To getting exercise in winter.

So often people end up staying home and getting no exercise because they don’t want to venture out in the cold. There is a be-outside-as-little-as-possible mode of operating. The Christmas season is a time of goodies, and good food, so there is plenty of temptation without the exercise to counterbalance the gluttony. But there are ways to staying fit in the winter if people would push themselves to take a short ride in the automobile. The feature in the Tribune on Thursday about the open gym Wednesday nights at Southwest Middle School illustrates that. It’s part of Community Education, which offers many other get-moving activities. The Albert Lea Family Y also offers many fitness classes and an exercise room. So do Snap Fitness, Anytime Fitness or programs such as Fab Z Fitness and in-home personal trainers. Or, for people who don’t mind the cold, walking or jogging in the winter wonderland is a good way to go. When seasons change, it only means wearing different clothing. It doesn’t keep the outdoorsy types indoors.

 

To the notion of “affluenza” as a disease.

A Texas judge allowed a wealthy teen to avoid jail time after killing four people with a pickup and seriously injuring two others. A psychologist at the trial said the 16-year-old boy suffered from “affluenza,” a condition in which children from rich families have a sense of entitlement and fail to understand societal limits. Often, their parents fail to set proper boundaries, so the rich kids get used to getting what they want. Well, the judge in this case showed that she is just another enabler in this boy’s life. She gave him 10 years of probation and no time behind bars, even though Texas law allowed her to sentence him to 20 years in prison. The families of the deceased are outraged, along with most Americans who have followed the story. What’s worse, now more attorneys are going to use the “affluenza” argument because it was successful. Let’s hope other judges are wiser than this one was. We prefer the term “spoiled brats.”

 

To Kevin Love of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Basketball programs in a hockey state tend to play second banana in the winter, but we must point out what a star attraction Kevin Love is for our state’s professional basketball team. The T-wolves lost Friday 117-110 to the talented San Antonio Spurs, but Love scored 42 points and had 14 rebounds. He finished eight for nine from the 3-point arch. The man plays hard and puts on a show for the fans at the games. Love said it well after the game when he told the Star Tribune: “If we play like that, we’re going to beat a lot of teams.” We hope so, Kevin, because Minnesotans love to watch Love play the game.