TIDBITS®EATS DANGEROUSDINNERS
byJanetSpencer
ComealongwithTidbitsaswenibblesomeof theworld’smostquestionablefoods!
CASSAVA
•Cassava,alsocalledmanioc,isatropical plantwhosestarchytuberousrootissimilar totheyam.It’sthesourceoftapioca.It’sthe thirdmostimportantsourceofcaloriesfor peopleinthetropics,afterriceandcorn.
•Cassavaisedible,butthere’sacatch:the roottuberscontainasubstancecalled linamarinthattriggerstheproductionof cyanidewithinthebodyafterbeingingested duetoitsinteractionwithbacteriainthegut. Therearetwotypesofcassava:sweet cassava,andbittercassava.Sweetcassava containsonlyasmallamountoflinamarin whereasbittercassavacontainsalmostten timesmore.
•Sweetcassavaissafetoeatafterbeing boiled,whichdestroysthelinamarin.But bittercassavamustgothroughalong processofpeeling,grating,drying,soaking inwater,fermenting,boiling,rinsing,and coolingbeforeitissafe.
•Dependingupontheamounteaten,ingesting linamarincasuesrapidrespiration,adropin bloodpressure,rapidpulse,dizziness, headache,stomachpain,vomiting,diarrhea, mentalconfusion,twitching,convulsions, andsometimesdeath.
(cont)
FUGU
•Pufferfishisperfectlysafetoeat,ifonlyyou avoidthepoisonousparts:theeyes,ovaries, intestines,liver,blood,andthespikesinthe skin.Theproblemisthatifthetoxicparts haveeventheslightestcontactwiththeflesh ofthefish,suchaswhenaknifeslices through,justthatmuchofthepoisoncankill aperson.
•Thepoisoniscalledtetrodotoxin.It’s1,200 timesmorepotentthancyanide.Itisso potentthatalethaldoseissmallerthanthe headofapin,andasinglefishhasenough poisontokill30people.
•Pufferfishingestbacteriathatproducethis toxin,butthefishareimmunetoit.The toxinconcentratesinspecificorgans,butthe muscleofthefishisperfectlysafe.
•Thedishiscalledfugu,whichisthe Japanesewordmeaning“toblow”referring totheabilityofthepufferfishtoexpandin sizebyingestingseawater,blowinguplike aballoonwhenthreatened.
•Professionalchefsmustundergoathreeyearprogramoftrainingtobeallowedto prepareandservefuguinrestaurants. Becauseit’ssolabor-intensive,asingledish offugumightcostupto$200.
•Mostofthedeathsduetofugupoisoning comefromuntrainedpeopletryingto prepareitathome.Thepoisonisapowerful neurotoxinwhichparalyzesthemuscles whilethevictimremainsentirelyconscious. Eventuallythevictimisunabletobreathe anddiesofasphyxiation.Thereisno anecdote.However,peoplehavesurvivedby beingplacedonlifesupportsystemsuntil thepoisonwearsoff.About50peopleper yearsufferfromfugupoisoning,andan averageof7%ofthemdie.
(cont)
•Makechildren'spillseasiertoswallowby crushingthemandputtingtheminabitof jellyorapplesauce.Makesure,especiallyif it'saprescriptionmedicine,thatitcanbe crushed.--U.L.inMinnesota
•Tokeepkidsfromrunningintoaclosed sliding-glassdoor,cutoutasmallpictureof somethingthat'sbrightlycolored, "laminate"itbytapingitacrossbothsides, thentapeittothedooratchildren'seyelevel. --E.R.inNewYork
•Paintingseasonisinfullswingatmyhouse, andherearemytwofavoritepaintingtips: Oneistolightlysoapthewindows(glass only)andletitdry.Anypaintsplatterswill landonthesoap,whichcanbeeasilywiped awaywhenthepaintisalldry.Theotheris togivelocks,hingesanddoorknobsalight coatofpetroleumjelly.Itworksthesame way,andwhenpolishedaway,itleavesa niceshinetohardware.
•Here'sagreatspringfacial:Splitan avocado,mashhalfofitanduseitasamask. Letsitforuptofiveminutes,thenrinse awaywithwarmwater.
•Cleaningwindows?Useanylonnet scrubbiefromthekitchentogetridofbugs fromscreens.Italsoworksreallywellto scrubbugsoffthecargrilleorcarwindow.
•Here'sagreattipyoucanusewhenparallel parkinginfrontofastorefront.Checkthe reflectiontoseeifitlookslikethere'sroom whenbackinginorpullingforward.--O.W. inCalifornia
SendyourtipstoNowHere'saTip,628Virginia Drive,Orlando,FL32803.
(c)2023KingFeaturesSynd.,Inc.
