Vol. 20: #44 • Unintended Backfires • (10-27-2024) Tidbits of Coachella Valley
by Janet Spencer
The term “backfire” originally referred to a misfiring gun which, although aimed at an intended target, would instead blow up in the shooter’s hand. Today, the dictionary definition is “to affect the initiator rather than the intended object” and “to have the reverse of the desired effect.” This week Tidbits takes a
word.... "Oops!"
AW SHOOT!
• City officials in Oakland, California, decided that there were just too many guns on their streets. To reduce the number, they offered a $200 rebate for any gun turned in, no questions asked. The offer didn’t specify that you even had to be a resident of Oakland or that the guns needed to be functional.
• Seeing the opportunity for some quick cash, people gathered up their rusty junk guns and hurried -sometimes for hundreds of miles -- to surrender their useless firearms for easy money, which they then spent purchasing newer, better quality guns.
• First in line were gun dealers who turned in
TRIVIA NEWSFRONT
(Answers on page 16)
1. U.S. STATES: Which is the least populated state?
2. TELEVISION: Which character on “The Office” has a heart attack during a fire drill?
3. HISTORY: Why is Delaware’s nickname The Diamond State?
4. LITERATURE: Which children’s book features the characters Tweedledee and Tweedledum?
5. GEOGRAPHY: What is the capital of The Bahamas?
6. MOVIES: What is the name of the villain in “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”?
7. SCIENCE: Which unit measures food energy?
8. ANIMAL KINGDOM: What is a group of swimming ducks called?
9. MUSIC: Where does the pop group name The Bee Gees come from?
10. PSYCHOLOGY: What irrational fear is represented in the condition called globophobia?
Answers 1. Wyoming.
Stanley.
Thomas Jefferson said it was a
your body
"Fearfully
MICROBES
• Every human has around 40,000 different species of microbes living on their body. These microbes weigh approximately 3 lbs (1.4 kg), or about the same weight as the human brain.
• The average person of typical hygiene standards has about 100,000 bacteria on every square inch of skin. Every human walks around emitting a cloud of bacteria to the tune of around 37 million aerosolized bacteria per hour.
• The bacteria in your mouth are not the same as the bacteria in your gut. Only 15% of the bacteria on your left hand are the same species as those on your right hand.
• A single E. coli bacteria can reproduce 72 times per day, meaning that over the course of a single three-day period, one E. coli can spawn as many generations of offspring as have existed in the whole of human history.
• In 2019, a study of the gut bacteria of just twenty typical humans resulted in the discovery of 105 new species of microbes.
• Thin people have more gut microbes than fat people. It’s unknown if the number of microbes is responsible for their thinness.
• About a million different species of microbes have been identified, but of those, only around 1,500 are capable of causing diseases in humans. Still, microbes are responsible for about onethird of all the deaths on the planet.
• Today, about 40 million prescriptions for antibiotics are written annually in the U.S.
• From the 1950s through the 1990s, about three new antibiotics were introduced in the U.S. pharmaceutical market each year. Today, however, it’s one new antibiotic every other year. The arsenal of drugs we have available to fight bacterial infections is dropping.
• In the year 1950, half of all medicines being prescribed had been invented in the last ten years alone.
• The average American child receives about three courses of antibiotics before turning 2 and about ten courses of antibiotics before turning 10. Most Americans have received up to 20 courses of antibiotics by the time they reach adulthood.
Antibiotics kill off good bacteria as well as the bad, and it can be difficult for the microbiome to recover.
• Researchers once experimentally coated a single doorknob in a busy office building with an inert invisible substance that glowed under black light. After only four hours, over half of the people who worked in that building had the substance on their hands. It also appeared on copy machines, coffee machines, light switches, and keyboards.
• Droplets from a sneeze can travel 8 yards and stay suspended for up to ten minutes before settling on surfaces. While touching droplets on surfaces and then touching the mucous membranes of your face can spread infection, it is often more infectious to inhale airborne particles directly. In fact, kissing an infected person can be riskier than touching a contaminated surface, since it involves direct contact with saliva and mucous membranes.
• A typical adult touches their face 16 times an hour.
• Every year about 3,000 people in the U.S. die from food poisoning, with another 130,000 people hospitalized. The single biggest source of foodborne illness is not meat, eggs, or mayonnaise, but is instead leafy greens which account for 20% of food illnesses.
• What is the difference between being “infectious” and “contagious”? An infectious disease is caused by a microbe that can be encountered anywhere, whereas a contagious disease is transmitted only by direct contact.
Backfires: (from page one)
everything in their inventory worth less than $200. Even people who had never owned guns before scavenged the pawn shops and ransacked Grandpa’s World War II chest.
• The result was not only a huge drain out of Oakland's City treasury, but a sharp increase in the number of guns on their streets -- but now they were brand new and snazzy.
SPARE THE SPARROWS
• Chairman Mao Tse-tung led the Chinese Communist Party from 1935 until he died in 1976. During his tenure in 1958, in a bid to boost the prosperity of the Chinese population, he declared a war against “the four great pests” which were the infestation of rats, flies, mosquitoes, and sparrows. The effort was collectively known as “The Great Leap Forward.”
• Sparrows were included because they invaded agricultural fields, eating grain intended for people. For several years following, all kinds of small sparrow-like birds were driven to the brink of extinction.
• What he had not considered was the fact that sparrows also eat insects, and are particularly fond of locusts. With the sparrow population almost wiped out, the locust population grew exponentially, as well as many other species of crop-loving bugs. The resulting insect infestation devastated crops all across the country.
• By the time the order was lifted in 1961, famine had spread across China. Between 20 and 30 million citizens starved in the next several years.
