Point of View

UNITED STATES—A major announcement took place in professional sports on Sunday, February 9, when NFL prospect Michael Sam openly announced that he is gay. This is a momentous moment not just in the NFL, but in sports period.  Sam sets the possible groundwork, to encourage more players who may be afraid about acknowledging their sexuality in the open sphere....

UNITED STATES—Dear Toni: I have been reading your articles regarding COVID-19, being laid off and enrolling in Medicare properly, but I have not read an article on how to lower the Medicare monthly premium if you are not making that amount of income due to a life event such as your spouse passing away. I turn 65 in September and...

UNITED STATES—Dear Toni: I lost my job in September 2020 due to COVID layoffs in the oil industry and my wife and I are now enrolling in Medicare Part B since the company paid 18 months of COBRA is almost over…Now I am finding out that there will be a penalty for us by not enrolling when we should...

UNITED STATES—Stress, oh, stress is such a part of everyone’s life and no matter how much I attempt to compartmentalize the stress I encounter it always spills over and just leaves me wanting to climb into a box. I expect stress, but sometimes the level of stress I deal with when it comes to work makes me wonder WHY...

UNITED STATES— 2022 Oakland Bicycle Accident Report: A Comprehensive Overview Oakland is an excellent place for a bike ride, with plenty of miles to explore and some beautiful scenery. However, cyclists are sometimes left vulnerable to the carelessness of Oakland drivers. When sharing a lane with cars or in a narrow bike lane, one distracted driver can create a devastating bicycle...

UNITED STATES—This is something so many Americans ask year after year: is it okay to re-gift a gift that you received from someone else? It may seem like a simple question, but I think it is more complicated than you imagine. While I think it is ok to re-gift something that you received as a present, it’s not something...

UNITED STATES—From towering alpine peaks to a rugged Pacific coastline, Central California has one of the nation’s most varied geographies for cyclists to explore. While the Golden State has many beautiful sights year-round, autumn is a lovely time to enjoy a ride on one of Cali’s bike trails. Not only is fall foliage at its peak, it’s far easier...

UNITED STATES—It is that time of year people, May and June are big months for graduations. Rather it is from preschool, Kindergarten, middle school, high school or college. May is geared for the college students. For me, my niece is graduating from college and the family could not be more ecstatic because it has been a tough few years...

UNITED STATES—Is it possible for a person to fully earn back the respect of someone who they wronged so badly that the person forgives them, but never truly forgets what has transpired? That is a question that I have found myself wondering for the past month. I’ve always been taught in my life that forgiveness is important because it allows...

UNITED STATES—As one gets older, you start to realize in life there are things that you can control and there are things that you cannot control. I’ve come to realize the older that I get that I should not internalize stress. The more stress a person takes on the overall impact it has on your mental health and physical...