HAKARL
•Thebodiesofanimalslivingunderwaterare subjectedtogreatamountsofpressurefrom theweightofthewater.Thispressure distortsproteinmolecules,whichwould normallykilltheanimal.Seacreatures evolvedtocreateadefensemechanism, calledtrimethylamineoxide,orTMAO. TMAOisachemicalcompoundthatactsas apressure-resistantproteinstabilizer.It allowsproteinmoleculestoretaintheir flexibility,lettingoceancreaturesliveat greatdepths.Fish,mollusks,and crustaceansallcontainitintheirtissues. Thedeepertheanimallives,thegreaterthe amountofittheyhave.Whenfishdieand decay,it’stheTMAOthatcausestheodor ofrottenfish.
•Greenlandsharksliveatgreatdepths.Their lifespancantop500years.Theirbodiesare packedwithhighlevelsofTMAO.
•TMAOispoisonoustohumans.Small amountsofTMAOsuchaswhat’sincrabor scallopsorcoddon’taffecthumansthateat theseanimals.Butlargeamounts,suchas what’sfoundinGreenlandsharks,can causeextremeintoxication,intestinal distress,neurologicaleffects,andcan sometimesleadtodeath.
•Then,too,considerthefactthatGreenland sharksdon’thaveaurinarytract,sowaste andtoxinsarefilteredthroughtheirskinand flesh.Fortheshark,thismixtureof compoundsactsasanaturalantifreezethat protectsitfromthefrigidarcticwaters.But itdoestendtogivetheirmeataverystrong odorandaverypeculiartaste (cont)
FERMENTEDSHARK(cont)
•Here’stherecipeforhákarl:burytheshark meatundersandandgravel,withstoneson toptopressthefluidsout.Leaveitforsixto 12weeks,dependingontheseason.Next, hangthemeattodryforseveralmonths. Priortoserving,scrapethecrustfromthe flesh,thencutintobite-sizechunksand serveonatoothpick.Holdyournosewhile swallowinginordertoavoidthestrongodor ofammonia.Keepinmindthatiftheshark meathasbeenimproperlyprepared,your dinnerguestswillneedaquicktriptothe hospitaltorecoverfromtheexperience.
•NotedchefAnthonyBourdainfamouslysaid thathákarlwas“thesingleworst,most disgustingandterribletastingthing”thathe hadevereaten.
•It’sofficiallythenationaldishofIceland, andGreenlandersenjoyitaswell.
BADFOODFACTS
•Thefollowingarethemostdangerousfoods intermsofpassingonfoodborneillnesses: Raworundercookedmeatandpoultry;raw orlightlycookedeggs;unpasteurizedmilk, cheese,andotherdairyproducts;seafood andrawshellfish;unwashedfruitsand vegetables;rawflour;andsprouts,suchas alfalfaandmungbean.
•Whatisthedeadliestfoodpoisoning? Salmonella.About1millionpeopleare sickenedbysalmonellaintheU.S.eachyear andaround380ofthemdiefromthe infection.Childrenareatthehighestriskfor salmonellainfection.Kidsyoungerthan5 havehigherratesofsalmonellainfection thananyotheragegroup.
•Themostcommonfoodallergiesare:milk; eggs;seafood;treenuts;peanuts;wheat/ gluten;soy.Theseaccountforabout90%of allfoodallergies.
•Pixarrequireditsentirestafftotakea graduate-levelichthyology(thebranchof zoologythatstudiesfish)classtohelp improvetheauthenticityof"FindingNemo."
•TelevisioninventorPhiloFarnsworthgotthe ideaforhowthemediumwouldworkwhen hewasjust14--andwhileplowingpotatoes. Hebuiltthefirstworkingprototypeseven yearslater,butdiedat64inrelative obscurityduetoaseriesoflegalbattles.
•A20-year-oldgallonofMcDonald's McJordanBBQSaucesoldfor$10,000 simplybecauseithadMichaelJordan'sname onit.
•Alobster'sbrainislocatedinitsthroat,its nervoussysteminitsabdomen,itsteethinits stomach,anditskidneysinitshead!Italso hearsusingitslegs,tasteswithitsfeet,and tendstofavoronefrontlimb,meaningitcan beright-clawedorleft-clawed.
•AftertheComstockLawsbannedbirth controlin1873,themakersofTrojan condomsfoundawayaroundthatrestriction bysellingtheprophylacticsasaprotection againstSTDs.
•Queenistheonlybandinwhicheach memberindividuallywrotemorethanone No.1hit.
•InNorthKorea,anyonewhocutsdowntrees orstartsaforestfireinprotectedareascould facethedeathpenalty.
•WhenJosephStalin'sfirstwifedied,hesaid: "Thiscreaturesoftenedmyheartofstone. Shedied,andwithherdiedmylastwarm feelingsforhumanity."Hewouldgoonto executeherbrother,hersisterandhercousin.
