Vol. 21: #3 • Hot and Cold • (1-12-2025) Tidbits of Coachella Valley
by Kathy Wolfe
Tidbits takes you on an interesting ride this week as we circle the globe and beyond to check out some of the amazing extremes weʼve found between some of the hottest and coldest temperatures we could find. So pack up your sunnies and shorts along with your warmest woolies and follow along!
GLOBAL RIVERS
• Peru is home to the world’s hottest river in the world. The Shanay-timpishka, also known as La Bomba, is a tributary of the Amazon River, with temperatures over its four-mile length ranging between 113° and 212°, leading to its nickname of “the only boiling river in the world.” Although the local shamans believe that the source of the boiling water is a giant serpent spirit called Yacumama, or “Mother of the Waters,” it’s more likely that the heat is from the geothermal gradient of the Earth.
• The world’s coldest river, the Neretva River runs through Bosnia and Herzegovina and empties into the Adriatic Sea. Its source is runoff from three
TRIVIA NEWSFRONT
(Answers on page 16)
1. TELEVISION: Which popular spinoff series originated with the drama “Breaking Bad”?
2. HOLIDAYS: What is another name for Three Kings Day, celebrated on Jan. 6?
3. LANGUAGE: What does the Latin phrase “bona fide” mean?
4. MOVIES: In the movie “Babe,” what kind of animal is the title character?
5. MEASUREMENTS: How many grams are in a kilogram?
6. GEOGRAPHY: Which strait separates Saudi Arabia from Africa?
7. SCIENCE: What are the three layers that make up the Earth?
8. FOOD & DRINK: Which breakfast food is associated with the retro series “Stranger Things”?
9. MEDICAL: What is the common name for muscae volitantes?
10. LITERATURE: Which poet wrote a six-volume biography of President Abraham Lincoln?
It’s soccer, yet it isn’t soccer! This week Tidbits takes to the field with some facts about a very unusual sport that you likely have never even heard of -- fireball soccer.
• Fireball soccer is played primarily in four regions of the East Java province of Indonesia, where the sport is known as Sepak Bola Api. It follows the same standard rules as regular soccer, with two teams of 11 players kicking a ball to score in the opposing team’s goal. There’s just one rather major difference. The players kick a flaming fireball! It’s certainly not a game for the faint of heart.
• The game’s ball is a coconut from a palm tree soaked in kerosene. The best fruits are old and dry with about 0.197 inches (0.5 cm) of the outer skin removed. The coconut’s inner liquid is drained and the shell is then repeatedly punctured with the tip of a knife. It’s then ready to be soaked in the kerosene – some say for seven days, while others maintain that just 30 minutes is sufficient to keep it aflame for an entire game. Players, who are teenage students at nearby schools and boarding school facilities, are coated in salt and non-flammable spices. The match is typically 60 minutes and is held at night - for visual effect.
• Fireball soccer is more than a dangerous game of sport. In Indonesia, the tournament has spiritual significance as well, played to welcome the month of Ramadan. Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, is a month-long observance of fasting, prayer, reflection, and community. It commemorates the first revelation of the Quran, a guide for humanity, to the prophet Muhammad.
• Although fireball soccer attracts a huge number of spectators, it’s not a game for show or as an attraction, but instead serves as a test of courage.
Spectators are welcome as long as they respect and observe the rules and spiritual practices of the province.
• The goalkeeper might be the bravest player on the team. Itʼs his hazardous job to stop the coconut from entering the goal by any means necessary, including with his bare hands.
• Although tremendous physical strength, precision, and skill are required to play fireball soccer, players also train their spirit through pre-match special rituals, including fasting for 21 days before the match. Along with reciting a series of special prayers, they do not eat foods cooked with fire, and go one day and night without sleep before the game, a feat called “matigeni.”
• After the players have completed all of the stages, they are fearless and impervious to fire. They play barefoot and even use their bodies and heads to handle the ball without hesitation. It is their belief that playing barefoot trains their spirit and tests their courage.
• Although some claim fireball soccer’s origins are in the United Kingdom in 1297, the game has been played for more than 40 years in Indonesia. It’s been reported that there have been no resulting major burns or injuries that require burn care as the outcome of the tournament.
• Outside the United States, the game is known as “fireball football” as traditional soccer is referred to overseas as football.
“Good faith.”
large glaciers high in the Eastern Alps at an elevation of 4,026 feet above sea level, which gives the river its summer temperature of just 44° F.
PLANETARY EXTREMES
• Although Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun, it is not the hottest planet. That honor belongs to Venus, the second distant planet, with a surface hot enough to melt lead.
• Mercury has no significant atmosphere to distribute temperature around the planet. Mercury’s temps change drastically depending on the amount of sunlight, and can be as hot as 800 degrees F (430° C) or as cold as -290 degrees F (-180° C).
• Venus has a thick, densely-clouded atmosphere of 96% carbon dioxide that traps heat to create a greenhouse effect. While its surface temperature is around 872 degrees F (467° C), it grows slightly cooler away from the surface to an average temp of 864 degrees F (462° C).
• Although Neptune is the farthest plant from the sun, the next closest, Uranus, is the coldest planet. Its average surface temperature is -374 degrees F (-224° C). Contrast these temperatures with the Earth, where the average temperature is 57 degrees F (14° C).
• In 1913, the highest temperature on Earth was recorded, that of 134.1 degrees F (56.7° C) in California’s Death Valley. The lowest-ever recorded cold temperature occurred at the thenSoviet Vostok Station in Antarctica in July 1983, a frigid -128.6 degrees F (-89.2° C).
COLD WEATHER SPORTS
• You’ve heard of the Super Bowl, but how about the Ice Bowl? That’s the nickname given to the December 31, 1967 NFL Championship game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers. Game time temperature in Green Bay was a freezing -13° with a stiff, frigid and bone-chilling wind chill of -48°
• Die-hard football fans, however, were undaunted
by the frigid temps (likely emboldened by flasks of liquid libations to quell the chill) as Lambeau Field hosted 50,861 hardy spectators in a complete sell-out. As 21-17 victors in a close game, the Packers headed to Super Bowl II two weeks later in Miami, where the temperature was much more agreeable in the 70 degree range.
