Kootenai County, Idaho IssueIssue #46 Nov. 2017 ofofKootenai County, Idaho #1513th April 8th 2019
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TIDBITS® STARTS CRYING
by Janet Spencer
Crying is one of the very first things we do in our lives, and sometimes it is one of the last. Everybody cries, but how much do we really know about it? Come along with Tidbits as we shed a few tears! FACTS ABOUT TEARS • If you try to take a picture with a camera lens that’s warped, you won’t get a clear shot. If you’re looking through eyeglasses lenses that are lumpy, you won’t see clearly. The cornea of the eye has a bumpy surface. Tears smooth the surface, allowing us to see clearly. Tears also provide lubrication, without which we’d be unable to move the eyes in their sockets. • The cornea is the only tissue in the human body that doesn’t contain blood vessels. The cornea must remain clear in order to refract light correctly. If blood vessels were present, they would interfere with sight. One of the main purposes of blood is to deliver oxygen to tissues, but the cornea absorbs oxygen directly from the atmosphere. • The eyeball contains an entire plumbing system devoted to both producing and draining away tears. Tears serve several functions. They control infectious agents and detoxify the eye; they regulate the pH of the eyeball; and they promote chemical reactions, wash out irritants, and keep the cornea moist and nourished. (cont’d)
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TIDBITS of Kootenai County, Idaho Issue #15 April 8th 2019 CRYING (cont’d) • There are three different types of tears. First are basal tears, which constantly bathe the eyeballs in fluid, keeping them moist and lubricated. Second is the reflex or irritant tears, produced when cutting onions or encountering allergens. Third are psychic or emotional tears, triggered by emotional states. Each of the three types of tears contains different concentrations of hormones, proteins, and chemicals. • The basal tears that continuously bathe the eyes are made of three layers in a sort of “fluid sandwich” with a mucous-laden layer next to the cornea; a fluid middle layer; and an outer layer containing oils that prevent the tears from evaporating too quickly. The water layer is the thickest and contains electrolytes (such as sodium and potassium), proteins (mostly enzymes), glucose, and other substances. • Basal tears are produced by a series of about 20 small tear ducts called lacrimal glands. Another gland secretes a type of mucous called mucin that hugs the cornea. A set of 46 glands in the eyelids excrete oily lipids that prevent evaporation. Basal tears kill bacteria because they contain lysozyme, a fluid that can kill 90 to 95 percent of all bacteria. • The eye’s “drain pipe” is called the puncta, located in the corners of the eyes next to the nose, draining directly into the nasal cavity, which is why your nose runs when you cry. When tears are produced faster than they can be drained through the puncta, they spill over the eyelids and run down the cheeks. • mWhen crying begins, blood flow increases to the eyeball, turning the eyes red. This causes the eye muscles to contract in order to protect the veins and arteries from increased pressure. The contracted muscles squeeze the tear ducts, forcing fluid out, which cools the overheated eyeballs down. (cont’d)
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CONTACT INFO FOR TIDBITS of Kootenai County
Evelyn Bevacqua Howe 212. W. Ironwood Dr., Suite D,# 224 Coeur d'Alene, ID 83814 Cell: 208.755.9120 Email: Tidbitscda@gmail.com www.tidbitscda.com Facebook tidbitscda
By JoAnn Derson • “I like to make cubed potatoes for breakfast. To keep it simple to cook in the morning, I boil a big batch on Sunday to use throughout the week. I keep them nice and white by adding a quarter cup of vinegar to the cooking water. You can’t taste it at all, and there’s no browning, even by Friday.” -- J.D. in Florida • “Keep a small package of wet wipes in your car so that you can wipe off your hands after you pump gas. I feel like there’s always some residue, and the wipes are convenient for other things, too.” -- T.A. in Nevada • When painting, use a wet travel-size bar of soap to coat the windows (glass only), smearing the soapy residue all over the glass. Let it dry. When you paint, any splatters will land on the soap, which can be easily wiped away when the paint is dry. • “If you get a new contact via your cellphone, make sure you write it down in a good oldfashioned paper address book. These days, we never dial someone, so we never learn their phone number. If something happened to your phone, you might lose the telephone numbers of people you want to stay in touch with, especially non-digitally inclined friends and relatives who might be older.” -- E.U. in Indiana • Sink odor can be real problem, especially if you use a strainer in your sink. Sometimes, we forget to remove it and clean the drain underneath. Make it a point to clean and freshen your kitchen drains weekly by using this quick tip: Microwave several cups of water to boiling. Pour half down your drain, then dump in about 1/2 cup of baking soda. Follow up with a cup of full-strength vinegar (it should bubble and sputter). Wait three minutes, and then add the rest of the hot water. All clean! Send your tips to Now Here’s a Tip, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803.
