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Outgrowing an old friend group

Dear Annie: I’ve been friends with the same group of women since our children were in grade school. We’re now in our late 50s and early 60s, and for years this group has been my main social circle. We’ve shared weddings, divorces, illnesses and losses. I will always value them for that. Lately, though, I find myself dreading our get-togethers. The conversation has narrowed to a steady loop of complaints -- about spouses, adult children, politics, health problems, you name it. When I try to change the subject or bring up something positive, it’s brushed aside or met with ...

The place of morals in life

Morals and living a moral life are needed to have a successful life. Morals can be a strong contributor to making the best,correct decisions. What are morals? By the book, morals are what is right and what is wrong. It is an understanding of what is good or bad behavior. They contribute to living a healthy civilized life. If we all live a life that includes morals, maybe then we could live together productively and peacefully. Instead of fighting, we could be kind and honest with each other, and be useful contributors to society. How do psychologists tend to look at morals? ...

An ancestral surprise

The results of a recent genetic test shook me to the core. It seems that I’m not who I thought I was. Some years ago, I sent a spit sample to 23andMe. The test revealed, unsurprisingly, that I’m 100% Norwegian. All my ancestors came from Norway; the test simply confirmed that I’m the whitest guy on the planet. The folks at Ancestry.com recently ran a promotion for their genetic testing. I’ve been working on our family tree at Ancestry.com and thought it would be interesting to know if there were any hidden connections in my genetic past. My Viking ancestors spread their ...

Minnesota in center of the news universe

We spent time in southern California. I could write about walking along beaches, warm sunsets, and missing bitter cold back here. Perhaps I will. But today, I must join my voice to the resistance. What is happening to fellow human beings, sometimes for no offense other than having dark skin is horrific, indefensible, and wrong on a thousand levels. Much is being said and written. Perhaps it is prideful of me to think the voice of one old farmer in Brown County matters. For what it’s worth, I must join the protesters and say, “This is wrong.” “Obama deported people, too.” ...

Winter Olympics reflect the best in sports and a hope for peace

Nothing compares to the Olympics when it comes to promoting the best in sports competition and peaceful international relations. The Winter Olympics kicked off this week in the mountains of northern Italy. We’ll have two weeks of televised skiing, ice skating, sledding, hockey, curling and other winter pastimes. In Minnesota the Winter Games are just as popular as the Summer Games. We are well represented on the United States Olympic roster. Hopefully our athletes will come home with a sizable set of medals. I have Winter Olympics heroes from the Games of my younger days. ...

NU Film Society plays the long con with a screening of ‘Catch Me If You Can’

NEW ULM – The New Ulm Film Society’s film series on the movies of Steven Spielberg takes on a fun cat and mouse story with a screening of “Catch Me If You Can.” The screening is 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 10 at the New Ulm Public Library. “Catch Me If You Can” was released in 2002 and stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks. DiCaprio plays Frank Abagnale Jr., one of the most successful con artists and check forgers in history and Hanks plays the FBI agent tasked with catching him. The film jumps back and forth through time, showing different parts of Abagnale’s life, ...