Lead Story (pg 1): TIDBITS LOOKS BACK AT THE 70s - 2nd Story (pg 2): THE MIGHTY VULCAN (one in the FAMOUS LANDMARK Series) - 3rd Story (pg 5): OH, DEER! - Celebrity Extra (pg 6): Genie Francis, "Desperate Housewives" Finale, Ryan O'Neal, Heather Cruz - Everyday Cheapskate (pg 7): Homemade Solutions Are Budget-friendly - Verterans Post (pg 7): Finally, a Bank Does the Right Thing - Cats, Dogs and Other People (pg 9): Another Kind of Cruelty - Lifelong Health (pg 10): Doctor Groups Diagnose When Tests Are Overdone - Your Social Security (pg 11): Reform, Yes ... Panic, No! - To Your Good Health (pg 12): The Other, Deadlier Kind of Stroke - Senior Newsline (pg 12): Were You Alive in 1940? - Senior Advice (pg 13): Financing the Grandchildren - Antique or Junque (pg 14): Chair Fit for a King, Haeger Potteries rooster - Sporting View (pg 14): Wooden, Tesla and teh Edison Question - MasterStrokes Golf Tips (pg 15): Real Practice
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May 31
70s
TIDBITS LOOKS BACK AT
The
by Kathy Wolfe
What do you remember most about the 1970s? Among other things, that ten year period was a decade of progress, celebration and political scandal. Slip on your bell-bottoms and platform shoes and let’s stroll back in time to recall a few of the more memorable events.• The twin towers of New York City’s WorldTradeCenterwerecompletedin1972tobecomethe world’s tallest buildings, surpassing the previous 40-year record holder, the Empire State Building.Thetwintowersdidn’tholdontothehonor forvery long,asChicago’sSearsToweroutdid them only a year later in 1973.
•Americacelebrated its200thbirthday in1976,commemorating the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Many of the festivities were centered in Philadelphia, the nation’sfirstcapital,andhomeoftheLibertyBelland IndependenceHall.Thecity’scelebrationswere tragically marred, however, by an epidemic ofa respiratorydisease thatstruck231people,of which 34 did not survive. Because most of thedeadweremembersoftheAmericanLegionattending a convention, the ailment was dubbed Legionnaire’s Disease. It was later identified
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ThecolossalVulcanstatueoverlooking the Birmingham, Alabama, skyline has arich history that dates back more than a century.
•Vulcan,theancientRomangodoftheforge,afurnace that heats metal to the malleable point, wasfirstassociatedwithBirminghamin1885,when his image was used as advertisement for the hardware and home furnishings store, the GeorgeC.KelleyCompany.
•Birmingham’spublicofficialswerelookingfora symbol thatwould reflect their city’s rootsin the iron and steel industry, but the town residents disagreed over whether to create a statue of Vulcan or Mercury. Vulcan was one of the rare ugly gods of ancient literature, while Mercury was the handsome god of commerce and travel.
• Thedecisionwasultimatelymadeintheearly1900s,whenJamesA.MacKnight,themanagerrepresenting Alabama in the 1904 World’s Fair, elected that a statue of Vulcan would be shown at the Fair to best represent the city’s growing industrial capabilities.
•Commissioned by the Commercial Club ofBirmingham, Italian-born sculptor Giuseppe Moretti was chosen for the project. He decided that the statue would depict Vulcan standing at an anvil grasping a forging hammer and a spearhead. The hammer represents the toolsused to shape iron, while the forged iron spearhead represents the rendered product.
•With the help of 16 assistants, Moretti wasgiven only six months to complete the task. He began the project in 1903 in an abandoned church building in Passaic, New Jersey.
•Thestatuewasoriginallyplannedtobe50feet
tall, but when it was learned that a 52-footstatueofBuddhastoodinTokyo,hedecidedtoincrease Vulcan’s height by another four feet.
•Morettidesignedthefigureusinga6-foottallmodel to study the correct proportions of the form. He next sculpted a full-sized clay master, then divided it into 29 separate sections.The pieces were transported by rail to theBirmingham Steel and IronCompany,wherethey made casting molds for the iron.
•Once all the components were cast, thegiant statue was then shipped in pieces to St. Louis,Missouri, where it was assembledand proudly shown as Alabama’s entry at the 1904 World’s Fair. Displayed at the “Louisiana Purchase Exposition” in the “PalaceofMinesandMetallurgy”,thesculpturewas awarded a Grand Prize.
•When the Fair had ended, the statue wasdismantled and returned by rail to its home city of Birmingham, only to be left in pieces alongside the railroad tracks due a dispute
TheMightyVulcan
1. GEOGRAPHY: Where are the Faroe Islands located?
2. TELEVISION: Which TV sit-com’s theme was the song “I’ll Be There for You”?
3. ASTRONOMY: What planet is named for the Roman god of trade, thieves and travel?
4. HISTORY: When did the Unit-ed States repeal Prohibition, which forebade sales of alcohol?
5. LEGAL: What is an affidavit?6. RELIGION: Which book of the
Bible describes the Israelites’ deliver-ance from slavery in Egypt?
7. MONEY: What European coun-try’s basic monetary unit was the escu-do — prior to the euro?
8. POLITICS: What was the nick-name for Teddy Roosevelt’s Progres-sive Party?
9. ANIMAL KINGDOM: What is the purpose of gills in fish?
10. MUSIC: What kind of bird was featured in the Disney song “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah”?
Answers1. Between Scotland and Iceland2. “Friends”3. Mercury4. 19335. A written statement made under
oath6. Exodus7. Portugal8. The Bull Moose Party9. To take in oxygen and release car-
1. Which group was associated with the album titled “Red Rose Speed-way”?
2. What is David Johansen’s other name?
3. Who had a popular album titled “All Hail the Queen”?
4. Name the Foghat song that ended up on the “Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas” video game.
5. Which trio released “The Second Time Around”?
6. Name the band responsible for “Yummy, Yummy, Yummy.”
Answers1. Paul McCartney & Wings, in
1973. Originally the album was to be two LPs, but in the end they released it as a single LP with nine songs.
2. Buster Poindexter. Johansen began using that name in the 1980s when he was with the Uptown Horns. He scored his first big hit with “Hot Hot Hot” in 1987.
3. Dana Elaine Owens, also known as Queen Latifah. The album went to No. 6 on the R&B charts. She’s had multiple Grammy nominations, as well as winning a Golden Globe.
4. “Slow Ride.” There are a number of versions of this 1977 song, ranging from 8 to 10 minutes.
5. Shalamar, in 1979. The song went to No. 1 on both the R&B and Dance charts.
6. The Ohio Express, in 1968. Aston-ishingly enough, the song went to No. 1 in Canada. The bubble-gum group followed up with “Chewy, Chewy.”
and ESPN, an acronym for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, was launched in September 1979 as a cable network devoted strictly to sports broadcasting.
• In 1975, powerful Teamsters Union leaderJimmy Hoffa vanished from a restaurant parkinglotinBloomfieldHills,Michigan.Hewas allegedly tied to organized crime, and it wasassumedhewaskilledbytheMafia.Hisbody has never been found.
• On television, our favorite Westerns“Gunsmoke”and“TheVirginian”werephasedout, as were sitcoms “Bewitched” and “IDreamofJeannie.”TheSci-Fierawasushered
Astronaut Eugene Cernan became the last man to walk on the moon in December 1972, as part of the Apollo 17 space mission. Purdue Univer-sity has the privilege of being alma mater of both the first man (Neil Armstrong) and the last man, Cernan, to walk on the moon.
Four high school seniors sufferingfrom “spring fever” skipped theirmorning classes and went to thebeach instead. After lunch, theyreturned to school and told their
teacher that they were late becausethey’d experienced a flat tire whilecarpooling together to the school.
Much to their relief, she smiled.“You missed a test today,” she
continued, “but you can make it upright now. Take seats apart fromone another and then get out apencil and a piece of paper.”
She waited for them to sit down,and then began. “Question One:Which tire on the car was flat?”
1. What’s the properscientific name for themoment that the springseason begins?
2. What flower istraditionally thefirst to bloom asspring
Unscramble this word:
S A L A N U NThis word means: springflowers that last one season
A N N U A L S
“Spring is Nature’s way ofsaying ‘Let’s party!!’”
