EVEN MORE ODDS AND ENDS

As I get older, I cry a lot.  In the past, I always cried at weddings or when members of my family had problems or passed away, but now I keep handkerchiefs soaking wet when I watch tear-jerking movies or when I hear about other people's misfortunes.

As I've mentioned, I am an "empath" and I actually do feel other's pains.

I'm not ashamed to admit that most of my tears these days are related to the atrocities being done to innocent Ukrainians, especially to the children.

But, since I have no power to change world events, I continue on with my blogs, so that my grandchildren and great-grandchildren can learn what it was like in their Prepop's life. 

So here goes:

1.  Sweatsuits

A Smithsonian magazine article from 2016 mentions that MIT researchers "have incorporated living bacteria into a synthetic fabric, creating a material that responds to body moisture" of the person wearing it.

When a person sweats, bacteria expand and release skin heat.  When the skin dries, bacteria contract to retain body heat.

I wish this had been available for use by the sweat-soaked denizens that I sweated for when I worked in the sweat-filled dungeons of the New Bedford, Massachusetts YMCA.  I can still smell the sweaty sneakers, the sweaty gym socks, and the sweaty gym shorts!

"A la recherche du temps perdu"

2.  Movie Ratings

The Week magazine in 2016 reported that British movie censors had to sit through a 10-hour film of white paint drying.  They rated it "suitable for viewers age 4 and over."

Elaine and I recently encountered a movie from a "Faith Based" company that had this rating:'

"Drug use, nudity, sexual scenes and foul language"

We decided not to watch it.

As I've mentioned many times, a good movie should not have to make everyone, including children, use the F-Word just to get a film rating that they desire so they can suck more money out of our spoiled rich teen-agers.

Yes, I am somewhat of a prude.

3.  Winter-time Aids

Lenore Skenazy writes that one can now buy products to make the winter season easier to handle.

Snowman Family Fun Kit  ($25) - includes toy glasses, fake carrots and buttons. A warning says that it should only be used with adult supervision.

The Sno-baller ($9.95) -  "This ingenious gadget produces perfect snowballs that disintegrate on contact, so they can't hurt like hand-packed snowballs," 

I guess our kids are so connected to their cell-phones that they don't have time or the effort to learn what to do with snow.  They miss out on a lot of fun!

.............................................................................