Vol. 19: #23 • Carrots • (5-28-2023) Tidbits of Coachella Valley

CARROT FACTS

• The word “carrot” comes from the Greek word “karoton” meaning “horn” referring to the vegetable’s horn-like shape. The carrot is a biennial plant, taking two growing seasons to complete its life cycle. The roots go down the first year, and easily survive the winter underground, while the ferny leaves flourish in the summer and die in the fall. The second season, the feathery leaves produce white flowers, which produce seeds.

• Commercial growers harvest carrots after the first season as soon as the roots are big enough to take to market. Only a small number of carrots are allowed to go to seed the following year. The

(Answers on page 16)

• Born in 1879 in Kansas, Elmer McCollum nearly died of vitamin deficiency, though no one knew it at the time because no one knew what vitamins were. When he was seven months old, his mother was forced to wean him. Elmer was fed only boiled milk and mashed potatoes. He fell ill and no one knew why. Then one day he was sitting in his mother’s lap as she peeled apples. He grabbed the peels and began sucking on them. Afterwards, he healed rapidly. Only later did Elmer himself discover that he had been suffering from scurvy, because boiling destroys vitamin C. But first, Elmer McCollum had to discover what vitamins actually were.

was dubbed “vitamin factor A” because it was the first one found. He hated the term “vitamin” because he knew what he discovered was not an amine, which is made of protein. In fact, none of the vitamins are proteins. He preferred the term “growth promoting factor.”

• The lack of factor A caused blindness; the lack of factor B caused beriberi; the lack of factor C caused scurvy; the lack of factor D caused rickets; the lack of factor E caused miscarriage, and so on.

• McCollum found that vitamin A was found not only in eggs and butter, but also in leafy greens. He solved the riddle of why cows fed only corn lived while cows fed only wheat went blind. He learned that corn was harvested in a manner that included lots of stems and leaves (rich in vitamin A), while the way of harvesting wheat left only seeds and chaff, with no leaves or stems remaining to provide vitamin A.

1. TELEVISION: What is the name of the high school in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”?

2. MOVIES: Who voiced the character Woody in “Toy Story”?

3. LITERATURE: Who are the tragic lovers in the novel “Wuthering Heights”?

4. AD SLOGANS: Which product invites consumers to “taste the rainbow”?

5. FOOD & DRINK: Which root vegetable is known as Japanese horseradish?

6. ANATOMY: What substance gives skin its color?

7. GEOGRAPHY: Where are the Great Pyramids of Giza located?

8. HISTORY: Who was the first female prime minister of Great Britain?

9. SCIENCE: What is the hollow, woody tissue that carries water and nutrients from a plant’s roots to the entire plant?

10. U.S. STATES: Which is the only state that doesn’t have a mandatory seat belt law for adults?

Answers

1. Sunnydale High.

ADVERTISING PROOF

• Together, Funk and McCollum’s discoveries opened the door for nutritional science. Further research resulted in vitamins B through P, which have since been condensed to vitamins A, B complex, C, D, E, and K.

Final Changes DUE:

• After earning a PhD in biochemistry from Yale, McCollum got a job at the University of Wisconsin teaching agricultural chemistry. The question was whether wheat, oats, or corn was the best feed for cows. His method was to feed three different groups of cows the three different feeds and see what happened. The wheat-fed cows went blind. The oat-fed cows gave birth to dead calves. Only the corn-fed cows were healthy. Why?

• McCollum wanted to do dietary experiments with rats, which were easier to work with than cows, but the administration balked. Cattle were the life-blood of Wisconsin’s economy, and at the time, no one had ever used rats as lab animals. McCollum insisted that it would be far quicker to breed rats, far easier to test rats, and far cheaper to feed and care for rats. He prevailed, and he set up the first lab rat experiments in the U.S. using 12 albino rats he purchased from a Chicago pet store.

• He fed his rats a mixture of protein, carbohydrates, minerals, and fat. Then he made an important discovery. When the source of fat was butter or egg yolk, the rats remained healthy. But when he switched the fat to olive oil, the rats died. Why?

• In 1911, Polish scientist Casimir Funk theorized that diseases such as beriberi and scurvy were caused by a lack of substances he dubbed “vital amines.” This term was later shortened to “vitamins.”

• Elmer McCollum was the first to isolate what

• McCollum spent 25 years at Johns Hopkins University, researching fluoridated water for tooth decay, and the effects of trace minerals. He advocated for vitamin D to be added to milk, which was largely responsible for wiping out rickets. He created a recipe for infant formula. He encouraged the government to enrich bread and flour to make up for the vitamins that were stripped due to the milling process.

• McCollum died at the age of 88. He said, “Eat whatever you want, after you have eaten what you should.”

2. Tom Hanks.

3. Heathcliff and Catherine.

4. Skittles.

Carrots: (from page one)

seeds are tiny: it takes 2,000 to fill a teaspoon. Although carrot roots regenerate if planted in soil or kept in water, virtually all commercial carrot crops are grown from seed.

• Because carrot seeds are so tiny, they are very vulnerable when first planted and seedlings will die if they dry out even once. However, after the plant has reached maturity, it does well in dry conditions. Carrots prefers loose, sandy soil that is deeply tilled and not well fertilized. These conditions force the carrot roots to grow deeper.

• If the root encounters a blockage, it twists, resulting in strange shapes. If the bed is deeply mulched, carrots can remain in the ground over winter. Their sugar content increases during dormancy.

SOME CARROT HISTORY

• The carrot originated in what is now Iran and Afghanistan, and is closely related to Queen Anne’s Lace. By the 8th century, the Moors were growing carrots in Spain, and by the 11th century carrots were common throughout Asia, India, and Europe. At that time, carrots were every color except orange: purple, black, white, red, and yellow.

• In the 1600s, a common strain of carrot that was purple on the outside and orange on the inside mutated, becoming orange all the way through. This genetic oddity also turned out to be sweeter in taste than other carrots. The Dutch, who first discovered this strange carrot, became the first to widely cultivate what is now our familiar orange carrot.

• There’s a place in France originally called “Aurengia” meaning “temple” because there was an altar there. It was Germanized to “Orenge” and then turned into “Orange” though it had nothing to do with either the fruit

or the color. The town called Orange begat a royal bloodline called “The House of Orange” which begat “The Prince of Orange” who became King William III of England, known as William of Orange. He was instrumental in the Dutch revolt against Spanish rule in the 1600s. This was about the time the first orange-colored carrot appeared in the Netherlands, and some people claim that the reason the orange carrot became so popular so quickly was because it was considered a tribute to William of Orange.