~ Robin Williams
FILLER PAGE 1
1Q09 - WEEK 12MAR 15 - MAR 21
Fabio . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3/15/59
Rodney Peete . . . . . . 3/16/66
Rob Lowe . . . . . . . . . 3/17/64
Charley Pride . . . . . . 3/18/38
Glenn Close . . . . . . . 3/19/47
Holly Hunter . . . . . . . 3/20/58
Rosie O’Donnell. . . . . 3/21/62
If you’re in “spring cleaning”mode, take some time to make
sure that all of your vitalelectronic appliances (TV,
computer, stereo equipment)are plugged into adequate surgeprotectors. It’s also advisable tobuy a fresh supply of batteriesthat fit both your flashlight
and your portableradio. Store them in
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PLANT YOUR ADIN AN ISSUE OF
ANDWATCHYOURSALESGROW!
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QUIZ BITS
Answers page 16
Week of May 6, 2012 Tidbits of Coachella Valley Page 3
Four high school seniors sufferingfrom “spring fever” skipped theirmorning classes and went to thebeach instead. After lunch, theyreturned to school and told their
teacher that they were late becausethey’d experienced a flat tire whilecarpooling together to the school.
Much to their relief, she smiled.“You missed a test today,” she
continued, “but you can make it upright now. Take seats apart fromone another and then get out apencil and a piece of paper.”
She waited for them to sit down,and then began. “Question One:Which tire on the car was flat?”
1. What’s the properscientific name for themoment that the springseason begins?
2. What flower istraditionally thefirst to bloom asspring
Unscramble this word:
S A L A N U NThis word means: springflowers that last one season
A N N U A L S
“Spring is Nature’s way ofsaying ‘Let’s party!!’”
~ Robin Williams
FILLER PAGE 1
1Q09 - WEEK 12MAR 15 - MAR 21
Fabio . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3/15/59
Rodney Peete . . . . . . 3/16/66
Rob Lowe . . . . . . . . . 3/17/64
Charley Pride . . . . . . 3/18/38
Glenn Close . . . . . . . 3/19/47
Holly Hunter . . . . . . . 3/20/58
Rosie O’Donnell. . . . . 3/21/62
If you’re in “spring cleaning”mode, take some time to make
sure that all of your vitalelectronic appliances (TV,
computer, stereo equipment)are plugged into adequate surgeprotectors. It’s also advisable tobuy a fresh supply of batteriesthat fit both your flashlight
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Idaho’s Snake RiverCanyon near Twin Falls was the site of daredevil Evel Knievel’s
unsuccessful attempt in 1974 to jump a mile-wide chasm on a
rocket cycle. When his parachute malfunctioned and opened on takeoff, the famous stuntman floated 600 feet to the bottom
of the canyon. Over the course of his illustrious
career, Knievel suffered 433
broken bones.
as the result of a bacteria found in the air-conditioning pipes of the Bellevue Stratford Hotel. The air conditioning was quicklyreplaced, but the damage had been done to the hotel’s reputation, and it went bankrupt shortly afterward.
•OnOctober1,1971,the107-acreWaltDisneyWorldresortofficiallyopened,sevenyearsafterWaltDisneyhadprocured27,443acresoflandin central Florida.Unfortunately,Disney hadpassedawayfiveyearsearlierandnever sawhisdreamfulfilled.Itisnowtheworld’smost-visited entertainment resort and welcomes about 17 million visitors every year.
•DoesthenameLouiseBrownringabell?Shewasafive-pound,12-ouncebabygirldeliveredin July 1978, theworld’sfirst test-tubebaby,born as a result of the experimental in vitro fertilization process. Although called a test-tube baby, her conception actually took place in a petri dish. Brown became a mother herself in2006.
•Afterscoring1590outofapossible1600ontheSAT,17-year-oldBillGatesenrolledatHarvardin 1973. He stayed in contact with his boyhood chum Paul Allen, and after dropping out of
Harvard,GatesteamedupwithAllenin1975to form Microsoft, a combined abbreviation of “microcomputer”and“software.”
•Thebignewsof1977was thedeathofElvisPresley, declared by the medical examiner as the resultof“coronaryarrhythmia.”OvertheeightmonthspriortotheKing’sdeath,hisphysicianhad prescribed more than 10,000 doses of sedatives, amphetamines and narcotics. Theautopsy revealed 14 different drugs in Presley’s system at the time of his death. As thousands lined up outside Graceland’s gates during the funeral, a car swerved into a group of fans, killingtwo.Morethan80,000peoplelinedtheprocession route to his Forest Hill Cemeteryburial site.
• In 1972, burglars broke into the DemocraticParty’s National Committee office at theWatergate Hotel. In the coming months it was revealed that President Richard Nixon was involved in covering up the burglary and possessed a number of stolen tapes. When he refused to surrender the tapes, a judge ordered the chief executive to hand them over. In 1974, impeachment proceedings were initiated against the president. In August of that year, Nixon became the first president to resignoffice,andvicepresidentGeraldFordbecamehis successor. A month later, Ford issued a full pardon to Nixon for “all offenses against the UnitedStates.”
•Whatwere folkswearing in the1970s?Bell-bottomed pants paired with either a turtleneck sweaterorflower-printshirtwasthe“in”look.After the premiere of the movie “Saturday Night Fever” in 1977, JohnTravolta’s three-piece suit and wide-collared shirt inspired the disco fashion. For women, hot pants and thigh-high boots were all the rage, as were fringed leather mini-skirts and platform shoes. Guys sported long sideburns, and the large “Afro”hairstyle became fashionable.
• In the sports world, Hank Aaron beat BabeRuth’shomerunrecordwhenhehithis715thcareer home run in April 1974. By the time Aaron retired in 1976, his record was 755homers,onethathelduntil2006.ABCbeganbroadcasting Monday Night Football in 1970,
1. What was banned from being shown on television in the 1970s?
2. What monetary item issued in the 70s failed in popularity?
By Samantha Weaver
Page 4 Tidbits of Coachella Valley Vol. VIII Issue 19
Ray R. Coulter, A Professional Corporation(760) 323-2261 • [email protected] Box 3065, Palm Springs, CA 92263
● It was Canadian author Saul Bellow who made the following sage observa-tion: “You never have to change anything you got up in the middle of the night to write.”
● The U.S. military has created self-cleaning underwear. Yep. It seems they wanted skivvies that soldiers could wear for several weeks without changing. Nanoparticles and chemicals in the fab-ric repel liquids and bacteria.
● More books have been written about Abraham Lincoln than about any other American president -- more than 15,000 to date.
● It is only to be assumed that Ara-bella Young, a Massachusetts woman who died in 1771, was considered to be a bit too talkative. Otherwise there would have been no need for the following epi-taph: “Here lies as silent clay / Miss Ara-bella Young, / Who on the 21st of May / Began to hold her tongue.”
● Be glad that you did not have the misfortune to be in Bangladesh during record storms in 1985. You might have been brained by the record hailstones, some weighing more than 2 pounds each.
● You might not be surprised to learn that among his Hollywood friends, screen legend and notorious drinker Humphrey Bogart was nicknamed Whis-key Straight.
● The founders of the Arby’s chain were a pair of brothers, Forest and Leroy Raffel. They wanted to name the origi-nal restaurant Big Tex, but found that the name was already owned by someone else. They settled on Arby’s to represent the initials R.B.’s for Raffel Brothers. *** Thought for the Day: “I never blame myself when I’m not hitting. I just blame the bat, and if it keeps up, I change bats. After all, if I know it isn’t my fault that I’m not hitting, how can I get mad at myself?” -- Yogi Berra(c) 2012 King Features Synd., Inc.
pieces together again it was discovered that the spearhead was missing. Making matters worse, workers had incorrectly attached the arms with the left hand turned the wrong way and his right hand backward, making him unable to hold his hammer and spear!
•Withnothingtoholdinitshands,thestatuesoonbecame an advertising figure. Over the years,Vulcan held an ice cream cone, a Coca-Colabottle, and even a bunch of Heinz pickles.
•It was notuntil 1936that the statue found a suitable home at the top of nearby Red Mountain. A 126-footpedestal was built of local sandstone, and Vulcan was hoisted into place. The armsw e r e c o r r e c t l y reattached, a new spear was fabricated to be held high in his right hand, and his left hand again held a hammer at his side.
