Tidbits of Ventura County

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of Ventura CountySimi Valley Edition of Ventura County Week of August 10, 2015 LigntningBiz, Inc.

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Vol. I Issue No. 33 VCTidbits.com

TIDBITSÂŽ PRESENTS ...

AN AUGUST ASSORTMENT

by Kathy Wolfe

Originally named Sextilis from the Latin, August was the sixth month in the old ten-month Roman FDOHQGDU ZKHQ 0DUFK ZDV WKH ÂżUVW PRQWK RI WKH \HDU Around 700 BC, August became the eighth month when -DQXDU\ DQG )HEUXDU\ ZHUH DGGHG EHIRUH 0DUFK /HWÂśV ORRN DW VHYHUDO HYHQWV WKDW RFFXU WKLV PRQWK

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• August 1 has been set aside as World Lung Cancer Day, a day to “celebrate, commemorate, and supportâ€? all those affected by lung cancer. While smoking is one of the main causes of this killer, about 14% of cases of lung cancer occur in non-smokers. Non-smokers can be diagnosed as a result of carcinogens found at their workplace, in the environment, or in air pollution. Lung cancer is the leading cause of all cancer deaths, more deaths than from colon, breast, and prostate cancers combined, accounting for more than onefourth of cancer deaths. Two out of three of those diagnosed are 65 or older, while those younger than 45 account for just 2% of all cases. A man has about a 1 in 13 chance of developing lung cancer, while a woman’s chance is about 1 in 16. The American Cancer Society estimates that close to 160,000 Americans will die from lung cancer this year. • On August 7, 1782, in the midst of the American Revolutionary War, General George Washington, Commanderin-Chief of the Continental Army, originated the Badge of Military Merit, a piece of purple silk shaped like a heart and edged with a narrow silver binding. The word “Meritâ€? was stitched across the badge in silver thread. It was Washington’s intention for the badge to be given to soldiers who had demonstrated any “singularly meritorious action.â€? Awardees were allowed to pass guard posts without question. Only three soldiers received the silk purple heart during that war, DQG IRU WKH QH[W \HDUV LWV VLJQLÂżFDQFH ZDV SUHWW\ PXFK overlooked. In 1927, the U.S. Army Chief of Staff General Charles Summerall attempted to renew its existence, submitting a draft bill to Congress. It was unsuccessful. Five years later, his successor, General Douglas MacArthur renewed the quest, and on the 200th anniversary of George Washington’s birthday, February 22, 1932, the War Department created the “Order of the Purple Heart.â€? • The current award is still a purple heart-shaped medal, with Washington’s likeness and coat of arms in the center. It is bestowed upon those members of the U.S. Armed Forces who have been killed or wounded in action, as well as to Continued Next Page...

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TidbitsÂŽ of Ventura County

those who have experienced maltreatment as prisoners of war. • August 1 is National Spumoni Day, set aside to honor an Italian confection.

With origins in Naples, Italy, and brought to North America in the late 19th century, spumoni is a molded ice cream consisting of difIHUHQW ÀDYRUV RI LFH FUHDP OD\HUHG ZLWK FDQGLHG IUXLWV DQG nuts. Traditionally, its layers are pink (cherry), green (pistachio), and brown (chocolate). When spumoni is served, it is always sliced, never scooped like regular ice cream. • The U.S. Armed Forces owe many of their World War II victories to the Navajo Code Talkers, a group of Native Americans who devised a method of sending secret information along battle lines without the Japanese military understanding its meaning. Although the enemy troops could hear the messages they intercepted, the code in the Navajo language, which was spoken only in the American southwest, could not be broken. It remains the only spoken military code that was never cracked. Because the code talkers were not allowed to ever discuss their war efforts, it was many years before the world knew of their role in the Allied victory. In 1982, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed August 14 National Navajo Code Talkers Day in honor of their service. The last surviving member of the original 29 code talkers passed away in June, 2014. • We observe Watermelon Day on August 3, honoring the most-consumed melon in the U.S. (cantaloupe and honeydew rank #2 and #3, respectively.) With its origins in southern Africa, where it still grows wild today, the watermelon is relatives with the cucumber, pumpkin, and squash. Because watermelon is 92% water, there are only 46 calories in one cup. The early explorers used them as canteens.