•Nooneactually"won"thewarof1812.
•Chicagowasraisedover4feetwithscrew jacksinthe19thcenturyinordertoinstall theU.S.'sfirstsewersystem.
ThoughtfortheDay:
"Itisbettertofailinoriginalitythantosucceed inimitation."--HermanMelville (c)2023KingFeaturesSynd.,Inc.
PHOTOCREDIT: Kovels.comPHOTO
CAPTION:Amphora potterymadeinBohemia duringtheartnouveau periodisprizedforits elaboratenature-themed decorations.Thisoctopus vasebrought$6,600ata Morphyauctionin2021
AmphoraPottery
Collectorsusethenames"Amphora"or "Teplitz"forartpotterymadeintheTurn-Teplitz regionofBohemia(nowtheCzechRepublic) fromthelate19thtotheearly20thcentury.The bestknownandmostelaborateexamplesare decoratedwithappliedthree-dimensional figuresinanartnouveaustyle.
AnAmphorapiecemightlooklikeithastrees growingoutofit,ananimal'stailwrapped aroundtheneckorbase,orahumanfigure holdingontotherimorreachingforfruitona moldedbranch.
Here,astylizedoctopusappearstositontopof thevase,withtwoofitstentaclesformingside handlesandtheresttrailingdownthevase's pear-shapedbody.Itsoldfor$6,600atMorphy Auctions.EarlyAmphorapieces(madebefore WorldWarI)arehigherquality,lookmore interestingandtendtogethigherprices.
Q:Whatis"bonechina"?Isitanothernamefor
porcelainorsomethingdifferent?
A:Bonechinaisatypeofporcelain.Itismade bycombiningclayandmineralswiththeashleft fromburninganimalbones.Thismakesit stronger,thinnerandmoredurablethanhardpasteporcelain.Ithastobefiredathigher temperaturesandismoredifficulttomake.It wasfirstmadeinEnglandinthelate1700s, whenEuropeanceramicistsweretryingto replicateChineseporcelain.Somehistorians thinkboneashwasfirstaddedtotheclaydueto amistranslationofaFrenchdescriptionof Chineseporcelainmaking.Althoughbonechina wasmadeearlier,thewords"bonechina"started appearinginmarksonpiecesin1915.
TIP:Tocoverascratchinwoodenfurniture,mix apasteofinstantcoffeeandwaterandrubitinto thescratch.Anotherquickfixistocolorthe scratchwiththepropercolorcrayon.
CURRENTPRICES
Steiffplushcat,CosySulla,Dralonfur,grayand white,swivelhead,greenglasseyes,pink stitchednoseandmouth,redbow,nametag, buttoninear,c.1967,9x12inches,$75.
Animationcel,MightyMouse,hand-painted background,fromthetelevisionseries, Filmations,c.1979,9x21inches,$110.
Toy,ArthurA-Go-GoDrummer,tin,plastic armsandhead,bushyredhair,clothjacketand pants,battery-operated,reproductionbox, Japan,10inches,$215.
Sewingbox,whalermade,mahogany,3 graduatedtiersofdrawers,whaleivorypullsand pegs,1800s,91/4x9x61/2inches,$470.
Furniture,table,Cityscape,chrome-platedsteel base,rectangular,rounddarkgrayglasstop, PaulEvansStudio,Directional,c.1975,23x24 inches,diameter.$2,375.
SubscribetotheKovels'freeweeklyemail newsletter,KovelsKomments,at www.Kovels.com.
(c)2023KingFeaturesSynd.,Inc.
STREAMINGSOURCE
Here'swhattowatchandwheretowatchitfor theweekofMay1,2023.
ONNOW:"JuryDuty"(Season1)--Freevee ONNOW:"TheAfterparty"(Season2)-AppleTV+
1-May:"WhiteHousePlumbers"(Limited Series)--HBOMax
3-May:"EdSheeran:TheSumofItAll" (Docuseries)--Disney+
4-May:"QueenCharlotte:ABridgertonStory" (LimitedSeries)--Netflix
4-May:"TheOtherTwo"(Season3)--HBO Max
4-May:"StarWars:Visions"(Season2)-Disney+
5-May:"Silo"(Season1)--AppleTV+
5-May:"TastetheNationwithPadmaLakshmi" (Season2)--Hulu
5-May:"HarriettheSpy"(Season2)-AppleTV+
(c)2023KingFeaturesSynd.,Inc.
ARIES(March21toApril19) Changesinthe workplacemightbedauntingforsome,butyou lovechallengesandwilldojustfinewiththis one.Remembertoworkwithfacts,notrumors.
TAURUS(April20toMay20) Justwhenyou needsomeemotionalreassurances,youfindan almost-forgotten,friendlygesturerepaidinthe mostwonderfulway.Moregoodnewsfollows.
