OFKOOTENAICOUNTY,IDAHOISSUE#24June12TH2013
TIDBITS®PLAYS SCRABBLE
byJanetSpencer
Worldwide,Scrabbleisthe5thmostpopular boardgame,cominginafterchess,checkers, backgammon,andMonopoly.IntheU.S.,it’s thesecondmostpopulargame,withonly Monopolybeingmorepopular.InBritain,it’s #1.About1/3ofAmericanhomesownan editionof Scrabble.InGreatBritain,abouthalfdo.Come alongwithTidbitsasweplayScrabble!
SCRABBLEFACTS
•Scrabbleissoldin121countriesandcomes in31languages,includingWelsh.
•EnglishScrabblecomeswith100tiles,but PortugueseandItalianhave120tiles becausetheyaremoredifficultlanguages.
•ExpertssaythatFrenchistheeasiest languagetoplayin,becausethereareso manywordsthatcanbeexpandedbyadding asingle“E”or“S.”Germanissaidtobethe hardestbecauseit’shardtoturnashortword intoalongerword.Therewasonceadebate ifGermansshouldbeallowedtouse8tiles intheirrackinsteadofthestandard7,butin theendtheygotstuckwiththeoriginal7.
••SpanishScrabblehasatilewithtwoLson it,pronouncedasa“Y”sound.TheDutch haveatilewithan“I”anda“J”sidebyside, andtheCatalanlanguage,spokeninareasof Spain,hasatilewithtwoLswithadotin between.
(cont)
SCRABBLEFACTS(cont)
•InEnglish,theletterwhichoccursmost frequentlyis“E”andthereforeeach Scrabblegamecontains12ofthem.In secondplaceistheletter“A”withnine.But theMalaysianversioncontains19ofthe “A”tiles,whichconstitutes20%ofthetotal tilesusedinthegame.Thisisthemostof anysingleletterusedinanyversionofthe game.InEnglishScrabble,42%ofthetiles arevowels,butthatincludesallfivevowels.
•Bycontrast,thereisonlyoneeachof“J” “K”“Q”“X”and“Z”intheEnglishversion.
•LanguagesspokeninChina,andalso Japanese,donottranslateintoScrabbletiles.
FACTOIDS
•Theworld’slargestgameofScrabbleas certifiedbyGuinnessWorldRecordstook placein
•WembleyStadium,London,Englandto celebrateits50thbirthdayin1998.Each fiberglasstilemeasured6feet(1.8m)square andtook2strongmentolift.
•TocelebrateScrabble’s60thbirthdaywhich coincidedwithPrinceCharles’s60th birthday,alargeportraitofPrinceCharles wasmadesolelyfromScrabbletiles.Itwas createdbyartistLizzieSanders.Sheused differentcoloredtilesfromdifferenttypesof games:whiteplastictiles,blackplastictiles, andtheclassicwoodentiles.
•In1992,FranklinMintcommissionedand producedaversionofScrabblefeaturing 24kgold-platedtiles.
•ThereisaDeluxeScrabblewitheasy-to-see boldprintforindividualswithlowvision.
•UnderwaterScrabblewasplayedinEngland in1995asafundraiser.Speciallaminated
•boardswereusedandthetileshadlead weightsattached.
••IfalltheScrabbletileseverproducedwere laidendtoend,theywouldstretcharound theworldattheequatortwice. (cont)
•Purchasealargetubofcookiedough,and whenyoumakethefirstbatch,goaheadand portionouttheremainingdoughby teaspoonsontoacoldcookiesheet.Freeze asballs,andthenreplacetheminthe containertheycamefrom.Refreeze.Now youcantakeoutonlyasmanycookiesas youwouldliketomake,andcookthem straightfromfrozen.
•"Thisisatipforpaintingstairs.Paintevery otherstair.Letthemdry.Thenpaintthe otherstairs.Thiswillmakeyourstaircase usablethewholewaythroughyourpaint job."--R.L.inMichigan
•Sprayoldartificialflowerswithhairsprayto makethelookfreshandvibrant.
•Manyfoodcontainerscanbereusedtostore personalitems.Glassjarscanbecleanedand labelsremoved.Paperboardboxescanbe customtrimmedandcoveredwithleftover wrappingpaperorwallpaper.Papermilk cartonscanbecleanedwithsoapandwater, driedthoroughlythenpaintedtoholda varietyofitems.Don'toverlookthemany possibilitiesinapieceofrecyclingortrash.
•Useplainhouseholdvinegartokillgrass thatgrowsinthecracksofwalkwaysand driveways.
•Usebathroomfansappropriately.Makesure toturnthemoff.Theyventairtotheoutside, andthatincludesyourpaid-forair conditioning,too.Closethebathroomdoor aftershoweringandletthefanrunforabout 10minutes.Thenturnitoff."--D.A.in Texas
SendyourtipstoNowHere'saTip,628Virginia Drive,Orlando,FL32803.
(c)2023KingFeaturesSynd.,Inc.
SCRABBLEFACTS(cont)
••WhenAmericanswereheldhostageinIran in1979,theymadeaScrabblegameoutof papertopassthetime.
