Tidbits_Spokane County Washington

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December 5, 2008

Issue #592

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Somehow, the kangaroo at the zoo managed to escape every day, so zoo keepers constructed a 10-foot fence around his enclosure. The next day, the keepers found he’d escaped again, so they built a 20-foot tall fence around the enclosure. Again, the kangaroo escaped, so the staff constructed a 40-foot wall with spikes at the top. The giraffe next door asked the kangaroo, “How high do you think they’ll go?� “I don’t know,� the kangaroo replied. “100 feet? Or until someone stops leaving the gate open.�

IS IT LEAP YEAR? NO, IT’S

HIP-HOP KANGAROOS by Kathleen Lakeland Many of us are now busy with preparations for the holiday season. But at this time of year some 235 years ago, our forefathers were planning an entirely different type of celebration: the Boston Tea Party. What you may not know is that the event wasn’t really a slap at the British, but rather a rally for free enterprise. Read on! • In the 18th century, three European countries dominated North America. Spain controlled Florida and the Gulf; France controlled much of Canada and the North Central states; and Britain laid claim to the East Coast. These three nations had battled one another for more than a century on their own side of the Atlantic, so it was just a matter of time before tempers flared in the New World. • France had expanded its territory to the Great Lakes, where they established a lucrative fur trade. The British then declared that the whole of North America actually belonged to them, from coast to coast (even though none of them knew exactly where the West Coast was). War broke out in 1754 near present day Pittsburgh. Colonial troops – under British rule, of course – were led by a young American named George Washington. • The war between France and Britain raged on. The Spanish supported France, while the Colonists and some Native Americans fought for the British. The forces of King George III eventually overwhelmed the French, who signed a peace treaty in 1763. His Majesty didn’t have time to bask in victory, however. The expense of the war had plunged his nation into massive debt. The best way to raise some quick cash, he determined, was to levy additional taxes on the American colonists. • King George’s Stamp Act of 1765 required that all legal documents be endorsed with a tax stamp. And while this included things you’d expect, like commercial contracts and wills, it also encompassed items turn the page for more!

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TidbitsÂŽ of Spokane County, WA

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HIP-HOP KANGAROOS (continued):

Open Door Policy

like newspapers and even playing cards. The Colonists objected to the additional taxes, and the matter was debated in the British Parliament. The Crown felt that it had nourished and protected their “American children,â€? and could not understand why they refused to pay. • Of course, the Colonists – many of whom had left Britain to escape oppression – didn’t feel particularly “nurtured.â€? They’d endured years of hardship and isolation to develop the New World, and now that monarchy came on board with a heavy hand. Most importantly, these taxes were levied on Colonists that had no representation in Parliament. • The Colonists quickly rallied. The movers and shakers of that era – Benjamin Franklin, Samuel Adams, and Patrick Henry among them – formed committees. They drew up and sent correspondence informing Parliament that they would not comply with the Stamp Act, since they considered it a violation of their rights. Britain failed to collect any proceeds from the Stamp Act, but that wasn’t the end of what Franklin termed “taxation without representation.â€? • When the Stamp Act failed, Charles Townshend took over as Britain’s Chancellor of the Exchequer, a position equivalent to our present-day Treasury Secretary. In 1767, he enacted a new series of fund-raising taxes. One of these was a duty on certain goods imported into the Colonies, including glass, lead, paper, paint, and‌ yes, tea. The Colonists reacted with a swift series of moves, beginning with a boycott of British imports. To compensate, Americans began producing their own cloth, paper, and dyes. And a few traders – notably John Hancock – smuggled in Dutch tea at a discount price. turn the page for more!