TEMPS AND BEHAVIOR
• Psychologists tell us that “hot and cold behavior” describes inconsistent patterns in relationships. Actions and attitudes bounce between warm and affectionate and the distant cold shoulder. The behavior might be in a romantic relationship, a friendship, a family, or a work dynamic.
• Experts say that these people crave intimacy but at the same time are afraid of it. Things are cordial and warm at first, but when the relationship gets deeper, they panic and do a quick retreat. A past trauma might cause a person who really does crave a warm connection to push it away out of self-protection.
• Eating that delicious Rocky Road ice cream that you love might result in a brain freeze. That sudden intense pain occurs when the temperature of the roof of the mouth and the back of the throat drops drastically from the shot of cold. The blood vessels in the roof of the mouth swiftly narrow, causing the brain’s arteries to dilate. It usually disappears within 30 seconds. We call it brain freeze, but its official name is “cold stimulus headache.”
• A fever is part of the body’s defense against infection. The body heats up in an attempt to kill the invading germs, as a higher body temperature will help the immune system respond more forcefully to the virus or bacterial attack. With the average body temperature set at 98.6 degrees F (37 C), a fever is considered a temp of 100.4 degrees F (38 C) or higher. A doctor should be called if a fever goes over 104 degrees F (40° C).
• How should an injury be handled – with hot or cold treatment? Ice is used to reduce inflammation and swelling. It does this by decreasing blood flow to a swollen or inflamed joint or muscle. Heat is used for chronic pain of joints or muscles to promote blood flow and help muscles relax by dilating the blood vessels. Sometimes heat and cold therapies are alternated, such as the case of exercise-induced muscle pain.
HOT FOODS
• In 1912, Wilbur Scoville developed a system that measures the intensity of chili peppers based on their capsaicin content, the chemical in peppers that gives them their heat. The scale ranges from 0 (no heat, such as a bell pepper) to 16 million (pure capsaicin). High-performance
its coldest month, Fairbanks, Alaska, has an
temperature of -16.9° F (-27°C). Its coldest recorded temperature is -66°F (-54°C). During its hottest month, July, Death Valley averages 116.5°F (46.9°C)
Liquid Chromatography measures the heat by drying and grinding the fruit, then extracting the chemicals.
• The title of “world’s hottest pepper belongs to Pepper X, a chili cultivated by the PuckerButt Pepper Company in South Carolina. The founder spent more than ten years hybridizing and selectively breeding Pepper X to create a pepper with a beyond-compare heat that can’t be beat.
• Pepper X was officially measured at 2.693 million Scoville Heat Units. From 2013 until 2021, the Carolina Reaper, developed by
1. What is the commonly used word for the term "pyrexia"?
2. What are the names for the three winter months in the Southern Hemisphere?
Hot & Cold: Turn to page 15
By Lucie Winborne
* Shonda Rhimes got the idea for the TV series “Grey’s Anatomy” after a doctor told her how hard it was to shave her legs in the tiny hospital shower.
* The first Hershey’s chocolate bars with almonds were produced in 1908 because they were cheap to make. The nuts took the place of some of the more expensive milk chocolate, which meant Hershey’s could keep the price of the candy at a nickel.
* A website called Myfridgefood.com lets you enter whatever ingredients you have in your fridge and tells you what you can make with them.
* One of the reasons your lungs feel refreshed when walking through a pine forest is because of an anti-inflammatory compound called a-Pinene, found in conifers. It is used as a bronchodilator in the treatment of asthma and is abundantly present in marijuana.
* An estimated 10% of Europeans are immune to HIV infection because they have an ancestor who survived bubonic plague, or “Black Death.”
* If you’re a man and pee on a pregnancy test and it’s positive, you could have cancer.
* Because of the amount of granite in its construction, Grand Central Station produces more radiation than is allowable at a nuclear power plant.
* In India, a statue of Jesus had “holy” water mysteriously dripping from its toes, which worshipers would collect and sometimes drink. A man traced the fluid’s source to a clogged toilet behind the wall, condensing on the statue.
***
Thought for the Day: “A good example has twice the value of good advice.”
-- Albert Schweitzer
CHEAPSKATE®
by Mary Hunt
Do Not Delay in Spending Those Gift
Cards
Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009, which prohibits gift cards from expiring within five years of activation. However, states have additional rules that offer more protections for consumers. Here are some states where gift cards cannot expire:
California: Gift cards cannot expire, and fees are also regulated. The state has strong consumer protections for gift cards.
Connecticut: No expiration date can be set on gift cards, and fees are restricted.
Everyday CHEAPSKATE®
As we head into a new year, you may be settling in for a well-deserved rest from all the busyness of the holiday season. But not so fast. Before you haul all the boxes and torn-apart wrappings to the trash, take a quick inventory of the gift cards you and your family just received. The sad truth is that of the $308 billion Americans spent in gift card sales for Christmas 2024, about $27 billion of this amount will remain unredeemed! My guess is that many of them inadvertently will get thrown out with the trash. Funny how that happens. But I digress.
by Mary Hunt
Now that you have all these gift cards, there are some things you need to know about them and how best to use them.
DO NOT DELAY
Someone could not decide what to get you, so they gave you the gift card. It is your responsibility to get out there and spend it.
NOT CASH EQUIVALENT
A gift card is not cash; it is store credit. It will not work the same as cash. For example, let’s say you zip right down to Best Electronics to redeem your $100 gift card. You buy the latest gizmo you’ve had your heart set on. It’s on sale for $79 with tax. So do you get $21 in change? No way. You will get your gift card back with $21 credit.
In no time you decide this is not really what you wanted after all, so with receipt and unopened box in hand, you attempt to make an exchange. You can’t believe that now they will only give you $59 in credit for this returned item because the store’s policy is to refund only the lowest sales price during the past 30 days when an item is purchased with store credit. Rip-off? Yes. But that is truly the policy in many stores. And not to add more doom, but never forget that if the retailer for whom you are holding a gift card files for bankruptcy protection, the judge handling that case is likely to deem all outstanding gift cards null and void. How can they do that? Never forget you are holding store credit -- not cash -- and yes, they can do that.
