Sweetwater Reporter (Sweetwater, Tex.), Vol. 113, No. 038, Ed. 1 Wednesday, December 29, 2010 Page: 4 of 12
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Viewpoints
Page 4 ■ Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Sweetwater Reporter
DEDICATED TO PROUDLY DELIVERING LOCAL NEWS SINCE 1881
1—x Sweetwater 1
Reporter
■ tWIENIBER
| m A 2010
P.O. Box 750/112 W. Third
TEXAS PRESS
Sweetwater, Texas 79556
ASSOCIATION
325/236-6677
Fax: 325/235-4967
Website:
www.sweetwaterreporter.com
E-mail addresses:
publisher@sweetwaterreporter.com
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EDITORIAL POLIGY
The editorial section of the newspaper is a forum for
expression of a variety of viewpoints. All articles except
those labeled "Editorials" reflect the opinions of the writ-
ers and not those of the Sweetwater Reporter
Hamilton
SUEST COLUMN
The National Mood
God bless America, and how's everybody?
Hawaii's holiday college basketball tourney was spoiled
by a brawl between two Mississippi State teammates caught
on TV. It's the national mood. Fistfights broke out in air-
ports across the country over whether canceled is spelled
with one 1 or two.
Budweiser heir August Busch's lover died in his home
Thursday under suspicious conditions. Thirty years ago
another one of his girlfriends died mysteriously. He just
asked for a change of venue to Los Angeles so he can be tried
under celebrity law.
Walgreen's announced Wednesday it
will not sell the women's morning-after
pill to men unless they are accompanied
* ^ K by their female partners. Drugmakers
have just made a morning-after pill that's
for men. It changes their DNA and their
. phone number.
| I ^i: Jj Hugh Hefner announced he will marry
■ twenty-four-year-old Crystal Harris.
E H i_l Everyone's thrilled. Her parents have
IIhm a been waiting for the day when she'd be
J riJIlS changing diapers and straining baby food,
but she doesn't plan to invite them to her
honeymoon.
N.Y. Jets coach Rex Ryan refused
comment Friday about him and his wife
appearing together on a foot fetish website for swingers. It's
bad. The NFL is investigating Rex Ryan for texting a photo-
graph of his big toe to New York Jets hostess Jenn Sterger.
South Carolina saw its first White Christmas Saturday
when blizzards swept the South. Everything's iced over. It
was so cold in South Carolina that civil rights demonstrators
were demanding that Admiral Byrd's flag be lowered at the
state capital.
New York completely shut down Monday after a driv-
ing blizzard closed all three airports. The canceled flights
stranded everybody. Airline employees went through the
terminal with forty thousand blankets and within an hour
they'd sold all of them.
The NFL postponed Sunday's Eagles game with the
Vikings due to the blizzard. It would have been Brett Favre's
last game. He'd have been so brittle due to the cold he could
have gotten his head knocked off, which is exactly how Ted
Williams ended up.
Haiti erupted in rioting over the cholera epidemic Monday
as roaming street mobs lynched voodoo priests from trees
and lampposts. It's a familiar story. When the witch doctors
stopped taking Medicare patients the seniors didn't take it
so well.
Homeland Security arrested a man at Los Angeles Airport
trying to enter the U.S. with fourteen pounds of cocaine
disguised as Easter eggs. That distorts the Easter message.
This doesn't say that lie is risen, this says that he's been up
for four days.
GOP House Speaker John Boehner vowed Monday that
Health Care Reform will never be implemented while
Republicans control Congress. He takes the battle over the
health care law very seriously. That ten percent tax on tan-
ning salons hits him where he lives.
Hawaii's Governor Neil Abercrombie vowed Monday to
release President Obama's birth records. Obama spent his
youth moving from Hawaii to Indonesia to Los Angeles and
then to Harvard. Every step of his life took him further and
further away from America.
Scenic Traveler RV Center in Wisconsin reported a twen-
ty-five percent increase in the sale of Recreational Vehicles
in the last six months. It's a smart economic decision by
consumers. Bankers can't foreclose on something they can't
catch.
Argus Hamilton is the host comedian at The Comedy
Store in Hollywood and speaks to groups and orga-
nizations around the country. E-mail him at Argus@
ArgusHamilton.com.
Letter to the Editor Policy
The Sweetwater Reporter welcomes Letters to the Editor
for possible publication in the newspaper. A letter must be
original, signed by the writer and bear the address and phone
number of the writer. Only the name and the city will be pub-
lished with the letter, but the phone number and address are
necessary for verification or clarification of content.
The Sweetwater Reporter reserves the right to edit all let-
ters. If deemed derogatory, libelous, unclear or for other
reasons determined by the newspaper to be unwise to print, It
will not be used.
It is the feeling of the newspaper that an unsigned letter has
little meaning, and thus it will not publish anonymous letters
to the editor.
During elections, the Sweetwater Reporter will accept Letters
to the Editor discussing the issues or offering endorsements.
