Have you ever stopped to think that, each day, you can review the entire range of the human condition in the newspaper for about the same cost of your morning coffee?

Start with the front section -- a guidebook to the day's rapes, murders, kidnappings drive-by shootings, robberies, child molestations, and an assortment of murderers, thieves, pimps, terrorists and a host of others that crawl from beneath the rocks.

As you grow older, you find that looking back is taking up more of your time than looking forward. Memories take the place of fantasies and, more and more, you'll hear the question...What have you enjoyed most in your life?

My answer is -- being a grandpa. No doubt about it, grandpa-ing is good.

"Whatta you want to bet, that you and I together, can come up with a viable solution to many of California's current problems? Whanna try? O.K. -- here goes...

First, we build four giant desalination plants up and down the California Coast. Giant turbines, powered by the tidal forces which, while driving the sea water through the desalting process, would also produce clean, electrical power.

For the past couple of weeks I have been canvassing local merchants, urging them to practice what they preach by supporting their local newspaper.

I asked them to take a new subscription to the Sierra Star or renew their present ones in the name of their business. I pointed out that the Star is a local business run by local people who are conversant with and knowledgeable of most everything local.