DIMINISHING VALUE
It’s as clear as day that your gift card is worth $100. But when the clerk scans it, the store credit available is only $62. What?! How could that happen? Fees, my friend -- those pesky fees. Here’s the deal: Many states still allow gift card issuers to charge dormancy, maintenance or inactivity fees, which can eat away at your balance.
The key factor is the state law where the card was purchased, not where you’re redeeming it. Even if it looks like a “new” card, it could be years old. And don’t forget that regifting trick. The card you got from Aunt Sue might have been given to her by Cousin Sam, who won it as a door prize at a Kiwanis Club meeting two years ago! Its value could be far less than the card’s face value. Even worse, in some states, gift cards can completely expire.
In the United States, gift cards are generally protected by federal law, specifically the
Massachusetts: Gift cards cannot have expiration dates, and fees are limited to dormancy fees under certain conditions.
Michigan: Gift cards must remain valid for at least five years from the date of purchase, and they cannot expire sooner.
New York: Gift cards cannot have expiration dates, and fees can only be charged after 12 months of inactivity.
Washington: Gift cards cannot expire, and dormancy fees can only be applied if the card has been inactive for more than a year.
States like Florida, Illinois and Virginia also have restrictions, typically limiting the imposition of fees and prohibiting expiration before a set time, but the rules vary based on the type of card and its specific terms.
It’s always a good idea to call the toll-free number on the back of the card to check its current value.
USAGE LIMITATIONS
Some gift cards may not be used for purchases in a catalog or on the merchant’s website. Other limitations on gift cards include a prohibition against selling your card to another individual, or applying the value as a payment to a store credit-card account or redeeming the card for cash.
Remember, once you’ve used that gift card, let the giver know what you bought. It’s the least you can do and an easy way to express your thanks.
Before you completely button up 2024, check out my Simple Steps for a Smoother 2025 using lessons learned from the holidays now past at EverydayCheapskate.com/2024Lessons * * *.
Mary invites questions and comments at https:// www.everydaycheapskate.com/contact/, “Ask Mary.” This column will answer questions of general interest, but letters cannot be answered individually. Mary Hunt is the founder of EverydayCheapskate.com, a frugal living blog, and the author of the book “Debt-Proof Living.”
COPYRIGHT 2025 CREATORS.COM
“I'm strong to the finish, ‘cause I eats me spinach,” says Popeye, the Sailor Man! So, to commemorate National Popeye Day on January 17, Tidbits focuses on this beloved cartoon character, who made his debut over a century ago!
• The comic strip “Thimble Theatre” first appeared in 1919 and featured a stick-thin female character named Olive Oyl and her
boyfriend, Ham Gravy.
• Several minor side characters turned up in the strip now and then. In January 1929, the strip’s creator, Elzie Crisler Segar, introduced a oneeyed sailor he called Popeye, originally meant to be just a temporary character. But Popeye's unique persona skyrocketed in popularity and he soon became the center of the comic strip. The Ham Gravy character was quickly dropped, with Olive becoming Popeye’s love interest.
• In the July 24, 1933 strip, an infant was left on Popeye’s doorstep in a basket, along with a note asking Popeye to please look after and care for the baby boy.
• Popeye christened the baby “Scooner Seawell Georgia Washenting Christiffer Columbia Daniel Boom,” or “Swee’Pea” for short, along with the nickname “boy-kid.”
• Although we now think of Popeye’s super strength as coming from a ready can of spinach, his strength and power originally came from rubbing the head of a whiffle hen that belonged to Olive’s brother Castor Oyl. Castor used the hen as a good luck charm when gambling at casinos.
• By 1932, the power-giving formula was changed to spinach, giving the sailor superhuman strength. During the Great Depression, sales of spinach in America jumped by a full 33 percent, and it was soon nationally in the number three slot for most popular kids’ food.
• Does Popeye have just one eye or is he squinting? In one strip, this facial feature is attributed to “the most arful battle glare,” and in another, arch-enemy Bluto refers to Popeye as a “oneeyed runt”. So the question remains.
• In 1937, the community of Crystal City, Texas, declared itself “World Spinach Capital, and erected a statue of Popeye as a tribute to the dramatic increase in their spinach sales. The statue still proudly stands today at the Crystal City Hall.
• Popeye’s first appearance on film was a 1933 Betty Boop Paramount cartoon called “Popeye the Sailor.” Popeye’s brawny rival and fellow sailor Bluto appeared as the challenger for Olive Oyl’s affections. (Bluto’s name was later changed to Brutus).
• Popeye’s closest friend was J. Wellington Wimpy, a character with a ravenous appetite for hamburgers, who frequently said, “I’ll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today.” In 1936, Popeye acquired a pinkish, dog-like animal with magical powers, including evaporating through walls. Popeye dubbed him Eugene the Jeep.
• Popeye’s signature catchphrase is, “I yam what I yam, and that’s all that I yam!”
• During the 1930s, Popeye’s creator E.C. Segar
was making $400,000 a year, an amazing sum for the time. In 1938, Segar died of leukemia at the age of 43. The comic strip carried on after his death, drawn by a series of artists. It wasn’t until the 1960s that the comic strip was retitled “Popeye” following decades of “Thimble Theatre.”
• Popeye received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1978. In 1980, a live-action film was released, with Robin Williams starring as the spinach-loving character and Shelley Duvall as Olive Oyl. The movie was Williams’ first leading film role.
by Dana Jackson
Q: Who is the actress who plays Maddie in the “Sonic” movies? I swear she used to be on a soap opera when she was younger, but I can’t remember her character’s name. -- K.I.
A: She’s Tika Sumpter, and she honed her acting skills playing Layla Williamson on the ABC soap “One Life to Live” from 20062011. She went on to land regular roles on “Gossip Girl,” “Mixed-ish,” and “The Haves and the Have Nots” before being cast in the hit franchise “Sonic.”
