California courts have been busy this year, issuing dozens of opinions changing employers' obligations under state and federal employment laws.

A complimentary tax workshop is set for Dec. 12, at 5:30 p.m., which is  being put on by Rich Jacobson and Warren Warner. It will be held at the John Muir Inn on Trower Street. Hors d' oeuvres will be served. Seating is limited.

As the holiday season begins, join Rev. Hal Milton for a workshop entitled "Compassionate Communication for You and Your Clients: How to Walk the Talk."  This workshop will be from 9 a.m. to noon, Dec. 3 at Child Start, 439 Devlin Road, Napa.

OK, that may be a bad choice of words, but the point is that Santa will be arriving for the parade next Saturday — drum roll, please — by helicopter.

Dear Len & Rosie,

My friend Bob Jergovic, chief investment officer for CLS Investment Firm, sent me an interesting piece of information. He quoted from a 2007 book by Nassim Nicholas Taleb, a professor of finance and a former Wall Street trader. The book is entitled “The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable.”