TIDBITS of Kootenai County, Idaho Issue #15 April 8th 2019
EVENT CALENDAR
April 27, 2019
OoozaPaloooza Food Truck Festival 2019 Presented By:Greater Spokane Food Truck Association Dates: April 27, 2019 Location: Coeur d'Alene City Park Phone: (509) 280-6115 send 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM Price: Free Join us on April 27th, 2019 in Coeur d'Alene City Park for OoozaPaloooza Food Truck Festival 2019. A selection of the Greater Spokane Food Truck Association, Food Trucks will be on-site to satisfy your ooozy cravings with a beer garden to wash it all down. Proceeds from alcohol sales will go to Newby-Ginnings of North Idaho and GSFTA. Questions regarding the events call Evelyn at 208.755.9120 or email evelyn2318@gmail.com
CRYING (cont’d) • Emotional weeping triggers the “fight or flight” response. Breathing accelerates and blood flow increases. The opening in the throat called the glottis, which allows air from the larynx to the lungs, opens wide to facilitate greater air flow and easier breathing. This is why you often feel as if you have a lump in your throat when you cry. Swallowing forces the glottis to close, fighting against the reflex that is trying to force the glottis open and straining the throat muscles, producing the feeling of a lump. • When you are crying due to irritations such as onion fumes, you’ll shed about 5 tear drops, equal to about 100 microliters. But during a good hard emotional cry, you’ll shed as much as an entire milliliter of tears, amounting to a third of a fluid ounce. • Not only are emotional tears far greater in volume, but they also have a 20% higher concentration of protein than irritant tears, as well as being loaded with hormones such as prolactin. In addition to being self-soothing, shedding emotional tears releases oxytocin and endorphins. • Baby boys and baby girls cry at similar rates, but adult women cry more often than adult men. The gap widens beginning between the ages of 13 to 16. It’s been shown that women have up to 60% more of the hormone prolactin in their bloodstream, a hormone released from the pituitary gland in response to stress. Prolactin is also responsible for stimulating lactation of nursing mothers. Men, on the other hand, have lower levels of prolactin and higher levels of testosterone, which inhibits crying. (cont’d)
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® of Idaho TIDBITS of Kootenai Issue #15 April 8th 2019 TidbitsCounty, Dallas County CRYING (cont’d) • Women cry an average of around 2 to 4 times a month, while men might cry once every other month, with crying defined as anything from moist eyes to sobbing. • When women cry, tears run down their cheeks about 50% of the time, but when men cry, tears run down the cheeks only 29% of the time, and the rest of the time the eyes just get watery. This is due to the fact that the male puncta, the tear drainage pipe, is larger than the female’s. • A newborn will cry without producing tears. Babies do not produce tears until they are around six weeks old. A typical baby cries between 30 minutes and 3 hours per day. • In one study, scientists videotaped 60 people as they watched sad movies. Of those 60 people, 28 cried during the screening, and 32 did not. The researchers found that directly after the movie, those who cried felt sadder than those who didn’t. However, 90 minutes later, those who had let their feelings out felt better than their dry-eyed counterparts. More importantly, they also felt better than they did before watching the movie. BLINKING FACTS • The average person blinks 12 times per minute or about 10,000 blinks per day. You blink on average 4.2 million times a year. • We blink more when we talk but less when we’re reading. Your eyes become tired when you read or stare at a computer because you blink less often and you are not relaxing the eye muscles. • The muscles that control the eyes are the fastest-moving muscles in the body and are also the most active muscles in the body.
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by Samantha Weaver • It was 20th-century American writer, publisher, artist and philosopher Elbert Hubbard who made the following sage observation: “Genius may have its limitations, but stupidity is not thus handicapped.” • According to historical reports, in 1877 snakes fell from the sky in Memphis, Tennessee. • When the bubonic plague, more commonly known as the Black Death, was at its peak in Europe in the 14th century, a wide variety of remedies was prescribed, including smoking tobacco, bringing spiders into the household, inhaling the stench from a latrine, sitting between two large fires, drinking red wine in which new steel had been cooled, and bathing in goat urine. • Successful inventor and businessman Thomas Alva Edison received only three months of formal education, at a public school in Michigan. • The first photograph of a United States citizen was taken in 1839. The subject was Samuel F.B. Morse, a painter who also happened to be the inventor of a single-wire telegraph system and developer of the Morse Code. • You probably are aware of the fact that slugger Babe Ruth held the record for the most home runs; you might not know, though, that he also held the record for the most strike-outs. • Those who speak English call it a French kiss, but those who speak French call it an English kiss. • It was once the custom among the Danakil tribe of Ethiopia to mark a man’s grave with one stone for each man he had killed during his lifetime.
Thought for the Day:
“If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball and saving an infant’s life, she will choose to save the infant’s life without even considering if there are men on base.” -- Dave Barry (c) 2019 King Features Synd., Inc.
TIDBITS of Kootenai County, Idaho #15505-0674 April 8th 2019 For Advertising Call Issue (334)
COUCH THEATER -- DVD PREVIEWS By Amy Anderson
PHOTO: Hailee Steinfeld in “Bumblebee” Photo Credit: Paramount Pictures “The Mule” (R) -- Clint Eastwood returns to both the director’s chair and the spotlight as Earl Stone, an octogenarian drug mule for a Midwestern drug cartel. The film is loosely based on the Sam Dolnick/New York Times article about a man named Leo Sharp, who was, like Eastwood’s character, a war veteran at the end of a long life who hit hard times and turned in desperation to running drugs. Stone is an old, superficially affable white man who drives the speed limit and looks like an upstanding citizen. He’s also facing foreclosure and the collapse of his business, and is surrounded by strained personal relationships. As his payloads grow, so does interest from cartel members and the DEA. The all-star cast includes Bradley Cooper, Andy Garcia, Michael Pena and Dianne Weist. “Vice” (R) -- Vice President Dick Cheney is in the crosshairs in this dark comedy-drama by director Adam McKey. It chronicles Cheney’s rise in politics through the Nixon, Ford and Bush I administrations and Congress, culminating as second in command to young George W. The political jabs at Cheney are real (and often deserved), but the real gold here is in the physical transformations. The hair and makeup department put in Oscarlevel overtime turning Steve Carell into Donald Rumsfeld, Sam Rockwell into George W., and Amy Adams into Lynne Cheney. Christian Bale is incredible as Dick Cheney. For that alone, it’s worth a rental. The story walks a strange line between real facts and surrealism that’s sometimes too real to be funny. Ain’t that politics, though? “Bumblebee” (PG-13) -- In a California beach town circa 1987, a young, rebellious Charlie (Hailee Steinfeld) stumbles upon a cute but beatup yellow VW bug in a junkyard. It’s not just a car, though -- it’s a transforming anthropomorphic vehicle that’s just as cute as a ... bumblebee. This is the sixth live-action Transformers movie, but it’s more of an origin story/prequel. It’s also sweet and endearing tale of friendship, even if between girl and robot. John Cena supports as a lieutenant in an off-the-books military project probing space, and Jorge Lendeborg Jr. plays Charlie’s neighbor and friend Memo. “Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase” (PG) -- Sixteen-year-old sleuth Nancy Drew (Sophia Lillis) takes a small town by storm as she acclimates to her surroundings and makes friends, including some seniors who put her onto the case of a supernatural disturbance at the Twin Elms mansion. Plucky Nancy enlists her squad to solve the riddle of creaking doors and flying candlesticks, but is there something deeper going on? There’s no clue too small, nor turn of logic too tough for Nancy Drew and company. It was cute but the story didn’t need a large screen, in my opinion. It’s no mystery that DVD is just where this film needs to be. Light and friendly TV fun for the kiddos. (c) 2019 King Features Synd., Inc.