Sumpter isn’t the only former soap star in “Sonic 3.” Shemar Moore and Sofia Pernas both got their starts on CBS’s “The Young and the Restless.” ***
Q: What ever happened to Rob Lowe’s show “9-1-1 Lone Star”? I thought it got really high ratings. -- L.L.
A: Despite being Fox’s second-highest-rated series during the first half of 2023, the Ryan-Murphy-produced series “9-1-1: Lone Star” was given the axe. Its fifth and final season began airing this past September. The show will return on Jan. 20 for three more weeks before bidding a final farewell. According to an article in Variety, the decision
to cancel the series “wasn’t due to lack of enthusiasm for the show. Instead, it was a matter of business logistics.”
According to Murphy, he loved the show, but “the financials just didn’t work. It’s a Disney company that was on a Fox network, and it just was never going to work.” This mismatch was the result of Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox, which included the 20th Century Fox film and TV studios but excluded the Fox network. “The arrangement was less than ideal,” according to Variety.
The announcement was another blow for Lowe in 2024, whose other series “Unstable,” a comedy on Netflix co-starring his son, John Owen Lowe, was also canceled.
Fortunately, he has a new pet project to focus on, a possible sequel to the ‘80s classic “St. Elmo’s Fire.” Interest began stirring among its cast members, including Demi Moore, after the airing of the Hulu documentary “Brats.”
The process has been slow so far, but Lowe says it’s because they’re searching for the right script. The film’s director, Joel Schumacher, passed away in 2020. ***
Q: When is the “Georgie & Mandy” sitcom coming back? I know that like most shows, it’s taking a break during the holi-
days, but I hope it’s not a long one. -- J.W.
A: The “Young Sheldon” spin-off sitcom “Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage” will return to CBS with new episodes beginning Jan. 30. With February being a big ratings “sweeps” month, look for some of your favorite “Sheldon” cast members to appear, including Georgie’s mom, Mary, played by Zoe Perry, and Pastor Jeff, played by Matt Hobby.
So far, Sheldon himself (Iain Armitage) hasn’t returned, but perhaps they could be saving it for the season finale.
The show is a hit, so there will be plenty of opportunities in future seasons for some of the core “Sheldon” cast to pop up as guest stars or recurring characters.
* * *
Send me your questions at NewCelebrityExtra@gmail.com, or write me at KFWS, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803.
(c) 2025 King Features Synd., Inc.
Tika Sumpter in “Sonic the Hedgehog 2”
Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
Good Recipes from
Sweet and Tangy Glazed Salmon
The sweet tang of citrus and the bite of hot pepper jelly are what make this salmon dish so uniquely flavorful. Serve with Orange-Almond Rice.
rimmed baking sheet and roast until light golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes; transfer to a bowl. Heat broiler. Line a broiler-proof rimmed baking sheet with nonstick foil.
3. Squeeze the juice from half an orange into a small bowl (you should have 2 tablespoons juice). Add the jelly and whisk to combine. Place the salmon on the baking sheet, season with 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper, and broil for 5 minutes. Spoon half the jelly mixture over the salmon and broil until the salmon is opaque throughout, 2 to 5 minutes more.
1. Heat oven to 400 F. Cook the rice according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, spread the almonds on a
4. Cut away the peel and pith of the remaining 1 1/2 oranges. Cut the oranges into 1/2-inch pieces. Fold the oranges, almonds and parsley into the rice. Serve with the salmon and the remaining jelly mixture. Makes 4 servings.
TIP: Try this tangy jelly glaze on flank steak, chicken breasts or pork chops. Or use it as the sauce in your next stir-fry.
Garlic Parmesan Roasted Shrimp
The easiest roasted shrimp cocktail ever made with just 5 minutes prep. Yes, it’s that easy!
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves, for garnish
1. Heat oven to 400 F. Lightly oil a baking sheet or coat with nonstick spray.
2. Place shrimp in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet. Add olive oil, garlic, oregano, basil and Parmesan; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Gently toss to combine.
3. Place into oven and roast just until pink, firm and cooked through, about 6-8 minutes. Stir in lemon juice.
4. Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired. Makes 4 servings.
* Each serving: About 203 calories, 10g fat (2g saturated), 2g total carbs., 25g protein.
Recipe courtesy Damn Delicious.
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For hundreds of triple-tested recipes, visit our website at www.goodhousekeeping.com/recipes/. (c) 2025 Hearst Communications, Inc.
By John Allen
DIAMOND LIL
by Brett Koth
Donald Duck by Walt
NEXT WEEK IN
SKATING DISASTERS
1/12 National Hot Tea Day
1/13 National Rubber Ducky Day
1/14 International Kite Day
1/15 Thank Your Mentor Day
1/16 Religious Freedom Day
1/17 National Popeye Day
1/18 Use Your Gift Card Day
Dog Talk with Uncle Matty
By Matthew Margolis
All the Time, Schmall the Time
In the United States, if one person, say, kills another person and the state has the evidence to convict beyond a reasonable doubt, the guilty party goes to jail. The guilty party is not allowed to cavort amongst the rest of us non-killers -- even if he doesn’t do it all the time.
Most of us prefer it that way.
So when it comes to dogs, why is it that this notion that he doesn’t do it all the time carries so much weight?
He growls, but not all the time…
He snaps, but not all the time…
He bites, but he doesn’t do it all the time…
Would you snuggle up on the couch with someone who had stabbed several people -- but over the course of 20 years? Would you invite a killer into your home and explain to your children that there is nothing to be afraid of because he doesn’t do it all the time?
The idea is laughable. It’s also reckless and irresponsible -- just like those mothers and fathers who insist on allowing an aggressive dog to cohabit with their small children.
A man called a few days ago because his newly adopted dog bit his niece and nephew. He’d had the dog for two days. And the clincher: His wife is expecting. His assessment of the situation: “He doesn’t do it all the time.”
This dog’s only been in his life for 48 hours. While I suppose technically an average of one bite a day isn’t “all the time,” that’s semantics. What about priorities?
I talked with a man last week whose dog is growling and snapping at his kids. When I broke the news that he has to find a new home for the dog, he asked, “What do I tell my kids?”