• The first carrots arrived in America with the first pilgrims who founded Jamestown.

CARROTS AND VISION

• Do carrots really help your eyes? The answer is yes. Carrots contain a large amount of the oxididant beta-carotene that the body uses to produce Vitamin A, which has a host of eye-related benefits. Beta-carotene produces a pigment called rhodopsin, that aids your nighttime and low-light vision. Rhodopsin also serves to maintain the cornea and keep it healthy. In addition to beta-carotene, carrots also contain the antioxidant lutein, which studies have shown can slow the progression of age-related macular degeneration.

• The connection between carrots and vision goes back a long way. During World War II, the Allies made vast improvements in radar technology giving them an advantage in air-toair combat. At the same time, it was discovered that having an instrument panel lit with red light instead of white light resulted in improved night vision for pilots. These two innovations resulted in an increase in the number of German planes shot down during nighttime combat.

• The story goes that because they didn’t want the Germans to find out about their cockpit improvements, the British government spread misleading propaganda about their pilots being fed plentiful carrots, which was true, but no mention was made about their new cockpit lighting and radar capabilities.

• That’s only part of the story. During the war, the government encouraged citizens to grow their own food in “Victory Gardens” to help with the war effort. The propaganda about heroic carrot-eating pilots saving London from the Nazis increased interest in growing carrots around the country. British carrot production during the war soared by 300 percent.

could invent pre-peeled carrots. At the time, about 40% of his crop went to waste because the carrots were misshapen and unmarketable. He had tried to sell them as livestock feed, but they tinged the beef fat orange. Why not cut the crooked carrots into small pieces the size of a

Carrots: Turn to page 15

QUIZ BITS

1. What was the length of the longest carrot on record?

2. How much did the world's heaviest carrot weigh?

NUGGETS OF KNOWLEDGE

If you eat a raw carrot, only three percent of its total beta-carotene is released. If you crush the carrot to a pulp, 21 percent of the beta-carotene is released. If you then cook the carrot pulp, 27 percent is released, and if you cook the pulp in oil, 39 percent of the beta-carotene is released.

1.VERNALEQUINOX 2.CROCUS

By Lucie Winborne

* At just 15 years old, actor Sylvester Stallone’s classmates voted him “most likely to end up in the electric chair.”

* One day in 1930, the BBC announced on air that “there is no news,” and played piano music.

* Fulmars, a type of seabird, vomit putrid fishy oil on predatory birds in self-defense, which not only smells awful but is lethal to the attackers, as it permanently glues their feathers together.

* If viewed from space or a high altitude, the sun appears to be white.

* Larry Lemieux, a Canadian sailor at the 1988 Olympics, was about to win a silver medal when he abandoned the race to save two other competitors whose boat had capsized. While he lost the silver medal, he was given the Pierre de Coubertin medal for sportsmanship.

* A hydrangea flower’s color is determined by the relative acidity of the soil in which it’s grown: Acidic soil will produce a blue flower, while alkaline soil will yield a pink blossom.

* The Sami people of Northern Norway have a unit of measurement called the “poronkusema”-- the distance a reindeer can walk before it needs to urinate.

* Had a solar eruption happened nine days earlier than it did in 2012, the Earth would have been hit by a massive solar storm that would likely have caused major X-ray and UV radiation and power failure over the planet. It also would likely have cost trillions of dollars and taken four to ten years to recover from. Timing really is everything!

* The hotel that inspired Stephen King to write “The Shining” plays the Stanley Kubrick film of the same name on a continuous loop on channel 42 for guests. ***

Thought for the Day: “Great opportunities to help others seldom come, but small ones surround us every day.” -- Sally Koch

(c) 2023 King Features Synd., Inc.

Everyday CHEAPSKATE®

by Mary Hunt

Lessons From a Two-Year-Old

ing things together than in owning things.

Creating this little game and then beating me at it over and over provided Eli with so much fun and enjoyment that the thought of actually buying all that stuff didn’t seem to cross his mind. He loved doing more than getting.

After a half-hour of treasure hunting, Eli took a ride on the 50-cent mechanical horse, and then we walked home. On the way, between taking in the wonders of bugs on the sidewalk and trying to decide whether it was going to rain, he said, “Ahma, that was a fun store. Go again next week?”

Everyday CHEAPSKATE®

by Mary Hunt

I gave my son and daughter-in-law lots of gifts when their son, Elijah, was born. But none has come back to bless me more than the gift of Friday. Since he was six weeks old, I’ve closed the door to work on Fridays to care for and learn from my grandson, Eli.

In these two years, Eli and I have explored our neighborhood looking for cats, dogs, bugs and birds. We’ve met neighbors we didn’t know and found the skunk we knew existed but had never seen. We’ve played at the park, counted planes and listened for fire engines.

Last week, we took a walk to the 99 Cents Only store to see whether we could find anything from the movie “Toy Story.” I was fully prepared to shell out a buck or two if indeed we could find anything. I figured it was doubtful, given the kind of store it is. But the most amazing thing happened.

Before we could even get through the door, Eli locked eyeballs with Buzz and Woody on a gift bag. I was surprised and reacted with great drama, which made him laugh hysterically. As we walked up and down the aisles, Eli made one “Toy Story” discovery after another.

I would have never noticed the things he found - photo albums, stickers, books, pencils, cups, plates, cards, keychains and other “Toy Story”-branded trinkets. The more things he found the more I reacted, which only spurred him on.

Here is where Eli and I are not at all the same: He didn’t really want any of these things. He just loved finding them. The fun of discovery became its own reward. I, on the other hand, have some kind of automatic response mechanism that insists that if I love it, I must then buy it. I learned a couple of important lessons from Eli that Friday.

First, I don’t have to own things to enjoy them. Isn’t that an amazing thought? Just because I don’t own it doesn’t mean I cannot enjoy it from afar.

You bet we will, Eli. And next week, we’ll look for cars, trucks and anything green. And we’ll count the cracks in the sidewalk and look for caterpillars.

We’ll laugh and run and count to 20. We’ll find faces, animals and magnificent sculptures in the big, puffy clouds in the sky. We'll enjoy every minute and make memories for a lifetime without having to buy a thing. - - -

Update: I wrote the foregoing in my journal more than 11 years ago. In what seems like a blink of an eye, Eli is now 13. Eight years ago, little brother Sam joined our Fun Friday adventures.

