Over the winter holidays we spent a week with my college friends. We attended Reed College, Portland, Oregon from 1979 to 1983 and let's just say that there was some experimentation that went on in those years. For example, one of the people in our … [Read more...] about Ibuprofen, the middle-aged drug of choice
Three snouts up for Avatar on Imax
(:)(:)(:) for Avatar on Imax. My expectations for this movie were mixed. On the one hand, I heard a review on public radio that said something like "this isn't a good movie, but it's enough like a good movie that you might think it is" and that … [Read more...] about Three snouts up for Avatar on Imax
Navigating by the Starbucks
(reprinted from the NorCal Voices Blog at SacBee.com)Yesterday, responding to my blog at Snicholsblog I received questions as to why Starbucks is my "second favorite corporation." I'm afraid the reasons are oftly banal: I love their coffee and their … [Read more...] about Navigating by the Starbucks
All You Need is Love, Starbucks and the Beatles
Let's see, "All you need is love" is my favorite pop affirmation. Starbucks is my second favorite gigantic corporation (after Southwest Airlines). And the Beatles are my household's composite favorite rock band (currently being obsessively played … [Read more...] about All You Need is Love, Starbucks and the Beatles
Dems need to get serious about governing and government
With the upset victory today of Republican Scott Brown in Massachusetts to fill Ted Kennedy's Senate seat comes the clear sense that Thomas Frank's latest book The Wrecking Crew is dead on. Republicans hate government and when they're in power, ala … [Read more...] about Dems need to get serious about governing and government
Three and a half Snouts up for A Single Man
(:)(:)(:)(: for A Single Man(published first on the Sacramento Bee NorCal voices blog)Colin Firth should win best actor for his performance in A Single Man. See it while it lasts at Sacramento's magnificent Crest Theater--though the film will … [Read more...] about Three and a half Snouts up for A Single Man
I have a dream that King wrote more than one Speech
(this post was published first in the Sacramento Bee )The other day my 8th grader, a dedicated and engaged student at Sutter Middle School, came home saying that because of the upcoming Martin Luther King day, they were going to study "the speech" … [Read more...] about I have a dream that King wrote more than one Speech
Two and a half snouts for Sherlock Holmes
(:)(:)(: for Sherlock Holmes in theaters everywhere. The first hour of this movie made me physically ill. The context is important, I was with a mixed group of adults and kids, some of whom were younger than 13. We were out on a holiday walk in … [Read more...] about Two and a half snouts for Sherlock Holmes
Oh God, my blog made the Bee
A few weeks ago, when I clicked the button to publish the post Want a cozy fire? Wait 'til next summer... on my Sacramento Bee "Norcal Voices" blog, a little voice whispered to me "this will end up in the Bee print edition" but I published it … [Read more...] about Oh God, my blog made the Bee
Oh God, my blog made the Bee
A few weeks ago, when I clicked the button to publish the post Want a cozy fire? Wait 'til next summer... on my Sacramento Bee "Norcal Voices" blog, a little voice whispered to me "this will end up in the Bee print edition" but I published it … [Read more...] about Oh God, my blog made the Bee
Old City Kites is an Awesome Toy Store
Posted by SaraSNichols at 12/15/2009 10:33 PM PST on The Sacramento BeeOld City Kites at 1017 Front Street in Old Sacramento is really an awesome toy store and a very fun shopping existence. It frustrates me that they don't advertise themselves … [Read more...] about Old City Kites is an Awesome Toy Store
Five Snouts up for Jhumpa Lahiri’s Unaccustomed Earth
(:)(:)(:)(:)(:) for Unaccustomed Earth, a collection of stories by Jhumpa Lahiri (A New York Times Book Review "best book of the year").Obviously if it's winning this prize from the NYT, many people know about this book, but just to give it my plug. … [Read more...] about Five Snouts up for Jhumpa Lahiri’s Unaccustomed Earth