Vol. 19: #30 • Left Handed • (7-23-2023) Tidbits of Coachella Valley

by Janet Spencer

Are you a lefty, a righty, or something in between?

As more research is done the clearer it becomes there isn’t always a sharp line between being lefthanded and right-handed. This week Tidbits takes an ambidextrous look at the subject and reveals some interesting facts that have puzzled both sides of the population since writing tools were invented.

LEFTY OR RIGHTY?

• The language center in the brain is located in the left hemisphere for about 99% of right-handers. The original theory was that the brains of lefties and righties would be mirror images of each other and therefore the language center would be located in the right hemisphere for most left-handers. But surprisingly, the invention of the MRI and fMRI proved this to be untrue. The language center is actually located in the left hemisphere for about 70% of lefties.

(Answers on page 16)

• Nicholas White had it all together back in 1999: a great job working as an editor for “Business Week”, a girlfriend, an apartment, and a savings account. All that changed due to a disastrous smoke break.

• It was around 11:00 pm when 34-year-old Nicholas, still at work at his office on the 43rd floor of the 51-story McGraw-Hill building in New York City, needed a smoke break. He told his co-worker he was stepping out and took the express elevator to the lobby, where he went outdoors. He returned to the express elevator and pushed the button for the 43rd floor.

• Much to his surprise, the elevator rose just a short distance when the lights blinked and the elevator abruptly halted. Nicholas was irritated but not alarmed. He pushed other floors on the panel to no avail. He pressed the intercom button but no one answered. After waiting several minutes he pushed the alarm button, which jangled loudly, but got no response.

• After the alarm rang continuously for over an hour, Nicholas disconnected the wires. He then tried intermittently touching them together to signal the international SOS code. He got no response of any kind. He waved desperately into the security camera and pounded on the doors with both hands. Nothing helped. Stranded with only three cigarettes, two Rolaids, and his wallet, he was a helpless passenger imprisoned in an elevator car and could summon no help.

• He thought surely his co-worker would report him missing; surely maintenance would look into why the alarm bell was sounding, and why an elevator car wasn’t moving. Surely the emergency maintenence guys would come to his rescue. None of that happened.

was thirsty with dehydration and didn’t want to make it worse.

• Nicholas wondered if he would die, isolated alone and abandoned, locked in this elevator car prison. He gave up. He lay motionless on the floor in despair for hours.

• Finally, the sound of a man's voice barked over the intercom, demanding to know what he was doing there, and accusing him of trespassing. He hollered, “Just get me out of here!” After calling for help, the security guard asked Nicholas if he needed anything. “A beer!” he answered.

• Eventually an elevator maintenance technician walked him through a complicated series of combinations with the elevator buttons, and the elevator started moving. When the doors slid open, he was back in the lobby and it was Sunday afternoon at 4:00 pm. He had been trapped for 41 hours.

• Nicholas became a media sensation, and was subsequently deluged by lawyers promising him a huge pay-out, perhaps as much as $25 million. Unfortunately, he listened to their advice, quit his job, and waited for the millions to pour in. It took four years for the case to drag through the courts. But the courts ultimately awarded him only a paltry low six-figure amount. By now he had lost a job he had held for 15 years, used up his savings, lost his girlfriend, and was adrift.

• The security camera footage of his ordeal was released in 2008 in conjunction with a “New Yorker” article about the incident. Played at 40x regular speed, the split-screen footage shows three other elevators being serviced, while his elevator was ignored by maintenance personnel. Eight security workers came and went while he was trapped, without a single one noticing the stuck elevator or seeing him waving on camera.

• Nicholas White endured a long period of unemployment, then finally got a job working at a sporting goods store. He still lives in Manhattan, and still rides elevators. No word on whether or not he still takes smoke breaks. □

1. WEATHER: What is the name of the hot wind that blows from the Sahara Desert to the southern coast of Europe?

2. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: What is the name of the condition of seeing human faces in random or ambiguous objects or patterns?

3. GEOGRAPHY: What is the only country that borders the United Kingdom?

4. THEATER: Which Broadway play features a helicopter on stage?

5. LITERATURE: Who wrote the novel “One Hundred Years of Solitude”?

6. MEDICAL: What is the common name for the ailment called epistaxis?

7. TELEVISION: Which TV comedy popularized the phrase “Yabba Dabba Do”?

8. MOVIES: What is the nickname that Steven Spielberg gave the mechanical shark in the movie “Jaws”?

9. HISTORY: When did the Boxer Rebellion take place in China?

10. MATH: Which number doesn’t have a corresponding Roman numeral?

• Eventually, he pried open the doors only to see a solid concrete wall inches from his nose. Shouting down the shaft did no good. He was forced to urinate into the void to relieve himself. He tried to open the trap door in the ceiling by standing on the handrails, only to find it locked. He tried to sleep. He examined every single item in his wallet. He smoked his last three cigarettes, but did not eat the Rolaids because by now, he

2. Pareidolia.

3. Republic of Ireland.

4. “Miss Saigon.”

Left Handed (from page one)

• President Gerald Ford was right-handed whenever he did things while standing up, such as throwing things or playing a sport, but he was left-handed when doing things while seated, including writing and eating.

• Babe Ruth wrote and ate with his right hand but batted and pitched left-handed. In fact, research indicates that up to 30% of left-handers write with their left but throw with their right. Similarly, Ronald Regan used his right hand for forks and pens but twirled the guns in his movies with his left. When he once threw out the first pitch at a baseball game, he used his right hand, and the pitch went wild, landing in the stands.

• This is typical for ambidextrous people, who tend to divide tasks between hands. These people might more accurately be called “mixed-handed.” Truly ambidextrous people can perform all tasks equally well with both hands, whether they are opening jars, drawing a picture, dealing cards, shaving, or striking a match. Experts estimate that only one percent of the population is fully ambidextrous, using both hands equally well.

LEFTYS IN SPORTS

• Left-handed people tend to have an advantage in some competitive sports such as boxing, tennis, fencing, volleyball, judo, and karate, perhaps because their right-handed opponents are accustomed to playing other right-handed people and are surprised when some moves come “out of left field.”

• However, one neuroscientist theorizes that lefthanders get their edge because visual processing, movement control, and three-dimensional planning are all located in the same hemisphere, whereas a righty has to coordinate information between the left and the right hemisphere. This

process would only take a few milliseconds, but it could explain why lefties have an advantage.