While it has little resemblance to the 99 Cents Only store, Costco was the place Sam and I looked for hidden treasure. He preferred Mickey Mouse to “Toy Story,” and sure enough, without fail, he discovered that mouse over and again on merchandise, posters and displays that I would have never noticed in a million years!

Fun Fridays have become abbreviated as the boys have grown and school has stepped in to interfere with all of our big plans. But at the same time, the Fun Friday crew has grown as Grandpa has joined.

We pick up the boys from school and off we go to pack as much fun as we can into a few hours. We laugh, roll into 7-Eleven for Slurpees, visit every new park we can find. And without even trying that hard, inevitably we learn new lessons and add more fun to the memories.

* * *

Mary invites you to visit her at EverydayCheapskate.com, where this column is archived complete with links and resources for all recommended products and services. 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

• Vitamin A is found in animal products such as organ meat, full fat milk, butter, and cod liver oil. Although it’s found in a number of plants as well, the amount of vitamin A in plants is tiny compared to animal matter. When it comes to plants, however, few things beat carrots for vitamin A content.

• Carotenoids are plant pigments which aid in photosynthesis. One type of carotenoid is called beta-carotene, which is an antioxidant. Carotenoids and beta-carotene are actually named after the carrot because carrots contain so much of them. The only vegetables with more beta-carotene than carrots are dandelion greens and baked sweet potatoes. Pumpkins, apricots, leafy greens, and cantaloupe are also high in carotenoids.

• Not only do carotenoids give carrots their color, but they also act as the precursors to vitamin A. In the digestive tract, enzymes snip each carotenoid molecule in half, and the result is two molecules of vitamin A.

• Vitamin A is essential for helping the eye convert light into a signal that can be transmitted to the brain, allowing people to see in low light. Without vitamin A, the rods and cones in the retina cannot function properly, and the cornea may wither and disappear. Persistent lack of vitamin A results in night blindness, and a prolonged deficiency can result in permanent blindness.

• Eating more carrots will not improve eyesight unless poor eyesight is caused by a vitamin A deficiency.

• Vitamin A also plays an important role in keeping the immune system vigorous and healthy. However, taking extra vitamin A won’t help if there is already enough vitamin A in the your system's diet. In fact, extreme overdosing on it can be fatal.

• Some vitamins, such as vitamin C and also the B vitamins, are water-soluble, meaning they are flushed out of the body and need to be constantly replenished. Other vitamins such as vitamin A and vitamin D are fat-soluble, and are stored in the body. Vitamin A is stored in the liver which typically contains about 300 international units of vitamin A for every gram of liver. But some animals, particularly those living in arctic regions, concentrate vitamin A at far greater levels. The liver of a polar bear might contain 20,000 international units per gram.

• Overdosing on vitamin A can lead to illness and death. Sometimes early Arctic explorers attempting to stave off starvation ate the liver of polar bears, seals, or their own sled dogs, all of which contained extraordinarily high levels of vitamin A. Sometimes they died as a result of the overdose.

• Because vitamin A is stored in the liver, the human body can usually survive up to a year without any vitamin A at all. But after that, a person who is not getting vitamin A will first experience night blindness and then go blind

entirely. This problem is especially prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. The World Health Organization estimates that between 500,000 and a million children go blind every year, and up to 90% die of complications related to vitamin deficiency. Over 70 countries have programs to deliver vitamin A supplements to reduce child mortality and blindness.

• A single serving of 3.5 ounces (about ¾ of a cup, or 100 g) of carrot yields over 100% of the recommended daily dose of vitamin A.

• One square yard of U.S. carrot production is adequate to fulfill the vitamin A needs for one adult for one entire year. 30% of American vitamin A intake comes from carrots. □

Chapel Christian School features one of the valley’s most challenging educational systems, offering Accelerated Reader, ACSI math, art, and music programs at the Elementary level.

“Academic Champions”

by Dana Jackson

Q: What is singer Fergie’s real name, and wasn’t she in a sitcom when she was little? -- H.Y.

A: Fergie, the 48-year-old former lead singer of the Black Eyed Peas, was born Stacy Ann Ferguson and started acting doing voiceover work for animated series, such as “The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show.” She went on to act and sing in the syndicated Disney series “Kids Incorporated,” which aired from 1983 to 1992. This show was also the launching pad for the Hollywood careers of Jennifer Love Hewitt (“9-11”) and Mario Lopez (“Saved by the Bell”).

Q: Is it true that Clint Eastwood is directing another movie? How old is he now, and has he ever won an Oscar? -- S.J.

final project before enjoying retirement in his 90s, but that was news to him. His next project is “Juror #2” starring Nicholas Hoult (“The Great”) and Toni Collette (“The Staircase”). The film is reportedly still in the pre-production stage.

Hopefully, the project will get off the ground soon. Gossip site RadarOnline published an article back in March that Eastwood hadn’t been seen in over a year, having missed attending the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am Golf Tournament only miles from his Carmel, California, home, where his son, Scott, was a participant.

***

Q: Who is going to replace Tucker Carlson on Fox News? Is it true that CNN is going to become a conservative news network and hire him back? -- D.E.

A: Tucker Carlson has headlined shows on all three of the big cable news networks: CNN, MSNBC and Fox News. He was abruptly fired from his show “Tucker Carlson Tonight” this past April on the same day CNN host Don Lemon was given his walking papers.

Some have speculated that Carlson would be returning to CNN, where he co-hosted “Crossfire” from 2001 to 2005, but that doesn’t appear to be happening. Instead, Carlson announced that

he’ll be hosting a new show on Twitter, the website owned by Elon Musk.

“Fox News Tonight” is the title given to Carlson’s old 8 p.m. ET time slot on Fox. It now features a set of rotating hosts until a permanent one is found. Brian Kilmeade (“Fox & Friends”) took over for Carlson the first week, followed by Lawrence Jones (“Lawrence Jones Cross Country”), former White-House-Press-Secretary-turned-commentator Kayleigh McEnany and Will Cain (“Fox & Friends Weekend”).

Send me your questions at NewCelebrityExtra@gmail.com, or write me at KFWS, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803.

(c) 2023 King Features Synd., Inc.