GEMINI(May21toJune20) Youhavea chancetorestartastalledpersonalrelationship. Additionally,aworkplacechangebodeswellfor newopportunities,butyouneedmorefacts beforeyoucanact.
CANCER(June21toJuly22) Talktoyour longtimefriendsaboutwhythey'renotinsync withyournewpal.Youmightlearnsome startlingfacts.Also,adifficultworkplace situationeases.
LEO(July23toAugust22) Whatseemstobe agoldenopportunityis,naturally,attractiveto Leos.Butbecarefulthatit'snotjustalotof surfaceglitter.Youneedtoaskmorequestions.
VIRGO(August23toSeptember22) There arestillsomeissueswithgettingdecisionsmade onyourworkplaceproject.Talktoasupervisor aboutwaystobreaktheimpasse.
LIBRA(September23toOctober22) A familymattercouldbecomemorecomplicated andreachanapparentdeadend.Don'tgiveup ontryingtofindasolution.Workpatientlywith everyoneinvolved.
SCORPIO(October23toNovember21) You'llsoonhearmoreaboutanofferthatcould changethedirectionofyourcareer.Meanwhile, enjoythenewlypositiveon-the-job environment.
SAGITTARIUS(November22toDecember 21) Expectafavorablereplytoaworkplace request.Onthehomefront,afullexplanation helpsyousortoutalong-standingpersonal problem.
CAPRICORN(December22toJanuary19) Aseriousmatterneedsfocusedconsideration. Watchthatyoursometimescapriciousnature doesn'tcreateanyunnecessarydistractions.
AQUARIUS(January20toFebruary18) Youwinaddedsupportforyourdetermination toturnabadsituationintoagoodone.Onenew allyarrivesfromamostunexpectedsource.
PISCES(February19toMarch20) Family andfriendsneedtobetoldaboutadecisionyou wanttomake.Bepreparedtoofferafull explanationwhenasked.Holdnothingback.
BORNTHISWEEK: Youcanbeafighterand alover.Youareanaturalleaderwithastrong senseofjusticethatmakespeoplerespectyou (c)2023KingFeaturesSynd.,Inc.
HowtoStopanOverweight DogFromHowlingforFood
DEARPAW'SCORNER:MyLabrador-mix, Seeker,hasalwaysbeenaprettybigguy.But latelyhe'sturnedintoaveryrounddog.IfIdon't feedhimthroughouttheday,hesitsbesidehis bowlandhowls--makingitimpossibleforme toworkatmydesk.WhatcanIdotocalmhim downandhelphimloseweight?--JimG., Quincy,Massachusetts
DearJim: It'sdifficulttohelpoverweightpets losethoseextrapounds,andit'sclearthatSeeker hasnoqualmsaboutcomplainingaboutit!
Sinceyou'reworkingfromhome,onewayto mitigatethehowlingistoimplementadivertand-rewardsystemtotakehismindoffhis emptybowl.Inessence,keepSeekerawayfrom thekitchenandasbusyasyourscheduleallows. Immediatelyafterhisbreakfast,closeoffthe kitchen.Useababygateorshutthedoor,and hidethefoodbowloutofsight.TakeSeeker outsideforashortwalktoburnoffextraenergy andafewcalories.Ifyou'reinahigh-rise apartmentoranothersituationwheregoing outsidefrequentlyismoredifficult,optfora five-minutetrainingandplaysessioninstead. Whileyou'reworking,Seekershouldbe separatedfromthekitchen--eitherinaclosedoffroomorwithyouinyouroffice(butinhis owncorner)--andgivenplentyoftoystochew on.SpendtimewithSeekeroneachbreakfrom work.Play,workonbasicobedience,orjust hangout.Onceyou'refinishedwithworkforthe day,takeSeekeroutforalongwalkbefore givinghimdinner.
Stickwiththedietprescribedbythevet.Be patientbutconsistentwithSeekertochangehis behavior.Hecanandwilllosetheweight, becauseyoucareabouthim!
Sendyourtips,commentsorquestionsto ask@pawscorner.com.
(c)2023KingFeaturesSynd.,Inc.
BYLINE:ByDonnaErickson
PHOTOCREDIT:DonnaErickson
StuffedNewPotatoes:A SpanishTapasSnack
Doyourkidssnackallday?Someparentscall it"grazing."Andwhenkidsgrababitehereor there,it'sfine,aslongastheirquickforaysinto thekitchenarehealthyones.
Spanishtapasareheartysnackingheaven. They'reaspecialtyofSpain,enjoyedbetween meals,andsometimespeoplecombinemany differenttapastomakeafullmeal.Typically, tapasmayincludeasimplebowlofcold marinatedolives,mushrooms,artichokehearts orpopular,kid-friendlystuffedpotatoes. Thesehandheldpotatoesareauniqueandfun after-schoolsnack.Justpoptheminthe microwave,startrecitingtherhyme"onepotato, two,"andthey'llbebakedinminutes. Youalsomightwanttoputthemonyour dinnertimemenuonceinawhile.Fora satisfyingside,youcanvarythechoppedfixings withthemealandindividualtastes.