•TheVulcanstatueisthelargestcastironstatuein the world and the largest metal statue to ever bemadeintheUnitedStates.Ataheightof56feet, the Vulcan is made from 100,000 pounds ofiron.Standingatopits124footpedestal,thetipofthestatueis180feethigh.
• In 1946, Vulcan’s spear hand was given alighted torch to encourage safe driving. Ondays when there were no fatal car accidents, it glowed green. If a fatality had occurred, it glowed red.
•Harsh weather conditions caused Vulcan tocrack and be removed from his pedestal in
Vulcan on his restored pedestal with new elevator tower.
1999. He was restored and returned to his place atop Red Mountain in 2003. Vulcanwasrepaintedwithanaluminum-likefinishandlooked like new.
• City leaders also created an historical parkadjacent to the statue, now called Vulcan Park and Museum.
•Today, the museum and park are availablefor public and private events, and have hosted corporate meetings, cocktail parties, luncheons, wedding ceremonies and receptions.
•Althoughthetorchwasremovedin1999,itisondisplay inVulcanCenter, andvisitors caneven push a button to light it, though now it only glows green.
•PeoplestillchuckleaboutVulcan’sstrangepathto his present place of dignity and prominence inAlabama’shistory.■
Week of May 6, 2012 Tidbits of Coachella Valley Page 5
NeedtoknowmoreaboutthefamilyCervidae?Well, you’ve come to the right place! Here are a fewfactsyoumaynotknowabouttheseuniqueanimalsthatyoujustmightfindinteresting.•Theword“deer”comesfromtheOldEnglishwordder,meaning“beast.”Allspeciesofthedeer family are ruminants, meaning the stomach is divided into three or four compartments. They are also characterized by deciduousantlers — antlers that they shed.
• Thereare38differentspeciesofdeer,includingthe more common white-tailed and mule as well as elk, moose, caribou and reindeer.
•Deer are excellent swimmers, even theenormous moose, which can paddle several miles at a time and completely submerge for upwards of 30 seconds.
•ThesmallestoftheNorthAmericandeeristhewhite-tailed deer. It’s also the most abundant biggameanimalonthecontinent.Thewhite-tailisnativetoallbutfiveU.S.states—You
won’t find it in Nevada, Utah, California,AlaskaorHawaii.Thewhite-tailcanjumpashigh as 10 feet and as far as 30 feet in distance. Theadultmaleweighsinatabout200pounds.Thecolorofitsupperbodyandsideschangeswith the seasons — It’s reddish-brown in the summer and a light buff color in winter.
•TheAlaskanmoose is the largest deer of theNew World. It measures a height at the withers in excess of 7 feet and, when fully grown, weighsupto1,800pounds.Consideringtheirsize, moose are remarkably swift runners, up to 35mphovershortdistancesandasteadytrotof20mphforlongerintervals.Anewbornmooseweighs about 30 pounds and grows surprisingly quickly.Atjustfivedaysold,amoosecalfcanoutrun a human.
•Folkstalkingaboutwapitiarereferringtoelk,second in size only to the moose. A typical bull elk weighs about 700 pounds, twice as much asamuledeer,andgrowstoaheightof5feetwith a lengthof 8 feet.Themale elk sproutsantlerseachyear,whichcanquicklygrowupto 45 inches long and weigh as much as 40pounds. Antlers grow at a rate of nearly an inch a day and are covered with velvet during the growing season. Some cultures in Asia use the antler velvet as an ingredient in some of their medicines.
• Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer is really acaribou.Caribou live in thenorthernareasofNorth America, Europe, Asia and Greenland. Typically, the Europeans refer to the speciesas reindeer, and nearly all Asian and European reindeer are domesticated, while the caribou of North America travel in large wild herds. At the time of the season’s first snowfall,caribou begin a southern migration, traveling asmuchas1,600mileseachyear.Duringtheconstruction of the Alaska Pipeline, it was specificallystipulatedthattheprojectcouldnotblock caribou migrations.
• Reindeerhaveglandsbetween theirhind toesthat allow them to leave scent trails for the herd to follow. Naturalists who study reindeer claim the scent has a fragrance similar to cheese.
• In Iceland,many restaurants include reindeersausage pie as a regluar feature on their menus.
• Caribou are the only species in which thefemalesgrowantlers.Thefemalewillbearjustone calf each year, which will be on its feet and
Oh,DEER!
traveling the very next day. Its large hooves function as snowshoes to support its bulk over deep snow.
• The slang term“buck,” referring toadollar,came about in the early U.S. frontier dayswhen the skin of a male deer (a buck) was a consideredcurrencyandoftenusedfortrade.■
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The Old Sea Captain
A gruff old sea captain walked into a seaside tavern on the wharf and ordered a tall glass of rum from the bartender. Looking every bit the picture of a salty old pirate, he had a patch over one eye, a bushy black beard, a parrot on hisshoulder, a wooden peg leg and a metal hook at the end of his arm.
After serving him the rum the bartender, think-ing he must certainly have interesting tales of the high seas to tell, decided to strike up a conversa-tion with the salty old mariner.
“So, tell me, captain,” he asked, “how did you happen to lose your leg like that?”
“Arrrrr!” said the captain, “A rogue wave quar-tered our ship from the stern. Took us all by sur-prise, it did. All hands was washed off deck into the sea where the sharks was waitin’. One of ‘em took me leg clean off while another took me hand ‘afore I was able to run ‘em both through with me sword. Aye... lucky to get out alive, I was! An’ now I stumps aroun’ with a wooden peg an’ this ‘ere ‘ook.”
“Wow!” said the bartender. “That’s some story!So how did you lose your eye?”
“Seagull dung.” said the captain. “Flying over-head, it was, an’ it ‘its me square in me eye!”
“Really?” said the bartender. “But how could seagull dung cause you to lose your whole eye?”
“Arrrrrr!” growled the captain. “It ‘appened the same day I got me ‘ook!”
Door Pros c/o Mark HigbieBZ 4C 26xJan. 29, 2012 Vol. 8 - No. 5
TUES., JAN. 24
Q: Genie Francis is one of my all-time favorite actresses, and I just love her in the Hallmark Channel’s “The Note” series. Will there be a third movie? -- Catherine F., Harrisburg, Pa.
A: Just in time for Mother’s Day, Genie Francis and Ted McGinley are back as newlyweds Peyton MacGruder and King Danville in “Notes from the Heart Healer,” premiering Sunday, May 13, on the Hallmark Channel. The couple is celebrating their first anniversary when they are surprised by an abandoned baby on their doorstep. I spoke with Genie re-cently, and she was excited to explore the mothering aspect of the character, since Peyton gave up a child for adoption 20-some years earlier. “What I love most about Peyton is that she gets involved and she brings everything up as if it were a spiritual question like, ‘Why did I get this baby on my doorstep?’ She wants to help prevent the mother of this abandoned baby from ending up like her. Throughout this, there’s a healing for Peyton in that she knows that she’s got it in her to be a good mother.” ***
Q: While I don’t want “Desperate Housewives” to end, I am excited to see what’s in store for the series finale. Can you give me any hints? -- Tina D., via e-mail
A: A familiar face will return to Wisteria
Lane for the show’s finale on May 13 at 10 p.m. EDT on ABC. Dana Delany -- who currently stars in her own hit ABC show “Body of Proof” -- will reprise her role as Katherine Mayfair. The story behind her re-turn has been kept hush-hush, so we’ll just have to wait and see what she’s up to. ***
Q: My husband heard that Ryan O’Neal has cancer. Is that true? -- Hannah F., via e-mail
A: Ryan, 70, recently announced that he is battling Stage 2 prostate cancer, and that he’s expect-ed to make a full recovery. While he was “shocked and stunned” by the news, he is hopeful about his prognosis. ***
Q: I can’t get enough “GCB,” and I es-pecially love Heather Cruz. What can you tell me about the actress who plays her? -- Deena A., Norfolk, Va.
A: Marisol Nichols plays feisty and inde-pendent real-estate agent Heather Cruz. Marisol told me recently why she loves her character so much: “I could understand what she had to do to survive in this community, and I felt like she was the most grounded out of everybody. She worked her butt off to get to where she is: She didn’t inherit a business; she wasn’t born into money; she didn’t marry into it.She had to make it on her own, and that I can com-pletely relate to. I’ve been working odd jobs since I was 12. I think I forged my ID when I was a kid so that I could work at 14. I wanted to work; I didn’t want to have to ask people for money.”