A: “Balance� probably means shimming up the doors so that they hang straight on their hinges, allowing them to open and close freely. But that doesn’t guarantee that the door won’t swing shut on its own. Houses sometimes settle onto their foundations at a very slight angle, just enough that doors opposite that angle will slowly swing shut on their own. A balanced door is a nice touch, but personally, as a home buyer, a door that swings shut by itself is not one of the “big things� I would look for. I would be more interested in how well-cared for the interior and exterior look, and if the house is right for my needs, because I can fix a poorly hung door anytime. If you must have balanced doors, though, you can adjust their angle by a few degrees using shims. A shim is just a thin piece of wood or cardboard inserted behind one or both hinge plates in the doorframe. The difference in thickness repositions the hinge angle just slightly to either lift or lower one corner of the door. To match the angle of the door to the angle of the house, use a level (a straight measuring tool with bubble indicators, ideally for both vertical and horizontal measurements). Mark the bubble’s balance point on both the wall next to the doorframe, and on the hinge end of the door itself. Using a helper, unscrew the hinge plates from the frame and insert a shim (trimmed the same size as the hinge) in either the top or bottom inset, depending on whether the door’s angle needs to go up or down. Screw the plates back on (the screws will go through the shim material) and check the level again. Balancing a door to match the angle of the house this way will take several attempts, which is why I’m not sure it’s worth the time spent. But if it’s worth it to you, that’s what is important. HOME TIP: To remove paint or grime from door hinges or window handles, remove the parts and place in an old saucepan filled with four tablespoons of baking soda to one quart water. Heat until the water reaches a simmer, then turn off and let the hardware soak for 20 minutes. Remove and scrub with a soft brush. Send questions or home-repair tips to homeguru2000@hotmail.com, or write This Is a Hammer, c/o King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. (c) 2008 King Features Synd., Inc.

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Q: I read somewhere that when getting a home ready for sale, a person should balance any doors that won’t stay open. How does one balance the doors? When I contacted a handyman and asked if he would give me a price to balance three doors, he didn’t seem to know what I was talking about. Please help. -- Edna and Jim, via e-mail

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Pineapple Cures Potty-Mouth Dog DEAR PAW’S CORNER: I was at a friend’s house when I read your column about the “potty-mouth dog� (a dog that liked to eat his own and other animals’ droppings). My dog “Sandy� used to have this disgusting habit too, but I cured her of it. I placed a piece of pineapple in the droppings. (I used canned, chunk pineapple and cut it into even smaller pieces.) I don’t know why this worked, but it did. After a few days of eating pineapple-laced poo, Sandy wanted nothing more to do with droppings. Hope this tip helps, and happy “clean mouth� to that dog! -- Bill O., Sullivan, Ill. DEAR BILL: That’s definitely a new method to try. I would exercise caution in using common “human-safe� foods as a deterrent to copraphagia (stool-eating). While pineapple is not on the list of foods that are dangerous to dogs, it is a citrus fruit high in sugar, which might upset their stomachs. So, as illustrated above, cut the pineapple into very small pieces and use sparingly. Other techniques that are effective in stopping this annoying habit include sprinkling the stool with hot pepper sauce or spraying with a commercial solution designed to make the stool taste terrible to the dog. Training the dog to “go� in a designated area, in addition to standard obedience training, is another method to deter stool eating. Picking up waste immediately after the dog “goes� is another solution. But it’s likely that most dog owners will need to use a combination of techniques to limit or stop the habit. Send your tips, questions and comments to Paws Corner, c/o King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 328536475, or e-mail them to pawscorner@hotmail. com. (c) 2008 King Features Synd., Inc.

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you’re ready to buy! I always recommend waiting at least a year after you’re married to buy a house. It takes that long to decide how close you want to live to your in-laws! Plus, you want to spend some time getting used to each other, and knowing each other even better, before making what will be your largest asset purchase. - Dave

Donald F. Morgan, Account Vice President 601 West Riverside Avenue, Suite 1200 Spokane, WA 99201 509-744-3317 donald.morgan@ubs.com

(zero percent is low down!) (bad buyer program) ©2008 UBS Financial Services Inc. All rights reserved. Member SIPC.

