We are reminded every day how big the nutrition and weight-loss industry is growing in the U.S. and around the world. The commercials are always on our TVs and our social media. According to AI Overview, the weight loss and nutrition business reached $94 billion in 2026. And of course, one ...
When I started reading the latest (9/5/26) column by Randy Krzmarzick, I was thinking back to our own vacation in Europe this spring, and the beautiful city of Prague. However, unlike Mr. Krzmarzick, I do not recall thinking about past wars there, for the simple reason that wars have been a part of history since the Biblical times, through ancient, medieval, and modern history, and everywhere in the world, be it Europe, Asia, Africa, or the Americas. And let’s remember that murdering Jews during the Holocaust had nothing to do with God (even though thousands of people were murdered ...
The bulging white canvas bag arrived at my Nelson grandparents’ farmhouse in late February 1946. On one side is Grandpa’s address; on the other is scrawled “L.A. Nelson S1/c, U.S.S. Washington, 9th Div., FPO New York, NY.” Dad’s Navy uniforms had come home. My father, Leonard, ...
I never got to meet Joe Cool before he died in 2018. I wish I had, because besides having a cool last name, he was … just a cool guy. Well, that’s my impression after hearing his son, Brad, talk about him. I also found a 2004 MPR news story on Joe Cool and his clothing store while ...
I often wonder about the rest of the 21st century, what the world will become as it continues to change. I experienced a good indication last weekend when I met a 1-month-old infant on Friday and another one on Saturday. I don’t get to meet newborns very often, so meeting two in two days was a special occasion. The Friday opportunity happened at Boulder Estates when I returned home from having the interior of my car cleaned. One of the activity assistants brought her firstborn baby boy for a visit. She and her husband named him Reese. On Saturday I went to my uncle’s house in ...
I was about 6 years old when I discovered that I have an extraordinary talent for making things disappear. I owned a Barlow jackknife that had both a long blade and a short blade. This meant that I was prepared for anything from fending off a ferocious tiger to cleaning my fingernails. That pocketknife was my constant companion. One day I decided to try my hand at whittling, having found a funky stick that looked as though it could be carved into a likeness of the Statue of Liberty. I reached into my jeans pocket and found… nothing! Well, not exactly nothing. There were a few old ...