BOOTLEGGING BOOM
• At the end of World War I the U.S. entered a period of prosperity. Though people wanted to celebrate, Prohibition laws interfered with
plans to party up by making the production or distribution of alcohol illegal. Now, instead of purchasing alcohol legally from safe sources that met health standards, people got it from moonshinersʼ shady underground sources. Legitimate small businesses and their suppliers went out of business, while Prohibition laws served as an incubator for the rise of the Mafia. Bootlegging and speakeasies now became thriving businesses, and organized crime dominated the scene. Their lucrative profits were plowed into other illegal activities such as prostitution, gun running, gambling houses and numerous other nafarious activities.
Alarmed at the number of automobile accidents in 2012, the Texas Department of Transportation decided on a plan. They placed highway reader boards that flashed the number of fatalities on Texas roads this year to date. Traffic slowed down while drivers craned their necks to read the text, increasing the accident rate by 4.5%.
HOMESTEAD HEADACHES
• The Homestead Act of 1862 signed by president Lincoln, granted any citizen the ownership of 160 acres of government land, provided they would live on it for five years while cultivating and improving it. This allowed many people, including women, former slaves, and immigrants, to settle the West.
• However, the expanded Homestead Act of 1909 had problems. This new act granted 320 acres to hardy pioneers, but by now all the best lands had been spoken for, leaving only marginal lands to claim. Those areas were mainly located on the prairie plains where tough grasses had been growing for centuries.
• Settlers spent the next couple of decades trying to turn these sparse lands into productive farms, starting with plowing under all the native deeprooted, drought-resistant grasses. With too little rain to support crops and the protective grasses now long gone, the entire area turned into an environmental catastrophe now known as the Dust Bowl. While the program was designed to turn the vast prairies into productive farmland, it ultimately damaged the environment to the point that the farm families abandoned them in utter defeat. The economy was damaged so severely that it took several decades to restore the balance.
COUNTING COBRAS
• In the early 1900s when Britain ruled India,
NUGGETS OF KNOWLEDGE
In 2019 the Mexican government decided their country needed more trees, so they set aside billions to pay farmers to plant new trees. No money was granted for farmers to maintain mature trees that were already growing on their property. Over 280 square miles of treed land was completely deforested so farmers could collect payment for planting tiny seedlings.
the British government was concerned with the number of deadly cobras roaming free in Delhi. A bounty was offered for each dead snake turned into government offices. Predictably, this led to lucrative cobra-breeding programs by enterprising entrepreneurs throughout the city. When government officials got wise to the practice, they ceased paying the bounty. All of the now-numerous cobra breeding facilities then opened their snake containments and let them go free. The cobra population by then had
Backfires: Turn to page 15
By Lucie Winborne
* Golf legend Jack Nicklaus earned his nickname, the “Golden Bear,” thanks to his size and blond hair. Conveniently, it was also the name of his high school mascot.
* When Americans moved out of one house and into another in the early 20th century, they would burn all their old dishcloths so that none of the bad energy that had been wiped up in the old house would move with them into their new abode.
* “Horizontal refreshment” was a 19thcentury slang term for sex.
* The term “mortician” was invented as part of a PR campaign by the funeral industry, which felt it was more customerfriendly than “undertaker.” The term was chosen after a call for ideas in Embalmer’s Monthly.
* It would take 76 workdays (if you work an eight-hour day) to read every online privacy policy you agree to in an average year.
* Sorry, Scotland: Persians invented bagpipes.
* Walt Disney World is the second-largest buyer of explosives in America, following only the U.S. Department of Defense -- but Disney uses them for fireworks.
* A Canadian police officer named Ward Clapham created a program giving “positive tickets” to people who do good deeds.
* Harriet Tubman was the first woman to lead a U.S. military raid.
* Great white sharks rarely survive in captivity. Experts suspect the electricity in buildings interferes with the animals’ electrosensory systems, though that hasn’t stopped some aquariums from trying, and failing, to display them.
* Instead of mowing the lawn, Google rents goats to eat the grass at its headquarters.
***
Thought for the Day: “A good example has twice the value of good advice.”
-- Albert Schweitzer
Everyday CHEAPSKATE®
by Mary Hunt
Your Slow Cooker Is a Great Holiday Helper
tric beater, adding the desired amount of warm milk to achieve a creamy consistency. Keep warm on low or until serving. Mashed potatoes will hold for several hours using this method.
WASSAIL, MULLED CIDER
Use your slow cooker to make these hot beverages and keep them hot during a party. Place all ingredients in slow cooker. Mix well. Cover, set slow cooker to low and allow to simmer all day. Don’t boil. Serve hot. An unbelievable fragrance will fill the air while your guests enjoy a wonderful holiday beverage.
Everyday CHEAPSKATE®
by Mary Hunt
Got a hunk of meat that feels like it could double as a doorstop? The slow cooker says, “Challenge accepted!” Toss in that tough cut, add a splash of broth and the magical ingredients, and by dinnertime, you’ll have something that’s practically falling apart in deliciousness. Expensive cuts? Who needs ‘em when your slow cooker can turn a $5 roast into a meal fit for royalty?
Ever buy veggies that seemed like a good idea at the time, only to find them wilting away in your crisper drawer? Rescue them with the slow cooker! It turns sad, forgotten produce into soups, stews or the base of just about anything. Not only are you saving money, but you’re also avoiding the guilt of tossing out that bell pepper.
A slow cooker is like having your own personal sous chef. You throw in the ingredients, hit the button, and you’re free to handle life’s other chaos. Plus, it’s an energy miser. No oven heating up the house or making your electric meter spin like a carnival ride. The slow cooker uses about as much electricity as your grandma’s bathroom nightlight.
Honestly, if you’re not already best friends with your slow cooker, it’s time to send it a friendship bracelet, especially with the busy holiday season right around the corner.
DIPPING CHOCOLATE
Melt batches of melting chocolate or almond bark for dipping fruit and other goodies by placing in a slow cooker on low. Stir occasionally. Holiday gift idea: Dip big pretzels into chocolate (white, milk or dark). Package in cellophane or other festive holiday containers and embellish with ribbons or raffia.
POTPOURRI
Turn your slow cooker on low, and fill the bottom with grape seed, canola or safflower oil; add a few drops of your favorite essential oil. Do not cover, allowing the most wonderful fragrance to fill your home.