PROMO -11-2013

A: Clint Eastwood is still directing movies at 93 years old and has won four Academy Awards, but none for acting. He was nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role in 1993 for the western “Unforgiven,” but lost to Al Pacino for “Scent of a Woman.” However, he didn’t go home empty-handed, having won the Oscar for Best Picture as a producer and the Oscar for Best Director. In 2005, he would again become a two-time recipient of the Oscar for Best Director, for the film “Million Dollar Baby.”

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Good Recipes from Peking Pork Wraps

This simple recipe for tacos with bold Asian flavors won’t take much time, but it will taste fantastic.

2 small cucumbers, thinly sliced 1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 pound thin boneless pork loin chops

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1/4 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoons pepper

3 green onions

8 tortillas

8 teaspoons hoisin sauce

1. Garnish: Toss cucumbers, sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt in medium bowl; set aside.

2. Heat grill or grill pan on medium-high.

3. Rub pork loin chops with toasted sesame oil; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Grill pork 3 to 4 minutes each side or until cooked through (145 F).

4. Thinly slice green onions on an angle; set aside. Wrap tortillas in damp paper towels. Microwave on high 2 minutes or until warm and pliable.

5. Drain cucumbers and thinly slice pork. Place pork in tortillas; top with cucumbers and green onions. Drizzle each with 1 teaspoon hoisin sauce; serve with additional sauce, if desired. Serves 4.

 Each serving: About 520 calories, 25g total fat (8g saturated), 38g protein, 34g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, 99mg cholesterol, 910mg sodium.

Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies

These cookies work best with supermarket brands of peanut butter. The amount of artery-clogging trans fats in commercial peanut butter is small. In fact, you’d have to eat about 40 tablespoons to get 1 gram of trans fat.

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter or margarine (2 sticks), softened

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons dark corn syrup

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1. Heat oven to 375 F.

2. On waxed paper, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

3. In large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat butter, peanut butter and sugars until creamy, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula. Beat in corn syrup, vanilla, then eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. At low speed, gradually add flour mixture; beat just until blended, occasionally scraping bowl. Cover and

You read it in tidbits!

refrigerate dough 30 minutes for easier shaping.

4. Shape dough by rounded measuring tablespoons into 1 1/2-inch balls. Place balls, 2 inches apart, on ungreased large cookie sheet. With floured tines of fork, press and flatten each ball, making a crisscross pattern. Bake cookies 12 to 13 minutes or until pale golden. Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining dough. Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

 Each serving: About 100 calories, 6g total fat (3g saturated), 2g protein, 11g carbohydrate, 0g fiber, 16mg cholesterol, 85mg sodium.

* * * For thousands of triple-tested recipes, visit our Web site at www.goodhousekeeping.com/recipefinder/.

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Cody’s Corner

Dog Talk with Uncle Matty

By Matthew Margolis Creators News Service

Let’s Hear It for the Toys

If you’ve walked the aisles of an animal shelter anytime in the past decade, I’m sure you noticed a breed that tends to dominate in terms of numbers. Hint: They fit in the palm of your hand, have eyes like watery walnuts and look like they’re about to bust out with, “Hola - buenos diaz!”

What’s wrong with Chihuahuas? Why do so many of them end up at the shelter?

The American Kennel Club has this to say about Chihuahuas: “Graceful, alert and swiftmoving with a saucy expression, Chihuahuas are highly intelligent and should not be underestimated even though small in size. The breed can be any color -- solid, marked or splashed -- and the coat may be long or short. These sassy little dogs are well known as ‘purse dogs’ like the famous Bruiser in the movie ‘Legally Blonde’ starring Reese Witherspoon.”

Graceful and smart? Travel-ready? Adored by the rich and famous? What’s not to like?

The fact that Chihuahuas and other toy dogs end up in shelters in high numbers has nothing to do with the breed and everything to do with this fully unsupported idea that the smaller the dog the less in need of training he is.

A horseman doesn’t lead a new horse into his bedroom, feed him breakfast in bed, put little ribbons in his mane and wait for the horse to tell him he needs to relieve himself.

And no one brings home a Great Dane and pooh-poohs the notion of housebreaking.

I spoke with a man last week who was having trouble with his min-pin. He is tired of cleaning up the messes his dog leaves in the house and is disgusted by the smell of his own home. “How did he housebreak his dog?” you ask. Yeah, so did I. The guy designated his hallway and kitchen, both tiled, the dog’s bathroom. He not only allowed his dog to urinate and defecate in those areas, he encouraged it. And now he’s pissed at the dog.

The damage created by this kind of negligence on the part of toy dog owners extends far beyond soiled grout, stained tile and ruined car-

Cody's Corner: Turn to Page 10

3. The Weekly “Brain Breaker”

"Garden Gleanings"

SENIOR NEWS LINE

by Matilda Charles

Decluttering -- Do It Your Way

Consider this a firsthand account of clearing clutter. I read several self-help books; I sought advice from those who call themselves experts. But I suspected that the “how to declutter” books would be a lost cause when I saw passages that suggested taking photos of cherished items as a way of remembering them; I knew that plan was not for me. It was the same with instructions to take it one room at a time or to take months to finish the task.

In the end, I rejected all I heard and read, and opted for just doing it my way: quickly and ruthlessly -- ala "slash 'n burn!". The key to successful decluttering is to just get brutally honest and ask yourself some realistic questions:

If you’re working on clothing and realize that you haven’t worn certain items in years, how likely are you to really wear them ever again? If you have a set of dishes once owned by your grandmother and have never once used them,

The Art of DESIGN

by Joseph Publillones

Preferred Color

Color is the most defining design element in a room. Colors can make a room appear cold and institutional or warm and inviting. Choosing colors for your rooms may be a personal choice, but one should also consider how the room will be perceived by others, whether they are visitors or cohabitants.

The mood of a room should be a main factor when selecting colors. Keep in mind that your lighting, including natural sources of light, will affect the way a room is seen.

Sometimes, someone will call me about a wall color in a project they have seen of mine in a magazine, newspaper or online. While I always like to share resources and information, I always caution that depending on where you live, the quality and intensity of light could be quite different. Therefore, the same wall color I’ve used for a project may look quite different when you give it a try in your home.

Selecting a specific color can be challenging. Where to start? I usually ask homeowners about personal preferences: What colors do they like to wear? What color is their vehicle? Any preferred childhood colors? What do different colors mean to them? I also ask what colors make them feel comfortable, and which colors they do not like or have adverse reactions to.

