Parade 04-01 by The Southern Illinoisan

S U N D AY, A P R I L 1 , 2 0 1 2

The Fantastic

Mr. FOX

A Dotson Rader interview with the beloved actor

PHOTOS, CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM LEFT: COURTESY OF SPHE; GLEN ROSE; STEVE GRANITZ/WIREIMAGE; ALEX MOSS/GETTY IMAGES; SAV/FILMMAGIC. ILLUSTRATION: ROBERT RISKO

Walter Scott,s

PARADE E

Parade.com/celebrity

WALTER SCOTT ASKS …

Kenny Chesney The singer, 44, is up for nine Academy of Country Music awards (the show airs tonight on CBS, 8 p.m. ET). You’re touring with Tim McGraw this summer. What do you like about road life?

The time onstage, in front of the fans. Sometimes it’s like a revival, I swear. How do you relax? Being still has always been hard. It usually involves being on a boat, listening to Bob Marley, and watching the sun move across the sky.

der if you’re going to start mailing it in, but I’m really pushing myself as a person and as a songwriter. Ask Walter Scott your questions at personality@ parade.com. Letters can be sent to P.O. Box 5001, Grand Central Station, New York, N.Y. 10163-5001.

Q: Why isn’t Jason Segel

been wearing her beautiful wedding ring. Is she still married? —Anonymous, Tex.

A: The HLN host and

her husband of nearly ﬁve years are still going strong. As for the ring, she has yet to get it resized since dropping 25 pounds last year while competing on Dancing With the Stars. “I’m proud of my diamond band,”

Did Tom Hanks meet the queen last year when he went to dinner at Buckingham Palace? —B. G., San Francisco

Yes, at the state banquet last May in honor of the Obamas, the actor, 55, discussed theater with Her Majesty. Other guests included Kevin Spacey and Tim Burton.

says Grace, 52. “But I don’t want to lose it!”

A: “I thought it would be

writing the next Muppets movie? —Kristin, Norwood, N.J.

A: He wants to focus on

P Fincher’s Dragon Tattoo

Q: Did the director of the American version of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo watch the Swedish ﬁlm that was already out? —Leanore, Hawthorne, Calif.

silly to ignore it,” says David Fincher, 49, who directed the 2011 thriller starring Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara (now on DVD). “We had to see what choices had been made so we could say, ‘Are we in too much of that vein? Maybe we should do this [instead].’ ”

★ PRESENTS ★

Who Said It? LADY GAGA | RIHANNA

acting without the added pressures of the pen. “My goal wasn’t to be the new head of the Muppets but to be a footnote in the legacy,” says Segel, 32. “I did what I set out to do, and now I’d like to pursue human-related projects.”

Q: Nancy Grace hasn’t

Download our Spotify playlist of songs from the ACM nominees at Facebook.com /parademag

Did anything change when you hit your 40s? I felt an artistic shift. People won-

P Nancy Grace

“Si Sin Single n life is so overrated.” See the answer at wonderwall.com/whosaidit

#ACMs

HOSTED BY REBA AND BLAKE SHELTON

Sponsored In Part By POWERED BY

LIVEFROM LAS VEGAS TONIGHT 8/ 7C ONLYCBS *

Presenting the ÂŽ

When we introduced the original Acoustic WaveÂŽ music system, Sound & Vision said it delivered â&#x20AC;&#x153;possibly the best-reproduced sound many people have ever heard.â&#x20AC;? And the Oregonian reported it had â&#x20AC;&#x153;changed the way many Americans listen to music.â&#x20AC;? Today, the improved Acoustic WaveÂŽ music system II builds on our more than 40 years of industry-leading innovation to deliver even better sound. This is the best-performing all-in-one music system weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve ever made, with sound that rivals large and complicated stereos. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no stack of equipment. No tangle of wires. Just all-in-one convenience and lifelike sound. With recently developed BoseÂŽ technologies, our engineers were able to make the acclaimed sound even more natural. We believe youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll appreciate the quality even at volume levels approaching that of a live performance.

This small system fits almost anywhere. You can move it from room to room, or take it outside. It has what you need to enjoy your music, including a built-in CD player and digital FM/ AM tuner. You also can easily connect additional sources like your iPod,ÂŽ iPadÂŽ or TV.

Shown in Graphite Gray with optional 5-CD Changer.

