When politics is old news and other short takes
Geriatric candidates
A belated happy birthday to Donald Trump, who turned 70 on Tuesday and will become America’s oldest president if elected. But of course Bernie Sanders, at 74, could have outdone him on that score, and Hillary Clinton, at 69, is not far behind. It makes us envy the Canadians, with their youthful, bounce-in-his-step prime minister, Justin Trudeau, who is 44.
Bigger houses, higher prices
Jeffrey Sparshott, writing for The Wall Street Journal, reports that the median size of a new house is now up to 2,467 square feet — 11 percent larger than a decade ago, and an amazing 61 percent larger than 40 years ago. There was a brief dip in house sizes following the recession, but the trend line now is up steeply. Ninety six percent of new houses have at least two bathrooms; 93 percent have air conditioning. The median price of a new home — $296,400 — is at an all-time high, even adjusted for inflation. It’s no wonder we have a robust rental market and an affordable housing crisis.
Cowboy rides to the rescue
In an Eagle Point, Oregon, Walmart parking lot, cattle rancher Robert Borba heard a woman yelling to stop a thief who had just stolen her bicycle. He got his horse out of its trailer, mounted up, chased down the thief and lassoed him. The lasso caught the thief around the ankles, and he went down like a bowling pin. The thief was arrested, and the bicycle returned to its owner. So we are wondering … should police training include lasso lessons?
Jailing the right people
A judge backed away from ordering Cheryl Strange, the new CEO of Western State Hospital, to spend time in jail for not admitting a man who has been waiting in a hospital since April. We would suggest that the judge examine the voting records of state legislators and jail those who voted against adequate funding for the hospital, which is chronically short on staff and can’t attract qualified professionals because of low pay and difficult working conditions.
Today’s celebrations
Today is national apple strudel day, but also national eat your vegetables day, national cherry tart day and national flip flop day. The flip flop holiday is about footwear, not politics. Perhaps more important, the summer solstice is Monday, and a sunny day is predicted, so maybe that’s the day we should really celebrate.
This story was originally published June 16, 2016 at 6:49 PM with the headline "When politics is old news and other short takes."