In just one month, a vine can spread 6 to 8 feet (1.8 to 2.4 m), and within two months, WKDW YLQH FDQ SURGXFH LWV ¿UVW watermelon, which will be ready to harvest one more month after that. There are more than 300 different varieties of watermelon grown around the world. Florida and Texas lead the United States in production. The world’s heaviest watermelon was grown in Arkansas in 2005, with a weight of 268.8 lbs. (121.9 kg). • National Scrabble Week is celebrated every August, and Scrabble tournaments are held around the world. This board game was the brainstorm of Alfred Mosher Butts, an unemployed New York City architect who combined dice and card games with letter games to create his new invenWLRQ +LV LGHD ZDV UHMHFWHG E\ WKH 3DWHQW 2I¿FH WZLFH DQG KH KDG GLI¿FXOW\ ¿QGing a corporate sponsor for the game he called Lexico. He tried a name change to Criss-Cross Words with no better UHVXOWV %XWWV ZDV ¿QDOO\ contacted by a New York investor named James Brunot, who added a new color scheme to the board as well as the 50-point bonus for using all seven tiles in one word. In the early 1950s, Brunot and a team of friends began manufacturing 12 games an hour in an old schoolhouse, hand-stamping the letters onto tiles made of Vermont maple. When the chairman of Macy’s discovered the game, he began stocking it at his department stores, and the game really took off. By 1954, 2,000 sets were being manufactured every week, and sales skyrocketed to nearly 4 million sets that year. Today, the game has been translated into 22 languages. ‡ 2Q $XJXVW WKH ZRUOGœV ¿UVW DWRP ERPE ZDV dropped by an American B-29 bomber, the Enola Gay, piloted by Lt. Col. Paul W. Tibbets. The target was the Japanese city of Hiroshima, which before the bombing, had 90,000 buildings. After the bombing, only 28,000 structures remained. Its blast was equal to 12,000 to 15,000 WRQV RI G\QDPLWH DQG GHVWUR\HG ¿YH VTXDUH PLOHV RI WKH city. Three days later, the city of Nagasaki was bombed.

Less than a week later, Japan announced its surrender to the Allied forces. These two bombings are the only use of nuclear weapons in warfare history.

NOTEWORTHY INVENTORS: SCOTT OLSON Listed as one of TIME magazine’s Top 100 products of the 20th century, rollerblades were the brainstorm of Minnesotan Scott Olson. And he’s currently hard at work on a new concept, the Skyride.