• More than a third of Major League baseball pitchers are lefties, a rate three times higher than the general population. Additionally, 49% of top hitters in baseball have been left-handed. On the other “hand” only 4% of top golfers throughout history have been left-handed.

HAND USE STUDIES

Final

• Several tests determine how strongly a person is either left- or right-oriented. Designed in 1971 by neuropsychologist Richard Oldfield, the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory measures just exactly how left- or right-handed a person is. Given a list of typical tasks, respondents are asked if they perform each job with the left or right hand or both: using a spoon or toothbrush, writing, throwing, etc. Many people demonstrate a mix of using both hands.

The unincorporated town of

2.What

Left Handed: Turn to page 15

• One researcher studied fetuses in the womb, tracking which thumb they sucked. They took 1,000 ultrasound scans of 75 pre-born infants and followed those children until they reached through a telescope); and 60% their right ear (when listening on the phone). The split is not the same with lefties, however: 40% favor their right eye instead of their left, and about half are right-footed.

1. In a study of over 11,000 children in the U.K., what difference in intelligence did researchers find between left- and right-handed kids?

2. What famous musician played a standard right-handed guitar upside down?

(Answers page 16)

1.VERNALEQUINOX

2.CROCUS

NUGGETS OF KNOWLEDGE

Charles Darwin hypothesized that lefthandedness was an inherited trait after noting that his father was a lefty; he married a lefty; and two of his seven surviving children were lefties.

• The Purdue Pegboard test consists of two parallel rows of 30 holes. A dish at the bottom holds 30 pegs that fit the holes and 30 metal donuts that fit on top of the pegs. Test subjects put the pegs in the holes and then place the donuts on top of the pegs as quickly as they can first using their dominant hand and then using the other. A researcher stands by with a stopwatch to chart the results.

ADVERTISING PROOF

Final

• One unusual evaluation involves a virtual reality environment where a target constantly moves. Test subjects try to hit the target with a curser, first using one hand and then the other, all while being immersed in the virtual reality world where they cannot see their hands. During the first session, researchers ask them to focus on speed. The second time around, they are asked to focus on accuracy. Test after test shows that the dominant hand performs better in speed tests, while the non-dominant hand consistently displays superior accuracy.

• People who are neurologically or developmentally disabled tend to be inconsistent with which hand they use. This is particularly true if they have never learned to write.

by Mary Hunt

By Lucie Winborne

* Remember the stunning green Versace gown worn by Jennifer Lopez at the 2000 Grammy Awards ceremony? Not only was it a sartorial feat of engineering, it inspired the creation of Google Images: The search engine added that function because so many people were looking for pictures of the outfit.

* The beloved Sesame Street characters Bert and Ernie were named for the police officer and taxi driver in Frank Capra’s holiday classic “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

* Biologists named a species of ants unique to New York City “ManhattAnts.”

* Due to a shrimp’s open circulatory system, it has no arteries, and its organs just float around in its blood.

* Spain’s national anthem, the “Marcha Real” (“Royal March”), is one of only four such anthems in the world (along with those of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, and San Marino) to have no official lyrics.

* British military tanks are equipped to make tea.

* The longest walking distance in the world, from Magadan in Russia to Cape Town, South Africa, is 14,000 miles. Be sure to take plenty of extra shoes!

* On the other hand, if you’re more in line for a much quicker journey, hop on the world’s shortest commercial flight, from Westray Island to Papa Westray Island in Scotland -- it’ll take all of 90 seconds.

* IKEA rugs were used for the Night’s Watch cloaks in Game of Thrones.

* Abraham Lincoln remains the only U.S. president ever to have held a patent. While his invention was registered as a device for “buoying vessels over shoals” in 1849, it was never actually used on boats or made commercially available.

* Hellmann’s, anyone? In some countries, mayonnaise is a popular pizza topping.

Thought for the Day: “Great thoughts speak only to the thoughtful mind, but great actions speak to all mankind.”

-- Theodore Roosevelt

(c) 2023 King Features Synd., Inc.

GROW

Chicken Labeling at the Supermarket:

Prepare to Be Surprised

NATURAL

Under USDA regulations, a “natural” product has no artificial ingredients or added color. Most ready-to-cook chicken can be labeled “natural” if processors choose to do so.

NO HORMONES ADDED

This label is meaningless because federal regulations prohibit the use of hormones in chicken. Period.

Any cut or brand of chicken can be labeled “raised without hormones.”

However, if the processor chooses to say that on the label, it must also clearly state that no hormones are used in the production of any poultry allowed for consumption in the U.S.

by Mary Hunt

If you’ve ever stood in the supermarket wondering if paying more for chicken that is freerange, antibiotic-free, no hormones added, farmraised, natural and organic is going to make you healthier, wealthier, wise -- or just a better person -- you’re not alone.

Recently, as I was doubting myself on my chicken choices, I decided to get to the bottom of what all of this really means. It’s not what I thought.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is a cabinet-level agency that oversees the regulation of food-grade chicken and is responsible for the claims on packaging and labels. And despite all of the hype and fluff, there is only one label -- organic -- that guarantees specific standards and for which you might consider paying more.

Briefly, here is what all of it means -- or doesn’t mean -- according to the USDA.

FREE-RANGE

There is no specific definition for freerange. For sure, it does not mean, “running free to forage for grubs and grain on acres of rolling green pastureland.”

The USDA generally allows this term if chickens have access to the outdoors for at least part of the day, which could mean a matter of a few minutes, whether that chicken chooses to go outdoors or not.

A single open door at one end of a huge chicken warehouse meets this definition of freerange. Even so, “Less than one percent of chickens nationwide are raised free-range,” according to the National Chicken Council.

CAGE-FREE

This means not housed in cages. It does not mean roaming happily in large open areas. Cage-free can mean crammed together in an indoor henhouse and given very little room to breathe and be their naturally born chicken selves.

SALES. Save Money.

• Running your business successfully means making smart decisions. Make your advertising choice a wise one.

ANTIBIOTIC-FREE (OR RAISED WITHOUT ANTIBIOTICS)

This means that the flock was raised without the use of products classified as antibiotics for animal health maintenance, disease prevention or treatment of disease.

But why mention this on the label? All processed chickens in the U.S. must be “antibiotic-free” in the sense that no antibiotic residues are allowed to be present in the meat.

MADE IN THE USA

Nearly 100 percent chickens and chicken products sold in the U.S. come from chickens hatched, raised and processed in the U.S. An exception is a small number imported from Canada, which has food safety and quality standards equal to the U.S.