Inspiration for a color palette can come from almost anywhere -- the colors of a work of art, the colors outside your windows, the colors of fabrics being used on upholstery and drapes or

are you likely to ever use them now? Honestly? If you’re sorting through memorabilia from long ago vacations, do you actually remember the details of your trip? The item might have meant something then, but does it now?

Give yourself at least a month to declutter, working at it for at least an hour every day, boxing things up as you go and dividing them into items to be saved, donated or trashed. Keep a large garbage bag in the room and chuck items in there that are meaningless junk and only taking up space. At the end of the month, call the dump haulers or the people who take donations.

Be honest: If you haven’t put up outdoor holiday decorations in the last five years, you won’t start now. You need to tell relatives who say they want a certain item they need to take it immediately or it's gone. You really don’t need 17 sets of sheets or towels. Just because your mother kept her own mother’s cherished items for 30 years doesn’t mean you need to do the same. Move on!

Another decluttering benefit: If something is no longer occupying a shelf, you no longer have to dust the doggone thing!

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.

(c) KingFeaturesSyndicate

the color of a prevalent item in room, such as an oriental rug or a large painting or wall art. These are all valid starting points.

Once you have chosen your source of inspiration, creating a color palette is relatively easy. Select the lightest or most muted color for your walls. This will help you give color to your largest area, which will set the tone or mood of the room. I would also suggest a darker shade for the floors. Drapery or window treatments can be selected from the same family as the walls but in a brighter shade. Of course, the brightest intensity of this color should be reserved for accent pieces such as pillows, an unusual chair or two and accessories.

It is OK, and even encouraged, to repeat the same color in several items around a room. This makes the room look unified, balanced and well thought out. You can repeat the same “game” with a secondary color for a layered, multicolored room.

Although these are good general recipes for rooms, your room design will change and get more complex as you add textures and patterns into the mix. The general rule is the larger furniture gets the larger pattern and/or texture; midsize furniture gets patterns or textures that are somewhat smaller; and small, delicate prints, patterns or textures are used for smaller items such as chairs.

We all know that rules are meant to be broken, and some of the best-designed rooms always break some rules. Play the color game well and you may end up with a winning room. * * *

Joseph Pubillones is the owner of Joseph Pubillones Interiors, an award-winning interior design firm based in Palm Beach, Florida. To find out more about Joseph Pubillones, or to read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

Cody’s Corner (from page 9)

pet. The unfettered yapping of an untrained dog creates tension among neighbors. The unchecked dominance of a family dog can lead to aggression toward family members, the effects of which range from annoying to dangerous. And housebreaking problems -- one of the easiest behavioral problems to solve -- most often land a dog in the shelter.

I was at the airport a couple of weeks ago waiting to board my flight. Sitting in the boarding area across from me was a woman who was traveling with her Cavalier King Charles spaniel. The dog was elegant, smart, energetic, agile and small in stature -- just as the AKC describes. He was also extremely well behaved, which is no accident of DNA. His good behavior has nothing to do with his breed or size and everything to do with his owner -- who trained her dog and never lost sight of the fact that he is, indeed, a dog.

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.

by Tom Margenau

Social Security for Younger Retirees

Conventional wisdom has it that to get the most out of your Social Security, you should wait as long as possible to start your benefits. That’s good advice for some, but not for all. There are a variety of reasons why you might want to take your benefits at 62 (the earliest you can start your Social Security) or some other point before you reach your full retirement age. Today’s questions come from people like that.

Q: My wife and I are both approaching age 62. We are inundated with advice to wait until 70 to start our Social Security. But frankly, I don’t think I’ll live that long. I’ve already had some serious heart problems. And both my parents and other close family members died in their 60s, so I didn’t inherit the best of genes. Thankfully, my wife doesn’t have those problems. Also, she had a good job and will get a Social Security benefit that is slightly more than mine. Can you think of any downsides if I take my Social Security at 62? How about my wife?

A: As I always point out to my readers, I am not a financial planner, so you might want to consult one. But from my perspective, I can’t think of any downsides to starting your benefits at 62.

In fact, I did the same thing -- for some of the same reasons that you face. (My dad died at age 47, and none of my many uncles made it to age 65.) Fortunately, I beat the odds as I’m now 73. But I still don’t regret starting my benefits at age 62. I’ve been getting monthly Social Security checks for 11 years now. Had I waited until 70, I’d be getting a higher monthly benefit, but I’d only be in year three of getting Social Security. Had I waited until 70, it would have taken me a long time to make up for the benefits I would have received between 62 and 70. So again, I’m happy.

One normal downside to a guy getting reduced benefits before his full retirement age is that the reduction would carry over to any widow’s benefits his wife might be due after he dies. But in your case, that’s not an issue because you said your wife’s Social Security is already more than yours, meaning she wouldn’t be due any widow’s benefits no matter when you started your retirement checks.

Speaking of your wife, if she doesn’t have your health issues, she might want to consider waiting until her full retirement age to start her own benefits.

Q: I am about to turn 70 and plan to start my Social Security then. My wife is almost 62. She is going to get a much smaller Social Security benefit than I will because she was a homemaker for much of our marriage. We were thinking of having her file for her benefits at 62. But someone told us that if she takes reduced benefits on her own record, she will get a big reduction in her widow’s benefits someday (assuming I die before she does). Is this true?

A: No, it is not true. If she takes reduced

retirement benefits on her own account, that reduction DOES NOT carry over to her widow’s benefit. Her widow’s benefit will be based on one thing only: her age when you die and when she starts her widow’s benefits. Assuming she is over her full retirement age when that happens, her own reduced retirement benefit will be supplemented up to 100% of what you were getting at the time of death.

And FYI: assuming her own benefit is much smaller than yours, that benefit will be supplemented with some spousal benefits on your record. That supplement will be based on your full retirement age benefit, not your augmented age 70 rate. And just like her retirement benefit will be reduced, so too will her spousal benefits. But after you die, it’s a different story. Her widow’s rate will be based on your age 70 benefit, not your FRA benefit. And again, assuming she is over her own FRA when you die, there will be no reduction in that widow’s benefit.

Q: In a recent column, you gave an example of a guy who was 67 on April 7. And that’s when he wanted his benefits to start. You said that the first check he would be due is the April check, which would be paid in May. Well, I just signed up for my Social Security to start at age 62. I am 62 on June 12. But a letter I got from Social Security said my first check would be the July check, payable in August. What’s going on?