•DuringanexpeditiontoAntarcticain1985, LieutenantCommanderWaghornfelldown acrevasse,breakingaleg.Hewas successfulwinchedtothesurfaceoftheice butcouldnottravel.Afterhisbrokenlegwas set,LanceCorporalTerryGillsetupasmall tentandkepthimcompanywhiletherestof thecrewwentforhelp.Thetwomen huddledtogether,entertainingthemselves withaportablegameofScrabblewhilethey waited.Fivedayslater,theywereboth pulledfromtheicebyahelicopterduringa briefbreakinthestormyweather.No wordonwhowontheicytournament.
TOURNAMENTS
•Eachyearsince1973,theScrabblePlayers ChampionshiphostsaNationalScrabble
•TodaythereareavarietyofScrabble tournaments,includingtheWorldScrabble Championship,theYouthScrabble Tournament,theSchoolScrabble Tournament,andinnumerableregional Scrabblechampionships.
•Competitivegamestendtobealotfaster thanScrabblegamesplayedathomewith thefamilybecauseeachplayeronlygets25 minutestomakealloftheirmoves combined—andchessclocksareusedto keeptime.Eachsideusuallymakes11to13 movesinatournamentgame,whichequals abouttwominutesperplay.Exceedyour allottedtimeandyou’repenalizedtenpoints foreachminuteover25.
(continued)
SCRABBLEFACTS(cont)
•ThehighestScrabblescoreeverreceivedon asingleturnis1,782,achievedbyadding tilestowordsalreadyinplacetoformthe word“oxyphenbutazone”(anantiinflammatorydrug).PlayerBenjaminWoo playeditacrossthetopoftheboard,hitting threeTripleWordScoresquareswhile makingsevencrosswordsdownward.He alsoscoredanextra50pointsforusingup allsevenofhistilesinasingleturn.
•BenjaminWoo’s1,782pointseclipsedthe previousrecord-holder.KarlKhoshnaw fromManchester,Englandheldtherecord forthehighestwordscoreachievedina competition,scoring392pointswith “caziques”whichisthepluralformofa worddenotingaWestIndianChief.
•Thehighestscorepossibleonthefirstround is128pointswiththeword“muzjiks” meaningaRussianpeasant
SCANDAL
•OneplayerwhoregularlyenteredScrabble tournamentscameundersuspicionwhenhe •endedupwithbothblanktilesin29outof 31games.Theblanktiles–twoineach game–arethemostvaluablebecausethey canbeusedasanyletterinthealphabet. Whileunderclosescrutinyinthenext tournament,hewasfoundtobesneaking pilferedblanktilesfromtheirhidingspot underhisleg.
•The"GuinnessWorldRecords"holdsthe worldrecordforbeingthemoststolenbook frompubliclibraries.
•SomeNewYorkCitytaxisareactually undercovercopcars.
•Nintendowassuedandfoundguiltybecause kidsweregettingblistersfromplayingtoo muchMarioParty.
•AcownamedCincinnatiFreedomlivedup tohernamewhensheevadedpoliceofficers for11daysafterjumpinga6-footfenceto escapeaslaughterhouse.Oncecaught,she wasgiventhekeytothecitybyCincinnati's mayorandallowedtopeacefullyliveouther remainingdaysinaNewYorksanctuary.
•BeforehebecametheaxmanforGunsN' Roses,SlashauditionedforthebandPoison butdecidednottojoinwhenhewasasked aboutwearingmakeup.
•PersianKingAghaMohammadKhan orderedtheexecutionoftwoservantsfor beingtooloud.Sinceitwasaholyday,he postponedtheeventfor24hoursandmade theservantsreturntotheirduties.Itturned outtobeanunfortunatedecision,asthey murderedtherulerinhissleepthatvery night.
•WhenGeorgeWashingtondied,Napoleon Bonapartegaveapersonaleulogyand ordereda10-daymourningperiodfor France.
•By1930,dopinghadbecomesoprevalent andevenacceptedintheTourdeFrancethat itsorganizersfeltcompelledtoinform cyclistsintheofficialrulebookthatdrugs wouldnotbeprovided.
•ThemanforwhomMountEverestwas named,GeorgeEverest,didn'twantthe honor,pointingoutthathisnamewas difficulttowriteorpronounceinHindiand thatallpreviousHimalayanpeakswere officiallygivenindigenousnames.
ThoughtfortheDay:
"Livedeepinsteadoffast."
--HenrySeidelCanby
PHOTOCREDIT: Kovels.com
PHOTOCAPTION:Every foodyoumightfindona Victoriantablehaditsown silver-plateddish.This Englishsilver-platedjar wasusedforcookiesof "bisquits."
SilverPlate
Thissilveroncopper "bisquitjar"isa
classicVictorian piece.Itusesanoldspellingfor"biscuit,"a British-Englishterm.InpresentdayAmerican English,wewouldcallitacookiejar. Silverandsilverplatewerepopularinthe Victorianera.Almosteverytypeoffoodhadits ownspecificservingdishorutensilmadeof silver.
