Just a thought by Judith Martin-Straw
Just a Thought – On Alert
I was at the gym when the news was first breaking - something about pipe bombs, Overland Avenue. One of the things I don't love about the gym is that there are televisions on all the time. People were feeling threatened that this was so close. A woman next to me exclaimed "Nowhere is safe!" Well, yes, I thought - or everywhere is safe. Just stop plugging into the bad news. It's a challenge [...]
Just a Thought – Don’t Take the Test
It's that time of year again, when birds are singing, the aroma of flowers sweetens the breeze...and our kids are tying themselves into knots. Testing stress. The absolutely unneeded insanity that has invaded our children's lives and held our school systems hostage. Everyone hates this; parents, children, teachers, and administrators. I have a wonderful surprise for you. It's optional. Just [...]
Just A Thought – The Smartest Chick in the Room
Whenever I attend a council meeting - or any other government function - there are lots of suits and ties. Women are not absent, but they are visibly in the minority. At the council last night, we began the meeting by noting the passing of Britain's only woman Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher; a woman who, having gained her seat at the table of power, never let another woman in the room. I [...]
Just a Thought – How the Terrorists Can Win
Over the years, it's become a joke; "If (fill in the blank) then the terrorists win." It's been quite the contest lately, and there are days when it certainly feels like the terrorists have the edge. Kindergarteners in Connecticut slaughtered, rape and murder in India, and a renegade ex-cop in Los Angeles assassinating the family members of those he felt wronged him. In my perspective, [...]
Just a Thought – Wife Beater Street
When the vote passed with five ayes, I was appalled. At the council meeting last Monday night, Jan. 28, our reps voted to start the process to re-name Bush Way ( a small conduit street off of Sepulveda) as "Albert and Ursula Vera Way." Excuse me ? We are going to post a sign to glorify the most corrupt official in living memory ? How about the sickest marriage anyone around here can recall? [...]
Just a Thought – Game Changer
A lot of thought has been put into the subject; how do we stay safe ? The answer is that we can't. We can be more prepared, we can be more understanding, but we can't be safe. Not unless we are willing to change the game. United Parents of Culver City have raised a lot of good questions, and School Superintendent David LaRose has offered some good perspective on our schools system's resources. [...]
Just a Thought – Three is Magic Number
It's a great time to celebrate, because we're three! As Culver City Crossroads moves into it's third year, we're still at the intersection of local and noteworthy, and happy to be here. This past year we've added an RSS feed, opened our "CC Foodie" page, and reported on another important local election. Posting almost a thousand stories this past year (987 to be precise) Crossroads is still [...]
Just a Thought – Ricochet Shot
Seldom is change the stone that drops into the water, sending out the ripples. It is the ripples, and what happens because of them. I know that you’ve been discussing it for days, hearing every detail from every source, and I’m rippling here, but it’s just the physics of the situation; I can’t not. Consider, if not a ripple, perhaps a ricochet shot. I have known too many people [...]
Just A Thought – Sleeping With Gratitude
I slept in a bed. It's still absolutely awesome. One of the strange gifts of age is that time seems to pass so quickly, the theory of relativity is not just theory. Time flies whether you are having fun or not. Of course, having kids does that as well; mine seem to be discussing their Hallowe'en costumes on the Fourth of July and planning the next birthday party before the cake is finished. (I [...]
Just A Thought – The Rape on the Bus
It is not going away. The rape on the bus is back in the news, and you get another chance to think about it. The main reason the it got stuck to the tag "Local News - Culver City" is because the bus was in Culver City when the crime was committed. It was not a Culver City Bus, nor, as far as current evidence is available, are either the survivor or the perpetrator Culver City residents. Now [...]