FONDUE
Serve cheese fondue from your slow cooker, set on low.
BAKED POTATOES
If you are short on oven space, place baking potatoes wrapped in foil in a covered slow cooker set on high. Cook for about three hours or until they are done to perfection. Amazing!
MASHED POTATOES
Yes! You can actually make mashed potatoes in your slow cooker, start to finish, and allow them to hold for hours until you’re ready to eat.
Place the potatoes, water and butter into a slow cooker. Add salt, pepper and garlic powder (optional). Toss to distribute evenly. Cover, then cook on high for four hours. Do not drain the liquid. Mash potatoes with a masher or elec-
CHEX MIX
This classic combination of cereal, nuts, butter and seasonings cooks in your slow cooker so you don’t have to watch it or stir while it’s baking.
RECIPES
What’s that? You want specific recipes for all these amazing ways to make your slow cooker your best holiday helper? Oh, I'm way ahead of you! While it is not possible for me to include my favorite recipes that keep my multiple slow cookers super busy starting with Halloween right through New Year’s, you can find them at EverydayCheapskate.com/autumn-recipes-forslow-cooker. You’ll love this.
And now allow me get way ahead of the curve in wishing all my loyal fans and followers happy holidays!
* * *
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 2024 CREATORS.COM
• Violin bows are made from horsehair from the horse’s tail, with a single bow using around 160-180 strands.
• Ketchup originated in China as a fermented fish sauce, and the British later added their own touch to replicate it.
• Australia has a larger population of camels than Egypt, and even exports them to Saudi Arabia.
• Fingernails on the dominant hand grow faster.
• St. Lucia, an island nation in the Caribbean, is the only country named after a woman. The French named it after Saint Lucy.
• The letter J is the only letter that isn’t used for any of the elements on the periodic table.
• Dragonflies can’t walk. They can fly, and they can stand, but they cannot walk.
• The word “spaghetti” is plural in Italian. A single strand of spaghetti is called a “spaghetto.”
• Alaska is the only state whose name can be typed using only the letters on the second line of a QWERTY keyboard.
• The longest unbroken alliance in world history is between England and Portugal. This peace treaty began in 1386 and remains in place today.
• Spiked dog collars were invented by the Greeks to protect a dog’s neck from being bitten by wolves.
• Rapper Snoop Dog’s real name is Cordozar Calvin Broadus Jr.
• You can fit about 400 grapevines on a single acre of land, and in a good year, they will yield 5 tons of grapes.
• If you add up the opposite sides of dice, the total will always equal 7.
• The planet Uranus takes 84 years to orbit the Sun, which is longer than any other planet.
• The day after Thanksgiving is the busiest day for American plumbers who call it “Brown Friday.”
• Geckos eat the skin they shed.
• Jack Daniels, founder of the whiskey empire, died from a toe injury after kicking a safe. This wound became infected and he died of blood poisoning.
• The Tooth Fairy doles out an average of $3.70 per tooth in the U.S.
• The King of Hearts is the only King in a deck of cards that does not have a mustache.
• Ben & Jerry’s made a graveyard for their discontinued flavors. Each gravestone displays a photo of the deceased, its lifespan, and an epitaph.
• The 1996 horror flick “Scream” which features a serial killer who would anonymously call his victims, tripled the demand for caller IDs in the U.S.
• Dr Pepper does not have a period.
• An estimated 20% of power outages in the U.S. are caused by squirrels.
• The U.S. Navy uses Xbox controllers to maneuver their periscopes.
• The only English word that ends in the letters
“mt” is “dreamt.”
• Basenji dogs can’t bark properly; they have a yodeling bay instead.
• Movie trailers, first introduced during the 1910s, were originally shown after the film, hence the name.
• Adult cats only meow to humans, not other cats.
by Dana Jackson
Q: Have they said who will replace Hoda Kotb on the “Today” show after she leaves? -- A.Y.
A: When Hoda Kotb announced at the end of September that she would be leaving the job she’s held for 17 years with “Today,” it came as a shock to her fans, but probably not her co-anchors Savannah Guthrie and Jenna Bush Hager.
Now the mother of two young girls, Kotb recently purchased a home away from Manhattan in the hopes of spending more time with her daughters while they’re still in elementary school.
According to Us Weekly, an NBC insider hints that the top contender to replace Kotb is weekend “Today” anchor Laura Jarrett. Other possibilities include Craig Melvin or Carson Daly.
Since Kotb isn’t departing until early 2025 and will remain part of the NBC network in some capacity, there’s still several months to determine who will fill her chair.
Q: What happened to the “Charlie Brown” holiday specials? I miss seeing the Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas ones on regular TV. I haven’t seen them in a couple years. -- E.B.
A: The “Peanuts” holiday specials started airing on Apple TV+ in 2020 as part of an exclusive deal with the streaming service. Previously, these classic shows were a part of CBS’s holiday programming since 1965, so it’s understandable that viewers are upset with the move to streaming.
Fortunately, each year, Apple TV+ offers days where nonsubscribers can watch the specials at no cost. “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” was made available on Oct. 19 and 20. “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” will be available on Nov. 23 and 24, while “A Charlie Brown Christmas” will be shown on Dec. 14 and 15.
Apparently, creator Charles Schulz wasn’t a fan of the Christmas special’s finished product, but when it became a massive hit, the franchise went on to create dozens of more specials. However, none of them has achieved the classic TV status that this trio from the fall and winter holidays has. Visit TV.apple.com for more information.
***
Q: I read about the newest “Big Bang Theory” spin-off in the works. Is Jim Parsons going to be on it? -- L.L.
A: For those who might not have heard yet, in addition to “Young Sheldon” and “Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage,” it was recently announced that a spin-off centered around three supporting characters from “The Big Bang Theory” is in development.
According to TVLine, Kevin Sussman (Stuart), Lauren Lapkus (Denise), and Brian Posehn (Bert) have all inked a deal with HBO’s streaming service Max for the new yet-to-be-named series, “which is suspected to revolve around Stuart’s comic bookstore.”