ORGANIC

The USDA has a very specific rule to define “organic” production and prohibits the use of the term “organic” on the packaging of any food product not produced in accordance with its rule. Organic chicken means that 100% of the chicken feed was grown without chemical fertilizers, herbicides and other genetically modified organisms for at least three years.

According to USDA, the organic label does not indicate that the product has safety, quality or nutritional attributes that are any higher than conventionally raised chicken. So there.

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 the author of the book “Debt-Proof Living.”

COPYRIGHT 2023 CREATORS.COM

• Running your business successfully means making smart decisions. Make your advertising choice a wise one.

• An ad schedule in Tidbits means you reach a whole new audience that doesn’t see your advertising in the Desert Sun or in other valley publications. Plus, our lower Cost Per Thousand advertising rates save you money!

• An ad schedule in Tidbits means you reach a whole new audience that doesn’t see your advertising in other valley publications. Plus, our lower Cost Per Thousand advertising rates save you money!

Consider this:

• Extensive valley-wide distribution in over 600 newsstand locations - including Wal-Mart neighborhood markets and Walgreens stores, restaurants, medical offices, and more!

delivers affordable

more!

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

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

• Your 14 week ad campaign gets over 1 MILLION impressions!

• Survey results prove that 96.8% of readers notice and read the advertising in Tidbits (and you’re a perfect example).

• Survey results prove that 96.8% of readers notice and read the advertising in Tidbits (and you’re a perfect example).

• Orca whales are among the most socially stable species on earth. They are also the most widely dispersed mammals, next to humans.

• You might think that a whale’s massive size is the only edge they’d need when hunting in the open waters, but humpback whales team up to use a “bubble-net” technique to catch their prey. Sometimes, the whales swim in an upward spiral and blow bubbles underwater, creating a circular “net” of bubbles that make the fish feel confined and less likely to escape.

• Humpback whales produce the longest and most varied songs in the animal world.

• Blue whales are the largest animals on earth, growing to a length of 90 feet and more. Their songs can be heard hundreds of miles away. This is primarily because they communicate at depths of around 3,000 feet, using a channel formed by a layer of the ocean where low-frequency sound waves are trapped by temperature, salinity, and pressure and subsequently transported for great distances. This channel is called the “sound fixing and ranging” channel, abbreviated as SOFAR. The call of a blue whale, at 190 decibels, is the loudest of any animal and equals that of a multiengine jet plane roaring at full takeoff power.

• Whale songs were first discovered in the 1950s when the U.S. Navy developed a type of sonar designed to spy on the location of submarines and ships during the Cold War. Not only could

they hear subs and ships, but they could also hear the singing of blue and finback whales up to 1,800 miles away! The discovery was kept secret because the government wanted to keep the existence of their sonar under wraps. When the Cold War ended, the tapes were released.

• Two pods of killer whales frequent the Pacific waters off the British Columbia coast. One pod is called the Residents because they live there all summer and fall feeding only on fish. The family units stay together their entire lives. Females can live up to the age of 90, while males live to about 60. These whales communicate with their own dialect, and males will only mate with a female killer whale with a different dialect.

• Those with a different dialect are called the Transients, a pod that passes through their territory periodically. The Transients eat mainly seals. Local harbor seals can distinguish between the dialects of the Resident pod, who eat fish, and the Transient pod, who eat seals. They stay out of the way whenever Transients are around.

• Groups of killer whales have their own dialects that are further influenced by the company they keep. A 2014 study revealed that orcas housed with bottlenose dolphins over a long period of time were able to replicate the dolphins’ language.

• Dolphins have an array of vocalizations such as clicks, whistles and squeals which they use for their well-developed communication and echolocation skills.

• Most humans are right-handed, with a small percentage being left-handed, and the same holds true for bottlenose dolphins. In fact, dolphins are even more strongly right-handed than humans.

• A team led by Florida’s Dolphin Communication Project studied the feeding habits of bottlenose dolphins and found that the animals turned to their left side 99.44 percent of the time, which actually indicated a right-side preference, because the maneuver puts the dolphin’s right side and right eye closer to the floor of the ocean as it hunts.

• The bones in a dolphin’s ear are identical to those in a human’s ear, except that they are several times bigger.

• Experiments with captive dolphins show that they can locate a silver dollar underwater at a distance of almost 250 feet. They can distinguish between a BB and a kernel of corn at 50 feet. They can tell the difference between identical

spontaneously learned to perfectly imitate the rise of a scuba diver’s bubbles as he worked in the containment tank.

• Dolphins are marine mammals. They must surface to breathe air and give birth to their young, which are born live. □

by Dana Jackson

Q: I’ve followed David Boreanaz’s career ever since he first played Angel on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” Does he have another TV series lined up soon? -- K.K.

A: Talent, looks and charm have helped David Boreanaz lead three successful television series. He was introduced as Angel on “Buffy” back in 1997 and had such a strong fan following that the spinoff “Angel” was created -- and lasted five seasons.

He then landed his biggest hit yet by playing the cocky FBI agent Seeley Booth opposite Emily Deschanel in “Bones,” which ran for 12 seasons on Fox. Hart Hanson, who created “Bones,” has hinted that he’d be open to reviving the show.

Boreanaz’s most recent series, “SEAL Team,” transitioned to Paramount+ after leaving CBS, but its seasons are much shorter now at just 10 episodes. So, if “Bones” does resurface, there’s a good chance that the two leads have room in their schedules to commit to it. ***

Q: Is Taylor Kinney ever returning to “Chicago Fire”? He’s my favorite actor, and I’ve enjoyed watching him since the show began. But I read a rumor that he’s gone for good. -- L.G.

A: It’s not looking too promising that Taylor Kinney will resume playing Lt. Kelly Severide

on the long-running NBC hit show “Chicago Fire.” The actor took a leave of absence this past January with no specific return date mentioned. A source told Deadline.com that the decision seemed somewhat last-minute, with writers having to rework scripts to explain his character’s absence.

In April, NBC renewed “Chicago Fire” for another season, its 12th, but announced that there would be budget cuts. Some have speculated that if Kinney returns, it could be well into the upcoming season so that NBC doesn’t have to pay him as much. Apparently, most of the cast will take turns sitting out for a few episodes to free up the budget.

