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Can’t get a word in with talkative friend

Dear Annie: I have a friend I’ve known for more than 30 years. He is a good person, loyal and generous, and we share a lot of history. The problem is that he has absolutely no sense of when he has lost a room. At dinner parties, he can take over the entire conversation with a story that lasts 15 or 20 minutes. And these are not short, lively stories. We get every street name, every person’s first and last name, what someone ordered for lunch, what year it happened and usually several side stories before he finally gets to the point. By then, everyone else has stopped trying to ...

Sleep apnea might cause urination

Dear Dr. Roach: I’m writing regarding the recent column that mentioned frequent nighttime urination. I had a similar problem and awakened several times to urinate each night. About a year ago, I started using a CPAP for sleep apnea. Immediately after starting to use the CPAP, my nighttime urination frequency decreased. It’d range from sleeping completely through the night to waking up twice, with an average of waking up once per night. Building off a prior column, my hypothesis was that better sleep led to a more stable production of the natural diuretic that the body makes at ...

Horoscope: Tuesday, September 1

You’ve noticed that when you’re out of your element, you grow. Aries (March 21-April 19) The doubt: If I cannot make the move now, I may lose my chance. The remedy: Use the delay to sharpen your approach. When you are able to make a move, you’ll be so ready. Taurus (April 20-May 20) The doubt: I lack enough money, time or security to begin. The remedy: Build from what is already stable. One dependable resource will support the next. Every dream needs a foundation. It’s not glamorous or showy; it’s just necessary. Gemini (May 21-June 21) The doubt: I have too many ideas and ...

Truths, omissions as US hits $40T in debt

The U.S. national debt just crossed the $40 trillion threshold, doubling in less than a decade. Washington politicians have responded with their favorite fiscal game: blaming the other party. Democrats say Republican tax cuts are the culprit. Republicans say Democratic spending is the root cause. But both parties are responsible, with both hiding behind a lie of omission. And if we let them, they'll keep driving us into the same wall together. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) recently called Republican tax cuts "the single biggest driver" of the debt across the last 25 years. The number ...

Thomas played the long game

An important new book by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, "Going Further," calls attention anew to the life and career of the single greatest living American, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. For many years after Thomas arrived on the court in the early 1990s, his conservative, originalist views were relegated to dissenting opinions. Three and a half decades later, Thomas, now the second-longest-serving justice in the court's history, regularly finds himself in the majority. Thomas, in short, has won the long game. But how? Thirty-five years ago, mainstream legal training and judicial ...

Try making your own mosquito trap with a large soda bottle

Do Just One Thing By Danny Seo Upcycle a large plastic soda bottle into a simple mosquito trap. Cut the bottle in half, then fill the bottom half with 1 cup of warm water, ™ cup of brown sugar and 1 tablespoon of yeast. Invert the top half into the bottom to create a funnel. As the yeast ferments the sugar, it releases carbon dioxide (C02), which can attract mosquitoes into the bottle, where they have difficulty escaping. This is an excellent DIY when entertaining outdoors to keep mosquitoes at bay. n n n Create a beautiful table arrangement that’s as practical as it is ...