When he was interviewed on “Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace?” Parsons stated that he has no plans now to appear on the new series, but that he “would never say never to anything because life just changes so much.”
Parsons, who served as an executive producer and narrator of “Young Sheldon,” the prequel sitcom about his “BBT” character, reprised the role onscreen for the series finale.
* * *
Send me your questions at NewCelebrityExtra@gmail.com, or write me at KFWS, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803.
(c) 2024 King Features Synd., Inc.
Hoda Kotb (“Today”) Courtesy of NBCUniversal
Recipes from
Grilled Sausage Subs with Apple Slaw
Hearty brats and creamy, crunchy slaw are made fit for fall tailgating with the addition of crisp apples.
4 bratwurst links
2 large unpeeled Granny Smith apples
1/2 small red onion
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon spicy brown mustard
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
4 hoagie rolls
1. Heat grill or grill pan for direct grilling on medium-high. Grill bratwurst links 10 to 12 minutes or until cooked through, turning often.
2. Meanwhile, grate unpeeled Granny Smith apples and red onion into large bowl. Toss with mayonnaise, cider vinegar, spicy brown mustard and celery salt. Divide among hoagie rolls. Serves 4.
Winter Vegetable Chowder
With our freeze-now, serve-later vegeta ble chowder, you can give your family a comfy meal on even the busiest weeknight. This thymescented chowder boasts a creamy finish thanks to a dose of half-and-half (or light cream, for the calorie-watchers).
6 medium leeks
2 tablespoon olive oil
4 medium stalks celery
3 medium parsnips
2 medium red potatoes
1 butternut squash
2 can vegetable broth
4 cups water
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves, plus thyme sprig for garnish
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 cup half-and-half or light cream
1. Cut off roots and trim dark-green tops from leeks. Discard any tough outer leaves. Cut each leek lengthwise in half, then crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide slices. Rinse leeks in large bowl of cold water; swish to remove sand. With hands, transfer leeks to colander, leaving sand in bottom of bowl. Repeat rinsing and draining, several times, until all sand is removed. Drain well.
2. In 6-quart saucepot, heat oil on medium-high until hot. Add leeks, celery and parsnips, and cook 10 to 12 minutes or until all vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.
3. Add potatoes, squash, broth, water, thyme, salt and pepper; heat to boiling on medium-high. Cover; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer about 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in half-and-half and heat through, about 13 minutes. Spoon half of soup into tureen and garnish with thyme sprig; then spoon remaining into freezer-safe containers. Yields 15 cups, or 8 main-dish servings.
To Reheat After Thawing:
Top of range: In covered saucepan, heat to boiling on medium, about 25 minutes, stirring
To my great joy, I was recently charged with the task of selecting a puppy for a 23-year-old kindergarten teacher friend of mine. She told me exactly what she was looking for in terms of energy and personality, and she described for me her day-to-day lifestyle -- both personal and professional -- and the kinds of activities she’d like to do with her dog.
She had done her research and given a lot of thought to the breed of dog she wanted. Her tastes fall squarely in the middle of the size spectrum -- ruling out any breeds that are excessively big or small. She wasn’t looking for a guard dog or a show dog or a couch potato. She knew she wanted a companion dog -- playful, smart and energetic.
After weighing all her options, she discovered the Labradoodle. Deemed a “designer breed,” these Labrador-poodle mixes are wonderful dogs. But breed is not a surefire path to personality. Within the scope of any breed of dog lies an array of personality types. In fact, within a single litter of dogs is an array of personality types.
My friend located a Labradoodle breeder who had a litter of five puppies, all 7 weeks old. This is where I come in.
As I arrived at the breeder’s house prepared to give an assortment of personality tests to five pups, I found myself laughing. I sure hope these tests work!
The tests involve observing the dogs’ reactions to a number of things: my presence, my voice, the sound of foreign objects (in this case, keys being tossed to the ground), my touch (varying pressure to different parts of the body, including sensitive parts like the paws, the tail and the back, to determine pain tolerance) and my hand moving toward and around the face and head.
Each of the five dogs -- same breed, same litter -- had his own individual reaction to each test. This just confirmed what I already knew: Every dog has his own personality.
All five pups are adorable, and each will make a great pet for the right person. The first pup
Scammers will exploit every possible opportunity to commit fraud against seniors. This time they’re going after our DNA.
The newest fraud involves billing Medicare for special testing that our doctors haven’t asked for. As is typical, they go for our vulnerabilities. These scammers claim they have tests for Parkinson’s, cancer, dementia, hereditary cancer and more. All we have to do to guard our health is to agree to these “free” tests and submit to a cheek swab right on the spot, or they’ll send us a kit in the mail or come to our home. All they need in order to get us the results, they say, is our Medicare information.
That’s all they really want, our Medicare number, so they can submit a claim for the tests, some costing $9,000 to $11,000 each. If Medicare turns down the request for payment, you could be liable for the full amount.
Beware being approached by anyone when you’re out and about. The DNA scammers
The Art of DESIGN
by Joseph Publillones
Entry Hall Decor
An entrance to any home is a special and vulnerable place. It is the gateway from the public realm to the private. It is often the only interior space that visitors to your home may see. It is also a functional and ceremonious place, a significant one where someone picks you up, drops off a food delivery or the perfect refuge for a first kiss after a good date. Depending on the architectural treatment, it can be called entry, entrance, entry hallway, hall, reception, vestibule and foyer. Decorating an entrance hall or foyer can be a great deal of fun. It can be the one space in your home that is a little over the top to suggest the overall tone of the decor of the home. It is also the location where many choose to decorate with elements that have inherent meaning to establish good luck and protection. These decorative accessories have historically and culturally carried meaning.
approach seniors at fairs, the farmers market, by phone, in a parking lot, at aging conferences, health fairs or even at events set up by their community or church. (One group was duped by being told they were getting free ice cream to listen to a presentation.)
