Opinions

I have to keep shar- ing these kinds of reports because of the harm certain foods have. Our government is finally working on banning so many of these. Europe has been for ages.

This week, we continue our look at evolutionary the- ories of the origin of life and the extreme challenges they face. One of the major hur - dles concerns the amount of time available for the random mechanisms of evolution to occur.

The office was in its usual Monday morning subdued chaos, nothing new about the muffled exclamations, one-on-one conversations, and general hubbub. But still, there was a decidedly different element in the air. The reason?

DEAR ABBY: I have a next-door neighbor who is retired and takes care of his wife, who has dementia. He's a nice enough person, but he has no personal boundaries. He is intrusive and knocks on my door while I'm working two to three days per week.

Divorce is an unpleasant outcome to ponder, but it is a reality for many couples. Studies vary, but various sources indicate that divorce rates in both the United States and Canada seem to be at their lowest in decades.

DEAR ABBY: A few years ago, my husband and I bought a home together with his sister. We share the bills and chores and, for the most part, it works. We live in a nicer home than we could afford on our own.

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I have recently found out that our 14-yearold granddaughter, a freshman in high school, is being encouraged to drink, or more accurately, “chug,” beer out of cans with her stepdad at parties and social gatherings he has been having at their house.

DEAR ABBY: I’m engaged to a wonderful man. We are incredibly happy, and I cannot wait for our life together to begin. There’s just one problem -- his best friend, “Joey.” Joey is wonderful to my fiance and a nice person overall, but he’s a serial cheater.

DEAR ABBY: While I love visiting my son, daughter- in-law and grandchildren, I’m uncomfortable because their home is so untidy. I have offered many times to help with the laundry, dishes, picking up toys and even cleaning. They always say no. They say it’s their home and I’m not there to do chores.

According to scientists, planet Earth is estimated to be 4.566 +/- 0.0002 billion years old, and the oldest evidence of life dates back to ~3.8 billion years, indicating that life was established 700 million years after Earth formed.