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TIDBITS ofTidbits Kootenai® County, Idaho Issue #15 April 8th 2019 of Dallas County
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By Dr. Holly Carling
WHY AUTO-IMMUNE?
Some autoimmune diseases seem to come on suddenly, and without notice, while others are almost predictable. You can have an autoimmune response to many organs in the body: the brain, eyes, mouth, parotid, spinal cord, esophagus, thyroid, lungs, heart, blood and blood vessels, liver, stomach, kidneys, large Intestines, small intestines, pancreas, uterus, ovaries, vagina, prostate, nerves, joints and skin. I’m sure there are others, but you get the point. Every day, billions of cells die (a pre-programed cell death) because they become old, less healthy and even harmful. In this two-part process, the cells die and then are cleared away. White blood cells called phagocytes come in and engulf the dead cells, degrading them so the body can cleanly eliminate them. If there is a defect in that system it results in a progression of disease, and if bad enough or long enough, an “autoimmune” response develops. The number of autoimmune diseases has been skyrocketing in the past two decades. Dr. Mark Anderson, a researcher in cardiovascular and autoimmune diseases states “It’s not that there are so many autoimmune diseases – it’s that so many diseases reach the autoimmune phase. So an autoimmune disease is a condition where the underlying injured or sick cells, not treated properly (by the body, the person or the Doctor), continues to progress until the person is really sick!
Autoimmune antibodies (aka autoantibodies) can be accurate predictors of disease. Various tests, such as the anti- nuclear antibody (ANA) and thyroid peroxidase (TPO) tests show the presence of autoantibodies and if caught early enough can be helpful in initiating treatment before the symptoms become more severe. Obviously, by that point, the disease has already progressed to the autoimmune stage, however, as with everything, there is the grey area. The grey area is the place between feeling great and healthy, and feeling lousy, but not sick enough to show up a problem in typical diagnostic tests. It’s the most frustrating phase of illness to be in – you feel horrible, but the Doctor reports you are “fine”. That doesn’t mean that if you fall in that grey area that you have an autoimmune disease, but, depending on the other presenting symptoms, it may warrant further investigation. Many things can trigger an autoimmune response: infection is probably the most common, but also parasitic, or viral infections and trauma can also be a trigger. Sometimes, as in rheumatoid arthritis, there is no known trigger. But other things such as poor dietary habits and stress can put a seemingly innocent infection on the fast track (or even the slow track) to an autoimmune condition. With the help of acupuncture, dietary modifications, nutritional supplementation, lifestyle adjustments, and more, there are things we can do to help prevent this horrible cascade of health.
Dr. Holly Carling is a Doctor of Oriental Medicine, Licensed Acupuncturist, Doctor of Naturopathy, Clinical Nutritionist and Master Herbologist with over three decades of experience. Dr. Carling is currently accepting new patients and offers natural health care services and whole food nutritional supplements in her Coeur d’ Alene clinic. Visit Dr. Carling’s website at www.vitalhealthcda.com to learn more about Dr. Carling, view a list of upcoming health classes and read other informative articles. Dr. Carling can be reached at 208-765-1994 and would be happy to answer any questions regarding this topic.
