Mark’s Musings – Jan. 20, 2016
Mark Fortune
A warm ocean breeze is warming my (freezing) face while I gaze at the whitecaps breaking on the shoreline. Or was that a finger breaking off in the cold? I have to pinch myself actually – except that I cannot feel the result of the pinch – because I am COLD! That’s because I am not really at the beach.
Where did this come from? Come on, we weren’t even teased in December yet here we are, not even a good snowfall yet (that’s one the kids can use to actually have outdoor fun versus just missing school) for us adults it is (snow deep enough that when you step in it without boots it gets down inside your shoes) but I digress. Here we are in the middle of January and just now – thankfully – receiving our first taste of bitter cold temperatures. And I’m sorry to say that they don’t taste very good. Yuck. However, here is the good news – we are only two months away from spring this Thursday. We’ve almost got this beat.
What’s with all the happenings in Iran? Sanctions lifted, oil coming back on the market – that should lower prices even more which some members of OPEC will not like – and yes, Iran is a member of OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) in fact, they are a founding member since 1960. There are twelve members. Oil dipped to US $27 per barrel on Monday morning. Sanctions were lifted from Iran after they met the criteria established for their nuclear program. I think this is supposed to mean no bombs, missiles or the stuff to make them. The sanctions had cut Iran’s oil exports and they are immediately allowed to export 500,000 barrels per day and add another 500,000 in six months according to The Guardian.
There is much more to the agreement that this column does not have the space to devote. For more you can Google “Iran trade sanctions lifted”.
I thought the NFL playoff games were entertaining and competitive. Of course, I missed the second half of the Cardinals – Packers game. It was the best half of the weekend they say. I found it hard to watch those two other teams battle it out in Colorado that have caused a Browns fan so much angst over the years. So it came down to rooting for Manning versus the team with the horse. You know the one.
Did you attend the Coshocton County Chamber of Commerce Health, Safety & Wellness Expo at Kids America on Saturday? It was quite a nice event and our local hospital deserves a special recognition for the manner in which they provided several exam stations for melanoma, oxygenation, blood draws, P.A.D. screenings and others. The number of people that were there from Coshocton Hospital gave a sense of awe actually and proves that they are a community minded organization with our best interests at heart – literally. It is quite possible that someone could avert a serious medical malady by simply having a few of the tests conducted at the event. Thank you for caring for our community.
Category: Mark's Musings, Opinion
