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Peace begins with a smile

“Peace,” we were told by Mother Teresa, “begins with a smile.” Smiles have been very scarce in American political life lately. What follows is a modest attempt to encourage a smile or two. Former Vice President Joe Biden, who first ran for president in 1987, has been publicly struggling, for close to four years, with a decision about whether to run again in 2020. The Los Angeles Times’ respected Janet Hook reminds us that “Mario Cuomo was known as ‘Hamlet on the Hudson’ for his endless agonizing about running for president in 1992.” Joe Biden, she says, is ...

More on tipping and drinking and driving

Dear Annie: I saw the advice about tipping a hairdresser and the shampoo person. Thank you! What if your hairdresser also owns the salon? Does one tip the owner/stylist the same amount, 20 percent? — Salon-goer in North Carolina Dear Salon-goer: After the column about what to tip hairdressers, several people posed this question, and it’s a good one. Previously, the wisdom held that you shouldn’t tip salon owners, because salon owners would often charge premium amounts for their services. However, that’s been changing. More and more, salon owners are charging the same rates as ...

When generosity turns into resentment

Dear Annie: I like doing kind things for people. It makes me feel good. I believe my kind acts should be appreciated but not be expected. Is that wrong? Most of the time, what starts off as a kind act ends up with expectations of more. Sometimes these expectations can be difficult to manage and are so far from what I intended. In the end, the recipient is angry when I pull back, or I feel used if I don’t. It’s too much stress. How do you not go from kindness to resentment? What am I doing wrong? — Trying to Be Kind Dear Trying to Be Kind: Anyone who acts entitled to your ...

Trump’s fatal attraction

The good news is that the Trump-Kim summit in Hanoi, Vietnam, did not result in a deal — because any deal would have been nothing but a scam perpetrated by Kim Jung Un. Selling this same rug repeatedly is a North Korean specialty. The Kim dynasty inked agreements to denuclearize in 1985, 1992, 1994, 2005, 2007 and 2012. You’ve seen the results. Pyongyang violated every one and marched inexorably toward nuclear weapons and ballistic missile technology. It’s bad enough to confront the prospect of a nuclear-armed North Korea. It would be worse to, in effect, subsidize it, which is all ...

Personality shift after husband retires

Dear Annie: Recently, my father-in-law retired. This has made my mother-in-law a different, not-so-kind person. She has always confided in me her worries about many different subjects, and I have always been honest but considerate of her very touchy emotions. However, since my father-in-law’s retirement, she has been bitter, cranky and mean. She had always been the one to take care of the home situation and its needs, but she became homebound a few years ago for health reasons. After his retirement, my father-in-law took over many duties. In short, she seems upset, acting as if he is ...

Food allergies will be explored at Lifetree Cafe on Tuesday

Coping with the challenges of food allergies will be discussed at noon and 7 p.m. on Tuesday at Lifetree Cafe at Cana, 18 s. Third St. The program, titled “Allergic to Food: Living in an Incredible, Inedible World,” features a filmed interview with nutritionist Nicole Eckman and provides a glimpse into the life of a woman coping with celiac disease. “There’s a reason people are so reactive to their food when it didn’t used to be that way,” says Eckman, who describes what’s behind the rising numbers of food allergies. Participants in the Lifetree program will have ...