Kinney did issue a statement following the untimely death of actor Treat Williams in June. Williams played Kinney’s father on “Chicago Fire” between 2013-2018. Kinney told People magazine that Williams was like a father figure to everyone on set. “I’ll always relish our conversations and his uncanny ability to light up a room,” he stated. “We all send love; he will be missed.” ***

Q: I saw a commercial for a new movie or TV series called “Haunted Mansion,” which is obviously based on the Disney ride of the same name. But didn’t they already make a

movie about this a few years ago? -- D.E.

A: ”Haunted Mansion,” starring Owen Wilson and Rosario Dawson, is a new film that’s loosely based on the popular ride at the Disney theme parks. It’ll probably shock you to learn that the first film adaptation was released 20 years ago. It starred Eddie Murphy and Jennifer Tilly, and had a bit of a longer title -- “The Haunted Mansion.”

The original film was panned by critics, and while it wasn’t exactly a financial flop, it wasn’t as big of a hit as “Pirates of the Caribbean,” another ride-to-motion-picture adaptation.

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.

1. Insidious: The Red Door (PG-13) Ty Simpkins, Patrick Wilson

1. Split ................................ (PG-13) James McAvoy, Anya Taylor-Joy

2. Rings (PG-13) Matilda Anna Ingrid Lutz, Alex Roe

2. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (PG-13) Harrison Ford, Phoebe Waller-Bridge

3. A Dog’s Purpose (PG) Josh Gad, Dennis Quaid

3. Sound of Freedom (PG13) Jim Caviezel, Mira Sorvino

4. Hidden Figures ....................(PG) Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer

4. Elemental (PG) Leah Lewis, Mamoudou Athie

5. Spider-Man: Across the SpiderVerse (PG) Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld

5. La La Land .................... (PG-13) Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone

6. Resident Evil: The Final Chapter ...................................... (R) Milla Jovovich, Iain Glen

6. Joy Ride (R) Debbie Fan, Kenneth Liu

7. Sing (PG) animated

7. No Hard Feelings (R) Jennifer Lawrence, Andrew Barth Feldman

8. Lion (PG-13) Dev Patel, Nicole Kidman

ads

9. The Space Between Us .. (PG-13) Gary Oldman, Asa Butterfield

8. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (PG-13) Anthony Ramos, Dominique Fishback

9. The Little Mermaid (PG) Halle Bailey, Jonah Hauer-King

10. xXx: Return of Xander Cage .................................... (PG-13)

Vin Diesel, Donnie Yen

10. Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken (PG) Jane Fonda, Lana Condor

© 2017 King Features Synd., Inc.

© 2023 King Features Synd., Inc.

David Boreanaz as Jason Hayes in “SEAL Team.”

Photo Credit: Eric Ray Davidson

Good Recipes from Grilled Chicken Breasts, Three Ways

This simple recipe for grilled chicken breasts on the bone with crispy skin and juicy meat takes on a new dimension when one of our flavorful mixtures is rubbed under the skin -Sun-Dried Tomato & Basil, Garlic-Herb or SageButter.

Choice of Seasoning Mixture (see below)

2 whole bone-in chicken breasts, split (about 2 1/2 pounds)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

1. Prepare one of the Seasoning Mixtures (see below).

2. With fingertips, separate skin from meat on each breast half. Rub equal amounts of Seasoning Mixture under skin of each breast. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.

3. Place chicken on grill over medium heat, and cook about 25 minutes or until juices run clear when thickest part of breast is pierced with tip of knife, turning over once. Serves 4. ***

Sun-Dried Tomato & Basil Seasoning

In small bowl, mix 2 sun-dried tomatoes packed in seasoned olive oil, minced, and 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, finely chopped.

 Each serving: About 305 calories, 46g protein, 0g carbohydrate, 12g total fat (3g saturated), 0g fiber, 129mg cholesterol, 405mg sodium. ***

Garlic-Herb Seasoning

In small bowl, mix 2 garlic cloves, crushed with garlic press, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary, 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon peel.

 Each serving: About 335 calories, 46g protein, 1g carbohydrate, 15g total fat (4g saturated), 0g fiber, 129mg cholesterol, 400mg sodium. ***

Sage-Butter Seasoning

In small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon margarine or butter, softened, and 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves.

 Each serving: About 330 calories, 46g protein, 0g carbohydrate, 15g total fat (4g saturated), 0g fiber, 129mg cholesterol, 435mg sodium.

Herbed Roasted Potatoes

Potato chunks tossed with parsley and butter cook into tender morsels when foilwrapped.

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon peel

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes, cut in half

1. Heat oven to 450 F. In 3-quart saucepan, melt butter with parsley, lemon peel, salt and pepper over medium-low heat. Remove saucepan from heat; add potatoes and toss well to coat.

2. Place potato mixture in center of 24-by-18-inch sheet of heavy-duty foil. Fold edges over and pinch to seal tightly.

3. Place package in jelly-roll pan and bake until potatoes are tender when pierced (through foil) with knife, about 30 minutes. Makes 6 accompaniment servings.

 Each serving: About 126 calories, 2g protein, 20g carbohydrate, 4g total fat (2g saturated), 10mg cholesterol, 241mg sodium.

By John Allen

Brett Koth

Cody’s

Corner

Dog Talk with Uncle Matty

By Matthew Margolis Creators News Service

Your Dog’s Personality

“When Good Dogs Do Bad Things” is the title of a book on dogs that I co-authored with Mordecai Siegal. Chapter three is titled, “Your Dog’s Personality.” That’s right, your dog’s personality is weighty enough to warrant an entire chapter in a book.

When we discuss a dog’s personality, it’s important to note the difference between personality and temperament. Temperament is one’s natural disposition, determined by genes. Personality, as written in chapter three, “encompasses genetically derived behavior along with environmentally influenced behavior, which can, to some degree, be modified.”

Understanding your dog’s personality is infinitely useful. In fact, it’s wise to get to know a dog’s personality before he becomes your dog. Think of it as a chance to choose a relative. And choose carefully. This dog will be your responsibility and a big part of your life for the next 15 years or so.

There are six canine personality types, and any one dog can have up to five of the six types. The only personality types that are exclusive of each other are “nervous” and “sedate.” There’s no such thing as a relaxed, nervous dog.

The six personality types are: hardheaded/ stubborn, laid-back/sedate, excitable/nervous, timid/shy, responsive, and aggressive.

There are five tests that will help you unravel the mystery of your pup’s personality. The tests and their general purpose are listed below. For detailed information on how to safely and effectively administer these tests, please read “I Just Got a Puppy. What Do I Do?” This book takes you through each test, step by step, and is available in your public library, your local bookstore, Amazon or at unclematty.com.