TIDBITSFor of Kootenai County, Idaho #15 April 8th 2019 Advertising CallIssue (334) 505-0674
HOLLYWOOD By Tony Rizzo
PHOTO: Matt Smith as “Doctor Who” Photo credit: BBC HOLLYWOOD -- In 1985, a 59-year-old Rock Hudson was the first major movie star to die from AIDS, and his passing finally brought attention to the HIV disease. Rock starred in more than 60 major films, including “Magnificent Obsession” (1954); “All That Heaven Allows” (1955); “Giant” (1956), his only Oscar nomination; and “Pillow Talk” (1959), with Doris Day. It was while filming “Dynasty” (1984-85) that people realized he was deathly ill. Given the choice of filming “Dynasty” or going to France for treatment that could prolong his life, Rock chose “Dynasty.” By the time he finally went to France, the disease had progressed beyond the point where the treatment could save him. He began his career in 1949 at Universal Pictures playing indians and pirates, so it’s only fitting that Universal will tell the story of his life and death in the upcoming “
All That Heaven Allows,” based on Mark Griffin’s book of the same name. Marc Christian, one of Rock’s past lovers, sued him and won a multimillion-dollar lawsuit because Rock didn’t tell him he had AIDS. I met Rock through his mother, who was a friend of a friend, and he always treated me as a friend. At the beginning of his career, he hid his homosexuality, and at the end of his career, he hid his AIDS. *** Former “Doctor Who” and “The Crown” star Matt Smith will become Charles Manson for the film “Charlie Says,” which focuses on the women of the Manson family. It’s a far cry from a space hero and a prince of England to a psychopathic killer. Johnny Depp, who allegedly hid his assets to divorce Amber Heard, now is embroiled in two lawsuits. He’s suing his former wife for $50 million for defamation, because she claimed he abused her, which he asserts was a hoax to further her career (it comes to trial Sept. 16). The second lawsuit, for $30 million, is against his former business managers for malpractice. Insiders allege these problems have soured his chances to do the reboot of “The Pirates of the Caribbean,” but that seems unlikely, since he was a key component in the original films. *** The two men who allege in the documentary “Leaving Neverland” that they were sexually assaulted as kids by Michael Jackson have prompted the producers of the Michael Jackson musical “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” to cancel their Broadway tryout. The Chicago Theater has replaced it with “Once Upon a One More Time,” a musical comedy featuring songs by Britney Spears, set for Oct. 29-Dec. 1. Some of us have had enough and don’t need one more time! (c) 2019 King Features Synd., Inc.
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® ofIdaho TIDBITS of Kootenai County, Issue County #14 April 25th 2019 Tidbits Dallas
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® of Idaho TIDBITS of Kootenai IssueCounty #15 April 8th 2019 TidbitsCounty, Dallas
Q&A with Susan Ashley, MD
Health Benefits of Cinnamon
I love cinnamon - the taste and the smell especially when used in baking as it permeates the house. Cinnamon has been used as a flavor for hundreds of years, and is used in both desserts and baking and also in main food dishes. It’s the most consumed spice worldwide and has a number of health benefits, so use liberally. These benefits include: 1) Cancer - cinnamon is a significant source of cinnamaldehyde, a compound that protects against colorectal cancer. 2) Healing - having natural antibacterial properties, it can be effective against antibiotic resistant bacteria, especially with the combiantion of cinnamon and peppermint essential oils. 3) Improved learning potential - researchers fed cinnamon to mice and found that the mice were better able to learn new skills. Perhaps adding it to the diet of slow learners may be a healthy way to help people with learning disabilities.
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4) Alheimer’s disease - has shown promise in preventing or reducing the plaques and amyloid fibers identified as factors causing dementia. 5) Weight loss - there is eveidence that consuming cinnamon can speed up metabolism which could help lose weight. You can also add cinnamon instead of sugar to foods for flavor to reduce calories. 6) Diabetes - a Chinese study found that diabetecs who received a daily cinnamon supplement for three months experienced reduced blood glucose levels as well as signficant reduction in blood triglycerides. 7) Parkinson’s disease - research has found that Ceylon cinnamon fed to mice helped to reverse the symptoms of the disease. 8) Bacterial and fungal infections - including salmonella and listeria. Consumption of cinnamon can inhibit the bacteria and helps to reduce tooth decay and bad breath. Eating cinnamon regularly while traveling may help to reduce the incidence of traveler’s diarrhea. 9) Inflammation - has natural anti-inflammatory properties to reduce the harmful effects of inflammation throut the body. One thing to stress about cinnamon, is that the Ceylon cinnamon in its purest form is the kind with the most health benefits. The cheaper cassia cinnamon which is the most commonly found in grocery stores is high in coumarin which can cause liver damage. Anyone using cinnamon for its health benefits should make sure they purchase the Ceylon variety.
Dr Ashley is board certified in Family Medicine and in Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine. She provides a mix of traditional with alternative medicine and specializes in bio-identical hormones for both men and women.
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1. U.S. PRESIDENTS: Who was the first president to be born a U.S. citizen? 2. GEOGRAPHY: Where is the elite shopping district called Rodeo Drive located? 3. MOVIES: Which 1990s movie featured the line, “Keep the change, ya filthy animal”? 4. HISTORY: In which country did the Mau Mau Uprising take place? 5. TELEVISION: What kind of creature was the animated character Foghorn Leghorn? 6. SCIENCE: What is a tornado at sea called? 7. LITERATURE: Which poet wrote, “April is the cruelest month”? 8. ARCHITECTURE: Who designed Central Park in New York City? 9. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: What is the traditional birthstone for April? 10. U.S. STATES: In which U.S. state was the first atomic bomb tested? Answers 1. Martin Van Buren 2. Beverly Hills, California 3. “Home Alone” 4. Kenya 5. A rooster 6. A waterspout 7. T.S. Eliot 8. Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux 9. Diamond 10. New Mexico (c) 2019 King Features Synd., Inc.