If someone approaches you about these “free” DNA tests, just say no. If you receive a test in the mail anyway, do not open it. Go online to oig.hhs.gov/fraud/hotline and tell them about the test. Or you can call 1-800-447-8477, which is the hotline for the Department of Health and Human Services. You also can call Medicare, your local police and the state attorney general.
Never give anyone your Medicare number or personal information unless it’s your regular doctor. Besides the phony DNA tests, you could become a victim of other kinds of fraud.
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.
symbol for the hotel industry worldwide.
Elephant figurine or drawing of an elephant is meant to imply strength and stability. Originally, in Hindu, the elephant represents the deity of Ganesh, god of good luck and good fortune. Elephants are also gentle giants, and elephants with upward turned trunks are sought out decorative accessories also believed to hold good fortune.
Finally, Foo Dogs are the darling of foyer decor. These small statues are really lions, even though some may find them similar to ChowChow’s or Shih Tzu’s. Foo Dogs are guardians and have been used for thousands of years at the entrance of a home. Usually in pairs they symbolize a family, one with a ball and the other with a cub.
Of British lineage, Staffordshire dogs are reminiscent of the foo dogs. Their pose and scale are similar to those coming from the Orient. Used mainly in fireplace mantles and entry halls, their function as a talisman for good luck is the same.
A horseshoe is a classic symbol of good luck generally placed above the front door. Placed with its open side facing up is supposed to contain good fortune for those that live in the home. Placed with the opening side down, mean good luck bestowed on anyone who walks underneath it or through the doorway.
In most southern homes, a pineapple is a symbol of graciousness and hospitality. This delicious fruit can be found as a motif on a wallpaper to cut-glass lamp bases, to brass finials for drapery or as a door-knocker. It is now an international
According to feng shui principles, the color red is a sort of fix-all for problems with the flow of chi (energy) into the home, which explains the many red entry halls, libraries and dining rooms throughout the decorative world. Strands of white lights, are also eschewed by those that follow feng shui, and these can be put in plants or swirled in glass containers to add light and sparkle to an entrance.
Remember it is important to put your best dog, fruit or elephant forward, when receiving someone in your home, but most of all at the entry.
* * *
Joseph Pubillones is the owner of Joseph Pubillones Interiors, an award-winning interior design firm based in Palm Beach, Fla. 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.
COPYRIGHT 2021 CREATORS.COM
Cody’s Corner (from page 9)
was outgoing but cautious. The second was approachable but aloof. Puppy No. 3 was playful and extremely outgoing. No. 4 was shy but sweet. And the fifth and final pup was shy and scrappy, the runt of the litter.
I congratulated the breeder on a lovely litter of puppies. And I gave her a tip: Give them each individual attention. This will give the less confident dogs a chance to blossom -- out of the shadows of their more confident and sometimes pushy siblings.
Ultimately, I selected Puppy No. 3. He is exactly what my friend was looking for, and she’s thrilled.
Getting a dog is a big decision. It’s the only time you get to pick your relative. When you do your homework and plan ahead, you avoid making a purely emotional decision -- which rarely leads to the best choice. Know what you want. Narrow the field of options. Then make your final selection either with the help of a professional or with the knowledge and tools of one.
For more information on personality tests for dogs, visit unclematty.com.
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. COPYRIGHT 2014 CREATORS.COM
YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY
by Tom Margenau
Social Security COLA for 2025
In mid-October every year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics releases its much-anticipated report on changes (usually increases) to the Consumer Price Index over the past 12 months. Why is this little esoteric government report -- actually called the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers -- so popular? Because for the past 50 years, it’s the report that determines the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) that Social Security beneficiaries will get the following year.
Because my column has a long lead time, what I am reporting here isn’t news to most of my readers. As I’m sure you already heard, all 68 million Social Security beneficiaries’ checks are going up 2.5% in 2025.
I always dread mentioning COLAs in this column because every single time I do, I am flooded with emails from readers complaining that the increase is not enough.
Yet here’s the rub: Many economists and social planners believe Social Security COLAs are too generous! (I’ve explained why in past columns, but don’t have the space to get into that argument today.) That’s why most discussions of long-range reform for Social Security include proposals to reduce cost-of-living increases.
But for now, that’s neither here nor there. Let’s get back to the 2025 Social Security COLA. Due to these increases, the average monthly retirement check will be $1,976 in 2025, a $49 increase from the 2024 level. The maximum Social Security check for a worker turning full retirement age in 2025 will be $4,018, compared to $3,822 in 2024. And please note that $4,018 is the maximum for someone turning full retirement age in 2025. That does not mean it is the maximum Social Security payment anyone can receive. There are millions of Social Security beneficiaries who get much more than that, primarily because they worked well past their FRA and/or delayed starting their benefits until age 70.
Here’s another important point about the COLA. Many readers have been asking me if they must file for Social Security benefits in 2024 to get the COLA that’s paid in January 2025. The answer is no. The COLA will be built into the benefit computation formula. So even if you don’t file for Social Security until next year, or some subsequent year, you’ll still get the 2.5% increase.
Although this is a Social Security column, I must mention the upcoming increase in the Medicare Part B premium, which is deducted from Social Security checks for most people. As I was writing this column, the 2025 basic Part B premium was not yet announced. But it is projected to be $185. That’s $5.20 more than the 2024 rate. And as has been the case for 20 years now, wealthy people will pay more than the basic premium.
I don’t want to get into the complicated issue of Medicare premiums other than to make this quick point: Even though they are linked in the minds of most senior citizens, Social Security and Medicare are entirely separate programs, administered by entirely separate federal agencies, and they have entirely separate rules and regulations regarding their benefit and payment structures.
For example, I already explained how Social Security COLAs are figured. The Part B Medicare premium increase has nothing to do with the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ consumer price index. Instead, by law, it must be set at a level that covers 25% of the cost of running the program. Taxpayers pick up the remaining 75%. (And again, wealthy people pay more than the 25% share.)