Write to Cindy at King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475; or e-mail her at [email protected].
Genie Francis
Page 6 Tidbits of Coachella Valley Vol. VIII Issue 19
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Dear D.R.: Four to eight drops of essen-tial oil (lavender, for example) in 1 quart of water makes a wonderful air freshener when sprayed lightly into the air. If your Air Wick dispenser is refillable, filling with this mixture should work quite nicely. Essential oils are highly concentrated. A small bottle lasts a long time. You can find essen-tial oils and fragrance oils in craft stores, candles shops and online in a wide range of grades and prices. * * * Dear Mary: I know the importance of exfoliating regularly to keep my skin looking younger. Do you have any suggestions for how
to make a homemade recipe? -- Mercedes, email
Dear Mercedes: There are several, but this is my favorite because it is so quick and easy: Once a week or so, make a paste from granulated sugar and fresh lemon juice. While showering, invigorate your skin with the paste. Use the inside of the lemon rind to soften heels and elbows. Rinse off, and your skin will be smooth and silky. Lemons contain powerful glycolic acid, one of the key ingre-dients in pricey skin-care products. I’m sending you a copy of my booklet, “Cheapskate Solutions,” that’s filled with recipes, formulas and instructions for making your own housecleaning, garden, and health and beauty products. You might want to try other exfoliating recipes you’ll find in the health and beauty sec-tion. Cheapskate Solutions is available in print or eBooklet formats. The print booklet is $7, and the eBooklet version is $5. To order, go to www.DebtProofLiving.com and click on Bookstore, call 800-550-3502, or send a check or money order to Debt-Proof Living, Attn: CS, P.O. Box 2099, Cy-press, CA 90630. * * * Dear Mary: We have health insurance through my husband’s company. The cost for our family of five has risen dramatically. We have been researching obtaining our own insurance directly with the insurance company for myself and three children. My husband would continue to be covered by his company’s
plan. It appears that we could get the same insurance coverage with the same insurance company for much less than we would pay through my husband’s employer. Is this a good idea? Are there any risks? -- Jan, Illinois
Dear Jan: It never hurts to compare and shop your insurance coverage, and I suggest you do that. Just make sure you don’t cancel what you have until you have something better in place. You don’t want any gaps in coverage. Make sure you are comparing like-for-like, paying attention to every aspect of the coverage. You could get a cheaper premium but end up with a huge deduct-ible, a long list of exclusions or a weak list of ser-vice providers. Just keep in mind that generally it’s pretty difficult to beat a group plan.
Do you have a question for Mary? Email her at [email protected], or write to Everyday Cheapskate, P.O. Box 2099, Cypress, CA 90630. Mary Hunt is the founder of www.DebtProofLiving.com, a personal finance member website and the author of “7 Money Rules for Life,” released in January 2012. To find out more about Mary and read her past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.
Finally, a Bank Does the Right Thing Chase bank is helping wounded warriors own free homes. What an amazing statement, given the grief that banks have given homeowners in recent years. But it’s true. Chase hooked up with three nonprofit groups -- Military Warriors Support Foundation, Op-eration Homefront and Building Homes for Heroes -- to provide homes as a means of apologizing for the mistakes made in foreclosing on homes owned by active military and veterans. Specifically, within five years, Chase has vowed to provide a mortgage-free home to 1,000 wounded veterans. Chase, also known as JPMorgan Chase, didn’t stop there. --Lower mortgage interest rates: Eligible borrowers will have a 4 percent interest rate while on active duty and for a year after that. The Service-
members Civil Relief Act (SCRA) limit is 6 percent. --Improved affordable loan program: If you’re having problems making payments and want a mort-gage modification, Chase will go above and beyond the new Home Affordable Modification Program. --No foreclosure for active duty personnel. --Employment: In the next 10 years, Chase will coordinate the hiring of 100,000 veterans, work-ing in tandem with other corporations. --Education: Earn a Technology Educa-tion certificate via Syracuse University, courtesy of Chase, if you were active duty after Sept. 11, 2001. Study from home, as the program will be online. Check www.veterans.syr.edu for more details. --Access: To make sure someone is avail-able to handle veteran matters, it’s opened a hotline that runs 24 hours a day. For mortgage questions, call the Chase Military Services Hotline at 877-469-0110. I’m not a fan of banks, but when one steps up and does the right thing, it needs to be encouraged. For a look at all Chase is doing, go online to ChaseMilitary.com.
Write to Freddy Groves in care of King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475, or send e-mail to [email protected].
Week of May 6, 2012 Tidbits of Coachella Valley Page 7
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Page 8 Tidbits of Coachella Valley Vol. VIII Issue 19
Crossword answers on page 16
(Solution on page 16)
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Cats, Dogs anD other PeoPle By Matthew Margolis
Week of May 6, 2012 Tidbits of Coachella Valley Page 9
Tidbits® Word Search
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Another Kind of Cruelty When we talk about animal cruelty, it’s typi-cally in the context of humans abusing animals phys-ically or emotionally -- hitting an animal, starving an animal, neglecting an animal. But there is another kind of cruelty, one in which humans allow or even encourage one animal to abuse another. Dogfighting is a particularly sadistic version of this. Here’s a ver-sion that hits closer to home:
“We have two female Shih Tzus, and we brought both of them home at 8 weeks old. Over the past few months, Sadie, who is now 4, has become aggressive toward Precious. This started when our grandson was born, but over the past couple of months, it’s been getting worse. We never know when she will attack. Precious could be napping or just walking by, and Sadie attacks. “In Sadie’s defense, Precious does try to take her food, and we have to stand between them when giving them snacks. But outside of that, Sadie seems to snap for no reason. “Yesterday, we had to separate Sadie from Pre-cious and the rest of the family because she would not stop growling and charging ferociously at Precious. We had to keep her in the laundry room all night. Sadie once bit Precious in the eye and caused some damage. Our vet was able to take care of her, but later, Sadie bit her again in the same eye, causing additional injury. “I just don’t know what to do. It’s getting out of control. We have tried throwing cold water on them, but it doesn’t work. She will not listen to us.”
Female dogs follow a pattern similar to hu-man sisters. They play well together when they’re little -- and they want to kill each other when they grow up. At least for a while. The difference is that human impulses, for the most part, are mitigated by our capacity for em-pathy and our understanding -- or fear -- of conse-quences. Dogs aren’t bridled by such things. And this seems particularly true of female dogs in rela-tion to other female dogs. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: If you’re going to get two dogs, your best pairing is one male and one female; next best is two males; last resort is two females. But whatever the pairing, if one dog is hurt-
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CASEY’S CORNER (from page 9)
lifelonghealth
Dr. David Lipschitz
‘Big government is like an infant: An alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other.’ - Ronald Reagan
ing the other, they must be separated -- permanently. It is cruel and unfair to subject the one to the on-going torture and torment of the other. In allowing injury after injury, dogfight after dogfight, we are as guilty of animal cruelty as if we personally bloodied a dog. In this case, the two lady Shih Tzus do not get along. They will not grow out of it. It will con-tinue to get worse. And the fact that they are small is irrelevant. Size doesn’t matter with aggression. An eye is an eye. As dog owners, we have a duty to protect our dogs, even from each other. We are responsible for their well-being, their safe-keeping, their happi-ness and their good, long lives. If the owner loves and cares for Precious, she will find a new home for one of her dogs. Woof!
Dog trainer Matthew “Uncle Matty” Mar-golis is co-author of 18 books about dogs, a behaviorist, a popular radio and television guest, and host of the PBS series “WOOF! It’s a Dog’s Life!” Read all of Uncle Matty’s columns at the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com, and visit him at http://www.unclematty.com. Send your questions to [email protected] or by mail to Uncle Matty at P.O. Box 3300, Diamond Springs, CA 95619.
COPYRIGHT 2012 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.
