Opinion

Sept. 18, 2012 — As a mother of a young boy, it is very important to me that he grows up to be a respectful young man. Having a foul mouth and a load of aggression are two things I will not tolerate.

  Unfortunately, every parent will no doubt deal with these qualities at one point during their child’s youth — especially if you are raising a testosterone-filled boy.

Sept. 18, 2012 —  It amazes me how much importance a sense of regularity plays in everyday life. I’m one of those people who enjoy excitement, but needs at least some aspect of regularity.

  Just two months ago, I lived in Berkeley and kept a very regimented schedule. I woke up at 6:30 every morning, had three cups of coffee, was at work by 8 a.m., off work around 6 p.m. and in bed by 10 p.m. I walked the same route and talked to the same people every morning.

While the attack on Pearl Harbor may be a distant memory conveyed through old black and white news footage, most Americans are young enough to remember the horror wreaked by 15 terrorists armed with box cutters who hijacked three commercial jetliners full of civilians and flew them into the World Trade Center buildings in New York City, and the Pentagon in Arlington, Virg. Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001. Other terrorists, who apparently intended to make the U.S. Capitol building their target, also hijacked a fourth plane, but the passengers confronted them and all 44 souls were lost and four hijackers killed when the plane crashed in a field near Shanksville, Penn. Just before the crash passenger Todd Beamer asked several passengers who sought to regain control of the jet liner, “Are you guys ready? Okay. Let’s roll.”

First off, I will ride my bike in preparation for a 50th-birthday trip with my twin sister. We plan to cycle through the wine country of Napa and Sonoma. Despite being an avid cyclist and a 36-year resident of California, I have never visited this classic cycling destination.