"OldSheffield"referstoaspecialkindofsilver platemadeinSheffield,England,inthe18th century.Thesilverwashand-rolledinsheets overcopper.Mostsilverplatemadeinthe19th centuryiselectroplated.
ThisjarmaynotbeOldSheffieldsilver,butit wasmadeinthecityofSheffield.Itsoldfor $270ataSelkirkauction.Itspelicanhallmark identifiesitastheworkofThomasWilkinson's firm,whichreceivedaRoyalWarrantfrom QueenVictoriainthe1840s.
Q: WhenIwasyoung,mymothermadebraided rugsfromoldwoolcoats.Ibraidedthestripsof fabricshecreatedfromthecoats.Twolargerugs
thatwemadehavebeenindailyusefor85years andshowverylittlewear.Iamnow90.Imight sellthemandwouldliketoknowwhattheyare worth.Dotheyhaveanyresalevalue?
A:There'sarichhistoryofbraidedrugmaking intheUnitedStatesthatbeganintheAmerican colonies.ThecraftwasinspiredbyNative Americanweavingtechniques.Theprocessis thesamewaythesettlersrecycledand repurposedwornclothingintorugs,givingthem anew,usefulpurpose.Largehandmaderugs similartoyourshaverecentlysoldfor$65to $175.
TIP: A"cut"autograph,onethat'sonasmall pieceofplainpaper,ismoreattractivetoabuyer ifit'sprofessionallymattedwithaphotoofthe playerwhosignedit.
CURRENTPRICES
Dinnerware,IroquoisCasual,bowl,vegetable, divided,indentedhandlesonsides,yellow, RusselWright,SteubenvillePottery,1947-1967, 21/4x101/4inches,$35.
Coca-Colavendingmachine,DrinkCoca-Cola, ServeYourself,metal,red,whiteletters, rectangularcoinboxwithslotontop,25x30x 41inches,$675.
Sterling-silvercenterpiecebowl,asymmetric form,turnedupedge,threeshorttaperedfeet, Modernist,Mexico,20thcentury,173/4inches, $880.
Advertisingsign,Borden'sIceCream, lithographedtin,embossed,diecutstrawberry icecreamcone,Elsieindaisylogo,1900s,59x 35inches,$1,250.
Lookingtodeclutter,downsizeorsettlean estate?Kovels'Antiques&CollectiblesPrice Guide2022byTerryandKimKovelhasthe resourcesyou'relookingfor.
(c)2023KingFeaturesSynd.,Inc.
Here'swhattowatchandwheretowatchitfor theweekofJune12,2023.
ONNOW:"Flamin'Hot"(PG-13)--Disney+ andHulu
ONNOW:"TheBoys"(Season3)--Amazon PrimeVideo
12-June:"TheAfterparty"(Season2)-AppleTV+
13-June:"AmySchumer:EmergencyContact" (Stand-UpComedy)--Netflix
14-June:"TheFullMonty"(Season1)--Hulu
14-June:"OurPlanetII"(Docuseries)--Netflix
16-June:"Chevalier"(PG-13)--Hulu
16-June:"Extraction2"(R)--Netflix
18-June:"TheRighteousGemstones"(Season 3)--Max
18-June:"MaybeIDo"(PG-13)--Hulu (c)2023KingFeaturesSynd.,Inc.
ARIES(March21toApril19) YouEwesand Ramswillfindyourideascheeredbyamostly receptiveflock.Thosefewdissenterscouldwell beturnedaroundbyyourcharmandpowersof persuasion.
TAURUS(April20toMay20) It'stimeforthe boldandbeautifulBovinetoshakeoffthedust ofthepastandshapeupnewideasforthefuture. Thiscouldsurprisesomefolks,butthey'llsoon adjust.
GEMINI(May21toJune20) Thosenagging newdoubtsaboutanupcomingdecisionshould alertyoutostepback(atleasttemporarily)so youcanreassessitspotentialimpactfromanew perspective.
CANCER(June21toJuly22) Thatunpleasant situationyouhopedwouldgoawaybyitself needsimmediateattentionbeforeitaffectsan upcomingdecision.Expectyoursupportersto rallyaroundyourcause.
LEO(July23toAugust22) You'removingup andawayfromthatrecentsetback.Butremain cautiousaboutfinances.Anexerciseinthrift todayhelpscushionapossibleend-of-themonthmoneysqueeze.
VIRGO(August23toSeptember22) You're stilldealingwithovertonesofpessimismthat causeyoutodoubtyourabilitytomakesome neededchanges.Butthenegativepressureswill easeupbyweek'send.
LIBRA(September23toOctober22) There couldbesomefalloutfromthewayyouhandled arecentfamilyproblem.Butthosewhoknow thatyouwereintherightwon'thesitatetostep inonyourbehalf.
SCORPIO(October23toNovember21) Financialstrainseasebyweek'send. Meanwhile,focusoncultivatingthatnew relationshipifyouhopetohaveitblossominto somethingmoremeaningful.
SAGITTARIUS(November22toDecember 21) Healthmattersonceagaindominatethe week.Becarefulnottoignorerecurrencesofan oldproblem.Analmost-forgottencommitment resurfaces.