Doctor Groups Diagnose When Tests Are Overdone Leaders in the field of medicine are embrac-ing the fact that we do far too many unnecessary tests and procedures that could account for a third to a half of our $3.2 trillion annual health care spend-ing. In the past few weeks, nine major medical groups have each come up with five commonly or-dered tests in their practices that are overused. This is part of the “Choose Wisely” campaign that is led by the American Board of Internal Medicine Founda-tion and Consumer Reports. Here are some of the tests and recommendations that many believe are overused. Not all groups and all recommendations are listed here. Family physicians recommend against X-rays of the lower back during the first six weeks after symptom development; antibiotics for mild-to-moderate sinus infections; a bone-density test for women under 65 or men under 70 who have no risk factors for osteoporosis; and pap tests for women under 21 or those who have had a hysterectomy. The American College of Physicians, which represents internists, questions the need for a rou-tine EKG if the patient is at low risk of heart disease; CT or MRI scans if the person has fainted or lost consciousness and has no neurological problems; and preoperative chest X-rays if the patient has no lung problems. Cancer doctors recommend against the treatment of many tumors if the patient is weak and frail and there is no proven evidence that treatment will succeed. Expensive scans -- including PET, CT or bone scans -- should not be done in patients with early-stage breast or prostate cancer, nor should there be excessive monitoring of patients who have had curative treatment for breast cancer. Cardiologists recommend against routine exercise stress tests if the patient is at low risk of having heart problems and against stress tests or CT scans of the heart in patients with known heart disease who are symptom-free. Gastroenterologists recommend the lowest effective dose in the treatment of gastric reflux. If a colonoscopy screening for cancer is normal, the test should not be repeated for 10 years. If small polyps are found, the test should be repeated every five --
rather than three -- years. Radiologists recommend that X-rays and CT scans should not be done in patients with un-complicated headaches, children with suspected appendicitis, who should be evaluated with a less dangerous and cheaper ultrasound, and women with ovarian cysts that are not causing problems. And finally, allergists recommend against a battery of routine tests to identify a cause of aller-gies, the use of CT scans or antibiotics for uncompli-cated sinus infections, and routine extensive testing for someone with chronic hives. According to the American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation, this is the first of a series of recommendations aimed at physicians and the gen-eral public urging that they all “choose wisely” in rec-ommending questionable tests. And while the evidence seems more and more compelling that less may be adequate, it is almost impossible for advocates and specialists in the field to change practice habits that have been serving them well for decades. I believe it is rare for a physician to knowingly order a test that is unnec-essary. Their experience, the way they were trained and the routines they always follow make them question the validity of recommendations against tests they use frequently. After all, in every field of endeavor there are many schools of thought with conservative, middle-of-the road and aggressive positions. And there is the real fear of litigation and concerns that failure to do something will lead to a lawsuit. Simultaneously, patients must become more involved in understanding that insisting that everything possible be done (“After all, my insur-ance pays for it”) may not be in their best interest. I met a survivor who had a whole-body CT scan an-nually to make sure the cancer had not returned. While he had read that this was excessive and per-haps dangerous, learning that he was cancer free made it worth it to him. After his fifth CT scan, his risk of another cancer from radiation is high; repeat testing will not prolong his life and the cost is high, too. Being educated will lead to greater under-standing, insights into the risk and complication, better care and will perhaps even avoid anger and litigious threats that make physicians do more than they should.
Dr. David Lipschitz is the author of the book “Break-ing the Rules of Aging.” To find out more about Dr. David Lipschitz and read features by other Creators Syndicate writ-ers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com. More information is available at:www.drdavidhealth.com COPYRIGHT 2012 CREATORS.COM
WilsonCasey’snewbook,“Firsts: Origins ofEveryday Things That Changed the World” is available from Alpha/Penguin publishing.
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1. The book of Habakkuk is in the a) Old Testament b) New Testament c) Neither
2. Who is the only woman in the Bible with her age mentioned? a) Eve b) Ruth c) Leah d) Sarah
3. What did Methuselah become at 187 years old? a) Saved b) Invalid c) Fatherd) Martyr
4. From Mark 9, Hell is a place where what dieth not? a) Body b) Soul c) Wormd) Wickedness
5. On what day did God divide land andwater? a) 2nd b) 3rd c) 4th d) 5th
6. What bird was named for the ApostlePeter? a) Tern b) Cormorant c) Aukletd) Petrel
Week of May 6, 2012 Tidbits of Coachella Valley Page 11
YOUR
SOCIAL SECURITY by Tom Margeneau
Reform, Yes ... Panic, No! I was all set to submit a column to my edi-tor with reactions to the fact sheet I recently offered my readers called “When to Take Your Social Secu-rity Benefits.” But then I woke up this morning to this headline in my morning paper: “Social Security Drain is Gaining Momentum.” It was yet another news report predicting the demise of our nation’s bedrock retirement insurance program. So I’m de-laying that practical column about the best time to sign up for Social Security to write a more politically-charged newspaper story dealing with the hot button issue of Social Security reform. The latest news stories focused on a recent report issued by Social Security’s Board of Trustees, based on data compiled by Social Security Adminis-tration actuaries, that the program’s trust funds will run dry in 2033, three years earlier than the estimate in last year’s report. Lower than anticipated wages (and thus lower projected payroll tax receipts) were cited as the main reason for the sooner-than-expect-ed funding shortfall. This latest trustee’s report will inevitably lead to all kinds of gloom and doom stories in the media -- some of them predicting catastrophic con-sequences for the program and its beneficiaries. Indeed, the report in my local paper said, “Unless Congress acts -- and forcefully -- payments to millions of Americans will be cut.” And I know I will get emails from thousands of my readers. Some will be seriously concerned that their Social Security checks will soon be reduced. Others will make hasty and ill-advised decisions about starting their Social Security benefits (perhaps too soon) because they are worried that the rug will be pulled out from beneath them -- that Social Secu-rity rules will change dramatically in the next couple of years. My message to all concerned is to take a deep breath and calm down. Sure, Social Security has long-range funding problems -- due almost entirely to the fact that baby boomers are turning into senior boomers at the rate of tens of thousands per day. But they are problems that can be dealt with in a rational and comprehen-sive manner. And they will be dealt with as soon as this country has the political will to take on the chal-lenge. And I think that will is just about there. This problem isn’t new, of course. People have known about the demographic time bomb rep-resented by the aging baby boom generation for many years now. And most folks have been inclined to blame Congress for inaction, wondering: “Why don’t they do something to fix Social Security?” I place a large part of the blame on the Amer-ican people -- on voters and our negatively-focused election process. For example, if I had run for Con-gress anytime in the recent past on a Social Secu-rity reform platform that called for an increase in the retirement age and a slight decrease in annual cost-
of-living adjustments (two very realistic and rational reform scenarios), I would have lost the election in a landslide. My opponent would have run negative ads claiming that I was out to gut grandma’s Social Security checks. I can envision the 30 second spot now. There would have been a picture of me taken on my worst bad hair and ugly face day, and next to me would be a sweet little old lady staring at her Social Security check in horror. A very ominous-sounding voiceover would say, “Did you know that Tom Margenau has a plan to slash our Social Security?” Then we would have seen my opponent, as handsome as the day is long, walking though a field of flowers with lots of happy, smiling and adoring senior citizens surround-ing him. And you’d have heard him say, “Vote for me, Wally Wonderful. I love my grandma and I won’t touch her Social Security check with a ten foot pole.” And sadly, the voters would have bought it. But as I said, I think the mood of the country is changing. I think folks are ready to acknowledge that we have to do something to deal with Social Se-curity’s long-range problems. So what can we do? I’ve used this column many times to offer some suggestions for reform. These aren’t solutions that I’ve dreamt up. They are commonly cited proposals for dealing with Social Security’s funding problems. Even though you will hear all kinds of ideas over the next couple of years for changing Social Security -- from radical right wing proposals to “privatize” the system to nonsense left wing suggestions to “leave well enough alone” -- I will bet money that two or three of the following reforms will eventually be adopted and passed into law: --A long-range increase in the retirement age, probably to age 68; --An increase in the number of years used to compute a Social Security retirement benefit, from the current 35 year base to 38, which will have the effect of slightly reducing future retirement benefis; --An increase in the Social Security taxable wage base, probably to $250,000; --A long-range and small increase in the pay-roll tax, perhaps from the current 6.2 percent to 6.5 percent; and --A small decrease in the annual cost-of-liv-ing-adjustment (COLA) paid to Social Security ben-eficiaries. Here is one final note about the timeframe
for dealing with Social Security reform. Most of my readers were in their 20s and 30s the last time the program faced a financial shortfall. This was in the late 1970s, and at the time, Social Security was only five years away from insolvency. Many of you were too young to give Social Security a second thought. But a series of amendments in 1983 set the system on the course it’s still on today, putting the system in the black for the next half century. I’m not saying we should once again wait un-til Social Security is five years away from bankruptcy. The sooner we deal with Social Security reform, the better. But I am saying we don’t need to panic.
