A Lady Friend . . .
. . . of a friend of mine
no longer proclaims
60 is the new 40
because she just lost her driver’s license.
When asked . . .
. . . what I do for exercise,
my answer is that I’m into resistance training:
I refuse to go to the gym.
For Three Days in a Row . . .
. . . my correspondent told me,
he and his coffee colleagues
saw the same yellow-bellied bird
doing the same thing at the same time in the same location.
On that third day, they thought,
“Silly little bird. So predictable and susceptible to routine.”
And then they thought,
to notice this,
they had to have been
doing the same thing at the same time in the same location.
for three days in a row.
That got them wondering if
that’s how AI looks at humans.
Lotsa Things Going On . . .
. . . but if you R E A L L Y want to know
what’s R E A L L Y going on,
get to the
all-resident Town Hall meeting
at 3 p.m. in the 2nd floor theater.
It’s in your monthly calendar
Was Gonna Try Something . . .
. . . as soon as a I remembered
what it was I was gonna try.
But my son said
I should forget about it.
= = = = =
Walk in the Footsteps
of Nobel Winners
By Marlene Fanta Shyer, Mature Life Features
You can walk up the same marble stairs that Nobel Prize winners have climbed every Dec. 10, the anniversary of the death of the prize’s namesake, since 1901. It’s the City Hall in Stockholm and you’re in the Blue Hall gazing up at the granite pillars and exposed brick walls that stretch 75 feet from floor to ceiling.
It’s called the Blue Hall but there’s not a spot of blue anywhere. It was designed by Ragnar Östberg, a Swedish architect who was inspired by Italian design and envisioned a soaring ceiling-free space with a view of an azure sky. However, climate demanded a roof be added, but the name stuck.
As you stand on the spot where the most coveted award in the world is celebrated annually, Stockholm comes very much alive, but it’s just part of reason to visit the city. Built on 14 islands and called everything from “image-conscious” to “trend-hungry” to “tech-friendly,” it is richly historical with its Old Town of narrow cobblestone streets and clutter of shops, its Royal Palace, and National Museum.
A Viking ship that sank in the Baltic about three miles from the city in 1628 was discovered some 60 years ago. It was pulled out of the deep complete with 27 bodies, casks of spirits, and the bones of meat intended to feed the passengers. After being rebuilt, it draws more than 800,000 visitors to the museum every year.
Wherever you head in Stockholm, water views are always close by as are some of the finest
restaurants in Europe.
As We Got . . .
. . . talking about the Oktoberfest music and dancing yesterday,
I said I didn’t know how to do the hokey pokey,
so someone at our table
began explaining the ins and outs.
When Anyone Asks . . .
. . .”How’s your day going?”,
I give them the only factual answer I know:
“With the rotation of the earth.”
= = = = =
Investors Need to
Wade Through Lies
A report released a few years ago revealed that a majority of financial planners lie about their method of payment when questioned by clients and prospects. That’s not surprising. What’s surprising is that a survey, conducted by the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA), had to be taken in the first place.
People lie, whether they’re financial planners, teachers, police officers, neighbors, bosses, merchants, politicians, salesclerks, mechanics, butchers, bakers or candlestick makers. Three days into my first job as a daily newspaper reporter, my city editor told me, “People out there are paid to lie to you.”
Now that you realize financial consultants, like the rest of us, toy with the truth, you might want to focus more personal efforts on your own financial future. It’s up to you to machete your own way through the financial jungle out there
A simple first step is to learn how to recognize a bad investment. There have always been fraudulent high-flying can’t-miss investment schemes since before the stock market erupted on the scene.
Be wary of any outfit claiming to offer a break-through product or service that will topple the big guys, such as AT&T or General Motors. An especially flagrant “beware” sign should also be envisioned when a company applauding its success, or successes, has just switched industries. A successful skateboard company may not be able to produce pet food profitably.
Walk away from investment opportunities that offer “golden sunsets” because of major contracts and alliances, none of which are identified, especially if a strategic linkage announced previously had to be retracted. Remember: if I let you use my telephone, I can claim that I have formed an alliance with AT&T to provide you that service.
Mature Life Features 