CAPRICORN(December22toJanuary19) Theemergenceofanunusualselfishstreak coulddismaythoseclosetoyou.Defyit--don't justifyit--soyoucanbecomeyourgraciousself again.
AQUARIUS(January20toFebruary18) Reassessyourdecisiontostaywiththestatus quo.Itmightseemlikethesensiblethingtodo rightnow,butchangesaroundyoucouldmake thatchoiceariskyone.
PISCES(February19toMarch20) Move decisively,butcautiously,whendealingwitha delicatepersonalmatter.Thefewermistakes youmakenow,thelesslikelyitisthatthe problemwillrecurlateron.
BORNTHISWEEK: Youcanfindbeauty wheremanycannot,andyouenjoysharingyour discoverieswithothers.
(c)2023KingFeaturesSynd.,Inc.
ThisCatClingstooMuch DEARPAW'SCORNER: My6-year-oldcat Ellahasgottenveryclingylately.Shewas alwaysfairlyindependentandpreferredto loungeatopthesofaandwatchtheworld outsidethewindow.Nowsherefusestodothat. Sherunstogreetmeatthedoor,meowsnonstop untilIfeedherandthenwantstoclimbintomy laptheinstantIsitdown.Shealsobegstocome intothebedroomandcurlupattheendofthe bednexttomyfeet.Iknowthissoundsjust darling,butit'sunusualbehaviorfromher. What'syouradvice?--SusanW.,Burlington, Vermont
DEARSUSAN: It'sinterestingthatElla's behaviorhaschangedsonoticeably,sofast.Has anythingchangedinthehomeenvironment,like youhaveanewworkschedule,ormoved furniturearound,oradded(orlost)ahuman familymember?
Also,hasanythingaboutElla'shealthchanged? Doesshehaveanyunderlyingconditionthat mightbegettingworse?Checkwiththevettobe sure.
Ifneitherenvironmentnorhealtharethe problem,youcantrytoenforcesomerulesto alterElla'sbehavior.
Boredom:MakesureyouplaywithEllamore ofteneachday.Theclingybehaviormaybea requestforadditionalattention.
Boundaries:Don'tchangefeedingtimesjust becauseEllademandsit.Anddon'tletherinto thebedroomifyoudon'twantherthere.Keep thedoorshut.
Bribery:Well,notreallybribes,butpositive reinforcement.WhenEllagoestoherold loungingspot,rewardherwithpraiseoratreat. Don'tgivehertreatswhenshe'sinyourlap; instead,leadherawayandgiveatreattoher elsewhere.
Sendyourtips,commentsorquestionsto ask@pawscorner.com.
(c)2023KingFeaturesSynd.,Inc.
PHOTOCREDIT:DonnaErickson
BringBowlsofFoodtoYour Table
Bigbowls,tinybowls,bowlsthatarejustright. They'reallpartofthe"bowl"crazethathas grabbedtheattentionoftheculinaryworldand landedonourkitchentables.AndI'min.Sois myson,Anders,whohasaspecialbowlheuses dayinanddayout,startingwithbreakfast. Comedinnertime,heusesitagainandoften assembleslastnight'sleftoverstoppedwith veggiesorherbsfromthegardenandgrated cheeseforbowl-fooddeliciousness.Ofcourse, hecouldputeverythingonaplate,butbowlsare unexpected,easytoholdandsimplymorefun.
RobinAsbell,cookbookauthorof"GreatBowls ofFood"publishedbyCountrymanPress (2016),saysthatbowlmealsarecolorfuland thattheirsimplicityreallyappealstoallages. "Theyaregreatforfamilies,becausetheyareso flexibleandcanbecustomizedforeachdiner withnofuss,"sheexplained."Ifsomeone doesn'tlikebeets,leavethemoutoftheirbowl oruseavegetabletheyprefer."
Herrecipesreflecthercommitmenttohealthy eatingandtryingnewingredientstomake familymealsinterestingandtasty.Inspiredby themanypossibilitiesforcreatingbowlsof
food,Ilandedon"PizzaBowlWithSoft Polenta,SpinachandMozzarella."Itislikea twistonpizza,fullofgood-for-youingredients, andincludesafallcomfortfood,polenta,asa base.
PIZZABOWLWITHSOFTPOLENTA, SPINACHANDMOZZARELLA
Serves4
•1cuppolenta
•3cupswater
•1/2teaspoonsalt
•1/2cupshreddedParmesancheese
•4ouncesbabyspinach
•1cuppreparedspaghettisauce,heated
•8ouncesfreshmozzarella,smallballsor chopped
•1/2cupfreshbasil,finelysliced
Ina2-quartsaucepan,whiskthepolenta,water andsalt.Onmedium-highheat,stiruntilthe mixturecomestoaboil.Reduceheattolowand stirevery5minutes,scrapingthebottomofthe pan.Cookforabout25minutes,untilthick.Stir inParmesancheeseuntilmelted.Keepwarm. Toserve,dividethespinachbetweenfourbowls andtopwithpolenta.Measure1/4cupofhot spaghettisauceovereachbowlandtopwith mozzarella.Then,topwithshreddedbasiland serve.