--The Social Attraction Test measures your pup’s reaction to people. As you kneel down and talk to your dog affectionately or employ a highpitched whine, he’ll get excited or bark, back away or approach you playfully, whine back at you, stare you down, and on and on. His reaction will give you

Cody's Corner: Turn to Page 11

3. The Weekly “Brain Breaker”

SENIOR NEWS LINE

by Matilda Charles

Buying a New Vehicle

We all cringe when that day finally arrives -- that dreadful day we realize we absolutely have to buy a new vehicle. And it’s not only the expense that makes us cringe. It’s the whole process of wondering how we’re going to be taken advantage of if we go to a dealership.We realize the smooth-talking salesman makes his money on the commission he'll earn by selling us a car at the highest price he can get out of us.

The best way to guard yourself against getting totally taken is to do your homework (a lot of it) FIRST, to gain as much knowledge as you can before you step foot on the lot.

Contact your financial institution about pre-approval for a loan and their interest rates. Know how much vehicle you can afford before you end up at a dealership -- and stick with it.

Check Kelley Blue Book online and try to determine what value your current vehicle might have. Since more and more people are choosing to keep their old car rather than paying the skyrocketing price of a new one, It might be worth more than you think. Trade-ins are hot items nowadays.

Try to find something you like that’s already on the lot at an established dealership that you can test drive so you’re not waiting months for delivery.

Still, if you’re certain about a particular vehicle, you might see on a dealer website that the vehicle is “in transit” and will arrive “soon.” A deposit at the dealership can hold that vehicle for you. Warning No. 1: Inquire first whether that deposit is refundable. Warning No. 2: Get it in writing, including the sales price and VIN. In other words, do any haggling before you put down a deposit.

When at the dealership, do not express happy feelings for any certain vehicle or color. Remain noncommittal. Expect them to push you to accept their financing. Don’t disclose your credit score when they ask; they’re getting ready to start pushing the financing.

Don’t disclose that you’re already preapproved for a loan elsewhere until the very end when you’ve selected a vehicle.

Don’t tell them how much you want for your trade-in; they might be ready to offer even more.

And mostly, be willing to walk away if you’re pressured too much. If you get tired, go home. There are other dealerships everywhere.

(c) KingFeaturesSyndicate

“BEFORE

When You Need a Helping Hand

insight into his personality.

--The Sound Response Test is designed to determine whether your dog is noise shy, and it’s done in two parts. First, shake a can containing about 10 coins, obscuring the can behind your back. Second, toss the can about 10 feet away from the dog. The dog’s response to noise, both when the source is known and unknown, will tell you what kind of behavior problems you might be faced with and how to effectively deal with them.

--The Reaction to Discipline Test is used to determine whether your dog has been hit or punished by hand or with a newspaper on various parts of his body. This is an important test, as the dog may have negative associations with the human hand that could lead to aggression. It is a test that is given in two parts -- one using the hand, the other using a loud voice. Both parts require caution, and neither should be given to a dog that has previously displayed aggressive behavior like snarling, growling or biting.

--The Dominant or Subordinate Test will determine whether your dog has a dominant or subordinate personality. The test involves lying your dog on his back and gauging his reaction to your dominant position. Neither dominant nor submissive is bad. It will simply tell you what to expect and how to effectively relate to your dog.

--The Physical Sensitivity Test is not so much about personality as it is about your dog’s tolerance for pain and discomfort. Understanding how sensitive your dog is to pain will help you prevent dog bites.

I recently administered all five personality tests to six golden retriever puppies from the same litter. The dogs had the same genes and were the same breed, yet all six dogs had their own unique reactions to the tests and, therefore, their own unique personalities.

Please be sure to thoroughly educate yourself before putting your dog to these tests. Vital procedures must be followed in order to prevent harm to you or your dog, and in order to gain the valuable insight you seek. Getting safely acquainted with your dog’s personality is the smartest first

* * *

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. COPYRIGHT 2012

* * *

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.

YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY

by Tom Margenau

Ungrateful Greedy Geezers

Sometimes people bug me. Today I’m going to share some recent email exchanges I had with two people who bothered me. They both were spouting the same “get the government off my back” and “the government is out to squeeze every last nickel out of us” rhetoric, but neither of them realized how hypocritical their complaints were.

I’m going to call the first guy “Ungrateful Greedy Geezer.” Our email exchange went something like this. (Before I share the dialogue, I must point out that we were talking about the Medicare Part B program. There are two main parts to Medicare. Part A is hospital coverage. It’s paid for out of a payroll tax -- currently 1.45% -- so it is free once you reach age 65. Part B covers doctor’s visits, lab tests, etc., and is paid for by monthly premiums usually deducted from a Social Security recipient’s monthly benefits.) ***

UGG: I am 75 years old. I had a good year financially last year as some investments paid off in seven figures. So, imagine my shock when I learned that because I invested wisely, I will be paying much higher Medicare premiums this year. It just really ticks me off that the government has an unquenchable desire for more and more money. What can I do about this?

ME: I’ll answer your question in a minute, but first let me make this point. If the government has an “unquenchable desire for more and more money,” it’s because the American public has an unquenchable desire for more and more government programs and services that they are not willing to pay for (thus the annual federal budget deficit).

UGG: I agree. And as soon as we get rid of foreign aid and food stamps and all the welfare queens, we can get the country back on track!

ME: I wasn’t thinking about welfare queens, I was thinking about people like you.

UGG: (I can’t share what he wrote next, but it’s something you normally wouldn’t say in a polite discussion!)

ME: Well, let me explain. For ten years now, you’ve been riding for next to nothing on the government Medicare Part B gravy train. The premium was about a hundred bucks a month ten years ago and is $164.90 in 2023. (And by the way, that’s about five bucks less than the 2022 premium.)

OK, so $164.90 per month is not really “next to nothing,” but when you hear the rest of my explanation, you’ll see that it was and still is a pretty good deal. Most senior citizens don’t realize this, but that monthly Part B premium only covers 25% of the costs of the program. The taxpayers pick up the other 75%. So, for ten years now, you and other current seniors on Medicare have gotten quite a huge subsidy from the American taxpayer. (Actually, that subsidy has been in place the entire 58-year history of the program.)

