Mike Shaw didn’t want to be caught by surprise when California officials started cracking down on diesel engines.

What you post is there for everyone to see, and it stays there for everyone to see.

College officials who have signed on to the provocative proposition that the legal drinking age of 21 isn’t working say that they just want to start a debate. Perhaps when they get done with that, they can move on to whether Earth really orbits the sun. Any suggestion that the current drinking age hasn’t saved lives runs counter to the facts.

It’s a good thing the central planners of the Democratic National Committee have scheduled Sen. Barack Obama’s acceptance speech for an outdoor football stadium versus the cramped basketball arena they call the Pepsi Center.

Dear editor, To all concerned people who plan to vote this November, I do hope you are watching how your representatives in Washington, D.C., are voting.

Dear editor, On Friday, Aug. 22, at the Safeway store, next to Ross, I was in line paying for my items. I turned around and saw this little old lady waiting in line.

Dear editor, I was involved in an injury on Aug. 21, outside the Main Street post office when I tripped on an uneven sidewalk. I would like to thank the people who did stop to help me (a few didn’t). I know there was one English couple and several others. One lady took my parcel, which was going to my grandson, who is in Afghanistan, and mailed it for me. She would not take the money for the postage. She said it was nothing compared to what our troops are doing for us. Thank you for caring.

Dear editor, The death of wild horses is under proposal at the Bureau of Land Management. Deputy Director Henri Bisson is proposing killing captive wild horses with a 4-inch spike through the horses’ brain with a “captive bolt gun.” The BLM has 30,000 horses in holding facilities.

I am almost embarassed to be a Republican right now they are doing such a hatchet job on Obama. Almost everything they are criticizing him for is either an outright lie, or a subjective reading of him in the most intentionally negative manner possible. Usually there is some truth to negative ads, this time it is hard to see it.

Barack Obama chose Delaware Sen. Joe Biden as his running mate ... what do you think of the choice?

John McCain should be making his choice for vice president known very soon. Who do you think it should be?

We are in the process of electing a new President of the United States. Those active in the political process have their opinions on John McCain and Barack Obama, but what about taking a bit of a different spin this time around.

Proposition 8, the "Limit on Marriage, Constitutional Amendment," on the November ballot, calls for an amendment to the state constitution, declaring that marriage can only be between a man and a woman.

When I approached the Napa Valley Register about blogging from the Democratic National Convention, web guru Dan Ross suggested an introduction piece. So in the words of Ross Perot's VP running mate James Stockdale...who am I and why am I here?

Are there things to do in Denver if you’re a delegate? The answer is yes. The convention doesn’t  officially start until Monday, but my Sunday agenda filled up quickly. Here’s what we have on tap:

Though we were tempted Sunday night with private parties at mansions outside Denver and a concert at Red Rocks with Dave Matthews and Sheryl Crow, we chose to attend the All-Delegate Celebration at the Colorado Convention Center ... and we were not disappointed one bit.

Here’s my 18-hour day: Wake up no later than 7 a.m., pick up my daily credentials and then it’s off to our California delegation breakfast.

Register Photo Editor J.L. Sousa is in Denver for the Democratic National Convention this week. Here are some head shots from in and around the Pepsi Center.

On my way to pick up daily credentials for today, I ran into our Congressman, Mike Thompson. In fact, he was the one that saw me!  We chatted a few minutes about the convention as a whole and about last night's speeches.  Mike's a great guy and we're so lucky to have him representing us.