Village Idiot: Gender gap at the movies

Sue is dying to see "Les Miserables"; I can't wait to see "Django Unchained." She wants to see "Django" as much as she wants to eat giant sea slugs, and I want to sit through the three hours of "Les Mis" as much as I want to help her shop for purses.

Gary Horton: Let's not spend it just because it's lying around

My landscape company specializes in the housing industry - and let me tell you it's been one hard, long housing recession.

Tom Purcell: Lessons from the 1940 census

My great-grandmother Jane Purcell had a wonderfully full life. Part of her story is revealed in the 1940 U.S. Census, which the National Archives and Records Administration made available online to the public in 2012 at 1940census.archives.gov .

Kevin Buck: The American people embrace checks and balances

Republicans from all across the party's entire political spectrum, Goldwater conservative to really, really tea party conservatives, must still be wondering what the heck happened last November.

Danny Tyree: Is now the time to repeal presidential term limits?

The experts are giving it little chance of passage, but H.J. Resolution 15 is stirring a lot of talk.

Tom Campbell: CLWA looks ahead

As much as 2012 was a landmark year for Castaic Lake Water Agency, this year promises still more significant progress as we plan for the future, manage our valuable resources, and participate in a solution to the statewide water supply dilemma.

Steve Lunetta: Why is compromise so difficult?

Why is it that we human beings can be so stubborn? I find it remarkable that some folks, when faced with a significant problem, cannot come up with anything better than "no".

David Hegg: The value of self-control, not self-expression

Perhaps the first philosopher to assert self-control as a virtue in any meaningful way was Aristotle. He put it this way: I count him braver who conquers his desires than him who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is the victory over self.

Maria Gutzeit: Problems with water deal

There are three big problems with Castaic Lake Water Agency's (CLWA) power grab of Valencia Water. It's not legal. It's going to cost us big time. And it's the picture of bad government.

Tim Myers: Top 10 stories for this year

In my humble opinion no exercise promotes general boredom and yawning more than the annual top 10 lists. At the end of the year the media punishes ordinary souls with mind numbing listings of the top 10 films, songs, news events, what have you for the year just ended, nearly always biasing their choices to the safe and still memorable events of the last half and in some cases even the last quarter of the year.

Bob Kellar: Live from City Hall

Earlier this month, the United States Congress restored a commuter tax benefit that will help millions of public transportation users save money.

Right Here, Right Now: We already have gun control

Vice President Joe Biden said, "I guarantee you, we'll get [gun control] done by the end of January."

Kevin Bayona: End of the Chavez era

With all the trouble and intrigue brewing in Europe and Asia, little attention is being paid to the looming crisis unfolding in Latin America. Venezuela's fiery leader, Hugo Chavez, is reportedly on the brink of death after recovering from surgery related to an undisclosed form of pelvic cancer.Chavez has been fighting a severe lung infection in a hospital in Cuba, while the future of Venezuela hangs in the balance.

A bad day for good taste in Santa Clarita

Thursday, Dec. 13, 2012 is a date that shall go down in Santa Clarita epicurean infamy. That day, after a glorious gourmet run spanning over a decade, Chef Jason Park and Maru Sushi served their last meals to an appreciative and saddened Santa Clarita clientele. Jason's Maru Sushi story isn't just about food. More, it's a story of perseverance, commitment to principle, and the personal pursuit of perfection. Unfortunately, this story also exposes the sadder ...

Washington is a reflection of the national soul

Washington, D.C. - There was a young man - 23 at most - quietly saying his morning prayers on Capitol Hill on the third day of 2013, and it seemed for a moment like a warm ray of light in the midst of a blistering cold spell.

Kevin Bayona: Is the red menace back?

We don't hear much from Russia these days, but rest assured the Russian Federation is on the move across Eurasia and the world as its pugnacious leader, Vladimir Putin, vies to return Russia to the glory days of the Soviet Union.

Gary Horton: Incompetent staff make it a bad cruise

Cruise ships have become popular vacation scenes over the past decade. A chance to leisurely enjoy freedom of the open seas as ship's staff cater to whims and needs!

Tom Purcell: My parents school the Senate

"All right," said my mother, standing before the members of the U.S. Senate, "it's time for you to get your act together."

Jonathan Kraut: Heroes or vicitms?

I am having a problem with associating the term "hero" with every law-enforcement officer and government employee who has been harmed or died on duty.

Steve Lunetta: Obama's folly

The irony is astounding. The sequestration plan that appears to be a machination by President Obama's White House is now coming back to haunt him big time.

Donna Brazile: Right to vote isn't a racial entitlement

The Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case of Shelby County v. Holder - a challenge to the Voting Rights Act of 1965, specifically Section 5, which requires states and localities with a history of voting discrimination against racial and language minorities to get "pre-approved" by the federal government before changing how elections are conducted or voters are registered.

David Hegg: Choosing Chastity

I may be asked to turn in my man card for this, but here goes. On a getaway for my wife's birthday, I joined her to watch an episode of The Bachelor.

Tim Myers: Does election date change help incumbents?

Kathryn Pisaro: Protect music programs in Newhall School District

On Tuesday, the school board for the Newhall School District is going to be asked to cut a music teacher from our already-reduced music program.

Frank Ferry: Live from City Hall

"Government, at its core, is about doing together what we can't do alone. It's why we believe that citizen engagement is vital. ..."

Danny Tyree: Is the free ride over?

es, I dutifully affix my copyright notice to my column each week, and I've been known to notify the syndicate of suspected unauthorized use; but I haven't gotten anywhere near as persnickety (or creepy) as the entertainment industry.

Rick Jensen: Obama sequester two-step

Watching from the cheap seats, Obama's "Sequester Two-Step" is quite entertaining. While not nearly as graceful as Charles Durning's classic political footplay in "Best Little Whorehouse in Texas," only fellow Democrat Bob Menendez puts in a better performance of the beleaguered innocent these days.

Kevin Korenthal: The politics of pain

I am often stunned when I hear people, some of them friends, confess that they do not follow politics.

Cher Gilmore: Just say no to Keystone XL tar sands pipeline

More than 50,000 people traveled to Washington, D.C., from as far away as California on Feb. 17 to demand that President Obama block the Keystone XL pipeline and move forward on climate action.

Phil Kerpen: Government spending hurts people

We should not accept the statist premise that most government spending helps people.