This is a concern for many parents, that their kids won’t understand why Mommy and Daddy are taking their dog away. They don’t want to be
to immune system suppression, kidney damage and more.
Still, there were the five remaining bars that had levels low enough to be safer. Not completely safe, but safer.
Cody’s Corner (from page 9)
the heavy, but playing the heavy from time to time is a part of good parenting.
Changes to Social Security ogin
Heavy Metals in our Dark Chocolate
Here’s what you tell your kids: Our dog is not a safe animal. He can have a good home, but he can’t live with children. We’re going to find a better home for him.
And then you follow up.
It appears that our beloved dark chocolate candy bars can contain dangerous amounts of lead and cadmium -- the dark chocolate we intentionally chose for its health benefits like lower blood pressure and antioxidants that protect cells from damage.
If you use the My Social Security account online, you’ll need to make several changes or you’ll be locked out. If you haven’t updated your account since Sept. 18, 2021, using the new method, the login for checking your Social Security account is no more and your username won’t work. You’ll now need to create a new account using one of their credential service providers at Login.gov
Consumer Reports did research to test the levels of lead and cadmium in dark chocolate candy bars. Of the 28 different dark chocolate bars they tested, all of them had lead and cadmium. Specifically, their tests were to look for mercury, lead, cadmium and arsenic, all heavy metals.
They later did tests on an additional 48 chocolate products in several categories: chocolate chips, cocoa powder, brownie mixes, cake mixes and hot chocolate mixes. Of the 48 products, 16 of them had concerning amounts of heavy metals. However, they did find safer options for each item.
How do we get the benefits of dark chocolate without putting our health at risk from the heavy metals? Don’t eat it every day, they say. Pick something with lower levels of the lead and cadmium.
Please note: If your dog growls, he’s issuing a warning: One more false move and I’m going to sink my teeth into something. Petting a growling dog is about as intelligent as approaching a rattling rattle snake. With all things in nature, appreciate the warnings for what they are.
But there are those who would rather wait for the bite. For those parents who fall into this category, I offer this food for thought:
1) That’s child endangerment and you could be prosecuted should something happen to your child.
The result: 23 of the dark chocolate candy bars had enough heavy metal in them that eating just one ounce of the candy would be harmful.
Having access to your Social Security information can have several benefits, whether you currently receive benefits or not. You can now get an estimate of future benefits, check on the status of your application or get a replacement card. You can confirm your earnings or get an SSA-1099 tax form. You can update your information such as address and either set up or change your direct deposit.
I’ve long been a fan of Consumer Reports and have subscribed for years, finding valuable product information not found elesehwere. I now read each issue online, with a yearly subscription. I have access to all of their past reports and research. To me, the cost is worth it. If you want to take a look, see www.consumerreports.org
* * *
2) If you wait until the dog bites your child, he or she is going to feel like it’s all their fault when the dog is subsequently removed from the home or, as they say in the news, “euthanized.”
It’s the strangest thing when I advise a parent to protect their child and they get mad at me. But it doesn’t always happen that way. From a reader:
Security is one big reason they’ve made this change. You’ll be using federal authenti
For those of us who’ve believed that a little daily dark chocolate would benefit our health, it turns out all that heavy metal could lead
Matilda Charles regrets that she cannot personally answer reader questions, but will incorporate them into her column whenever possible. Send email to columnreply2@ gmail.com.
“You called on Sunday morning and said we should not keep our dog (we have five kids, and our dog is showing aggression toward their friends). As difficult as this was to hear, you made a lot of sense and we are scheduling an appointment to take her back to ARF. Perhaps you could give us some guidance on how to select the appropriate dog/puppy for our family and how to train it properly so that we will have success next time. We don’t want to have our hearts broken again; we want to do it right. Thank you so much for caring enough to respond so quickly.”
The proof is in the pudding. The hard thing to hear is sometimes the right thing to do.
Woof!
Dog trainer Matthew “Uncle Matty” Margolis is the co-author of 18 books about dogs, a behaviorist, a popular radio and television guest, and the host of the PBS series “WOOF! It’s a Dog’s Life!” Read all of Uncle Matty’s columns at www.creators.com, and visit him at www.unclematty.com.
YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY
by Tom Margenau
Social Security Update for 2025
It has been my custom for most of the past 27 years to write a year-end column that summarizes the Social Security updates scheduled to take place the following year. I already discussed some of these updates in a column back in October when they were first announced, but it doesn’t hurt to repeat them here. (They all grow out of the annual cost-of-living adjustments that have been part of the program since 1973.)
Before I go on, I’ve got to address a related and totally misleading ad that pops up almost every day on my cellphone and iPad, and I’m sure on your devices, too. The headline goes something like this: “Here are 6 major changes to Social Security coming in 2025 that you probably don’t know about.” If you open it up (and maybe get sucked in by all the other ads on the site), you will learn that those “major changes” are just the routine COL adjustments that have been part of the program for over 50 years now. I’m sharing those routine adjustments with you today -- without all the hype.
Almost all Social Security beneficiaries are familiar with the most popular and publicized upcoming change: the increase in monthly benefit checks for 2025 due to the automated cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA. As all of you are already aware, that increase will be 2.5%.
I always dread mentioning COLAs in this column because every single time I do, I am flooded with emails from readers complaining that the increase is not enough.
Yet here’s the rub: Many economists and social planners believe Social Security COLAs are too generous! (I’ve explained why in past columns, but I don’t have the space to get into that argument today.) That’s why many discussions of long-range reform for Social Security include proposals to reduce cost of living increases.
OK, back to the 2025 Social Security COLA. Due to these increases, the average monthly retirement check will be $1,976 in 2025, a $49 increase from the 2024 level. The maximum Social Security check for a worker turning full retirement age in 2025 will be $4,018, compared to $3,822 in 2024. And please note that $4,018 is the maximum for someone turning full retirement age in 2025. That does not mean it is the maximum Social Security payment anyone can receive. There are millions of Social Security beneficiaries who get much more than that, primarily because they worked well past their FRA and/or delayed starting their benefits until age 70.