Use our 30-day, risk-free trial to try it in your home. When you call, ask about adding the optional 5-CD Changer to play your music for hours â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the same

slim remote operates both system and changer. Also, ask about using your own major credit card to make with no interest charges from Bose.* Order now and save $100 on the Acoustic WaveÂŽ music system II. Compare the performance with large, multi-component stereos costing much more. SAVE $1%% ! # And discover why Bose is ( ÂŽ the most respected name # # $ # %1 in sound. '

%% % " % !!! ($&

Name________________________________________________________ Address______________________________________________________ City_________________________________State_____Zip____________ Phone_________________ E-mail (Optional)_________________________ Mail to: SST, Bose Corporation, P.O. Box 9168, Framingham, MA 01701-9168

*Bose payment plan available on orders of $299-$1500 paid by major credit card. Separate financing offers may be available for select products. See website for details. Down payment is 1/12 the product price plus applicable tax and shipping charges, charged when your order is shipped. Then, your credit card will be billed for 11 equal monthly installments beginning approximately one month from the date your order is shipped, with 0% APR and no interest charges from Bose. Credit card rules and interest may apply. U.S. residents only. Limit one active financing program per customer. ÂŠ2012 Bose Corporation. The distinctive design of the Acoustic WaveÂŽ music system II is a registered trademark of Bose Corporation. Financing and savings offers not to be combined with other offers or applied to previous purchases, and subject to change without notice. Offers are limited to purchases made from Bose and participating authorized dealers. Offers valid 4/1/12-5/31/12. Risk-free refers to 30-day trial only, requires product purchase and does not include return shipping. Delivery is subject to product availability. iPad and iPod are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. Quotes reprinted with permission: Sound & Vision, 3/85; Wayne Thompson, Oregonian, 9/10/96.

your guide to health, life,

CAN I BUY? Android, Apple Coveting a new car, or maybe a ﬂat-screen TV? Enter your income, assets, and liabilities and this app will tell you whether you can afford it. Just don’t blame us if the answer is no. ($2)

money, entertainment, and more

Cha-Ching!

DEBT SNOWBALL PRO Apple Debt Snowball identifies which of your loans have the highest interest rates so you can pay them down first, saving megabucks. It can also estimate when you’ll be debt-free. ($3) DOXO Apple iPhone Take a picture of a bill or statement, then stash it in the appropriate file (credit cards, utilities, etc.); Doxo will keep track of due dates and payments. You can also receive e-bills from certain vendors, and soon you’ll be able to pay them directly from your phone. (Free) MANILLA Android, Apple Good news for the organizationally challenged: With Manilla, you can manage all your online accounts—bank, cell phone, frequent flier, even magazine subs—in one place, then pay bills with a few taps of your finger. (Free) PAYPAL Android, Apple iPhone Sign up for PayPal and you can bill for your services, pay off debts, donate to worthy causes, or make purchases at thousands of merchants, wherever you are—no paper or plastic required. (Free)

MINT.COM PERSONAL FINANCE Android, Apple Get a 360-degree view of your ﬁnances: bank accounts, investments, credit cards, and house payments, plus a breakdown of your spending. Create a budget for, say, dining out or clothing; Mint alerts you when you’ve exceeded your limit. (Free)

SHOW ME THE THESE APPS CAN HELP YOU FILE YOUR TAXES, MANAGE YOUR BUDGET, AND SAVE ON LOANS. (NOW IF ONLY THEY WOULD MAKE YOUR BILLS DISAPPEAR, TOO!) SHOEBOXED Android, Apple Just snap a photo of your receipts and hit submit. The app will scan and verify the

information and post it to your Shoeboxed account. You can also categorize your expenses and export them to a personal ﬁnance

SMARTYPIG Android, Apple Saving money for a vacation, college, or some other big-ticket item? SmartyPig will squirrel away a specified amount from your bank account each month (no excuses!) until you reach your goal. (Free) TURBOTAX 2011 TAX PREPARATION Android tablets, Apple iPad Do your own taxes! Start running the numbers and let TurboTax be your guide. With the iPad version you can pull information from employers and financial institutions; ata repeat users can import data from last year’s TurboTax return. (Free download; $30-plus for federal, $37 for state) YAHOO! FINANCE Android, Apple iPhone How are your holdings holding up? Get the latest financial news from Wall Street plus more than a dozen global markets, including bonds and currencies. You can also create a personal portfolio of your stocks and track their progress with constantly updated quotes. (Free) —Dan Tynan

PBooks

DRIVING MR. YOGI

Harvey Araton, nonfiction, $26 When Yogi Berra

Scan this code with your smartphone to get Mint right now*

application or to tax prep software. (30-day free trial; plans start at $10 a month)

Parade Picks

returned to the Yankees for spring training in 1999, after years of self-imposed exile, he was paired with an unlikely chauffeur: former Yankees pitching ace Ron “Louisiana Lightning” Guidry. Berra, now 86, and Guidry, now 61, forged a deep friendship, one so lovingly documented in this lore-filled book that you’ll find yourself wishing it ain’t over till it’s over.

PDVDs WE BOUGHT A ZOO $20 A perfect family film, this tale of a widower (Matt Damon) who moves his kids to the country and renovates a zoo has loads of heart and humor.