SPANISHTAPASSTUFFEDNEW POTATOES
Makes12handheldservings
•6rednewpotatoes,eachabout2inches across
•1/2cupsourcream
•Choppedtoppingssuchashard-boiledeggs, bacon,tomatoes,radishes,cucumber,salad onions,chivesanddill
Takeafewsmallbowlsfromthekitchencabinet andfillthemwiththeindividualtoppings.The resultsarealwayscolorfulandappetizing.
Scrubandcleanthepotatoeswithalittle vegetablebrush.Ittakesonlyaminuteortwo. Cuteachpotatoinhalf,andthentrimaflatpiece offeachbottomsothatthepotatohalvessit upright.
Placethemuprightonamicrowave-safeplate andcoverwithmicrowave-safewaxpaper, parchmentpaperoramicrowave-safelid.Wrap orcovertoallowsteamtoescape.Cookonhigh foraboutfourminutes,oruntiltender.
Arrangethewarmhalvesonaflatplatter.Usea melon-ballscooporateaspoontodigoutalittle pocketfromthecenterofeachhalf.(Saveand refrigeratethescooped-outportionfora scrumptiousSpanishomeletthenextmorning-justaddalittleonionandsalsa!)
Now,it's"fill'erup"timeforyourhungry grazers.Spoonadollopofsourcreamineach potato'scavity.Gotothebowlsofdelectable toppingsandspoonorsprinklechoicesoverthe top.Grabanapkinorsmallplate,andit'sready toenjoy!
Cook'snote:Tovarythelookandflavor,Igraba varietybagatmylocalgrocerystorecontaining smallrednewpotatoes,YukonGoldanda purplevariety.Lookforfreshyoungpotatoesat yourfarmer'smarketsthissummer,too.
DonnaEricksoncreatesrelationshipsandcommunity throughfoodandfun.Findmoretonourishanddelight youatwww.donnaerickson.com.
(c)2023DonnaErickson
DistributedbyKingFeaturesSynd.
TakingCareofYourLiver
Theliverisoneofthemostamazingorgansin ourbody.Dependingonhowthefunctionsare brokendown,itdoesbetween500tothousands ofactions.Ahealthylivercanbethecoreof yourhealth.
Itholdsabout13%ofthebody’sbloodatany giventime.Thebloodisfilteredofpoisonous substances-alcohol,drugs,chemicalsandfood additives.Itisoneofthekeystoourimmune system,filteringharmfulbacteriafromthe blood.
Theliverregulatesnutrients,suchasblood levelsofaminoacids,whichformthebuilding blocksofprotein,ironandcholesterolinthe blood.Thesearekeynutrientsrequiredbythe body.
Bloodsugarlevelsareregulatedinpartbythe liver,neededforcellularenergy.Obviously,too highortoolowofbloodsugarcancauseserious problems.Weneedtokeeptheliverhealthy,so itcankeepushealthy.
Albuminisaproteinneededinthebloodstream tokeepfluidsfromleakingout.Italsocarries essentialnutrientssuchasvitamins,enzymes andhormones.Theliverstoresvitaminsand mineralssuchasVitaminsA,B12,D,E,K,iron andcopperandisinstrumentalintheuseof VitaminCtotransportoxygen.VitaminCcanbe helpfulincombatingfattyliverdisease.
Theliver,likeallorgansinthebody,is dependentuponminerals,vitaminsandprotein forhealth.Ifyouareconsumingfoodsdegraded nutritionallyorwithfakevitamins,youare likelynotsupportingthehealthoftheliver. Eatingadietofwhole,unprocessedfoodsiskey
inhelpingtheliverfunctionfully.
Unfortunately,inthistoxicworld,theliverhas moretodetoxifythanitwasmeanttodo.This canbogdownitsfunction,makingitless capableofdoingitsvariousfunctionsefficiently. Acupuncturetreatmentscanbehelpfulin kickingtheliverintomoreefficiently detoxifying.Keepingacleanerdietanddoing somedetoxificationprotocols,canreallyhelpit out.