Here’s another important point about the COLA: Many readers have been asking me if they must file for Social Security benefits in 2024 in order to get the COLA that’s paid in January 2025. The answer is no. The COLA will be built into the benefit computation formula. So even if you don’t file for Social Security until next year or some subsequent year, you’ll still get the 2.5% increase.
Although this is a Social Security column, I must mention the upcoming increase in the Medicare Part B premium, which is deducted from Social Security checks for most people. In 2025, the basic Part B premium will be $185. And as has been the case for 20 years now, wealthy people will pay more than the basic premium.
I don’t want to get into the complicated issue of Medicare premiums other than to make this quick point. Even though they are linked in
the minds of most senior citizens, Social Security and Medicare are entirely separate programs, administered by entirely separate federal agencies, and they have entirely separate rules and regulations regarding their benefit and payment structures. For example, the Part B Medicare premium increase has nothing to do with the Social Security COLA. Instead, by law, it must be set at a level that covers 25% of the cost of running the program. Taxpayers pick up the remaining 75%. (And again, wealthy people pay more than the 25% share.)
Another measuring stick called the national wage index is used to set increases to other provisions of the law that affect Social Security beneficiaries and taxpayers. Specifically, this includes increases in the amount of wages or self-employment income subject to Social Security tax; the amount of income needed to earn a “quarter of coverage;” and the Social Security earnings penalty limits.
The Social Security taxable earnings base will go up from $168,600 in 2024 to $176,100 in 2025. In other words, people who earn more than $176,100 in 2025 will no longer have Social Security payroll taxes deducted from their paychecks once they hit that threshold. This has always been a very controversial provision of the law. (Bill Gates pays the same amount of Social Security tax as his plumber!) I think it’s a pretty good bet that any eventual Social Security reform package will include an increase in that wage base.
Most people need 40 Social Security work credits (sometimes called “quarters of coverage”) to be eligible for monthly benefit checks from the system. In 2024, people who were working earned one credit for each $1,730 in Social Security taxable income. But no one earns more than four credits per year. In other words, once you made $6,920, your Social Security record has been credited with the maximum four credits or quarters of coverage. In 2025, the one credit limit goes up to $1,810, meaning you will have to earn $7,240 this coming year before you get the maximum four credits assigned to your Social Security account.
People under their full retirement age who get Social Security retirement or survivors benefits
but who are still working are subject to limits in the amount of money they can earn and still receive all their Social Security checks. That limit was $22,320 in 2024 and will be $23,400 in 2025. For every $2 a person earns over those limits, $1 is withheld from his or her monthly benefits.
There is a higher earnings threshold in the year a person turns full retirement age that applies from the beginning of the year until the month the person reaches FRA. (The income penalty goes away once a person reaches that magic age.) That threshold goes up from $59,520 in 2024 to $62,160 in 2025.
A couple other Social Security provisions are also impacted by inflationary increases. For example, people getting disability benefits who try to work can generally continue getting those benefits as long as they are not working at a “substantial” level. In 2024, the law defined substantial work as any job paying $1,550 or more per month. In 2025, that substantial earnings level increases to $1,620 monthly.
Finally, the Supplemental Security Income basic federal payment level for one person goes up from $943 in 2024 to $967 in 2025. SSI is a federal welfare program administered by the Social Security Administration, but it is not a Social Security benefit. It is paid for out of general revenues, not Social Security taxes. *
If you have a Social Security question, Tom Margenau has two books with all the answers. One is called “Social Security -- Simple and Smart: 10 Easy-to-Understand Fact Sheets That Will Answer All Your Questions About Social Security.” The other is “Social Security: 100 Myths and 100 Facts.” You can find the books at Amazon.com or other book outlets. Or you can send him an email at thomas.margenau@comcast.net. To find out more about Tom Margenau and to read past columns and see features from other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
1. The book of Ephesians is found in the a) Old Testament b) New Testament c) Neither
2. "Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord" is found in ..... a) Psalms b) Job c) 2 Kings d) Jeremiah
3. What tree did Jesus tell a parable about? a) Palm tree b) Fig c) Olive d) Sycamore
4. Who was the father of John the Baptist? a) Zachariah b) Zephaniah c) Zaccheus d) Zacharias
5. What did the oak tree symbolize in the Bible? a) Purity b) Strength c) Shelter d) Growth
6. Which is not a book of the New Testament? a) Revelation b) Colossians c) Malachi d) Jude Venice Motorcars LLC c/o Jay Saukkonen 1/16 pg 1C Open Rate April 7, 2024 Vol. 20 - No. 15
(Answers on page 16) For comments or more Bible Trivia go to www.TriviaGuy.com
MRI Reveals a Disease of the Blood Vessels in the Brain
DEAR DR. ROACH: A recent fall split the skin below my left eye. I went to the emergency room to see if it required stitches. Since I complained of a headache in the back of my head on the left side, they ordered an MRI, which showed “atherosclerotic vascular disease with mild small vessel ischemic disease.” They also saw plaque within my internal carotid arteries.
The ER doctors said I should see a vascular specialist soon. Of course, I am scared. I am a 76-year-old woman on Bystolic, rosuvastatin, benazepril and thyroid replacement. I also take sulfasalazine for my inflammatory arthritis. I am thin, take many vitamins and supplements, and exercise four times a week.
Does the MRI mean I have dementia or Alzheimer’s? What does it mean? -- R.M.
ANSWER: No, the MRI cannot make a diagnosis of dementia. Dementia is diagnosed presumptively by a clinical exam that notes impairments in cognitive functioning such as memory, language and attention. (A definitive diagnosis of Alzheimer’s is made by a pathological evaluation of brain tissue, which is almost never obtained while a person is alive.)
What the MRI shows is a disease of the blood vessels of the brain caused by cholesterol plaque. High blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, a previous family history, and other factors put people at risk for this condition.
Some, but not all, people with the kinds of blood vessel disease you have will develop dementia, which is caused by cumulative damage to the brain tissue from multiple small strokes. In your case, both the large vessels (carotids) and small vessels are affected, suggesting that your cholesterol and blood pressure haven’t been ideal.