If you have a Social Security question, Tom Mar-genau has the answer. Contact him at [email protected]. To find out more about Tom Margenau and to read past columns and see features from other Creators Syndi-cate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate web-site at www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2012 CREATORS.COM
Ad Proof: Bram’s1/12th page, B&W, 26x rate ($89.00/wk)Jan. 22, 2012[Volume 8: Issue #4]Corrections due by: 5 pm, Wed. 1/18/12
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The idea of Go Figure is to arriveat the figures given at the bot-tom and right-hand columns ofthe diagram by following thearithmetic signs in the orderthey are given (that is, from leftto right and top to bottom). Useonly the numbers below the dia-gram to complete its blanksquares and use each of thenine numbers only once.
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Go Figureanswers
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Were You Alive in 1940? When the eagerly awaited 1940 Census results came out online recently, millions of geneal-ogy hunters flooded the website within the first few hours. Some of those, it’s feared, were scammers out to extract information they’ll use on seniors. There are 20 million seniors who were alive when the 1940 Census was done. The questions asked included current street address, occupation, level of education, whether the person had a Social Security card and more. One of the concerns now is that if someone is out to steal your identity, they could use the Cen-sus information to create a scam. For example, a scammer could determine where you likely went to high school, then call you and claim to have been a classmate. Scammers could even pretend to be someone else who lived on your street at that time. After a short reminiscence, you might be conned into revealing information about your current life. That sounds like a lot of work for crooks who want a more immediate return for their efforts. It’s not likely to happen. Still, it makes sense to consider the pos-sibilities. If you get a call or email out of the blue from someone who alleges to be a former class-mate or childhood friend, don’t give out any infor-mation without verifying who it really is. Even then, beware. The usual cautions always apply:
► Leave your Social Security card at home in a safe place. Never carry it with you. ► Shred payment stubs, old tax returns or any other documents that have your name, account numbers or any other personal information on them before putting them in the trash. ► When you pay with a credit card, keep your eyes on the card to make sure a number “skimmer” isn’t used. ► Do not have your phone number printed on your personal checks. ► Don’t send outgoing bills or mail from your mailbox at home. ► Don’t give any personal information over the phone to anyone who calls without verifying who it is.
Matilda Charles regrets that she cannot person-ally answer reader questions, but will incorporate them into her column whenever possible. Write to her in care of King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475, or send e-mail to [email protected].
Page 12 Tidbits of Coachella Valley Vol. VIII Issue 19
The Other, Deadlier Kind of Stroke DEAR DR. DONOHUE: In October of last year, my husband, age 63, died of a brain hemorrhage (stroke). He was a youthful, health-conscious man, now sorely missed by his wife, family and friends. This tragedy was due to un-diagnosed high blood pressure, since he, like many men, refused to visit the doctor. Please encourage people, especially 55 and older, to have a checkup so they don’t suf-fer a similar fate. -- R.A.
ANSWER: My sincerest condolences to you and your family. I hope many who read your letter will take your advice. I’ve written about ischemic stroke, the kind that comes from a plugged brain artery. It accounts for most strokes. The letter-writer’s husband suf-fered a hemorrhagic stroke, one that comes from bleeding from a brain artery. Hemorrhagic strokes have an abrupt onset. A person can be fine one minute, and the next there’s a profound change. He or she can’t move an arm or a leg, can’t talk or has a sudden, severe headache. Shortly the person becomes unresponsive. For 50 percent of people with a hemorrhagic stroke, death is the final step, and it often comes quickly. Differentiating a stroke caused by bleeding from one caused by artery plugging is not some-thing for an untrained person to attempt. Confronted by someone who has the signs of a stroke, an un-trained person should call for immediate help. As Mrs. R.A. points out, high blood pressure is one of the most common medical conditions re-sponsible for a hemorrhagic stroke. Prevention of these lethal strokes depends on knowing what your blood pressure is. Keeping blood pressure in the normal range is the best way to prevent them. The trouble with high blood pressure is that it seldom produces any signs until it’s too late. The booklet on stroke presents the different kinds, their treatment and their prevention. Read-ers can order a copy by writing: Dr. Donohue -- No. 902W, Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Enclose a check or money order (no cash) for $4.75 U.S./$6
Canada with the recipient’s printed name and ad-dress. Please allow four weeks for delivery. *** DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am an 82-year-old man with a history of two cancers, prostate and bladder, two knee replacements and lots of osteoarthritis. In spite of all that, I’m in good shape. I work out every day, I tour by bicycle 20 to 25 miles in a day, and I’ve lots of energy. About four months ago, the strangest thing started happening to me. Every time I eat, my nose starts to run. It’s more of a nui-sance than a real problem, but it mystifies me. Why does it happen? -- D.M.
ANSWER: It is strange, and it has a name -- gustatory rhinitis, a classy way of saying “runny nose when you eat.” Hot and spicy foods often pro-voke the reaction. Some consider it a reflex that has no useful purpose. If you’re going out to eat and don’t want to be embarrassed, taking an antihistamine about an hour before the meal might work. The na-sal spray Astelin has a good reputation for stopping the drip. Don’t use these every day. Save them for a special occasion. *** DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Is it possible for a man with prostate cancer, before it is treat-ed, to pass the cancer to his wife through inter-course? This subject came up during lunch with friends. Some said it was possible. -- C.N.
ANSWER: Prostate cancer is not passed from a man to his wife through intercourse or in any other way. * * *
Dr. Donohue regrets that he is unable to answer indi-vidual letters, but he will incorporate them in his column when-ever possible. Readers may write him or request an order form of available health newsletters at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475.
(c) 2012 North America Synd., Inc.
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Financing theGrandchildren
Q: Our oldest grandchild will begin college in September, and his parents have asked us for a loan to help out with his tuition and other costs. Although we could certainly handle it, we are reluctant to set a precedent like this since there are three more grandchil-dren who will also be starting college in the matter of a few short years. We feel like we’ve been put in a no-win, “Catch 22” situation. If we turn them down we’re afraid there’s going to be disappointment and some hurt feelings. If we do offer to help them out we know we are only going to be in the same situation again later. We are retired and able to live comfortably, but our pockets go only so deep. We’re afraid we may find ourselves in financial trouble if we start giving away chunks of the retirement nestegg we’ve worked so long and so hard to build. We’re stuck, and we have to give them an answer soon. What do you suggest? How do you think we should respond?
A: You are in a sticky situation, I agree. But first and foremost, your decision should be based on consideration of your own needs first. You need to determine how much income you need and how much reserve is required to maintain the lifestye you now have and are accustomed to. To do this you need to decide what is required to cover all of the future expenses in your lifetime. You need to consider rising health care costs, rising insurance rates, increased taxes, inflation, unforeseen emer-gencies, and myriad other unanticipated expenses. You have worked hard for your retirement nestegg so you can enjoy your golden years as worry-free as possible, and it is not selfish to want to protect that. You do not want to place yourselves in jeopardy. Another reality is that a loan for your grand-son’s education is unlikely to be repaid. You might as well consider it a gift. And, yes, chances are your “loan” will become an annual expectation and would likely need to be increased due to rising tuition and housing costs. How many other grandchildren are in the pipeline? Is your grandson a serious student and has he defined a specific career goal? If not, would a year working part time or enrolling in a junior col-lege help add to his college fund and also serve as a road to maturity? Has he applied for a low interest student loan? Are his parents in a position to help? Is it possible they consider you a soft touch so they can avoid dipping into their own money? Because of the larger number of young people entering the job market, many families are having similar problems. In most young families, both partners must work to make a livable wage. Although a college degree provides more job op-portunities and a larger salary, many young college graduates today are being forced to take menial jobs well beneath their qualifications -- just to find work. Before you make your decision, sit down with your family and frankly discuss all of these questions and all the options available to everyone concerned. * * *
Q: With more and more concerns about possible infections by being exposed to other people, I am getting a little paranoid about getting involved in situations where crowds mingle. I now carry extra tissues and a bottle of antibacterial soap in my purse. I even use the tissues to open and close the bathroom
doors and wipe shopping cart handles before using them. Am I right to be this cautious, or am I being a fanatic?