Let’s take a look at his story! ‡ ,Q 6FRWW 2OVRQ ZDV D \HDU ROG -XQLRU $ SUR KRFNH\ SOD\HU WU\LQJ WR ÂżJXUH RXW an interesting way to train in the summer. After seeing a pair of inline skates in a catalog, he asked his local sporting goods dealer, %ORRPLQJWRQ 0LQQHVRWDÂśV $WKOHWLF 2XWÂżWWHUV LI DQ\ ZHUH LQ stock. The few pairs in the store had been sitting there for years with no sales. Olson bought them all, surprising the RZQHU ZKR VDLG Âł,ÂśYH KDG WKRVH WKLQJV IRU ÂżYH \HDUV DQG you are the only one that ever bought them.â€? • Since he didn’t really like the design of the skates, Olson began experimenting with a pair in his parents’ Minneapolis basement, making the wheels softer and able to be attached to hockey skates. He pushed his product to hockey players and coaches directly, offering a money-back guarantee. With a patent in hand, he fashioned a better boot, and at age 23, formed WKH FRPSDQ\ NQRZQ DV 5ROOHUEODGH WKH ÂżUVW FRPSDQ\ WR PDVV SURGXFH LQOLQH VNDWHV • Olson, who had no formal business training, hired his friends as employees, one of whom, his best friend and accountant, embezzled funds from him. Although Rollerblades were becoming popular worldwide in 1985, Olson was close to losing his company. He was approached by two investors who would keep the Rollerblade brand alive, along with giving Olson a small percentage in the business. • By 1988, annual sales were close to $10 million, and it was the fastest-growing sport in America. In the 1990s, sales peaked at nearly half a billion dollars annually. ‡ %HFDXVH WKH VSRUW ZDV VR SRSXODU DORQJ WKH VLGHZDONV ERUGHULQJ WKH 3DFLÂżF 2FHDQ Olson says, “A lot of people thought Rollerblades must’ve started in Southern California, but in reality, it started in Minneapolis, Minnesota, hockey capital of the world.â€? • With enough money to live comfortably, Olson was free to try his hand at a few new inventions on his 45-acre Minnesota farm. He devised the LunarBed, a bed enclosed in a clear plastic globe designed for sleeping under the stars, and Rowbike, a bicycle that is rowed rather than peddled. A giant-outdoor version of ping pong known as Kong Pong was another invention birthed at the farm. One of his more unusual inventions was a plastic penguin lawn ornament that waddles in the wind. ‡ 2OVRQÂśV ELJJHVW GUHDP WKHVH GD\V LV D ÂżWQHVV GHYLFH NQRZQ DV 6N\ULGH VLW GRZQ ELF\cle-style capsules suspended from a 12-foot-tall (3.7 m) aboveground track. It’s a monorail system, on which the capsules can be pedaled or rowed. Featured on television’s 6KDUN 7DQN WKH LQYHQWLRQ LV LQWHQGHG IRU WRXULVW DWWUDFWLRQV ÂżWQHVV FOXEV DQG VSRUWV IDFLOLWLHV +LV QH[W YLVLRQ LQYROYHV GHVLJQLQJ ÂżWQHVV HTXLSPHQW IRU WKRVH ZLWK GLVDELOLWLHV • Olson, known as “Olie the goalieâ€? to his friends, raises donkeys and trumpeter swans in his free time.

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TO YOUR GOOD HEALTH

By Keith Roach, M.D. Your Doctor Has Heard it All DEAR DR. ROACH: This question is just too embarrassing for me to even sign my name. I get many infected pubic hairs that are painful. Is this normal? Do other people get them? I have had them off and on my whole life, but the past two years have been just awful. Some are like boils, and it takes them many weeks to go away. What can I do? I have never mentioned this to my doctor. I won't even go for my Pap test if I have one, because I don't want the doctor to see it. -- Anon.

ANSWER: Infected hair follicles are common, and when they are in the pubic area or in the armpits, they can be quite painful and last a long time. They often are caused by Staphylococcus, which nowadays can be resistant to multiple antibiotics (MRSA).

Please don't be embarrassed by these. I guarantee you that your doctor has seen them many times before. The sooner you are seen, the faster you can get relief. And you certainly don't want to delay important tests like your Pap for these common infections. *** DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 56-year-old female. I recently have been having terrible pain in my joints. It is so bad at night that I can't sleep. I recently went to a rheumatologist because I had an elevated rheumatoid factor (it wasn't extremely high). I was told I KDYH DUWKULWLV DQG D KLJK ULVN IRU UKHXPDWRLG DUWKULWLV , ZDV WKHQ GLDJQRVHG ZLWK ÂżEURP\DOJLD , ZDV VKRFNHG DQG HPEDUUDVVHG , KDG DOZD\V WKRXJKW WKDW ÂżEUR ZDV QRW D UHDO disease. I feel bad and tired almost every day, and I am so sick of it! -- S.S. ANSWER: 6RPH RI P\ FROOHDJXHV VWLOO GRXEW LW EXW , WKLQN WKDW ÂżEURP\DOJLD FHUWDLQO\