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® ofIdaho TIDBITS of Kootenai County, Issue County #15 April 8th 2019 Tidbits Dallas
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REMARKABLE PEOPLE BAUSCH & LOMB
• John Bausch was 18 in 1848 when he got a job in an optical shop in Switzerland, grinding lenses for cameras. The following year he moved to Rochester, New York, and opened his own optical shop. At the time, he sold products imported from Europe. Then he decided it would be better if he could manufacture his own lenses. All he needed was a little capital to get started. • His friend Henry Lomb made a $60 financial investment in the business (worth about $1800 today) and they became partners. Lomb handled sales and finance, while Bausch focused on manufacturing of monocles, spectacles, binoculars, magnifying lenses, and opera glasses. • One day Bausch found a discarded piece of Vulcanite rubber. Experimenting, he discovered he could make eyeglass frames from the material. At that time, eyeglasses were made from gold, tortoise shell, or horn. The Vulcanized rubber was far easier to work with and much stronger than any of those materials. It was also cheaper. When the Civil War started in the U.S., the price of gold and horn rose, and the demand for Bausch’s Vulcanite glasses skyrocketed. • In 1870 Bausch invented the first machine to produce spectacles. As scientific research gained momentum, Bausch and Lomb produced microscopes, telescopes, and camera lenses. • Bausch’s son William revolutionized the industry by inventing a new process of making lenses by casting them out of molten glass. Previously, the glass parts for the lenses had to be separated, ground, and polished by hand in a complicated and time-consuming process.
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Is That Special Diet Killing Your Dog? DEAR PAW’S CORNER: The trend in pet owners feeding their dogs grain-free diet may have had some unintended consequences. There’s an epidemic of DCM (dilated cardiomyopathy) in dogs across the U.S., one that in many cases may be caused by a deficiency in taurine. The Food and Drug Administration and several veterinary organizations are working to increase the public’s knowledge about the problem. Please let your readers know about this issue so that they can make sure what they’re feeding their dogs contains the right nutrients to keep their dogs healthy. -- Liz D., via email DEAR LIZ: Thank you for raising awareness about this issue. As dedicated owners search for the best diets to feed their dogs, they are increasingly feeding them “exotic” diets (kangaroo meat and chickpeas, cited in a 2018 Tufts report) or buying dog foods labeled as grain-free. At issue is that some trendy diets, and unfortunately some retail dog foods, lack taurine, an ingredient in meat that is essential to maintaining a healthy heart in dogs. Taurine deficiency alone is not the only cause behind the rise in DCM, which is being seen in dog breeds where it was previously rare. Researchers are working to find additional causes of DCM, and in the meantime recommend that pet owners closely evaluate their pets’ diet. Commercial dog foods should have a good track record of nutritional quality and safety. Home-prepared diets should be supplemented with important nutrients; talk to your vet for exact details. Owners should also keep an eye on their dogs for early signs of heart disease: coughing, weakness, less ability to exercise, shortness of breath or fainting. Take a dog with these symptoms straight to the vet.
BAUSCH & LOMB (cont’d) • Another of Bausch’s sons, Edward, revolutionized photography by inventing a camera lens patterned after the human iris. • During the two World Wars, the company was asked to provide troops with gunsights, periscopes, telescopes, target finders, and searchlight mirrors. The U.S. government became their biggest customer and the company grew very quickly. By the 1940s, military products represented 70% of their total production. • Because pilots suffered from high-altitude glare, the company produced sunglasses that used a polarized filter to absorb light. They had a large oval frame to shield an aviator’s eyes which needed to repeatedly glance down toward the instrument panel. These glasses were dubbed “Ray Bans” because they ban sun rays. They became enormously popular and are still sold today. • After World War II ended, the cinema industry grew by leaps and bounds, and the company began producing lenses for movie cameras and theater projectors, eventually inventing the process that allowed theaters to double the size of their movie screens. • Although Lomb died in 1908 at the age of 79, Bausch led the company until his death in 1926 at the age of 95. His son took over the helm at that time. • In the 1970s they began selling contact lenses and are now one of the world’s biggest suppliers of contact lenses, as well as lens care products, glasses, ocular lenses, and eye surgery items. The firm became a Fortune 500 company in 1975.
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® of Idaho TIDBITS of Kootenai County, IssueCounty #15 April 8th 2019 Tidbits Dallas
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EYE FACTS
• Eyes are the second most complex organ after the brain. • The only cells that survive from the time you are born until death are in your eyes. • One of the first recorded uses of the word “eyeball” was in William Shakespeare’s play “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” • Doctors have yet to find a way to transplant an eyeball. The optic nerve that connects the eye to the brain contains over a million fibers, far too delicate and complex to connect. • About half of our brain is involved in the vision process. • On a dark night, a human eye can see a lit candle or a single match 30 miles away. • A fingerprint has 40 unique characteristics, but the human retina has 256 identifying characteristics, which is why retina scans are increasingly being used for security purposes. • Only 1/6th of the eyeball is exposed to the outside world. The rest is hidden behind the protection of the eye sockets. • Eyelashes have an average life span of 5 months. The entire length of all the eyelashes shed by a human in their life is over 98 feet. • Ophthalmologists are graduates of a medical school, whereas optometrists are not. • Cataract formation is a normal aging phenomenon, and most animals with corneas get cataracts if they live long enough. • The gel inside the eyeball is called vitreous humor. It’s a liquid in the center of the eye, and jelly-like towards the edges. It always bounces back into shape when compressed. • If the human eye was a digital camera, it would have 576 megapixels.