PMusic BRING IT ON HOME Joan Osborne, $15

The soulful chanteuse puts her smoky voice and rootsy rocker vibe to fine use on a collection of vintage blues tunes, including the Muddy Waters classic “I Want to Be Loved.”

*STANDARD MESSAGING RATES MAY APPLY.. PHOTO, PHOTO, BOTTOM BOTTOM RIGHT: RIGHT: THO THORSTEN ROTH

Report INTELLIGENCE

4 • April 1, 2012

Ask Marilyn By Marilyn vos Savant

How do farmers grow seedless fruit? —Brian Witmer, Lebanon, Pa.

Seedless fruit is produced the same way much other fruit is grown: from cuttings. Seedlessness is a desirable quality that first happens by luck—like sweetness or a good texture or a unique flavor. Then, to produce that special trait consistently, a grower cuts a piece of the chosen stem and plants it or grafts the stem onto good-quality root stock. This eliminates the randomness of fertilization. Apples are a good example of this practice. If their reproduction were left to nature instead of human growers, you wouldn’t find grocery bins labeled “Golden Delicious” and “Granny Smith” and “Rome Beauty.” Instead, you would get to choose from only one—marked “apples.”

Numbrix

Complete 1 to 81 so the numbers follow a horizontal or vertical path—no diagonals.

ILLUSTRATION: GRAFILU

April 1, 2012 • 5

MICHAEL J. FOX AT 50

“I don’t

look at

life boyishly handsome man who starred on the TV series Spin City nearly 12 years ago. Wearing a blue baseball cap, a plaid shirt over a black T, distressed jeans, and black loafers, he’s standing in a hallway of the elegant building on New York’s Fifth Avenue where he lives with his wife, actress Tracy Pollan, and their four children. Often, he tells me, he goes for walks in Central Park across the street. But as we settle into a well-worn sofa, his left arm abruptly begins to shake, his head jerks to the side, his body shudders—and suddenly the effects of Parkinson’s disease on the 50-year-old actor are poignantly apparent. He ignores them. “People ask me, ‘Does it bother you when you shake in front of people?’ ” he says. “No. It sometimes bothers me when I can’t do what I want, but I don’t give a damn how it looks.” He neither complains about what his illness has done to him nor frets about what lies ahead. “I’m the big worrier,” Pollan, his wife of 23 years, tells me later. “Michael says there’s no point in worrying because if something [bad] does happen, then you’ve lived it twice. He’s very cool.”

BY DOTSON RADER COVER AND OPENING PHOTOGRAPHS BY JAKE CHESSUM

as a battle”

The star and Parkinson’s research advocate opens up about Fox was diagnosed with the degenerative neurological disorder in 1991, at the age of 30, after noticing a small, persistent twitch in his hand. He kept his condition a secret for years, ﬁnally going public in 1998 and testifying before Congress. Since establishing the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research in 2000, he has raised $285 million and brought worldwide attention to a debilitating condition that afﬂicts millions. (April, it should be noted, is Parkinson’s Awareness Month.) Much as Elizabeth Taylor became the symbol of the campaign against AIDS, Fox has become the public face of Parkinson’s. His career is going strong, despite warnings when he was diagnosed that he’d be able to work for only 10 more years. He scored his 12th Emmy nomination last year for guesting on The Good Wife, in the prickly role of Louis Canning, a lawyer who plays up his Parkinson’s-like symptoms to manipulate judge and jury. “We wanted to have a character who uses his disability cynically,” says The Good Wife cocreator Michelle King. (Canning returned this year and is expected to continue into next season.) Over a long afternoon, we talk about his hopes

PHOTO CREDITS WILL GO HERE AS SHOWN

ON FIRST SIGHT, Michael J. Fox looks like the

6 • April 1, 2012

PHOTO CREDITS WILL GO HERE AS SHOWN

love, loss, and why he’s blessed

GOING THE DISTANCE

When he revealed his Parkinson’s diagnosis, Fox says, “I found an amazing outpouring of love.”

April 1, 2012 • 7

proud of what youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve done. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no shame in coming home, and know that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re here for you.â&#x20AC;? I understood what it meant for my father to write that, and I took it as a reminder of how far Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d come. I always believed in that next thingâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and that turned out to be the audition for Family Ties.

What hit movie did Fox fear he was terrible in? The star talks about his career at Parade.com/fox

PARADE You were one of ďŹ ve kids in a conservative Canadian family. Your dad was in the military, your mom worked as a clerk. Why did you take off for Hollywood?

I was ďŹ rst going to be a writer. I love to write. [Fox has produced three best-selling books.] As a kid, I played guitar in a band. Then I started acting in junior high and got lost in the puzzle and magic of it. I think it was an escape for me. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mean in the sense of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Oh, God, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got to get out of here!â&#x20AC;? but I needed bigger choices. When you arrived in L.A., you got some acting work, and then it stopped. Why didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t you go home at that point?