is a real disease. There is no doubt that there are a large number of people with chronic pain in the muscles and soft tissues who meet the diagnostic tests for ÂżEURP\DOJLD ZKLFK DUH DOO EDVHG RQ KLVWRU\ DQG H[DP WKHUH V QR EORRG WHVW RU ; UD\ IRU ÂżEURP\DOJLD EXW WKDW GRHVQ W PHDQ LW LVQ W UHDO 7KH FXUUHQW WKLQNLQJ LV WKDW ÂżEURP\DOJLD LV GXH WR DOWHUDWLRQV LQ WKH SHUFHSWLRQ RI SDLQ E\ WKH FHQWUDO QHUYRXV system. The most common symptom is aching in the body, usually in the muscles DQG MRLQWV )DWLJXH DQG SRRU TXDOLW\ VOHHS DOVR DUH QHDUO\ XQLYHUVDO LQ ÂżEURP\DOJLD 'HSUHVVLRQ LV KLJKO\ SUHYDOHQW LQ SHRSOH ZLWK ÂżEURP\DOJLD DQG LQ P\ RSLQLRQ WKH depression is more likely caused by the chronic pain and fatigue than the other way DURXQG 0\ RSLQLRQ LV WKDW LW LV EHWWHU WR KDYH D GLDJQRVLV RI ÂżEURP\DOJLD EHFDXVH HYHQ WKRXJK ÂżEURP\DOJLD LVQ W FRPSOHWHO\ XQGHUVWRRG LW LV D VWDUWLQJ SRLQW IRU understanding and treating chronic pain. Tricyclic antidepressants are the most FRPPRQ LQLWLDO WUHDWPHQW RI ÂżEURP\DOJLD EHFDXVH WKH\ DIIHFW WKH ZD\ SDLQ LV SURcessed. They are usually started at far, far below the effective dose for depression.

Feeling a sense of control over the pain, continuing to work and exercising more DUH DOO DVVRFLDWHG ZLWK D EHWWHU RXWFRPH LQ ÂżEURP\DOJLD *** Dr. Roach regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but will incorporate them in the column whenever possible.

Readers may email questions to: ToYourGoodHealth@med.cornell.edu To view and order health pamphlets, visit: www.rbmamall.com, or write to: Good Health, 628 Virginia Drive Orlando, FL 32803. (c) 2015 North America Synd., Inc. All Rights Reserved

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TidbitsÂŽ of Ventura County

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THE PONY EXPRESS August 30 is the day set aside to celebrate Pony Express Day, honoring the mail service between St. Joseph, Missouri, and Sacramaneto, California, in the 1860s. Let’s learn more about this short-lived enterprise in America’s history. • The Pony Express Company was the idea of three owners of a freight business, who proposed a faster method of transporting mail between St. Joseph and the California Gold Country, a journey of roughly 1,800 miles (2,897 km). Although critics said it was impossible, William Russell, William Waddell, and Alexander Majors claimed that the mail could be moved across the distance in just 10 days. • The men acquired more than 400 horses for their operation and set up a series of 157 relay stations along the route about 10 to 15 miles (16 to 24 km) apart. This was the distance that a horse could gallop at top speed before tiring. Riders changed to a fresh horse at each relay station. Home stations were also constructed about 90 to 120 miles (145 to 193 km) apart, where the riders were switched out and allowed to rest. • About 120 riders were hired, each weighing less than 125 lbs. (57 kg). A rider rode between 75 and 100 milels (120 to 160 km), whether day or night, rain or shine, before being switched out. His salary was $100 a month, which compared in its time to 43 cents to a dollar a day for unskilled labor. • The initial postage rate for the Pony Express was $5 per ½ ounce (14 g). It was later lowered to $2.50, then dropped to its lowest in July, 1861, of $1. The rider’s pouch could hold 20 lbs. (9 kg) of mail. In addition, his saddle bag contained a water sack, a Bible, a horn to alert the relay station of his arrival in order to have a fresh horse ready, and a revolver. The requirement was to have no more than 165 lbs. (75 kg) on the horse’s back. • In April, 1860, the Pony Express made its inaugural run, with a rider leaving St. Joseph at the same time one left Sacramento. The westbound rider made the journey in 10 days, beating the eastbound rider’s arrival in St. Joseph by two days, proving that the route could be covered in 10 days. • At any one time, there were about 80 Pony Express riders along the trail traveling east or west, with an average speed of 10 mph (16 km/hr). • In May, 1860, the Paiute Indian War broke out, resulting in an interruption of mail delivery. Several Pony Express stations were attacked by the tribe, with 16 employees killed and 150 horses stolen. The war cost the Company about $75,000 in addition to the loss of life. • During its 18 months of operation, the Pony Express delivered about 35,000 letters between Missouri and California. The owners hoped to obtain a mail delivery contract from the U.S. Government, EXW LW QHYHU PDWHULDOL]HG :KHQ WKH ¿UVW WUDQVFRQWLnental telegraph line was instituted in October, 1861, the days of the Pony Express were over. During that time, it had grossed $90,000 and lost $200,000. Its assets were later sold to Wells Fargo for $1.5 million. • There have been nine movies made about the comSDQ\ ZLWK WKH ¿UVW D VLOHQW ¿OP LQ IROORZHG E\ Frontier Pony Express, starring Roy Rogers in 1939.

