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Opinion

Pine Nuts: Good samaritans, new tech assist in helping homeless

While staying at the enchanting Renaissance recently, I had a view of the Truckee River, and a half dozen homeless folks dwelling there on her silent shores. They pretty much kept to themselves until a gregarious gentleman came along with something to eat that he passed out to one after another until they were all up and around on the riverbank, bargaining and trading with what little they had to offer. This was quite possibly their main meal for the day, and they were exhibiting great gladness in celebrating it.

Pine Nuts: Jury law and AI

There is nothing more pleasing to mine ear than the music of children at play, and yet that gladdening music is scarce today, as mortgages and rents push potential parents away from our mountain redoubt. Why not let AI take over the humdrum jobs, and free folks to create art, make music, author books, make babies, because at bottom that’s what we all want to do.

Pine Nuts: Church of Divined Connections

Inspired by Carson City’s, “Connections,” a friend of mine, Baobab, is constructing an emerging theology, and has agreed to an interview.

Trump Is A Convicted Felon

Event Date: 
June 2, 2024 (All day)

On Friday a jury in Manhattan District Court found Donald Trump guilty of 34 felonies. He was charged with illegally falsifying business records to conceal hush money payments he made to Stormy Daniels, a woman with whom he had had a brief sexual encounter.

Pine Nuts: Commencement address from past: Save money, read, travel and always pack a change of underwear

Over the years I’ve had the distinct honor of delivering a few commencement sermons to some great graduates. So I dug down into a dusty bin to find out if any one of those ancient relics holds any water today. I shall share Sierra Nevada College here (abbreviated) and let you be the judge.

Getting older

Event Date: 
May 28, 2024 - 9:30am

Hey, all you all medical groups, utility companies, etc.... Not all of your patients/customers have access to paperless statements and MyChart BS. Keep in mind there are elder folk who don't know how to navigate your "paperless" crap. So, help those folk by being more "helpful" in the event they don't have the ability/capability of doing everything on line!

Fireworks are For Families

Event Date: 
July 4, 2024 (All day)

Fireworks are for Families. I understand the need to move the Fireworks this year and the need for RSVP to have a fund raiser. However 4th of July is about celebrating Freedom and Equality for all Americans, not just those who can pay for a good view.

Vote Jim Shirk candidate for the Mayor of Carson City

Jim Shirk, a candidate for the Mayor of Carson City. What makes me uniquely qualified for this position is my 20 years of private business experience, my service as a Navy veteran and I previously served as a Board of Supervisor in Carson City. As a former supervisor, I am familiar with operations of city government and staff.

Pine Nuts: Mark Twain Days and strengthening Community Connections with conversation

Mark Twain Days (Year Two) was yet another triumph, particularly the group photo, where every kid and her grandmother sported humongous mustachios. I can’t wait to see the print. My personal favorite event was, “Connections.” A hundred folks gathered together upstairs in the Brewery Arts Center to share personal connections that improved their lives.

Sierra Nevada Realtors redoubling commitment to Fair Housing Act

The following is written by Sam Olson, I.D.E.A. Committee Chair & Robert Bartshe, president of Sierra Nevada Realtors.

Our state anthem boldly declares that ‘Home means Nevada.’ For many Nevadans, home also means economic prosperity and stability. For generations, home ownership has been a symbol of financial security and upward mobility. Home equity is the largest single financial asset for most American families, representing between 50% and 70% of net wealth. Buying a house is one of those marquee life moments that you never forget.

Pine Nuts: If a cicada can take a dirt nap for 13-17 years, and come up singing, why can’t we?

I usually whistle past the obituaries, but Larry Young caught my eye. He was a scientist who discovered Love Potion Number Nine. Yes, Larry unearthed a chemical that heightens desire, not that the world needs it. A drug that would diminish desire might do the world more good in the long run.

Pine Nuts: Mark Twain Days 3-day festival returns to Carson City beginning Friday

Event Date: 
May 10, 2024 (All day)
May 11, 2024 (All day)
May 12, 2024 (All day)

We’re back, bigger and better than ever! Please welcome the second annual Mark Twain Days, May 10-12. For a listing of events take a gander at the website here.

You will find something of interest or my name’s not Mark Twain, or used to be anyways. And this year Virginia City is joining in on the fun along with Carson City. Wow!

Pedestrian safety

Event Date: 
April 30, 2024 - 9:30am

Driving southbound at the intersection of Roop and Long. North and Southbound traffic lights are red. East and West bound lights are green. Pedestrian crossing Roop headed westbound with the "walk" light indicated. He's crossing but wait.....a car going westbound on Long makes a left turn in front of the pedestrian trying to cross the street. Is this a traffic infraction? Apparently not as the CCSO Deputy in his marked K-9 vehicle didn't think so as he made no effort to go after the driver of the vehicle who almost took out the pedestrian.

