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Chasing Shadows in Tombstone, Arizona
Stepping through the Oriental Saloon in Tombstone, Arizona, there’s a sense of history colliding with the American imagination that is as heavy as its oak bar columns. It’s possible to drink here and wonder if the whole story of Western settlement can be crystallized by 17 violent months that happened in the still-dusty streets outside the door.
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Braving the ‘Dog Days’ of Retirement
How to retain purpose, passion and meaning in your life post-career
In my 30-plus years providing financial advice, I’ve worked with many people who have reframed retirement in order to make it work for them. Here’s what I’ve learned.

California Schools Continue to Struggle With Test Scores in Reading and Math
CalMatters: One of California’s starkest — and most important — letdowns is the consistent failure to help elementary and middle school students achieve higher national test scores in basic educational skills, such as reading and math. Moreover, California schools have not yet recovered from the educational losses suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Some Burning Questions on Wildfires
FROM THE PUBLISHER: As it is with all catastrophes, there’s plenty of blame to go around. I guess this can be a useful exercise at some point, but it won’t rebuild people’s homes, restore their most valued possessions or, most importantly, stop this from becoming an annual, recurring heartbreak. We need to ask and answer some obvious questions.
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Our Wondrous, but Fleeting, Time With Our Children
This past summer, my daughter graduated from UC Berkeley and my son from high school. Before she entered the job market and he went off to university, I decided to take them on one more epic adventure.
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Are You a Financial Avoidant?
These simple hacks will improve your relationship with money in 2025
My relationship to finances is like many people are with visiting the dentist: I turn into a ball of stress and dread that is, at minimum, embarrassing, and can actually be self-sabotaging. Here’s what helped.
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The Hope of a New Year
FROM THE PUBLISHER: I’m an optimist by nature — and these days, an optimist who realizes that when this country wants change, all we have to do is demand nothing less.
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How a Musical Passion Led to a Whole New Chapter of Life
It may seem unlikely that a middle-aged woman would sprout an all-out obsession with a famous dead guitarist, leading to a love affair with a city some 2,000 miles away. But this “Austin thing” has been one of the most meaningful chapters of my six decades on the planet — and it ain’t over yet.
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‘Hushed Hybrid’ Trend May Thwart Return-to-Office Efforts
Companies are changing their work policies, but managers don’t always enforce them
Hushed hybrid is the latest trend that could impede a successful return-to-the-office strategy. What is hushed hybrid (or hushed remote)? It’s when managers overrule, dismiss or choose to not enforce the company’s return-to-office policies.
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Regaining Lost Land
FROM THE PUBLISHER: When I heard the news about the Sacramento Republic FC ownership change — with Wilton Rancheria, a federally recognized Miwok tribe in Sacramento County, becoming majority owner (while Kevin Nagle maintains his managing partner role) — I joined the entire Capital Region in celebrating what this would mean for Major League Soccer, as well as for the continuing (and delightful) growth of professional sports here.