Notalldetoxificationprogramsaregood, however.Therearedifferentphasesofliver detoxification,andaddressingeachlevelis important.PhaseIgathersthetoxicmaterials fromthefatstoragesandlymph,liberatingitin preparationforelimination.Therearekey nutrientsthatarenecessaryforthistohappen. PhaseIImicronizesthesetoxicmaterials, breakingthemdownintowatersolubleelements tobeeliminatedbytheurine,andfatsolubleto beeliminatedbythebowels.Therearea differentsetofnutrientsnecessaryforthis processtohappen.PhaseIIIistheactual eliminationprocess.Don’teverattempta detoxificationprogramifyouareconstipated. Handleyourbowelsfirst,ensuringthattheyare moving2-3timesperdaybeforestarting. Aswithalldetoxificationprograms,havingthe rightguidanceisimportant.Ifyouhaveahistory ofdoingadetoxificationprogramandfeeling sick,youlikelydidn’tdotherightoneforyou. WanttohearmorefromDr.Carling?Checkout ourpodcast.SearchforVitalHealth4Youon yourfavoritepodcastlisteningapporgoto vitalhealthcda.com/podcasts/
Dr.HollyCarlingisaDoctorofOrientalMedicine,LicensedAcupuncturist,DoctorofNaturopathy, ClinicalNutritionistandMasterHerbologistwithoverfourdecadesofexperience.Dr.Carlingisa“Health Detective,”shelooksbeyondyoursymptompictureandinvestigatesWHYyouareexperiencingyour symptomsinthefirstplace.Dr.Carlingiscurrentlyacceptingnewpatientsandoffersnaturalhealthcare servicesandwholefoodnutritionalsupplementsinherCoeurd’Aleneclinic.VisitDr.Carling’swebsite atwww.vitalhealthcda.comtolearnmoreaboutDr.Carling,viewalistofupcominghealthclassesand readotherinformativearticles.Dr.Carlingcanbereachedat208-765-1994andwouldbehappytoanswer anyquestionsregardingthistopic.
Medical/HealthDisclaimer:Theinformationprovidedinthisarticleshouldnotbeconstruedaspersonalmedicaladviceor instruction.Noactionshouldbetakenbasedsolelyonthecontentsofthisarticle.Readersshouldconsultappropriatehealth professionalsonanymatterrelatingtotheirhealthandwell-being.Theinformationandopinionsprovidedherearebelievedtobe accurateandsound,basedonthebestjudgmentavailabletotheauthor,butreaderswhofailtoconsultappropriatehealthauthorities
CopayExemptionforNative AmericanVeterans
TheDepartmentofVeteransAffairsismoving forwardtowarditsgoalofensuringthatNative Americanveteransreceivethebenefitsthey shouldbegetting.Twoweeksagoitwas reducedmortgageinterestratesforNative Americans,nativeHawaiians,AlaskaNatives andPacificIslanders.Now,pertheIndian HealthCareImprovementAct,it'sawaiveron havingtopayacopayforVAhealthcare servicesandurgentmedicalcare.
Besidestakingaffectnow,it'sretroactive: Startinglastyear,onJan.5,2022,anyeligible AmericanIndianandAlaskaNativeVeteran who'sreceivedcareandpaidacopaycango backandbereimbursed.
Therearedetails,ofcourse.Tobeeligiblefor exemptionyouneedtobeanAmericanIndianor AlaskaNativeVeteran,provideacopyofan officialtribaldocumentshowingthatyoumeet theeligibilityrequirementsoftheIndianHealth CareImprovementActandsubmitaTribal DocumentationForm(VAForm10-334).That formisalsoknownasDocumentationofIndian orUrbanIndianStatusforVeteranCopayment Exemption.
Payspecialattentiontothegovernment's definitionof"Indian."Itinvolvesbeingafirstorsecond-degreedescendantofcertaingroups, andyoumustliveinanurbancenter,which includesthedepartmentofHealthandHuman Services'definitionofanIndianpopulationwith unmethealthneeds.
Ifyou'renotyetsignedupforVAhealthcare, thismightbethetimetodoitandhavethat,plus thequestionofyourcopays,outoftheway.Ina medicalemergency,youdon'twanttohaveto thinkaboutwhatyou'regoingtodoorwhere you'regoingtogo.Andifyou'vepaidout severalcopayssinceJan.5oflastyear,you standtobereimbursedifyou'reeligibleforthe AmericanIndianexemption.
Confusedyet?There'shelpat800-698-2411,the MyVAnumberthat'sanswered24/7with assistanceonadozendifferenttopics,from benefitstocemeteriestoacrisisline.
(c)2023KingFeaturesSynd.,Inc.
1.InMarch1973,whattwoNewYorkYankees pitchersannouncedtheyhadswappedwivesand families?
2.WhatbasketballplayerfromPoland,the WNBA'sall-timeleaderinshotsblockedwith 877,diedfromacardiacarrestin2011?
3.LongtimeSportsIllustratedfootballwriter PaulZimmermanwasbetterknowntoreaders bywhatnickname?
4.NametheAmericanswimmerwhowonfive goldmedalsatthe1988SeoulSummer Olympics.
5.Whohadmoreprofessionalboxingcareer wins:LeonSpinksorhisbrotherMichael?
