Ready to shop

I love Trader Joe's. I love their guacamole hummus. I love their fancy cheeses. I love their faux-Polynesian flair.

Another graduation column

No matter how many times I tell myself that I will not write another sappy column reminiscing about my school days, I cannot resist penning this piece about graduation.

Turning 30 at Mount St. Helens

The time has surely flown by for me.

Our contradictory nature

Change is hard. This may seem like a cliché, but it is still true.

A few fries short of a Happy Meal

The government has a responsibility to keep kids safe.

There’s just no money

Let's be frank: More than 200 local residents will lose their jobs due to city and county budget cuts over the next few months.

Fear cannot rule our lives

Streakers and clothed crazed fans everywhere - beware! What was once considered a good-spirited prank is now a criminal act.

Carnegie’s legacy

"O Day of days when we can read! The reader and the book, either without the other is naught."

Remember the trees

When we think of forests, majestic trees, precious wildlife, and clean, fresh air might come to mind. We probably don't think about the water we drink.

Living between fire and ice

The good citizens of Iceland have two mega-problems this spring. One is their economic and banking situation, which is still in something close to meltdown mode. I cannot fathom finances and economics, so I'm in no position to really follow that part of the current and dreary Icelandic saga.

Immune to tragedy

There has been a car accident and one student lies on the hood of the car covered in "blood." As I stand there watching, firefighters use the Jaws of Life to pry open the doors of the car, while students nearby act seemingly unfazed by their screaming classmate and unconscious friend being carried off to safety. The students know this is not real. They know it is their school's year to host the Every 15 ...

‘Oh Superman where are you now?’

Most of the time I can convince myself that I have a young perspective on society and life in general. But then something happens that makes my generational gap as obvious as an elephant in the room. That something happened last week when President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed a nuclear weapons reduction treaty.

Gala brouhaha

It seems I can't escape discussion of Sarah Palin and her upcoming visit to CSU Stanislaus anywhere I go. As a student at California State University, Stanislaus (go Warriors!) I constantly overhear other students talking about Palin in class. Work is even worse because my coworkers and editor discuss Palin, the CSU Stanislaus Foundation and the Public Records Act ad nauseam.

Climate change science more certain than ever

Numerous polls have shown a decline in U.S. public concern about climate change over the last two years.

What war with Iran means

"Diplomacy has failed," Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., told AIPAC, "Iran is on the verge of becoming nuclear and we cannot afford that."

Renewing Turlockers’ civic virtue

On the Stanislaus County website, there reads a thought-provoking saying, "Volunteering is the ultimate exercise in democracy. You vote in elections once a year, but when you volunteer, you vote every day about the kind of community you want to live in."

Common sense scores two wins up in Sacramento

Big Valley Christian High in Modesto wanted to build a press box for its football field.

Roads can wait; Turlock has tougher problems to tackle

I have been a resident of Turlock for 13 years. During that time I have had at least two tires go flat and multiple bumper scrapes due to the poor state of our city's roads. Despite my own personal run-ins with Turlock's famous pot holes, I must respectfully disagree with those Turlockers who feel that the state of the roads should be a priority for city officials. Please allow me to plead my ...

What’s next? Ban on plastic straws, dime for paper ones?

The cost of shopping in San Francisco is going up Oct. 1.

Big Brother on the road

Tougher fuel efficiency standards have the potential to turn our freeways and highways into havens for potholes. The Congressional Budget Office is projecting a $57 billion loss in federal gas tax funds through 2023 due to the new federal fuel efficiency standards that have just been adopted. The revenue reduction - roughly 13 percent less than what was originally projected just a year ago - will also impact separate gas tax collections for ...

Get rid of the death penalty, get rid of plea bargains

Recently, editorial page editor John Diaz asked Mark Klaas whether he expects to feel closure if California executes Richard Allen Davis, the man who kidnapped, toyed with and then killed Klaas' 12-year-old daughter, Polly, in 1993. A jury found Davis guilty and sentenced him to death in 1996. From the early days after Davis snatched Polly from a Petaluma slumber party, Klaas has been a highly visible advocate for strong laws to protect ...

Everyone, not just 53%, pay federal taxes

Teachable moments: Don't expect them from politicians - or their hacks - whether they are Republicans or Democrats. The flap over the comments that 47 percent of Americans don't pay income tax and that nearly half the population receives government benefits is a perfect example. First off, we all pay federal taxes and a lot of them. The most visible of all taxes are income taxes of which 53.6 percent of ...

Getting a handle on stress

Stress is a part of life; how you deal with it is what matters. This axiom seems simple enough, but recognizing when stress is overwhelming us and then actually taking steps to reduce its affects is another matter. When it comes to stress, I am an expert at dealing with true emergencies - I can handle fires, flat tires and criminal acts without breaking a sweat - but the daily pressures of life ...

A Food, Farm and Jobs Bill as soon as possible

After spending much of August out of Washington, Congress is back – and rural America is watching closely, hoping for passage of a Food, Farm and Jobs Bill as soon as possible. With farmers facing the worst drought in decades this summer and the current Farm Bill set to expire on September 30 of this year, time is running out for Congress to act. You and I both know the stakes couldn't ...

SB 9 puts lives of criminals above safety

A few things to consider before voting on Prop. 34

Your son and his 16-year-old best friend are celebrating the fact he just got his driver's license.

Reviving the power of questioning

With the 2012 Presidential Election just around the corner, the American public is caught in the midst of a torrent of propaganda. As the popular trend of politicians fashioning their own facts abounds, folks here and around the nation encounter the same issue: what are we supposed to take to heart? I think the newer generation is hit hardest by this difficult decision. They're the most impressionable, having only recently been exposed to ...

Customers put to work

Walter Reuther - a labor leader if there ever was one - was once given a tour of a modernized Ford assembly plant.

Democrats honor labor with exception of farm workers

Honor labor.

Getting more out of each gallon of gasoline

It's commonplace to observe that we live in very partisan times. Red versus blue factions dominate our public discussions, and there often seems very little room made for agreement in the middle.