Note:Ifpreparingpolentainadvance,transferto a9-inchpanaftercooking,smooththetopand letcool.Toserve,reheatinthemicrowaveorcut inwedgesandsauteinoliveoiluntilcrispand heatedthrough.
Resources:FindRobin'sbooks,recipesand cookingtechniquesatwww.robinasbell.com.
DonnaEricksoncreatesrelationshipsand communitythroughfoodandfun.Findmoreto nourishanddelightyouat www.donnaerickson.com.
(c)2023DonnaErickson
DistributedbyKingFeaturesSynd.
CAUSESANDSOLUTIONS FORMUSCLESPASMS
Therearemanyreasonsformusclespasms. Somecausesaretrauma-induced,someareearly signs(oroccasionallylatentsigns)ofadisease, somearedeficiencyrelated.Somespasmsare sudden,acuteandtemporarilydebilitating, whileotherscanhaveaslowonset,andsomild youdon’tevenknowtheyarethereatthe beginning,graduallyworseningandbecoming chronic.
The“Charliehorse”typecrampsaremostly deficiencyrelated.Theycanbearesultof dehydration,electrolyte/mineralimbalanceor circulationrelated.Adequatewaterisessential incontrollingthesecramps.Hydration throughouttheday(halfyourbodyweightin ouncesperday),withminimalatnight(to preventbathroomsleepdisruptions)iscrucial. Dehydrationisacommonsideeffectof diuretics.
Whenthecrampsareatnight,atrest,itisoften acalciumdeficiency.Sincecalciumcarbonateis verydifficultforthebodytoabsorb,calcium lactateisthepreferredformofcalcium. Combinedwithmagnesiumlactateitiseven better.Itisimportanttoincludeafatwhenyou takecalciumtohelpitgetintothetissuesbetter (likeaqualityfishorcoconutoil).
Also,takingVitaminDhelps.
Electrolytebalanceisimportant,however,most electrolytedrinksaregarbage–theyarefullof sugarandcolorantsandaren’tbalanced.A qualityonecanhelp.Mostlyyouneedsodium, potassium,calciumandmagnesium.Apoordiet hasinsufficientamountsofthesemineralsand somethings,likecoffee,alcoholandsugar,can striptheseimportantmineralsfromyourtissues.
Crampsduringexerciseareoftenasignof strugglingcirculation.Goodcirculationis importantforpreventingcrampsandspasmsand forobviousreasons.Goodcirculationstartswith sufficienthydration,exercise,andproper viscosity(thicknessorthinnessofblood). Excessglucose,cholesterol,triglyceridesand dehydrationcausethickerblood,makingitmore difficultforbloodtomakeittothetiny peripheralvessels.
Certainmedicationshavesideeffectsofspasms. Theworstarediureticsandasthmameds,but alsosomemedsforAlzheimer’s,bloodpressure, osteoporosisandParkinson’shavethoseside effects.
Diseasessuchascardiovascular,kidney, neuropathy,LouGehrig’sDisease(ALS), SerotoninandIsaac’sSyndromeshaveside effectsofmusclespasms.Persistentspasmsthat arenotclearingupshouldbeevaluatedfora moreseriousmedicalissue.
Stress,lackofsleep,exhaustion,pinchednerve orotherspinalmisalignmentareallpossible reasonsformusclespasmsorcramps.Getting therightassessmentbyaChiropractor, Acupuncturistandapractitionerthatisthorough andputtinggreateffortintouncoveringthe causeofyourcrampsorspasmsiswhatis neededtoresolvethisissue.
Acupuncturecombinedwithnutritionaltherapy isperhapsthemosteffectivemeansof eliminatingmusclecrampsandspasmsfrom trauma,nutritionaldeficienciesandresolving healthchallengesthatarenecessitatingsuspect medicationstobeconsumed.Handlingthe underlyingreasonformusclesandcrampsis onlyoneofthethingswedotohelpyou recoveryourhealth.
WanttohearmorefromDr.Carling?Checkout ourpodcast.SearchforVitalHealth4Youon yourfavoritepodcastlisteningapporgoto vitalhealthcda.com/podcasts/.
VolunteerDriversNeededfor VeteranPatients
ByFreddyGrovesHaveyouconsideredhowmuchofaproblemit wouldbeifyouneededtogotoamedical appointmentandhadnowaytogetthere?Ifyou havesparetimeorifyou'reretired,thereisa taskyoucouldtakeonthatwouldbenefitother veterans:Becomeavolunteerdriver.
TheVolunteerTransportationNetwork, supportedbytheDisabledAmericanVeterans (DAV)group,coordinatesdriverstoget veteranstomedicalappointmentsandhome again.Fordisabledorelderlyvetsorthose withouttransportation,thisservicecaninevery senseofthewordbelifesaving.
Andyoucertainlywon'tbealoneinthistaskif youjoinup.Lastyearalone,DAVvolunteer driverstookmorethan156,000veteransto appointments.Driversusegovernmentvehicles andcanfillupthetankusingapurchasecard. TheDAVhasspentover$80milliontopurchase 3,000vehiclestotransportveteranstotheir medicalappointments.
