Archive By Section - Editorial
Every time a bell rings...
As the holiday season starts to wind down - except in Russia where they celebrate through Jan. 10 - I find myself feeling a little blue.
Some assembly required
Congratulations on purchasing your Wonder Fun Doll Dream House with Stables, Orchard and Shooting Range! These are your assembly instructions, so if you're a man, you're not reading this.
We need some heat in here
The recent massive snowstorm that moved from California across to New England certainly got the nation's attention. While some Americans dealt with snowfall measured in feet rather than inches, my part of the Northwest simply endured temperatures near zero, night after night. (Where I live, we think of ourselves as human weather stripping, nobly protecting states to the south from Canada.) Either way, we all had a moment, I'm sure, to reflect on the fact ...
The art of contradiction
I have come to the conclusion that we, as a society, are pretty hypocritical. I know this is a somewhat harsh statement to make, but the evidence continues to mount for its authenticity.
Win one for the Griper
Congress is at it again, battling unfairness wherever it pops up. This time, it's taking on college athletics, a world in which a conniving cartel spins backroom deals and then foists injustice on vulnerable football fans.
Now hear this
I wasn't quite sure I had heard correctly. My friend, a fellow geologist, and I were standing in the swimming lanes of a lap pool where we had stopped to give each other greetings of the season.
We can make it happen
Recently, I had the opportunity to speak with JoLynn DiGrazia of Westside Ministries, Major Debi Shrum of the Salvation Army and Pastors Samuel Galdamez, Steve Carlson and Tim Hawkinson of Turlock Covenant Church.
Happy Hanukkah everyone
I like Hanukkah. It's a very nice holiday, as Jewish holidays go; one of the few where the Jews actually won, as opposed to having the Temple destroyed, or fleeing the divided sea, or being spared from the evil Haman. Usually, it's enough if we survive. Often, we don't even do that.
In God Turlock trusts
If anyone still believes that nothing big ever happens in Turlock, then they haven't been to a city council meeting in a long, long time. Although Turlock can only be considered a small city or big town in population terms, it often has big city political issues.
The best record keepers
As a record-keeper, I'm pathetic. I often can't keep track of where my checkbook is, let alone the balance in the account. The chief problem determining the balance isn't my arithmetic skills, it's that I don't enter all the checks that I write for merchants in the ledger. No wonder the amount I show I have becomes a tad different from what the bank feels I have in my account.
A journey to the Christmas spirit
After living in the Valley for the past 11 years, I have finally made the journey to Bethlehem.
Education is key
Although the 1980s occurred three decades ago, it seems like just yesterday I was pondering the genius of the Rubik's Cube and wearing parachute pants. While the '80s were the dawn of the personal computing and cellular phone boom, they were also the years in which a new fear was introduced into Western civilization: HIV.
Hiding the past in plain sight
The other day the forecast near my home included winds up to 50 mph. That's a strong wind, to be sure, but not something I'd write home about. One forecaster I heard, however, presented the news in a shrill voice, as if we might have to stay in the basement all day. I considered calling his station and explaining that, when I was a small child, we walked to school in winds of 50 mph (and back) without a second thought.
Just another manic Friday
The frantic rush to start shopping for Christmas always catches me a bit unaware. It might be that I'm still sleeping off my turkey and tryptophan hangover on Black Friday each year, but even on the best of days I am in no hurry to battle crowds of sleep-deprived deal hounds.
Giving thanks
It is that time of year again; a time to count your blessings and give thanks. Many of you might read that and say "Give thanks? What for?" I understand why giving thanks may be a little bit harder this year.
Articles by Section - Editorial
Worried about America? Visit a Boys & Girls Club
The political world is so toxic that I needed some relief, so I tuned into a reality show more real than anything on television. I wasn't disappointed. The stories I heard were at once harrowing and inspirational. And they were deeply connected to the future of the country. This week, I served as one of five judges in the Boys & Girls Clubs of America National Youth of the Year competition. This is ...
MacGyver to the rescue — most of the time
For those of you too young to remember the television show "MacGyver," allow me to share about the 1980s American action-adventure series. The show was about a secret agent, Angus MacGyver, who employed his resourcefulness and knowledge of chemistry, physics, and technology, and often a little duct tape and a Swiss Army knife, to resolve what were often life or death situations. I'm married to a MacGyver kind of guy. I've nicknamed my ...
Want a job? Stay in college as long as you can
With the unemployment rate hovering above 9 percent, today's job market is bad for everyone. One group does seem to fare better than the rest, however: The jobless rate for workers with a bachelor's degree or better is just 4.3 percent, compared with 14.3 percent for high school dropouts. But among college grads, the outlook is gloomier for one critical segment: recent graduates. A study this year put their unemployment rate at 10 ...