A: There is one little glitch to starting benefits at age 62. There is a law that says you must be 62 for an entire calendar month before you can get your first Social Security check. July is the first month you are 62 for the whole month, so that’s the first check you are due, payable in August.

just so that we continue to pay into Social Security until our mid-60s. But we are not sure if we will be compensated enough in potential Social Security benefits to offset all the Social Security taxes we will pay. Can you help?

A: You really need to talk to a financial planner about this -- not me. And frankly, I’m surprised you are even thinking about Social Security. If you could afford to retire comfortably in your early 50s, it seems to me that future Social Security benefits wouldn’t be much of a concern for you. But since you brought it up, I’ll give you some food for thought.

Your Social Security benefit will be based on your highest 35 years of earnings. If you remain retired, you will be missing out on about 15 years of what would normally be some of your highest years of income. And this will have an obvious adverse impact on your future Social Security benefits.

To find out how much of an impact, you should use the retirement calculators at the Social Security Administration website: www.socialsecurity.gov. Just click on the “Plan for retirement” link on the homepage and follow the instructions. You can use their retirement estimators and plug in various future earnings scenarios to come up with different estimates of your eventual retirement benefits.

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 Easyto-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. 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 Ecclesiastes is in the a) Old Testament b) New Testament c) Neither

2. In 1 Timothy 5:23, what did Paul suggest to Timothy for his frequent ailments? a) Herbs b) Honey c) Wine d) Prayer

3. From Genesis 41:41-42, which Hebrew became prime minister of Egypt? a) Nicodemus b) Joseph c) Hosea d) Nehemiah

4. Where did Jesus spend his youth, as found in Luke 4:16? a) Nazareth b) Tarsus c) Jerusalem d) Egypt

5. Who was stoned to death in the valley of Achor? a) Abinoam b) Achan c) Ahilud d) Abitub

6. Jesus and who else walked on water? a) Matthew b) James c) John d) Peter Sharpen your understanding of scripture with Wilson Casey's latest book, "Test Your Bible Knowledge," now available in stores and online.

Q: I am 53 and my wife is 50. We have had a very successful business and have made enough lucrative investments so that we have been able to sell the business and retire. But now we are a bit concerned about our future Social Security benefits. We could start another business, and pay ourselves a salary, (Answers on page 16)

For comments or more Bible Trivia go to www.TriviaGuy.com

M.D.

Nurse Claims Wound Must Heal From the Inside Over Time

DEAR DR. ROACH: Whenever I got a wound while I was young, my mother would take me to the hospital to get stitches. I am now 94. I went to get a wound seen, and the nurse said that it needed to heal from the inside. They treated it with gauze, wrapping and then a stocking. It took months to heal. Why the big change? Why couldn’t they have just put in stitches and saved me months of healing? -- D.J.

ANSWER: A wound can be sutured (stitched) closed when it is new, clean and regular. A wound cannot be closed if it is infected or irregular. Most chronic wounds cannot be closed by stitching. Also, if there is a lot of swelling around the wound, there may be so much pressure that the wound cannot be closed and must be allowed to heal over time. This is often the case with larger wounds.

Basic principles of wound healing are to treat and prevent infection by bacteria or other germs, control pain and bleeding, and avoid treatments that are toxic to open wounds. I hear very frequently from people who have mistreated wounds. Strong agents like hydrogen peroxide, iodine, bleach and even soaps will kill more of your body’s healing cells than bacteria, and they should not be used in open wounds.

I also hear people say wounds “need air,” but wounds heal faster when they are moist. A barrier like petrolatum (Vaseline or many other proper wound-care agents) and a clean cover will accelerate wound healing. Most wounds do not need topical antibiotics, and these should only be used when recommended by an expert. The best experts for wound care are wound-care nurses and, in extreme cases, vascular or plastic surgeons.

It takes time for a wound to heal. How much time depends on many factors, but a time span of months is not unusual, especially with a person in their 90s, who may not have the same blood supply they had when they were much younger.

***

DEAR DR. ROACH: I take 25 mg of quetiapine at night as a sleeping aid, and one of the side effects is an increase in blood sugar. I am curious if that will also show a rise in my A1C blood work as well? -- T.F.

ANSWER: Quetiapine (Seroquel), an antipsychotic medication that is often used as a sleep aid due to its side effect of sedation, has at least two ways that it can increase blood sugar. The first is that it directly acts against insulin, causing the body to try to release more insulin. At the same time, it reduces the ability of the body to make insulin. The combination means that in people who don’t have much reserve (such as people with prediabetes or diabetes), this will increase their blood sugar. Secondly, the resistance to insulin helps promote weight gain, which worsens the resistance to insulin even

Any condition that raises blood glucose significantly for a long enough period will increase the A1C. The A1C measures the amount of sugar on hemoglobin molecules in red blood cells. The higher the blood sugar and the longer it stays high, the higher the A1C level.

A dose of 25 mg of quetiapine is relatively small, so it doesn’t usually have these metabolic changes the way that quetiapine used for schizophrenia does -- at the usual dose of 400 to 800 mg daily in adults.

Still, I do not prescribe quetiapine as a sleep aid, since I greatly prefer nonmedication treatments such as cognitive-behavioral therapy whenever possible.

* * *

2023

Dr. Roach

VETERANS POST  

by Freddie Groves

Proposed 2024 VA Budget not Good for Veterans

While the proposed 2024 Department of Veterans Affairs budget increase of 5% sounds good, it’s actually the lowest hike they’ve seen in nearly ten years. The president claims that there is a “sacred obligation” to support veterans and that $325 billion will do just that.

As always, the devil is in the details, and that budget would cut into critical VA programs to the tune of a whopping 22%.

Per a VA.gov news release, those cuts would mean:

 30 million fewer healthcare outpatient visits for everything from mental health services to cancer screenings and treatments to wellness care.

 81,000 jobs would vanish across the health care system at the VA.

 50,000 housing vouchers would be eliminated.

 6,000 jobs would be eliminated among those who handle the disability claims backlogs, which would cause delays in getting benefits for education, insurance, pensions and more. The net result would be 134,000 additional backlogged claims.

This comes at the same time the VA is supposed to be increasing hiring because of the extra work due to the PACT Act, which offers help and benefits to those veterans who were exposed to toxins.

