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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
  • WRITING & READING
  • MY ROCKY SPIRITUAL JOURNEY
  • WIDOWED
  • FUNNY BUTTON

A Case of the Human Condition

I’m Barbara Falconer Newhall and I’ve got an incurable Case of the Human Condition. And since you do too, I’m counting on you to laugh and cry along with me as I riff on life as we know it . . . Below you'll read about my creaky, old fifties house, my forays into home gardening, my shopping stories, my spectacularly low-fashion wardrobe -- and more.

Regulations: Will Trump’s Slash and Trash Deregulation Put Americans at Risk?

January 30, 2017 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 3 Comments

Our future after regulation 'reform'? More scenes like the Oakland Ghost Ship fire that killed 36 mostly young people, artists, musicians, LGBTQ folks. A few days after the fire, it was cordoned off as a "crime scene." Photo by Barbara Newhall

Do we really want to dispense with government regulations that prevent disasters — like the Ghost Ship warehouse fire that killed 36? Read more.

Fifteen Patriotic Holiday Gifts for the Worried Progressives on Your List

December 22, 2016 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 7 Comments

Patriotic holiday gifts: The American flag is spread at a Warriors basketball game in Oakland, CA. Photo by Barbara Newhall

I’m giving patriotic holiday gifts this year — donations to groups that can help keep our country sane during the stormy Trump years ahead. Read more.

Donald Trump Played Me. Here’s How

November 5, 2016 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 24 Comments

The cover of Donald Trump book, "Think Big and Kick Ass."

Donald Trump played me. He got what he wanted from me this election season. And it wasn’t my vote. Read more.

What I Really Wanted for My Birthday

September 22, 2016 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 5 Comments

Nancy Selvin and Barbara Falconer Newhallat Nancy's studio with a Selvin tea pot she bought for her birthday. Photo by Barbara Newhall

What did I want for my biggest, fattest birthday yet? I wanted to visit to Nancy Selvin’s pottery studio — and go home a beautiful pot. Read more.

The Shame of Aging: The Big Seven-Five Has Finally Arrived

September 8, 2016 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 18 Comments

The shame of aging -- a writer has tossed old filed in a wastebasket. the Big Seven-Five. Photo by Barbara Newhall

It’s here. My birthday. The Big Seven-Five. I’m now officially old. But I don’t wear my trousers rolled. Read more.

Is an Istanbul Trip Too Risky for You? Here’s What You’re Missing

June 30, 2016 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 3 Comments

Exterior walls of the ancient Hagia Sohia basilica of Istanbul. Photo by Barbara Newhall

Jon and I took the kids to Istanbul back in 2009. What we experienced was a energetic culture with a rich past, great food and beautiful people. Read more.

The Oakland Tribune Tower — A 1923 Structure With a Twenty-First Century View

June 2, 2016 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 2 Comments

the view from the Oakland Tribune Tower. In the foreground, the Bank of America Building. In the background, the 1111 Broadway and the Clorox Building. In the distance, the Bay Bridge. Photos by Barbara Newhall

As a reporter, I was never invited to the lofty heights of the Oakland Tribune Tower. On the paper’s last day of publication I finally got my chance. Read more.

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LET’S CONNECT

ON THE FUNNY SIDE

My Pretty New Clothes — Shall I Just Wear Them Around the House? Sheltering at Home Week 10

pretty-new-clothes

My pretty new clothes. I bought them last fall. They’re just hanging in my closet. Shall I take them out and wear them to scrub pots and deadhead azaleas? Read more.

MORE "ON THE FUNNY SIDE"

CATEGORIES

  • A Case of the Human Condition
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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!

Christina Newhall, age 7, playing tug of war at a party. Photo by Barbara Newhall

No to Bride Barbie — Yes to a Real-Life Wedding

The underside of a speckled orange Lilium blossom. Photo by Barbara Newhall

Point-and-Shoot Heaven: Photographing a Flower Garden Just Before Dusk

madrone-sapling-in-cage

Widowed: Jon’s Memorial Tree Is Thriving — Both of Them

A flowering trees buds out in February 2013 in California. Photo by BF Newhall

Impermanence: Everything Changes — And So Can I

MORE DON'T MISS!

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