[laughs] It was grim. I had a girlfriend who moved down from Canada with me, but we were drifting apart. I had no money, no phone. I was ducking the landlord. I was scared. Then my dad wrote me a letter saying, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re really

That series and the Back to the Future ďŹ lms made you rich and famous. But two years after your ďŹ rst child, Sam, was born, you were given the devastating diagnosis of Parkinsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. How did you deal with it?

At ďŹ rst it was like I was in cement shoes in the middle of the road and a bus was coming and I knew it was going to hit me. For a time I dealt with it with alcohol, which turned out to be a disaster. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d always been kind of a partier, but this was the ďŹ rst time I was drinking in order not to feel something. It had a dark purpose. About a year after my diagnosis, I woke up one morning and saw Tracyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s face. I was supposed to have gotten up hours earlier and taken Sam to the country, but I slept in. I was on the couch; I was sweaty. I looked up at her,

If You Purchased NIVEA Good-bye Cellulite or My Silhouette! Products You May Be Part of a Class Action Settlement If you purchased NIVEA Good-bye Cellulite Gel Cream, NIVEA Good-bye Cellulite Patches, NIVEA Good-bye Cellulite Fast Acting Serum, the NIVEA Good-bye Cellulite 30-Day Body Beauty Program, or )*+,-

be part of a class action settlement and may be able to This notice is only a summary

What is the Class Action Lawsuit About? Plaintiffs say that the advertisements and packaging for NIVEA Good-bye Cellulite and My Silhouette! products sold by What Are the Terms of the Settlement? Under the terms of the proposed settlement, each class member who submits a valid claim may be entitled to cash or !

Who Represents Me? The Court has appointed an

"# $%% %%%

! &

' What Are My Legal Rights? ! ( ! ! * Court approves the proposed settlement, you will be

able to sue Beiersdorf for claims that are covered by the be postmarked on or before , you must submit a letter to the Settlement Administrator at the address below, postmarked on or before

$ % the appropriate papers with the Clerk of Court, Circuit # & ' Chicago, IL 60602, and $!%

/ ( & ( ) * + ,, - - !! .) " " ! - ' / ))+ *

Will the Court Approve the Proposed Settlement? The Court will hold a Fairness Hearing on June expenses and an incentive award to the plaintiffs who

FAMILY MAN

With wife Tracy Pollan and (from left) kids Sam, EsmĂŠ, Aquinnah, and Schuyler in 2009.

expecting to see sadness or anger or disappointment. All I saw was complete boredom. She said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Is this what you want?â&#x20AC;? Instantly I knewâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;no, this isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t what I want or who I am. So I quit drinking in â&#x20AC;&#x2122;92. I recognized I had choices about drinking, and that made me realize I had choices about Parkinsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s as well. I could say, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m powerless over this, but I have things I can do.â&#x20AC;? I could apply everything Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d learned about getting drinking out of my life to dealing with Parkinsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. Some people would be so devastated theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d contemplate suicide. Did you ever?

It never occurs to me, and I can say that honestly.

Loving Michael Tracy Pollan talks about the strengths and struggles of the coupleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 23-year marriage

Any marriage has its ups and downs. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work to be married for this many years! That said, Michaelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a very easy person to be with under his circumstances, funny and gracious. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not egocentric at all; heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very much about the person heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s with. When I see how much hope he gives people who have Parkinsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s or other illnessesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unbelievable. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You go through so many different stages of your relationship, and you want the person you love to support you through whatever trials and tribulations you face. I love him. I want to be there for him. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sam [their oldest child] was only 2 when Michael was diagnosed. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really all our children know; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just always been the way it is. And theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re all very empathetic people. They deďŹ nitely think of Michael as strong and in charge, but theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re also protective of him. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sweet. I see very positive effects in them. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My family absolutely comes ďŹ rst, and I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mean that in a Pollyanna way. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the focus of my life because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what makes me happy.â&#x20AC;?

GROOMING, JOANNA PENSINGER/EXCLUSIVE ARTISTS; STYLING, MONICA COTTO. CLOTHING, COVER: SUIT, LANVIN PARIS; SHIRT, BROOKS BROTHERS; SHOES, BOTTEGA VENETA. INSIDE: SWEATER, BROOKS BROTHERS. PHOTOGRAPHED AT THE SURREY, NYC. PHOTOS, FROM LEFT: PAUL HIFFMEYER/DISNEYLAND; DAVID M. RUSSELL/CBS.

and fears, the family who loves him, and what has sustained him since he left Canada for Hollywood at age 18. The lengthy conversation tires him, but his optimism never ďŹ&#x201A;ags.

How do you battle Parkinson’s?