A: Bacteria is around us everywhere. It’s true that most germs don’t affect us, but why not take a few precautions to help make sure they don’t? Entire books are written on the subject of disease prevention, but room here allows only for a few tips: Doctors recommend scrubbing our hands for least 30 seconds, especially after using a public rest-room, and avoid setting your purse on the floor in the stall (the next place you set it could be your kitchen table!) Disinfecting shopping cart handles is always a good idea, as is covering your cough, closing the toilet lid before flushing to avoid splashes, using straws in restaurants, and avoiding public drinking fountains. Wash fruits and veggies before storing, medicate and cover all open wounds and sores to prevent infection (especially staph and the deadly MRSA). And remember, teaching children good hy-geine habits at a young age benefits everyone! Doug Mayberry makes the most of life in a Southern California retirement community. Contact him at [email protected]. To find out more about Doug Mayberry and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.COPYRIGHT 2012 CREATORS.COM
Week of May 6, 2012 Tidbits of Coachella Valley Page 13
Dear Doug
Creators News Syndicate
● On May 10, 1869, the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroads meet up in Promontory, Utah, making transcontinen-tal railroad travel possible for the first time in U.S. history. Journeys that had taken months by wagon train or weeks by boat now took only days.
● On May 7, 1915, the British ocean liner Lusitania is torpedoed without warn-ing by a German submarine off the coast of Ireland, with 1,198 people drowned. It was later revealed that the Lusitania was carrying about 173 tons of war munitions for Britain, which the Germans cited as justification for the attack.
● On May 12, 1925, a Philadelphia radio station broadcasts the first all-star radio program featuring film actors and actress-es. Sound films had not yet debuted, and the broadcast marked the first time that most listeners had heard the voices of film stars like Lillian Gish and Marion Davies.
● On May 8, 1933, the first police radio system, connecting headquarters to patrol cars and patrol cars to one another, is in-stalled in Eastchester Township, N.Y. The system consisted of one transmitter of 20 watts for the headquarters and two trans-mitters of 4.5 volts each for the two patrol cars.
● On May 13, 1956, Gene Autry’s mu-sical variety show, “Gene Autry’s Melody Ranch,” airs its final broadcast, after 16 years. The show featured 10- to 15-minute skits about cowboys and rustlers, along with musical numbers by Autry, “America’s singing cowboy.”
● On May 9, 1960, the Food and Drug Administration approves the world’s first commercially produced birth-control bill. Development of “the pill” was commis-sioned by birth-control pioneer Margaret Sanger and funded by heiress Katherine McCormick.
● On May 11, 1981, reggae legend Bob Marley dies of cancer in Miami Beach, Fla. Marley, born in Jamaica in 1945, formed his band, the Wailers, in 1963. In the early 1970s, the band’s records began to catch on outside Jamaica, assisted by Eric Clap-ton’s cover of “I Shot the Sheriff.”
(c) 2012 King Features Synd., Inc.
Wooden, Tesla and the Edison Question It wasn’t a sporting match, at least not in the traditional sense, but the battle being waged between Thomas Edison and his former intern Nikola Tesla during the late 1800s was worth every bit as much -- and more, considering the stakes -- as any league championship or trophy. For they were fighting for the right to provide electricity to everybody. That’s right -- believe it or not, kids, there really was a ship named Titanic and somebody really did invent the light-bulb technology that now allows the Chicago Cubs to play baseball until well after the sun has set. If this is too much for you to grasp, grab another Old Style and DVR another Leonardo DiCaprio flick. Anyway, Tesla, the experts on the matter say, had the better plan for a universally agreed upon standard of providing electricity. Edison, how-ever, won the day and implemented his standard, not because he had better technology, but because he had a better sense of what the marketplace wanted to hear. “Anything that won’t sell, I don’t want to invent,” Edison said at the time. “[Our invention’s] sale is proof of utility, and utility is success.” And as far as muscling out Tesla? Edison was less than sentimental. “Hell, there are no rules here,” Edison said. “We’re trying to accomplish something!” Edison died in 1931. One year later, an English major named John Wooden graduated from Purdue. An All-American guard for the last three years of his collegiate career, Wooden seam-lessly entered the collegiate coaching world and achieved success never before -- or since -- heard of. Both men were American titans. Wooden and Edison achieved things that parents all over the world wish for their kids, they saw nothing and made something. I mean, big stuff. But Edison came from a time when your boss could box your ears in with a two-palm smash (which actually made him part deaf). And though Edison created things that would go on to shape our lives, securing 1,093 patents in the process, Wooden defined it in ways that Edison could never have dreamed of ... a career that produced 1,207 wins from his high-school days and beyond. To put it in simple terms, Edison was able to identify a need and then make plans to fulfill it in ways that tended toward the “throw it up there and see what sticks” method. Wooden was far more principled in his approach. Granted, he wasn’t cre-ating light from electricity or reproducing sound on wax, but his legacy actually might surpass Edison’s in ways that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago.
Mark Vasto is a veteran sportswriter who lives in Kansas City.(c) 2012 King Features Synd., Inc
.
ANTIQUE
-- OR --JUNQUE
by Anne McCollam Creators News Service
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Chair Fit for a King Q: I bought the wooden chair seen in this photo from a very elderly lady who told me it had been in her family for a long time. The seat measures 13 by 15 inches and the overall height is 36 inches. I use it with a small lady’s desk. Before I have it restored, I was hoping you could tell if it has any value.
A: You have an Edward-ian side chair. The Edwardian period of design lasted from 1901 to 1910 and was named for King Edward VII of England. The design lines were a direct contrast to the heavy, ornate, dark furniture of the Victorian era. Earlier styles and designs were in-corporated into Ed-wardian furniture but cabinetmak-ers used a lighter touch. Your side chair would prob-ably be worth $150 to $200. * * *
Q: I have enclosed the mark that is on the bottom of a pottery red orange rooster fig-ure. It was a wedding gift in 1955. I always kept it in a china cupboard, and it is still in perfect condition. The rooster has a green comb and legs and stands about 20 inches tall. I haven’t decided what I want to do with it -- keep it or put it in a tag sale. Knowing if it has any value will help me make up my mind.
A: Haeger Potteries made your rooster. It has produced pottery since 1871 in Dundee and Ma-comb, Illinois. Haeger Potteries has made a variety of pieces that includes figures, art pottery, dinner-ware, lamp bases, florist wares, and decorative ware. The “Royal Haeger” mark was first used around 1938
and was inspired by Haeger’s head designer, Royal Arden Hickman. “R 1762” is the design number. In addition to the shiny red orange glaze, Haeger also made their rooster in an antique gold finish. Your circa 1955 rooster can be seen selling from $85 to $125.
Address your questions to Anne McCollam, P. O. Box 247, Notre Dame, IN 46556. Items of a general interest will be answered in this column. Due to the volume of inquiries, she cannot answer individual letters. To find out more about Anne McCollam and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com
Edwardian side chairs were named for King Edward VII of England.
Haeger Potteries has produced pottery
since 1871
Page 14 Tidbits of Coachella Valley Vol. VIII Issue 19
ANTIQUE
-- OR --JUNQUE
by Anne McCollam Creators News Service
The Natural Laws of Golf
The Smasher and the Simply Smashing
Before he hit the 40-feet hook shot out of the straw to take him to within two putts of the Green Jacket, a little bit of banter in the room turned to what Bubba Watson was wearing.
As most of us know by now, Bub-ba Watson won the Masters, largely due to his monstrous 300-plus yard drives and unorthodox swinging style. But I, too, became curious about Watson’s game and, yes, his style, too.
For the techies out there, Watson uses a PING G20 driver with a cus-tom pink True Temper Grafalloy Bi-Matrix shaft. The same exact driver will be made available to pro shops this year, the company announced after the tournament.
Pink is a color that most sports fans are becoming accustomed to. It appears in splashes on various uni-forms these days to signify the fight against breast cancer, a cause that has successfully managed to co-opt that color and increase awareness. Knowing this, we were all a little leery of making fun of the color.