Youreligibilityrequirements:avalidlicense andaphysicalattheVA(it'sfreeandwon'tcost youacent.)Youdon'tneedtobeaDAVmember tovolunteerwiththem.
TakealookattheVA'svolunteerwebsite (www.volunteer.va.gov)andclickon"Volunteer Drivers."You'llgotoafive-minuteYouTube video.OrseetheDAVsite(www.dav.org)and clickon"MedicalTransportation"formoreinfo. Andthenthere'stheVeteransTransportation Service.Workinginconjunctionwiththe individualVAfacilities,driverstransport elderly,disabledormobility-challengedvetsto theirhealthappointments,whetherit'sataVA facilityoranon-VAhealthsite.
Findtheirparticipatinglocations(aswellas phonenumberandcontactperson)at www.va.gov/healthbenefits/vtp/map.asp,orcall VoluntaryServicesatyourlocalVAmedical facility.
Consider,too,allthevolunteerslotsatyour localVAVoluntaryServicesOffice:parkinglot shuttledriver,officeassistant,infodeskhelp, bookcart,mailroomhelp,visitorsguide...and somuchmore.Nomatteryourskill,there'ssure tobeaplaceforyou.
(c)2023KingFeaturesSynd.,Inc.
1.TheBuffaloBraves,anNBAfranchisefrom197078,wereaforerunnerofwhatcurrentNBAteam?
2.OnMay6,1953,whatpitcherfortheSt.Louis Brownsthrewano-hitterinhisfirstMajorLeague start?
3.WhatProFootballHallofFamedefensiveend helpedtheBaltimoreColtswinNFLchampionships in1958-59andhashisNo.89retiredbythe IndianapolisColts?
4.NametheGermanFormulaOnedriverwhowas killed--alongwith15spectators--inahorrificcrash atthe1961ItalianGrandPrix.
5.WhatteamdidBasketballHallofFamecoachDr. JackRamsayleadtothe1977NBAchampionship?
6.WhatactivistandwritercofoundedtheInstitute fortheStudyofSportandSocietyin1970and authoredthebook"TheAthleticRevolution"in 1971?
7.NamethemanagerwhoguidedtheTorontoBlue JaystoconsecutiveWorldSeriestitlesin1992-93.
Answers
1.MOVIES:Whichactorvoicedthecharacter ofDarthVaderinthefirstthree"StarWars" moviesreleased?
2.TELEVISION:WhichwasthefirstTVshow toreacttothe9/11attackontheUnitedStates?
3.LITERATURE:Whoistheyoungestperson towintheNobelPrizeforliterature?
4.HISTORY:WhichcitydidAnneFrankand herfamilyliveinhidingbeforetheywere discovered?
5.ANIMALKINGDOM:Whatisthetallest breedofdog?
6.FOOD&DRINK:Whatisconsideredthe nationaldishofSpain?
7.GEOGRAPHY:Whichistheonlycitythat alsoisthesmallestcountryintheworld?
8.GENERALKNOWLEDGE:Whichholiday isconsideredtheJewishNewYear?
9.ANATOMY:Whatarethebonesinthefingers called?
10.ASTRONOMY:Howmanyprimaryphases ofthemoonexist?
Answers
1.JamesEarlJones.
2."TheWestWing."
3.RudyardKipling.
4.Amsterdam.
5.GreatDane.
6.Paella.
7.VaticanCity.
8.RoshHashanah.
9.Phalanges.
10.Four.
(c)2023KingFeaturesSynd.,Inc.
•OnJune19,1968,50,000peopleparticipatedin ThePoorPeople'sMarch,organizedbyMartin LutherKingJr.andtheSouthernChristian LeadershipConference,toaddresseconomic justice.Thecampaignculminatedin Washington,D.C.,todemandaidforAmerica's mostimpoverishedcommunitiesandfocused notjustonBlacks,butallminorities.
•OnJune20,1947,gangsterBenjamin"Bugsy" SiegelwasmurderedattheBeverlyHills, California,mansionofhisgirlfriend,Virginia Hill,whilereadingtheeveningnewspaper. Thoughthecasehasneverofficiallybeen solved,onetheoryholdsthatSiegeldiedby orderofmobassociatesdisgruntledaboutthe soaringcostsofhispetproject,theFlamingo resortinLasVegas.
•OnJune21,2006,tworecentlydiscovered moonsorbitingPlutowerenamedNix,afterthe Greekgoddessofdarknessandnight,and Hydra,afteramythological,multiheaded serpentdefeatedbyHercules.Themoonshad initiallybeenspottedbytheHubbleSpace Telescopeayearearlier.
•OnJune22,1940,thefirstDairyQueen restaurantopenedonhistoricRoute66inJoliet, Illinois.Whilefrozensweettreatsare,sadly,no longerservedatthesite(especiallyattheir originalpricesof5centsforaconeand8cents forasundae),itremainsalocallandmark.
•OnJune23,1951,ahailstorminElDorado, Kansas,droppedover12inchesoficeand caused$1.5millionincropdamage,with anotherstunning$14millioninproperty damage.