Newspapers: A bridge to the community
I am one of the fortunate people who do not fear public speaking. When you put me in front of a captive audience and ask me to talk about one of my passions - like community newspapers - watch out, I might just talk your ear off. California State University, Stanislaus professor Elizabeth Breshears offered me just such an opportunity this week. I was asked to speak to her graduate social work students ...
Can you live without it?
For those of you who don't know me well, you may be surprised to read that I grew up on an almond ranch. My two sisters married almond farmers and have lived happily ever after in what I refer to as "the dirt." I, however, fled to suburbia as soon as I turned 18. As Eva Gabor used to chant during the Green Acres theme song, "Dah-ling I love you but give me Park ...
Gov. Jerry Brown and 3 telling bills
California Gov. Jerry Brown scored a victory for common sense last week when he vetoed a bill that would have imposed criminal penalties on minors - or their parents - who ski or snowboard without a helmet. "While I appreciate the value of wearing a ski helmet, I am concerned about the continuing and seemingly inexorable transfer of authority from parents to the state," Brown explained. "Not every human problem deserves a law." <p ...
Giving credit where credit’s due
While ordinary antidepressants seize headlines in the media and medical journals alike, a relatively recent breakthrough lies forgotten in the frenzy. Regardless, I know brilliance when I see it. Potential and productivity stand out at a glance. Despite some views of ineffectiveness, I believe transcranial magnetic stimulation deserves a second chance. Tragically enough, even with its unmistakable title, I've found that there still remains a slice of society who is yet to become ...
Where were you?
This week on Facebook, my dear friend Jan Hallam wrote, "Ten years and I still weep...What were you doing that morning?" What a powerful question. I remember, like it was yesterday. Allen and I were sound asleep when the phone rang. It was my girlfriend Ann. She told me that a plane had just hit the World Trade Center. I thanked her for the call, mumbled her info to Allen, and dozed back ...
Dancing with death over the centuries
Once I had a case of influenza so bad I missed close to a month of graduate school. I ran a fever and coughed until it felt like my whole world was turned upside down. Because I'm a geologist, not a medical doctor, I nicknamed that bout of illness "the plague." But what I experienced was a walk in the park compared to the real McCoy. The sheer virulent power of plague is ...
For the heart—permanently
I can vividly remember the worst I ever performed as a wife during my 26-year marriage. I failed big time. It was Saturday and I had a work function. So, plans were to meet my husband at a local restaurant for dinner. I was so happy to see him as we approached in the parking lot. Big blue eyes. That charming smile. And oh so huggable. No quicker than I could reach ...
State legislators need a holiday from red tape
As Mayor of the City of Turlock I feel compelled to let my concerns be known regarding several anti-local control bills that are currently before the state legislature. Passage of any of these bills will impose unreasonable restrictions on local government and limit our ability to maintain the basic public services our local residents deserve and depend upon. AB 438 would place new, precedent setting requirements on cities that choose to ...
Our spirit endures
I remember the day clearly. My husband was getting ready for his 7 a.m. work shift while I stayed in bed drifting in and out of wakefulness. I suddenly became aware that he had stopped getting dressed and was just standing quietly. My husband's odd behavior made me sit up and find out what had interrupted his morning routine. He was staring at the television with a blank look on his face. I ...
Water, water, not quite everywhere
When I was a kid I was "born again," a process that involved being fully and totally immersed in water. Much more recently I was on the home stretch of an 8-mile walk in the hot sun when the minister I was walking with kindly poured her drinking water on my hot little head. Seldom does water feel so good as when splashed on an overheating noggin in the summertime. As ...
BART protesters' oppression envy
During one of the protests that shut down Bay Area Rapid Transit this month, an anonymous protester - hiding behind a Guy Fawkes mask - stood with a sign that read, "Mubarak Gaddafi BART." Talk about delusions of oppression. Egyptians risked torture, imprisonment and their very lives to oust the heavy-handed Hosni Mubarak regime. Libyan rebels have been engaged in months of bloody combat to evict Moammar Gadhafi from power. And BART? ...
Waiting for the heroes
Have you ever watched a horror movie and wondered why the townspeople never decide to just get out of dodge before the monsters arrive at their doorsteps? I have.
Sections:
- Youth
- NEWS |
- SPORTS |
- OPINION |
- ARTS/LEISURE |
- LIVING IN 209 |
- HOME SCENE |
- SPECIAL SECTIONS |
- CELEBRATIONS |
- MOVIES |
- OBITS |
- REGIONAL NEWS
Services:
Submit News:
Online:
Contents of this site are © Copyright 2011 The Turlock Journal, CA. All rights reserved.
