Opinion

Jan. 11, 2011 — Today I was reminded of the words to a song I considered my “theme” when I was younger. I have not thought about this song from the musical “South Pacific” in years.

The lyrics are: “Happy talk, keep talking happy talk; Talk about things you’d like to do; You gotta have a dream, if you don’t have a dream; How you gonna have a dream come true?”

Jan. 4, 2011 — It might be hard for some voters to believe, but today is Election Day. The race for the California 1st Senate District seat, formerly held by Dave Cox, who died unexpectedly July 13, will be decided today in a Special General Election held across Northeastern California.

California Assemblyman Ted Gaines, a Republican, squares off against Rancho Cordova Mayor Ken Cooley, a Democrat, in the special election.

Barbara France

Managing Editor

bfrance@lassennews.com

Dec. 14, 2010 — So it seems President Barack Obama has fallen from glory, and this doesn’t surprise me. The far left and the far right are so polarized at this time in history that the word compromise doesn’t seem to be in either one’s vocabulary.

However, for the first time there might be a light at the end of the dark tunnel coined the Great Recession. If all goes well, the middle-class gets to keep the Bush-era tax cuts, meaning it gets to keep more of the money it earns and those who are unemployed get to keep benefits for another 13 months.  Of course, the debate lies with the middle compromises such as extending tax breaks to the richest Americans and with the extension to the unemployed.

Barbara France

Managing Editor

bfrance@lassennews.com

Dec. 7, 2010 — Contests are constantly being added to social networking sites such as Facebook, and many of them are simply silly such as what super hero are you? But recently one was circling that I actually noticed because I am an avid reader. I always have a book or magazine with me, and with the addition of e-readers to the market, I have one of those nearby so I am never out of reading material.

Not too long ago I mentioned a non-fiction, biographical list I want to read, but I really love novels. If the novel is well written and intriguing, I like when the writer chooses to write a series. The Facebook survey suggests the BBC (British Broadcasting Company) said today readers have only read six out 100 of the following books. Because of my college major and some of my high school coursework, I did reach the total of 39. Watching the movie doesn’t count. Some of the books I never heard of and some of the books, I should read again. I remember they were great the first time around, but I probably didn’t enjoy them as much as I could have since I had to write papers about them.