And for a long time, it had been argued that senior citizens should pick up more of the tab for their Medicare Part B coverage. So, back in the mid 2000s, President George W. Bush and Congress ironed out a deal. They decided that most seniors would still only pay the 25% premium rate, but that wealthy seniors should pay a higher percentage. I’m not going to get into the nitty-gritty of the premium rates for wealthy people, but I’m pretty sure someone with your seven-figure income will pay about $400 per month for Part B coverage.

UGG: Well, I still think it’s too much and the government is ripping me off. And by the way, I don’t like your references to me and the gravy train. That’s quite a stretch coming from a guy who is a retired federal employee with free health care coverage!

ME: It will surprise you to learn that the supposedly “free” health care coverage I get as a retired fed costs me about $525 per month! Anyway, if you’re bound and determined to fight this Part B premium increase, you can file an appeal. Just do a Google search for the pamphlet called, “What you can do if you think your Medicare income-related premium is incorrect.” ***

And then there was this email exchange with another ungrateful greedy geezer. Although in this guy’s case, I’m going to give him the benefit of the doubt and assume he is uninformed rather than ungrateful. He was asking questions about benefits for his wife, so I’ll call him the “Uninformed Greedy Husband,” or UGH.

UGH: I am 68 and get Social Security retirement benefits. My wife is 66 and spent most of her career as a teacher in Texas, which means she never paid into Social Security. So, she gets a teacher’s retirement pension in lieu of Social Security. I was shocked to recently

learn that if I die first (which is likely), my wife will not be eligible for any widow’s benefits on my record whereas all other women in this country can get their husband’s Social Security after his death. It’s called the Government Pension Offset. I know there are bills in Congress to repeal this unfair law, but my guess is Congress will just keep handing out unwarranted benefits to deadbeats on disability and illegal immigrants and do nothing for hard-working people like me and my wife!

ME: People living in the country illegally cannot get Social Security benefits. And almost everyone getting a Social Security disability benefit has a severe mental or physical condition that keeps him or her from working. Also, “all other women” do not necessarily get widow’s benefits. So, it may surprise you to learn that you are the one clamoring for “unwarranted” Social Security benefits.

The GPO law says that an amount equal to two thirds of your wife’s teacher’s pension must be deducted from any widow’s benefits she might be due. Let’s say you get $3,000 from Social Security. And to keep things simple, I’ll say your wife is getting $3,000 per month in a teacher’s pension. If you die, two-thirds of $3,000, or $2,000, must be deducted from her widow’s benefits. So, she will get $1,000 in Social Security widow’s benefits as well as her $3,000 teacher’s pension.

Now compare that to another couple where both husband and wife paid into Social Security. For comparison purposes, let’s say they are each getting $3,000 in Social Security retirement benefits. If that husband dies, his wife won’t get a nickel in widow’s benefits because her entire Social Security retirement benefit is used to offset any widow’s benefits.

As a teacher, your wife already has a great deal, because she only has a two-thirds offset whereas Social Security recipients have a 100% offset. And you want Congress to repeal the GPO law so that your wife would get both a $3,000 teacher’s pension AND a $3,000 widow’s pension -- something no other woman in this country can get. I hope you see what I mean when I say you are the one trying to get “unwarranted” 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 Easy-to-Understand Fact Sheets

1. The book of Nahum is in the a) Old Testament b) New Testament c) Neither

2. From Matthew 11:18, who was accused of "having a devil" because he did not drink?

a) Mark b) John the Baptist c) Simon d) John

3. In Exodus 15:21, who sang a patriotic song after the crossing of the Red Sea?

a) Esther b) Delilah c) Miriam d) Rachel

4. From Judges 1:23-25, which Canaanite city did spies find the entrance to? a) Ai b) Bethel c) Sardis d) Jericho

5. In Acts 12:21-23, what ungodly ruler was struck down by an angel? a) Herod b) Ehud c) Jehu d) Pilate

6. Who was scolded by a talking donkey for beating him with his staff? a) Elihud b) Eliab c) Balak d) Balaam

Sharpen your understanding of scripture with Wilson Casey's latest book, "Test Your Bible Knowledge," now available in stores and online.

(Answers on page 16)

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

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.

Inc.

Inc.

How to Avoid Calcium While Taking Thyroid Medication

ANSWER: I have rarely seen a person allergic to so many classes of medicines, but it can occasionally happen. It’s unfortunate, but I certainly agree with you that an opioid (the term narcotic isn’t used any more) is too powerful a medication to use lightly.

There are serious side effects that can happen with tramadol, like any other opioid, and even appropriate use of opioids can lead to opioid use disorder. Misuse of prescription drugs is a huge problem in North America, and not prescribing them in the first place is a good way to prevent problems. (People who misuse opioids commonly get them from a friend or relative.)

VETERANS POST  

by Freddie Groves

$54 Million in Kickbacks

DEAR DR. ROACH: I had a thyroidectomy, and I take levothyroxine. Instructions for the medication state not to take it within four hours of consuming calcium. No discussion of the drug has clearly stated whether this only refers to calcium supplements or whether this also includes high-calcium foods.

ADVERTISING PROOF Final

ADVERTISING PROOF

Nonprescription ways of treating pain seem like a very good way to treat the occasional pains we all get. Topical treatments, like menthol, camphor-based creams or even topical NSAIDs like diclofenac, may not cause allergic reactions, so you might have success by trying those.

* * *

I usually take levothyroxine when I wake up, between 2 a.m. and 3:30 a.m., to avoid breakfast dairy products (i.e. yogurt, cheese and soy milk) and dinner foods (broccoli, leafy greens, dairy and soy). I go to bed fairly early. I eat mainly plant-based, plus dairy.

I have asked some doctors and pharmacists, only to have them answer with the question: “Doesn’t that only apply to supplements?” I don’t know! That’s why I’m asking. I want my thyroid prescription to work as it’s supposed to. Can you shed light on this issue? -- E.G.

ANSWER: Large amounts of elemental calcium do decrease the absorption of the thyroid hormone, thyroxine. If you were to take thyroxine (Synthroid and others) at the same time as you would a large calcium pill, you could expect the thyroid medicine to be about 7% to 8% less absorbed. (Iron and caffeine also decrease thyroid hormone absorption.)

A glass of cow’s milk taken at the same time will decrease thyroid hormone absorption. Soy milk has not been studied, but I would expect calcium-fortified soy milk to be similar to milk, yogurt and some high-calcium cheeses in their ability to reduce thyroxine absorption. However, I think you may be taking things too far. One hour is probably adequate enough to separate calcium from thyroxine. Furthermore, if you are consistent in taking your medication, your dose will get adjusted to the correct level. I doubt that vegetables have any effect on absorption.

