Lifestyle

CW: Discussion of suicide ahead While it’s always good to see Tom Hanks in anything, A Man Called Otto can’t help but feel, on the surface, like a strange and even downright unwelcome visitor. A remake of the Swedish film A Man Called Ove, itself an adaptation of the famous novel of the same name by Fredrik Backman, A Man Called Otto belongs to that treacherous subgenre of English-language remakes of foreign-language movies. For every The Departed, a proper way of translating an international film to a quality standalone motion picture, we get a dozen or so of these kinds of remakes that add nothing to the films they’re adapting. They merely feel like ways to cash in on familiar brand names, regurgitate stories told better elsewhere, and quietly reinforce the idea that the only movies worth watching are the ones told in English.

It’s no secret that the key to healthy plants is healthy soil, and the best way to improve soil is by incorporating compost, which can take up to a year to make. Bokashi is a composting method that can speed that up.

Dear Neil: Please explain why wildflower seeds should be sown in the fall instead of in March. I save the seed from my frozen lantana, Turk’s cap, and salvia as habitat for wildlife.

Dear Abby: My husband and I have been married 11 months. We’ve been together five years and have lived together for the last three. This is my second marriage and his third. I have put up with a lot from him and overlooked way too much. He isn’t affectionate, doesn’t kiss me hello or goodbye unless I ask, and doesn’t hug me.

Dear Dr. Roach: One has to wonder which is worse for longevity: living a life without sleep, the ticking time bomb of hormone replacement therapy (HRT), or prescription sleep meds? I am a 71-year old woman who began having insomnia and sleep issues when I went through menopause in my mid-40s.

This past weekend, many of us wrote a list of New Year’s resolutions, which will soon be postponed, abandoned, or forgotten. As it was this past year, we had good intentions; but, like the seed broadcast in not-so-good soil (see Mark 4:14-29), the commitments may lack depth, or the resolutions will be suppressed by distractions. We already had a list of rules that are impossible to keep- the Ten Commandments of Exodus 20. We’re only human; so, maybe living Christ-like is not to be. Or, is it?

There is a tipping point when you realize you have lived more of your life than you have left to live. Instead of a “tipping point,” some would argue it feels more like a “tripping point.” Feet begin to shuffle as well as memories. Daily tasks require more concerted effort, and spontaneity sputters like an engine running out of gas. We look in the mirror and see a vintage model — not in the condition we would prefer.

Dear Dr. Roach: Could you please give me some information regarding irritable bowel syndrome? I am taking carbidopa/levodopa for restless leg syndrome. I also take Unisom to help sleep onset. Do the meds I’m taking have any relationship to the IBS? I went through a stressful time lately and wonder if it could be related to the IBS.