HIP-HOP KANGAROOS (continued): • The boycott worked, and the Townshend Acts were repealed – all except for the tax on tea. A huge surplus of tea from the East India Company had accumulated in British warehouses, so Parliament acted quickly. They tried to offer the tea for a cut-rate price. Even though the tax still applied, the end price was less expensive than the Dutch tea. Colonists knew that the tax would be used to pay the salaries of British politicians, however. • Representatives in Philadelphia and New York refused to let British tea ships into their harbors, but the governor of Massachusetts allowed tea to be delivered to Boston’s port. John Hancock’s lucrative smuggledtea trade had dwindled, so he was understandably eager to correct the situation. He joined up with Samuel Adams and a “rebel” group known as the Sons of Liberty. They gathered at the Old South Meeting House in Boston on December 16, 1773, and drafted a message to the governor asking him to refuse tea shipments. When he declined, the proverbial “Plan B” went into effect. In this case, the plan involved a few ships full of tea, a big harbor to hold said tea, and a bunch of Colonists dressed up like Mohawk Indians. • Donning their disguises, Adams and nearly 200 other patriots – including silversmith Paul Revere – rowed out to the ships waiting in the harbor. Whooping and shouting in celebration, the men boarded the ships and proceeded to throw chest after chest filled with British tea into the Boston Harbor. • Naturally, this mutiny did not sit well with the British Parliament. Boston Harbor was closed pending compensation for the tea. More importantly, the Crown took control of the entire Massachusetts government. As a result, the colony’s citizens would no longer elect their own judges, sheriffs, and so on. • The British appointed General Thomas Gage as the new governor of Massachusetts. When Gage arrived in Boston, however, he learned that Hancock had organized a Colonial assembly that was taking on volunteers and gathering arms with the intent of forming a militia. These farmers and tradesmen didn’t quit their day jobs, but they drilled in their spare time. The notion that they must be prepared to be called to duty on very short notice earned them the nickname Minutemen. • In September 1774, the newly formed Continental Congress met in Philadelphia to discuss the situation with Britain. While most of the Congressmen hoped to remain British subjects, they unanimously wanted to retain the human rights provided by “the laws of nature.” The Continental Congress petitioned Parliament to repeal both the blockade and the Massachusetts Government Act. • Britain refused to buckle, and when the Colonists learned that General Gage was busy planning his own military campaign against them, the wheels were set in motion. The series of events that unfolded in 1775 escalated the situation into a full-fledged revolt: the beginning of the American Revolution. The End

Dear Dave, I’m in the market for a better car. I know you tell people to buy used cars, but I saw an ad the other day for zero-interest auto loans. What do you think about these? Cindy Dear Cindy, I feel the same way about zero percent interest car loans as I do about every other kind of car loan. They stink! A car is the largest item we buy that goes down in value. If you crunch the numbers, you’ll see that a new car loses 60 percent of its value in the first four years. That means a $28,000 vehicle will become an $11,000 vehicle while you’re still making payments on the thing! You might as well throw $100 out the window every week. You may not be charged interest on your loan, but you’re still losing money. Do you really think they care about you winning? They’ll get theirs one way or the other! Zero percent loans tempt lots of folks to buy cars they shouldn’t buy. Pay cash for your cars, Cindy. Stick with good, used cars that are about three or four years old, after someone else has taken the butt-kicking in depreciation. And NEVER buy a brand new car unless you have a net worth of $1 million or more! - Dave

Dear Dave, My husband and I have been married for three months, and we’re debt-free. Right now, we’re trying to save up a 20 percent down payment for a house. I work for a real estate company, and they’re really pushing us to take advantage of a first-time homebuyer deal. The program offers 100 percent financing, no money down and no PMI. They say it’s a great deal. What do you think? Stacy Dear Stacy, You guys are off to a great start! Don’t blow it now. Those people are wrong. I grew up in the real estate world, and this is a bad idea. Slow down. It’s great that you guys are young and debt-free, but you need to do things that are smart for YOU. And for you, smart includes a couple of things. First, make sure you have an emergency fund of three to six months of expenses in place. Then, keep saving up for a big down payment. You know, when I hear the advice you were given I just want to smack somebody. Haven’t the mortgage lenders learned ANYTHING from the last several months? Nothing down, interest-only and sub-prime loans are a big part of the reason for the financial debacle in this country. A house is not a blessing when you’re broke, and a bargain is only a bargain when * For more great financial advice visit www.davesays.org. Tanning Salon / New Owner 3207 N. Argonne

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Tidbits® of Spokane County, WA

Take Care When Shopping The holidays are such happy times, but unfortunately, we seniors need to be aware of the potential pitfalls as we go about our holiday shopping. • Be cautious in mall crowds. Only take the credit cards and cash you’ll need, and carry those in a front pants pocket, with your car keys in the other. (There’s something to be said for wearing jeans when shopping.) Go in a group, if you can. • If your time or energy is limited, consider giving the same type of gift to everyone. Calendars, especially chosen for each individual, are always welcome. The same goes for gift cards. (Ask to make sure there is no expiration date or fees on the cards.) • Beware shopping online. Use the Internet for price comparison, but only shop online if you absolutely must. Stick to the Web sites

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of “brick and mortar” stores you’re already familiar with. Look for a Contact Us link on the site, and see if there is a phone number where you can place the order instead of entering your credit-card number over the Internet. Beware especially of online auctions. If you’re not experienced with them, the holidays are not the time to learn. *** If you can, do something for the needy this year. Charities are going to be stretched beyond their abilities to take care of all the families who ask for help. Think of the children especially. Every year I hunt for and buy one of those large metal dump trucks, painted bright yellow, and donate it to one of the local service groups who are gathering new toys for underprivileged children. I like to think that a little boy will be happy to find it under the tree from Santa. Matilda Charles regrets that she cannot personally 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 columnreply@gmail.com. (c) 2008 King Features Synd., Inc.