Another measuring stick called the “national wage index” is used to set increases to other provisions of the law that affect Social Security beneficiaries and taxpayers. Specifically, this includes increases in the amount of wages or selfemployment income subject to Social Security tax, the amount of income needed to earn a “quarter of coverage” and the Social Security earnings penalty limits.
The Social Security taxable earnings base will go up from $168,600 in 2024 to $176,100 in 2025. In other words, people who earn more than $176,100 in 2025 will no longer have Social Security payroll taxes deducted from their paychecks once they hit that threshold. This has always been a very controversial provision of the law. (Bill Gates pays the same amount of Social Security tax as his plumber!) I think it’s a pretty good bet that any eventual Social Security reform package will include an increase in that wage base.
Most people need 40 Social Security work credits (sometimes called “quarters of coverage”) to be eligible for monthly benefit checks from the system. In 2024, people who were working earned one credit for each $1,730 in Social Security taxable income. But no one earns more than four credits per year. In other words, once you made $6,920, your Social Security record has been credited with the maximum four credits or quarters of coverage. In 2025, the one credit limit goes up to $1,810, meaning you will have to earn $7,240 this coming year before you get the maximum four credits assigned to your Social Security account.
People under their full retirement age who get Social Security retirement or survivor’s benefits
but who are still working are subject to limits in the amount of money they can earn and still receive all their Social Security checks. That limit was $22,320 in 2024 and will be $23,400 in 2025. For every $2 a person earns over those limits, $1 is withheld from his or her monthly benefits.
There is a higher earnings threshold in the year a person turns full retirement age that applies from the beginning of the year until the month the person reaches FRA. (The income penalty goes away once a person reaches that magic age.) That threshold goes up from $59,520 in 2024 to $62,160 in 2025.
A couple other Social Security provisions are also impacted by inflationary increases. For example, people getting disability benefits who try to work can generally continue getting those benefits as long as they are not working at a “substantial” level. In 2024, the law defined substantial work as any job paying $1,550 or more per month. In 2025, that substantial earnings level increases to $1,620 monthly.
Finally, the Supplemental Security Income basic federal payment level for one person goes up from $943 in 2024 to $967 in 2025. SSI is a federal welfare program administered by the Social Security Administration, but it is not a Social Security benefit. It is paid for out of general revenues, not Social Security taxes.
If you have a Social Security question, Tom Margenau has two books with all the answers. One is called “Social Security -- Simple and Smart: 10 Easy-to-Understand Fact Sheets That Will Answer All Your Questions About Social Security.” The other is “Social Security: 100 Myths and 100 Facts.” You can find the books at Amazon.com or other book outlets. Or you can send him an email at thomas.margenau@ comcast.net. To find out more about Tom Margenau and to read past columns and see features from other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 2024 CREATORS.COM
1. The book of 2 Timothy is found in the a) Old testament b) New testament c) Neither
2. From Luke 6, what did Jesus tell his disciples to do to those who cursed them? a) Stay silent b) Pray for them c) Give testimony d) Bless them
3. What did David do to cause the evil spirit to depart from Saul? a) Pray b) Fast c) Play a harp d) Exorcism
4. From John 3, who lifted up the serpent in the wilderness? a) Abraham b) Noah c) Aaron d) Moses
5. What horrible things did Ezekiel see filling a valley? a) Vermin b) Bones of men c) Vicious demons d) Glimpses of hell
6. Who was the father of James and John? a) Naham b) Haggai c) Zebedee d) Jesse
Find expanded trivia online with Wilson Casey at www.patreon.com/triviaguy. FREE TRIAL.
(Answers on page 16) For comments or more Bible Trivia go to www.TriviaGuy.com
One nice thing about egotists, they don't talk about other people
Is it ok to call someone who sleeps through a political speech a bulldozer?
Only dead fish go with the flow.
Two-Year-Old Incision
Occasionally Secretes Fluid
DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 69-yearold, very active male. My left Achilles tendon severed two years ago, but it was surgically repaired. I had an 8-inch incision that has totally healed, with the exception of one small area about the size of the lead of a pencil. It’s 3 inches above my heel. This small area would close up for a few days, then reopen with small amounts of off-white fluid oozing from the little hole.
Sometimes I apply Iodosorb, which keeps the area dry for a while. But, for whatever reason, showers seem to make the incision release fluid. I apply a bandage over the wound for most sporting or exercise events, just so that it doesn’t get rubbed by the top of my shoe.
Is there any solution to this, or do I just have to live with it? -- R.M.
ANSWER: The Achilles tendon is a thick, tough piece of connective tissue between the calf muscles and the heel bone. It can rupture under extreme trauma (often sports injuries), in people who have weakness of the tendon, or due to treatment with antibiotics that are in the quinolone class, such as ciprofloxacin. When repairing the tendon, the surgeon uses sutures or wires to put it back together.
A residual wound defect is quite concerning to me. The foreign material in the tendon is at a high risk for infection. It’s possible that there is an infection, which led to a fistula (an abnormal connection) between the tendon.
I definitely recommend going back to see the surgeon. They may want to do further testing (possibly imaging) to see if there is any evidence of an infection in the repaired tendon. ***
DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m a 63-year-old man in generally good health. Recently, we moved into a new home with a pool. When I floated on my back, I noticed a 6-by-2-inch bulge from my breastbone to my navel. I contacted my doctor, who said it was rectus diastasis.
I researched online, and there doesn’t appear to be anything that can be done to correct it. Apparently, it doesn’t pose a serious problem. Am I correct that I should just live with it? -- G.B.
ANSWER: Correct. The left and right halves of your abdominus rectus muscle (your “abs”) are normally connected in the middle by tough fibrous tissue. Instead of them being held tightly together, they can be separated by a centimeter or so (called congenital rectus diastasis) in some people. Sometimes, the muscles can also separate during adulthood when people’s abdomens start to get larger, whether it’s through pregnancy, weight gain or other reasons. The area can bulge out with increased abdominal pressure.