And we were right: Ping donates $300 to Watson’s charity for every 300-foot drive he makes. His Phoe-nix-based charity aims to donate $1 million to various organizations
during the year, and after this win, it’s a safe bet to say it will do so.
But his manner of dress and that unorthodox swinging style also reminded me of former PGA tour-nament winner from the ‘60s, Doug Sanders.
Known as the “Peacock of the Fairways,” Sanders came out of nowhere to win the Canadian Open as an amateur. His best finish at the Masters was a fourth place tie, and he won 20 events on the Tour, but Sanders was best known for his manner of dress. Sanders was famous for his “Mad Men”-esque devotion to what he wore. He was known to wear golf shoes that looked more like dress shoes, pleated golf plants, button-down cardigans and a golf polo. Each out-fit had complimentary colors of the same shade, and he even made sure his golf bags matched his outfit.
While both Sanders and Watson are philanthropists and champions, they have something else in com-mon — they’re both self-taught golfers. Neither has taken a lesson in his life. Sanders grew up a poor cotton farmer’s son; Watson’s father was a Green Beret Vietnam veteran who gave him a 9-iron once and told him to “beat it down the fairway.”
Well, Watson surely will be beat-ing it down the fairway for a while now, and nobody will make fun of his clothes anymore, but I have one suggestion — and I’m sure Mr. Sanders would agree — you should at least shave before putting on the Green Jacket. Sure he won in a play-off, but this isn’t hockey, you know.
Mark Vasto is a veteran sports-writer who lives in Kansas City.
It’s as easy to lower your handicap as it is to reduce your hat size.
If you really want to be better at golf, go back and take it up at a much earlier age.
Don’t play with anyone who would make fun of you for a 7.
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PHOBIAS (continued):
• Some phobias relate to what’s up above,such as the sun (heliophobia), the clouds(nephophobia), the moon (selenophobia),and the stars (siderophobia). Some folks arejust afraid of looking up – they are calledanablephobes.
•Not all phobias seem that abnormal oruncommon.Lotsofpeoplemighthaveafearof death, known as necrophobia. But thosewith an extreme form might be terrified ofbeing buried alive.A nosocomephobe has afearofhospitals,averminophobeisafraidofgerms,andahydrophobehasanirrationalfearofwater.
• Individuals suffering from extreme agora-phobiararelyleavetheirhomes,duetotheirfearofpublicoropenspacesand the inescapablesituationsthatmayoccurthere.Onlyhomeissafe.
• Somephobiascanbea learnedbehavior thatcomes from listening to others describe atraumaticevent.Anindividualinone’slifecantriggeraphobia,suchaspeladophobia,thefearofbaldpeople.Thosewithnosto-phobia,afearof returninghome,maybeable tocontributetheirpanictoaspecificincident.
• Peoplewhoareafraidoflookingintomirrorshave cataptrophobia, while those with cyberphobia have a fear of working withcomputers.A person with an anxiety aboutmemories is a mnemophobe.
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Although there are more and more hybrid clubs showing up in golf bags, there is still a large number of golfers who should be playing them instead of long irons, yet they have never even tried hitting one. Early on, hybrid clubs
Not only are they easier to hit from the fairway, but they are easier off the tee, out of the bun-kers and the rough. Although there is still some stigma about the hybrid club, most golfers are gitting over it. If you are wondering if a hybrid club is better for you than long irons, you can borrow a demo club from your local golf shop (or a friend’s golf bag) and try it for yourself. You’ll notice it feels like you are able to hit more down on the ball, very similar to the feel of a shorter iron. It will also be easier to get the ball up in the air and contact will be more consistent and solid due to the fact that hybrids are more forgiving than long irons. You’ll wonder what took you so long to give the hybrid a chance.
were resist-ed because they were considered easier to hit than long irons. Well, they are! So why is that viewed as abad thing?
The stigma abouthybrid clubs
Professional Golf TipsWith Tina Mickelson
Tina Mickelson, PGA
in with hits such as “The Six-MillionDollarMan,” “The Bionic Woman” and “BattlestarGalactica.” The controversial sitcom “All inthe Family” had its run from 1971 to 1979,featuring the fictionalArchie Bunker and hisfrequent politically incorrect remarks aboutreligious, political and social issues of the day. Game shows gained in popularity, including “WheelofFortune,”“FamilyFeud”and“ThePrice isRight,”firsthostedbyBobBarker in1972. NBC debuted “Saturday Night Live”in1975;GeorgeCarlinwasthefirsthostwithmusical guests Janis Ian and Billy Preston. HBO was inaugurated as the first pay-TVchannelin1972.
•Hard rockers were listening to the likes ofAerosmith,LedZeppelin,PinkFloydandDeepPurple,whileSouthernrockerstunedintoTheAllmanBrothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd.Discolovers listened to the Bee Gees and danced the Hustle, and soft rock folks enjoyed the crooning of the Carpenters, Barry Manilow and theOsmonds.Billboardmagazine declaredEltonJohn the best artist of the decade. We started listening to our music on the Sony Walkman, a portable cassette player, in 1979.
•At the theaters we were viewing “TheGodfather,” “Rocky” and “Dirty Harry.” Wewerescaredoutofourseatsby“TheExorcist,”“Jaws”and“Carrie”andlaugheduproariouslyat“AnimalHouse,”“YoungFrankenstein”and“Monty Python.” George Lucas’ career tookoffwith“AmericanGraffiti”in1973,followedby“StarWars”in1977,whichquicklybecamethehighest-grossingfilmofalltime,anhonoritmaintainedforthenextfiveyears.■
15
Play Better Golf with JACK NICKLAUS
Week of May 6, 2012 Tidbits of Coachella Valley Page 15
Even our attention to safetyis a relief. When you fill your prescription at Walgreens, rest assured that it is carefully checked for potentially unsafe drug interactions with
other prescriptions you’ve filled at Walgreens and over-the-counter medications that you tell us about.
If there’s a problem, we’ll work with your doctor to provide you with another option.
Walgreens makes it easy to switch your prescription from a different pharmacy. Just bring in your prescription bottles. No need to call your doctor or wait for your current prescription to run out.
To learn about other services that will help you feel better about your pharmacy care, visit Walgreens.com.
The idea of Go Figure is toarrive at the figures given atthe bottom and right-handcolumns of the diagram by fol-lowing the arithmetic signs inthe order they are given (thatis, from left to right and top tobottom). Use only the numbersbelow the diagram to completeits blank squares and use eachof the nine numbers only once.
DIFFICULTY: �� Moderate �� Difficult ��� GO FIGURE!
Go Figure!answers
Weekly SUDOKU -Answer-
Weekly SUDOKUby Linda Thistle
Place a number in the empty boxes in such a waythat each row across, each column down and each
small 9-box square contains all of the numbers from one to nine.
The idea of Go Figure is toarrive at the figures given atthe bottom and right-handcolumns of the diagram by fol-lowing the arithmetic signs inthe order they are given (thatis, from left to right and top tobottom). Use only the numbersbelow the diagram to completeits blank squares and use eachof the nine numbers only once.
DIFFICULTY: �� Moderate �� Difficult ��� GO FIGURE!
1. Which group was associated with the album titled “Red Rose Speed-way”?
2. What is David Johansen’s other name?
3. Who had a popular album titled “All Hail the Queen”?
4. Name the Foghat song that ended up on the “Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas” video game.
5. Which trio released “The Second Time Around”?
6. Name the band responsible for “Yummy, Yummy, Yummy.”
Answers1. Paul McCartney & Wings, in
1973. Originally the album was to be two LPs, but in the end they released it as a single LP with nine songs.
2. Buster Poindexter. Johansen began using that name in the 1980s when he was with the Uptown Horns. He scored his first big hit with “Hot Hot Hot” in 1987.
3. Dana Elaine Owens, also known as Queen Latifah. The album went to No. 6 on the R&B charts. She’s had multiple Grammy nominations, as well as winning a Golden Globe.
4. “Slow Ride.” There are a number of versions of this 1977 song, ranging from 8 to 10 minutes.
5. Shalamar, in 1979. The song went to No. 1 on both the R&B and Dance charts.
6. The Ohio Express, in 1968. Aston-ishingly enough, the song went to No. 1 in Canada. The bubble-gum group followed up with “Chewy, Chewy.”