’Tis the season! Wishing you and your family moments of magic to make your holidays bright. Thank you for the opportunity to serve you in the new year.

Cory L Tesarik, Agent 4408 S. Regal Street Spokane, WA 99223 (509) 448-0224 www.corytesarik.com ctesarik@amfam.com

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Business KnowHow for Disabled Veterans If you have a post-9/11 service-connected disability and are tired of waiting on the Department of Veterans Affairs to come through with the right benefits, you might be asking yourself if there isn’t a better way. There is. Have you considered starting your own business? The Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities program has brought together some of the top business brains in the country. It was started at Syracuse University and has spread to five other colleges, all with the same goal: to help disabled veterans start or expand a small business. Countless veterans have gotten a start with the program. Who’s to say you can’t do the same? Getting into the Entrepreneurship program isn’t easy. You have to want it bad. Applications, essays, letters of recommendation -- it’s all necessary to get your foot in the door. Once you’re in, it’s even harder. But if you have a business idea you’re passionate about and the drive to succeed, you just might be a good candidate.

The program has three phases: 1. Online self-study courses. 2. Nine tough days of campus residency with workshops, lectures, programs, presentations, late-night studying and building business plans -- in other words, total immersion in business principles to help you start and grow your own business. 3. One-year of ongoing support. It’s this last part that some veterans were leery about. Would they really provide support? Yes, they do. Think about it: having the opportunity to pick the brains of some of the top business people in the country and starting a business of your own from the ground up. All you need is an idea. The program is free to qualified veterans and is financed by private donations. To learn more, go to www.whitman.syr.edu/ebv/. Write to Freddy Groves in care of King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475, or send e-mail to columnreply@gmail. com. (c) 2008 King Features Synd., Inc.

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THE KITCHEN DIVA By Angela Shelf Medearis

MOM’S PIE JUMP STARTS CULINARY CAREER Sometimes, when I’m on the small, hectic production set of “The Kitchen Diva!� television cooking show, I think about how far I’ve come in the multimedia field. I got my start as a culinary historian, cookbook author and television chef thanks to my mother, Angeline’s, fabulous recipe for RaisinPecan Pie. She created the recipe by experimenting with some of my father’s favorite ingredients -- raisins and pecans. She told us that the first pie was so good that she ate the whole thing by herself. She had to make another pie before my father came home from work. Since my mother’s pie is one the highlights of our Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, my sisters encouraged me to write a cookbook to preserve her stories and recipes. Since I was never much of a cook, researching and writing “The African-American Kitchen� in 1993 began my career change from a children’s book author into a Kitchen Diva with a love for all things culinary. Now, I’ve written five cookbooks, and recently, I updated and revised my first one. It’s called “The New African-American Kitchen,� but my mother’s pie is still the culinary inspiration for my work. Four years ago, my husband, Michael, and I started Diva Productions, Inc., a multimedia production company. In 2006, we started producing “The Kitchen Diva!� cooking show for public television stations around the U.S and the Virgin Islands. Producing a cooking show is like juggling on top of an active volcano. The worst thing about it is that something is always half-done, burnt, melted, cracked or spills or collapses -- and all of your disasters are documented on film. The best thing about a cooking show is that your job is to research and teach others about food. We also laugh a lot and eat well. The first episode of “The Kitchen Diva!� featured Angeline’s Raisin-Pecan Pie. It was a beautiful thing to be able to share my mother’s wonderful recipe with my television audience. I’ve learned that inspiration and the motivation to try something new comes in many forms. Sometimes, it’s in the circular shape of a simple pie created by a woman who loves her husband and family.