However, the deadline for letters during elections will be two
weeks prior to election day.
The publishing of Letters to the Editor are offered by the
newspaper to the community for expression of personal views
on matters of concern. Residents are encouraged to use the
column in a constructive manner, sharing their views on sub-
jects of interest with the newspaper's readers.
GUEST COLUMN
It never rains in ali brnia
ele-
Except when it does.
Which isn't often.
Usually, when it rains, we
apologize to tourists and
visitors, take out our (per-
petually) almost new rain-
coats and say things
like "We need this"
and "Don't you just
love the rain?"
Then it goes back
to being 70-some-
thing degrees and
sunny for a few more
months, and we
don't even bother to
check the weather.
The Maytag repair-
man and the Los
Angeles weather-
man could hang out.
Except for those
few days when the
ments take over.
It has been raining for
five days.
No one is saying "we
need this."
There is a learning curve
to life in California. For
newcomers, earthquakes
tend to loom large. After
your first or second, you
wonder how people can
live here, in Pompeii, com-
menting on the number
of days of sunshine. You
research cities like Anstin,
Texas, and wonder if you
could live there. You put
your tennis shoes in your
trunk (in case you have to
walk home through bro-
ken glass). And at some
point you stop moving the
perfectly good tennis shoes
from the old car to the new
car, and you return them to
your closet, and you have
become a near-native.
Somewhere along the
way, you get to know
the minor disasters.
Once you've bought in to
whole-hog denial of "The
Big One," a.k.a. the San
Andreas Fault, fires most-
ly in places you've never
been are easy to view as
traffic alerts. And after
the fires, you get the mud-
slides - but mostly those
are in the places where the
C-FORCE
fires were, where everyone
certainly knows someone,
but most of us just watch
on television like people
a few thousand miles
away. My mother used to
call me when-
ever there was
a natural disas-
ter in Southern
California. I'd
have to explain
that my only
contact with the
location involved
was that I used
to read traffic
reports when I
was on the radio,
so I knew how to
pronounce it.
And then it goes
back to being 70-some-
thing and sunny.
When I go back East,
where I lived for the first
30 years of my life, I am
always struck by how much
time people spend talking
about the weather. Ditto
for local news. Sort of like
traffic reports in LA.
In the East, people make
Susan
Estrich
plans and change plans
— not to mention end-
lessly discussing plans
— in light of the weather.
Califomians, which is what
I've become, like to laugh
about that. About 95 per-
cent of the time, we can
plan for the clouds to clear
by midday and be followed
by sunny and pleasant.
We expect the weather to
be pleasant and the planes
to be on time. (Weather
delays where it never
rains?) And we don't even
appreciate it.
Until it rains five days in
a row.
A surprising number of
people, even successful
and well-dressed people,
simply don't own a rain-
coat. My daughter, home
from the East for the flood,
asked me where we keep
the umbrellas. I looked at
her blankly. I couldn't even
remember the last time I
had seen an umbrella in
the house, much less where
I'd put it I bought her one,
but couldn't break down
to buy a second. It should
stop by tomorrow, I said,
three days ago. Wrong
again.
The forecast for tomor-
row is rain.
The prognosis is grati-
tude.
One of these days, it will
be sunny and 70-some-
thing again. We'll put
our raincoats away in the
back of the closet, hide the
umbrella in some perfect-
ly logical but forgettable
place and put our light
jackets back on.
But maybe, after all this
rain, we'll smile a little
more brightly and be that
much more grateful for
the blessings of a beauti-
ful day, of which we have
many. Not a bad lesson for
this time of year.
To find out more about
Susan Estrich and read
features by other Creators
Syndicate writers and car-
toonists, visit the Creators
Syndicate website at
wwiu.creators.com.
$
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MtorfTrr*;
Heart-Healthy Holidays
Q: Dear Chuck, I hear
humans are more prone to
heart attacks on Christmas
Day. True? — Jack W.,
Hibbing, Minn.
A: It's true. More people
suffer heart attacks and
strokes on Christmas Day
and New Year's Day than
any other days of the year.
According to Dr. Keith
Churchwell, executive direc-
tor oftheVanderbilt
Heart and Vascular
Institute, a study
of 53 million
deaths occurring
between 1973 and
2001 revealed that
deaths from cardio-
vascular diseases
peak in December
and January,
with the spikes
on Christmas and
New Year's Day.
Why? A combi-
nation of factors:
the December cul-
mination and compound-
ing of bad and abundant
eating, alcohol abuse, a
frenzied festivity schedule,
repeated exposure to bad
weather, increased stress-
es, changes in routine and
schedules, weight gain,
denial of physical pains or
limitations, etc.
What can we do to reduce
the risk? Here are seven
tips to help prevent a holi-
day heart attack:
—Don't ignore heart
attack symptoms, espe-
cially during Christmas and
New Year's. Your health
can't wait until Dec. 26 or
Jan. 2. Get to the emer-
gency room immediately if
you are experiencing any of
these: shortness of breath;
pressure, pain or discom-
fort in the chest, particu-
larly the center; pain in one
or both arms, your neck,
your jaw, etc.; dizziness or
nausea; unusual tiredness;
or unusual sweating.
