As Yogi Berra taught us; “It’s tough to make predictions, especially about the future.” We are living through some tumultuous times. The world gorged on debt and times were good. Now we are paying the price for this excess and are in the midst of a painful worldwide de-leveraging process. Nobody knows how long this economic …

Now is the perfect time for a style makeover! January is resolution crazed—organizing, eating well, and exercising — if you’ve kept your promises, then you deserve a treat. Not chocolate, but the opportunity to take your style to the next level. How do you know if you’re in need of a style makeover? Answer these …

My old newspaper buddy Doug and I talk a few times a year. We used to work for the same paper in Sarasota,Fla; I covered crime and he still works there as a sports columnist. In traditional male mode, I am not super chatty. But I find myself in these calls talking for 10 or 15 …

Last month, I contacted our editor, Eric, from a KMart in Scotts Valley, California. Eric accused me of characterizing this drivel as a “Blue Light Special.” I’ll show him! In the 40′s, there was a song that advertised “Fryers, broilers and Detroit Barbecued Grits. What was the name of that eating establishment? Westinghouse sponsored the …

As of the first of this year, there was a big change in Probate law for the State of California. There are two standard types of Probate in California: a court probate, which typically last nine months to a year, or what is known as “summary probate.” Summary probate, also known as “small estates probate,” …

A mild warning – this is a sensitive subject which may offend some of my more gentle readers. Nevertheless, it is a topic that needs to be addressed by all faithful travelers. I bravely march ahead into this uncharted territory, hoping you will forgive me.  There are certain physiological activities we all have in common …

Gas prices are on the rise leading us to smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles. That said, we still need our space to transport, as the late, great George Carlin described as, “our stuff.” The auto manufacturers from Asia have introduced us to a few of their small boxy cars; however, in my opinion, the winner with …

We all crave change, we love the thought of starting something new, but it is so hard to take those first few steps. I realize that when it comes to makeovers and suggestions on how to improve one or another of our troublesome tendencies or habits, reading reams of wonderful, uplifting advice can seem like …

As an elementary teacher I have dealt with the ramifications of poor nutrition every day during my teaching. This does not mean that parents neglect their children; on the contrary they have the absolute best intentions of feeding them healthily. Unfortunately, with the rush of the mornings, dealing with children who are picky eaters, and …

I found myself recuperating from a strenuous hike while watching Super Bowl XLII on Feb. 3, 2008. More than the commercials and half-time show, I really wanted to see Eli Manning play, but from a horizontal position, because I was in so much pain from the six-mile hike. Pain or no pain, food took priority, …