At Ease
by Jack Webster
WASN’T THAT A GREAT CHANGE we had over the Christmas weekend? It reminded one of the winters we used to have 30-40-50 years ago. We have become such a bunch of wimps the last 20 years or so that a TRUE Minnesota winter now makes us want to head south . . . I remember back in the early 1970s that after it had been below zero for a week or so and then warmed up to 20 degrees I would walk the two blocks down to the café for coffee in my shirt sleeves . . .
THE LATEST BRIGHT (?) idea of our legislators to save some money is to cut the length of our school year by a few days. Wouldn’t that also cut the learning of our students by a certain amount? Our elected officials say it could save as much as $1 million but what would be the cost to our students’ learning? I think it would make much more sense for our elected officials to look at their own habits of running (quite often) a couple of weeks over the scheduled legislative season at the cost of several million dollars per day for an extra session---and THIS overrun is due to their own stubbornness on not being willing to compromise with ‘the other’ party. They should clean up their own house before looking elsewhere.
SPEAKING OF TRYING TO SAVE MONEY the latest gimmick of many hotels is to not place a second (top) sheet on the beds. The reasoning, supposedly, is that the few seconds it takes to make a bed with TWO sheets takes more time thereby causing the maids to work more hours and thus costing the hotel more money. Hogwash! Compare the few pennies saved to sleeping in someone else’s sweat, bodily fluids and pollution left on the covering blanket (instead of a top sheet). And it seems to me a (polluted) blanket would be more apt to hold body odor even after being washed than would a sheet . . . to say nothing of the higher possibility of dust mites and bed bugs! Come on inn keepers, give us a break (AND a clean sheet).
PRES. TRUMP AND HIS Secretary of State have softened their stance towards North Korea, saying it is ‘unrealistic’ to expect that country to come to the bargaining table to give up weapons it has spent so much money and time on to develop. What happened to the regime’s tough talk of a month ago? The above thinking came about two weeks after North Korea’s latest test of a rocket that could reportedly reach the United States and is just another concession in a long line of such concessions this country has given in an attempt to get a peaceful settlement with the rouge nation. Secretary of State Tillerson now says we are ready to talk anytime North Korea would like to talk (How often has the U.S. used that phrase?) He says “Let’s just meet. We can talk about the weather or any subject. Even talk about whether it’s a square table or a round table if that is what you’re excited about. Just at least sit down face to face and talk”. It is ironic that part of that last statement mentions ‘whether it’s a square table or a round table’. Does anyone else remember that back during the Peace Talks in 1953 (with this same rouge nation) that the North Korean Delegation refused to come to a scheduled meeting because an OVAL table was being used? Their stated reason was that it would appear that the United States was in charge because the U.S. delegate would POSSIBLY be sitting at the ‘head of the table’ (the narrow end of the ’oval’). North Korea, from the day the supposed Peace Talks began way back in 1953, has never acted in good faith, have continually broken promises and agreements and shown NO POSITIVE efforts towards wanting a peaceful conclusion to the conflict. They are not to be believed! They are not to be trusted! Sorry to say this but it is my opinion that the only thing they will understand is force . . .
FOR YOU FANS OF A FULL MOON and other astrological phenomenon, I hope that you realized that this month---January 2018---is a month that has a ‘Blue Moon’ on January 31st! No, the moon does not change color but the second moon in any given month is known as a ‘blue moon’ due to its infrequent happening. The first Full Moon of this month was January 1st. Both moons are also known by the popular nickname as a Super Moon due to the fact that it appears 7% larger and 16% brighter than normal because it is closer to the earth at this time than it normally is. Also the best time to see this moon at its biggest and brightest is in the early evening as it rises and in the early morning as it sets. The forecast says it will be cold but get out there (dressed appropriately of course) and see this Super Moon with your sweetie . . .!
‘GETTING OLD IS EASY’ . . . the real trick is to have fun doing it!
AND REMEMBER . . . it isn’t the years in your life. What really counts is the life in your years!