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TIDBITS of Kootenai County, Idaho Issue #15 April 8th 2019
VA Releases Ratings on 101 Nursing Homes
For the first time, the Department of Veterans Affairs has released health care inspection reports for 101 of its Community Living Centers, formerly known as nursing homes. Facilities are surveyed in a number of ways, including having enough staff, managing medication, protecting residents from physical and mental abuse and properly storing and preparing food. Of those, staffing might be the most important: If there aren’t enough registered nurses, vocational nurses and nursing aides, care doesn’t happen at all. Per the reports, the VA has fewer low-performing facilities (17.2 percent versus 19.7 percent) and more high-performing facilities (17.2 percent versus 10.8 percent) than the private sector. These numbers aren’t bad, they say, considering that the veterans at these facilities have more serious conditions than are generally seen in civilian facilities. Of the total, only eight VA facilities were rated one star. Reports for the remaining centers will be released by October. To see reports of centers near you, check online at www.va.gov/QUALITYOFCARE/apps/aspire/clcsurvey.aspx and use the drop box. To view the comparisons between VA and nonVA care, see www.accesstocare.va.gov/Healthcare/QualityOfCare. However, one wonders why the VA is just now getting around to releasing the results of those reports. The General Accountability Office was asked to step in years ago to investigate complaints. Its report, titled “Actions Needed to Better Manage Risks to Veterans’ Quality of Life and Care,” outlined a lot of problems, with pain management being at the top of the list and a general failure to respond to and address deficiencies. It’s disheartening to see the ratings for the facility nearest to me. Percentages of short-term patients with moderate to severe pain are nearly four times higher than the national average. Longterm patients with moderate to severe pain see percentages nearly 10 times as high as the national average. The facility rates one star.
EYE FACTS (cont’d) • Theodore Roosevelt lost an eye while in office, during an impromptu sparring match with a boxing partner. • Possibly because he was kicked in the head by a horse as a child, Abraham Lincoln’s eyes often pointed in two different directions, especially when he was tired or excited. He suffered double vision at times, and his left eyelid tended to droop due to nerve damage. • Your eyeballs stay the same size from birth to death. Babies look especially cute because their eyes are so large in proportion to the rest of their face. • All babies have blue eyes in the womb because the dark pigment called melanin takes some time to develop. Many babies born with blue eyes will develop brown eyes over time, but the reverse is never true. • Brown is the most common eye color worldwide, though it varies much from region to region. In Northern Europe, there are far more blue-eyed people than brown; but in South America, Asia, and Africa, nearly everyone has brown eyes. The least common eye color is green. • Brown is the default eye color for the human species. Blue eyes are the result of a mutation to a single gene that happened in the human genome about 10,000 years ago. That means everyone with blue eyes shares a common ancestor dating back to that time. • All babies are color blind at birth. Color blindness is more common in men than women. Dogs can see some color but are red/green color blind.
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TIDBITS of Kootenai County, Idaho Issue #18 April 30th 2018
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TIDBITS of Kootenai County, Idaho Issue #18 April 30th 2018
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TIDBITS of Kootenai County, Idaho Issue #14 April 1st 2019
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TIDBITS of Kootenai County, Idaho Issue #15 April 8th 2019
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EVERY SENIOR NEEDS COGNITIVE SCREENING, ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION SAYS
By Matilda Charles
Food Safety Alerts Are Just the Start
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service sends out email alerts to those of us who are signed up for warnings about foods and products that are dangerous or contaminated, perhaps with Listeria or salmonella. Are you signed up for these email notices? A recent alert concerned 39 tons of ground turkey products sold in large packages last summer. It’s made a number of people sick, and the USDA has to err on the side of caution, trying to catch any products that people might have in their freezer. Another alert concerns pork sausage, and yet another concerns chicken and rice products. To sign up for these notices in email, go online to www.usda.gov and put “alerts” in the search box. Click on Current Recalls and Alerts. You’ll see a pop-up box where you can enter your email address. While you’re on that page (after the pop-up vanishes) scroll down to review recent recalls and alerts. The Food and Drug Administration covers alerts and recalls for medications and medical supplies, while the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration deals with vehicles, tires, motorcycles and child restraints. If you want to cover all your bases, check recalls.gov/list and sign up for all of them in one place. You’ll receive alerts from U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the FDA and the USDA. To make sure you haven’t missed anything, do a search for your medications and vehicles after you sign up. Another source to watch is Food Safety (www. foodsafety.gov). Besides sending out alert notices, the site has information on how to avoid food poisoning, safe freezer practices, thawing food and more. To get alerts, go to the site and put “alerts in email” in the search box.
By Sandee Lamotte, ATLANTA (CNN) — At first, she just forgot a name or two. Then, a few meetings on her schedule. A few months later, LuPita Gutierrez-Parker found herself struggling at work to use computer software she knew intimately. “In the beginning, when I wasn’t sure what was happening to me, I just figured it must be stress because I was doing a lot of work and had too much on my mind,” Gutierrez-Parker said. Another few months passed, and she found herself re-reading the same passage in documents to comprehend their meaning. When her command of language also began to fail, Gutierrez-Parker, who lives in Yakima, Washington, began to worry. “Why did I just say that? That’s not grammatically correct,” she would think. “ ‘That wasn’t me. I have a very strong vocabulary.’ I was avery articulate person.” Yet it took her another year or so to bring up the topic with her primary care physician. The delay in seeking answers to cognitive decline is not surprising, according to a survey included in the Alzheimer’s Association’s 2019 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report, released Tuesday. “We need to increase the confidence and the skills of front-line providers so they can provide more care in this area,” said Joanne Pike, chief program officer at the Alzheimer’s Association. “And we need to destigmatize the process for seniors, encouraging people to talk to their health-care providers and families about their concerns,” she said. Gutierrez-Parker’s primary care doctor gave her a mini-cognitive assessment, asking her some question verbally and then on paper. It didn’t go well. “I said, ‘what did I flunk?’ “ Gutierrez-Parker remembered. “And we both laughed because she knew I was an educated woman.” A PET scan and neuropsychological evaluation six months later confirmed her worst fears. In 2016, at the relativelyyoung age of 61, Gutierrez-Parker was diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment, an early stage of dementia. Even though she was devastated, she also “felt reassured knowing that they finally put a label on what was wrong with me” and encourages others who are worried about their mental status to reach out to a doctor for help. A call to action The Alzheimer’s Association couldn’t agree more. In its annual report, the association includes a call for action to the nation’s primary care physicians. Every senior should receive a brief cognitive assessment at their first Medicare annual wellness visit at age 65, the group says, and the exams should be a regular part of their ongoing annual care. Yet a survey by the association found that early cognitive assessments were not the norm during most senior doctor visits. “The survey found a really troubling underuse of cognitive assessments during the annual healthcare checkup,” said Pike. “Despite a strong belief among seniors and physicians that cognitive assessments are important for the early detection of Alzheimer’s, only half of the seniors in the survey were being assessed for cognitive decline. And only 16 percent [of] seniors received regular follow-up assessments.” A comparison of those statistics against those of other wellness checkup items give a clear picture of the disparity, Pike said. In each visit, physicians check cholesterol 83 percent of the time, vaccinations 80 percent and blood pressure 91 percent of the time, she said. “So while physicians say it’s important to assess all patients age 65 or older, fewer than half are saying that it’s part of their standard protocol,” she said. Related story: Newly discovered Alzheimer’s genes further hope for future treatments An analysis of the genetic makeup of more than 94,000 people in the United States and Europe with clinically diagnosed Alzheimer’s led to the discovery of four new genetic variants that increase risk for the neurodegenerative disease. A good bit of that might be due to “a strong disconnect between seniors and doctors as to who should initiate the conversation,” Pike said. Over 90 percent of seniors thought their doctor would recommend testing, so fewer than 1 in 7 brought the topic up on their own, the survey found. Primary care physicians, on the other hand, say they are waiting for senior patients and their families to report symptoms and ask for an assessment. “We need to increase the confidence and the skills of front-line providers so they can provide more care in this area,” Pike said. “And we need to destigmatize the process for seniors, encouraging people to talk to their health-care providers and families about their concerns.” Gutierrez-Parker agrees. She’s thankful she has the chance to spend quality time with her family, and volunteer for the Alzheimer’s Association to bring awareness to her community. “I would say to people who have an opportunity to find out what is wrong with them, to do it,” she said. “It gives you more opportunities to get your house in order: do advance directives, your will, even your funeral. It’s peace of mind, and it takes that load off your family. “Get it done and then enjoy the rest of your time with your family and loved ones.” There’s a bit of good news buried in the association’s annual report. A flurry of recent studies show that Alzheimer’s and other dementias in the United States and other higher-income Western countries is on a decline, mostly due to tighter control of cardiovascular risk factors and improved education. But overall, study results are mixed and inconclusive, according to the report, and certainly will have little effect on the current rise in cases in the United States as the baby boomer population continues to age.With no significant treatment and no cure in sight, the association’s report projects that by 2025, the number of Americans 65 and older with Alzheimer’s will “reach 7.1 million — almost a 27 percent increase from the 5.6 million age 65 and older affected in 2019.” It’s the “oldest old,” those over 85, who are most at risk for Alzheimer’s, the association says. In 2019, there are just over 2 millionAmericans 85 and older; in 2031, when the first wave of baby boomers hits that age, the number will rise to 3 million. By midcentury, there will be 7 million of the “oldest old” in the United States, accounting for half of all people over 65 with Alzheimer’s. The cost to society will be substantial, the report says. In 2019 alone, it estimates a $290 billion burden from health care, long-term case and hospice combined. Medicare and Medicaid will cover $195 billion of that, with out-of-pocket costs to caregivers reaching $63 billion.The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2018 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved. Please call for a tour of our “HOMES,” for truly they are… And, if you would like to join our circle of caregivers in one of our homes, please contact Linda at 208-7553637 or linda@lodgeliving.net. We even have gorgeous onsite studio apartments which include meals and all utilities as a part of our employment package. And, we are delighted to schedule around school commitments for our employees who are reaching ever upward. Call us!!
Linda Davis Director of building relationships. 208.457.3403 www.LodgeLiving.net
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TIDBITS of Kootenai County, Idaho Issue #15 April 8th 2019
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COMFORT FOODS MADE FAST AND HEALTHY! By Healthy Exchange
Biscuits and Gravy For those of you who love biscuits and gravy, you can now enjoy them without all the guilt, since this version has only 2 grams of fat. 1 (7.5-ounce) can Pillsbury refrigerated buttermilk biscuits 16 ounces lean ground turkey breast 1 cup chopped onion 1 tablespoon lemon pepper seasoning 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 cups fat-free milk 1. Bake biscuits according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet sprayed with butter-flavored cooking spray, brown turkey and onion. Add lemon pepper seasoning. 2. In a covered jar, combine flour and milk. Shake well to blend. Pour milk mixture into skillet with browned turkey. Continue cooking until mixture thickens, stirring often. 3. For each serving, arrange 2 biscuits on a plate and spoon about 2/3 cup gravy over biscuits. Serves 5. * Each serving equals: 242 calories, 2g fat, 24g protein, 32g carbs, 445mg sodium, 130mg calcium, 2g fiber; Diabetic Exchanges: 2 Starch, 1/2 Fat-Free Milk; Carb Choices: 2. (c) 2019 King Features Syndicate, Inc.