•OnJune24,1916,MaryPickford(bornGladys MarieSmith),affectionatelyknownas "America'sSweetheart"duringthesilent-film era,becamethefirstfemaleactresstobeoffered amillion-dollarcontract,whichalsoallowedher thefreedomtochoosethemoviesshewouldstar in.
•OnJune25,1978,therainbowflagwasflown forthefirsttimeattheSanFranciscoGay FreedomDayParade.Previously,gaypridehad beenrepresentedbyapinktriangle,butasthat symbolwasusedduringtheHolocaustto identifyhomosexuals,peoplewantedamore positiveimage.
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TipsandFeesEatingIntoOur Money
Justwhensomanyofusarestruggling financiallywiththerisingcostofeverything, alongcomesyetanotherwaytoseparateusfrom ourdollars:Manybusinessesarenowcharging afeetoreturnitemswe'vepurchasedonline fromthem.
I'mnotgoingtonamenamesorpointfingers here,butknowthatit'sthebignamecompanies thataredoingthis.
Thereturnfeesseemtorangefrom$5tonearly $10perreturn.Andyoudon'thavemuchchoice, becausetheyalreadyhaveyourmoney(from whenyoupaidfortheitem)andwillneatly deducttheirfeefromyourrefund. So,bewarewhatyoupurchaseonline.Trytobe surethatyou'llwanttokeepit.Andcheckyour state'sconsumerprotectionofficetoseeifit's evenlegaltochargearestockingfee (www.usa.gov/state-consumer).Theremightbe aquestionaboutwhetheryouwerenotifiedat thetimeofpurchase.
Andit'snotjustonlineplacesthatsellusitems thatwantextramoneyfromus;it'splaceswhere weactuallygotopickthingsup,suchasfastfoodcarryoutlocationswhenwegrabupacup ofcoffeeonthewayhome.It'scalled"tip creeping,"andit'sspreadingeverywhere. Becautiouswhenyoucheckoutwithyour creditcard.Inincreasingnumbers,the establishmentmighthaveanautomatictip amountselected,andifyouclicktooquickly youcouldbesayingyes.
I'veevenheard--andthisisdisturbing--that somepeoplewhodonottiparesubjectedtougly commentsfromstaff.Don'tgivein!Standyour ground.Ifyoufeelpushedtogiveatipfor carryoutanddon'twishto,thendon't.Tip creepingismeanttomakeusfeelguiltyfornot tipping.
Whatmerchantswilleventuallyfigureout,if theymakeenoughofusuncomfortable,isthat we'llspendourdwindlingdollarselsewhere... ornotspendthematall.
(c)2023KingFeaturesSynd.,Inc.
Nurses
ThestaffatTheLodgeAssistedLivingisledbyateamoftrulygifted,remarkablenurses.Eachof ourhomesasaRegisteredNurseonstaff.Ournursesbringlovingcaretoeachofourresidents aftercombineddecadesofeducationandpracticalexperience.Theyaretrainedinthemostup-todatemethodsofcareandpharmacologicalsupportasmembersofthearmyofnursesintheUnited Statestotallyover3.1millionaccordingtotheUnitedStatesBureauofLaborStatistics.They havecomesoveryfarfromthenursesin1887featuredbelow.
Checkoutthese9rulesnurseshadtofollowbackin1887…inadditiontotakingcareof50 patients:
1.Dailysweepandmopthefloorsofyourward,dustthepatient’sfurnitureandwindowsills.
2.Maintainaneventemperatureinyourwardbybringingascuttleofcoalfortheday’sbusiness.
3.Lightisimportanttoobservethepatient’scondition.Therefore,eachdayfillkerosenelamps, cleanchimneys,andtrimwicks.Washthewindowsonceaweek.
4.Thenurse’snotesareimportantinaidingthephysician’swork.Makeyoupenscarefully;you maywhittlenibstoyourindividualtaste.
5.Eachnurseondaydutywillreporteverydayat7AMandleaveat8PMexceptonSabbathon whichdayyouwillbeofffrom12PMto2PM.
6.Graduatenursesingoodstandingwiththedirectorofnurseswillbegivenaneveningoffeach weekforcourtingpurposesortwoeveningsaweekifyougoregularlytochurch.
7.Eachnurseshouldlayasidefromeachpaydayagoodlysumofherearningforherbenefits duringherdecliningyearssothatshewillnotbecomeaburden.Forexample,ifyouearn$30 amonthyoushouldsetaside$15.
8.Anynursewhosmokes,usesliquorinanyform,getsherhairdoneatabeautyshop,or frequentsdancehallswillgivethedirectorofnursesgoodreasontosuspectherworth, intentionsandintegrity.
9.Thenursewhoperformsherlaborsandservesherpatientsanddoctorsfaithfullyandwithout faultforaperiodoffiveyearswillbegivenanincreasebythehospitaladministrationoffive centsperday.
(http://news.shareably.net/nurse-rulelsl-1887)
AtTheLodgeAssistedLivingHomeswedelightinfollowingtheexamplesournursesset…please callforatourtoday.Linda(208-755-3637)
1.Nametheartistwhowroteandreleased"The HappiestGirlintheWholeU.S.A."
2.Whichartistreleased"You'llNeverFind AnotherLoveLikeMine"?
