Philologists (those who study b’s) would go bonkers without the letter b: no more begat, begin, beguine or buckminsterfullerene. Melittologists (those who study bees) would be equally upset because there would be no bees (OK,...
Read MoreTwo or 14 days off! Cubital tunnel syndrome is the pinching of the ulnar nerve at the elbow (right at your “funny bone”). It’s like carpal tunnel syndrome, but at your elbow instead of your wrist, with a different nerve. The...
Read MoreThe Westside Express has survived now for three years. The first TWE issue was published on May 25, 2021. Many people thought it wouldn’t survive one year, let alone three. Many other people have asked publisher Gene Lieb and me...
Read More“A hundred million miracles are happening every day. And those who say they don’t agree. Are those who do not hear or see.’’ I must credit Rogers and Hammerstein for these wise words that come from their...
Read MoreMy job depends on ag. Whoops, all our lives depend on agriculture. Everyone’s existence depends on the food and other goods provided by agriculture. This is doubly true on the greater Westside, where many people’s jobs...
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High on the Sierra crest in Yosemite National Park you will find the two largest glaciers in the...
Read MoreCatching sight of one during daylight hours maybe hit-or-miss, but they’re out there or down there. American badgers (Taxidea taxus) are mostly nocturnal creatures that live in burrows they dig underground in open areas with...
Read MoreIn the world of mental health, few topics are as closely intertwined and often misunderstood as the relationship between mental health and substance use. Whether it’s alcohol, prescription medications or illicit drugs, substance...
Read MoreI have hope in a pope—in fact, in two popes. I have hope in Pope Francis — because “Hope” is the title of his autobiography published earlier this year, a book I purchased and recently read. I have hope in Pope Leo XIV...
Read MoreToo often, the true meaning of Memorial Day is lost amidst the first weekend of summer getaways, especially the family picnics. We look forward to Grandma’s potato salad, Aunt Rose’s famous Jello delight (just what...
Read MoreA National Moment of Remembrance is officially held at 3 p.m. on Memorial Day, which is May 26. The “Moment” became public law in December 2000. All Americans are asked to stop whatever they are doing at 3 p.m. local time and...
Read MoreBY PASTOR MIKE NEUSt John’s Lutheran Church Reading Eric Metaxas’ biography of the German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer recently, I was struck by his description of the National Socialist (Nazi) movement in the 1930’s to create...
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