—Take moments to check
health. Crazy schedules
prompt us to overlook our
wellness and our diets,
ignore sicknesses and even
forget to take vitamin sup-
plements, medications and
prescriptions. Pause during
the holidays for minute-
Chuck
Norris
long checkups.
—Bundle up. If your
holiday schedule repeat-
edly exposes you to the cold
spells crossing America,
dress warmly and limit your
exposure to bad weather.
—Simplify. If you've
been overtaxed and
stressed because of a crazy
December schedule, imme-
diately reduce your sched-
uled events, forget
last-minute shop-
ping, etc. If last-
minute cooking
has got you going
crazy, then order in
or go out, even for
Christmas or New
Year's. They'll get
over it, if you can,
—Reduce fatty
foods. It might not
titillate the taste
buds, but it could
save your life. Fatty
foods clog your
arteries and restrict
blood flow everywhere.
—Reduce the spirits. You
boast that you "don't need
alcohol" to have a good
time. Well, here's a good
time to prove it. Chemicals
in alcohol not only can
make us irritable but also
irritate our heart muscles,
leading to irregular heart
rhythm.
—Beware of smoke expo-
sure. Tobacco has its given
risks, but so does wood
burning. All smoke contains
toxins that can cause respi-
ratory problems and dam-
age arteries, adding strain
on the heart. Ensure good
ventilation in your home.
Limit fires.
Q: Dear Mr. Norris, I'm
surprised during the holi-
days how even very fit peo-
ple jump bail on health con-
cerns. How do you avoid
being rude during this
time of year when offered
so many garbage foods?
— "Refusing the Refuse,"
Houston
A: That's another
great holiday question.
Considering what I just
shared about the higher
risk for heart attacks, it's
disappointing that so many
health-and-fitness-con-
scious people fail as much
as they do around the holi-
days and even enable heart
attack symptoms in others
by the gifts they give and
parties they host — though
no one is perfect, of course.
Cindy Osborn, a clini-
cal dietitian with the
Vanderbilt Heart and
Vascular Institute, offers a
few exceptional holiday tips
for staying heart-healthy
at those temptation-ridden
party events, especially
during Christmas and New
Year's, and I've added a few
tips of my own:
—Try not to lose or gain
weight during the holi-
days. Just maintain your
weight. Fluctuation can tilt
your holistic balance and
can affect mind, body and
spirit.
—Avoid "saving calories"
by skipping meals before an
evening event; it can lead to
overindulging.
—Prior to attending a
party, have a snack high
in protein, such as yogurt,
cottage cheese, chicken or
even a tablespoon of peanut
butter.
—If you bring something
to the party, modify it to
make it low-fat so there is
at least one item that is safe
for you and others to eat.
--When you arrive and
are offered a drink, say,
"Water for now." Hosts are
less prone to offer you a
drink as long as you are sip-
ping on one. Less alcohol
will lead to more control
over the munchies.
—When you are offered
hors d'oeuvres, don't grab
a single potato chip; you
know where that leads.
Instead, immediately go to
the vegetable platter and
keep eating to your heart's
content — literally.
—Limit yourself to one
trip with a single plate
through the buffet line.
—Try new foods, of which
we generally eat smaller
portions.
—Remember that turkey
is a good choice; it's very
lean. Ham, not so!
—Eat slowly and engage
in conversation to help con-
trol portions consumed at
meals. It takes your brain
about 20 minutes to get the
signal that your stomach
is full.
—Bring a toothbrush
with you, and immediately
excuse yourself after dinner
and before dessert to use
the restroom. We physi-
ologically and psychologi-
cally inhibit eating more by
brushing. Ever enjoy the
taste combo of toothpaste-
flavored cookies?
Write to Chuck Norris
(info@creators.com) with
your questions about health
and fitness.
To find out more about
Chuck Norris and read
features by other Creators
Syndicate writers and car-
toonists, visit the Creators
Syndicate Web page at
www.creators.com.
The SWEETWATER REPORTER
(USPS 5300-860) is published daily
except Saturdays and holidays by HPC
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Editorial:
As a matter of policy, the
Sweetwater Reporter will
publish corrections of errors
in fact that have been print-
ed in the newspaper.
The corrections will be
made as soon as possible
after the error has been
brought to the attention of
the newspaper's editor at
236-6677.
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DEDICATED TO PROUDLY DELIVERING LOCAL NEWS SINCE 1881
V
__ Sweetwater
Reporter
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Sweetwater Reporter (Sweetwater, Tex.), Vol. 113, No. 038, Ed. 1 Wednesday, December 29, 2010, newspaper, December 29, 2010; Sweetwater, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth229355/m1/4/: accessed April 27, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Sweetwater/Nolan County City-County Library.