Finally, in a study of people who took thyroxine sometimes with and sometimes without their calcium, the change was not enough to get them out of the desirable range, although the levels were definitely affected. The dose of thyroid hormone has a little bit of leeway in most people, although some people (such as those with a history of thyroid cancer who are now on replacement therapy after surgery) need to have a very exact dosage. So, avoiding calcium, iron and caffeine in those cases is more critical. ***

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 72-year-old woman who, over my adult years, has developed allergies to Tylenol and all NSAIDs. Just this week, I developed a rash after taking aspirin, which was my last resort for pain. I was given a prescription for tramadol, but I really don’t want to take a narcotic for aches and pains I only have periodically. Instead, I use ice, heat, stretching and exercise, which keep me pain-free most of the time. -- T.W.

Dr. Roach 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) 2023 North America Synd., Inc.

All Rights Reserved

Yet another scammer thought he would get away with his crimes. In a recent case, a thief was convicted for his part in a large compounded prescription drug ring, with kickbacks and bribes that included money, dinners and hunting trips. The Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS) bans offering bribes for medical care or drugs that aren’t medically necessary for patients. This applies to prescriptions that will be paid by TRICARE and Medicare (or any government program), and it was the physicians of those patients who were targeted and encouraged to use a certain pharmacy. Theft had apparently been going on for many years, likely beginning in 2012. Over the years, the thieves submitted over $54 million in false claims. Of that, TRICARE had paid out over $42 million in claims for those drugs. The compounded drugs in question had been rigged to be the most expensive possible to get back the most money in payment from TRICARE, and included drugs and pain/scar creams. The scammers would use “test billing” on fake claims to learn which claims would be paid the best.

TRICARE is the benefit program that provides coverage for retirees, spouses and families, active duty and others. In this case, the thieves submitted fake claims in over 30 states and a few foreign countries (which is likely why the scammer turned over his passport).

The original indictment was dated 2020 and included a whole alphabet of government agencies, including the FBI, Health and Human Services, Department of Defense, Department of Justice and the VA Office of Inspector General.

Meanwhile, several others were charged in the crimes, which included soliciting or receiving health care kickbacks and offering to pay kickbacks. Additionally, they used “blanket letters of authorization” as permission to modify the prescriptions of the drugs in order to get the most profit.

A big thumbs-up to the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program that spearheaded the investigation. Since 2007, they’ve gone after thousands of thieves that have billed more than $24 billion in fake claims.

* * *

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.

(c) 2023 King Features Synd., Inc.

"He was much more fun when he wasn't around all the time!"

-- by Jim Miller

Elder Mediation Can Help Families Navigate Thorny Caregiving Issues

DEAR SAVVY SENIOR: Can you recommend any services that can help families resolve elder parent caregiving conflicts? My 86-year-old father was recently diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease, and to make matters worse, my sister and brother and I can't agree on the best way to handle his future caregiving needs and financial affairs. Are there people who know how to resolve disputes like this? -- Conflicted Siblings

Dear Conflicted: It’s not unusual when adult children disagree with each other regarding the care of an elder parent. If you and your siblings are willing, a good possible solution is to hire an “eldercare mediator” who can help you work through your disagreements peacefully. Here’s how it works:

Elder Mediation

Mediators have been used for years to help divorcing couples sort out legal and financial disagreements and avoid court battles. But eldercare mediation is a rela tively new and specialized service designed to help families resolve disputes that are related to aging parents or other elderly rela tives. The number of senior citizens is rapidly growing, partly due to people living longer due to advanced modern medicine.

Family disagreements over an ill or elderly parent’s caregiving needs, their medi cal care, living arrangements, driving issues, legal and financial decisions are just some of the many issues that an elder care media tor can help with. But don’t confuse this with family or group therapy. Mediation is only about wise decision-making, not feelings, emotions and conflict resolution.

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.

The job of an elder mediator is to step in as a neutral third party to help ease family tensions, listen to everyone’s concerns, hash out disagreements and misunderstandings, and help your family make decisions that are acceptable to everyone.

Good mediators can also assist your family in identifying experts such as estateplanners, geriatric care managers, or health care or financial professionals who can supply important information enabling families to make the best decisions for their particular situation.

Your family also needs to know that the mediation process is completely confidential and can take anywhere from a few hours to several meetings depending on the complexity of your issues. And if some family members live far away, a conference or video call can be used to bring everyone together for discussion.

If you’re interested in hiring a private eldercare mediator, you can expect to pay anywhere from $100 to more than $500 per hour depending on where you live and who you choose. Or, if available in your area, you may be able to get help through a community-based nonprofit program that offers free or low-cost services by volunteer mediators.

Finding a Mediator

To locate an elder mediator in your area, start by asking for referrals from health professionals or hospital social workers, or search online at The Academy of Professional Family Mediators website (apfmnet.org) or Mediate.com. Both sites have searchable directories.

Or, to search for free/low-cost community-based mediation programs in your state, see the National Association for Community Mediation website (nafcm.org). Unfortunately, not all states offer them.

There is currently no universally accepted credential or professional standard for eldercare mediators, so make sure the person you choose has extensive experience with elder issues that are similar to what your family is dealing with. Also, be sure you ask for references -- and check them. Most elder mediators are attorneys, social workers, counselors or other professionals who are trained in mediation and conflict resolution.

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

by Anne McCollam

Sandwich Glass Set Made in the 1800s

Q: My wife and I went to an antique shop in Cape Cod this past Sunday that had a lot of Sandwich glass. Needless to say, I bought a piece. It is a small blue bowl with an under plate with ruffled edges and the glass is threaded. The bowl is 3 inches across and 2 inches deep; the under plate is 4 inches across. The color on the tag called it “electric blue.” They had a number of other different colors, but I liked this one the best.

According to the information in my Sandwich Glass books, they made quite a few similar sets from 1880 to 1887. Am I correct believing a man by the name of Lutz developed the threading process?

Can you tell me its value? I hope I got a bargain!

glass rather than pressed glass. Similar blue glass sets are selling in the range of $125 to $175. ***

Q: I inherited my mother’s set of dinnerware and would like to learn more about its history. I have enclosed the mark that is on the bottom of each piece. The set is a service for four and consists of dinner plates, cups, saucers, a cream pitcher, sugar bowl and a platter. The dishes are decorated with a brown branch and blue flowers against a white background. Any information you can provide about the maker, age and value of my set will be appreciated.

