi - the man whom Ronald Reagan called the mad dog of the Middle East - ordered an attack that killed mostly American civilians in a bombing over British soil. Yet rather than be beaten by more powerful nations, he lived to crow about it.

Putting work in perspective

The tragic death of Costa Mesa city worker Huy Pham after jumping from atop the City Hall building last week - hours after receiving a layoff notice - should serve as a wakeup call. In these depressing economic times, everyone needs to remember that our jobs are not who we are. That might seem like a simple concept, but it isn't. Our culture is centered on ambition and "The ...

Joining Uncle Sam’s team

Three plus years ago when I left the Navy, I remember thinking "I will never tell anyone to join the military." I thought the only thing I learned from my five years in the Navy was that I could accomplish a lot without having to deal with the rigors of military life.

Nuclear power is the only realistic future energy source

The earthquake and subsequent tsunami which ravaged Japan last week were unqualified tragedies.

How fragile the solid earth is beneath our feet

Geology has surely been in the news lately, with the price of petroleum moving relentlessly upward, a threat to global economic recovery because oil is so central to industrial society the world around.

It’s not my fault

The hearings that will determine whether eight current and former Bell city leaders will stand trial for misappropriating more than $5 million is a prime example of the "not my fault" mentality that has become commonplace in America today.

Let the market dictate smoking policy

I have a confession to make: I used to be a smoker.

The fight to teach freedom

Of all the jobs that American citizens might do, and of all the careers for which they may train, only one profession is constitutionally protected. The First Amendment to the Bill of Rights guarantees freedom of speech and of the press; and by "the press", they meant journalism.

Hello and goodbye, governors

Dear governors, welcome to Washington! We are delighted you are visiting us for the National Governors Association Winter Meeting this weekend.

New low for scammers

On Saturday morning, I received an e-mail from my cousin, informing me that he – while on a family trip to London – had been mugged and effectively left for dead.

Putting the children first

Every couple believes in "happily ever after" when they're in love. As they plan their future together, the thought of separation never enters their minds. But all too often, one or both partners will one day decide the best course of action is to go their separate ways.

UnOccupy LA

Los Angeles is no longer occupied. After two months of Tent City across from City Hall, the LAPD finally moved in after midnight on Wednesday to disperse those who remained after multiple warnings. All told, some 300 Occupiers were arrested by the 1,200 police officers who conducted the final eviction. Later that morning, sanitation workers arrived in protective gear to clean up the 30 tons of debris left behind. Once that's done, the farmers ...

Count your blessings

The residents of Turlock have one more thing to be thankful for this holiday season - they don't live in the city of San Fernando. If news of the Southern California city's scandalous affairs hasn't reached you yet, then here's a recap: - The police chief is on leave for having sex with a cadet; - A police dispatcher was caught exposing himself; and - A council woman was accused ...

Pension reform will free up dollars for schools

Not quite Mayberry

My brothers dared me to do what they caught Jeff, a young kid from across the alley, doing one day.

Holiday survival tips

In the next few weeks, the Journal will be running a series of stories intended to help readers survive the holiday season. From gift buying guides, to decorating ideas and entertaining tips, these stories are meant as a tool for getting the most out of the season. However … I thought it might be helpful to offer my own holiday survival tips as a reminder of what is really important. Tip #1) ...

A balanced budget: Certainty in our economy and accountability in government

Our country's national debt exceeded $15 trillion this week. Our debt has now tripled in the last 15 years and is set to surpass our total GDP for the first time since World War II. This week, Congress had an opportunity to ensure a brighter future for our kids and grandkids by passing a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution. The amendment failed and once again, Congress failed to take an opportunity to enact ...

What would happen if we stopped voting?

Did you vote on Nov. 8? If not, you weren't alone. According to Stanislaus County Registrar of Voters Lee Lundrigan's office, there were 50,982 ballots counted in the final election results. In a county of 514,453 people, only 227,278 are registered voters, and only around 50,000 people actually voted in this election.

Give smartly this holiday season

If the red and green decorated retail stores, the Christmas-themed movie marathons and the ever-present holiday music piped in at every store in town hasn't cued you in yet, then let me say it straight out - the holiday season is upon us.

Turkey sticker shock

Have you checked out the price of turkey lately? You can thank Al Gore. Actually you can thank Gore and the Midwest ethanol subsidy lobby consisting of Republican and Democrat lawmakers alike. Gore was the leading cheerleader for ethanol as the elixir for all that ails America when it comes to energy. He led the charge to put in place ethanol subsidies. The end result: Ethanol gas that is not cost effective and has ...

Keeping our promise

When President Woodrow Wilson designated November 11th a day to honor our nation's veterans, he was welcoming home a generation of servicemembers from World War I. With American troops expected out of Afghanistan by 2014 and out of Iraq by the end of this year, we have a new generation of brave men and women returning home. As the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan come to a close, there will be a tendency to ...

Back to the sleep saving time

As Sunday brought a close to the 2011 Daylight Saving Time, ushered in were an assortment of relief, doubts, and inquiries. The most pressing views challenged whether this supposed energy-preserving, society-reviving system still left room for correlation with the shifting lifestyles that characterize today's generation. Folks still fatigued from March help make the pool of individuals wanting to re-question the logic behind what has felt like a blindly-followed practice. Not surprisingly, the installment ...

The root of all Oakland

The morning after Occupy Oakland's midweek violent protests, the take in the Bay Area was that it was a dirty, rotten shame that a few bad-egg anarchists hijacked a mostly peaceful protest and made an otherwise good cause look bad. That is so delusional. From the start, troublemakers have advocated violent protest during the group's general assemblies. Guys with masks and ill intent threw rocks and bottles at police before officers used ...

All the benefits of a small town, none of the baggage

According to the United Nations' Population Division, the world's human population hit seven billion on Oct. 31. Locally, we have also seen a jump in population - although not quite as drastic - with over 70,000 people inhabiting Turlock today, compared to just 13,992 in 1970. With all the people in the world - and the growing number of Turlockers - it's amazing to me that one night of the year can make ...

Stepping up to a bright idea

At first I wasn't sure I was reading the CNN report correctly. The story hinged on special pavement that uses the impact of human feet to generate electricity. That's right. A young man in Britain has invented a device that harvests the energy from a footfall hitting the pavement to power things like LED lights. Talk about a bright idea. The "PaveGen" project is the brainchild of Laurence Kemball-Cook, age 25 ...

Bad times? Most of us have no inkling

These aren't exactly the greatest of times. Even those who normally would feel comfortable with a decent paying job have anxieties about the economy. In reality, most of us still have it good compared to many. And with the holiday season just around the corner, the pain of hunger at a time when people traditionally celebrate their good fortune of family and life becomes more acute for those who are struggling more than the ...