ANGELINE’S RAISIN-PECAN PIE

Christmas Tree Fire Hazards Water That Tree! If you’re one of the 33 million Americans with a natural Christmas tree in your home this holiday season, remember to “keep the tree well-watered.� Christmas trees account for 200 fires annually, resulting in 6 deaths, 25 injuries and millions of dollars in property damage. Typically, shorts in electrical lights or open flames from candles, lighters or matches start tree fires. Well-watered trees are not a problem. Dry and neglected trees can be, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. Tests conducted by the National Institute of Standards and Technology show what happens when fire touches a dry tree: Within three seconds of ignition, the dry Scotch pine is completely ablaze. At five seconds, the fire extends up the tree and black smoke with searing gases streaks across the ceiling. Fresh air near the floor feeds the fire. The sofa, coffee table and the carpet ignite prior to any flame contact. Within 40 seconds, “flashover� occurs. Wet trees tell a different story. A single match could not ignite a green Scotch pine that was placed in a stand with its water level maintained. Neither could a second attempt with an entire matchbook. Finally, a propane torch managed to ignite the branches briefly, but the fire self-extinguished when researchers removed the torch from the branches. As NIST fire-safety engineers say: “Remember, a wet tree is a safe tree!� (c) 2008 King Features Synd., Inc.

1 1/2 cups raisins 1 1/4 cups sugar 1/2 cup (one stick) butter 2 eggs 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup pecan halves 1 (9-inch) unbaked pie shell PHOTO CREDIT: Phil Curry

Preheat the oven to 325 F. Put the raisins in a bowl of warm water to plump. Drain, and set aside. Cream the sugar and butter until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and combine well. Using a spoon, mix in the raisins, pecans, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla extract until well-blended. Scrape down the bowl. Fold in the raisins and pecans to the filling mixture. Scrape the mixture out of the bowl and into the unbaked pie shell. Bake until golden brown and set, about 45 minutes to 1 hour, checking occasionally to make sure it doesn’t overcook. If crust is browning too quickly, make a foil collar to protect it. Bake the pie until it is set, except for a soft center a little larger than a quarter. Remove the pie from the oven and allow it to cool for 3 to 4 hours to set before serving. *** Angela Shelf Medearis is an award-winning children’s author, culinary historian and the author of five cookbooks. Her latest cookbook, “The New African-American Kitchen,� is in bookstores now. She’s known as The Kitchen Diva and is the executive producer and host of “The Kitchen Diva!� television cooking show. Visit her Web site at www. divapro.com. (c) 2008 King Features Synd., Inc.

Why Blog?

WordPress Blogs

Ever felt like a fish swimming upstream in a tsunami? Try explaining to people why you like Blogger instead of WordPress blogs and you just might see what I’m talking about. Key benefits of using WordPress include. * Easy to edit templates * Thousands of themes * Comments, trackbacks & pingbacks * Multiple authors for one blog * And that is just the start WordPress is clearly worth taking the time to check out. My own experience was that WordPress blogs were much more difficult to understand than Blogger. Tomorrow we will look at other free blogging platforms for you to use.

SEO & Beyond Advice Column Guy Siverson (SEOGuy) provides interactive Super-Blogs & Internet Marketing advice for everyone. Email: Guy@SEO-And-Beyond.com or call 993.7215 with web related questions you would like me to answer. http://SEO-And-Beyond.com

We provide a full range of document services, including: Full-color digital printing, binding, laminating and collating.

With our mailboxes you get a real street address, not a P.O. Box number, package acceptance from ÂŽ all carriers and call-in MailCheck .

Our Certified Packing Experts are here for all your packing needs. We even offer freight services for large or odd-size items.

PHOTO CUTLINE: Shorts in electrical lights are a leading cause of Christmas tree fires.

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Banner Bank Center

509 N.Bank Sullivan Banner Center 509 N. Sullivan Spokane Valley WA 99037 Spokane Valley WA 99037 509-922-2233 509-922-2233

Crosspoint Plaza NOW OPEN Crosspoint Plaza 2 Ste 4 10414 W Hiway 10414 W Hiway 2 Ste 4 Spokane WA 99224 Spokane WA 99224 509-624-3339 509-624-3339

The UPS Store centers are independently owned and operated by licensed franchisees of Mail Boxes Etc., Inc., a subsidiary of UPS. Services and hours of operation may vary by location. Copyright Š2008 Mail Boxes Etc., Inc. 41022540408

TidbitsÂŽ of Spokane County, WA

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Tidbits® of Spokane County, WA FITNESS

& HEALTH

TO YOUR GOOD HEALTH by By Paul G. Donohue, M.D.