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The hard choices
A sixth-grade girl said that her uncle had encouraged her to smoke cigarettes. Another young girl said that she had been encouraged to drink alcohol by friends. A boy said his dad was different, even dangerous when his father drank alcohol. These frank admissions were part of an eyeopening discussion about drugs, alcohol and peer pressure at the Kootenai County Boys and Girls Club in Post Falls on Tuesday afternoon. “I guarantee every single of one of you is going to be asked to smoke or vape, drink alcohol or do drugs,” said Capt. Jason Mealer with the Post Falls Police Department. “The decisions you make as a young person are going to affect the rest of your life. I know adults who would give anything to go back in time and not make the decisions they did.” Thirteen children participated in the workshop that provided education about cigarettes, vaping, alcohol use and illegal substance abuse. Gina Prindle, Director of the School-Based Health Center for Heritage Health, gave strategies to the students about how to navigate pressure from friends. “It’s not easy to say, ‘No,’” said Prindle. “But when your friend says, ‘Hey, come on and smoke a couple of cigarettes.’ You can say, ‘No. I am going on a bike ride. Do you want to come?’ This way it can preserve your friendship and move the discussion away from cigarettes.” But what if family members are suggesting kids use cigarettes or alcohol? “Those are very hard situations,” said Mealer. “Find a way to get out of there. Then tell a trusted adult. That can be your parents, a teacher, a counselor, even a police officer. We’re here to protect you. If you’re in immediate danger call 9-1-1.” Community Taking Care is a 12-week program, which is sponsored by the Post Falls Police Department. Boys and girls (4 th grade through 6 th grade) meet for an hour to discuss different topics, such as peer pressure, depression, social media ethics and bullying.
TIDBITS of Kootenai County, Idaho Issue #15 April 8th 2019
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TIDBITS of Kootenai County, Idaho Issue #15 April 8th 2019
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TIDBITS of Kootenai County, Idaho Issue #15 April 8th 2019
* On April 15, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln dies from an assassin’s bullet. Shot by John Wilkes Booth at Ford’s Theater in Washington the night before, Lincoln lived for nine hours before succumbing to the severe head wound he sustained. * On April 19, 1876, a Wichita, Kansas, commission votes not to rehire policeman Wyatt Earp after he beats up a candidate for county sheriff. Earp often worked in law enforcement, but his own allegiance to the rule of law was conditional at best. Wyatt was one of the Earp brothers, who gained fame in the shootout at the O.K. Corral in 1881. * On April 20, 1926, inventor Lee de Forest demonstrates Phonofilm (music recorded on motion picture film) to movie studios, but they were not interested in “talking pictures,” believing sound was a novelty. * On April 16, 1943, researcher Albert Hofmann, a Swiss chemist, hallucinates after accidentally consuming LSD-25, a synthetic drug he had created. LSD was made illegal in the U.S. in 1965. * On April 21, 1967, General Motors celebrates the manufacture of its 100 millionth Americanmade car. At the time, GM was the world’s largest automaker. * On April 17, 1970, Apollo 13, the U.S. lunar spacecraft that suffered a severe malfunction on its journey to the moon, safely returns to Earth. Disaster struck 200,000 miles from Earth when an oxygen tank blew up in the spacecraft, disrupting the supply of electricity, light, oxygen and water. Astronaut John Swigert reported to mission control on Earth, “Houston, we’ve had a problem here.” * On April 18, 1983, American runner Joan Benoit wins her second Boston Marathon in the women’s division with a time of 2:22:43. The following year, she won the first-ever women’s marathon at the Summer Games in Los Angeles, becoming the first person to win Boston as well as Olympic gold. (c) 2019 Hearst Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Top 10 Video On Demand 1. The Green Book (PG-13) Mahershala Ali 2. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (PG-13) Eddie Redmayne 3. Instant Family (PG-13) Mark Wahlberg 4. Creed II (PG-13) Michael B. Jordan 5. A Star Is Born (R) Lady Gaga 6. Bohemian Rhapsody (PG-13) Rami Malek 7. Ralph Breaks the Internet (PG) Disney 8. Mortal Engines (PG-13) Hera Hilmar 9. The Favourite (R) Emma Stone 10. Ben Is Back (R) Julia Roberts Top 10 DVD, Blu-ray Sales 1. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (PG-13) Warner 2. Mortal Engines (PG-13) Universal 3. Ralph Breaks the Internet (PG) Disney 4. Creed II (PG-13) MGM 5. The Green Book (PG-13) Universal 6. Instant Family (PG-13) Paramount 7. Bohemian Rhapsody (PG-13) FOX 8. A Star Is Born (R) Warner Bros. 9. The Little Mermaid: Signature Collection (G) Disney 10. The Grinch (PG) Universal
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By Mick Harper 1. In “You Don’t Mess Around with Jim,” what was Jim’s occupation? 2. Which artist wrote and released “I Wanna Learn a Love Song”? 3. Which group had a double-sided hit single with “Blessed Is the Rain” and “Welcome Me Love”? 4. Who wrote and released “Just Like a Woman,” and when? 5. Name the song that contains this lyric: “Just when I thought I was over you, And just when I thought I could stand on my own.” Answers 1. In the 1972 song by Jim Croce, Big Jim Walker is a pool hustler, a large guy with a bad temper. 2. Harry Chapin, in 1974. Legend says the song is true: Chapin met his wife-to-be when he gave her guitar lessons and they fell in love. 3. The Brooklyn Bridge, in 1969. 4. Bob Dylan, in 1966, on his first album, “Blonde on Blonde.” He never released the song as a single in the U.K., but Manfred Mann did it the same year. 5. “Here I Am,” by Air Supply in 1981. The single had a longer title, “Here I Am (Just When I Thought I Was Over You),” to avoid confusion with another of their songs that had the lyric “Here I am.” (c) 2019 King Features Synd., Inc.
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TIDBITS of Kootenai County, Idaho Issue #11 March 18th 2019
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