A popular television series, The Young Riders, ran from 1989-1992, starring Stephen Baldwin and Josh Brolin.

1

Taste Asian Culture With Spring Rolls I have to admit that Asian food in our house usually comes from one of those little white containers with skinny metal handles. But when we eat out, we like to explore the innovative panAsian dishes that have become popular with American palettes.

Spring Rolls are one of my favorite Asian dishes, but I don’t need to go globetrotting further than the popular Rice Paper Asian Fusion restaurant in my neighborhood. Fresh, light and full of flavor, owner An Nguyen’s preparation derived from her Vietnamese roots is tasty and thoughtfully presented.

An shared her recipe with me, and at the same time encouraged me to devise variations with my family. “Substitute sliced Swedish meatballs for the shrimp,� she suggested, in a nod to my Scandinavian heritage. I encourage you to do the same. Once you have the basic ingredients out on your counter, take turns with your teens assembling spring rolls with your own family twist.

SPRING ROLLS 1 1 1

package round rice-paper wrappers (also known as spring rolls skin) cup thinly sliced cooked chicken (or use deli slices) cup cooked shrimp, sliced lengthwise Leafy lettuce washed and dry Chopped fresh cilantro leaves Chopped fresh mint leaves

package fresh mung bean sprouts 6 ounces rice stick noodles soaked in hot water until soft, about 10 minutes. Drain and snip with kitchen scissors to shorten.

1 carrot, shredded Bottled peanut dipping sauce 1. Soak rice paper one at a time in a shallow dish of hot water until soft and flexible. Place on a clean, damp towel.

2. Set chicken or shrimp slices in a row, 1 inch from the bottom edge. Set

some lettuce on top, then layer with cilantro, mint, sprouts and noodles.

Carefully fold the wrapper down over the mixture just to cover it as tightly as you can without tearing it, then fold the two sides in and continue to roll up until all edges are secure. Place seamside down on a plate, cover with a damp cloth and refrigerate until ready to serve.

3. Top with a sprig of cilantro and shredded carrots. To eat, dip into peanut sauce served in small bowls.

Makes about 12 spring rolls. *** Donna Erickson’s award-winning series “Donna’s Day� is airing on public television nationwide. To find more of her creative family recipes and activities, visit www.donnasday.com and link to the NEW Donna’s Day Facebook fan page. Her latest book is “Donna Erickson’s Fabulous Funstuff for Families.� Š 2015 Donna Erickson Distributed by King Features Synd.

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PAWS CORNER By: Sam Mazzotta

Highlight YOUR Rescue HERE!

Assistance Dogs Are the Real Deal DEAR PAW’S CORNER: I was shopping recently and noticed a healthylooking man pushing a cart around the store with a big dog by his side. As they came closer, I saw the dog was on a regular leash and wore an assistance dog vest, but the guy didn’t look disabled. Was he faking it?

-- Suspicious in Pittsburgh DEAR SUSPICIOUS: No, the man was not “faking it.” I can’t emphasize this strongly enough, but many people with physical challenges do not appear, to those who don’t know them, to be challenged.

Service dogs or assistance dogs have increasingly become essential companions for people with different kinds and levels of disability. While many of us are familiar with guide dogs for the blind, dogs providing other types of assistance are more prevalent today as well. They provide everything from emotional support to actively alerting their owners to potential dangers.

For example, many dogs that provide assistance to people with hearing disabilities are small- to medium-size. Seeing a Chihuahua with an assistance vest may be odd to some folks, they are a vital part of that person’s interaction with the outside world.

Military veterans with injuries ranging from PTSD to limb loss, paralysis, traumatic brain injury or other issues also have been greatly helped by assistance dogs that provide a varying range of services.