6.WhatPhiladelphiaEaglescornerbackscored afumblereturntouchdowninthefinalseconds tosnatcha19-17winovertheNewYorkGiants ina1978gamecalledthe"Miracleatthe Meadowlands"?
7.Incricket,thetermforabatsman'sdismissal withascoreofzeroisthesameaswhatkindof waterfowl?
Answers
1.MikeKekich andFritzPeterson.
2.MargoDydek.
3.Dr.Z.
4.MattBiondi.
5.Michael,with31.(Leonhad26.)
6.HermanEdwards.
7.Aduck. (c)2023KingFeaturesSyndicate,Inc.
1.MOVIES:WhichmoviegaveactorTom HankshisfirstOscar?
2.SCIENCE:Apolloastronautsreportedthat theMoonsmelledlikewhatsubstance?
3.GEOGRAPHY:Howmanystarsareonthe Australianflag?
4.U.S.PRESIDENTS:Whichpresidentkilleda manwhoinsultedhiminaduel?
5.MUSIC:Whichpopgroupproducedthehit song"GodOnlyKnows"?
6.TELEVISION:"TheBradyBunch"features howmanyblendedfamilymembers?
7.LANGUAGE:Whatistheofficiallanguage oftheUnitedStates?
8.U.S.STATES:Whatisthestatecapitalof RhodeIsland?
9.ASTRONOMY:Whichistheonlyplanetin oursolarsystemthatisnotnamedafteragodor goddess?
10.FOOD&DRINK:Whatisacheese connoisseurcalled?
Answers
1."Philadelphia."
2.Burntgunpowder.
3.Six.
4.AndrewJackson.In1806heshotandkilled CharlesDickinsoninaduel.
5.TheBeachBoys.
6.Eight:sixchildrenandtwoparents.
7.TITLE:None--theUnitedStatesdoesn't haveanofficiallanguage.
8.Providence.
9.Earth.
10.Aturophile. (c)2023KingFeaturesSynd.,Inc.
•OnMay14,1796,EdwardJenner,an Englishcountrydoctor,gavethefirst vaccinationagainstsmallpoxto8-year-old JamesPhipps.Whilehedidnotdiscover vaccination,hewasthefirstpersontoconfer scientificstatusontheprocedureandto pursueitsscientificinvestigation.Hiswork iswidelyconsideredthefoundationof immunology.
•OnMay8,1912,AdolphZukorfoundedthe FamousPlayersFilmCompany,nowknown asParamountPictures.WithpartnersDaniel andCharlesFrohman,heplannedtooffer feature-lengthfilmsthatwouldappealtothe middleclass.Thecompany'sfirstfilmwas "LesAmoursdelaReineElisabeth,"and starredSarahBernhardt.
•OnMay12,1921,NationalHospitalDay wasfirstobservedonwhatwouldhavebeen FlorenceNightingale's101stbirthday. Originallyaone-dayholiday,itturnedintoa week-longeventtoeducatethepublicabout medicalcare.
•OnMay9,1926,CommanderRichardE. Byrdannouncedthatheandhiscopilot, FloydBennett,hadmadethefirstflightover theNorthPoleinByrd'sFokkertri-motor airplane,theJosephineFord.WhileByrd's navigationalrecordswereverifiedbythe U.S.NavyandacommitteeoftheNational GeographicSociety,someskepticismstill remainsabouttheclaim.
•OnMay11,1978,MargaretA.Brewer becamethefirstfemalegeneralintheU.S. MarineCorps.BecausetheMarinesdidnot allowwomentoachievesucharankatthe time,PresidentJimmyCartermadeaspecial nominationonherbehalftothegradeof brigadiergeneral,whichwasapprovedby bothhousesofCongress.
•OnMay13,1983,rightfielderReggie Jacksonbecamethefirstmajorleague baseballplayertostrikeout2,000times.He wouldeventuallyretirewithatotalof2,597 strikeoutsandwasinductedintothe NationalBaseballHallofFamein1993.
•OnMay10,1994,serialkillerJeffrey DahmerwasbaptizedbyRoyRatcliffwhile inprisonatColumbiaCorrectional InstitutioninWisconsin,inawhirlpooltype oftubnormallyusedforinmateswithback issues.Ratcliffcontinuedtomeetweekly withDahmeruntilthelatter'sdeathatthe handsofanotherprisoner.
WhyAreSeniorsTargetedfor Scams?
Inoneyearalone,seniorslostover$3billionto scammers,andit'sgottenworseeveryyear.The 60-69agegroupwasbadenough,butthedollar lossesroseevenmoreafterage70,andmuch moreafterage80.
Whyarewetargeted?
Thethievesbelievetwothingsaboutus:We're allrichandhavegreatcredit,havingworkedour wholelives,and,worstofall,thatwewon'ttell anyoneifwelosemoneytothem.Thosetwo thingsalonemakeusconstanttargets.
