I telephoned a mentor of mine, who is now long-retired and in his 80s. Today is his birthday, and I was so overwhelmed by how thrilled he was to hear from me that I’ve resolved to check in with him more regularly.

I was 3 paragraphs in, loving the writing, before I checked the byline and saw it was Ray Ratto. We miss you in the Bay Area, Ray. I’m a fan way back to the old Hearst-owned Examiner. Which means it’s time for my nap.

not just a team without the best player in the league, a team without 2 of its all-star starters.  

Thought I’d share this interesting political statement. Someone in my nabe is branding dog poop with images of the Piece-of-Shit-in-Chief. Saw a couple of these while walking my dog this morning. Ohkayyyyy. Not sure how I feel about this, although I do see the point being made. And yes, I do pick up after my dog, and…

Why is she wearing her belt on top of her shirt with a suit?!

I can’t wait for 30 years from now, when the people who are writing this stuff stuff about Pelosi will be complaining about all the young new hires who think they know everything.

Don’t forget, Olivia Jade was already successful as a blogger. She had some pretty big sponsorships and lots of followers. She didn’t need USC to advance her professionally. Unlike most high school seniors, she already had a career that she created for herself (admittedly, thanks to a lifestyle her parents provided…

Sending you good thoughts. My mom passed away last July at the age of 102. (She had me in her 40s, thank God, or I would have been too told to care for her when she first started to decline and later, too old to support her financially when full-time care was necessary.) Her dementia started when she was in her early…

I’ve told this story before, but in another context. Ten or so years ago, I was at the town market in Woodside, CA. Woodside sits mid-San Francisco peninsula and is home to some of the richest people in California. I grew up near there and often run into people I knew from grammar school, high school and college. Ahea…

OMG, THANK YOU!

I like her too. My older sister was a sociopath who also happened to be a drug addict. I really related to Kyle in the first years of the show. Trying to do right for a family member who resents you for it — it sucks. And it affects your husband, your kids, your life. No wonder she has anxiety. I do, too. I was always…

Back in the ‘90s I worked for a very large newspaper in Silicon Valley. We had a company-wide sexual harassment meeting where we were told if we experienced or witnessed sexual harassment, we were report it to a female manager in HR who the company had designated to handle all issues. One problem: she was married to…

The likelihood that these women were being forced to service the customers pretty much undercuts your point B.

E. He is big buddies with Donald Trump, who has used human trafficking as one justification for his border wall and general anti-immigration policies, and Kraft was patronizing an establishment that is suspected of forcing women into prostitution. 

Best advice ever.

I graduated from college in 1980. That summer, my longtime boyfriend (now husband) and I went on one of those student tours of Europe. 29 days, 10 countries, bus full of strangers, cheap accommodations. They accepted anyone who signed up, but it was mostly students. Some traveled with one or two friends, one girl came…

And then calls the cops and presses charges for assault.

My thought exactly.

State schools are very competitive, and I am not aware of any relaxing of standards for residents of the state. My kids just went through the appplication and admission process, and it is really daunting. The public University of Californias (UCs) are crazy competitive, especially Cal (UC Berkeley), UCLA, UC Santa…

Absolutely. Some public schools, like Cal, UCLA, UC Santa Barbara and UT (which I think was mentioned in the article) are very hard to get into. Admission at some of the state schools in California are also extremely competitive, like Cal State San Luis Obispo. When I was in high school (I’m old), a high B average…