A New Opening Sequence or Untried Tactic 4 Aug 2013 | 03:25 am

Sometime, in the not-too-distant future, we intend to publish a special issue of ALIVE devoted to the game of chess; something that has been of interest to me—perhaps bordering a passion—for many year...

ALIVEAugust 2013 Cover Image 4 Aug 2013 | 03:24 am

The Mind, Math and Music 2 Aug 2013 | 08:50 am

Many terms come to mind about young children who exhibit advanced skills beyond their years; gifted, wunderkinder, whiz-kids, geniuses, and child prodigies. There are swirling controversies about the ...

Cultivate Peacefulness…from the inside out 2 Aug 2013 | 08:48 am

Unfortunately, feeling peaceful and calm may not be a mainstay of your diet these days–especially if you’re dealing with financial pressures, health challenges, aging parents, or rebellious kids. In ...

The Kid’s Summer Vacation is coming to an end and … They’re Driving Us Crazy! 2 Aug 2013 | 08:46 am

I love having my kids out of school and around the house during the summer months, but filling up their non-school hours is a full-time job. Kids today are so wired to be busy every minute of the day ...

Crazy Razor: A Book Review 2 Aug 2013 | 08:40 am

“Let me ask you something, Coburn. Some young man in the north says goodbye to his family, knowing he’ll probably never see them again. Then he walks down the Ho Chi Minh trail carrying a couple of mo...

Trivial Matters: All Things American! 2 Aug 2013 | 07:03 am

Isn’t it great looking out on San Francisco Bay to see the magnificent sailing boats competing in the America’s Cup? Of course, a few of the races feature just one boat, but who’s counting. One boat o...

Passport Travel: Zgorzelec 2 Aug 2013 | 06:54 am

It occurred to me the other day, while talking travel with some friends, that there are two very distinct approaches to visiting far-off places. My hypothesis was reinforced over the next week or so a...

Mi Casa is My Home 2 Aug 2013 | 06:50 am

A short time ago I happened to mention to a friend that I have not had a good pupusa in a long time. Let me back track. How does a suburban boy, brought up in the mean streets of Danville, come to hav...

2013 BMW 3-Series: Midsize Sporty Fun! 2 Aug 2013 | 06:28 am

There are luxury sports sedans and then there are BMW’s. I have always found BMW’s to be very forgiving to the average driving attempting to maneuver through S-curves like Mario Andretti. The BMW 3-se...