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Can no longer hear the call

Dear Annie: Having been a registered nurse for the past 40 years, I have seen many changes in health care. I believe that nursing is a calling and not just a career. In my initial, youthful bliss, I took great joy in helping people in their hour of need. Patients and families were grateful and appreciative for every little thing that was done for them. These days, young nurses are leaving their jobs at an alarming rate. This is because they are faced with budget cuts and unrealistic expectations of providing patient care with half the staff. Nursing is now a frustrating, unhappy and ...

Arguments over electability are an annoying diversion

Our subject today is a word. It seems to be the word of the moment, at least on the political left. One can hardly read an opinion page or watch cable news without confronting this tiresome term, this irksome idiom. For the love of heaven, people, please stop saying “electability.” Note, please, that the last president was a black man with the unlikely name of Barack Hussein Obama Jr., who came to office with just a few years of senatorial experience. His successor was a TV reality show host with no government experience whatsoever and a history of racist, misogynistic and ...

Declining to dance

Dear Annie: I am a single woman who is quite social, and frequently I go out to dinner during the week with a close group of friends. We also go to bars or clubs about twice a month on Saturday nights. Many of my friends love to get out on the dance floor and dance the night away. I’ve never enjoyed dancing, and so my preference is to just enjoy the social part of our nights out. This is where the trouble begins. One friend has decided that I “need” to dance, and he has made it his mission to get me out on the dance floor. It began as a joke, but now every time I see him, he ...

In war, time is less expensive than human life

The drama leading up to and surrounding the 18th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks was an unfortunate distraction. President Trump invited the Taliban to meet at Camp David for “peace talks” — against the wishes of the democratically elected government in Afghanistan and Trump’s own national security adviser, John Bolton. The talks were canceled after a Taliban strike that killed one American. Bolton’s job was canceled when he declined to defend the president’s bad decision to invite the Taliban in the first place. But behind the shouting there is a serious debate over ...

Brother worries about farming sister

Dear Annie: My sister and her husband are both in their mid-80s and live on a farm. He is disabled. They insist on retaining horses and livestock, which my frail 90-pound sister feeds daily. On a recent visit, I observed her moving amongst the animals without her hearing aids and without her cellphone to use to call for help should she be knocked down and injured. He remains in the house and is usually asleep when she is in the feedlot. My pleadings that it is time to sell off the animals are met with responses such as, “The market is down” (him), or “I love taking care of ...

Pulling that sweet tooth

Dear Annie: I’ve had a HUGE sweet tooth all my life. I have also always been very active, and I eat healthy foods. However, I’m nervous that this is not enough to balance my intake of sugary goodies. Now that I’m older, I realize that I can’t keep eating so many sweets. Diabetes is common in my family, and my grandfather passed away from it when he was 46. Other members of my family have early stages of diabetes, and I am nervous that I will have it when I’m older, too, even though I eat healthy and exercise. What are the best alternatives to eating sweets? You rock! — ...