 500 cemetery worker jobs would be lost, meaning the five new cemeteries would be delayed and maintenance at current cemeteries would suffer.

 Impaired abilities to expand telehealth care, with limited medical equipment for the veterans to use at home. The information and technology area, for example, would be short $345 million for the network.

 $565 million less for construction to fix or build VA hospitals and clinics.

VOLUNTEER DRIVERS NEEDED

American Veterans (AMVETS) Post 66 in Palm Springs is seeking volunteer drivers. The drivers will drive a 9 passenger van known as the “AMVETS Express” from Cathedral City and Palm Springs to the Loma Linda VA Hospital and then return to the desert.

The driver will work one day per week. The van departs Cathedral City about 6:30 AM and returns to the desert in the afternoon of the same day. The van operates Monday through Friday.

Applicants for the position of driver do not have to be veterans. Applicants are required to study a training manual and pass a complete physical exam. The drivers cannot be over age 70. The drivers are volunteers and are not paid a salary.

If you read about the budget in various places, all the glowing language might make it look as though so many millions are being provided to help veterans ... but keep a calculator handy and do the math. Consider your own financial position and think of what a 22% shortfall would do. There would be cutbacks, doing without, unmet needs, etc.

To read more about the damage the budget would do, check out www.va.gov/opa/pressrel/ pressrelease.cfm?id=5874

* * *

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.

The AMVETS Express has operated since 2004 and it is the only free van transportation from the desert to the VA Hospital. Drivers are not permitted to accept tips from the passengers. The AMVETS Express takes homeless veterans and veterans who are having a mental health crisis to the hospital. We also transport many disabled veterans who cannot drive a car. For many veterans the AMVETS Express is the only way for them to receive their medical care. We transport about 22 veterans per month. Because we only have three drivers right now on some days we cannot operate for lack of a driver. To apply please call

at (760)

regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but will incorporate them in the column whenever possible. Readers may email questions to ToYourGoodHealth@med.cornell.edu.

(c)

North America Synd., Inc. All Rights Reserved

-- by Jim Miller

How Medicare Covers Physical Therapy Services

DEAR SAVVY SENIOR: Does Medicare cover physical therapy, and if so, how much coverage do they provide? My 66-year-old husband was recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and will need ongoing physical therapy to help his condition. We are very concerned about the expense of these treatments and whether they may have to be outof-pocket for us.

Worried Wife

speech therapy.

He can get these services as an outpatient at a number of places like a doctor or therapist office; in a hospital outpatient department; at an outpatient rehabilitation facility; at skilled nursing facilities if he is being treated as an outpatient; and at home through a therapist connected with a home health agency when he is ineligible for Medicare’s home health benefit.

For outpatient therapy, Medicare will pay 80 percent of the Medicare-approved amount after you meet your Part B deductible ($226 in 2023). You will be responsible for the remaining 20 percent unless you have supplemental insurance.

Advantage plan (like an HMO or PPO), these plans must cover everything that’s included in original Medicare Part A and Part B coverage. However, some Advantage plans may require a person to use services from physical therapy practices within an agreed network. If he has an Advantage plan, you’ll need to contact his specific plan before selecting a physical therapy provider to confirm they’re within the network.

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More Questions?

Final Changes DUE:

If you have other questions about coverage and costs for therapeutic services, call Medicare at 800-633-4227 or contact your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), which provides free Medicare counseling. Visit ShipHelp.org or call 877-839-2675 to connect with a local SHIP counselor.

ADVERTISING PROOF

Dear Worried: Yes, Medicare does indeed pay for physical therapy along with occupational and speech therapy too, if he needs it, as long as it’s prescribed by his doctor. You’ll also be happy to know that Medicare has no limits on how much it will pay for therapy services, but there is an annual coverage threshold you should be aware of. Here’s what you should know.

Outpatient Therapy

To get Medicare Part B – which covers outpatient care – to help cover your husband’s physical therapy, it must be considered medically necessary and will need to be ordered by his doctor. The same holds true for occupational and

“BEFORE YOU slip and fall give a call!”

But be aware that if his therapy costs reach $2,230 in calendar year (2023), Medicare will require his provider to confirm that his therapy is still medically necessary. Medicare used to set annual limits on what it would pay for outpatient therapeutic services, but the cap was eliminated a few years back.

You also need to know that treatment recommended by a physical therapy provider but not ordered by a doctor is not covered. In this situation, the therapist is required to give your husband a written notice, called an Advance Beneficiary Notice of Noncoverage or ABN, advising you that Medicare may not pay for the service. If he chooses to proceed with the therapy, he is agreeing to pay the cost in full.

Inpatient Therapy

changes or corrections.

If your husband happens to need physical therapy at an inpatient rehabilitation facility like at a skilled nursing facility or at your home after a hospitalization lasting at least three days, Medicare Part A – which provides hospital coverage – will pick up the tab.

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To be eligible, his doctor will need to certify that he has a medical condition that requires rehabilitation, continued medical supervision, and coordinated care that comes from his doctors and therapists working together.

Whether you incur out-of-pocket costs such as deductibles and coinsurance, and how much they are, will depend on the setting for the treatment and how long it lasts. For more information on inpatient therapy out-of-pocket costs see Medicare.gov/coverage/inpatient-rehabilitation-care.

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• Over 70,000 faithful readers every week - cover to cover!

• Survey results prove that 96.8% of readers notice and read the advertising in Tidbits

-- OR -JUNQUE

by Anne McCollam Creators News Service

Talking Tomato Tells Time

Q: I am enclosing a photo of a plastic talking Heinz alarm clock that I bought at auction over 20 years ago.

The Heinz tomato figure is wearing a top hat, a monocle, a black tux jacket with grey pants, gloves, black bow tie, spats and is holding a cane, and he has green leaves on his head. It stands about nine inches tall, and he is in perfect condition.

When the alarm begins, it says, “It’s time to get up, get up right away. Wake up before you play catsup all day.

Remember Heinz is the thick rich one.” The alarm, time, minute and volume set buttons are on the back. It runs on a quartz battery.

Could you tell me if it’s worth anything?

A: Heinz Soup Company made this advertising/promotional clock around 1985. It has sold as high as over $300 in the past, but now can be seen on eBay in the range of $50 to $75.

Q: I’m wondering about the value of my collection of over 100 women’s hats from the 1930s to the 1970s. Most were never worn and are in excellent condition. They are in all colors, styles, textures, and some are feathered. Also, I would like to know if there is a collectors club for vintage hats.