I don’t look at life as a battle or as a fight. I don’t think I’m scrappy. I’m accepting. I say “living with” or “working through” Parkinson’s. Acceptance doesn’t mean resignation; it means understanding that something is what it is and that there’s got to be a way through it. I look at it like I’m a fluid that’s finding the fissures and cracks and flowing through. You took a role on The Good Wife where you’re playing against type and highlighting your Parkinson’s symptoms. A tricky thing to do, but it’s won you raves.

It’s been a great opportunity to use different tools than I’ve used before. People think my character, Louis Canning, is a bad guy. I play him like he doesn’t see the problem. In his own way, his motive is pure. He wants to win the case, collect his money, and go home to his family. So if he ﬁnds an expedient way to do that, he doesn’t see it as being controversial or unethical. He hasn’t confused ethics with morals.

UNCOMMON LAW Sparring with

Julianna Margulies on The Good Wife.

Why did you start your foundation?

I wanted to see more money spent directly on Parkinson’s research. We have no Department of Cures in the government—it’s us. I wanted to create an entity that does something about it. I know the answer is out there. It’s attainable. What does the foundation do?

We’ve become the largest private funder of Parkinson’s disease research in the world. We want to get things

into clinical trials as fast as possible. We set up an infrastructure to help scientists ﬁnd a biomarker that can identify Parkinson’s before symptoms are present and track the progress of the disease in a way that’s never been charted. We’re doing research into drugs. I talk a lot to patients who’ve just been diagnosed.They say, “If people only knew, they’d [care more].” I say, “You can’t count on that. Pity is a benign form of abuse. You have to care about yourself and get other people involved.” [Learn more about the foundation’s work and the Fox Trial Finder at Parade.com/fox.] Your wife, Tracy, has been at your side through all of this. …

We’ve been through a lot together. Many marriages don’t survive that kind of stress. Why does she stay?

It’s hard to explain why this amazing woman would want to stay. People say, “Tracy’s a rock.” She always laughs at that and says, “I’m not a rock.” And she’s not. She’s a living, reactive person. We’ve been very blessed and haven’t had a lot of big challenges other than Parkinson’s.Tracy knows she can count on me when there are issues we face. We still love each other and make each other laugh, which is probably the most important thing. She still thinks I’m smart and funny and sexy. What advice do you give your kids?

I told them early on, “When you go out the door in the morning, choose happiness.” They roll their eyes. [laughs] You seem happy. Are you?

As a kid who was short, I’ve always thought, “If that’s my biggest problem, then life is a bowl of cherries.” I still feel that way now, no matter what I face. I really love being alive. I really love my family and my work. I love the opportunity I have to do things. That’s what happiness is. April 1, 2012 • 9

Find these great products & more at

low prices in the Garden Center.

Was 8.97

Was 14.74

Was 16.77

Views

By Jim Abbott and Tim Brown

A League of His Own Former pro pitcher Jim Abbott writes about his littlest fans—the disabled kids who reminded him what life is all about

VICTORY! Abbott celebrating after

n Sept. 4, 1993, Jim Abbott achieved something that few professional pitchers ever have: He pitched a no-hitter. And he did it with just one hand. Born with no more than a stub of a pinky finger at the end of his right arm, Abbott learned as a child in Flint, Mich., to pitch, field, and throw using only his left arm. Before retiring from baseball in 1999 (he currently lives in Anaheim, Calif., with his wife and two kids), Abbott pitched for the Angels, White Sox, Brewers, and Yankees. But while he enjoyed many big moments in his 10-year career, what he remembers most were the disabled children who came to watch him play. In this excerpt from his new book, Imperfect: An Improbable Life, he shares how meeting them helped keep him in the game.

15 minutes a day. By the time we got to Anaheim, a couple letters would become dozens, and during the season, hundreds. [Angels executive] Tim Mead and I answered every one, because I knew how far a little boy or girl could run with 50 words of reassurance. The letters became lines of families at the doorways of clubhouses from Fenway to Comiskey to the Kingdome, and tiny, quiet tears in dugouts from Arlington Stadium to the SkyDome to Anaheim.

