"Winter Break" starts Dec. 13 for Napa schools, and most of the kids can't wait!

Four Christmases ago my sister and I got the best Christmas present anyone could ever wish for: A puppy! My parents planned the whole thing to its tiniest detail and made my grandparents accomplices in order to make the surprise the best ever.

Cadillacs, Mercuries and V-8 Fords. Maybe a GTO. Those are the cars songwriters think about when they pen odes to automobiles.

I want to thank Michaela Rodeno for continuing the dialogue that her husband began with me almost seven years ago about the conversion of their precinct to vote by mail (“Coerced into voting by mail,” Nov. 21). Their precinct was converted during the 2001 supervisorial redistricting, when the precinct shifted from the 2nd to 3rd District to recognize the greater population, and smaller geographical footprint of the 2nd District. Because there were fewer than 250 voters who voted at a polling place in the Rodenos’ new 3rd District precinct, state law allowed me in my capacity as registrar of voters to convert that precinct to vote by mail.

Have any of you taken on the challenge of getting out on the newest half-mile racing straight-away in Solano County?

Israel’s air offensive against the Gaza Strip on Saturday should not have been a surprise for anyone who has been following the mounting hostilities in the region — least of all the Hamas movement, which invited the conflict by ending a six-month-old ceasefire and launching scores of rockets and mortar shells at Israel during the past 10 days. The initial Israeli strikes appeared to deal a punishing blow to the Islamic movement, reportedly killing several of its leaders and dozens of other militants and security force members. Inevitably, however, civilians were among the more than 200 reported Palestinian dead, and renewed Palestinian rocket fire against Israeli cities killed at least one person. While Israel could justifiably describe its action as one of self-defense, it’s far from clear that it will end up improving the country’s security — even as it risks a wider conflict.

Dear editor,

Dear editor,

Dear editor,

Dear editor,

Dear editor,

Dear editor,

These are my favorite books for this year, in no particular order. I have my own particular standards, which include the fact that I hardly read fiction any more so these are all non fiction. Also, they may not have original publishing dates of 2008 but are all recent and I read them myself this year.

I was stunned when I saw this, because Cheney has directly admitted to doing something that is not only illegal, but is a major crime. In an interview with ABC News he almost casually admitted "getting the process cleared" and supporting it. He was still lying, because he pushed for "taking the gloves off" with captured enemy combatants early on and was the main driver of the program of torture that was instituted beginning back in 2001.

Sure, the section is called MomsTalk, but Dads can chime in too.

Do you make your kids write thank you notes for Christmas or holiday gifts?

Here is your chance to sound off on any topic that is not covered today by a Register.com article/opinion item.