Are Sleeping Pills Worse Than Insomnia? DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am on Lunesta, a prescription sleeping pill for insomnia. The nurse practitioner wanted me to take half a pill every third night, but that didn’t work for me. I have to take half a pill every night. Now she wants me to take half a pill every other night because she’s afraid that it will become habit-forming. What do you think of this medicine? -- S.S. ANSWER: All sleeping pills should be taken for as short a time as possible. “As short a time as possible” implies that the person recovers from whatever it is that’s preventing him or her from falling asleep. In the real world, a correctible cause for insomnia often isn’t found, and then a person is faced with having to stay on a sleeping pill or stay awake for most of the night. I would choose option one, as long as the sleeping pill isn’t causing any trouble, like daytime sleepiness. From time to time, it’s in your interest to try and stop the pill. You might find that sleep isn’t as elusive as it was when you started taking it. Lunesta is one of the newer sleeping pills, tolerated well by most. It starts to work in 10 minutes, so it’s useful for those who find falling asleep difficult, and it has extended action to prevent waking in the very-early-morning hours. Lunesta has caused some users to behave differently. A normally reserved person might become quite aggressive. It also has caused a very few to do things they have no recollection of doing. A very small number of people have driven a car under the influence of Lunesta and have not realized that they did it. If a person has

such experiences, then immediately stopping the pill is common sense. Have you tried nondrug approaches to falling asleep? Go to bed and wake up at approximately the same time every day. Relax before bedtime. If you don’t fall asleep within 20 minutes of lying down, get up and read or listen to music. Keep daytime naps to 20 minutes or less. Don’t use caffeine within six hours of bedtime. You can become dependent on Lunesta, as you can on most sleeping pills. Dependence means it’s hard to stop the medicine. Gradually tapering the dose can usually allow people to break any dependence. I believe that sleeplessness is worse than the prospect of dependence. Fibromyalgia is a common cause of insomnia. The booklet on this ailment explains it and its treatment. To order a copy, write: Dr. Donohue -- No. 305W, 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 address. Please allow four weeks for delivery. *** DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Does breastfeeding protect against breast cancer or make it more likely? I have heard both sides. -- C.N. ANSWER: Many studies have shown conclusively that breastfeeding lowers the risk for breast cancer. For every 12 months a woman has breastfed, her chances of breast cancer drop by 4.3 percent. One explanation is that breastfeeding delays ovulation and the production of estrogen. *** Dr. Donohue regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but he will incorporate them in his column whenever possible. Readers may write him or request an order form of available health newsletters at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. (c) 2008 North America Synd., Inc. All Rights Reserved

My Computer Doesn’t Turn On! - Pt. II Before you start to panic, see if the following apply to you: Brand Coffee

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New Software: Did you recently install any new applications, or get a popup on Internet Explorer saying that ìyour computer is infected?î If so, then you may have contracted a virus. Typically, the main symptom is the inability to get online.

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Vibration / Shock: Did you or anyone in your house shake or knock the system about? If so, then itís possible that one of the cables has worked itís way loose. Itís also possible that a cable worked itís way loose from vibrations from the fans. Liquid: If you spilled any liquid into your case then itís possible thereís a short on your motherboard / system board. If this is the case, immediately unplug it from the wall and any other accessories, and remove any batteries, (if applicable). You can bring it by our office, or leave it at your house, but the key thing to remember is to separate ALL hardware pieces. Leave them separated for at least two weeks before attempting to re-connect anything.

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Next Installment: My Laptop Doesn’t Turn On! - PT III

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Break Time

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Affordable Short-term Medical Insurance Are You Laid Off? - Between Jobs? COBRA Too Expensive? Call me at (509) 879-4774 or go to : rwalter.mymedicalquotes.com

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Age 10 Large snowflakes can measure up to 2’ across and contain hundreds of individual crystals. The largrest snowflake found was 8” by 12” in Siberia in 1971.