Nothing needs to be done, and although there are elective cosmetic surgeries to correct it, I’ve never had a patient want one. Most of the
time, I make the diagnosis when I’m doing an abdominal exam, and the patient isn’t even aware that they have it. (Or they think that everyone has it.)
* * *
Dr. Roach regrets that he is unable to answer individual questions, but will incorporate them in the column whenever possible. Readers may email questions to ToYourGoodHealth@med.cornell.edu
(c) 2024 North America Synd., Inc. All Rights Reserved
VETERANS POST
by Freddie Groves
Proposed: Grants for Veteran Legal Assistance
It’s only been proposed at this point, but it’s a great idea: The Department of Veterans Affairs is considering handing out grant money to those who can help veterans change their discharge status, ask for a review of records for the purpose of making corrections and give legal help when it comes to accessing VA programs. If it goes through, doors would swing wide open to veterans who’ve had problems getting all their benefits due to discharge status.
Those who didn’t have an honorable or general discharge can already take advantage of a different ruling that came about in April 2024. With that one, records can be reviewed to see if there’s any wiggle room to being able to provide the veteran with what’s needed. Targeted veterans in that regulation are those who perhaps had difficulties (“compelling circumstances”) due to harassment or assault, struggled with mental or physical health, faced discrimination or experienced anything else that might have caused the behavior that led to the dishonorable or bad conduct discharge. While being approved in this process won’t change the discharge status, it can open the door to getting needed benefits. (If you were turned down before, apply again.)
by Freddie Groves
In the last decade, 57,000 veterans with the wrong discharge status were granted eligibility for benefits. The new proposed program will add in the legal help that might be necessary to get through the steps with a military service discharge review board, a board that changes or corrects military records or a determination of characterization of service.
To read the fine print on the proposal, go to the Federal Register at www.federalregister.gov and search for the Oct. 2, 2024, file titled “Legal Services for Veterans-Legal Assistance for Access to VA Programs Grant Program.”
If you were in the Reserves, you might or might not be eligible for the legal assistance. To read the specific definitions, scroll down the page noted above to section 81.15 Eligible Individuals.
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) 2024 King Features Synd., Inc.
M.D.
-- by Jim Miller
Best CPAP Alternatives for Sleep Apnea
DEAR SAVVY SENIOR: I’ve been diagnosed with sleep apnea and have been trying to use a CPAP device for the past six months. It's a contraption that is uncomfortable to wear, it keeps me awake and I've decided I just can’t tolerate it. Are there alternative treatment options you can tell me about? -- Sleep deprived
Dear Sleep deprived: I’m sorry to hear your CPAP mask is keeping you awake at night, but I’m happy to hear that you’re addressing your obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) problem. Left untreated, OSA is linked to daytime sleepiness and an increased risk of anxiety, diabetes, hypertension and stroke.
For those not familiar with the condition, OSA causes breathing to pause during sleep due to blockage of the airway - either by the tongue or relaxed throat muscles. Losing weight, and limiting alcohol can all help ease obstructive sleep apnea symptoms such as snoring.
The primary treatment for those with moderate or severe OSA is a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine, which keeps your airway open by pumping air through a mask you wear over your mouth and/or nose when you sleep.
But many people, like yourself, have difficulty tolerating the uncomfortable bulk of the CPAP mask and hose, and wind up quitting the use of it altogether. However, some CPAP machines have become smaller and quieter, with more comfortable options available. And for some people with mild to moderate OSA, there are less invasive alternatives to CPAP that may be worth considering. Here are several to ask your doctor about:
Dental device:
This is designed to move the jaw so
that the tongue shifts toward the front of the mouth to help keep the airway open. It’s one of the primary alternatives to CPAP and can also be used to help make severe obstructive sleep apnea milder.
A dentist who specializes in sleep medicine (find one at dentalsleep.org) will be able to customize its fit to help your breathing without causing harm to your teeth or bite. These custom-made oral appliances can cost between $2,000 and $4,000 but may be covered by insurance.
There are much cheaper options available online to treat snoring, but be aware that experts warn that these may not effectively help with OSA. They could move teeth out of place or cause jaw issues if they’re not properly fitted by an experienced dental practitioner.
Position therapy:
For some, sleeping on one's back can exacerbate the obstruction problem and make it dramatically worse. In these cases, switching to side sleeping – perhaps using pillows or a tennis ball attached to a shirt back – can sometimes help.
Tongue trainer:
In 2021, the Food and Drug Administration approved a tongue-stimulating device for mild sleep apnea called eXciteOSA (exciteosa.com), which people wear for 20 minutes a day for six weeks and then 20 minutes a couple of times a week indefinitely. It costs $1,650 and is not covered by insurance.
Surgery:
Those who can’t tolerate CPAP could have upper airway surgery to reduce the size of their soft palate or other tissue in their throat. But such options don’t always work. They can have serious potential complications, which cannot be reversed. So, in general, they should not be first-line treatments.
A newer option is a surgically implanted device called Inspire (inspiresleep.com). Approved in 2014, it stimulates a nerve that moves your tongue to keep your airway open. Inspire can be removed if it is not tolerated, but it should also be considered only if the individual is unable to use CPAP. It is not an option for everyone.
Drug therapy: A new study, recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that tirzepatide – the main ingredient found in type 2 diabetes medication Mounjaro and weight loss treatment Zepbound – helps reduce symptom severity by almost two-thirds in adults with obesity who have the OSA condition. Ask your doctor about this option.
contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.
Can you tell me if it has any value?
A: The mark you provided was used by Nelson McCoy Pottery Company. They made stoneware and pottery in Roseville and Zanesville, Ohio from 1848 to 1990.
ANTIQUE
by Anne McCollam Creators News Service
Furniture Design Reveals History
Q: My mother purchased this sideboard twenty years ago in an antiques shop. The store owner had no information on its origin.
It has very unusual carving and hardware. There are two labels inside one of the drawers indicating where it was shipped from and to whom. Unfortunately there are no dates on either one. The top looks to be made of marble.