* On July 24, 1959, the popularly termed “kitchen debates” took place between U.S. Vice President Richard Nixon and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev in Moscow, where Nixon was visiting a house built as part of an exhibit in the American National Exhibition.

* On July 25, 1976, Viking 1, the first space probe to successfully land on Mars, took the famous photo of the Cydonia region that included a 1.2-mile mesa with the striking appearance of a humanoid face. The image has since been accepted by scientists as an optical illusion.

A: Red Wing Potteries Inc. made your dinnerware. The company was founded in 1877 in Red Wing, Minn.

“Driftwood” is the name of the pattern. Red Wing celebrated its 75th anniversary with the introduction of their “Anniversary Line.” “Driftwood” was one of the six patterns in the line. Your set is circa 1953 and would probably be worth $175 to $220.

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

COPYRIGHT 2023 CREATORS.COM

A: Boston and Sandwich Glass Company was located in Sandwich, Mass., from 1826 to 1888. They made blown three-piece molds, free-blown and pressed glass.

Nicolas Lutz was a master glass blower and designer who worked at Boston and Sandwich Glass Company from 1870 to 1888. He emigrated from France to the United States around 1869. He specialized in threaded and ribbon glass and was known for his paperweights and fancy glass marbles.

FYI. Check the bottom of both pieces to see if they have polished pontils, a sign they are blown

Puzzle Solutions

Town in which the roads are completely teeming with tire-snagging depressions: The Holey City.

* On July 26, 1863, Confederate cavalry leader John Hunt Morgan, along with 360 of his men, were captured at Salineville, Ohio, during a raid on the North. Starting in the previous July, Morgan made four major raids on Northern or Northern-held territory in a year, which, though of limited strategic importance, bolstered Southern morale while capturing badly needed supplies.

* On July 27, 1981, six-year-old Adam John Walsh was abducted from a mall in Hollywood, Florida, after following an older boy outside, and later found murdered. In the aftermath of the still-unsolved crime, his father, John Walsh, became a leading victims’ rights activist and host of the long-running television show “America’s Most Wanted.”

* On July 28, 1945, in a freak accident caused by heavy fog, a U.S. military plane crashed into New York City’s Empire State Building, killing 14 people, including the two pilots and a single passenger, and resulting in $1 million in damages.

* On July 29, 2012, rap singer Snoop Dogg (real name Calvin Broadus) was banned from Norway for two years after being caught attempting to bring a small amount of marijuana into the country in his luggage, as well as more cash than legally allowed.

* On July 30, 1733, the first Masonic Grand Lodge in the future United States, now known as St. John’s Lodge, was constructed in Massachusetts. It claims to be the third-oldest such lodge in existence, though this has been disputed by the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania and the Grand Lodge of Virginia.

(c) 2023 King Features Synd., Inc.

STAN SMITH’S TENNIS CLASS

Red Wing Potteries was located in Red Wing, Minn.

Nicolas Lutz was a master glass blower and designer for Boston and Sandwich Glass Company.

Left Handed (from page 3)

the age of ten. Of 60 infants who sucked their right thumb in the womb, 100% grew up to be right-handed. Of the 15 who sucked their left thumb, ten were left-handed and the other five were right-handed. This still stands as one of the most accurate predictors of the handedness of a yet-unborn child.

HANDEDNESS IN ANIMALS

• A 2013 study published in “Psychology Today” examined 119 diverse animal species looking for signs of limb preference. Can crabs be rightor left-clawed? Can turtles? Or is this something unique to humans?

• Researchers found that 51% of animal species studied exhibited a definite preference for which limb they used most. However, 32% of species studied failed to demonstrate the species-wide preference so prevalent in humans. The other 68% did. For instance, Japanese blue crabs crack shells almost exclusively with their right claws. Pacific leatherback turtles show a strong preference for their right flipper when burying their eggs. Parrots prefer their left foot for picking up objects 90% of the time.

• A 2015 study funded by National Geographic showed that by far the majority of kangaroos are left-pawed. Another study found that the red-necked wallaby, a marsupial, demonstrates a definite hand preference when walking on two legs but not when on all fours. Even the octopus has a favored arm among the eight it has to choose from, while also exhibiting an absolute preference for which eye it uses. Cats, dogs, and most other four-legged species are split 50-50.

• Mice tend to have a 50-50 split when it comes to preferring one paw over the other. One research project attempted to deliberately breed a line of left-pawed mice by allowing only pairs of left-pawed parents to reproduce. Even after 15 successive generations, each newborn mouse still had a 50-50 chance of being left- or rightpawed. □

Knuckle It Up

Making any change to your golf game can be a difficult one, especially if it involves the grip. Yet, if the majority of amateur golfers would take that investment to improve their hand position, it would reap benefits for games to come.

The left hand is a particular problem for most golfers due to the natural tendencies to position it improperly. A poor left hand grip has the thumb separate from the forefinger, wrist barely turned to show one knuckle, and is gripped mostly in the palm. Very few players can get away with such a poor position.

In order to correct the hand position, attempt to achieve the opposite of the aforementioned: Connect the thumb to the forefinger area slightly, turn the wrist to show at least three knuckles, and grasp the club more in the fingers. If you can simply go from one knuckle to three, you’ll usually see an improvement in ball flight control. Mark your glove on the knuckles to be more aware of the hand’s position.

By taking a “stronger” left hand grip position, the chances of eliminating the slice and poorly struck shots will be greatly enhanced.

1. WEATHER: What is the name of the hot wind that blows from the Sahara Desert to the southern coast of Europe?

2. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: What is the name of the condition of seeing human faces in random or ambiguous objects or patterns?

3. GEOGRAPHY: What is the only country that borders the United Kingdom?

4. THEATER: Which Broadway play features a helicopter on stage?

5. LITERATURE: Who wrote the novel “One Hundred Years of Solitude”?

6. MEDICAL: What is the common name for the ailment called epistaxis?

7. TELEVISION: Which TV comedy popularized the phrase “Yabba Dabba Do”?

8. MOVIES: What is the nickname that Steven Spielberg gave the mechanical shark in the movie “Jaws”?

9. HISTORY: When did the Boxer Rebellion take place in China?

10. MATH: Which number doesn’t have a corresponding Roman numeral?

Answers

numerous league championships.

1. Sirocco.

2. Pareidolia.

3. Republic of Ireland.

4. “Miss Saigon.”

5. Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

6. Nosebleed.

7. “The Flintstones.”