I KNEW HOW FAR A LITTLE BOY OR GIRL COULD RUN WITH 50 WORDS OF REASSURANCE. So I would ﬁnd my glove and go into the dugout, where another family was waiting with another story. The parents would be appreciative, and their little boy would stare with wide, yearning eyes, and he would be missing an arm, so

one sleeve of his baseball jersey would ﬂop all over, and it wouldn’t seem to bother him at all. “Hey,” I’d say, “you play baseball?” “Yeah.” “Show me how you do your glove.” And the little boy would hoist this massive glove head high, waiting for an imaginary throw, determination spread across his face. “What position do you play?” “Pitcher, like you.” “Aw, don’t be a pitcher,” I’d say. “Be a shortstop. They get to play every day. All right, now show me how you hold the bat.” The parents would laugh along. I know they wanted to know: How had I made it work? How could they? How would their boy grow up to be whatever he wanted to be? I would tell them about my parents. They’d made me feel special for what I was, and yet treated me like every other kid. I would tell them about my frustration, and my parents’ words: “This is something to be lived up to.” I would ask them to see that amazing things could happen. My parents had done that for me, and they could do the same for their boy. Some kids came with their own tales of achievement. They were playing baseball. They were playing continued on page 14

PHOTO: FOCUS ON SPORT/GETTY IMAGES

They were shy and beautiful, and they were loud and funny, and they were, like me, somehow imperfectly built. And, like me, they had parents nearby, parents who willed themselves to believe that this accident of circumstance or nature was not a life sentence, and that the spirits inside these tiny bodies were greater than the sums of their hands and feet. The letters began in spring training, a couple at a time. Soon, there were requests from kids to come to camp, and we’d schedule

his no-hitter for the Yankees.

12 • April 1, 2012

SPECIAL MARKET OPPORTUNITY Your Expert Guide to the World’s Finest Coins Nicholas J. Bruyer, Chairman & Founder, First Federal Coin ANA Life Member Since 1974

$5,340 for an Ounce of Silver Bullion? Impossible! 10 years ago I’d have called you crazy to make such a prediction. Yet today it’s a fact. Now our deal with a $4 billion precious metals wholesaler nets you a great deal for America’s hottest ounce of silver! It wasn’t more than ten years ago that we met with former U.S. Mint Director Donna Pope. She spoke with pride about what she considered to be her greatest achievement as Director under President Reagan: Creation of the American Eagle silver and gold bullion coin programs, the first of their kind in our nation’s history. The purpose of these coins was to give people the opportunity to own physical silver and gold in a form certified for weight and purity by the U.S. Mint. While the bullion coin program was a signal success, nobody took into account the profound effect it would have on the collector market. Silver Eagles = Today’s Morgan Dollars In the 1800s and early 1900s, the U.S. Morgan Silver Dollar was struck year upon year at various mints and circulated at face value. Their core value was in their precious metal content. However, in top grades, Morgan Silver Dollars can sell today for tens and even hundreds of thousands of dollars each! For the same reason, many collectors today see the Silver Eagle series as a literal “ground floor” opportunity to acquire the top-grade coins as they are released. They started submitting Silver Eagles to the leading independent coin grading services, such as Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC), praying that the coins would come back with the highest possible grade: MS70 (all Uncirculated coins are graded on a point system from a low of 60 to a high of 70, with 70 representing flawless perfection). Of all the Silver Eagles produced by the U.S. Mint in 2011, less than one out of every 788 earned the NGC MS70 grade! MS70 = $$$$$! In the rarified atmosphere of MS70, Silver Eagles have soared to market prices that I can only characterize as surreal. Consider this: MS70 Silver Eagles have been selling for truly stratospheric prices. Here are just a few eye-popping examples: 1996 MS70 Silver Eagle 1988 MS70 Silver Eagle 1991 MS70 Silver Eagle 1994 MS70 Silver Eagle

$5,340 $2,660 $3,910 $1,660

Moreover, every coin is certified and encapsulated by NGC, one of the top two firms for grading coins. But better yet, because we received the very first coins released from the mint, they all have the value-enhancing “First Releases” designation. What Does “First Releases” Mean? NGC designates only those coins it certifies as having been released during the first 30 days of issue as First Releases. Actual size Collectors place a premium on is 40.6 mm these coins because they are struck from freshly made dies, which is thought to impart superior quality. Only a miniscule number of the mintage gets the First Releases pedigree - so it can turbo charge the value of an already valuable MS70 coin. BUY RISK FREE—AND SAVE $30 OVER LAST YEAR’S COIN Because of our industry-leading status, you can take advantage of our “bolt of lightning” deal on these Perfect Gem MS70 2012 Silver Eagles at an incredible price $30 lower than the 2011s: just $99 each (plus s&h) To avoid disappointment I urge you to call immediately. Hurry! This is a first-come-first-served offer. Call 1-888-201-7057 to find our how to qualify for free shipping. Mention offer code: SEM168

Call First Federal Toll-FREE today

It Just Keeps Getting Better I was thrilled to lock up a guaranteed supply of Perfect Gem MS70 2012 Silver Eagles from a primary distributor who gets them directly from the U.S. Mint. (This is a coin you cannot buy directly from the U.S. Mint).

1-888-201-7057 to Reserve Your 2012 Silver Eagle MS70 First Release! Offer Code SEM168

Please mention this code when you call.