To learn more, visit www.assistancedogsinternational.org.

Send your questions about pet care to ask@pawscorner.com. (c) 2015 King Features Synd., Inc.

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TidbitsÂŽ of Ventura County Martinez Makes His Point!

There was an old journalist I used to run into at the Greenwich Village Bistro who looked every bit like an old journalist hanging around a Greenwich Village restaurant sounds like he would look, complete with crumpled felt fedora and wide tie. One day, I was reading one of the tabloids, and I threw it aside with disgust. There was no real news on page one, and it had a bunch of hypothetical trades on the back. It was more about what somebody said he would do and a bunch of people reacting with disdain for the thing that hadn't happened. "Hey," I said, pointing to the newspaper, "This is a very bad newspaper." "No, it's not," he replied. "That newspaper is great. You're missing the point." I realized that he had just performed some sort of low-level Jedi mind trick on me, but I didn't care. Now I was free to like that newspaper again. Toward the end of July, with the trade deadline approaching, of course you're going to hear about potential trades. This is one of the few times where hypothetical trades are welcome fodder for call-in radio shows, but if there's ever a waste of airwaves, it's those pre-season callers who offer Didi Gregorius for Mike Trout in a straight-up deal, and anytime somebody uses them to disparage another person for the crime of being from someplace else they know little or nothing about. By now, most sports fans are aware that Colin Cowherd was ÂżUHG E\ (631 DIWHU PDNLQJ GLVSDUDJLQJ UHPDUNV DERXW Dominicans, not one day, but two days in a row. This wasn't a situation where "political correctness" claimed another victim. This was ignorance on full display. The baseball gods conspired to induct Pedro Martinez into the +DOO RI )DPH WKH VDPH ZHHN WKDW &RZKHUG ZDV ÂżUHG ,Q D world where "public speaking" is considered one of the greatest fears a person can face, Pedro Martinez manages to speak about baseball in a second language. Can you imagine being on TV, in front of millions, in another nation, using their language to provide in-depth analysis?

Martinez is a guy who grew up in a tin-shack and worked as a mechanic at an age most American kids are in middle school. He couldn't afford a baseball, so he played with oranges. He grew up to be one of the greatest right-handed pitchers of all-time. Yes, really, all-time. His numbers are incredible to behold. But perhaps the greatest thing he ever did was done off the mound, on the dais at Cooperstown.

There, the Dominican with the great pitch, reminded us yet again what great people do: They deliver. "When you see me, you can see a sign of hope, of faith, of determination, of strength, [and] courage with dignity." No matter where you are from, in a world of fallen heroes, being able to point to yourself as a good example is something that is truly great. Some people just miss the point!

Mark Vasto is a veteran sportswriter who lives in New Jersey. (c) 2015 King Features Synd., Inc.

DVDs reviewed in this column are available in stores the week of August 10, 2015.

Summer Chicken and Pasta Salad August ... the dog days of summer. Cook your macaroni early in the morning — or better yet, simply pull some already-cooked pasta out of the freezer to thaw, and you won’t have to turn on that stove for this refreshing main-dish salad.

2/3 cup fat-free mayonnaise 2 tablespoons fat-free milk 1/4 cup grated reduced-fat Parmesan cheese 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1 cup diced cooked chicken breast 3 cups cooked shell macaroni, rinsed and drained 1/4 cup chopped onion 1 cup chopped fresh tomato 3/4 cup chopped green bell pepper 1. In a large bowl, combine mayonnaise, milk, Parmesan cheese and black pepper. Add chicken, macaroni and onion. Mix well to combine.

Gently fold in tomato and green pepper.

2. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Mix gently again just before serving. Serves 6 (1 cup each). • Each serving: About 178 calories, 2g fat, 10g protein, 30g carb., 355mg sodium, 2g fiber; Diabetic Exchanges: 1 1/2 Starch, 1 Meat, 1/2 Vegetable. Š 2015 King Features Synd., Inc.

MAKE A DELICIOUS SUMMER CHICKEN & PASTA SALAD !