We are hoping that you can shed some light on its history and possible value.
A: Your sideboard is an example of Eastlake period of furniture. It was made in the Victorian Era in the years between 1870 and 1890. The shallow incised carving, turned spindles, burled panels, brass bail pulls, marble top and the overall rectilinear lines are representative of Eastlake design.
The value of your sideboard would probably be in the area of $1,400 to $1,900.
Q: Enclosed is the mark seen on the bottom of a small vase that belonged to my greataunt around 70 years ago. The vase is aqua, stands 5 inches tall and is in perfect condition.
Your vase is circa 1940 and similar vases sell in the range of $35 to $60.
Q: I have a coffee set that I inherited from my grandfather in Germany. There are six cups, six saucers, a coffee pot, a creamer and a sugar bowl. Each dish is decorated with a gold pattern over a dark blue glaze. The inside of the cups are all gold. “Echt Kobalt” is marked on the bottom of each piece.
I hope you can tell me what the value of my set is.
A: “Echt Kobalt” means real cobalt and it refers to the dark blue glaze that decorated your china. There were several Bavarian porcelain factories that included these words with their marks.
Your set was made in the mid 20th century and would probably be worth $300 to $450.
Antiques expert and columnist Anne McCollam has since retired and no longer receives inquiries nor answers reader letters. Due to the popularity of her column, this publication will continue to reprint previous columns of interest to our readers.
To find out more about Anne McCollam and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com
* On Oct. 28, 1961, rocker Chuck Berry began his second court trial for allegedly transporting a minor, in this case Janice Escalante, across state lines for immoral purposes in violation of the Mann Act, after he took her on the road with his traveling show. He was convicted and served three years in prison, where he studied accounting and continued to write songs.
* On Oct. 29, 1619, Sir Walter Raleigh, an English adventurer, writer and former favorite courtier of Queen Elizabeth I, was beheaded in London 15 years after a sentence of death was brought against him for conspiracy against King James I.
* On Oct. 30, 1811, Jane Austen’s now classic novel “Sense and Sensibility” made its debut on the literary stage, albeit anonymously “by a Lady.” Only a small circle of people, including the Prince Regent, knew her true identity. It was a success upon publication and has been adapted many times for the stage, cinema and television.
* On Oct. 31, 1997, 33-year-old Violet Palmer became the first woman to officiate an NBA game (the Dallas Mavericks vs. the Vancouver Grizzlies), calling it a “dream come true” after “a lot of hard work.” The announcement of her achievement, however, drew little reaction from the crowd.
* On Nov. 1, 2023, the Collins Dictionary announced AI as the most notable word of that year because it “has accelerated at such a fast pace and become the dominant conversation of 2023.”
* On Nov. 2, 2011, the Chinese spacecrafts Shenzhou 8 and Tiangong-1 space lab joined in orbit, marking a first for the country and an event critical to its plans for a future space station.
* On Nov. 3, 1979, during a rally in Greensboro, N.C., by communists and industrial trade union members against the Ku Klux Klan known as the “Death to the Klan March,” in a predominantly black housing project called Morningside Heights, cars containing Klansmen and American Nazi Party members opened fire on rally members, killing five marchers and injuring others. Although 40 Klansmen and Nazis took part, only six went to trial, and all the defendants were acquitted by the white juries.
(c)
"I like the flexibility of owning my own business. I can work any 18 hours a day that I want."
Eastlake sideboard was made around 1870 to 1890.
Nelson McCoy Pottery Company was in business from 1848 to 1990.
Backfires: from page 3
increased to so many that the reptiles numbered far more than when the program began. The dangerous problem still exists today, and has been dubbed “the cobra effect.”
YACHT YIKES
• A luxury tax on yachts was implemented in 1991, charging a 10% tax on yachts costing $100,000 or more. The result, however, is that the rich, who still liked to get a bargain, either bought yachts overseas, held on to their older boats, or bought smaller boats for less than $100,000. The market for new luxury yachts tanked. Many boat-building businesses went bust, putting skilled blue-collar workers out of work and on welfare. This cost the government far more in unemployment benefits than the new tax would have gained. The luxury tax on yachts was repealed two years later.
RENEGADE RULER
• In ancient China around 200 B.C., there was a police officer named Liu Bang. One day, he was transporting some prisoners and they managed to escape. At the time, the Qin Dynasty laws stated that the punishment for letting prisoners escape was death. Rather than face the death penalty, Liu Bang instead decided to join up with his former prisoners. He became a warlord, overthrew the Qin Dynasty, and established himself as the first emperor of the Han Dynasty. The Han Dynasty ruled China, peacefully and fairly, for over 400 years.
PRICE PERCEPTIONS
• The JCPenney store chain decided to eliminate special sales and implement an “everyday low pricing” policy where they set their prices to the lowest amount they would ever sell it for, regardless of the time of year. They underestimated how many people loved to shop the sales and get a thrill out of finding a bargain. With no special sale events to interest them, those people simply quit shopping there. Sales tanked, and the company was reorganized under Chapter 11 bankruptcy shortly afterward.
Changers
by Jason Jenkins
Not all greenside chips are equal. There are different lies, distances to the pins, and terrains between you and the hole. Not only are all chips not equal, but one club should not always be used for them all.
One basic of the greenside chip should be a consistent technique which includes setup, swing length, and impact conditions. After that, you have the freedom to alter the club you’re using, its alignment, and where you hit it on the face.
Assuming for now that the face is square and you’re striving for center contact, practice mastering three clubs around the green. Use the 8-iron for long distance chips where you can allow the ball to land quickly and roll out over the length of the green. Adjust to the pitching wedge when the pin is more centralized on the green and you don’t need as much roll on the ball.
Finally, switch to the sand or lob wedge to attack the short chips when the hole is quite near you. Each stroke should be similar, but the club will create different carry and roll results.
By practicing with these three clubs, you’ll have a better gameplan around the greens.