Past performance is not an indicator of future performance. Prices subject to change without notice. Note: First Federal Coin is a private distributor of government and private coin and medallic issues and is not affiliated with the United States government. Facts and figures were deemed accurate as of January 2012. ©First Federal Coin, 2012.

American Numismatic Association Nicholas Bruyer Life Member 4489

1-888-201-7057

14101 Southcross Drive W., Burnsville, Minnesota 55337

Brunch for a Bunch Mary Sue Milliken, co-chef of Border Grill in L.A. and Vegas, whips up eggs for guests

cle

At my house, we kick off Easter morning with a rousing egg hunt that keeps everyone laughing. All the excitement revs up people’s appetites, so I like to have a meal ready that takes a minimum of cooking. This baked casserole makes the perfect brunch. It pairs peas, garlic, and basil with peppers, eggs, and serrano ham. The dish goes well with chunks of country bread drizzled with olive oil and toasted or grilled. I cook the pea mixture ahead of time so all I have to do is warm it, crack the eggs, arrange the sliced peppers, and pop the dish in the oven. My 13-year-old son just gobbles this up.

THIS BAKED CASSEROLE MAKES THE PERFECT BRUNCH.”

Spring Peas with Eggs and Ham 1

∕4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 large onion, diced (about 11∕2 cups) 1 tsp salt 1 ∕2 tsp freshly ground black pepper 5 cloves garlic, minced 1 ∕4 cup pine nuts 3 cups green peas (fresh or frozen) 3 ∕4 cup water 1 ∕2 cup roughly chopped fresh basil leaves 2 red bell peppers, roasted and peeled, one diced and one cut into 1∕4-inch strips 2 oz serrano ham or prosciutto, cut into thin strips 8 eggs 1 ∕3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. 2. In a large, heavy skillet, heat oil for 30 seconds. Add onion,

salt, and pepper. Cook over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes or until onion is soft and golden. Add garlic; cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. 3. Meanwhile, toast pine nuts in a dry pan over low heat until slightly golden and aromatic, 4 to 6 minutes. Add to skillet, along with peas and water. Simmer for 5 minutes or until peas are cooked. Add basil, diced bell pepper, and ham; bring to a boil. 4. Remove skillet from heat. Spread pea mixture evenly in a 9-inch round or square ceramic or earthenware casserole dish or skillet. With the back of a ladle, make 8 indentations in pea mixture. Break eggs carefully, one at a time, into a bowl and slide each into an indentation.

Frame eggs with bell pepper strips and sprinkle all with cheese. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until eggs are cooked to your liking. SERVES: 4 | PER SERVING:

500 calories, 27g carbs, 27g protein, 33g fat, 390mg cholesterol, 1,210mg sodium, 8g ﬁber

Mary Sue Milliken will cook at Mandalay Bay’s Border Grill on Friday, May 11, at the sixth annual Vegas Uncork’d by Bon Appétit. The event runs from May 10 to May 13 and features 60 restaurants, 50 chefs, and 30 sommeliers. Buy tickets at vegasuncorked.com.

hockey. They were getting straight A’s, or learning to drive, or playing in the band. They wanted me to know they were doing great, too. There was a boy I met, maybe 14. His arm was about to be amputated. He wanted to come see me pitch, but when he was healthy enough to visit the ballpark, I wasn’t healthy enough to pitch. I was on the disabled list. We just missed each other. He was a good kid, and scared. Tim Mead called on a Saturday morning. The boy had suffered a stroke. I drove to Anaheim and together we went to the hospital. The boy, ashamed that I would see him hurt and vulnerable, began to cry. His mother began to cry. I couldn’t help but cry. I sat on the bed and we talked about courage, about getting better, and about believing in himself. We left him in that room. Then, in silence, we drove back to Anaheim. Tim left me at my car, climbed the stairs to his ofﬁce, and pulled the door closed. Then he began to cry. There were so many others out there like that boy. I was inspired. They pushed me back onto the ﬁeld and into my own battles. I was going to be just like them. From Imperfect: An Improbable Life, by Jim Abbott and Tim Brown. Published by Ballantine, part of Random House Inc. © 2012 by Jim Abbott

PHOTOS, FROM TOP: TRAVIS RATHBONE FOR PARADE, FOOD STYLING BY ROSCOE BETSILL, PROP STYLING BY MICHELLE WONG; COURTESY OF BORDER GRILL. NUTRITION ANALYSIS/CONSULTING BY JEANINE SHERRY, M.S., R.D.

SundayBrunch

Jim Abbott | from page 12

14 • April 1, 2012

StayHealthy Snack Smarts PHOTOS, FROM LEFT: ISTOCKPHOTO (5); SONY PICTURES TELEVISION

Some “healthy” foods aren’t always the best choice

DR. OZ’S

Transformation Nation: Million Dollar You By Nancy Kalish

SMART MOVE OF THE WEEK

SINNER

WINNER

FLAVORED YOGURT

BANANA CHIPS

PRETZELS ETZELS

HUMMUS

RANOLA GRANOLA

One small container of low-fat ﬂavored yogurt can come loaded with over 24 grams (almost six teaspoons) of sugar—more than two Oreos’ worth.