DOG OF THE WEEK "Hot Pursuit" (PG-13) -- This no-laugh riot gives us something original by taking the Bickering Buddies on the Run formula, heading it with two likable female talents, and then somehow making it SO ANNOYING. Cooper (Reese Witherspoon) is an uptight Nervous Nelly cop placed in charge of Daniella 6RÂżD 9HUJDUD WKH vivacious wife of a drug kingpin, who's set to testify at an upcoming big-deal court case. Wacky circumstances make the Shrill Couple the target of both cops and gangsters as they try to get to Dallas alive. Witherspoon is short and Vergara has a funny accent.

That's the joke that gets run into the ground over a very brief runtime. When the movie isn't polishing that bit of comedy gold, there's usually a great deal of shrieking, tired cliches and humorless chatter to pass the time.

PICKS OF THE WEEK "Match" (R) -- Patrick Stewart runs the screen as Tobi Powell, a Juilliard dance instructor with a big personality layered over a more complicated man.

He's asked for an interview by Lisa (Carla Gugino), who is writing her dissertation about the 1960s dance scene in New York. Lisa's husband, Mike (Matthew Lillard), also comes along from Seattle, and through his involvement it seems there might be some other motive behind the interview. As the questions probe deeper into Tobi's personal past, FRQĂ€LFW VKDNHV WKH G\QDPLF EHWZHHQ WKH WKUHH FKDUacters. While the movie has some issues associated with stage-to-movie adaptations, it's nothing that overshadows the performances.

"I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story" (PG) -- For more than 45 years, Carroll Spinney has been the life behind the felt of some of the world's favorite children's characters. This documentary goes into the career and mindset of the man who continues to suit up and play Big Bird into his 80s. The story touches on the early days of Jim Henson and the Muppets, Spinney's rough early years and the personal doubts that almost pushed him out when he was just getting started. It shows how Spinney is the soul inside Big Bird's gentle, curious, huggable nature. It's a touching, well-made tribute that gets you right in the childhood.

"Patch Town" (NR) -- A worker in a comedically bleak factory, Jon (Rob Ramsay) looks like a Cabbage Patch doll grown to uncomfortable adulthood -- curly puff hair, plump cheeks, baby-angel eyes with a splash of innocent cheerfulness. Unfortunately, he works on an assembly line, pulling goo-covered babies out of cabbages, then sending them off to be given as living dolls. Jon comes to the earth-shattering realization that he's a discarded doll, and decides to escape the factory and seek out the girl who was once his "Mommy," but has now grown up. This bizarre and unexpected darkish comedy is well worth checking out.

TV RELEASES "WWE: Very Best of Nitro Vol. 3" "Haikyu!! Collection 2" "Strawberry Shortcake: Berry Tales" "Captain Earth Collection 2" "Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths" (c) 2015 King Features Synd., Inc.

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*DPH &KDQJHUV

by Jason Jenkins

Three Club Chipping Not all greenside chips are equal. There are different lies, distances to the pins, and terrains between you and the hole. Not only are all chips not equal, but one club should not always be used for them all.

One basic of the greenside chip should be a consistent technique which includes setup, swing length, and impact conditions.

After that, you have the freedom to alter the club you’re using, its alignment, and where you hit it on the face.

Assuming for now that the face is square and you’re striving for center contact, practice mastering three clubs around the green. Use the 8-iron for long distance chips where you can allow the ball to land quickly and roll out over the length of the green. Adjust to the pitching wedge when the pin is more centralized on the green and you don’t need as much roll on the ball.

Finally, switch to the sand or lob wedge to attack the short chips when the hole is quite near you. Each stroke should be similar, but the club will create different carry and roll results.

By practicing with these three clubs, you’ll have a better gameplan around the greens.

JJ Gibbons

Color Specialist-Stylist

Sabrina Blake Salon 2139 Tapo Street Suite 102 Simi Valley, CA 93063

Cell: (805)-577-7922 Salon: (805)-577-9384 facebook.com/SabrinaBlakeSalonandSpa

Jason Jenkins was a 16-year member of the Jim McLean Golf School teaching staff and was one of GOLF Magazine’s Top 100 Teacher Nominees 1999-2010. He was named one of the Golf Digest Top Teachers in California in 2011.

Contact Jason at 760-485-2452 or GHYJRO¿QVWU#JPDLO FRP

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