Shaving in the shower has pros, cons

Partly Nonsense

Written by Joel Klaassen Wednesday, 12 March 2008 09:01

I’ve been shaving for more than 40 years now and I’ve never shaved in the shower until last week.

The cord was barely long enough.

Actually I don’t use an electric razor. I just made that up, and here’s where that came from.

Don and I sometimes ask each other if we know of anything new that the other should know about. So I asked Don if he ever shaved in the shower. He said no because he has an electric shaver.

My wife is smart in a lot of ways, and I can thank her once more for coming up with the idea of inexpensive shelving for our new office in the apartment.

All it cost was a gallon of vinegar. How’s that, you say?

We used the wooden shelving from her store that has been in the basement of her building...

Read more: Shaving in the shower has pros, cons

Wild weather

Editorials

Written by Don Ratzlaff Wednesday, 12 March 2008 09:25

We didn’t realize the magnitude of how challenging the year 2007 was for weather in Kansas until we reviewed the report from the National Weather Service in preparation for “Severe Weather Awareness Week.” Not only did the state set a new record for tornadoes in a year—137, surpassing the previous record of 135 set two years earlier—but an array of other major weather events indicate the fortitude we Kansas showed. Large hail, very heavy rainfall and flooding almost stole the show. Additionally, no one in Marion County needs to be reminded how heavy snow and well-below-freezing temperatures in relatively late into the spring months affected us.

If adversity builds character, 2007 was a wonderful weather year. Ad astra per...

Read more: Wild weather

Beep in the night code for help

Partly Nonsense

Written by Joel Klaassen Wednesday, 05 March 2008 14:18

This is about sounds that go beep in the night. Once in a while my cell phone makes beeps during the night, like a low battery warning or that I have a voice message. I would really like to turn it off, but my world requires that I be available for problems that crop up day or night. 

Early Sunday we had a different beep in the night. It wouldn’t quitso I got up to investigate. After stumbling around for a while Ilearned it was our oven telling us it was malfunctioning. Error code F7.

Ireset the clear/off button and went back to bed. A few minutes later itstarted all over again, wanting us to know that it still needed help.

A quick trip down to the breaker box silenced it for good but that also means the oven doesn’t...

Read more: Beep in the night code for help

More of Moran

Editorials

Written by Don Ratzlaff Wednesday, 05 March 2008 14:46

In a day when it’s tempting to give up on politicians as demagogues and schemers, we recommend showing up at a Jerry Moran tour stop the next time our congressman comes through Marion County on his tour of “The Big First.” We had that privilege Monday afternoon in Peabody, and again came away believing the Kansas First District may be the luckiest in the country.

Jerry Moran is an articulate and persuasive politician, but not in a manipulative sense. He’s real. His positions are thought through and based on something refreshingly powerful: common sense. Moran actually listens. He invites conversation, not dictation. On several points, Moran was quick to identify his differences with the party line. He’s is appalled as anybody...

Read more: More of Moran