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Food for thought over the holidays
As we gather with friends and families over the holidays to enjoy the abundance and variety of food our country offers, perhaps we might want to give some thought to how that food is produced.

	Put hung over Republicans in the drunk tank Two years back, Congressman McKeon and I met for lunch over at Salt Creek Grille. He was gracious and remarkably forthcoming.
	How to write a column for The Signal Political commentary is the backbone of The Signal's Opinion page. While syndicated columnists who address state, national or world issues are part of our mix, our focus as a community newspaper is on local columnists who address local issues, and we welcome your contributions.
	The transition to transformation I have watched many election nights in my lifetime, and none comes close to matching the joy, relief and satisfaction I felt on Nov. 4, 2008.
	General election, general intolerance The nation spoke on Nov. 4. The 2008 election cycle will be forever marked in history for the incredible voter turnout and the election of the nation's first African-American president.
	We haven't seen much change yet "Political campaigns are designedly made into emotional orgies which endeavor to distract attention from the real issues involved."
	Buy a tree for a needy family Tomorrow is Dec. 1. Somehow - and I'm not exactly sure how this happened - 2009 is just 31 days away.
	Bizarre to some but delicious to others Cow's urine tonic. Grilled cave bat. Raw camel with spice sauce. Donkey penis soup. Braised pig's tongue with hair moss. Barbecued bat. Roasted crickets. Flame-broiled guinea pig. Fried chicken uterus. Cup 'o fresh goat's blood. Cow vein stew. Crispy fried grasshoppers. Lamb eyeballs. Steamed wasp larvae. Duckling on a stick. Live beating frog heart. Sperm chowder. Snail caviar. Toasted tarantulas.
	John Boston's very own $250B bailout "No satirist shall be left behind." - The Dubyuh In a move characterized as "bizarre" and "startling" by world economic gurus, outgoing Secretary of the Treasury Henry "Pat" Paulson announced yet another bailout yesterday. The Federal government will be earmarking some $250 billion toward bailing out John Boston. This marks the first time a private citizen will be the recipient of funds heretofore reserved for bloated mega multinational corporations and outdated Detroit automakers. "The rules ...
	The cleanup plan is a reality Once upon a time, there was a factory where they made things that explode. It was on a 996-acre piece of property in the center of our valley, and people who lived here became accustomed to the sounds of explosions as factory workers tested their wares - military flares, fireworks, munitions and the like. The Bermite munitions manufacturing plant - later to be known as Whittaker-Bermite - was a key player in the Santa Clarita ...
	The pantheon of suburbia: high school football For the last two weeks I spent some time watching and re-watching YouTube videos of reaction to Barack Obama's presidential victory, particularly international reaction.
	The truth about charter schools The recent Signal news article "Change is in the air for probation camps Scudder and Scott" prompted me to think, "Why should the Santa Clarita public give a thought whether these detention-camp schools become pilot-dependent charter schools operated under an umbrella from the Los Angeles County Office of Education, with the approval of Los Angeles County Probation?"
	Boston: Claremont's 'Jews and Friendly Nazis' "You don't appreciate a lot of stuff in school until you get older. Little things like being spanked every day by a middle-aged woman: Stuff you pay good money for in later life."
	City launches online store The city of Santa Clarita launched its first online boutique this month, featuring specialty Santa Clarita-branded items designed to help residents and visitors enjoy the good life in Santa Clarita.
	GOP hangover: How can we recover from this? The morning after is never pretty. But after eight years of the George W. Bush administration and the Nov. 4 Election Day drubbing of Republicans, it is a fair question to ask: "What went wrong?"
	Did the city get a turkey this holiday? Did our community get a "turkey" of a project this holiday season, or a hospital? That is the question after the Santa Clarita City Council last week approved the hospital and multi-story office expansions.
	The change we need For the past two years of the presidential campaign we've been overwhelmed and plastered with calls and slogans for "Change We Can Believe In." As the economy subsequently crashed, and then crashed harder, the "Change We Can Believe In" surged and morphed into a desperate plea for "The Change We Need."
	Voting youth shows maturity Fox News, conservative radio instigators and the Republican leadership have been scrambling as of late to redefine themselves.
	The ‘Catch-22’ of our economy "The ‘Catch-22' is the housing market will not stabilize until the credit market stabilizes, and the credit market will not stabilize until the housing market stabilizes."
	We need another way out of this place How many more wake-up calls do we need? We have had two earthquakes - 1971 and 1994 - shutting down the Interstate 5 and Highway 14 freeways.
	Community colleges need your support Gov. Schwarzenegger projects that by 2010, unemployment will rise to 10 percent in California, adding 400,000 people to the list of unemployed.
	Prop. 8 and the ties that bind Some of my dearest friends are opposed to same-sex marriage. Their "Yes on 8" votes on Nov. 4 reflected that position.
	Two steps forward, one step back "If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is still alive in our times, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer." President-elect Barack Obama, Grant Park speech, Nov. 4
	Lessons learned on the soccer field The colorful, hard soccer ball made in China soared toward the netted goal 50 feet away, kicked by a red-shirted player, only to be blocked by the defensive foot of the green-shirted goal guard.
	The Pulskamp who stole Christmas The darndest things oft find their way into my wicked fingers. The other day, a friend mailed me a copy of the Burrtec News.
	Uncle Earl’s view on the election My Uncle Earl has voted for every Republican since Barry Goldwater in '64. To say Earl is little right wing is akin to saying that Chuck Norris has a slightly hard edge. Earl was very upset about the election. From the last phone call with him, I could tell that a couple of hours venting was all he needed to get back to his regular old crusty self. Dutiful nephew that I am, I paid ...
	Is a water monopoly a good thing? Recently, Castaic Lake Water Agency has begun promoting itself to become a water monopoly in the Santa Clarita Valley.
	We should not 'stay the course' Bush's recent speech to the G20 was mostly a plea to stay the course and avoid the temptation of too much government intervention in the economy.
	Reflection on the election This presidential election is one for the history books. Around-the-clock political analyzing and second-guessing had as its downsize the tendency for pundits to misconstrue or blow out of proportion every word, gesture, deed, acquaintance and faux pas of politicians. Whether the commentators appear malicious or simply attention-grabbing, the influence of the news organizations played a pivotal role in America's democratic journey.
	Spending cuts and tax increases Well, here we go again with another version of the Sacramento budget crisis. Californians were given a heads-up that the state is in deep trouble when, on Oct. 2, the governor sent a letter to the House of Representatives on the eve of the vote regarding the bailout of financial institutions. Schwarzenegger wrote: "Absent a clear resolution to this financial crisis that restores confidence and liquidity to the credit markets, California and other states may ...