Your doctor has already taken some steps to slow or prevent the worsening of this condition. Careful control of your blood pressure (with Bystolic and benazepril) is essential. A statin drug (rosuvastatin) has been shown to reduce stroke risk and your overall dementia risk. I don’t know whether these are the best medicines for you or whether they are at the right doses, since only your doctor knows you well enough, but it is clear that your doctor is taking steps to protect your heart and brain.
Inflammatory arthritis (especially rheumatoid arthritis and lupus) increases the risk of blood vessel damage in the brain and heart, so early treatment is more important with people who have these conditions. Unfortunately, not all primary care doctors know how important inflammatory arthritis is when it comes to heart attack and stroke risk.
I do not believe there are any supplements or vitamins that are both safe and effective at preventing stroke, but there are a handful of people who may benefit from them. For example, people with high homocysteine in their blood may benefit from vitamin B12, folic acid, or their methylated counterparts.
A careful review of your overall health condition and diet is critical. You may be referred to a specialist for cognitive testing if there is any evidence of change in your thinking ability. A few
blood tests will help further stratify your risk and may show a need for additional treatment.
Dr. Roach regrets that he is unable to always answer individual questions, but will incorporate them in the column whenever possible. Readers may email questions to ToYourGoodHealth@med.cornell.edu
VETERANS POST
by Freddie Groves
Life Insurance Premium Discount
If you have life insurance through the Department of Veterans Affairs, you’ll be pleased about what’s coming in 2025: a discount in your premiums.
Whether you are insured with Veterans’ Group Life Insurance (VGLI), Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (SGLI) or Family Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (FSGLI), your premiums will be discounted in varying amounts.
For veterans covered under VGLI, your costs will go down somewhere between 2% and 17%, with most averaging around 11%, depending on your age.
by Freddie Groves
Spouses who receive coverage via FSGLI will see discounts between 11% and 22%, depending on age.
Active duty and those covered under SGLI will see a cost reduction of one cent per every $1,000 of coverage, bringing the cost of maximum coverage ($500,000) down to $25 per month. And no, you don’t have to ask for it. These discounts will be automatic.
There are others types of insurance through the VA as well. See www.va.gov/life-insurance for information on eligibility, and the other forms of insurance that are available, such as mortgage life insurance (if you have a service-connected disability and a specially-adapted home), whole life insurance (if you have a service-connected disability), group life insurance (after you’re out of the service) and Traumatic Injury Protection (if that ever becomes necessary after an injury).
If you’re already covered and want to check your policy, pay the premium, see the details of your insurance or change beneficiaries, you can do that online. However, accessing your policy online depends on the type of policy it is. See www.va.gov/ life-insurance/manage-your-policy for the details about whether your access will be though the VA portal, through Prudential or via milConnect.
As of now, the VA’s insurance covers over 5 million veterans, active duty and families, but there’s always room for more. If you’re not currently covered and you want to explore getting insurance coverage, see www.va.gov/life-insurance/ options-eligibility for your options.
A heads-up: You’ll need to sign up for certain types of insurance in the first 120 days when you leave the service.
Freddy Groves regrets that he cannot personally answer reader questions, but will incorporate them into his column whenever possible. Send email to columnreply2@gmail.com.
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You must make your reservation in advance by calling the reservation dispatcher at: (760) 832-8712
CLIP AND SAVE
-- by Jim Miller
Does Medicare Cover Talk Therapy Services?
DEAR SAVVY SENIOR: What types of mental health services does Medicare cover? I struggle with anxiety and depression, and my primary care provider recommended I see a therapist or psychiatrist. -- Anxious Annie
Dear Annie: Medicare actually covers both outpatient and inpatient mental health care services and programs to help beneficiaries with anxiety, depression and many other mental health needs. Here is what you should know.
Outpatient Coverage
If you’re enrolled in original Medicare, your Part B coverage will pay 80 percent (after you’ve met your annual $257 Part B deductible) for a variety of counseling and mental health care services that are provided outside a hospital, such as in a doctor or therapist’s office, hospital outpatient department or community health center. These services can also be received via telehealth.
You, or your Medicare supplemental (Medigap) policy, is responsible for the remaining 20 percent coinsurance.
Medicare also gives you the expanded option of getting treatment through a variety of health professionals such as psy-
chiatrists, psychologists, clinical nurse specialists, clinical social workers, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, marriage and family therapists and mental health counselors.
To get this coverage, you’ll need to choose a participating provider that accepts Medicare assignment, which means they accept Medicare’s approved amount as full payment for a service.
If you choose a nonparticipating provider who accepts Medicare but does not agree to Medicare’s payment rate, you may have to pay more. And if you choose an optout provider that does not accept Medicare payments at all, you will be responsible for the entire cost.
To locate a mental health care professional in your area that accepts Medicare, go to Medicare.gov/care-compare, click on “doctors & clinicians” and type in your location, followed by “clinical psychologist” or “psychiatry” in the Name & Keyword box. You can also get this information by calling Medicare at 800-633-4227.
Inpatient Coverage
If you happen to need mental health services in either a general or psychiatric hospital, original Medicare Part A covers this too, after you’ve met your $1,676 Part A deductible. Your doctor should determine which hospital setting you need. If you receive care in a psychiatric hospital, Medicare covers up to 190 days of inpatient care for your lifetime. And if you use your lifetime days but need additional care, Medicare may cover additional inpatient care at a general hospital.
Additional Coverage
In addition to the outpatient and inpatient mental health services, Medicare also covers yearly depression screenings that must be done in a primary care doctor’s office or clinic. Annual depression screenings are covered 100 percent.
And if you have a Medicare prescription drug plan, most medications used to treat mental health conditions are covered too.
Medicare Advantage Coverage
If you get your Medicare benefits through a private Medicare Advantage plan, they too provide the same coverage as original Medicare does, but may impose different rules and will likely require you to see an innetwork provider. You’ll need to contact your plan directly for details.