Open Sewers Come to Carson City

Dear Editor, I did not know that open sewers are legal in Carson City. However, I have found out that Lennar Homes and Andersen Ranch Estates have decided that open sewers are just perfect for our town. They are ugly, dirty, full of disease, trashy, and unsafe. I guess Lennar, our Board, Planning commission, and Planning department think this is just fine. I hope all of them have to live near an open sewer one day. They are turning this lovely town into a suburb of New Delhi or Karachi!

Love for Kipling: What would Mark Twain say?

While waiting in line I always carry along a little Kipling, mainly to call upon this one little snippet to sustain me, “If you can wait and not be tired by waiting.” I do love his epic little poem, “If.” That poem has helped me to maintain my balance on more occasions than I can count.

Remarks on an otherwise unremarkable Saturday in Carson City

Yesterday my family participated in the opening ceremonies for Carson City Little League.

It was a beautiful April morning. Warm and friendly outdoors. Warm and friendly families coming out to celebrate the excitement and support and hope for the best season yet. It was… happy.

One Glass Eye: What would Mark Twain say?

My father was an optometrist, and everybody knew it because I was always making a spectacle of myself. Dear Old Dad had a collection of glass eyes that he kept in a drawer in his shop, and I purloined one of those glass eyes to showoff to my girlfriend when we were in 7th grade.

Visiting the dentist? Here's what Mark Twain would say

My first visit to a dentist here in the Lake Tahoe Village of Incline, was to see the intrepid Doctor Cherry away back in 1983. I had heard that he was very good at his craft, and that he sometimes practiced pulling teeth on iron rakes.

Pine Nuts: Fear of public speaking? Here's what Mark Twain would say

Public speaking is one of mankind’s greatest fears. A young lady once told me that she would rather have a coyote gnaw on her arm than to have to speak in public. This does not have to be. Once you understand that the public does not care to hear a message, but would love to hear a story, it’s like wrapping your dog’s medicine in a treat, and the public speaker need only wrap her message in a story.

Homelessness and Regional Housing

Event Date: 
March 18, 2024 (All day)

My Name is Tiearrar Subia I am writing this email to bring to your attention an issue I have been facing with Regional Housing Authority and Truckee Artists Lofts, As Well As SHRa As you know, these Public Housing Agencies household income is no more than 50% AMI level.

Pine Nuts: Best country in the world to live, what would Mark Twain say?

Yet again, Switzerland is rated as the best country in the world to live. You might want to challenge that ranking, and ask, “Why? In all her years of neutrality all she has given us is a coocoo clock.”

​I’ve only been there once myself, and only briefly to ski in the shadow of the Matterhorn at Zermatt, where I fell in love with the top of Europe, the Virgin, the Jungfrau.

​Mark Twain had a similar love affair upon his 1891 encounter with the Jungfrau…

Northern Nevada landscapes and backyards: In the weeds with urban roots

I’m a fan of Farmer Debs, of Urban Roots, a teaching farm for children and adults in Reno. I listen to her short gardening lectures on Wednesdays on KUNR. Her timely topics are always presented in a clear, concise, and friendly way.

Today’s topic was “Starting Seeds.”

360 Degree Vision Submitted by Jim Shirk

360 Degree Vision

Regarding mayor’s
State of the City Address

Pine Nuts: What would Mark Twain say about mental telegraphy?

Have you ever thought that maybe you had special powers but did not know how to tap into them? Well you do. We all do, some to a greater extent than others, and Mark Twain was one of the most gifted of all vision-seers. He was in tune to the possibility of two or more people transmitting the same idea back and forth...

Pine Nuts: What would Mark Twain say about online dating?

Were it not for some surprisingly fruitful results that I have observed recently, I would consider online dating to be a laughable endeavor. No, it wasn’t that long ago that Mark Twain gave us Adam’s account of noticing Eve:

Open Letter to Rep. Amodei: Border bill?

Dear Rep Amodei, While we were originally encouraged with the first paragraph of your email (Amodei Report: Shutdown Deja Vu – 1-19-24), it became apparent that you were blaming Democrats for the impending shutdown. And once again, we found your reasoning to be less than satisfactory.

My Huckleberry Jay: What would Mark Twain say?

Anyone who has visited my home, “Twain Haven,” has met my pet Jay, my pal, “Huckleberry.” And these welcome visitors have heard my accounts of what lengths Huckleberry will go to, to get my attention, from tapping on the window with his beak, to faking his own death.

Secrets to longevity: What would Mark Twain say?

By the time I had reached twenty years of age, I had managed to crash a motorcycle, a car, even a friend’s hydroplane, not to mention surviving a skydiving accident and missing the pool as a clown diver. I was an accident looking for a place to happen, and did not expect to see 30. But God looks out after children and idiots, and I’m here today to talk about longevity.

Fighting compassion fatigue. What would Mark Twain say?

Job 7:1 tells us, “The life of man upon earth is a warfare.” That was a sagacious perception away back when, but it no longer has to be that way in this 21st century.

Super Sunday Clemens Cointreau: What would Mark Twain say?

Whiskey, unless we put it on our bunions, is not good for us, yet great numbers of folks will be sipping it on Super Sunday in Las Vegas, as the word “book” morphs into a powerful verb.

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