As a Californian, my life has been punctuated by earthquakes. My earliest temblor memory is the 1971 Sylmar quake. On that auspicious day I began my first job as a high school graduate. In the 1994 Northridge earthquake, my mother …[Continue]

Born on April 13, 1743, Thomas Jefferson is best remembered as the author of the Declaration of Independence. But Jefferson’s interests and talents covered an amazing range. He was also a two-term president, diplomat, architect, violinist, inventor and a founder …[Continue]

Years ago, while standing in my driveway at night, a frog hopped onto my foot. I probably screamed (wouldn’t you?) but when I saw what it was, I bent down to pick him up. We kept the frog for awhile, …[Continue]