Banana chips sound healthy—after all, they’re fruit. The problem: If the chips are fried, they can pack almost as many calories per ounce as potato chips, plus 10 grams of sugar.

Though low in fat, a one-ounce serving (about nine small pretzels) can have 500 milligrams of sodium—more than 30 percent of the American Heart Association’s recommended daily intake.

Hummus can be good for you, but some brands contain a hefty dose of fat.

Even the organic kind can be a sugar bomb. Just a half cup can have 300 calories— nearly ﬁve times the amount in the same size serving of plain oatmeal—and 11 grams of sugar.

Look for brands with 12 grams of sugar or less per serving. Or top protein-rich plain Greek yogurt with sliced fresh fruit.

Nosh on freezedried chips (or dehydrated ones). Or just peel yourself a banana.

Grab a handful of unsalted nuts the next time you’re craving a savory, crunchy snack.

Choose a spread with no more than three grams of fat per two-tablespoon serving. Or make your own (for an easy recipe, go to Parade.com/snacks).

Fill your bowl with a low- or no-sugar cereal, then sprinkle one or two tablespoons of granola on top.

Omega-3’s are key to heart health: They improve blood flow by preventing platelets (tiny fragments of cells that block arteries) from sticking together. You can find them in oily cold-water fish (tuna, salmon, mackerel), cooking oils (canola, flaxseed), and walnuts. For video health tips from Dr. Oz, go to Parade.com/oz.

*According to the USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, the average amount of cholesterol in one egg is 185 mg, down from 215 mg. Brought to you by America’s egg farmers.

WEIGHT LOSS UPDATE:

Super-Powerful “Diet Pills” Make Comeback They’re flying off the shelf... But they’re NOT for everyone!

ost of us thought the era of the “Super-Powerful” diet pill ended a few years back when the FDA removed Ephedra and Fen-Phen from the U.S. market because of safety concerns. Well, it turns out that “most of us” were wrong. It seems that a huge, multibillion-dollar, “underground” market for these amphetamine-like fat burners sprung up even before the ink was dry on the FDA’s decree. But recently, an entirely new crop of high-quality, super-powerful and supereffective diet pills are coming out of hiding and are hitting the shelves of your local Wal-Mart and GNC. The current leader in this new category is a product called BiphedAdrene™, developed and sold by Generix Labs, LLC. The company tells us that BiphedAdrene is a two-part system comprised of a unique “Amphetamine Provisional Complex” (for powerful appetite control, mood-elevation, and energy) combined with an aggressive thermogenic compound (for fat burning

and stamina). This two-pronged attack on fat is apparently what makes the compound so effective... and so popular. While the pills do cause rapid weight loss (no doubt about that), these amphetamine-like compounds are fast becoming a favorite among bodybuilders, college students, and overstressed, exhausted homemakers for their energy and stamina-boosting properties (in other words as powerful “go-fast” pills). Because cult-like trends that begin with bodybuilders and college students quickly become mainstream, many BiphedAdrene (or BiPhed for short) critics are concerned about the overuse of these powerful compounds.

While the pills do cause rapid weight loss (no doubt about that), most people buy them as “speed” pills A spokesperson for Generix Labs explains, “One of the things we often heard, as we made a study of the weightloss market, is that people missed the mood-elevation and boost of energy

that were ‘side-effects,’ if you will, of the Fen-Phen and Ephedra class of diet pills. The weight loss was always primary, but nearly as important was the increase in energy and mood. These new nonamphetamine compounds provide not only very substantial weight loss, but also a similar mood and energy boost.” While these “super pills” are finding their way into the general marketplace, they are definitely not for everyone. In fact, you shouldn’t even think about

taking them if losing five or six “vanity pounds” is your goal. These diet pills are intended exclusively for the significantly overweight. But that’s not the only caveat. You should check with your doctor to ensure you are in overall good health before considering any of this new category of pills. Let’s face it... even though this new generation of diet pills, such as BiphedAdrene, promise “easy” weight loss, increased energy, and improved mood, they are expensive ($135 for a 30-day supply) and need to be used very responsibly. See you in the supplement section!

NOW BACK IN STOCK! We at Generix Labs sincerely apologize to anyone who has been unable to find BiphedAdrene at their local retailer. We simply didnʼt anticipate the overwhelming demand due to recent publicity. However, we are happy to announce that BiphedAdrene is once again available direct from the manufacturer (and shipping is always free!).

Enter promo code INSTOCK at checkout and save $25!

To Order Direct Call

1-800-465-1993