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Barbara Falconer Newhall

Veteran journalist Barbara Falconer Newhall riffs on life as she knows it.

  • A CASE OF THE HUMAN CONDITION
  • MY EVER-CHANGING FAMILY
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Barbara’s Riffs on Life

Amazing Places: A Walk Around Oakland’s Jingletown

July 3, 2014 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

a car entirely covered with mosaics parked in Oakland, CA, Jingletown neighborhood. Photo by BF Newhall

Is Oakland the next Brooklyn? Lots of people are saying so. As rents and living expenses skyrocket in San Francisco, thanks to the tech boom, hipsters and artists are relocating across the Bay to Oakland. Read more.

Oakland’s Jingletown: Arts, Crafts, Cool Kitsch — And Cookies

June 26, 2014 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

Bright green letters spell out the word "art" on a black background on a sign for East Bay Open Studios. Photo by BF NewhallIt was a lovely afternoon for wandering in and out of artists’ studios in Jingletown, Oakland, California’s vibrant, up-and-coming arts neighborhood, earlier this month. More than a dozen neighborhood artists had opened their doors for the annual East Bay Open Studios. Read more.

The Summer Solstice, Arriving Right Now in a Sky Near You

June 21, 2014 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

Yellow, orange and lavender sky at sunset on the eve of the summer solstice 2014 in California. Photo by BF Newhall

It’s midsummer. Right now. Today. It’s the summer solstice. Read more.

At the LA County Museum of Art: Van Gogh, Kandinsky and a Bump on the Head

June 19, 2014 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

After Barbara Falconer Newhall bumped into a glass wall, spilling her latte, a barista arrived with a mop to clean up the mess. Photo by BF Newhall

Like any normal, safety-conscious person, I was watching where my feet were about to step as I left the café at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.. I did not see the – tastefully faint – safety strip in the glass wall. Whack! My forehead hit the glass. Wham! The back of my hand hit the glass. Bam! My knee hit the glass. Splash! My latte crashed to the floor. Read more.

Little Girls Are Superior to Little Boys — Here’s Why

June 12, 2014 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

A 5-year-old boy wearing shorts holds on to the arm of a 3-year-old girl in a dress. Photo by BF Newhall

Little girls are superior to little boys. This fact is not written down in black and white anywhere. The popular baby books talk warily around the topic of sex differences. And researchers will make only minor, technical concessions to the superiority of girls. Read more.

At the Breast Cancer Center — Where Everyone Is Super Nice to You

June 5, 2014 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

Image of a breast cancer cell courtesy the National Cancer Institute.

A smiling receptionist greets you as you enter the lobby of the Carol Ann Read Breast Health Center in San Francisco’s East Bay. She directs you to the registration desk, where there’s no wait. A nice woman with pretty eyebrows is ready to help. Everyone here is nice, really nice. Read more.

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LET’S CONNECT

ON THE FUNNY SIDE

The Mother-of-the-Groom Diaries: Snapping Pictures at My Son’s Wedding

Handsome groom in tux, vest and tie with pink boutonniere before his wedding. Photo by BF Newhall

 

My trusty point and shoot goes with me everywhere these days. But for my son’s wedding I resolved to Be In The Moment and resist the temptation to digitize every last detail of my son’s big day. Read more.

MORE "ON THE FUNNY SIDE"

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TO MY READERS

Please feel free to share links to my posts with one and all and to quote briefly from them in your own writing, remembering, of course, to attribute the quote to me and to provide a link back to this site.

My Oakland Tribune columns, btw, are reprinted by permission of the Trib. With the exception of review copies of books, I do not accept ads or freebies of any kind. Click on the "Contact" button if you have questions. Enjoy!

 

DON’T MISS!

Elderly woman with mono. Author and blogger Barbara Falconer Newhall succumbs to mono and curls up with an alpaca blanket for comfort. Photo by Jon Newhall

Mono — It’s Never Too Late to Come Down With the Cool Kids’ Kissing Disease

alta-bates-summit-medical-center

Widowed: Did He Die in Anguish?

strappy wedge sandals, short cropped jeans and bare ankles in shanghai. photo by bf newhall

Shanghai Chic – Where a Woman’s Style Starts With Her Shoes

In My Rain-Battered Garden — Nothing Is Forever, Not Even Those Poppies

MORE DON'T MISS!

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