Opinion
As publisher of the Claremont Courier, the financial decisions I make come with enormous highs and lows. When times are difficult, weighing the needs of the individual with the needs of the company can be excruciating. And there are rarely any good answers.
“Most young musical hobbyists opt out early, understandably discouraged by that inevitable, bruising first wave of disappointment and degradation. Others soldier on. Why? Some because it’s the only remotely marketable skill they possess. Most toil away at related day jobs and keep their dreams alive by night. And though a few of my contemporaries have risen up the ranks to respectability and acclaim, most of us are still kicking around the lower rungs, if not content with our lot, resigned.” Photo/Christopher Lockett
By Pamela Casey Nagler An overflow crowd — a broad interracial coalition of Muslims, Jews, Christians, residents, professors, and students — showed up at the February 13 Claremont City Council meeting to ask that a resolution calling for a cease-fire in Gaza and return of the hostages be placed on its agenda. The subject met with […]
Make sure to keep up with physician check-ups and preventive screenings. It’s important to “know your numbers” when it comes to your health.
For many, being tasked to write a column about healthy living would be a welcome chance to offer personal tips on how they have kept Father Time, Mother Nature, and/or gravity at bay.
“For more than 10 years, St. Ambrose Episcopal Church has served our houseless neighbors in Claremont by offering showers and hot meals several times a week. This has been a meaningful and life-changing ministry for us and for our guests. But, as the parable goes, ‘We shouldn’t just be pulling people out of the river. We should go upstream to find out who’s pushing them in.’ So, our congregation began asking some bigger questions about the struggle of our houseless guests.” Courier photo/Steven Felschundneff
“As a campus community devoted to openness, learning and mutual respect, we need to find our way to common ground in the face of sharply divergent commitments. We must affirm our values, recommitting to what unites us, and rather than heeding a call for repudiation and isolation, we must open inquiry, and reassert our human ties. Pomona opens doors, we don’t close them.” Photo/courtesy of Pomona College
“The caregiver at Claremont Manor, aptly named ‘Mercy,’ was back for what would be her final check up on my 84-year-old father-in-law Glyn at about 9 p.m. Tuesday. ‘Yes,’ was all she said, after seeing that his breathing had become very shallow, his gasps for air inconsistent and further apart. It was time. The room was hushed when he finally let go about 10:15. Then it wasn’t. His daughter, who’d been holding his hand since Saturday, and who I’d seen cry only twice in 10 years, loosed decades of grief and worry.”
“As I tumble into my 60s, it’s becoming clearer with every passing day that “everything hurts and I’m dying” is just the way it’s going to be. And among the many surprises of aging has been the realization that some of us are just over it, ‘it’ meaning, well, most everything, including going to bars, parties, lunches, concerts, shows, etc. And I get it: it’s hard out there.”
The pandemic’s onset and the subsequent performance of financial markets reinforce two points investors should always keep in mind: First, the future is unknowable; Second, even if you could foretell the future like some Greek oracle, the markets’ response to that future would repeatedly confound you.
I love women! It’s really surprising for a 67-year-old gay man to come out as a woman lover, but watching the Grammys celebrate women, I am struck by how lucky I have been to have had some inspiring women in my life.
Buying or selling a property is one of the most financially significant decisions one will ever make. Among the many considerations, one crucial yet often overlooked factor is the selection of a real estate agent to represent one’s best interests, and more specifically, the advantages of choosing a local, full-time Realtor.
“Another beloved local landmark is in danger of disappearing: the esteemed, pioneering craft brewery Last Name Brewing (formerly Dale Bros.) is up for sale. Last Name has been woven into the fabric of the community for a good long time now. Folks have had their first jobs, met their life partners, and played the first gigs there. The hope, said its amiable co-owner Andy Dale, is to hand off the business to someone who can continue that trajectory. ‘I would love to see it continue on, not necessarily as Last Name Brewing, but in kind of the same spirit of love for the craft beer industry and just being a nice place to visit,’ he said.”
One of the biggest myths about replacement windows is that they will save you money. Properly installed high quality replacement windows might save you about $100 a month on your heating and cooling bills. Let’s say you spend $16,000 to install new windows, and you heat and cool the home an average of nine months for a savings of about $900 a year. At this rate, it would take 18 years to recoup the amount spent on the new windows. Photo/courtesy of John Neiuber
“When I received the privilege of American citizenship — more than 30 years ago — the presiding judge at the naturalization ceremony told the new citizens they would enjoy all rights accorded to all citizens. He added, ‘Just because you were not born here must not make you feel like second class citizens.’ After the ceremony, I headed straight to the political party booths outside the LA Convention Center and registered to be a member of the Republican Party. I had lived in the U.S. long enough to understand the various political philosophies. The core Republican Party philosophy at the time was ‘limited government.’ That appealed to me. It was the main reason I registered to be a member of the party. I am sad today’s Trump Republican Party has abandoned that core principle.”
Are Teslas popular? Just drive around Claremont. Charging your car at home is another game-changer. With my short commute, which is 90% of my driving, I just plug my car in at night and it’s fully charged starting each day. During my one $95 service, my car is plugged into a device that reads the status of every function. Brakes have been known to last the life of the car because of regenerative braking slowing the car to a stop. All my personal settings (down to the steering) are set through an iPhone app also used as the key. The sound and connectivity are state-of-the art. This car does things others simply do not. Improvements in many aspects how the car works and drives are simply handled over the internet. If anyone comes within six feet of the car, multiple cameras start recording sending video to the app, making theft near impossible. I believe electric vehicles will replace gas. It’s just a matter of when, not if.