Columnists

Thanksgiving is a special time to share a meal in the company of family and friends. Unfortunately, for many people, spending time with family during the holidays is not always possible due to distance, finances or work schedules. No one knows this better than Marta Valle, who for the past eight years has been organizing a charity dinner at St. Catherine's Catholic Parish Center on the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving. She and a group of volunteers serve those who are away from their families, especially the day workers in our community.

Expecting a window of good fall weather, in mid-October I headed to Emigrant Wilderness – a place I had never visited. Set between Highway 108 and the northern border of Yosemite National Park, Emigrant Wilderness is nearly the last gasp of the polished granite alpine country characteristic of the High Sierra.

You might not know it just by looking at me, but I ride. My

OK, show of hands. Who knows what the word

If you listen to the buzz about the latest technologies, you may think laptops have gone the way of the stegosaurus. But, the truth is, many of us are still using them. This may be a problem from an ergonomics perspective. The big difficulty with laptops (AKA: notebook computers or netbooks) is the keyboard and monitor are attached to one another. This creates an impossible situation. If you place the screen at a comfortable level for viewing, the keyboard and pointing device will be much too high for keying and pointing, and vice-versa. Something's gotta give! And usually it's your neck, back, arms, hands or all of the above.

Memorial Day ... unofficially, it marks the beginning of summer.

The new year has officially begun but warm memories linger as I think about the wonderful holiday just spent with loved ones. As is common to most families, my family relationships can be messy at times, but in the end, I realize how tremendously blessed I am to have them.

In the United States, the Methodist Church has been known for