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             On July 26, the United States, Britain and China produced the Potsdam Declaration which contained the terms that they demanded for the surrender of Japan. The Declaration required that Japan surrender immediately and without conditions. The surrender terms included:

• the elimination "for all time [of] the authority and influence of those who have deceived and misled the people of Japan into embarking on world conquest"

• the occupation of "points in Japanese territory to be designated by the Allies"

• "Japanese sovereignty shall be limited to the islands of Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, Shikoku and such minor islands as we determine." As had been announced in the Cairo Declaration in 1943.

• "The Japanese military forces shall be completely disarmed"

• "stern justice shall be meted out to all war criminals, including those who have visited cruelties upon our prisoners"

The Declaration also included some clauses intended to reassure the Japanese people:

• "We do not intend that the Japanese shall be enslaved as a race or destroyed as a nation, ... The Japanese Government shall remove all obstacles to the revival and strengthening of democratic tendencies among the Japanese people. Freedom of speech, of religion, and of thought, as well as respect for the fundamental human rights shall be established."

• "Japan shall be permitted to maintain such industries as will sustain her economy and permit the exaction of just reparations in kind, but not those which would enable her to rearm for war. To this end, access to, as distinguished from control of, raw materials shall be permitted. Eventual Japanese participation in world trade relations shall be permitted."

• "The occupying forces of the Allies shall be withdrawn from Japan as soon as these objectives have been accomplished and there has been established, in accordance with the freely expressed will of the Japanese people, a peacefully inclined and responsible government."

At the end of the Declaration, came the demand for unconditional surrender and the penalty for refusal.

• "We call upon the government of Japan to proclaim now the unconditional surrender of all Japanese armed forces, and to provide proper and adequate assurances of their good faith in such action. The alternative for Japan is prompt and utter destruction."

One thing that was left out of the Declaration was the status and ultimate of the Emperor who the Japanese people considered to be divine. The question of whether he would be declared a war criminal and prosecuted or would be left free to become part of the future government was left open.

The United States made radio broadcasts to the Japanese home islands and dropped leaflets over population centers in Japan. Despite laws against listening to foreign radio broadcasts or reading dropped leaflets, most of the Japanese people became aware of the terms of the Potsdam Declaration.

The Japanese Supreme War Council rejected the Potsdam Declaration and a government spokesman met with the Japanese press to tell the Japanese people that the Declaration had been rejected and that Japan would fight on.

Potsdam Conference:

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I’ve obscured this gentleman’s face out of respect for his privacy, but that is no rails-to-trails path he is walking on. Instead, it is a piece of former Milwaukee Road track now operated by successor Canadian Pacific that retains its rails, ties, ballast and all the other trimmings of an active railway line right down to grain sprouting along the line from where it spilled out of covered hopper cars. 

Granted, it is a lightly used spur which branches off the former Milwaukee Road “Short Line” between St. Paul and Minneapolis a mile or so east of where the line crosses the Mississippi River, but even so, that is no excuse to trespass on it, because as the saying goes: any time is train time. Railway corridors exist for one reason only: the passage of trains and other rail equipment. They are best treated with caution, not an “It can’t happen to me” mentality.

But the times when rail corridors are quiet almost always seems to lull people into a false sense of security. I once saw a father and his daughter walking along the BNSF rail line that borders Lake Minnetonka in downtown Wayzata, MN, cheerfully walking along even as air horns rang out on the east side of town and a westbound freight materialized. “Train coming!” I yelled at them as I frantically waved them off the track. They got off. I still can see the sheepish grin that creased the father’s face as I approached with a few words of safety advice.

Another close call I witnessed while out pursuing the special passenger train the Twin Cities & Western railroad ran in honor of its 20^th anniversary. Gathered with a few other rail fans at a grade crossing to capture the train’s passage, we were startled when a passing motorist failed to take heed of the closing safety arms until the driver was right on top of them and jolted to a halt in a screech of rubber! Amidst angry shouts from the gathered rail fans, the driver meekly backed up and resumed driving once the coast was clear.   

A final example is a group of boys with bicycles that I saw near Bandana Square in St. Paul trying to slip through a hole in the chain link fence which blocks egress to the double-tracked line on Bandana’s north side to get to a soccer game taking place at Como Park right as an eastbound Canadian Pacific freight was bearing down on them. I shouted a warning but they did not hear me, but two of the group thankfully held back and waited for the train to pass while the others managed to get over the tracks in time.

All three examples of oblivious behavior in the face of oncoming trains could have ended in tragedy except for sheer luck, but luck is not a commodity to blindly trust in around active rail lines. Common sense instead is the thing to use when around them because they are no place to play. 

'Tis the season for glamour, extravagance and sparkle by way of festivities and fashion. When the weather turns cold and your schedule fills up with holiday activities, look your best with seasonal wardrobe essentials. Mix, match and pair with numerous styles, but don't forget to amp up the glam factor! This is the time of year when you can definitely wear sequins, faux fur and cabernet lipstick together. Happy holiday fashion!

Brocade Trousers

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Avenue 32

Metallic print pants are a hot item right now. Snag a pair and wear them with heels of dangerous heights. 

Colored Jewel Necklace

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Target

Blue like holiday lights; the perfect accessory for the office, happy hour or a hot date.

Satin Tuxedo Jacket

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House of Fraser 

Keep it feminine and flirty with a cropped tuxedo jacket. The oversized satin collar speaks for itself.

Emerald Cocktail Dress

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House of Fraser

This holiday mini dress is the perfect balance: covered arms and lots of leg in a striking shade of emerald. 

Frilly Silk Blouse

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Etro

A stunning mustard blouse fit for a holiday party, the office or date night.

Wool Fedora

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Whistles

Keep your hair dry and your head warm with a wide brimmed, wine-inspired wool fedora.

Festive Statement Earrings

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Club Monaco

These beauties demand attention. Pull your hair up and pair them with anything and everything during the holidays.

Metallic Heels

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Michael Kors

No matter which style or shade of metallic you prefer, metallic heels are an essential for all holiday outfits.

Box Clutch

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Banana Republic

What's better than a box clutch? A lace box clutch with a delicate gold chain. Perfect!

Faux Fur Trimmed Jacket

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Vince Camuto

The key to this glamorous jacket is the word "faux." The faux fur collar will keep you warm and classy all winter long.

Jewel Gloves

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Zara

Perfect for driving, walking and canoodling in cold temperatures. The jewel detail adds a fun, sparkly element.

Bold Skinny Belt

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Kate Spade

Just because it's skinny doesn't mean it can't make a statement. Cinch your waist with a cunning cheetah skinny belt.

One of the things that I do to help save on the grocery bill is to periodically use up some of the things I have. It can be very easy to go shopping each week and buy all new food. The problem is that there is food already in my house that I fail to use. If I don’t use it up, it will eventually spoil.

This is something that should be done at least once a month. I try to do this for the last week of each month. Before the last week, I look through my refrigerator, freezer and pantry. I look for things in there that I could use for my meals for the week. In some cases I find that I barely need to buy anything for that week when it comes to groceries. I have enough food items to make great meals and this is something that is beneficial in more than one way.

The first benefit is that I waste less. If I use the food I have, it will not spoil and I will not have to throw it away. The second benefit is that I save money. It is nice to go grocery shopping and spend less than half of what I normally spend on groceries for the week.

You would be surprised by how many meals you can make with the food you already have. You may have to buy one or two things for each meal, but this beats having to buy every ingredient for the meal.