For more information, call Medicare at
800-633-4227 and request a copy of
lication #10184 “Medicare & Your
Health Benefits,” or you can read it
at Medicare.gov
ANTIQUE
by Anne McCollam Creators News Service
Painting Captures the Beauty of the Southwest
Q: This is a photo of a print of a painting of a Native American. It is on cardboard, measures 14 inches wide by 12 inches high, and has a hole at the top. Marked on the lower border are the words “Copyright 1917 by W. J. Black -- The Pueblo Weaver -- Grand Canyon Line -- From Painting by E. I. Couse, N. A.” There is a Santa Fe emblem on the wall behind the weaver. Taped on the back is a printed explanation of the painting.
According to this information, the painting represents a young Pueblo man who is weaving a blanket for his soon-to-be bride. It was the custom among Pueblo natives for men to weave blankets and sashes. The older men of the tribe taught them. There is evidence the lower portion of the print has been cut off.
What can you tell me about my print?
A: Based on your information, you have the top portion of a 1917 travel calendar. The Grand Canyon Line was part of the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway Company. The line was between Williams, Arizona and Grand Canyon National Park.
The original oil painting titled “The Pueblo Weaver” was painted by Irving Couse. He was one of the founders of the Taos Society of Artists that began in Taos, N.M., in 1915. He captured the beauty of the magical light, brilliant colors and the essence of the native people in Taos.
Couse’s original paintings are highly desirable and very valuable, and many are in some of the finer museums in the United States. The railway officials commissioned the artists to paint scenes of Native Americans and landscapes that were used on calendars and posters to encourage travel by train to the Southwest. The Santa Fe emblem in the painting represents the railway line.
W. J. Black was the printmaker, and the hole at the top was for hanging the original calendar.
Your print would probably fetch $40 to $65 in an antiques shop.
Q: I have enclosed a drawing that I made of the mark that is on a set of dishes that must be over 50 years old. The set is a service for eight and is in perfect condition. Each dish is decorated with flowers that look like Queen Anne’s lace. They are pink, green and yellow, with pale brown stems against a cream background. The flower design is offset rather than in the center.
What can you tell me about my dishes?
Steubenville Pottery Company was in business from 1879 to 1960.
A: Steubenville Pottery Company made your mid-20th century dinnerware. It was located in Steubenville, Ohio, from 1879 to 1960. The pattern is “Dainty Lace.”
Your dinnerware would probably be worth $175 to $300.
* * *
Antiques expert and columnist Anne McCollam has since retired and no longer receives inquiries nor answers reader letters. Due to the popularity of her column, this publication will continue to reprint previous columns of interest to our readers.
To find out more about Anne McCollam and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com
* On Jan. 13, 1995, America3 (“America Cubed”), an all-female sailing team, won the first race of the America’s Cup defender trials in little more than a minute. The team was the sport’s first all-women crew to compete in the Cup’s 144-year history.
* On Jan. 14, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Presidential Proclamation No. 2537, requiring non-U.S. citizens from World War II-enemy countries (Italy, Germany and Japan) to register with the United States Department of Justice, after which they were given a Certificate of Identification for Aliens of Enemy Nationality. The Proclamation facilitated the beginning of full-scale Japanese American internment the following month.
* On Jan. 15, 1951, Ilse Koch, known as the “Witch of Buchenwald” for the extraordinary sadism she displayed toward that camp’s prisoners, was sentenced to life in prison for crimes against humanity by a West German court. The sentence was reduced to four years and Koch was released, then imprisoned again with a second life term. She escaped that fate by hanging herself with a bedsheet in 1967.
* On Jan. 16, 1973, the final episode of “Bonanza,” written and directed by Michael Landon, aired on NBC, completing a 14-season run centering on thrice-widowed patriarch Ben Cartwright, his sons, and their adventures on the thousand-square-mile Ponderosa Ranch in Nevada.
* On Jan. 17, 2013, Sergei Filin, the artistic director of the Bolshoi Ballet, was attacked outside his Moscow home with acid by a masked man later revealed to have been hired by company dancer Pavel Dmitrichenko.
* On Jan. 18, 1862, America’s 10th president, described in his New York Times obituary as “the most unpopular public man that had ever held any office in the United States,” John Tyler died at age 71 in Richmond, Virginia.
* On Jan. 19, 2007, Beijing, China got its first drive-through McDonald’s restaurant, a two-story building next to a gas station that celebrated its christening in a ceremony complete with traditional Chinese lion dancers and, of course, a Chinese Ronald McDonald.
(c) 2025 King Features Synd., Inc.
"I really don't mind having a boss younger than me, but this is where I draw the line!"
Grand Canyon Line travel calendar was made in 1917.
& Cold: from page 3
the same South Carolina company, reigned as champion, with some peppers recorded at 2.2 million SHU. Contrast these smokin’ hot peppers with the average jalapeno, which measures around 8,500 SHU, and the banana pepper, which is a mild 500 SHU.
• Speaking of heat, from 2016 to 2023, Paqui, the manufacturer of tremendously spicy tortilla chips, created the “One Chip Challenge,” which dared participants to eat one extremely spicy Carolina Reaper chip, and avoid eating or drinking anything afterwards.
• As the years went by, the challenge became more controversial, with some people requiring medical attention after ingesting the chip. Although the company warned that only adults should take part, in 2023, after a 14-year-old Massachusetts teen died a few hours after he took the challenge, the chips were pulled from the shelves.
• Ice water, anyone?
Game Changers
by Jason Jenkins
Throw It Away
The golf swing can become bogged down into angles, forces, planes, degrees, and a myriad of other technical elements. Unfortunately, most golfers can’t relate to the engineering language of golf instruction that is becoming popular of late. Junior golfers and golf “athletes” work better off of images that they have used in the past, or can easily imitate.
The right arm in the golf swing most simulates the throwing action seen in many sports. The arm floats away from the body into a folded position at the top of the windup, with the wrist flexed in preparation to throw. No athlete has the arm glued to the body, nor the wrist curled (like making a muscle).
By practicing the common throwing position with a ball or golf club (one handed), you’ll soon achieve the natural, powerful position that many top golfers achieve. Jack Nicklaus was criticized in his prime of having a “flying elbow” yet he just didn’t try to glue his elbow to his body. Rather than thinking about angles or degrees, simply float your right arm into its best throwing position at the top