3.ThevideoforwhichBoyGeorgeandCulture Clubsongwasfilmedaboardariverboat?
4.Whichduowroteandreleased"She'sGone"?
5.Namethesongthatcontainstheselyrics:"I livemylifetheway,Tokeepyoucomingback tome,EverythingIdoisforyou."
Answers
1.DonnaFargo,in1972.Arumor,laterdenied, wasthatFargowassuedbyDisneyforone specificlineinthelyrics.
2.LouRawls,in1976.Thesongopeneduphis career,endingupatthetopofboththeR&Band easylisteningcharts.
3."KarmaChameleon,"in1983.Itwasfilmedat DesboroughIslandnearSurrey,England.
4.DarylHallandJohnOates,in1973.
5."QuitPlayingGames(withMyHeart),"by theBackstreetBoysin1996.Whenitbeganto rainduringfilmingofthevideo,theboystookoff theirshirtsandcontinuedfilming.MTVdidn't wanttoairthevideoduetotheshirtportionbut relentedafterthephone-inresponsesonTotal RequestLive.
(c)2023KingFeaturesSyndicate
TOYOURGOODHEALTH
ByDr.KeithRoach
DoCompaniesAdvertise IneffectiveSupplements?
DEARDR.ROACH: Iseesupplements advertisedontelevisionthataresupposedto clear"brainfog"anddomanyotherbeneficial things.Aretheseanygood,andcanthey actuallydothethingsthattheyclaim?Ifthey areeffective,whyaren'ttheysoldatdrugstores? Ifnot,howisitthatcompaniesareallowedto makethesefalseclaimsandadvertisethese supplementsontelevision?--J.L.P.
ANSWER: Ibelievethatthereareover-thecountersupplementsthatareeffectivefor treatingsomemedicalconditions,andthereare afewinstancesinwhichthereisstrongevidence ofbenefit,suchasavitaminandmineral formulatoslowprogressionofmacular degeneration.Veryoften,thereisn'tenoughdata tobesureasupplementiseithereffectiveor ineffective.
Itiscertainlytruethatsupplementcompanies sometimesmakeclaimsthattheycannot support.Bylaw,supplementadvertisingcan claimtosupportabodypartorfunction(which iswhyyouseeclaimslike"supportsheart health"),buttheseclaimsmustbefollowedby: "Thisstatementhasnotbeenevaluatedbythe FoodandDrugAdministration.Thisproductis notintendedtodiagnose,treat,cureorprevent anydisease."
Often,theadvertisingforasupplementisat oddswiththatstatement,andtherearemany instancesofsupplementmanufacturershaving topayfinesorchangetheiradvertising.A supplementthatisfoundtobeunsafecanbe removedfromthemarketbytheFDA.In addition,anysubstancecanbetoxiciftakenata highenoughdose.VitaminAsupplementsarea goodexample.
TheU.S.FDAdoesnotregulatesupplements thewaytheydoprescriptiondrugs,and supplementmanufacturersdonotneedtoprove thattheirproductsareeffective.Further,thereis strongevidencethatsomesupplementssoldin theU.S.donotcontainasmuch(orany!)ofthe supplementtheyclaimtoprovide.Ialways
recommendgettingasupplementthatisverified byathirdparty,suchastheU.S.Pharmacopeia ortheNationalScienceFoundation,ifpossible. Thereareveryfewsupplementsprovento preventproblems,soIgenerallyrecommend againstsupplementsinpeoplewhoarehealthy andhavenosymptoms.Thisdefinitelyincludes vitaminsupplements.Supplementsmayhave benefitinrelievingsymptomsforsomelessseriousmedicalconditions,andphysicians shouldbe(orget)familiarwithmorecommon supplements,theirpotentialbenefitsandtheir toxicities.
DEARDR.ROACH: Ireadyourrecentarticle onlichenplanus.Ihavesufferedwiththisfor overtwoyears.Afterdoingalotofresearch,I foundthatmanypeople,likeme,havediabetes. Nothinghelpedit,andthelasttreatmentwastoo dangerousforme,althoughitdidhelpmeto lose35poundsandmysugarlevelsarenow healthy.IunderstandthatIcannevergetridof lichenplanusandthatit'sjustinremissionnow. --N.T.
ANSWER: Moststudiesshowthatpeoplewith diabetesaresomewhatmorelikelytodevelop lichenplanus(anitchyskincondition).About 1.5%ofpeoplewithdiabeteswilldevelop lichenplanus,comparedto0.75%ofpeople withoutdiabetes.
Unfortunately,Icouldnotconfirmthateither weightlossorbetterdiabetescontrolimproves thesymptomsoflichenplanus.Sometimes lichenplanusbecomesinactiveonitsown. However,therearemanygoodreasonstokeep diabetesundercontrol,andIampublishing yourletterinthehopethatithelpssomeone else.
Dr.Roachregretsthatheisunabletoanswer individualquestions,butwillincorporatethem inthecolumnwheneverpossible.Readersmay emailquestionsto
ToYourGoodHealth@med.cornell.edu. (c)2023NorthAmericaSynd.,Inc.
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