“How many bills did you pass?” is the wrong question. Implicit in the tone of this article is that passing a lot of laws is a good thing and a mark of success for our representatives. I disagree. California has too many laws.

'Deadpool' is not your father's superhero movie, or, because of its R-rating, your kid's either. Director Tim Miller was true to the comic book character, who has been rude man out in the Marvel Universe for 25 years. Miller was obviously going for shock and edginess and he succeeded. But one thing not obvious is how this tale was put together. Traditionally, major movies have been assembled on big, dedicated editing hardware and software costing as much as a Prius. Although Deadpool couldn't have been put together on your father's PC, it probably could on your kid's. Adobe tools are bringing the power of Hollywood filmmaking to your home office.

We should use reason and not emotion in making political decisions.

Forsaken stars Kiefer and Donald Sutherland as father and son in a new Western drama. That’s the hook, but there is way more to this western than anyone would expect, although the director, writer and impressive supporting cast should give you a hint that this is an exceptional film. The story, on the surface, seems deceptively simple and one any fan of westerns has seen a dozen times. The railroad is coming and a corrupt business man is using a bunch of thugs to force farmers to sell their land to him. But to leave the description there would be like saying High Noon was about a town’s law enforcement human resources problems.

Just so you don’t think that I’m taking sides, examples will refer to candidates Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. As far as I know, they haven’t endorsed any political parties this year.

For the rational creature to function properly, freedom is required in order to make choices and learn from the consequences. Tolerance is required so that new ideas can be tested, not suppressed. A predisposition to volunteerism is required to maintain social structure without resort to government force. When government is required, an attitude of healthy skepticism toward power and authority is needed to keep government in line.

I inherited a respect for Orson Welles and a love for his work from an uncle who came of age in the 1940s when Orson Welles was one of radio and cinema’s best known actor/directors. When 'Chimes at Midnight' came out, I was busy coming of age and rioting at UCLA. I heard about the film and that Welles considered it his best work, but I missed it. Then, like the mysterious Mr. Welles himself, it disappeared for decades. Now, it’s back.

Xara Designer Pro X11 is an all-in-one design tool that handles bit maps, vector illustration, photo editing, page layout and website design/publishing. It combines the features found in Xara’s stand-alone products -- Xara Web Designer 11 Premium, Xara Page & Layout Designer 11, and Xara Photo & Graphic Designer 11 – into one package. I installed Designer Pro X11 and compared it to the competition in terms of user experience, features, and cost.

LeeAnn Weintraub, LA-based registered dietician and nutrition consultant, is such a nice, caring, and considerate lady. In her recent nutrition column, “Tips for mindful eating at tailgates.” she gives thoughtful, well considered advice on how to totally ruin the experience. If you follow her advice, you might as well stay home, eat a salad with non-fat dressing and watch Oprah re-runs. Let’s make a few corrections to her "5 ways to eat right at tailgate parties."

"The one or two times I've gone off course is when I began to believe that there was only one right way to create art, and there isn't."