A: Although vintage women’s hats are collectible, I don’t have the name of any collectors clubs. You might try researching on the Internet. Most hats from the period you described

Puzzle Solutions

Country division in which people always drape themselves in long South Asian garments: a sari state.

are in the range of $25 to $50. Some can go much higher.

Q: I have enclosed a copy of the mark that is on the back of a porcelain plate that I have. It is 10 inches in diameter and decorated with a blue and white scene of a building titled “Detroit New County Building.” On the border are images of a school and other municipal buildings.

Anything you can tell me about its age, history and value will be greatly appreciated.

* On May 29, 2018, Russian journalist Arkady Babchenko faked his own death with the intention of exposing Russian agents. While the media at first reported that he’d been assassinated on his way home to his Kyiv apartment, Babchenko appeared very much alive the next day at a press conference broadcast on Ukrainian television.

A: This mark was used by New York importers, Rowland and Marsellus. They imported porcelain made in Europe from around 1860 to 1938. The wares were distributed by businesses in the United States. They specialized in souvenir and historical wares. The scenes were usually blue and white transfer ware designs and often featured borders decorated with fruits and flowers.

S. Hancock and Company, located in Stokeon-Trent, England and British Anchor Pottery Company, Staffordshire, England, were two of the potteries that produced the historical wares.

Your plate was made around 1908 and would probably be worth $25 to $50.

* * *

Antiques expert and columnist Anne McCollam has recently 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 May 30, 1964, the Beatles’ official debut single, “Love Me Do,” made it to No. 1 on the U.S. music charts. The tune was co-written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, though Lennon later would say it was “Paul’s song ... I do know he had the song around, in Hamburg, even, way, way before we were songwriters.”

* On May 31, 1911, the “unsinkable” RMS Titanic was launched from Belfast, Northern Ireland, where it had been built. Its tragic fate the following April remains the deadliest peacetime sinking of an ocean liner or cruise ship.

* On June 1, 1843, antislavery activist Isabella Baumfree became a Methodist and adopted the memorable moniker “Sojourner Truth.” Born into slavery herself circa 1797, she chose the name after claiming that God had called her to leave the city for the countryside and testify “to the hope that was within her.”

* On June 2, 1908, the song “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” was copyrighted. Now the unofficial anthem of North American baseball, it wasn’t inspired by personal experience, as the tune’s writers, Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer, had never actually attended a game when they penned it.

* On June 3, 1989, following student unrest that was spreading to the rest of the country’s population, China began using troops armed with assault rifles and accompanied by tanks to subdue protesters in Tiananmen Square, Beijing. Estimates of the death toll ranged from several hundred to several thousand people, with thousands more wounded.

* On June 4, 1411, France’s King Charles VI granted a monopoly for the ripening of Roquefort cheese to the village of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon. The cheese’s origin more than three centuries earlier was humble indeed, after a shepherd left his noon meal in a cave by accident and found it weeks later.

(c) 2023 King Features Synd., Inc.

"Sorry to tell you this, but you can't play today because it's Foursome Friday" and your game is so atrociously pathetic that the other three guys bailed out on you."

Talking Tomato Clock was a promotion from Heinz Soup Company.

Rowland And Marsellus imported porcelain from Europe to the U.S.

Carrots (from page 3)

thumb and market them as “baby” carrots?

• The first problem was that when the carrots were cut and polished, they turned white. A different “grit” was used for the polishing and that did the trick. Next was that the plastic bags would blow up like a balloon because the carrots were still alive and “breathing.” This was solved by running the bags through a machine that poked them with little holes. Now the issue was that the carrots would dry out, so a light spray of water was added before the bags were sealed.

• As soon as they entered the market in 1990, baby carrots were a hit. Carrot consumption doubled within the first year of their release. Today, 70% of carrots sold are baby carrots.

• Demand was so high it outstripped the supply of oddly shaped carrots. Yurosek developed a new strain that is long, straight, thin, and perfect for cutting into two-inch segments. The parts that are thinner than a thumb are turned into “carrotinis” and sold to schools for children to eat.

• The peels that are polished off are turned to carrot juice with the residue added to animal feed. Carrot tops are composted. Yurosek’s carrot business now produces one of the least wasteful vegetables in the industry.

CLOSING CARROT FACTS

• The average fresh carrot yield per acre planted is approximately 34,000 lbs.

• Cumin, dill, anise, fennel, coriander, cilantro, and parsley, all of which are closely related to carrots, are cultivated for their seeds which are highly flavored, just as the seeds of carrots are. Carrots are also closely related to celery and parsnip.

• A single medium-sized carrot has 25 calories, with 86% coming from carbs, 9% from protein, and 5% from fat.

• Carrot juice is sometimes used to darken the color of cheese.

• Americans eat about 12 lbs (5.4 kg) of carrots per year. The average person eats about 10,866 carrots in their lifetime. □

STAN SMITH’S TENNIS CLASS

Changers

Stop the Pop Ups

Hitting those sky high, short distance drives can be infuriating to the majority of golfers. Most golfers assume they’ve just teed the ball too high, but there are some more critical issues to attend if you struggle with this crisis.

The majority of “pop ups’ occur when the club is approaching on too descending of an angle of attack. The steepness of the approach causes the ball to hit the higher part of the club, thus creating the high, weak trajectory. Many golfers shift their upper bodies and heads toward the ball in the downswing creating a steeper angle of attack.

In order to improve the swing’s process, picture the bottom of the swing’s arc a few inches behind the ball. Focus on that space of the ground while making swings, which should keep your head and eyes behind the ball by impact.

10. U.S. STATES: Which is the only state that doesn’t have a mandatory seat belt law for adults?

GO FIGURE!

TRIVIA TEST Answers Answers

by Linda Thistle

Answers

1. Sunnydale High.

2. Tom Hanks.

3. Heathcliff and Catherine.

4. Skittles.

5. Wasabi.

6. Melanin.

7. Egypt.

The idea of Go Figure is to arrive at the figures given at the bottom and right-hand columns of the diagram by following the arithmetic signs in the order they are given (that is, from left to right and top to bottom). Use only the numbers below the diagram to complete its blank squares and use each of the nine numbers only once. DIFFICULTY:

8. Margaret Thatcher.

9. Xylem.

10. New Hampshire.