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It’s time, once again, for a humorous column, dear reader. In that vein, I welcome Mark Twain to the conversation. Ron Chernow’s recently published biography of the famous author serves as the backdrop. According to Chernow, before he was America’s most celebrated humorist, Mark Twain...

As we draw nearer to Thanksgiving, I am reminded of this holiday’s origins and significance. There are some interesting and noteworthy parallels with today’s world, two years after Covid-19 began. While Thanksgiving has only been a national holiday since it was established in 1863 by...

Around spring 1970, I took my first cross country road trip with my college friend, Cliff, who later became a doctor and then the surgeon general of New Jersey. We began our journey at our college, Rutgers University. We sang Bob Dylan songs and...

I am an attorney, but I am not a First Amendment free speech attorney. However, as the saying goes, I know enough to be dangerous. Moreover, I am usually pretty good at issue spotting, even in areas outside of my area of legal expertise....

Los Gatos is not Washington, D.C. where the level of partisanship is extremely high. Nor is it Palo Alto, where I lived for more than 40 years prior to moving to Los Gatos in November 2019, and where I observed the divisiveness our community...

Gearing up every morning for a job built on danger just comes with being a firefighter. Yet for thousands who hold this job in the Bay Area, the greatest risk may come not from flames or collapsing walls, but from the gear meant to...

As my grandkids call me, “Pop Pop,” I find myself navigating the inevitable march of time. While recent health challenges, like hernia surgery and a persistent snoring problem (these are but a few of the conditions I am having to address), have forced me...

The 2024 presidential election is one to remember, but Santa Clara County residents also faced a rare local decision: choosing a successor to longtime 16th Congressional District Representative Anna Eshoo, a Democrat who held her seat for over three decades. This election was special to...

I learned from a panel discussion held on Dec. 14 at the Los Gatos Town Hall, that mental health care is riddled with gaps, leaving many individuals struggling to access the services they need.  From a shortage of qualified providers, to inadequate insurance coverage, to...

Have you ever wondered how prominent figures like Benjamin Franklin achieved remarkable success? One key factor in his rise as a writer, publisher and politician was his mastery of “social intelligence.” What follows is my analysis of how Franklin’s lessons might apply to our...