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Tidbits® of Spokane County, WA

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Tidbits® of Spokane County, WA

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Kyle Petty: A Char- If he’s not around much next year, it will be to NASCAR’s by the National Motorsports Press Association in 2008. His blog NASCAR This Week (http://nascar.rbma.com) features acter With Character great detriment. There’s a chance that Kyle Petty won’t be racing regularly in Sprint Cup next year. In fact, there’s a likelihood. It’s why Petty has already agreed to compete regularly in Grand American road racing next year. He’s the end of a NASCAR line as long and significant as the Frances. Lee Petty had won more races than anyone in the sport’s history until Richard came along. Kyle, meanwhile, has had a merely respectable career. Eight victories is nothing to be ashamed of, though it would probably conjure up more pride in someone who isn’t the son of Richard and grandson of Lee. Cruel fate brought us to what is apparently the end of the Petty line. Kyle’s son Adam died in a practice crash at New Hampshire in 2000. Since then, Kyle and wife Pattie have built and expanded the Victory Junction Gang Camp for sick children in Adam’s memory. Richard Petty won 200 races, more than anyone else by 95. Kyle is as great a person as his father was a driver.

Kyle hasn’t won a Cup race since 1995. Things have grown all of his reporting on racing, roots music and life on the complicated. Petty Enterprises is no longer a Petty produc- road. You can e-mail Monte at nascar_thisweek@yahoo. tion. This year, an outside group, Boston Ventures, invested com. in the most successful team in the sport’s history. Kyle has (c) 2008 King Features Synd., Inc. struggled once again, but let the record note that he has fared about as well as others who have taken turns in his No. 45 Dodge. After the race at Texas Motor Speedway in early November, Kyle and Kenny Schrader rode motorcycles from Fort Worth to Phoenix. They took all two-lane roads. They bided their time with strolls through exotic locales like Marfa, Terlingua and the Big Bend National Park. They picked up a few more stories to tell. In Kyle’s case, there may be a new song or two to write. He’s a fine songwriter. When the One Great Scorekeeper finally tallies up the pros and cons of Kyle Petty’s career, there will be no qualms over how he played his game.

PHOTO CUTLINE: Kyle Petty might say goodbye to Monte Dutton has covered motorsports for The Gaston his ride in the No. 45 Dodge Charger. (N.C.) Gazette since 1993. He was named writer of the year Photo Credit: John Clark/NASCAR This Week

FREE OIL CHANGE COMPLIMENTS OF CARS AUTOMOTIVE FOR GIVING GET

Local Business ~Matters~

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Drop off a new, unwrapped toy valued above $15, for Toys for Tots at the Valley CARS (see ad below) and receive a certificate for a free full service oil change, to use anytime until Christmas 2009.

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS: THE UPS STORE LOCATIONS OF SPOKANE OFFER HOLIDAY SHIPPING

106 S. Willow Rd Spokane Valley

Whether you’re headed home for the holidays or celebrating in the comforts of your home, the packing and shipping pros at eleven The UPS Store ® locations in the greater Spokane area can help you enjoy the season with less stress and more joy.

The UPS Store franchisee, KEN TYSOR, with plenty of holiday shipping experience under his Santa belt, offers holiday shippers the following tips: • Always use a new box specifically designed for shipping. The more times a box is used, the more it loses its strength and protective quality. Plus, leftover shipping labels can create confusion about your package’s destination. • Don’t underestimate the amount of internal packaging necessary to protect items. Wrap each item in bubble cushioning surrounded by at least two inches of packaging peanuts. Old clothes, crumpled newspaper and popcorn don’t offer protection for your goods. • If you’re shipping perishable food, place it in an interior airtight container or plastic bag before putting it in a gift box. Fill any air gaps in the container with squares of bubble cushioning to soften the vibration. • Before closing the box, place an extra mailing label inside, just in case the outside label gets damaged. • Seal the box on all seams with packaging tape – not duct tape, masking tape, or cellophane tape. Remember, packages wrapped in paper or tied with string are no-nos. • Visit www.theupsstore.com to use the online cost calculator to research the best rate and most economical shipping option. Planning ahead allows you to choose a less expensive shipping option like UPS Ground. • By shipping with UPS ® you can track a package all the way to its destination via cell phones, PDAs or other web-enabled wireless devices.

For the address and hours of the nearest location visit: www.theupsstore.com, or call (509)466-8665

Meet Dan Hanson Owner / Operator & 24+ Years Experience. Behind US Bank near Appleway & Mullan

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Certified Automotive Repair Service

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The Membership Trading Community

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mariamhomen@aol.com 11616 E. Montgomery Dr. #32 Spokane Valley, WA 99206

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