Allscammershavetodototurnusintovictims, accordingtoastudybyStanfordandAARP,is raiseouremotions.Whetherhappinessoranger, itdoesn'tmatter,becauseeitherwillpushusto handoverourinformationorourmoney.
Forexample,scammerswillsaywe'vewona bigprize,likethelottery,buttoclaimthatprize weneedtosendthemprocessingfeesin advance.Wethinkaboutthatprizeandourgood sensegoesoutthewindow.
Emotionscomeintoplaywhenascammercalls pretendingtobeagrandchildintrouble.We're askedtosendmoneyrightaway.We'reupset, andwedo.Buttheemotionalpleasformoney don'tendthere.Romancescamsarehuge,and toomanylonelyseniorssendcashtotheirnew lovewithoutquestioningit.
Scammerswhopretendtobefromthe government,suchastheIRS,whofrightenus intopayingmoney,raiseouremotionsaswell.
Thelistofscamsdirectedattheelderlyisnearly endless:investments,lotterywins,IRStaxbills, low-costprescriptions,charities,techrepair, cemeterydebts,romance,reversemortgage, helpsigningupforMedicare,autowarranties... Beware.Ifyouallowyourselftobescammed once,theywillbeback,becauseyou'llbeona listofpeoplewhocanbefooled.
(c)2023KingFeaturesSynd.,Inc.
Onestepinthatplanningistoexaminefinancial preparednessforcarerequirementsthatmight beforthcoming.Long-termCareInsurancejust mightbearemarkabletooltocoverthecostsof homecare,assistedliving,adultdaycare,respite care,hospicecareandmore.
“Aswegetolder,wemayneedalittlemore help.Sometimeswereachthepointwhenwe’re unabletocareforourselves—becauseofan illness,injury,gradualfrailty,orasever cognitiveimpairmentsuchasAlzheimer’s disease.Wemayneedhelpwithdailyactivities, ormorespecializedcare.That’swherelongtermcareinsurancecomesin—youcould receivethousandsofdollarsinbenefitstohelp payforthecareyoumayneedinthefuture. Doesn’tthatsoundbetterthantappingintoyour retirementsavingstopayforyourcare?”
(Long-termCareInsurancePolicyGuide,State FarmMutualAutomobileInsurance,06-2016, p.1)Herearesomeinsightstoencouragethe readertoconsiderthepossibilitiesofsuch coverage.
“Acompleteretirementplanincludescoverage
forlife’sunknowns,includingthepossibilityof needingcareforanextendedamountoftime.A keystatisticthatyoumayhavealreadyseenis that7outof10individualsage65orolderwill needsometypeoflong-termcareassistancein theirlifetime.(U.S.DepartmentofHealthand HumanServices,NationalClearinghousefor Long-TermCareInformation, www.longtermcare.gov/the-basics(accessed April2015).Sinceestimatedcostscanexceed $90,000annually(JohnHancock2016Cost-ofCareSurvey), choosingtoretaintheriskofanextendedcare eventcanhaveadevastatingimpactonyour retirementgoals.Itisimportanttounderstand thedifferencesintheoptionsavailabletoyou.”
(WellsFargoAdvisors,1016-04192,p.1) AtTheLodgeAssistedLivingHomes,we highlyrecommendthatthereaderseek professionalguidanceintakingstepstoplanfor thefuture.Also,wewelcomeLong-termCare Insurancecoverageforourresidentsand celebratethereliefthatitprovides.
1.WhichartistnettedaGrammyforhis"I'dDo AnythingforLove"?
2.Namethefirstgrouptorelease"TeachYour Children."
3.Nametheduothatreleased"Teardrops."
4.Whichartistreleased"MaybeIKnow"?
5.Namethesongthatcontainstheselyrics: "Whennooneelsecanunderstandme,When everythingIdoiswrong,Yougivemehopeand consolation,Yougivemestrengthtocarryon." Answers
1.MeatLoaf,akaMichaelLeeAday.Beforehe diedin2022,Adayappearedinover50films, includingthe1975"RockyHorrorPicture Show"playingEddie,theformerdeliveryboy.
2.Crosby,Stills&Nashin1969.Crosby,Stills, Nash&Youngreleasedadifferentversionthe followingyear.BandmemberGrahamNashhad writtenthesongin1968.
3.Womack&Womack,in1988.EltonJohnand k.d.langcoveredthesongin1993,followedby severalotherduosovertheyears,including CliffRichardandCandiStatonin2011.
4.LesleyGore,in1964.
5."TheWonderofYou,"byElvisPresleyin 1970.ThesonghasbeenusedinEnglandand Scotlandbyfootballclubsastheiranthem, althoughwithdifferentlyrics.
(c)2023KingFeaturesSyndicate
