Columnists

Fritillaries, Passionvines and Chemical Warfare

By Joe Eaton, Special to the Planet
Tuesday October 03, 2006

One person’s ornamental is another’s weed. Like many other exotic plants, passionvine grows weedlike all over the Hawai’ian islands. It’s so much a part of the landscape that it has acquired a local name: lilikoi. Its fruit flavors the local specialty shave ice, and Queen Liliuokalani was so fond of it that she had a special set of dinnerware with a passionfruit motif. -more-


Column: Undercurrents:A Few Clues in the Oakland School Sell-Off Mystery

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
Friday September 29, 2006

One of the things you learn in the business of journalism is that in trying to uncover the real meaning and purpose of a particular public policy, you rarely come across a smoking gun. -more-


Playing The Updating Game: Part Two

By Jane Powell
Friday September 29, 2006

If there is a phrase found in a real estate listing that fills me with even more horror than “updated kitchen,” it has to be “new dual-pane windows.” Dual-pane windows are probably one of the biggest scams ever foisted off on an unsuspecting American public. The lies and half-truths promulgated by window replacement companies should be right up there with other famous lies like “The dog ate my homework” and “Only one glass of wine with dinner, officer…” -more-


About the House: A Partial Upgrade for Reluctant Showers

By Matt Cantor
Friday September 29, 2006

This is one of those subjects that is both important and a real snoozer. If you’ve been having trouble sleeping lately, stop now, rip this page out and take it to bed with you. Guaranteed snoring in 10 minutes or less. -more-


Garden Variety: A Transitional Season: Late September in the Garden

By Ron Sullivan
Friday September 29, 2006

This is a season that confounds naming, a season that also confounds immigrants, especially gardeners from eastern North America, who can be heard to complain, “There are no real seasons here.” Some of us figured out right quick that there are indeed seasons in coastal Northern California. After 33 years here I still haven’t come up with adequate names or even a satisfactory number for them, though. -more-


Quake Tip of the Week

By Larry Guillot
Friday September 29, 2006

Do You Know Your Elderly Neighbors? -more-