Our 1st vice president of our SNPJ, Dennis Eckart, got himself on TV talking about the newly enacted law allowing bingo for charity purposes. For just a newly elected law-maker, that was making him look like an upstart by some of these old hands in the legislature. He made some suggestions which would keep bingo strictly for charity rather than to let it get out of hand the way it seems to be.
For my part, I don't much care if there are any laws about gambling. A fool and his money are soon parted, and if it's not allowed in our state, guys will go to Las Vegas and come back boasting or crying how they lost their shirts.
Come to think of it, why doesn't the Old Age Home promote bingo and maybe pay off its mortgage sooner?
There's one law I'd like to see Dennis go after. the last legislature made it a crime to ride bicycles and tricycles on sidewalks. Even little kids can now be arrested for playing on the walks with their bikes. How stupid can lawmakers become?
Why'n hell do the lawmakers have to make a law like that? The sidewalks are hardly used in many areas as people rarely walk anywhere.
Some lawmakers explained that the reason they were against tricycles on sidewalks is that some elderly people have taken to riding them. What do the lawyers the oldsters to do -- go out on the street and get massacred by dragsters?
It may be said that drivers are licensed and make tests to drive safely, but what the hell good is that? A professor who took to the streets with his bike to go to the university complained many times of careless, unsafe drivers: and eh was eventually killed by one of them.
Dennis is going to be a busy boy. He's been appointed to four committees and with his job of vice president he'll be on the go. He has found some time to get married to Sandy Pestotnik, Friday, Jan. 24. It was a big event at the halls on St. Clair ave. which is where the reception was held.
Bob Dolgan is another one of our young fellows who's making waves. He, if you remember, was the reporter who wrote about one of our town's important lawyers: and though the story was true Bob was disciplined for it.
It could have been one of the grievances which made for hard feelings between the Guild and the paper resulting in a long and costly strike.
The strike is all settled, and Bob seems to be getting back into the good graces of his boss. Under his by-line recently he wrote a story on how some soldiers who were on drugs and bad behavior were brought back to decency.
The erring soldiers were given a survival kit which consists of a sleeping bag; a gallon of water; a knife; and with only that they were put in a wild place to live on roots, birds, and animals they could trap. They had to fend for themselves like this for three days.
Also on this program were walks of 50 miles carrying 60-pound packs on their backs; four-day raft trips; cliff rescuing; and running six miles non-stop.
This kind of rugged workout made the guys depend on themselves and it proved effective in getting 40% of the soldiers an honorable discharge.
Perhaps this program needs more expanding for peoples' own good. A Colorado company has its executives go out on survival bodybuilding excursions in the wilds, and those upper-class people like it.
While there are all kinds of criticism one can dig up about President Ford, there is one good thing going for him. When many ordinary people cry to beat hell when there isn't enough heat, the president goes skiing in 12 below weather and thrives on it.
Perhaps his example may hush some of those freeze babies who complain when their quarters don't have stifling hot rooms.
As for me, I can't tolerate a room which is heated over 68 degrees and I even go jogging when it's 30. I come home feeling comfortable and sweating somewhat.
The missus and I do some vigorous Yugoslav dancing at a campus and a church, and after going through some of the delightful paces the group gets so warm that no matter how cold it is the windows are opened.
Balkan dancing is a happy and healthy experience. I've watched Jack La Lane demonstrate exercises and some of his routines are somewhat similar to the movements in ethnic dancing. So why not enjoy movements which give the muscles a workout?
I did suggest that there ought to be a Yugoslav folk arts week at the campsite, but so far it seems not to have enthusiasm anywhere.