Gadgets and gag gifts perfect for the holidays

While this week draws the end of the semester closer and all of us are busy preparing for finals and making plans to spend time with loved ones, we might find ourselves equally distracted by last-minute Christmas gifts. Thankfully we have the Internet just in case we missed out on Black Friday and Small Business Saturday or even Hangover Sunday. With websites like The Grommet and U Gift Ideas you can easily breeze through an assortment of gift ideas for anyone. These sites even have custom gift options in case you want to include someone’s name to an item like…

No regrets? Not after tattoo removal

Picture this scenario: You’re with your friends, you’re young, carefree and just in the mood for a nice tattoo. You have a friend or know someone who has this friend, he has some cool tats, maybe he draws well and he just happens to have a tattoo gun. By now you can probably guess where this scenario is going. A lot of people have been there; even I’ve been there. You decide on a whim to get that tattoo from your buddy who just happens to be hanging around —tattoo gun ready to go! But then afterward, especially when you’re…

Undocumented: Surviving the trail between liberty and freedom–For many immigrants, a life spent in fear

Like many immigrants, getting to the United States was only half the battle for Perla, a recent Ray High School graduate now attending Del Mar College. Once in her new homeland, the anxiety, fear and uncertainty only grew. Though Perla entered the country legally at age 13, she spoke no English and had a difficult time in school. “People would tell me I couldn’t make it and I would cry a lot because I didn’t have a Social Security card, but I knew I had to go for it,” said Perla, who didn’t want to give her last name because…

Veterans kayaking their way to relaxation

C. Robert Gonzalez/Foghorn  Travis Matthews (bottom left) kayaks with other veterans right off Fortuna Bay in Flour Bluff. The Heroes on the Water, a nonprofit organization, helps veterans reintegrate back into civilian life. Heroes on the Water is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to “help warriors relax, rehabilitate and reintegrate through kayak fishing and the outdoors.” The organization was established in 2007 and veterans from all United States military branches are welcome to participate. The idea of the program is exactly what they say in their mission statement and they put strong emphasis on giving veterans the chance to…

Relax! Your lawnmower can do the hard work

This week, my friends, I’m going to try to simplify your life. You can thank me over drinks while we watch the new robot knock out the yardwork. If we have any money left for drinks, that is. With the current surge in robotics technology, the act of physically doing things such as yardwork is becoming easier. The company, Lawnbotts, now offers an arsenal of robotic lawnmowers on its website, lawnbotts.com. Although the concept of a self-propelled lawnmower is nothing new, these robotic lawnmowers truly are. They’re designed almost like the vacuum robot, Roomba, but the robot lawnmower is a…